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According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), building eight industrial yards in Zambia will increase job growth and lower poverty.
The AfDB, which has spent $30 million in the project, claims that the industrial yards will revitalize the local economies and open up employment prospects for residents.
At the Mansa Industrial Yard’s commissioning in the province of Luapula, bank country manager DUROWOJU OLANIYIS gave a speech.
Products created in industrial yards, according to Mr. OLANIYI, must be marketed to eagerly anticipating audiences on a regional and global scale.
Additionally, entrepreneurs that will be chosen to open firms in the Mansa Industrial Yard must make sure they increase value addition, according to Small and Medium Enterprises Minister ELIAS MUBANGA.
Mr. MUBANGA asked the businesspeople to take advantage of the sizable Congolese market in order to provide the nation with the much-needed foreign exchange.
Meanwhile, the choice of business owners to open shops at the Mansa Industrial Yard has advanced, according to CEEC Board Chairman JASON KAZILIMANI.
The Mansa Industrial Yard, which cost 24 million kwacha to construct, contains 12 workshops with electricity and running water already installed.


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The article says that the industry has backed down in some states and some credit-freeze laws have passed, but with conditions and business-friendly exceptions — for instance, Delaware had to eliminate a provision that included fines for merchants that failed to secure customer data, before the law could be passed."'The banks, the insurance companies, credit bureaus and retailers really came out of the woodwork and fought hard against it,' [activist George Fitzgerald] said. 'I thought it was good for them and the banks. I thought with all the ID theft going on, people might even get to the point where they'd be afraid of using the [banking] system. I thought that since the credit bureaus were making a bundle of money off of trading consumers' information
... that they should offer a way to protect that information.'
"Bond reflected that good Americans were fine people and that most of them seemed to come from Texas." - Ian Fleming, "Casino Royale"

domain: news


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Samsung’s digital assistant Bixby to launch with Galaxy S8: All you need to know
Samsung is expected to launch a new digital assistant along with its Galaxy S8 smartphone today which will compete with the likes of Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and the Google Assistant.
Samsung is expected to launch its new digital assistant, called Bixby, along with its new smartphone Galaxy S8 on Wednesday.
According to rumours, the assistant will have a dedicated button on the phone and will comptete with the likes of Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and the Google Assistant which comes with all new Android smartphones. With its own dedicated button located on the side of the phone, Bixby might also help in controlling a smartphone in a way that combines touch and voice.
Samsung promises safety with batteries
Experts claim that Samsung came out with the Assistant to create a differentiating factor from all other Android smartphones and give it some abilities which will be exclusive to high-end Samsung devices.
But what do we know about Bixby yet? The new digital assistant from Samsung will be compatible with 10 preloaded Samsung apps including the photo gallery, phone, contacts, messaging and settings -- but not email or calendar.
Here is what to expect from Samsung Galaxy S8 launch
A feature called Bixby Vision, which identifies landmarks, types of wine, products and text for translation, will also come out of box in the Galaxy S8.
Leaks also suggest that Bixby can be accessed either by swiping left (to where Flipboard used to be) in addition to dedicated button. Bixby will also throw in card suggestions based on a user's history and habits.
Reports also claim that Samsung will provide Bixby access to third-party developers. The digital assistant will be onitially available in English and Korean, with Chinese and US Spanish updates coming soon.


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If you shop at Giant Food Stores you might encounter something a little unexpected next time you shop: a robot.
After a pilot program by Ahold Delhaize USA services company Retail Business Services, Giant, and Jabil subsidiary Badger Technologies in Pennsylvania, the grocery chain is starting to roll out an autonomous robot named Marty. He’ll work long hours with one mission in mind—to keep the store aisles safe.
“Bringing robotics and A.I. from a research lab to the sales floor has been a very exciting journey, and we were thrilled by the customer response in our pilot stores,” said Nicholas Bertram, president of Giant Food Stores. “Our associates have worked hard to bring this innovation to life with amazing partners.”
A message on the back of the robot reads, “This store is monitored by Marty for your safety. Marty is an autonomous robot that uses image capturing technology to report spills, debris and other potential hazards to store employees to improve your shopping experience,” The Washington Post reports.
Marty is expected to make an appearance at all of Giant Food Stores’ 172 locations across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The robots are expected to arrive in “waves” with every store receiving its own Marty within the next six months.
Marty himself won’t do any of the cleaning—that job will still be handled by human employees. Instead, he’ll page employees when he detects an issue. While he’s rolling through the aisles, he’ll also be on the lookout for out-of-stock items.
And he’s not the only robot headed to a store near you. Walmart recently announced plans to deploy floor-scrubbing robots in a number of its stores. It has also tested robots in stores to monitor inventory.


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It appears that people either love the Whitbread owned Costa Coffee chain or hate it and we don’t think it has anything to do with its single origin coffee beans, lattes or cappuccinos.
Recently the chain has had to scrap its plan to open a coffee shop in Totnes after locals opposed it. And this month there has been dissent among the populace at Moseley, a Birmingham suburb as plans were revealed for a Costa Coffee shop to be opened in a now closed branch of Barclays Bank. A petition is being launched by local residents who are demanding their council support them.
Local pubs and cafes are upset that huge chains such as Costa Coffee will spoil the unique character of Moseley. Costa ran into the same problems in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire when they wanted to open a coffee shop in premises formerly used as a Chinese takeaway.
Rural English villages want to retain their character
Local residents in villages across the UK are not only anti coffee shops. There has been considerable opposition to supermarket chains in recent years too, the worse example being in 2011 when activists rioted in Bristol over the proposed opening of a Tesco supermarket.
The main objection appears to be that rural England does not want its high streets littered with big brand names since each village has its own character, which would be lost if all high streets looked the same. However, Costa Coffee doesn’t perceive this as a problem insisting that it trades alongside independent outlets nationwide. They believe their business offers more choice and targets different customers to those who use independents, offering people another place to meet up and socialise in.
Let the Market decide
It would seem logical to let the market decide since if people really do prefer independent baristas they are unlikely to give their custom to Costa. However, a Costa outlet can easily survive on fewer sales whereas an independent coffee shop is dependent on them.
So for now, Moseley’s best opportunity to retain its character it to use the same tactics as the people of Totnes did – protest as loudly as possible and hope that Costs takes the view it is more trouble than it is worth.


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Korea Brand & Content Expo 2024 Dubai UAE
Business Meetings between Middle East & North Africa Buyers
16 – 18 OCTOBER 2024
|Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE
Enter the realm of Korean innovation and creativity at the Korea Brand & Content Expo in October. KOCCA and KTIP Korea will proudly organize this trade fair. It will start as the first one of its kind towards the Middle East after multiple previous edits that have been held in Moscow, Thailand, Mexico and Brazil that showed indeed positive results on those projects with massive popularity among visitors.
This is packed with artwork from various Korean brands and innovative content providers. However, the expo is not only a business-related event; both B2B and B2C brands meet to showcase Korean innovation for industry leaders and consumers.
The main event for which you should remember the date is a beautiful K-Pop concert, Seventeen and SF9, on October 17th. Get ready to be amazed at these outstanding performances celebrated worldwide.
Besides the energetic festive shows, the show will feature business conferences, bringing about unprecedented networking opportunities between top Korean vendors and potential buyers from MENA. Explore the possible collaborations and partnerships that abound in this fast-paced Korean business environment.
Don’t miss this unique chance. In October, travel with us to the Korea Brand and Content Expo for an expedition into the world of Korean brands and content innovation. Whether you are a professional in business and searching for cooperation or simply an adviser of K–pop to feel the magic on stage, this brings out something unique for everyone.


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ILIDE (Italian Light DEsign) happens to be a new lighting company, which is set to mark its debut with some of its exceptional products at the 2012 Milan Furniture Fair commencing next week from April 17-22nd.
ILIDE specializes in creating awe-inspiring and breathtaking lighting elements that hold sheer charm and delicacy. Their each and every lamp has been handcrafted by skilled artisans who are expertise in producing modern lamps.
All the lamps are inspired by time-honored craftsman techniques and are designed by a group of 20 award-winning designers. Such a reputed and dedicated team produces warm organic shaped lamps in various textures and hues, which can’t be replicated or mimicked through any industrial processes.
ILIDE aims to locally produce high quality designer lamps to sustain the tag of ‘Made in Italy’.
Milan Design Week will be witnessing two exquisite collections from ILIDE. One of them is called ‘Unicità’, which means uniqueness while the other collection takes its cue from technology and modernity.


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Acxiom Leader Opens Nasdaq Today
Acxiom originally was to open the Nasdaq on Sept. 13, 2001, but company officials were unable to travel to New York following the terrorist attacks. Acxiom has been listed with Nasdaq since December 1983.
DataMentors is a full-service provider of data-as-a-service, data management, business intelligence, and campaign ...
The campaign intelligence company looks to bolster the quality of its online-offline metrics.
The sandwich chain's Northern Ontario franchises feed guests Wi-Fi and direct messaging to gain customer insight and bolster retention.
Data from 59 markets suggests that digital will, for the first time ever, account for more than a quarter of ad spend next year.


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This Is Definitely Going To Be “Not a Normal September” For the Rapidly Imploding U.S. Economy
The “good times” were supposed to be rolling by now, but instead the wheels are starting to come off, and the economic outlook for the rest of the year is not good at all. Just yesterday, I warned my readers that things were about to get worse, and it only took exactly a single day for that to actually happen.
As you will see below, major factory shutdowns were just announced, and that is going to make shortages even worse. Fear of COVID is restricting production all over the globe, and meanwhile national governments and central banks have been absolutely flooding their systems with fresh cash. As a result, we now have way too much money chasing way too few goods and services, and anyone that has taken ECON 101 will tell you that will inevitably result in higher prices and shortages.
As I discussed yesterday, if there is something that you need to buy, run out and get it now because the shortages are only going to get worse in the coming months.
On Thursday, General Motors shocked the entire nation when it announced that it is going to be closing down almost all of its manufacturing facilities due to our ongoing shortage of computer chips…
General Motors will idle nearly all its assembl
Article from LewRockwell


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Deep Silver and Warhorse Studios have shared a new video dedicated to the upcoming extremely realistic RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The video offers a closer look at the world of the game and the creatures that inhabit it – including some bothersome bandits.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a story-driven open-world RPG that immerses you in an epic adventure in the Holy Roman Empire. Avenge your parents’ death as you battle invading forces, go on game-changing quests, and make influential choices. The game’s release date is planned for February 12, 2018, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. You can find out more on the official site.
Previously the development team has also shared the process of making the game’s music to ensure players get a chance to get the Medieval feeling from their gameplay time.


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Nearly five years ago, two Main Line friends mounted a Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000 to fulfill a dual mission: Produce an American-made trench coat and, in the process, create more domestic manufacturing jobs.
Their hope, ultimately, was to get their American Trench coats made in Philadelphia. That hasn’t happened yet. Last week, however, founders Jacob Hurwitz and David Neill launched an initiative to boost not only their Ardmore-based company’s profile but also those of a half-dozen Philly-based apparel-makers, writes Diane Mastrull for philly.com.
American Trench’s “Made in Phila” head-to-toe collection is the result of collaborations with designers and manufacturers throughout the city, from Fishtown to Chinatown and the Southwest section.
“This was made in my city,” the Philly-centric Hurwitz said, standing over selections from the new collection laid out on the floor of American Trench’s offices in a former bank building on Lancaster Avenue, across from the Ardmore SEPTA station. “I couldn’t be more excited to say that.”
That’s not to say he’s not proud of the trench coats, more than 300 of which have been sold, Hurwitz said. The first ones were made in Newark, N.J., and sold for $725.
Since 2015, American Trench has had its coats made in Clifton, near Newark, in a profit-sharing partnership with Betterteam USA that allows flexibility on minimum manufacturing orders and, in return, gives the factory higher-than-usual margins, Hurwitz said.
To read the complete story click here.


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Materials maker Chroma Color Corp. has grown by acquiring Polymer Concentrates Inc. of Clinton, Mass.
Officials with McHenry, Ill.-based Chroma said in a Feb. 12 news release that the deal allows their firm "to grow its manufacturing footprint, along with its suite of colorant and additive technologies to better serve existing and prospective customers."
No purchase price was disclosed. PCI is privately held and develops and manufactures color concentrates for the international plastics industry.
"Over the past five decades, [PCI] has forged deep relationships with a wide range of customers in the automotive, communication technology, wire and cable, housewares, netting, packaging and other specialty industries," officials said in the announcement.
Chroma officials "were very excited when we saw the opportunity to add [PCI] to the Chroma family," Chroma CEO Tom Bolger said in the release. PCI "has a solid reputation in the marketplace, and its facility is very close to our plant in Leominster," he added.
Chroma and PCI have complimentary product lines, according to Bolger, but different customer bases.
"That makes this acquisition very attractive allowing us to offer a broader suite of products," he added.
PCI delivers "exceptional color technology" for nylon and other engineering resins and has "several exciting new products" in the R&D pipeline, Howard DeMonte, Chroma's president, said in the release.
Chroma makes color concentrates based on a variety of resins for several markets. The firm employs about 400 and has annual sales of more than $150 million.
In mid-2018, investment firm Arsenal Capital Partners of New York combined Chroma with materials firms Carolina Color, Breen Color Concentrates and Breen's Hudson Color unit — all of which Arsenal had acquired since late 2017 — to create a larger firm. Chroma now operates six production sites across the U.S.
Arsenal and its holdings now have made 26 plastics-related acquisitions since 2012.


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Planet Explorers Beta 0.1 Trailer
The Planet Explorers Beta begins as the game exits alpha and looks ahead for a 2016 release.
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text: By ALVAR MWAKYUSA, 1st November 2011 @ 12:48, DAILY NEWS THE Tanzania-China Friendship Textile Company Limited, popular as Urafiki, is on the verge of collapse, thanks to the investor who is allegedly dismantling machinery at the factory and selling it as scrap metal. Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Trade and Industry who toured the factory located at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, were shocked to see what was happening and described the move as 'deliberate sabotage.' The management of the company failed to explain how it spent some US$27 million that was advanced by the government of Tanzania to renovate the plant. It also came to light that the Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to present a proposal for the government to relinquish its 49 shares in the company so that it can be sold to another investor. The MPs said they would summon Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu and Permanent Secretary Ms Joyce Mapunjo, to discuss the worrying situation at the plant. Urafiki, which was commissioned during fiscal year 1966/67 through a soft loan from the Chinese government, was once a flourishing textile factory, producing high quality fabrics for the local and foreign markets but is now in a shambles. However, in 1996 the government of Tanzania sold 51 per cent stake to a Chinese investor and remained with 49 per cent. MPs suspect that the move by the current investor to sell Urafiki machinery aims to facilitate another investor to purchase it at a throw-away price. Special Seats MP Ms Chiku Abwao, suggested a parliamentary-select committee to thoroughly assess the situation at the plant before it deteriorates further. "From what we have observed, the current investor has invested nothing... A select committee should be formed to investigate the matter," she said. She was supported by Kibaha Rural MP, Mr Hamoud Abuu Juma (CCM), who was vividly shocked by the pathetic conditions workers at the factory were forced to grapple with. "You can tell from the workers' faces and how they are dressed that things are not well," he remarked. Special Seats MP, Ms Riziki Omar Juma (CUF), was of the view that the facility should be re-designed for other investments. The leaders of Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers (TUICO) at Urafiki wanted workers to be given shares if the factory would be sold to another investor. Briefing the parliamentarians earlier, Urafiki General Manager, Mr Wu Bin, attributed low productivity at the plant to high cost of production. He also complained that cotton lint was not sufficient to run the factory. "The plant is not producing at full capacity presently. For it to run at full capacity it should have 1,200 workers, working in two shifts to be able to operate spinning, weaving and processing at no less than 10 million metres per annum," he elaborated. Workers who spoke with the 'Daily News' said the factory had been dormant. "The engineers have just resumed operations today to hoodwink the MPs. The management knew the lawmakers were coming and they decided to put some show-off," said one of the workers.


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How Pandemic-Driven Trends Can Improve Restaurant Operations4 min readReading Time: 4 minutes
There is no denying that the pandemic has challenging been for restaurants and bars. In addition to complete closures and capacity restrictions for what seemed like months on end, the situation has forced these establishments to adapt to a whole new way of doing business.
As the industry takes stock of the challenges they have faced, it is clear that many of the dining trends and practices that have emerged during the pandemic are here to stay, regardless of the fact that the desire to explore new venues and socialize with friends and family over a good meal will always be there.
Keep reading to learn about three pandemic-driven trends that can be seen as silver linings for restaurants going forward.
1. Non-traditional takeout and delivery options are here to stay.
If limitation leads to creativity, so too does a stay-at-home order. Outside of regular takeout and delivery services, restaurants across Canada have explored, worked hard, and found incredible new ways to serve their customers remotely — from D.I.Y meal and cocktail kits to unique at-home experiences and more.
Restaurants that did not have an online presence prior to the pandemic were forced online once takeout and delivery became their only option. Whether they partnered with a third-party app or chose more of a D.I.Y operation, establishments had to adapt very quickly. And while it took an incredible amount of time, energy and capital to get these takeout and delivery services up and running properly, emerging data indicates that this hard work has a chance to pay off even after these businesses are able to welcome their customers back in person:
A survey found that 38% of consumers have ordered non-traditional delivery items from restaurants such as cocktail and meal kits, and 59% of respondents say they will continue to seek out these options after the pandemic. And restaurants are getting on board, too. According to Statistics Canada, more than half of food and beverage establishments reported they were likely or very likely to permanently adopt these contactless delivery or pickup options.
2. Digital menus have created opportunities for optimization.
Restaurants have had to make significant changes to their menus due to circumstances beyond their control. Supply chain disruptions have made it difficult to source ingredients, forcing restaurants to shrink, re-evaluate, or develop entirely new menus on the fly. And while these new realities have created undeniable difficulties, they have also created new opportunities. Operating mostly online or through a third-party app has compelled restaurants to explore menus they otherwise would not have.
Restaurants can now take advantage of features on takeout/delivery apps that allow them to make rapid menu alterations and easily set up limited-time offers and promotions. Plus, restaurants do not have to worry about having these new menus professionally made and printed out each time they are changed.
Digital menus are a more environmentally friendly, cost-effective way to use technology, change up offerings rapidly, and see what combinations customers respond well to. And the best part? These new digital menus do not have to go anywhere once restaurants are able to open their doors once more. Diners can simply scan a QR code provided by their server in order to browse a wide array of menus on their smartphones.
3. Third-party apps offer insights and analytics about diners.
Through third-party takeout and delivery apps, restaurant owners and managers have been able to access data and analytics that can help inform their business decisions going forward. Through Uber Eats specifically, owners and operators can access information about customer behaviour, demographics, inaccurate orders, feedback, and more. While this shift to takeout and delivery has not been ideal for most restaurants, getting access to this data has been an unexpected yet meaningful benefit that can have long-lasting effects when it comes to making business decisions.
The restaurant industry has changed forever — and that can be a good thing.
Although new trends driven by the pandemic have emerged in the food and beverage industry, customers are still looking forward to returning to regular, indoor dining. Many diners are planning to visit restaurants even more often than before; 22% of 18–34-year-old diners and 17% of diners overall intend to visit restaurants more frequently than they did before going forward.
However, while indoor dining is foundational to the success of many establishments, the trends we have just discussed will continue to help these food and beverage businesses adapt, modernize, diversify, and delight their customers.
As your restaurant reopens, call on RelianceTM. At Reliance Commercial SolutionsTM, we’re committed to providing the Water Heating, HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical services you require to keep your facility operating at peak performance. As a commercial business partner, Reliance is here to help restaurants reduce unwanted downtime, establish greater cost certainty and create comfortable conditions for customers and staff.


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From Payroll to payday advance loan, Wal-Mart really wants to maintain the budget
Posted on 14th September 2021 | By manager | Leave a response
“The link between the 2011 National analyze of Unbanked and Underbanked houses indicate that covered finance companies have got a very important chance to mature their own number of customers by increasing solutions that deliver unbanked and underbanked persons into mainstream banks and loans,” explained Chairman on the government money insurance coverage association Martin J. Gruenberg as he was still waiting for verification.
The survey is among the most recently available people executed through FDIC, meaning the data are a little antiquated nevertheless largely relevant. Nearly 24 million households across the nation — one out of every five in the nation — happened to be underbanked last year, based on the research. This can be up by 821,000 homes since the finally study, during 2009.
While Gruenerg is actually correct — massive lots of unbanked and underbanked families for the U.S. should portray a giant window of opportunity for federally insured finance institutions — in addition signifies a massive chance of non-federally protected quasi-financial institutions. One away from four American households have used one or more alternative economic provider, in accordance with the 2011 research, and 12 % of households incorporate one all the time.
Without all renewable economic business happen to be suspect, those that have undeveloped credit scores are frequently impacted by costly — and even predatory — financing and facilities techniques. Non-bank lending basically provides historically been recently predatory. Most people are acquainted payday advances: short-term funding with extremely high rates numerous professional encourage folks to hinder when possible.
But with federal minimum-wage at only $7.25 on an hourly basis and never listed to inflation, more people are discovering on their own monetarily distressed plus in necessity of entry to short-term financial products to pay for fundamental living expenses.
The minimum pay concern is certainly not new, nonetheless fiscal conditions of the post-crisis years need revitalized argument. Minimum-wage was forced in to the limelight during ceo Barack Obama’s 2013 condition from the Union target, through which he needed a boost in government employees minimum wage from $7.25 each hour to $9.00 an hour, as well as the speed being indexed to inflation.
Lately, Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) — both key firms of minimum-wage workers — have taken flak over payroll and employment strategies. McDonald’s manufactured headlines with regards to circulated a budget-management post that grossly underestimated the cost of living while concurrently suggesting that a minimum-wage worker succeed 70 hours each week to help make closes meet. Wal-Mart is incorporated in the combination for just two rationale: since a fight on the minimum-wage in Arizona, D.C., and because of its interest in a non-bank home loan company.
Ny attorneys universal Eric Schneiderman not too long ago referred to as attention to the method of a few biggest firms like Wal-Mart and McDonald’s in making use of payroll business.
Payroll playing cards are certainly not another occurrence by any means. Investigation company Aite cluster says $34 billion is crammed onto 4.6 million active payroll business in 2012. The students forecasts that quantity crammed onto payroll cards will go up to $68.9 billion by 2017, and this the quantity of energetic cards is predicted to progress to 10.8 million.
In no time, a payroll credit applications like a debit credit. Rather than being associated with a banking account, a person’s income is credited towards cards. People are able to get earnings at an ATM, devote straight from the card, or move the money to a banking account. But experts of business determine incredibly fine line between this type of monetary system as well as the concept israeli bides of a “company store,” during staff is compensated with loan which can only be used from the company where they work.
And, just like the payroll notes weren’t enough, Wal-Mart’s contribution in a non-bank lending company named advancement monetary has come to illumination through Bloomberg’s Businessweek.
Advance economical — or Progreso Financiero — is actually a non-bank financial providers centered on small, brief lending products. Specifically, the funding is geared towards the practically 23 million non-banked Hispanics through the U.S. who will be struggle to access conventional bank work for worst or restricted assets. Businessweek states which vendor said 250,000 customers up to now and is expecting that it will need up to one million through the mid of 2014.
The personal loans circulated by development monetary array between $500 and $3,500 and appear a lot like payday loans, except with somewhat small interest levels of or below 36 percentage. Like payroll at Wal-Mart, lending products might end up being gotten on poster that can be used as being similar to debit or credit cards. Loan instalments can be made at Wal-Mart or other involvement suppliers.
At a glance, this service membership happens to be a reasonable technique non-banked men and women to obtain the financing they could necessity for crucial spending. Nevertheless the simple fact that the firm happens to be led by a former Wal-Mart administrator, keeps a Wal-Mart director on their board, and is also a venture money firm because of the Waltons (Wal-Mart’s starting families) being the firm’s biggest stockholder possesses lifted some eyebrows. Wal-Mart agents get highlighted that there surely is no lead relationship within loan provider as well dealer.
Wal-Mart made an effort to get into consumer banking company during the early and mid-2000s but experienced resistance from unions and as well as the established financial society. Developments Financial are a workaround that offers the retailer a way to are more economically involved in a number of the exact same people that benefit and store at their shop.
“We had often expected there is some union with retail,” James Gutierrez, whom founded improvements economic in 2005 and was its CEO until just last year, informed Businessweek. “Wal-Mart may be the low-price leader, and also that appeals to a definite demographic. There’s many overlap.”


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The LAF 2015 starting on May 21st is hosted by Louisiana Clean Fuels in collaboration with the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership. This..
VIA Motors interview on Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland is scheduled to air on Fox Business Network and Bloomberg Television Sunday, May..
Louisiana business and fleet consumers have a brand new incentive for purchasing an extended range electric vehicle from VIA Motors. VIA Motors..


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Google will be going to court this week in the biggest anti-trust lawsuit in more than twenty years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The United States Department of Justice sued the company three years ago for using “illegal agreements to sideline its rivals” in such a way that consumers and advertisers were harmed in the process.
One example of this behavior cited by the Wall Street Journal was Google’s billion-dollar agreement to serve as the default search engine on the Safari web browser, the browser that comes pre-installed in Apple iPhones.
Given that Congress has stopped short of passing laws to regulate these kinds of practices from Google and other sprawling tech giants, the government has turned to anti-trust law as a means by which to constrain these companies.
In the lawsuit, the Justice Department alleges that Google “illegally maintains a monopoly in online search and related advertising markets.”
The Justice Department argues that Google largely maintains its 90 percent market share through “restrictive” agreements with web browsers and phone companies — such as Apple, but also Mozilla, Samsung, and Verizon — that result in Google being set as the default search engine on the majority of cell phones in the United States.
Google also has agreements with Android-based devices that “forbid pre-installing or promoting rival search engines if they opt to take a cut of Google’s search revenue.”
According to the Justice Department, these practices create an anti-competitive environment in which alternative search engines are artificially prevented from “improv[ing] their products,” and Google is given “an anticompetitive scale advantage.”
It is also argued that the situation “stifles innovation” because there is no incentive for Google to improve its search engine in order to maintain its position in the market.
It was also noted by the Justice Department that they believe Google has used its dominance to raise the price of advertising in its search results.
Google, on the other hand, has defended its conduct. According to the company, its deals actually promote competition by “supplying browser providers with what they want: a single default search option for customers.”
The company also pointed out that its agreements don’t prevent browsers from offering alternative search engine options, as users are able to go into their settings and adjust the default search engine on their devices.
In terms of Android devices, where Google products come pre-installed, the company argues that users have every ability to “switch away” from the pre-loaded Google search engine if they so desired. The fact that many users don’t do this “isn’t evidence of exclusionary practice” according to Google, “but of consumers sticking with a superior product.”
Paul Gallant, a tech-policy analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group, told the Wall Street Journal that should Google lose the lawsuit, it is likely that the company will be forced to operate under new constraints — such as limitations on its ability to pay companies like Apple and Samsung to make their search engine the default.
“That seems like the most natural remedy,” Gallant said.
The last time the government pursued a major anti-trust lawsuit like this was in 1998, when the Justice Department sued Microsoft for attempting to control the internet browser market on devices using the Windows operating system.
Microsoft lost the suit and was forced by the court to divide the company in half, creating two separate entities — one for operating systems and one for software — but the decision was overturned on appeal.
The Department of Justice eventually settled with Microsoft, requiring them to make it easier for third-party browsers to be installed on Windows devices and barring them from punishing manufacturers for installing third-party software on its machines.
In the current lawsuit against Google, the Justice Department is arguing that that Google has taken a page out of “Microsoft’s 1990s playbook to build and maintain its own monopoly in internet search and advertising.”
Google, on the other hand, has suggested that the comparison is “inapt.”
The Justice Department has a month to present its case, and Google will be able to begin questioning witness sometime in October.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it is predicted the witness testimony will conclude in November, at which time both sides will write and present summary briefs to the judge, each making their case for why the judge should their preferred way.
It is expected that a ruling will be issued at some point next year.
If it is found that Google did, in fact, violate anti-trust laws, the judge will likely schedule a separate trial to “decide penalties.”
Regardless of the outcome, the decision is likely to be appealed, meaning that a final verdict may very well be several years away.


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Yahoo vows not to 'screw up' TumblrMay 20, 2013 Updated: May 20, 2013 8:45pm
Yahoo made its $1.1 billion deal to buy Tumblr official Monday, and to punctuate Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer's promise "not to screw it up," the Internet pioneer also announced major improvements to a previous acquisition that it admittedly has screwed up, Flickr.
The two moves may give the Sunnyvale company revived social networking and online photo features in a bid to increase Yahoo's flagging public mindshare and make it a stronger competitor against Google and Facebook for online advertising.
Confirming weekend reports, Yahoo announced the mostly all-cash takeover of Tumblr, a 6-year-old New York social blogging company that is particularly popular with younger Internet users. It also announced revamped photo sharing and 1 terabyte of online photo storage for users of Flickr, which reaches 89 million people.
Tumblr's 300 million monthly unique visitors, and 50 billion blog posts, will give Yahoo "a global audience that exceeds more than a billion monthly users," Mayer said during a press conference announcing the deal, which is expected to close this year.
Some Tumblr users expressed fear that Yahoo will change their favorite blogging service, or worse, suck it dry and neglect it, as it has with other companies acquired before Mayer was hired last year to turn the company's fortunes around. Tumblr members posted photos proclaiming that "the end is near" and vowing to move to another service if too many ads start to appear on the site.
Mayer tried to address those fears in a Tumblr post confirming the deal, which included an animated photo that, in the spirit of the Tumblr community, alternately read: "Yahoo," "Tumblr," "Now Panic and Freak Out," "Keep Calm and Carry On."
"We promise not to screw it up," Mayer wrote. "Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently. ... The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve."
Tumblr founder and CEO David Karp, 26, will remain with the 175-employee company, which will keep its offices near New York's Union Square. (Yahoo, meanwhile, announced it is consolidating its three existing New York offices into one in the old New York Times building on Times Square.)
In a Tumblr post of his own, Karp called the deal "awesome" and signed off with an exuberant use of a profanity in front of "yeah." He also stressed that Tumblr wasn't changing, his words virtually echoing Mayer's in spots.
"We're not turning purple. Our headquarters isn't moving. Our team isn't changing. Our roadmap isn't changing. And our mission - to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve - certainly isn't changing," he wrote. "We also share a vision for Tumblr's business that doesn't compromise the community and product we love. Plus both our logos end with punctuation!" - a reference to Yahoo's use of an exclamation point and Tumblr's of a period.
Gartner research director Brian Blau called the deal "a smart move."
"Some users seem upset, and there will be some defections to sites like WordPress, but also I see Tumblr improving their service, being able to offer more options and expand how they enable their bloggers and connect and share," he said.
Later in the day, Yahoo released a major redesign of its online photo-sharing service, Flickr, which Yahoo bought in 2005 only to let various competitors pass it by.
"It became about words, it became about little images, it became about blue links, not about the photos anymore," said Adam Cahan, senior vice president of mobile and emerging products.
The new Flickr has eliminated white space and text on a member's home page to emphasize the photos. The company also introduced a new Android app for the service.
More importantly, Yahoo is now offering Flickr members 1 terabyte each of free storage space for full-resolution photos - enough, officials said, to upload a photo a day for 61 years. This comes on the heels of Google's announcement last week that it is giving Google+ users 15 GB of free online photo storage, plus a host of editing and management tools that include one called "auto awesome."
Making Flickr "awesome" again was also the challenge Mayer issued to her Flickr staff in March, and she said the redesign and increased cloud storage were a sign of how the company was now moving more quickly.
"Flickr was awesome once, then it languished, and now we want to make Flickr awesome again," Mayer said.
Nick O'Flaherty, strategy director at brand consultancy Wolff Olins, said Mayer still needs to do more than promise to not "screw it up" and instead provide more details about her road map for the company, including why exactly she decided to buy Tumblr.
"More transparency for where Yahoo is going would start to engage people in a different way," he said. The Tumblr purchase "is bold, but we'd love some context. I don't know if there is patience enough to wait for Yahoo to turn around. I think people want to know sooner, rather than later, why."
Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org


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US June 8
The S&P 500 traded sideways Tuesday as investors continue to keep their powder dry ahead of Thursday's inflation numbers, while Clover Health Investments became the latest stock to ride to meme wave higher.
The S&P 500 rose 0.01%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.02%, or 5 points, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.20%.
Megacap tech, which is on a three-week winning streak, continued to add gains helped by weaker U.S. bond yields, but upside in the broader tech sector was kept in check by weakness in semiconductors stocks.
Google-parent Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) were mostly higher.
The move lower in yields comes ahead of the Thursday's consumer inflation report, which many on Wall Street expect to reflect pent-up demand from consumers awash with cash.
Not everyone agrees.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) noted that there is too much hype on inflation spiraling out of the control the recent strength in the CPI have not been broad-based, and the strong reflation in the sectors that had experienced pandemic blues could likely fade.
"Consumer balance sheet strength cannot be taken for granted – there are already signs that consumers are balking at the idea of buying cars or furniture as prices rise," Morgan Stanley said in a note.
Energy was among the biggest sector gainers on the day, led by Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) and Nov (NYSE:NOV).
Aircraft maker Boeing (NYSE:BA), a major Dow component, was marginally higher after delivering 17 planes in May including 10 737 MAX jets.
Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB), meanwhile, was flat after surge a day earlier even as Wall Street analysts upgraded their outlook on the stock after the Food and Drug Administration approved the company’s Alzheimer’s drug on a conditional basis.
Biogen needs to complete a post marketing clinical trial to confirm the drug can improve cognition, the FDA said.
Oppenheimer upgraded its price target on the stock to $450 from $325 prior and maintained its outperform rating, citing expectations for an 80% probability of approval for the drug.
In the meme trade, Clover Health Investments (NASDAQ:CLOV) became the most mentioned stock on Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum on Tuesday, according to QuiverQuant, pushing its share price more than 70% higher.
AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) was flat, while GameStop (NYSE:GME), BlackBerry (NYSE:BB), and Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) traded mixed.
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The press service of the American brand has released a couple of photos that capture the details of the revived Wagoneer / Grand Wagoneer SUV of the 2022 model year. It is expected that the long-awaited novelty will be based on the RAM 1500 pickup truck and will receive many modern technologies.
After a rather cryptic teaser image posted earlier this week, Jeep has decided to launch a teaser campaign for the reborn Wagoneer SUV. It's unclear if we're looking at the regular version of the model or the larger Grand Wagoneer, but we're definitely looking at the first design details of the much-anticipated SUV.
While the model's exterior American flag badge has a retro look, the interior conveys a modern vibe with its plush start / stop engine button and infotainment display.
There seem to be two physical knobs that stick out of the display for quick access to the volume control and whatnot. The infotainment system does not appear to be fully integrated into the dashboard as Jeep has positioned it slightly ahead of the center console.
That's all Jeep is ready to show for now, but we look forward to more details on the reborn Wagoneer in the coming weeks. As a reminder, it was recently announced that production of both versions of the Wagoneer will begin in the second quarter of 2021, which likely means that both will be available as new products for the 2022 model year.
According to recent reports, the Grand Wagoneer boasts a truly luxurious interior with luxurious materials and a host of modern technologies. It is expected to have a fully digital instrument cluster, as well as a bezel-less 12-inch touchscreen, a digital rearview camera and another front passenger-only display. At the rear, expect an optional rear-seat entertainment system with additional screens.
The novelty will be built on the platform of the Ram 1500 truck. There are already rumors of a plug-in hybrid version of the revived SUV with a power reserve of about 48 kilometers and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Jeep says the new Wagoneer is "coming soon."
New Mazda6 will be rear-wheel drive and more economical
Sales of the next-generation Mazda6 should start towards the end of 2022. Details about the updated model on Friday, August 14, shared the portal Car and Driver.
As noted, the fourth generation will be based on a new architecture with a traditional engine layout, that is, the motor will be longitudinally, and the main drive will be on the rear axle. The engine lineup is expected to include the Skyactive-X unit, created using compression ignition technology.
The Mazda6 will be a mild hybrid, meaning a 48-volt starter-generator will work in conjunction with the super engine, which will increase the car's economy.
The prototype of the new generation Mazda6 is the prototype of the 2017 Mazda Vision Coupe, the proportions of which indicate the possible accuracy of the information about the longitudinal engine location.


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Company car drivers decide on vehicles early, survey finds
19 January 2018
Author: Sean Keywood
A survey of company car drivers has found they start considering their next vehicle almost as soon as they pick up the keys to their current one.
The Fleet: Driver survey by Sewells Research & Insight, which aims to help manufacturers market to company car drivers, also found that the longer the process of choosing a car goes on, the less drivers enjoy it.
When it comes to choosing a company car, 35% of drivers said they had previously made up their minds before visiting a dealer, and 40% said they had done so before a test drive.
The survey found it is difficult for manufacturers to influence drivers' decisions. Instead, online sources, social media, work colleagues and family considerations are major factors.
Fleet managers are particularly influential in the early stage of decision-making for drivers of mainstream, volume manufacturer brands, but at the business end of proceedings it is line managers and senior management who are most heavily involved, eclipsing the fleet department.
By the time drivers consult manufacturers' websites, the survey found they have already settled on their future car and are simply fine-tuning.
In terms of enjoyment, the survey found 42% of drivers enjoy researching their options, but only 34% enjoy visiting a dealer or booking a test drive.
In addition, drivers of 'job need' cars derived significantly less pleasure from the selection process than older, more senior 'perk' car drivers.
According to the survey, more than 50% of drivers are willing to contribute toward the cost of their car in return for an upgrade, and this percentage is even higher for corporate drivers working for businesses with more than 250 staff than for drivers working for SMEs.


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Business Owners Turn To Invoice Discounting
15th September, 2008
More New Zealand Business Owners Turn To Invoice Discounting As The Credit Crunch Bites
Increasing numbers of business owners are turning to invoice discounting to help them cope with the negative impact the slowing economy is having on their cash flow management.
Chris Reid, NZ director of The Interface Financial Group, an international company that provides invoice financing (often called invoice discounting) to small companies, has experienced a substantial increase in enquiries over recent months.
Over the past 12 months, Interface’s turnover has increased by a massive 45%. Chris says that this figure is continuing to climb as more New Zealand businesses look for ways to maintain a healthy cash flow.
‘Business owners are really feeling the pressure,’ says Chris. ‘Banks are tightening their criteria and are much more reluctant to extend a helping hand to businesses experiencing money troubles. They just don’t want to take the additional risk in the current economic climate.’
‘Fortunately, the bank is not the only option for companies struggling with the economic downturn. These days a good bank manager will often refer their customer on to a reputable invoice discounting company and then take the lending over again once their finances have stabilised.’
Invoice financing can keep small businesses going by buying unpaid invoices from them. The business owner immediately receives up to 90% of the face value of the invoice, which enables them to maintain their cash flow while they wait for their clients to pay their bills.
About The Interface Financial Group:
The Interface financial group is New Zealand’s largest alternative funding source for small businesses. The company has been in existence for over 35 years, with offices throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Interface entered the New Zealand market four years ago and now has 11 offices across both the North and South Islands.
More information can be found at www.interfacefinancial.co.nz.


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timberland boots cheap Bradford Telegraph and Argus
In all, officers found 2,091 fake items of clothing and footwear, including those labelled as Lacoste, Peter Werth, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Armani. If sold to the public as real, the counterfeits would have fetched 240,000, the court heard.
Andrew Haslam, prosecuting for West Yorkshire Trading Standards Depart ment, said the investigation began three years ago when fake Timberland boots were found at Akram’s Neal Street shop.
They were seized and Akram was advised to buy only from legitimate sources.
In March 2006, Stone Island discovered that counterfeit clothing was being sold under its label by All Brands 4 U.
On April 5 that year, the premises in Bradford were raided and the fake goods seized.
Brand protection managers from the designer companies found the fakes were sub standard, with loose buttons and labels.
Akram told police he bought 500,000 of clothing a month and was not directly involved in most of the transactions.
His barrister, Ayaz Qazi, said Akram was at the lower level of counterfeit goods supply. Her said Akram had “placed himself on the Trading Standards radar” by asking officers for advice after the fake Timberland boots were seized.


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The Kremlin has released photos of Russian President Dimitry Medvedev holding a meeting with his aides and what appears to be a new MacBook Pro. The president also recently addressed the nation in a video blog post, where his MacBook Pro was seen in a similar meeting. The logo had been removed from ...
Our sister site Engadget reports that Apple is now offering unlocked iPhones in Hong Kong via its online store. HK$5,500 (≈ US$700) will buy you an 8GB model, HK$6,200 (≈ US$800) gets you 16GB. The Apple Store's terms and conditions limit sales to individuals in Hong Kong only, but who ...
Earlier this week, Russian communications company VimpelCom announced their intention to bring the iPhone to Russia, the first company to do so. The particulars aren't available yet, but VimpelCom representatives said they hope to be selling the iPhone "...later this year." Earlier rumors were ...
Deals of the Daymore deals
Software Updatesmore updates
- Google Now added to search app on iPhone, iPad
- GateGuru for iPhone has been updated and greatly improved
- Twitter updates its OS X client
- Delicious Monster releases Delicious Library 3 with companion iOS scanner app
- Drafts 3.0 adds draft and action management, much more
- Apple Store app updated with iPhone upgrade notifications


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Beattie’s Valais Blacknose have confirmed that their annual production sale will be held on Saturday, July 26th at 1pm.
Over 70 entries are catalogued for the sale which consists of breeding females and males.
Hailed as the “world’s cutest sheep”, Valais Blacknose have increased in popularity dramatically over recent years.
“Numbers attending the sale will be limited so please make use of the online bidding facility. This is a brand-new system and everyone must register via beattie.marteye.ie.”
The sale will take place at 109 Glenpark Road, Omagh. Social distancing measures will be in place.
For catalogues, contact Richard Beattie on: 07984694616


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Recharge.com, the European leader in online consumer-branded payments, has closed a $35 million Series B round of funding led by new investor SmartFin and existing investors Prime Ventures and Kreos Capital. The new investment, one of the largest into a Dutch startup this year, will enable the company to further accelerate its ambitious global expansion.
Recharge’s funding announcement coincides with a boom in the branded payments market, which is estimated to be worth $3+ trillion today rising to $5 trillion in 2025. This consumer segment is still largely underserved by inconvenient and expensive offline brick & mortar sales points. Recharge.com offers a fast, safe & simple digital alternative via proprietary partnerships for all favourite brands through their global online platform including Apple iTunes, Spotify, Netflix and many more.
Today the Recharge platform serves over 3 million customers with sales of over $500 million growing at 50% year-on-year. The company expects to reach over $1 billion within the next 2 years.
This latest round will be used to further accelerate its expansion in the US market and further new markets in Asia, Latin America and the GCC. In addition, the business will invest further in the enhancement of its mobile app proposition with new services and features. Recharge.com also plans to introduce their own financial services and banking products to serve their customers even better.
Commenting on the investment, Günther Vogelpoel, CEO of Recharge.com said:
“This new funding unlocks the next phase of growth for Recharge.com. It also demonstrates the real impact we make every day for consumers who use branded payments. I am grateful for the support and trust of our current shareholders Prime Ventures, Kreos Capital and Committed Capital. We are delighted to welcome Smartfin, one of Europe’s leading equity firms, as our new shareholder. The founder, Jürgen Ingels will also join as a board member. Mr. Ingels impressive track record in payments will be a great support for Recharge in the next phase of our growth. I am excited to continue our adventure, together with the awesome team of Recharge. Looking at the growth potential we have, it still feels as if we are only scratching the surface, there is so much more to come.”
Serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist Jürgen Ingels, founder SmartFin, says:
"The Recharge platform as branded payment infrastructure provides a perfect basis to expand to other kinds of offerings. After looking at different European players we believe that Recharge offers a great opportunity within the payment space. Integrating brands and payments while providing maximum flexibility to the customer is the way to go. I’m personally excited to get again involved in a sector I love and I look forward to contributing to the further international growth of Recharge."


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Micron is starting production of a new line of solid state drives (SSD) that offer much faster data rates than were previously possible. The new drives are capable of 250MB/s data transfer and come in two lines, an enterprise-class RealSSD P200 and the client-focused RealSSD C200. The company hopes the increased speed and reduced power consumption of the new drives will encourage their adoption by the server market. “We are seeing SSD interest in a variety of applications where historically hard disk drives have reigned,” said Dean Klein, vice president of memory system development at Micron.
“For many, the most logical place is in notebook computers, but there is incredible value for SSDs in enterprise server systems.” The P200 range come in sizes from 16GB to 128GB in 2.5 inch modules, with the C200 ranging from 16GB to 256GB, and comes in 2.5 and 1.5 inch modules for better take-up by notebook manufacturers. The company is claiming that the P200 drives are 10 times faster than traditional platter drives, use a tenth of the power and last about four times as long.


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GM Recalls 68K EVs. Are Batteries Safe?
E&E News' EnergyWire references Climate Insights 2020: Electric Vehicles while discussing factors that influence American opinions of electric vehicles.
"When EV recalls or battery fires happen, they often get an inordinate amount of publicity, Krebs said, which could explain why some consumers are wary about the safety of EVs. A recent survey from Stanford University and Resources for the Future found that concerns about battery fires were the second most important factor influencing Americans' uptake of electric cars."


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Emirates is axing its in-flight publications in a bid to cut costs to help offset spiralling aviation fuel prices. The airline says the measure will save one tonne of weight on every “superjumbo” jet flight.
It says it will scrap its in-flight magazine, Open Skies, as well as entertainment guides and shopping catalogues. Instead, it will revamp the content of its in-flight entertainment system to offer news, features, information and shopping catalogues.
Open Skies is published by Motivate Publishing, a Gulf-based company, which has numerous regional magazines in its portfolio, including the Middle East edition of Hello!
Earlier this month, the airline installed a scaled-down version of the 555-seater Airbus A380 “superjumbo” on the entrance roundabout at Heathrow Airport. The site, which was previously occupied by a model British Airways Concorde, cost the airline a six-figure sum in a deal that will last six years. It is estimated 25 million people will pass the location every year.


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"We need new initiatives at the European level to deepen the functioning of the monetary union."
Vice- President, ECB
"I agree with the Trump policy about putting additional requests to China, because China can do more."
Former US Secretary of State
"France and Germany shouldn't be bullying the other 26."
MEP, Christian Democrats
"The tradition comes from the shepherds, who cooked their meat with dasarashi, between two slates."
Chef, Gabala Khanlar
"There’s one thing architects and politicians have in common: they both love big, expensive projects."
"There is no war in Senegal. But when you wake up in the morning and you have nothing to eat, this, too, is a kind of daily battle."
"We want to see which tomato plants can still give good yields without water."
Plant breeding scientist
"Kurds believe they are worse off as part of Iraq."
research fellow at LSE's Middle East Centre
Six and a half million Toyota and Nissan cars are being recalled globally. The move by the Japanese car giants is to replace potentially faulty
Japanese car giants Honda and Nissan have added almost three million vehicles to a recall they made last year over a fault in passenger airbags
The new year will see a new model of taxi in Britain’s capital.
Japanese company Nissan is adding London to its presence in New York, Barcelona
Japanese car giants Toyota and Nissan have issued vehicle recalls.
Toyota say they have recalled 615,000 Sienna minivans in the US as a result of a
They are still a tiny proportion of the total number of vehicles on the road, but electric cars sales are picking up.
The US is the biggest
Nissan has issued a recall for more than 840,000 vehicles worldwide.
They are the Micra, which is known as the March in some markets, and their
Four Japanese carmakers – Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda – are recalling a total of 3.4 million vehicles worldwide to fix faulty airbags.
Renault-Nissan has finalised a long-awaited deal to take control of Russia’s AvtoVAZ – best known for its Lada models.
That builds on a partnership
This car can steer, park for you and even brake in case of an emergency. A prototype automatic driving system fitted into the electric vehicle
Nissan has recalled 51,000 cars after a steering wheel came loose in a driver’s hands while the vehicle was on the road.
The recall affects
It may only be a drop in the vast and deep ocean of Spanish unemployment, but Japanese carmaker Nissan has said it is to create 700 new jobs by
Thirty years after it discarded the Datsun brand, Japanese carmaker Nissan has confirmed that it is bringing it back, with the name plate going on
Nissan has said it is on track to be the most profitable of Japan’s three big carmakers this year.
It enjoyed record sales last year and improved
Renault has named a new second in command at the carmaker to replace Patrick Pelata who resigned in April over the mishandling of an industrial
Japan’s Nissan has won a 10-year contract to be the exclusive supplier of New York’s iconic yellow taxis. It beat Ford and the Turkish manufacturer
Car production in Japan will continue to face major disruptions from last month’s earthquake and tsunami.
Toyota has revealed it lost almost
The top motor show in the world’s largest car market has opened in Shanghai.
Underlining how important China now is for the world’s auto
In an effort to reassure customers, Nissan is carrying out radiation checks on the car parts and vehicles that it imports into Taiwan from
Japan’s Nissan said it has closed its factory in Egypt for at least a week because of the anti-government protests there. The plant, which assembles
Japanese carmaker Nissan says more than 600,000 vehicles are being recalled to have problems fixed.
Over half a million of them are four wheel


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Nearly seven months after unveiling a preview of the email service last July, Microsoft announced the end of its beta run in a blog post.
Microsoft, which acquired Hotmail in 1997, said it will switch users to the new service "soon," but won't force them to change their emails to an "outlook.com" address. It added that all users should expect to see the change take place by this summer.
"Everything from their @hotmail.com email address, password, messages, folders, contacts, rules, vacation replies, etc. will stay the same, with no disruption in service."
The software giant also revealed that over 60 million people are actively using Outlook.com.
To mark the launch, Microsoft kicked off its worldwide marketing campaign with two ads that showcase Outlook's features. One video, below, gives a quick overview of Sweep, a feature that helps users clear out their inbox by mass deleting, moving and archiving messages.
Microsoft said it had been receiving and applying feedback from "early adopters" during Outlook's preview period. "We've used that to add new features and fine-tune the services to scale."
What do you think of Outlook.com? Do you plan to make the switch from Hotmail before this summer? Tell us in the comments, below.
Image courtesy of Microsoft; screenshot image courtesy of MSFTOutlook via YouTube


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The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference, held this year in New Orleans, is a place to showcase innovations and ideas of every stripe. Here are four of HOTEL MANAGEMENT's picks regarding the biggest trends on the show's ground level.
The industry has a fascination with gadgets and applications, many of which were available for attendees to play with on the showroom floor (such as the Microsoft HoloLens, which had a proof-of-concept on display with housekeeping applications courtesy of technology developer Amadeus), but many of the largest developments at HITEC stressed connectivity.
As discussed in HOTEL MANAGEMENT's Technology Roundtable, the industry is inundated with disparate systems that are either unwilling or unable to interact with each other. Offering guests the ability to print a document in the lobby from their guestroom is convoluted due to the growing web of back-end systems used by hotels, and developers are acknowledging the issue.
In response, companies such as ALICE (A Life Improving Customer Experience) are offering the option to network an entire suite of services at a hotel through a single smartphone app, simplifying the process.
"Boutique hotels used to buy products from three entities in order to offer this kind of service," said Alexander Shashou, founder & president of ALICE. "If it's all under one umbrella, you can understand what guests are doing at every interaction in the hotel."
2. The User Experience
Comparing the user interface of a property-management system or data analysis-tool to nearly any app in the consumer space is not fair. Commercial applications tend to have unvarnished, bare visuals that are often overwhelming for new users. But as tools become more sophisticated and turnover rates remain high, hotels are recognizing that they need programs that are simpler to understand.
ProfitSword, a business-intelligence-software provider founded in 2001, just completed its first ever UI upgrade. The new layout is streamlined to allow for an easier understanding of the tool's processes, and was designed to be more user-friendly overall.
"We have added technology to the system in the past, but customers were demanding more," said company co-founder Mike Patton.
3. An Eye on China
China is turning heads at nearly every conference. The country is the No. 1 source of outbound travel in the world, and its 128 million international travelers spent $292 billion in 2015. An entire session at the show was dedicated toward understanding the mindset of Chinese travelers and developing technology and practices to be more accommodating to them.
But if your hotel is starting the process now, you have some catching up to do, according to Chris Garland, SVP of operations finance at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "China is global already," he said. "From every angle."
HOTEL MANAGEMENT covered security discussions at HITEC earlier this week, but it's presence and importance at the show bears repeating. Christopher Pogue, SVP of cyberthreat analysis with security software developer and consultant Nuix, said there are only three types of businesses out there from a security standpoint: Those that have been hacked, those that are currently being hacked and those that are about to be hacked.
"At last count there, has been $3 trillion made on the Internet's black market," Pogue said. "There is no mandatory sentencing for crimes regarding credit card information, unlike other crimes, making this a safe haven for criminals."
Pogue offered many answers to the industry's hacker problem, but chief among them were admitting you have security flaws and dedicating time and energy to changing them.
"Understand there is a return on investment for security," Pogue said. "It's not a waste of money. There is a loss of money, customer confidence and damage to the brand. It takes at least one year to recover reputation wise."


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Expectations for the iPhone 7 launch have been modest, to put it mildly. Even Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has announced it is breaking with tradition and will not release first-weekend sales numbers for the new iPhone. However, T-Mobile (TMUS) CEO John Legere is offering hope to Apple stock investors, claiming iPhone 7 launch numbers are four times greater than the iPhone 6.
Considering how well T-Mobile did in 2014 with that iPhone 6 launch, Legere’s comment offers the intriguing possibility that Apple might just have an unexpected hit on its hands.
T-Mobile’s Legere Takes to Periscope
Never one to shy away from making his views known, Legere used Periscope last night to talk about the new iPhone 7. During the session, he called iPhone 7 sales phenomenal, declaring:
“The first four days of the iPhone 7 launch are by far the biggest ever for T-Mobile. It’s four times bigger than the iPhone 6 for us, at this stage.”
He also revealed that Matte Black has been the most popular color choice with T-Mobile customers, while admitting that he chose the Jet Black iPhone 7 for himself — despite Apple’s warnings about a finish that is more easily scratched.
Why the iPhone 7 May Exceed Expectations
Going into (and immediately after) the September iPhone 7 event, there was considerable concern that the iPhone 7 would turn out to be a dud.
With AAPL switching to a three-year design cycle, the new iPhone looked almost identical to the previous two generations. There were tantalizing rumors about a massive upgrade next year for the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, including a curved AMOLED display. Then there was the controversial decision to ax the headphone jack.
With Apple pre-announcing it would not be releasing launch numbers, it seemed like the company was also concerned the iPhone 7 would bomb.
So why would T-Mobile be seeing record pre-sales?
- First, the iPhone 7 Plus and its dual camera system have produced some phenomenal photos. Apple made sure to get the new iPhones into the hands of professional photographers, who have been posting photos snapped at pro sports events.
- Second, the new A10 Fusion CPU in the iPhone 7 has been performing exceedingly well in testing. It delivers a serious performance upgrade, along with better battery life. Users will definitely see a difference.
- Third, the water resistance introduced in the new iPhone is something that AAPL fans have been waiting a long time for. The idea of being able to use their phone in the rain instead of having to stuff it in an expensive and bulky waterproof case has a lot of appeal.
- And finally, Samsung (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) handed AAPL a gift with the recall of exploding Galaxy Note 7s. The public relations nightmare for Samsung suddenly makes Apple’s more conservative approach to smartphone design look a lot more appealing.
It’s Early for Apple Optimism, But …
T-Mobile claims aside, it’s early yet. And T-Mobile itself has offered incentives to upgrade that could be skewing sales. As pointed out by Digital Trends, the carrier is offering a trade-in deal on older iPhones that could net an iPhone 7 for free on a 24-month contract.
Still, this is positive news. It could just be that after all the fuss about a meaningless release, Apple under-promised and over-delivered with the iPhone 7. That combined with the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco helping to cancel out the negative PR over ditching the headphone jack could result in the iPhone 7 turning into an unexpected win for AAPL.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
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Cryptocurrency Statistics 2022: Investing In Crypto | Bankrate
golem (gnt) offers a way for users to rent computing power systems.
cryptocurrency market boom and bust: fast facts
- after the 2008 recession, an individual or group by the name of satoshi nakamoto created a white paper to address the central bank’s control of money and the control governments had over the money of the citizens.
- In 2009, bitcoin was created, launching the cryptocurrency from an academic concept to a real-world currency competitor.
- Bitcoin was intended to eliminate control, oversight and fees associated with cash transactions. the legitimacy provided by third-party institutions like banks was supposed to be replaced by online crypto networks.
- on January 1st. on january 3, 2009, the first blockchain was launched with the first “block” called the genesis block.
- the first real bitcoin transaction took place on may 22, 2010 when a man from florida negotiated to have two papa john’s. $25 worth of pizzas delivered in exchange for 10,000 bitcoins. this established the first real value of bitcoin, at 4 bitcoins per cent. Since then, fans have dubbed this day “Bitcoin Pizza Day.”
- In February 2011, the price of bitcoin crossed the $1 threshold. just 11 years later, bitcoin hit an all-time high of $68,789 in November 2021.
- since bitcoin’s inception, more than 19,000 different cryptocurrencies have been created.
- bitcoin is the most valuable coin in circulation, with ethereum and tether in second and third place.
- the value of all existing cryptocurrencies is around $919 billion, of which around $389 billion is bitcoin ( as of July 7, 2022), according to coinmarketcap.com.
- The global online payments market was $6.75 trillion in 2021, according to research and markets.
- a As of July 7, 2022, the size of the bitcoin blockchain is approximately 415 gigabytes, roughly double the size of just three years ago.
statistics and demographics of cryptocurrency users
- about 59.1 million Americans owned some form of cryptocurrency in 2021.
- vietnam is currently at the top of chainanalysis’s global crypto adoption index, followed by india and Pakistan, to complete the top. three.
- many big adopters are developing markets, such as ukraine, kenya and nigeria, according to chainanalysis.
- in the united states, people with high incomes are disproportionately represented, with those earning $100,000 or more per year, representing 25% of cryptocurrency owners, but only 15% of the general public.
- about 70% of cryptocurrency owners are also men, but they represent only 48% of the general population, according to a report by morning consultation. women make up 30% of cryptocurrency owners, but 52% of the general population.
- Hispanics are overrepresented among cryptocurrency owners. about 16 percent of the us the population identifies as Hispanic, but 24 percent of crypto owners identify as Hispanic, the morning query says.
- cryptocurrency users are also overwhelmingly millennial. the morning query reports that 57 percent of all cryptocurrency owners in the us. uu. they are millennials, despite representing 30% of the general population.
- generation z represents 13% of cryptocurrency owners, but 11% of the population, and generation x owns 20 % of cryptocurrencies while representing 27% of the population, says morning consultation.
impact of cryptocurrencies on the environment: the statistics
Although cryptocurrencies created a new alternative payment method and opened the doors to millions of people around the world, the production of cryptocurrencies has been shrouded in controversy due to the energy required to produce them.
Reading: Is bitcoin a good investment 2022
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are “mined” on decentralized computer networks that act as one big ledger. this ledger tracks every cryptocurrency transaction, and computers throughout the network verify and process each transaction through a blockchain database.
Think of it like a long receipt that records every transaction in a cryptocurrency. As transactions are processed and verified, new bitcoins are created or mined. mining is the process of adding another entry to the receipt or another block to the chain.
This process requires sophisticated, high-powered computers and a lot of electricity. Citing the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, Columbia University says that Bitcoin alone used an estimated 150 terawatt-hours of electricity annually as of May 2022, more than Argentina, with 45 million people.
Bitcoin mining consumes so much electricity that it accounts for 0.40 percent of the world’s electricity consumption as of July 2022, according to the Cambridge Index. Bitcoin mining alone is estimated to create between 22 and 22.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, comparable to those created by Sri Lanka, according to Economic Times.
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if bitcoin were a country, it would be among the top 30 energy users worldwide, according to digiconomist.
The carbon footprint of one bitcoin transaction is equivalent to more than 975,000 visa transactions, according to digiconomist.
Bitcoin emissions alone could raise the average global temperature above 2°C, according to research published in the journal nature climate change.
It is even estimated that bitcoin mining consumes the same amount of electricity as all the data centers in the world, according to research by joule magazine.
crypto taxes and economic statistics
When cryptocurrencies were first created, they were nearly impossible for government tax agencies to trace. the hallmark of blockchain transactions is anonymity, which means that the identity of the buyer or seller cannot be proven.
However, since 2014, the IRS has declared that cryptocurrencies are treated as property for federal income tax purposes. Although the agency itself has yet to release official estimates, a new analysis from Barclays calculates that the IRS loses an estimated $50 billion per year from taxes that would need to be paid on cryptocurrency assets.
Buying and holding cryptocurrencies is not considered a taxable event. you can buy and hold the crypto for as long as you like (although you must disclose this on your tax return), but once you decide to sell (or realize the gain or loss), you’ll need to report the amount of gain or loss from the sale .
the future of cryptocurrencies
See also: Best Bitcoin Jackpot Games (2022) | Tips, Pros & Cons
The popularity of cryptocurrencies has grown in recent years as access to them has become easier. the asset remains incredibly volatile, and in 2022, rising interest rates triggered bitcoin selloffs as skittish investors dumped what is still considered a risky investment.
Governments around the world, including the United States, have also begun looking at how to regulate cryptocurrencies. on March 9, 2022, USA uu. President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for a broad review of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies). Federal agencies are currently reviewing digital currencies and assessing the risk they pose to overall financial stability, among other considerations.
The difficulties of tax reporting and the controversy surrounding cryptocurrencies have resulted in the total banning of the digital asset in nine countries: Algeria, Bolivia, Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Nepal, North Macedonia, Qatar and Vanuatu. China, which used to account for most of the world’s bitcoin mining, has now also banned cryptocurrencies altogether.
Cryptocurrency, although available as a payment method for some companies spread around the world, has not made the official leap as a widely available currency. Several major companies already accept cryptocurrencies as a form of currency or payment, but the list is relatively limited:
- at&t offers customers a payment option through bitpay.
- microsoft allows bitcoin to pay for xbox store credits.
- overstock.com allows payment on their website with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
- game streaming platform twitch accepts bitcoin and bitcoin cash as payment.
- amc theaters allow viewers to purchase tickets with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
- the dallas mavericks allow the use of bitcoin to purchase game tickets and merchandise through the team website.
So far, El Salvador and the Central African Republic accept cryptocurrencies as legal tender, although both countries have had significant problems with their implementation.
The volatile nature of cryptocurrency and the controversy surrounding climate impact make it a speculative investment. even a more established currency like bitcoin is risky. All cryptocurrencies are fairly new and it’s hard to compare asset-backed investments like stocks with digital currencies that are backed solely by investor sentiment.
Cryptocurrencies have become popular in recent years, but still face a number of challenges. Increased regulatory oversight by governments around the world, extremely volatile price swings, and fickle investor sentiment will continue to put pressure on the future of digital currencies.
See also: Investing During Stagflation | How To Beat Stagflation


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Thailand developer Central Pattana (CPN) is looking at expanding into Asean countries by 2017, most likely Vietnam, Malaysia or Indonesia, president and chief executive officer Kobchai Chirathivat said. He said purchasing power in those countries had strong growth potential, especially with the Asean Economic Community (AEC) coming into effect in 2015.
"When we expand into Asean countries, [we will either] invest by ourselves [or form] joint ventures with new partners. This will depend on the business opportunity," he said.
Meanwhile, the company has continued to expand domestically, both in Bangkok and upcountry. This is according to its five-year plan to open 15 new shopping complexes, in Thailand and overseas, worth a total of Bt50 billion by 2017.
Two of the new complexes will launch in 2014, CentralFestival Samui worth Bt3.1 billion in January and CentralPlaza Salaya in Nakhon Pathom province in the third quarter, worth Bt3.9 billion.
The Koh Samui project will have total space of 90,000 square metres to serve an estimated 35,000 shoppers a day.
CentralPlaza Salaya will have 180,000sqm of space and target about 60,000 customers a day.
CPN is also still interested in developing a 500,000sqm mixed-use project at Suan Lum Intersection in Bangkok. This 88-rai (14-hectare) plot is owned by the Crown Property Bureau, which has again called for bids on the project after cancelling it earlier. CPN will submit its proposal in August.
Kobchai said that if successful in winning the Suan Lum job, CPN planned to develop a project that combined retail, offices and housing in line with the terms of reference.
However, he declined to give more details before the company submits its plan to the bureau.
He added that demand in the retail market had continued to grow in line with the country's gross domestic product, which has been expanding by an average of 4-5% a year. This is boosting consumers' purchasing power.
Meanwhile, Thailand has the potential to be regional hub once the AEC becomes effective, as multinational firms set up their head offices here.
As a result of all these factors, CPN will continue to expand its investment to boost its annual revenue growth to an average of 15% between now and 2017, he said.
Wallaya Chirathivat, CPN's senior executive vice president for business development, design and construction, said the company's revenue in the first quarter of this year had achieved the estimated 15%.
Five percentage points of this growth were due to rental income from existing projects, and the rest from new projects.
The company also plans to open two new branches in Hat Yai and Chiang Mai in the second half of 2013, she said.


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But a wise judge, who clearly is head judicial advocate of flavor town, said the town's injunction was not reasonable.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien rejected the city of Irwindale's initial bid Thursday to cease operations at the Huy Fong Foods plant until the company can reduce the odor, City News Service reported.
A hearing about the issue is scheduled for Nov. 23. So Sriracha has one month to crank out as much deliciousness as possible. Also, we probably overreacted. The town doesn't want the plant shut down, just a better filtration system added that will cost about $600,000. The company's sales last year were $85 million. So they can afford it. Actually, it kinda sounds like they are being dicks about the whole thing.
But judging by the reaction on the internet, they could probably exploit their fans and raise that money on Kickstarter in 20 minutes.
[Via The Huffington Post]


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Are you building a startup and want to share your story? Do you have tips for entrepreneurs, or insights to MENA industries? Submit your article with a photo and we'll get in touch with you.
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Already focused on catering to Middle Eastern customers, fast fashion e-commerce platform VogaCloset is set to increase its presence in KSA.
KSA franchise retailer, Alhokair, and shopping centre developer, Arabian Centres Company, have announced the acquisition of UK-based e-commerce fashion platform, VogaCloset. The deal, which is set to be complete by June, 2021, will see the two companies acquire 51% of the platform.
Predominantly catering to Middle Eastern consumers, VogaCloset will also receive $12 million in capital to develop its presence in the Saudi market, accelerate its customer base and integrate Alhokair brands and ACC tenant brands into its platform. Other plans in the pipeline include launching a new loyalty programme and a consumer finance offering.
"Partnering with Alhokair and ACC in Saudi Arabia, our key market, is a strategic leap for VogaCloset,” said VogaCloset CEO, Hanin Hamarneh. “We have built a leading multi-brand fast fashion platform with a successful track record of meeting evolving consumer demands across the Middle East, supported by close alignment and tight integration with our highly-reputed and well-established European online fast fashion suppliers. This partnership, and the new investment that it will bring, will support and accelerate the execution of our very ambitious growth plans in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.”
The platform will continue to run independently until the transaction is completed. Learn more about VogaCloset here.
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"Backlash Brews: UFC Sparks Boycott Fury with $100M Bud Light Deal"
The UFC finds itself in the crosshairs of controversy as it announces a significant sponsorship alliance with Bud Light, a move that has triggered calls for a boycott. The deal, reportedly valued at over $100 million, has fueled discontent among fans and observers, particularly given Bud Light's recent tumultuous history.
Bud Light's fortunes took a hit following a brief and ill-fated campaign in April featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, resulting in sharp sales declines. The backlash against the beer brand has been palpable, with it losing its top spot as the No. 1 beer in the US to Modelo Especial, which experienced a surge in popularity following Bud Light's misstep.
The announcement of the UFC partnership has reignited the #BoycottBudLight movement, with social media buzzing with criticism and calls for consumers to steer clear of both the beverage and the mixed martial arts league. Some users expressed frustration, labeling the move as a "dumb move" and accusing Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch of being "marketing MORONS."
Critics on social media are not just targeting Bud Light but are also demanding boycotts of companies associated with the beer brand. The sentiment "go woke go broke" resurfaces, echoing the initial backlash when Bud Light attempted to reshape its image through a controversial campaign.
The fallout from Mulvaney's association with Bud Light continues, and the brewing controversy has even extended to speculation about how popular podcaster and MMA announcer Joe Rogan, known for his candid opinions, will respond to the UFC-Bud Light partnership. Rogan, who previously criticized Mulvaney, has yet to publicly comment on this reunion of Bud Light and the UFC, who had a sponsorship deal prior to 2019. The uncertainty surrounding Rogan's stance adds another layer of intrigue to the unfolding narrative, leaving fans and critics alike eager for his perspective on this controversial collaboration.
"Modelo's Tap: UFC's Four-Year Beer Bond Faces Bud Light Challenge
For the last four years, Modelo has held the coveted position as the primary beer sponsor for the UFC. However, the recent announcement of a major sponsorship deal between the mixed martial arts league and Bud Light has thrown a curveball into the ring. As the news ripples through the sports and beverage communities, questions arise about the potential impact on Modelo's longstanding association with the UFC.
Representatives for both Bud Light and the UFC have chosen to remain tight-lipped, offering no immediate response to The Post's request for comment. The silence adds an air of suspense to the unfolding narrative, leaving fans, industry insiders, and enthusiasts eager to learn more about the dynamics behind this significant shift in the UFC's beer sponsorship landscape. As the story continues to develop, it remains to be seen how this new alliance with Bud Light will shape the future of the UFC's beverage partnerships, potentially marking a departure from the familiar presence of Modelo in the octagon."
"In the midst of this evolving saga, the clash of beer titans in the UFC sponsorship realm has left enthusiasts and observers on the edge of their seats. Modelo's four-year reign as the primary beer sponsor faces an unexpected challenge with the entry of Bud Light into the octagon. The resounding silence from representatives of both Bud Light and the UFC only intensifies the intrigue, leaving the audience with unanswered questions.
As the storyline continues to unfold, the conclusion of this beer sponsorship tale remains uncertain. Will Modelo maintain its stronghold, or will Bud Light reshape the landscape of the UFC's beverage partnerships? The absence of immediate comments from the involved parties adds an element of suspense, inviting speculation and anticipation about the future dynamics in the world where sports and brews intersect. Enthusiasts and industry insiders alike remain poised, awaiting further developments and insights that will ultimately define the next chapter in the UFC's beer sponsorship journey."


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Blue Bird Market has a new ‘nest’; Opens on Saturday after being closed four months
The Blue Bird Market, which financially helps support Wilderness Trace Child Development Center (WTCD) by selling gently used home furnishings and other donated items, has a new home in the Greenleaf Shopping Center.
Until COVID-19 shut down most businesses in March, Blue Bird Market was open only on Saturdays in an old industrial building across from the Boyle County Recycling Center on the bypass.
The shutdown, however, created an opportunity for the market to find a new nesting place closer to town which had heat and air-conditioning, making shopping and working in the market much more comfortable, said market director Beth Marlowe.
Blue Bird Market opens this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. after being closed for nearly four months. And instead of being open only on Saturdays, the market will be open during the same hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Marlowe said having two more days of shopping will give people the opportunity to avoid the sometimes heavy Saturday crowds. “We’re trying to be smart.”
A grand opening isn’t planned, but maybe there will be one for the holidays, she added.
The market helps to support WTCD, which is a special preschool for children who have been diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome. Others have hearing and visual disabilities and some children can’t control their movements. Wilderness Trace combines speech, occupational and physical therapies with each child’s individual education plan under one roof.
The pandemic and all of the restrictions in place has made Marlowe a little bit nervous about opening, but she’s really excited at the same time.
Everyone, even children, will be required to wear face masks, hand sanitation stations are scattered throughout the room and only 50 shoppers will be allowed inside at one time.
“Plus, we’re begging people to not touch things unless they’re wanting to buy it,” Marlowe said. And volunteers will be on hand to wipe off surfaces, she added.
Blue Bird shoppers not only come for bargains, Marlowe said, they also often come to socialize. Even when a line forms for shoppers to pay for their items, “It’s kind of fun. They stand in lines and chit chat.”
“It’s so odd that they’re going to be socially distanced now,” Marlowe added.
In the future, Marlowe hopes to welcome companies and businesses to have their meetings or gatherings at the market in the evenings, and incorporate a private shopping night just for those who attend.
“We can provide so much more. We’re going to be so much more a part of the community,” because they’re in a more noticeable location, Marlow said.
“Suddenly, there’s a whole different group of people,” who are already driving by to see what’s going on and who’ve never heard of The Blue Bird Market, “even though we’ve been in business for years,” she said.
The decision to move was incredibly fast, Marlowe said.
She signed the lease with the Richardson family, who owned and operated Super-Key Market at that location, on a Monday, and at 10 p.m. Tuesday, WTCDC Executive Director Libby Suttles called and told her that coincidentally someone on the board that night had ties to an industrial moving company and they would be there at 8 the next morning.
For the next five days, the movers loaded sofas, chairs, cabinets, tables, rugs, knick knacks, glassware, books and tons of other merchandise into a semi tractor trailer and unloaded them at the new store. All the while, volunteers were cleaning, painting walls and sanitizing everything. Even a couple of the movers helped to paint for two days, Marlow said.
“It was the craziest couple of days.”
“This is the first time ever we’ve had to pay rent.” However, “The Richardsons have given us an incredibly good deal. We’re paying a little bit,” but it’s well worth the bit of extra expense, she said. “The Richardson family has been very generous to us to offer us this space.”
In addition to the tremendous amount of household items for sale, The Blue Bird Boutique, along with the Love Menu will be set up for people who want to donate to the school, but didn’t find anything to buy at the market, Marlowe explained.
From the Love Menu, someone can make a donation to purchase a meal for a student at WTCD. Or they can buy Blue Bird T-shirts and cotton shopping bags with logos designed by Marlowe’s daughter, Maggie Jenkins, who is also a fifth-grade teacher at Toliver Intermediate School. These purchases will also go to provide several meals to students.
She hopes to eventually set up a monthly promotion that if you purchase a bag and bring it to the store on a certain day, everything you can fit into the bag will cost just $5.
She ran a similar sale while they were moving, Marlowe said. “I told them if you can fit a couch in that bag, it’s $5!”


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Online shopping soared during the pandemic, but it appears that the trend is continuing and what some people thought was a spike is actually a step change. Here in the B2B world, we might not always have the option of opening an ‘e-commerce store’, but even for those companies that don’t, there might be some advantages of doing business online that we can take advantage of.
Many customers like to buy online because they can shop around on price, and because the delivery is convenient. But there’s a a critical piece of information that they appear to like about using online stores, and that’s stock availability.
If something is for sale online, and it says it can be despatched today, that’s usually true. In a world where supply lines are stretched, having stock is something we should be flagging up.
Is that something you’re doing? Even where customers have to call you to buy a product, rather than buying online, are you at least advertising up front that if they order today, you can get it to them pretty sharpish?