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Retail Excellence: Bjorn's: Industry Evangelist
Bjorn’s, a 37-year-old specialty retailing legend, built a reputation early on in industry circles as a “showcase dealer.” Since the introduction of the Compact Disc and even before, vendors have used Bjorn Dybdahl’s single San Antonio store as a launch pad for virtually every new CE product category and innovation.
This year, the industry’s regard for him and for what he has given back to his profession has led to his election to the 2012 CE Hall of Fame—an honor the modest and self-deprecating Dybdahl said he was shocked to receive. “I’m basically a lazy person, and the reality is, people around me made it happen,” he said.
Though he may deny it, Dybdahl has been the tone-setter for the store’s ingrained identity as an instrument of technology education. But the store’s vendors do agree with him that Bjorn’s success is a group effort, and that Dybdahl is right to credit a staff that includes COO and CFO, Doug Bravin; IT and marketing manager, Kris Dybdahl; and retail sales manager, Neil Viers.
“They are genuinely nice people who care about the customer experience. The thing that sets them apart is their willingness to learn,” said David Solomon, vice president of sales and marketing at Peachtree Audio, a key Bjorn’s supplier. “Although they are one of the best retailers in the nation, education and staying up-to-date with technology is important to them all.”
Staying up-to-date poses its own challenges for indies with limited budgets, as they struggle against the e-commerce onslaught and the muscle of the big-boxes. But Bjorn’s, this year, has been using its resources to buck up its branding among established customers and new groups, including a younger demographic, through a combination of email, radio, TV, social media, billboards and in-store events.
Bjorn’s is also strategizing on a showroom refresh. It is transforming its Sony section to focus on more solutions and fewer TVs. A NAD dealer, Dybdahl is in discussions with Lenbrook about its digital audio demonstration and display concept. “There are lots of things coming down the pike we’ve got to be ready for, like how we’re going to deal with 4K, with OLED,” Dybdahl said. “And they’re coming quickly.”
Meanwhile, the company continues to push. “We’re always in people’s faces,” said Kris Dybdahl, who came on staff last year and has been instrumental in crafting a multi-pronged branding campaign. TV advertising has been broadened beyond the local ABC affiliate to include the Univision network. The aim: to reach a Spanish-speaking population that is growing, including an influx of wealthy Mexican nationals who are moving to the area to escape unstable conditions at home. “We’re on TV and radio two weeks a month, whether or not we’re having an event,” he said.
Part of the overall branding effort includes Facebook, where teaser questions like “What was the brand and size of the first TV you owned?” get people talking. The store has amassed over 1,000 ‘likes’ in less than two years.
But so far, the most effective approach has been email blasts. Bjorn’s has built a 19,000-name database, not from bought lists, but developed in-store during the last three years through sales/customer interaction, pass-around sheets handed out during Bjorn’s many speaking engagements, and by collecting sign-ups during store giveaways.
“With the email marketing service we use, we’re able to keep track of ‘opened’ and ‘unsubscribed’ stats,” Kris Dybdahl said. “We have a low drop-off rate. I’d rather have an email address from a customer than a home address.” While the average ‘opened’ rate for that service is 17 percent, Bjorn’s is at 24 percent.
A billboard initiative, now going into its sixth month, is a cheeky way to one-up big-box competition. “It’s in a strategic location, right over the shoulder of the top Best Buy store in the area,” said Bjorn. The messages don’t advertise models or prices but are short, pithy statements such as, “Value is more than price,” in clean white lettering on a red background, with the company logo and web address as tags.
“I recently visited the reworked Best Buy near their Minneapolis headquarters, and it’s really thought-provoking; laid out Apple-like and very open,” Bjorn said. “They’ve got the money and clout to pull a lot of things off, but the reality is that it still comes down to people. The problem all specialists have is that we’ve got to be better than them, but we don’t have the kind of money they have, so we have to do it with our people.”
One way is with in-store events. Bjorn’s long ago mastered the practice. The store conducts yearly Music Matters seminars, similar to other specialty dealers, but it took things up a notch in May with its first Saturday indoor/outdoor mega event. A Texas rock band played for three hours indoors, while a food truck festival in the parking lot ran from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. “We got 580 through the door,” Kris said.
“Customers saw it as fun, and people wanted to do business,” added Viers.
Its next event was an all-jazz concert last month, in partnership with a radio station hosting a jazz series the prior night with Grammy Award winner Paul Brown, who appeared at Bjorn’s the next day.
“We’re constantly honing and looking for things that will work for us, and that we can carry on over time,” Bjorn said. “We know manufacturers need guys like Best Buy, and they’re a good competitor.
But dealers like us can be a huge help to build brands and build a technology story. We’re educators; that’s who we are.”


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Entourage Pocket Edge voted "Best Cancelled E-reader of 2011"
The September issue of Consumer Reports arrived on my door step today, and guess what the cover article was? Actually the lead article covered the human heart and related topics, but one of the cover articles was CR's review of ebook readers.
You might recall a few months back when everyone was talking about how the new Nook Touch was the first ebook reader to dethrone the Kindle. That report, and the ratings it contained, was just published in the September issue.
As you can see, the Entourage Pocket Edge ranked behind all the current gen ereaders. But it also managed to beat the Sony 650, which is something of a surprise. I would have thought that the weight and battery life would have taken it down another notch or 2.
BTW, think I know why the Nook Touch shipped so fast. Look at the list and note which ebook reader isn’t on it. According to CR, the Kobo Touch wasn’t included because it shipped just a few days too late.
That’s a stupid reason, IMO. They should have pushed the article back a month; that would have given them the time they needed. I think a delayed report would be better than an incomplete one, don’t you?
As it stands, the chart is not complete and thus I’m not sure it’s valid. We don’t know where the Kobo touch would have ranked, and that throws all claims about device superiority into doubt. We don’t really know which is best because they weren’t all tested.

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Leading grocer Tesco has announced that it will extend its Tesco Bank offer by adding mortgages to its list of services.
Holders of its Clubcard will receive Clubcard points as they pay back their mortgage, collecting one point for every £4 on monthly repayments as the supermarket chain looks to reward customer loyalty amid difficult trading conditions.
Last week, Tesco‘s outlook downgraded by S&Pthe retail giant was downgraded by ratings agency Standard & Poor, which downgraded its outlook to negative as a result of declining sales figures, warning of “intensifying competition in Tesco‘s home market.”
Commenting on the launch, Tesco CEO Philip Clarke explained that the retailer‘s solid reputation will make it a contender in a crowded market.
“Customers want choice in banking from a brand they know and trust to deal with them fairly.
“The launch of Tesco Bank mortgages is a major milestone towards offering Tesco customers a full retail banking service.”
Strengthening its offering and entering the highly competitive mortgage market, Tesco has started rates at 3.19 per cent for the 15 million UK Clubcard holders in the UK.
This move follows news that high street retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has introduced two current accounts involving a setting up fee which sees the retailer offer the first fee paying bank account in the country.
Tesco believes that it offers competitive rates and flexible product features and linking its financial services to rewards is a further move to entice consumers.
“Entering the mortgage market is a significant step in broadening the products we offer to Tesco customers,” Benny Higgins, CEO of Tesco Bank, commented.
“With a focus on serving Tesco customers for the long-term, we will take responsible lending decisions and have developed a mortgage business to meet our customers‘ needs now and into the future.
“We begin as we plan to go on – launching a product for Tesco customers designed to meet their expectations of value, customer service and reward.”


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In the next issue of Free Car Mag find out what happened to Eddie’s van from the the film Eddie the Eagle which we gave away.For the moment though Eddie is getting around behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi.
The world famous ski jumper – known for his inspirational performances at the Calgary Games in 1988 – has partnered with the brand to promote its ASX crossover; a model that reflects his own adventurous spirit.
As part of the partnership, Eddie will appear in a series of ASX Adventure Advanced social media videos in which he will put his daredevil reputation to the test in a range of adventure sports challenges.
As the series progresses though, the challenges Eddie must face will take him far outside his comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory.
Launching the partnership, Eddie, whose life story was told in a blockbuster Hollywood movie released earlier this year, said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be working with a brand like Mitsubishi that shares my own sense of fun and excitement. I’m really looking forward to giving some thrilling adventure sports a go as we shoot this series of videos. It should be great fun.”


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- Tesla is glad to see new data-security laws, Elon Musk said at China's World Internet Conference.
- "Data security is key to the success of intelligent and connected vehicles," he said on Sunday.
- Musk's collaborative tone came despite China's richest tech titans dealing with huge losses.
Musk didn't specify that his remarks related to China's strict data protection law, but said Tesla's data centre in the country localizes all data generated for business there.
Beijing has been moving to tighten regulation for several months to rein in the power of Big Tech.
The nation's Personal Information Protection Law, set to be implemented on November 1, lays out rules around better user data storage and conditions under which companies can gather data, including obtaining prior consent.
"Data security is key to the success of intelligent and connected vehicles," Musk said in prepared remarks to the summit. "And it's not only closely linked to an individual's interests, but also matters to the whole society."
"At Tesla, we are glad to see a number of laws and regulations that have been released to strengthen data management," he said.
"All personally identifiable information is securely stored in China without being transferred overseas," he said, referring to the company's handling of data. "Only in very rare cases, for example, spare parts, order for overseas is data approved for transfer internationally."
He added that he believed data protection was not only an issue of one single company and should be a mutual effort for all industry players. "We're working with regulators on finding the best solution for data security," he said.
China is one of the most lucrative markets for Tesla, contributing 30% of total sales for the EV maker in the second quarter this year.
At Sunday's summit, China's Vice-Premier Liu said President Xi Jinping has promised to work with countries around the world to shape a vibrant digital economy and build on effective supervision.
Other US business leaders that participated via video in the event were the recently appointed CEOs of Intel and Qualcomm, Pat Gelsinger and Cristiano Amon.
Musk's collaborative tone came despite the rough patch that the tech sector in China is enduring. The country's richest tech titans, including Jack Ma and Pinduoduo's Colin Huang, have had billions wiped off their personal wealth as a result of investors reacting to Beijing's strict new rules.


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The Consumer Electronics Show is kicking off the new year with a bang! Beginning on January 5th through the 8th, those in the consumer electronics industry will take over the streets of Vegas to witness breakthrough technologies and worldwide innovation. Since its beginning in 1967, CES has been at the forefront of introducing the most inventive tech products ranging from the first at home VCR to the launch of Microsoft’s XBOX. We are extremely excited that this will be the first Peachscore trade show we attend.
While CES has been “the place” to debut new technologies, in recent years CES has become one of the most influential startup events, allowing entrepreneurs to exhibit their ideas at the Eureka Park expo. With thousands of startups attending CES, from a variety of different sectors ranging from eCommerce to remote learning, there has never been a better venue to be an entrepreneur and showcase your ideas.
We are so excited to be attending our first ever CES and launching the Peachscore platform to the public! In celebration of the new year and our upcoming public launch, we wanted to recognize all the amazing startups that have brought their ideas to market in such a challenging environment influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As such, our VC partners and the Peachscore team will be hosting a competition to determine which company is the most innovative startup at CES. The award will be called the “Peach Award” and our network of top-tier VC and CVC firms will be voting on the winner. With such prestigious and inspiring startup companies attending CES, it will be very exciting to see who comes out on top!
Now, a little more about us! Peachscore is a fully-automated and AI-enabled platform designed to assist and assess early-stage companies and those who invest in them. Peachscore is used by startups as a “Common App” to fast-track capital, resources, and services using deep datasets. The engine also generates a rating or “Peachscore” for each company by collecting and analyzing relevant company metrics in real-time. This streamlines the investment process for startups, investors, and other stakeholders alike ultimately driving transparency, opportunities, and transactions.
After one year of heavy development and growing the company from 2 employees to over 20, Peachscore will now be showcased to the public at CES in January. Make sure to stop by our booth under the Plug and Play exhibit to meet the team and see the platform.
If you are a startup attending CES, we welcome you to apply for the Peach Award:
1. Sign up for the Peachscore platform — Join here!
2. Enter “CES-2022” into the “Referred By” field.
3. Fill out your company profile before the CES event.
We can’t wait to see you there!
To learn more about what we are trying to accomplish at Peachscore click here.


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Need an extra reach for your next smartphone camera? An Oppo model with a 10x optical zoom may be coming soon to give you just that.
What’s next in the mobile photography world after the multi-lenses, selfie cameras, AI modes, and bokeh features? Reports point out to an Oppo smartphone camera with 10x optical zoom possibly in the works now. If you’re curious about that extra reach, the official announcement could be out very soon.
Just two years ago, better lens and improved zoom came on top of improvements that smartphone users want to see in their devices. Smartphone makers have been working on that, and a 10x optical zoom would definitely be remarkable.
Mashable reports of a January 16 event announced by Chinese smartphone maker Oppo that hints at this upcoming feature. They sniffed the news from Chinese website MyDrivers.com, which pointed out the event’s tagline, roughly translated to “Ten for the See”, hinting at the 10x optical zoom feature. They also shared a leaked patent image for an Oppo F19 with a 10x lossless zoom technology and triple cameras at the back.
The reports also point out that the 10x optical zoom camera is to be expected, and was most likely built on the tech that the company unveiled last year during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It featured a horizontally-positioned “periscope” lens paired with a new optical image-stabilization technology to produce a 5x optical zoom. This setup, MyDrivers, added, keeps the mobile phone thin and compact. Official info from Oppo also says that this lens module is only 5.7mm thick.
Currently, the iPhone X’s 2x optical zoom and Huawei P20 Pro’s 3x optical zoom are the smartphones to beat. We are reminded that the 5x “lossless” optical zoom never really ended up in any of Oppo’s smartphones. But that could change given all the time they had since then to further develop the technology.
Looks like we’ll find out if this 10x optical zoom is the real deal by January 16.
Photos via MyDrivers.com
from The Phoblographer http://bit.ly/2FC9ZrJ


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Tablets still play a large role in retail purchases, as they are the most popular device for sales associates to use to do product demonstrations and often to perform in-aisle checkout. But on the other end of the transaction—the end where shoppers use their own tablets to make e-commerce purchases—the tablet is surrendering many of the purchases it briefly stole from smartphones. That’s according to research recently published from Bizrate Insights.
The iPad specifically has seen a sharp and continual drop in how many purchases it processes, Bizrate said, dropping from control of about 70 percent of such purchases in 2013’s Q3 down to 36 percent in Q116.
“The decrease in the percentage of online sales taking place on a tablet is the result of the increasing utility of smartphones (screen size, website optimization, and improved cell phone coverage), which are nearly always at hand,” said Hayley Silver, a Bizrate VP.
Silver said another reason is the “lack of innovation on tablets that would drive its necessity or improvement for ecommerce” and third is the “lack of a unique identity for tablets. To this last point, retailers often treat the tablet as either the same as the desktop or the same as the smartphone, resulting in a less than optimal experience for the tablet user. Bizrate Insights sees, through its invitations and survey instruments, that tablet users respond best to an experience optimized to their screen versus using the desktop or smartphone experience adjusted for screen size.”
Silver’s points are all quite correct, but there is a more fundamental reason for shoppers using the tablet to make purchases far less often. In short, why do it? As some smartphones have gotten much larger and tablet screens have shrunk, the difference between the pair has shrunk. More importantly, the largest smartphones today—consider the iPhone 6Plus—are still pocket-sized, albeit just barely. The added inconvenience of carrying a tablet just isn’t typically worth it.
The tablets are more often than not replacing desktop devices. Hence, they are suffering from the same loss of device-based purchases that laptops and PCs are. Shoppers are finding more and more uses for their smartphones so they might as well not switch devices. Add to that the fact that there has recently been a sharp improvement in retailers optimizing their sites for smartphone interactions and the demise of the tablet as a shopping tool is hardly a stunner.


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Wal-mart is now officially walmart advertisements, bags and merchandise dropped the hyphen a logistics startup that will offer same-day deliveries. Our suppliers help us meet the needs of hundreds of millions of customers each week with responsibly produced products and services want to join the thousands of other businesses around the. Walmart just dropped 2 new clothing lines--and a few) in favor of new house brands a new day section if you plan to shop the new walmart clothing. Here's why wal-mart's stock tumbled this week on display from up above on what was a dark day in wal-mart's history on 11% drop for the year prior. Why do walmart get rid of the roll back smiley face smart advertising by wal mart does amazon prime expire at the beginning or end of the day it. Walmart’s ecommerce sales up 23 percent in fourth quarter 2017 but not for walmart its stock dropped after it its biggest single-day percentage drop.
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For historical cost basis information, you may use netbasis to calculate the cost basis for your walmart common stock, adjusted for any corporate actions or dividend reinvestments. Walmart inc has also been testing a service using its us store workers to drop off general merchandise like toys and bedding to customers' homes after they finish work. Walmart inc stock is a hot bargain after post-earnings drop the weakening growth trend in online sales was always going to happen, but it's still a strong pace. Walmart's revenue growth is coming at a walmart's ebit has already dropped by $49 billion , rankings and one great money idea every day.
Walmart inc stock - wmt news, historical stock charts, analyst ratings, financials, and today’s walmart inc stock price. Wal-mart stores will shorten its legal name to walmart, highlighting the company’s shift from traditional stores toward competing online with amazon. Is wal-mart stores inc a buy he dropped his company's similar service and instead made two-day shipping free on qualifying orders over $35.
Information center find the latest news, information and downloads from walmart or, reach out directly you’ll find the details you need to answer your questions. And walmart thinks the changes will help its bottom line as well: early results showed an 11 percent decline in absenteeism and a 14 percent drop in. Add one of the child or pet's walmart prescription drop off if you have your refills can be filled the same day. Case i the day that wal-mart dropped the smiley face retail giant wal-mart annually spends close to a half billion dollars on advertising, so the company’s decision in the first month of.
Walmart shares drop further, brokerages cut walmart experienced its single worst day of trading in 30 years when shares dropped more than 10 percent in a day. I feared for my life at walmart the other day i applied for a wal-mart credit card in response to an offer i received when i was making an online purchase. I purchased an item 3 days ago and price for that product dropped about ps walmartcom currently has a scheduled maintenance (in the middle of the day how. Was just inside a walmart trying to get into other categories to sell day 1 7 21 comments my advanced question when does walmart drop clearance prices. The walton's are having a bad - and expensive - day the nation's biggest retailer stunned investor with a disappointing guidance for growth and profit - causing the stock to drop 95% to.


text: Blackberry 10 is pretty much what RIM will be pouring their hopes into come 2013. After all with a declining market share, Blackberry 10 will need to amaze if RIM hopes to recapture some of their former glory, and based on what we’ve seen so far, the platform looks promising. However for those who might not be as tech savvy or who might never have heard of Blackberry before, will Blackberry 10 have what it takes to win those customers over? RIM’s CEO Thorsten Heins certainly thinks so, and in an article from the New York Times, Heins was quoted as saying that it would only need a minute sales pitch in order to win customers over to the Blackberry 10 platform. We have yet to try the operating system out ourselves and we are certainly looking forward to it in 2013, but what do you guys think? Will Blackberry 10 have what it takes to make it in 2013?


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The 1st of October is the National Day of China. It is normally the sort of bank holiday in the country. This time it overlapped the weekend, people have long weekend apparently.
In the older days, we’d go to NanJing Road for a walk after the family gathering dinner at Grandma’s house, which was located at one of the avenues across the busiest commercial road in Shanghai, NanJing Road. It would have festival lights beaming after dusk. It still has, just not only on the National Days.
With long extended weekend, people go on holiday somewhere, walking in NanJing Road is not most sought after these days. Too many people, grumped by the locals. The Shanghai-ese has long ventured out their holiday walks, from the city to afar. As always over the past few years, I scrawl down WeChat, the images posted on the “Moments”’ from different parts of world record my friends and family’s where about. They are gallivanting everywhere, package holidays, or self organised get-away. Just within this year, there have been 120 million overseas visits from mainland Chinese and only 650 million Chinese have passport.
This time, the 1st of October arrived with momentum, Chinese currency Yuan is officially one of the five currencies of SDR which IMF approves, that means yuan is equally important as dollar, euro, yen and sterling in the global financial market. The currency can convert freely in the market.
This can be huge, the impact is big in many ways, the scale of its significance can only be measured by time. In a very plain way, that means we can exchange the yuan at M&S and its alike before we holiday to China, rates fluctuate accordingly like the rest. For business, it can hedge and reserve directly. On the other hand, there can be more money flow from China, more than just come with its tourists.


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Acer jumped out of the gate last week with the announcement of the Acer TA272 HUL Android-powered all-in-one device, a 27-inch 2K display unit for the desktop. Lenovo is ready to up the ante with their own desktop device, the ThinkVision 28, with a 28-inch display running at 3840×2160 resolution or 4K as it is also known.
This week’s official announcement regarding the release of the DROID DNA from HTC continued a trend we have seen of manufacturers pushing the limits of screen size and resolution. The DROID DNA’s 5-inch 1080p display produced by Sharp is certainly an eye-catching feature of the new handset.
Lenovo has unveiled a seven-inch IdeaPad A1 tablet running Android 2.3, due to ship for just $200 with 8GB of storage memory. Meanwhile, ViewSonic unveiled two more seven-inch Android tablets -- a seven-inch, Nvidia Tegra 2-based Android 3.2 tablet called the ViewPad 7x and a lower-end tablet called the ViewPad 7e -- plus a V350 dual-SIM Android 2.2 phone....
Asus introduced the new Padfone Infinity today at MWC in Barcelona. The successor to the company’s hybrid tablet/smartphone has a redesign with an aluminum back and edge-to-edge glass display, a 5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 441 PPI.
Wait, can it be? Yes, HTC has finally revealed its long-rumored 5-inch smartphone, and it’s quite a device. The HTC J Butterfly is the company’s newest feat, sporting a Super LCD 3 1080p panel (440ppi), a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, LTE and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean .
Fusion Garage announced a 10.1-inch tablet and four-inch smartphone, both running an & Grid OS& operating system that's based on Android -- and said to run its apps -- but adds predictive features and a grid-like UI.


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The region also shattered its previous annual high for FinTech venture capital (VC) investment
Investments in Financial Technologies (FinTech) across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region was strong in the first half of 2021, climbing to $39.1 billion with 729 deals, supported by growing interest in digitalization, writes global consultancy KPMG’s latest “Pulse of Fintech” report.
According to the report, the EMEA’s combined funding accounted for 39% of global deals, 50% higher than its previously recorded $26 billion in the entirety of 2020.
“Open banking regulations have helped accelerate FinTech adoption in the EMEA region, improving third-party access to data and fostering an environment of collaboration — particularly in areas such as embedded finance,” the report highlighted.
Global FinTech deals during the same period touched $98 billion, with the United States capturing the lion’s share of $51.4 billion.
The region also shattered its previous annual high for FinTech venture capital (VC) investment, attracting $15 billion from January to June this year, compared to just $9 billion during all of 2020.
Egypt’s start-up investment value hit $70.7 million in July 2021, making it the 2nd in the MENA region behind the UAE, which raked in a total of $530 million in investments, according to a recent Wamda report.
“While IPO exit activity is expected to be strong in H2’21, we could see SPAC mergers stealing the limelight in H2’21 — particularly if Grab’s $40 billion SPAC merger goes ahead. We will likely also see a proliferation of US SPACs looking to EMEA and the Asia-Pacific region for targets,” wrote KMPG.
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC) is growing in popularity in the MEA region, as Egyptian TransportTech SWVL and regional music streaming service Anghami gear up for their own SPAC-supported IPOs on the USA’s NASDAQ.
“As a result of the pandemic, consumers across the EMEA region have gotten more comfortable with digital products and services which has helped drive uptake for digital banking, insurance, wealth management and other products,” the report said, noting that it supported the growth of several FinTechs in the region and helped attract bigger investments.
KPMG predicts that the 2nd half of the year’s trends are a stronger focus on the B2B space, including areas like SME lending - an increased interest in M&A, IPOs, and potentially mergers with US-based SPACs – more FinTechs embracing a one-stop shop model, and growing focus on ESG and sustainability-focused FinTech offerings.


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The Roycroft Campus offers an array of holiday events, shops and galleries with high-quality, handmade gifts for customers who want to enjoy a special shopping experience and seasonal festivities.
Throughout the holiday season, the Roycroft Campus’ Copper Shop Gallery will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will kick off a series of events on Nov. 30 as part of Small Business Saturday. Stop by to take advantage of special sales and giveaways, artist demonstrations and holiday treats.
Starting on Dec. 5, the Copper Shop Gallery will be hosting three Holiday Happy Hours on Thursday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. A different holiday song theme will dictate the sales each week, starting with Santa Claus is Coming to Town, followed by White Christmas on Dec. 12 and All I Want for Christmas is You on Dec. 19. Complimentary refreshments will be served. The Happy Hour continues at the Roycroft Inn with drink specials and live music.
The premiere event of the season will be the Roycroft Campus Holiday Show on Dec. 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring over 30 local artists and vendors, and activities for the whole family. There will be several shopping locations throughout four Campus buildings; guests will receive a free ornament (while supplies last) if they visit all locations and get their program marked.
Visit with furry friends from Thistle Creek Alpacas and watch demonstrations in glassmaking. Also, make sure to bring the little ones to visit Santa at the Roycroft Chapel from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and take a horse-drawn carriage ride on Saturday. Fresh-made kettle corn, food trucks and Kornerstone Café will be on site throughout the weekend.
While on Campus, be sure to check out the other shops and artist galleries in the Furniture Shop and Print Shop, and learn more about the history at the Campus’ Museum. Stroll through the Village of Trees on the Great Lawn presented by the AT EA Group. Stop by The Roycroft Inn for holiday cocktails in the Craftsman Lounge and a delicious meal. Don’t miss the Holiday Spectacular on Thursday, Dec. 21 featuring Rob Montone and the Lounge Lizard Society.
For further information on visiting the Roycroft Campus this holiday season, please call 655-0261 or visit www.roycroftcampuscorp.com.


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Six major Cayman banks have come together in a partnership to install an automated clearing house that will ease the transfer of electronic funds. The payment network had a soft launch in March, and its new procedures should increase the rapidity of transactions becoming official in Cayman, according to the Cayman Islands Bankers Association.
“What used to happen is you would deposit a transaction in the bank. They would have to process that, and over a two-day period, they would have to exchange checks between banks,” said Richard Lewis, chief operating officer of the Cayman Islands Bankers Association. “All of the transactions that went between banks were settled in most cases by way of check. Even if you were doing an electronic transfer, behind the scenes, you were making a check transfer and there were delays on that.”
Now, according to Brian Esau, the pace should be far quicker.
Mr. Esau, president of the Cayman Islands Bankers Association, said that as long as bank customers make their transactions between 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., the funds should be available on that same business day.
Before, he said, they could take as many as two or three days to clear. As well as being beneficial to the consumer, Mr. Esau said it is also an incentive for the banking institutions.
“It’s good for the banks for several reasons,” said Mr. Esau. “It should reduce the volume of check exchange in the marketplace. Check exchange probably has higher costs and higher risks and longer settlement time. By converting this to ACH/EFT, there’s increased efficiency for the banks as well.”
Butterfield Bank, Cayman National Bank, CIBC First Caribbean, Fidelity Bank, RBC and Scotiabank are the participating institutions, and electronic transfers will be accepted in Cayman or American dollars.
The enhanced electronic transfer network will allow banks to offer a better standard of mobile banking to its customers and will bring to Cayman’s banking industry the technology used around the world. Automated clearing houses are already used elsewhere in the Caribbean, said Mr. Esau.
“It’s modernizing the payment infrastructure in the Cayman Islands and bringing it on par with other major jurisdictions like Canada, the United States and Great Britain,” he said of the automated clearing house. “Why we’re a little bit different animal is we don’t have a central bank. What happens is one of the six participant banks – in this case, Butterfield – will act as the settlement bank. All the electronic transactions will effectively settle through the banks’ respective accounts at Butterfield.”
ACH (Cayman) Limited, a company formed by the partnership of the six retail banks, signed a contract with Prism Services (Cayman) Limited, effective Sept. 15, 2017, for the provision of local automated clearing house services.
The Cayman Islands Bankers Association encourages Cayman residents to speak to their respective banks about how electronic fund transfers will impact their transactions in the future.
The banks are cooperating and collaborating to change the way local customers conduct transactions, said Mr. Esau, but the bottom line is that it should be a net positive for everyone involved.
“We’re effectively competitors but we’re doing this in the interests of the marketplace, the consumer and in our own interests,” said Mr. Esau. “Notwithstanding that this happens, it doesn’t in any way diminish our ability to still be competitive or differentiate. It does not preclude that.”
CIBA has composed a FAQ page on the subject that can be accessed at www.cibankers.org/automated-clearing-house/frequently-asked-questions-faqs.


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International exhibition «SIA-AutoTechService-2015» was held in Kiev from 27 to 30 May 2015. This exhibition is the largest automobile event in Ukraine. There were exhibited modern equipment and products for after-sales vehicles service.
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk – the first President of Ukraine, paid a familiarization visit to «Electron».
«Spheros-Electron» JV started bulk deliveries of air-conditioners for «Cherkas`kyy bus» PJSC (Cherkasy).


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The "Natural Fairness Lotion" ad tells Black women that their product can help "restore her skin to its natural fairness". The surprise however is that brands that were previously more inclusive and celebrated ethnic diversity are now cynically tapping into the same insecurity that boosts skin-bleaching sales in emerging markets.
Nivea, a personal care brand known for its skin- and body-care products, is now facing an onslaught of criticism for a skin-lightening product it launched in Africa, which, allegedly, specifically targets black women.
Witnesses of the advert took to social media to voice their concern, with a journalist stating, '"Dear Nivea, Who told you, one must be light skin to be handsome?" We would like to emphasize that this campaign is in no way meant to demean or glorify any person's needs or preferences in skin care.
They said: "Our intention is never to offend our consumers". We will. Every African everywhere should stop buying any Nivea product. While reminding consumers that their product ranges embrace diversity, the Facebook post showed no real acknowledgement of the racial insensitivity of the ad.
United States and Japanese Officials Arrive in Seoul for Talks on N.Korea
Both sides flexing military muscle at a time of growing tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programme. The United States is not ruling out the eventual possibility of direct talks with North Korea.
She can then be seen applying the lotion all over her body which literally changes her dark skin tone to a much lighter (and unnatural) complexion. We love our skin in it's original creation. The ad came with a tagline: "Re-civilize yourself".
Another day, another beauty brand racial misstep.
Fuse ODG, a British hip-hop artist who comes from Ghanian heritage, also expressed outrage over the Nivea ad, saying, "Kindly take down these billboards you have placed all over our beloved countries in Africa".
The brand has yet to apologize or make a statement regarding the ads. Whichever it is people of colour refuse to be quiet any longer and they can expect continued backlash from reckless insensitive marketing campaigns.


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Apple, which had promised the first customers of the dual-processor 2GHz Power Macs that their machines would ship by the end of August, is now saying it may take until the end of this month for those people to get their machines. The delay is due to the company's attempt to equip colleges and other educational institutions for the back-to-school season.
A number of customers reported receiving an e-mail from Apple over the Labor Day weekend saying that their orders had been pushed back by three to four weeks.
"The demand for the dual-processor PowerMac has been overwhelming and our employees are working around-the-clock to meet demand," according to the e-mail, which was posted on several Mac enthusiasts' sites. "Initial units will be sent to education institutions to meet key back-to-school deadlines. We currently anticipate shipping your new G5 PowerMac in 3-4 weeks," the e-mail said.
In a statement Tuesday, Apple said that it had started shipping some dual-processor machines, but said it would be getting up to volume production speed in the next two weeks. "The dual-processor 2GHz Power Mac G5s have begun shipping and are making their way to customers, with production volumes ramping up during the next two weeks," Apple said. "The 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz models are already in volume production, and we have shipped over 25,000 of them."
Until this weekend, Apple had been telling customers that the dual-processor machines would ship before the end of the month, a pledge it reiterated when it announced in mid-August that its single-chip Power Mac G5 machines had
At that time, Apple noted that it had received 100,000 orders for the Power Mac G5 in the weeks since CEO Steve Jobsthe aluminum-encased machines.
Boosting sales of the Power Mac line isfor Apple, which has seen its shipments of the high-end desktop on the wane for some time, and is taking a toll on overall company profits, according to the company.
Last quarter, Apple sold just 156,000 Power Macs, down from a peak of more than 400,000 a quarter in early 1999, and down from 211,000 units sold a year earlier.


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Despite the presence of larger brands in the fresh juice and smoothie market, Jamba Juice can still excel, according to CEO James White, who recently rang the Nasdaq bell. "We actually think we're playing into a trend that we helped create 22 years ago. Our brand is recognized as one of the healthiest brands in the marketplace, with even all the bigger players included," White said. Jamba Juice grew by 40 locations last year, and it has enjoyed several consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, White noted.
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Update: Metaverse Fashion Week occurred March 24th 2022 to moderate success
The emergence of the metaverse is bringing together two industries that have seldom—if ever—collaborated: tech and fashion.
The internet pretty much went nuts when Facebook announced they’d no longer operate as a social media company, but rather a “meta” company. The announcement was met with a mixture of excitement, concern, and general confusion as to what the metaverse even was.
Why Metaverse Fashion Makes Sense
Cathy Hackl, Chief Metaverse Officer at the Futures Intelligence Group, describes the metaverse as “the evolution of Web 2.0…where people, spaces, and assets can [exist] in a fully virtual synthetic environment.”
Whereas Web 1.0 facilitated the transfer of information from one user to another, and Web 2.0 focused on connecting people and creating the sharing economy—web 3.0 provides a place where these connections can be explored on a more interactive level.
Not only will we be able to interact with content through sight and hearing, but also through touch, perhaps even taste and smell. The metaverse is essentially an extension of our sensory experiences on the internet.
As our digital identities evolve and the use of our senses expand within the metaverse, it only makes sense that fashion—a form of self-expression and autonomy designated to a particular time period and place—would make its way into the metaverse.
Culturally, we’re also moving away from fast fashion and towards sustainability in the industry. Given the rapid pace at which trends develop, fashion brands are continuously pressured to produce new and trendy items, often resulting in waste that’s harmful to the environment.
Combine that lack of sustainability with the global supply chain shortages we’re facing due to a global pandemic, and you’ve got the perfect reason to explore alternative forms of fashion. In this case, digital fashion is the opportunity at play.
Digital fashion eliminates the need for brands to produce physical items at all, saving them money on production costs and allowing them to appeal to a more environmentally-conscious clientele. The metaverse will also make it easier for smaller designers to break into the market because all that’s needed to create and sell digital pieces is access to a computer and the internet.
Fashion Brands in the Metaverse
The best way to understand how fashion will work in the metaverse is to look at the fashion brands already participating in it. So far, the majority of the fashion world’s investments into the metaverse have been through video game skims—a $40 billion a year market.
Balenciaga is one of the first brands to embrace virtual fashion. They recently announced plans of launching a metaverse business unit within the company to explore new opportunities in the space. In Fall of 2021, they released their seasonal collection through a gaming app and partnered with Fortnite to create a series of “skins” for the game’s characters.
Dolce and Gabbana is another fashion brand sinking its teeth into metaverse fashion. In September of last year, they released a nine-piece digital garment tech drop on the USXD marketplace which was available for purchase in Ethereum, one of the better-known cryptocurrencies in the metaverse. The company’s inaugural NFT collection was auctioned off for close to $6 million dollars.
Largest Virtual Land Acquisition Ever is Dedicated to Fashion Industry
If you read our article on How to Become a Digital Real Estate Investor in the Metaverse, then you already know about the 6,090 square foot parcel of digital land sold to Tokens.com on Decentraland back in November. The massive virtual land acquisition totaled $2.4 million in crypto and is considered to be the largest real estate transaction on the platform to date.
Tokens.com revealed that the digital property will be used “by fashion brands to advertise, host fashion shows, and have e-commerce storefronts.” Conveniently located in the Fashion Street District of Decentraland, the land is the perfect place for fashion brands to connect with metaverse users in the near future.
Virtual Fashion Week Set to Take Place in the Metaverse
Just a couple of weeks ago, Decentraland announced that a virtual fashion week is coming to the metaverse in March. It will consist of four days of “catwalk shows and showcases, pop-up shops, after parties, and immersive experiences,” the first of its kind on the platform.
The fashion week will be hosted in collaboration with luxury marketplace UNXD, the company responsible for Dolce & Gabbana’s inaugural NFT collection. Taking place between March 24 and March 27th, the virtual fashion show will allow participants to watch the runways, engage with other attendees, and purchase virtual fashion products for their online avatars.
Vivian Tejada is a freelance real estate writer from Providence, RI. She writes SEO blogs for real estate, travel and hospitality companies. She's passionate about the future of work and helping Latin American freelancers achieve time, location, and financial freedom. When she’s not writing you can find her at the gym, a family cookout, or at brunch with her girls. Follow her on Linkedin to learn more.


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New books on display at the Salem Public Library (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
Book-lovers can snap up cheap copies of donated books and retired library volumes as the Friends of the Salem Public Library book sale returns this weekend.
The sale runs Friday through Sunday, May 13-15 and May 20-22 in Anderson Rooms A and B at the Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty St. S.E. Sale hours are Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 4:30 p.m.
The Friends is a nonprofit organization that supports library programs including the summer reading program and the Lucky Day collections of popular newly released items at both Salem libraries, according to their website. Sale proceeds fund their programs.
Hardcover books cost $1.25, paperbacks 75 cents, children and teen books 50 cents, and audiovisual items run between 50 cents and $1, according to an event flyer. Sundays are “bag days,” where shoppers can fill a bag for $4.
The nonprofit last held a book sale in May 2019, said Jeanne Stewart, the organization’s treasurer. As the sale returns, Stewart said there will be no pre-sale day for members.


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In the next year or so, after only a century or so of trying, the electric car may break free of the lunatic fringe and become a mainstream transportation option for everyday drivers.
The next step forward for electric cars will come on Aug. 2, when Nissan is expected to unveil the first of three electric models in three vehicle segments that the automaker will reportedly sell en masse by 2013 in the United States, Japan and Europe.
In fact, fanatics (aka “early adopters”) have been gutting regular car cars and packing them with a thousand pounds of golf cart batteries for years. But very soon it will be possible for drivers other than those who already have a home-brewed solar array atop their home to have a chance to whir quietly to work using household electric current for propulsion.
This comes after a long history of mostly dashed hopes, unrealized dreams and no shortage of P.T. Barnum-esque wild claims unsupported by reality. But this time, mass-produced electric cars really are preparing to begin trickling into showrooms, a reality cemented by U.S. government loans to the three companies that are gearing up for production.
Ford, Nissan and Tesla have received U.S. government loans that the companies say will help them tool up to manufacture their planned electric models, with the first cars arriving in 2010 from Ford and Nissan. Tesla says production of its sleek $57,400 Model S will commence in late 2011.
Within five years, the market for electric cars could reach between 270,000 and 335,000 units per year in the U.S., predicts Art Spinella, president of CNW Research, a market research firm in Bandon, Ore. That would certainly confirm the arrival of the electric car as a “real” product in a way that has never happened before, though it would still represent only about 2 percent of total sales, Spinella points out.
That means that the cars that are supposed to save the world will still sell in total numbers in the U.S. that are similar to those of the number three-selling pickup truck, the macho Dodge Ram pickup. So while everyone won’t be propelled by electrons anytime soon, for the first time, everyone can at least consider that as an option when the buy their next car.
These cars aren’t likely to be cheap, but Nissan at least is promising to be price-competitive in the premium compact car segment. The company won’t say whether that competitive price will be the one before or after the $7,500 federal tax credit, but it seems likely that the tax break will be needed to help make these cars reasonably competitive with gas-powered alternatives.
No sooner did consumers come to embrace the notion that hybrid-electric cars need not be plugged in than battery electrics will arrive to test drivers’ willingness to rely on plug-in-only cars.
Nissan has demonstrated its electric drive system installed in its trendy Cube compact model, but the production car will be its own model, said Mark Perry, Nissan’s director of product planning. The car will have space for five occupants and will have a driving range of 100 miles on a charge, a distance that is sufficient for the daily driving needs of 98 percent of Americans, according to the company.
Nissan will target an upmarket customer with its electric model, complete with the premium amenities and safety features expected by the kind of customers who might otherwise buy a Mini Cooper rather than say, a Toyota Yaris. Nissan will begin offering this new model in 10 to 15 markets nationwide in 2010, gradually expanding to full availability in 2012, said Perry.
Ford, meanwhile, is gearing up to offer its Transit Connect commercial minivan as an electric model next year. This will also start out in limited numbers, reported Rob Stevens, Ford’s chief engineer for commercial vehicles. The Transit Connect will be available with either of two lithium-ion battery packs, a 21 kilowatt-hour pack or a 28 kWh pack. The first will offer a driving range of about 70 miles and the second will go about 100 miles, he said, and the vehicle will have a top speed of 70 mph.
Ford isn’t ready to talk about the electric Transit Connect’s price, but acknowledges that even after the tax credit it will be higher than that of the gasoline model. Smith Electric Vehicles, the British company providing the electric drivetrain, enjoys the benefit of selling these vehicles to customers who are able to escape London’s congestion fee.
The electric Transit Connect will only sell through select Ford dealers, but in 2011 the company will follow that with a higher-volume electric version of either its Focus or Fiesta small car, which will be sold through all of its dealers to regular customers.
With the recent grants of federal money, both Ford and Nissan are solidly positioned to begin manufacturing regular production versions of the cars that already exist in drivable prototype form.
Tesla, the Silicon Valley startup that suffers no shortage of bold claims but that missed by nearly two years its announced production target for its first electric model, the Tesla Roadster, also says that it will have a more affordable four-door sedan ready for production by late 2011.
Now that the company says it has delivered more than 500 of its tiny $109,000 Roadster models to customers, perhaps it can make this forecast with greater reliability. The new car, called the Model S, is slated to cost $57,400 when equipped with a battery pack with a range of 160 miles. Larger batteries with 230- and 300-mile driving ranges will also be available, according to Tesla.
With the Tesla’s anticipated long driving range, cultivation of a network of fast charging stations along highways could even make electric cars practical for trips someday, rather than just the around-town commuting that is expected to be the primary duty of such cars.
To support urban use, office parking garages and shopping centers are a prime targets for charging stations, according to Perry. Regular wall-type 110-volt outlets will take considerable time to fully recharge these cars’ battery packs and would probably mostly be used to keep the batteries topped up.
Better charging stations
Nissan says its car takes 14 hours to charge the lithium ion batteries completely on standard 110-volt power, but that a 220-volt charger that will do the job in about 4 hours. The expectation is that customers will have a 220-volt charger installed in their home for quick everyday charges — which might even be coordinated with their utility to get a better rate by charging in the middle of the night — and use the 110-volt capability when they are parked elsewhere, said Perry.
Car makers are working with power utilities and others to define the standard for a planned 440-volt charger, which would recharge Nissan’s electric car to 80 percent of capacity — good for 80 miles of driving — in 26 minutes and the Tesla Model S’s in 45 minutes.
This would make it practical for gas stations to have charging stations that drivers could use if they needed to drive somewhere beyond the range of a full charge. Although 26 minutes is still a good while to wait, it turns out that the average customer’s visit to a fast food restaurant lasts 20 minutes, so it could be that McDonalds will emerge as a player in the emerging industry of recharging electric cars.
The expected increase in electric car manufacturers draws concern in some quarters, where there is concern about toxic battery components and about the fact that most electricity produced in the U.S. today comes from coal-fired power plants.
Nissan’s Perry points out that materials used in the batteries are valuable and will be recovered for reuse when the car is retired. Addressing concerns that battery electric cars only move the source of pollution from the tailpipe to the smokestack, Perry explained that even with today’s coal-heavy mix of electric power generation, electric cars produce only 40 percent the amount of CO2 as gas-powered cars, and this percentage can improve over time as utilities shift away from coal.
And they’ll be even cleaner if some of those early adopters can charge them from their homes’ roof-top solar arrays.


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Please take a moment to review our new 5×5.wirelesswatch.jp website. Indeed, The ®evolution Continues. Yoroshiku!
As all Wireless Watchers will know, the youth market in the Asia-Pacific region is becoming a significant driver for growth in the region’s mobile-phone market, according to a report by In-Stat. Around 10-15 percent of all youth disposable income is spent on mobile products in developed countries, displacing spending on traditional youth products like clothing, toys, comic books, etc., while messaging accounted for 40.3 percent of Asian mobile youth data expenditures in 2004.Â
In the Asia-Pacific region, spending by youth on mobile data services reached USD 15.2 billion in 2004, and the forecast growth rate for revenues is estimated at 15.3 percent annually from 2004 to 2010.
Ringtones, screensavers and wallpaper accounted for another 29.7 percent of the youth market followed by games at 9.7 percent and video, still nascent, at 6.5 percent.
“Messaging services will continue to remain most popular in the youth market in the near term,” says Rudy Teng, In-Stat analyst. “Revenue generated from SMS swelled 30.1 percent in 2004 and is likely to continue growing over the next two years.” Key applications for Asia-Pacific mobile youth include messaging, ringtones, wallpapers, logos, games, music and videos. Continue >>
Some sage advise when entering new turf; Stop, Look and Listen.. it’s also good to secure a local guide. Japan is the cradle of mobile civilization – we have been dedicated to this space since 2001 – trust our archives here offer some useful material.
Domestic activities continue to set the pace, and sharp players are looking at global markets. We have hard-earned industry expertise and trusted network of contacts with access to advanced intell. and potential deal flow. Need a lift.. Ok, buckle-up!


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Flick gives electricity consumers the ability to choose the price they want to pay for the electricity they want to use. It provides access to the wholesale cost of generation and local distribution.
Price signals are sent to Flick customers on a live half-hour basis, using Flick’s proprietary customer tools. When renewable generation is abundant, spot market prices tend to be lower and when dirty fossil fuels are running, spot prices tend to be higher. This gives consumers an incentive to consume electricity when it is cleanest.
In February 2016 Flick launched CHOICE, a world-first app that shows Kiwis the real carbon impact of electricity. For the first time, New Zealanders can make a choice about when they use electricity to reduce their environmental impact. The app sends users alerts when greenhouse gas emissions are especially high or low.
Flick is making its mark in an industry dominated by well-resourced incumbents. Its 13,000 customers are saving 20% on their electricity bills and checking the app around 15,000 times a month. Flick is also having an impact beyond its own customer base, since 20% of app users are non-customers.
Flick Electric Co received a Commendation in the Renewables Innovation category of the 2016 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards


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Caracas, Dec 6 : Venezuela and South Korean multinational Samsung have agreed to form a joint venture to manufacture telecommunications components, Science and Technology Minister Ricardo Menendez said.
The Venezuelan government, which will have 51 percent of the company, considers the deal a "strategic alliance" to boost Venezuelan exports of electronic parts to its partners in the Mercosur trade bloc, the minister said.
Menendez also said President Hugo Chavez has authorized lower tariffs for imported components needed to assemble the products.
"This is important because the finished products had a tariff rate lower than that of the parts (required for) assembly. By reversing this relationship, you promote the domestic assembly of telecommunications products," the minister said.
Menendez announced in August that Samsung and companies such as French automaker Renault and Japan's Yamaha were considering investing in Venezuela and that General Motors was planning to increase production in the South American country.
Late last month, Renault and the Venezuelan government signed a "letter of intent" for the installation of a plant to assemble several of the automaker's models.


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OREGON: The OLCC has released the audio from the July 29, 2020 Licensee and Industry RAC. The topic of the advisory meeting was draft rules concerning additives and added substances in the states legal marijuana products. Listen to the audio … Read the articleThis post appeared first on mjnewsnetwork.com.
Archive for month: July, 2020
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, today applauded the passage of the Blumenauer, McClintock, Holmes Norton, Lee amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Department funding bill. The measure, which would prevent the … Read the articleThis post appeared first on mjnewsnetwork.com.
Recently, 420MEDIA CEO Kerri Accardi sat down with Tracy Lamourie for MJ News to discuss the exciting launch of her groundbreaking new venture A New Cannabis Channel. Here’s a peek into that conversation: TRACY LAMOURIE: You have been doing some … Read the articleThis post appeared first on mjnewsnetwork.com.
Because of their ability to create heated and pressurized environments with pinpoint accuracy, vacuum ovens have long been a staple in the medical, tech and aerospace industries to remove toxic chemicals from medicines, cure circuit boards and simulate the vacuum … Read the article
Novamind Ventures Inc. (“Novamind“), a mental health and wellness company specialized in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, is pleased to announce that it has closed the acquisitions of Cedar Psychiatry LLC (“Cedar Psychiatry“), a specialized provider of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy … Read the articleThis post appeared first on Cannabis Financial network.
Numinus Wellness Inc. (“Numinus” or the “Company“) (TSXV: NUMI), a company creating an ecosystem of health solutions centered around developing and supporting the safe, evidence-based, accessible use of psychedelic-assisted therapies, is pleased to announce its … Read the articleThis post appeared first on Cannabis Financial network.
Cannabis beverages are a growing trend, and it’s easy to understand why. From CBD-infused coffee to THC microdose sodas, there are seemingly endless flavors and styles that can be used to make stoney signature drinks in place of traditional cocktails. … Read the articleThis post appeared first on Marijuana.com.
White House faith advisor bashes Biden’s marijuana record; CA AG: court should block DEA cannabiz subpoena; Legalization an issue in House primaryMarijuana Moment.


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Fintech startup Revolut likes to announce new issues on a regular basis. Regardless that nothing goes reside at the moment, it’s attention-grabbing to see the place the startup is heading. The corporate is engaged on a buying and selling platform for conventional shares with none fee.
Whereas American clients have been utilizing Robinhood for years, the remainder of the world has been lagging behind with regards to inventory buying and selling.
You continue to should open an account on a painfully gradual web site and pay a number of euros for each transaction. Some corporations even ask you to ship a letter to create an account. And if you wish to purchase inventory by means of your present checking account, it often prices much more.
Revolut guarantees that you just gained’t pay any fee once you purchase or promote shares. The corporate plans to generate income on margin buying and selling, securities lending and curiosity on money. Sadly, Revolut didn’t say when the function would launch.
Premium subscribers will be capable to check the function first. Ultimately, you’ll additionally get extra perks if you happen to’re a premium subscriber. Buying and selling might be accessible to all Revolut customers in Europe and future markets. The corporate plans to launch within the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand within the coming months.
Revolut’s premium subscription is turning into a form of Amazon Prime for monetary merchandise. You pay £6.99/€7.99 per 30 days and also you get limitless international trade transactions, journey insurance coverage, entry to new options and extra.
It’s clear that Revolut plans on making predictable income on this premium subscription. And possibly the buying and selling platform will make extra individuals subscribe to Revolut Premium.
Moreover, Revolut now formally has 2 million customers. It’s humorous to see that Revolut is saying this new milestone simply days after N26 introduced 1,000,000 customers. Curiously, Revolut has 900,000 customers within the U.Okay., the place N26 has but to launch.


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GAC Group announced the opening of its Research and Development Centre Europe in Milan, Italy.
The automaker said in a statement: “As part of GAC’s ongoing mission to go global, the launch of [the European centre] marks another milestone in the company’s expansion strategy.
“The hub pools together the world’s top industry resources including leading suppliers and R&D institutions, forming an ecosystem of global excellence to strengthen overall innovative and design capability.”
GAC has a strategy called “Design First, Other Fields to Follow” and the European facility “will prioritise prospective research in the design of concept cars and pre production models and explore the field of emerging technologies at a later stage”.
Centre VP Zhang Fan said: “Design is one of [our] most important values and, in today’s market, a key decision factor for customers. We have chosen Milan as our first European design hub for its strong cultural and creative identity, which combines ideas in motion, innovation, and heritage of style and design.”
Stephane Janin, director of GAC Advanced Design Europe, will oversee operations at the new facility.
GAC said Janin was known as “the master of concept cars” in the design industry and was a former head of Renault’s concept car department.
He will head a team of “Made in Europe” talent, joined by members of the GAC Design studios in China and the US.
GAC Motor said it could now “leverage Europe’s sophisticated culture and talent, as well as the region’s extensive experience in production, R&D network and progressive design outlook to maximize our vehicles’ appeal and perceived value”.
The carmaker exported 23,544 units between January and September 2022, up 84% year on year.
Since entering international markets, it has established distribution networks in 28 countries and regions.
“In view of the automobile industry’s promising export potential, the inauguration of GAC R&D Centre Europe will offer a rare opportunity to gain deeper access to customers abroad with the variety of resources now available to the brand,” the automaker said.


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Taco Bell Must Pay Workers $500,000 for Unpaid Lunch Breaks
The class action lawsuit involved nearly 134,000 employees
A court case against Taco Bell that dragged on for almost a decade is finally over: A California jury has determined that Taco Bell workers in California are owed nearly $500,000 after finding the chain had underpaid the employees for their meal breaks, reports Nation’s Restaurant News.
The class action lawsuit, which began way back in in 2007 and was led by employees Lisa Hardiman and Sandrika Medlock, was consolidated with other similar cases in 2009. The February 22 decision handed down by a U.S. district court in Eastern California determined Taco Bell…


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In 2002 Bangladesh banned the use of plastic bags after it became clear that they plug up the sewers. In Ireland people had to pay for them. Use dropped by 90 percent within a year. The Tanzanian government, Rwanda, Taiwan and Singapore have made it illegal to give plastic bags away for free. South African is demanding manufacturers make them more durable so that they can be reused. Denmark and Italy have imposed a stiff tax on them. Britain has launched a public information campaign urging the public to use them less frequently. In Israel? Millions of these bags are distributed new everyday and for free!
Plastic bags were first introduced as shopping bags 50 years ago in the United States. Since 1957 they have been considered as an effective and cheap item. In 2007, the damage they environmental damage from plastic bags convinced many countries to invest huge amounts of money to reduce the public’s use of them.
It will take 400 to 1,000 years for each bag to breakdown and on the way it will succeed in shortening the life of some 100,000 whales, birds, sea seals and water turtles every year. But even before it’s tossed out, the very production contributes to air pollution, needless use of energy and the release of gasses which contribute to global warming. And we haven’t even mentioned yet that the bag, like all plastic materials is a byproduct of oil.
It is estimated that Israeli consumers use seven million new plastic bags a day, some two billion a year. There is a small amount of hope pinned to legislation currently on the Knesset agenda for the autumn session which calls for a tax on every bag. The authors of the bill hope that Israelis will go over to polypropylene bags which are reusable, more durable and friendly to the planet. In the meantime, the environment is paying the price for the plastic bags the consumer gets for free.
So, what to do?
- Take a cloth shopping bag to the supermarket or a large basket. Don’t use the plastic bags available at the check out. Keep the bag or basket in the car or next to the door so that you won’t forget it.
- If you must use the nylon bags from the supermarket, pack your groceries wisely and use as few as possible.
- Don’t throw the plastic bags away. Use them as trash bags thus saving money on commercial garbage bags.
- Instead of using the one-time throw away nylon bags, buy the reusable re-sealable sandwich bags.
- Children's snacks should be packed in reusable plastic boxes. Schools are now encouraging this eradicating the teasing an environment friendly child may get from classmates.
- When shopping ask sales people not to put your purchases in a bag but carry it out in the purse or satchel you have brought from home.
- If the more upscale clothing and houseware shops seduce you into taking one of their designer plastic bags which are usually better quality, be sure to reuse it as much as possible.


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The land-sea freight train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor heading for Indonesia waits to depart in southwest China's Chongqing, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)
BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in west China has seen its connections reach 264 ports in 96 countries and regions by the first quarter of this year, according to the logistics and operation coordination center of the corridor.
The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provincial regions and Singapore.
With Chongqing as the operation center and Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and other western provinces as key joints, the corridor can reach all parts of the world through the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the south by railway, sea, road and other means of transport, greatly shortening the time to go to sea.
Over 500 categories of goods are transported through the corridor, and eight lines for cross-border highway shuttle buses are operating regularly, covering the entire China-Indochina Peninsula, introduced Liu Wei, head of the logistics and operation coordination center of the corridor.
Statistics showed that from January to March this year, the rail-sea combined freight trains starting from Chongqing made 393 trips, up 133 percent year on year, with 19,588 TEUs or 2.43 billion yuan of goods transported, up 130 percent or 117 percent year on year.
Besides, trips made by cross-border highway buses shuttling between Chongqing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) registered 743 trips, up 84 percent year on year, with 1,672 TEUs or 417 million yuan of goods transported, up 84 percent or 149 percent year on year.
The international railway combined freight trains running between Chongqing and Vietnam transported 410 TEUs of goods, up 55 percent year on year.
(Edited by Gu Shanshan with Xinhua Silk Road, firstname.lastname@example.org)


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Reliance Jio on Wednesday introduced that it has determined to start out charging six paise a minute to subscribers making calls to different cell networks. The Mumbai-based operator claimed that the brand new voice cost can be on the prevailing Interconnect Utilization Cost (IUC) charge that has been mounted by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for telcos enabling inter-networking outgoing calls, that are also called off-net voice calls. The brand new change is particularly designed for voice calls being made to different operators, whereas all Jio-to-Jio calls, incoming calls, and Jio-to-landline calls will stay to be accessible at no extra cost.
Reliance Jio voice name prices
To cost off-net voice calls, Reliance Jio introduced 4 IUC top-up vouchers — valued between Rs. 10 and Rs. 100. The operator stated that it’ll present extra knowledge entitlement of equal worth primarily based on the IUC top-up voucher consumption to make sure no enhance in tariff for patrons. Moreover, postpaid Jio prospects may even be billed at six paise per minute for off-net outgoing calls with a rise in free knowledge entitlement to the extent offered within the vouchers.
|IUC High-Up Voucher Quantity (Rs.)||IUC Minutes (non-Jio networks)||Free Information Entitlement (GB)|
In a press release issued to the media, Reliance Jio stated it had been compelled to impose the outgoing name cost because of the IUC that operators must pay for enabling off-net voice calls on their networks. The operator additionally claimed that because of bearing IUC from its personal sources, it had paid practically Rs. 13,500 crores to different operators within the final three years, whereas after the regulator in 2017 amended the IUC cost, different telcos continued to cost “exorbitant tariffs” and elevated the tariffs for voice calls to round Rs. 1.50 per minute.
Reliance Jio assured that the six paise per minute cost on outgoing off-net calls ought to proceed solely until the time TRAI abolishes IUC utterly. Notably, the regulator, as per its final modification in 2017, is about to implement a zero termination cost regime on January 1, 2020. If no modifications to this coverage are made, submit this date, there shall be no voice name prices levied by Reliance Jio.
“We’re hopeful that the IUC cost shall be executed away with as per the present regulation and that this non permanent cost will come to an finish by 31st December 2019 and customers won’t should pay this cost thereafter,” Reliance Jio stated within the assertion.
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A Washington, D.C. man got a abruptness amalgamation at his aperture afterwards acclimation what he anticipation was a television from Amazon.
Instead, Seth Horvitz opened the ample box Tuesday black to acquisition a “military-grade advance rifle,” according to Wired.
“When I saw some metal genitalia central the box, I thought, ‘Maybe this is a TV angle or arise or something,” he told the magazine. “When I accomplished it was an advance rifle, it was authentic shock and disbelief.”
Horvitz had ordered a Westinghouse 39-inch LCD television from the ecommerce banker for about $320. But afterwards advertent the weapon, he contacted bounded police, who again confiscated the box. Officers told Horvitz the Sig Sauer 716 convoying burglarize was actionable in D.C., Wired reported.
An balance for $1,590 begin central the box appear that it was addressed to Independence Gun Shop, a Pennsylvania-based business, from online banker Gunbuyer.com.
After contacting Amazon, the company’s chump account administration gave Horvitz “the accepted band of sending a altercation affirmation for sending the amiss product,” he said.
Horvitz additionally contacted the third-party Amazon seller, who denied any ability of the weapon.
UPS, which delivered the package, acceptable acquired the mixup, Horvitz said. The box had two altered abode labels on it — one with his able address, and one with another.
“UPS puts the name characterization on and again they put a additional baby sticker — a bombastic sticker with the tracking advice on it,” Horvitz said. “There were two altered baby stickers as well. There was a baby sticker that akin the characterization beneath mine, and a baby sticker that akin mine.”
Amazon and Horvitz did not anon acknowledge to requests for comment.
Have you anytime accustomed the amiss amalgamation afterwards acclimation article online? Tell us in the comments.
UPDATE: Seth Horvitz told Mashable that there was a “labeling mixup” aural the UPS system.
“The third allotment agent on Amazon has refunded my money and has filed a affirmation with UPS [to] retrieve his money. The aboriginal amalgamation absolute the TV is still absent as far as I know,” he said.
Image address of Seth Horvitz
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Wall Street's short-lived enthusiasm over a $586 billion Chinese stimulus package has given way, once again, to anxiety about the U.S. economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average has ended the day down about 73 points, or 0.82 percent, at the 8870 level. That is above its lows of the day, but well below the levels it reached in early trading. Broader market indexes fell more than 1 percent.
Market participants realized that while China's stimulus plan is a positive sign that governments around the world are working to fix the global economy, the stimulus itself will likely have only a limited effect in the United States.
Meanwhile, American International Group Inc. got additional bailout money from the government Monday, but that raised worries about the health of the broader financial sector.


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PARTNER NEWS: Mahindra Comviva has picked up prizes at India’s annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards, winning in both the mcommerce and the m-money categories with its Mobiquity Money solutions. “We are honored to receive the most prestigious award of the telecom sector as it demonstrates our market leadership in the mobile financial space,” says Srinivas Nidugondi, the company’s head of mobile financial solutions.
- 600m mobile devices to include biometrics by 2021
- ANZ could offer mortgages through Apple Pay
- Mastercard and Verifone unveil Instalments payments app
- Austrian bank deploys NFC-ready ATMs
- Apple Pay launches in Spain


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Best November ever marks new milestone in company history
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Dec. 1 /CNW/ - Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is thrilled to announce a brand new unprecedented sales record. Another month of outstanding sales in November led to the company toppling its goal of reaching 20,000 units, besting its previous record of 19,892 units set last December. These phenomenal results will surely have a strong impact when annual sales are reported in December. With monthly sales up 50.4 percent over last November, this month also marked Subaru Canada's eighth month of record-breaking results for 2009.
Continuing to perform strongly during the month were the all-new 2010 model year Legacy and Outback. Legacy sedan sales were up by 455.8 percent over last November while Outback sales increased by 276.3 percent over the same month last year. It was also a record-breaking November for Forester and Impreza as monthly sales were up 51.9 and 8.0 percent respectively.
"We are delighted to see such a positive consumer reaction to our entire lineup of Subaru symmetrical full-time All-Wheel Drive vehicles," said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president and CEO of SCI. "We continue to be the fastest-growing Japanese automaker in 2009 and that's a testament to the strength of our dealer network as well as the industry-leading safety, performance and Japanese reliability of our vehicles."
Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 86 authorized dealers across Canada.
SOURCE Subaru Canada Inc.
For further information: For further information: Elaine Griffin, (905) 568-4959


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First-quarter earnings: Harsco up, CenturyLink and Weis down
Three companies with extensive operations in Central Pennsylvania report mixed first-quarter results.
Wormleysburg-based Harsco reported first-quarter earnings today that saw the company improve its year-over-year performance.
Excluding special items, adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the first quarter 2014 were 16 cents compared with 9 cents in the first quarter of 2013. The quarter included results from the company’s infrastructure segment that was divested during the fourth quarter of 2013, Harsco said in a news release. Adjusted operating income, excluding special items, was $34 million.
Weis Markets Inc.
Weis Markets Inc. reported a first-quarter decline, in part due to the Easter holiday timing. During the 13-week period ending March 29, the company's sales increased 0.6 percent to $687.1 million, while its comparable-store sales were down 1.3 percent compared with the same period a year ago.
During the same period, Weis generated earnings per share of 55 cents compared to 75 cents per share in 2013. The company's first-quarter net income totaled $14.8 million compared to $20.1 million in 2013, down 26.6 percent.
The Easter holiday fell in the first quarter of 2013 and the second quarter of 2014, the Sunbury-based supermarket company noted in a news release.
Weis trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol WMK and has numerous midstate locations.
CenturyLink Inc., based in Monroe, La., reported an up-and-down first quarter.
The third-largest telecommunications company in the U.S. reported core revenues of $4.1 billion in first quarter 2014, roughly the same as the first quarter 2013. But that's compared with a 2 percent year-over-year decline in first quarter 2013.
Meanwhile, strategic revenues grew 5.4 percent from the first quarter a year ago.
CenturyLink offers Internet and phone services and has an office in Carlisle.
Operating revenues for first quarter 2014 increased to $4.54 billion from $4.51 billion in first quarter 2013. Operating cash flow, excluding special items, decreased to $1.79 billion from $1.93 billion in first quarter 2013.
CenturyLink blamed the cash flow decrease on lower "legacy revenues" and increased expenses. Operating expenses, excluding special items, increased to $3.86 billion from $3.7 billion in first quarter 2013.
CenturyLink's Adjusted Net Income for first quarter 2014 was $381 million compared to $475 million in first quarter 2013. First quarter 2014 adjusted diluted earnings per share was 66 cents compared to 76 cents in the year-ago period.
The company sells its shares on the NYSE under the ticker symbol CTL.


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Fans line up for Baylor gear after Bears win NCAA National Championship
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Fans lined up outside Waco stores to get their hands on some brand new national championship gear after Baylor defeated Gonzaga to win the NCAA National Championship.
Academy Sports and Outdoors had boxes of championship shirts and hats delivered on Monday morning.
Everything was kept in the back of the store until after the game.
Store director James Donalson said it was exciting to see all the preparations at the store.
“We expect the community to come out and support us, we’ll be ready for them.”
Academy wasn’t the only store in town getting ready for a Baylor win.
W Promo, a screen printing and embroidery business, ordered thousands of blank shirts to sell.
Trent Weaver, president of W Promo, said they had been working on several designs for shirts and hats, and the plan to was to start working on them as soon as the game ended.
“We’re excited, and I’ve been doing this for 22 years, they don’t come around very often,” Weaver said.
“What a great opportunity tonight.”
Weaver said the store planned to keep printing shirts and selling them throughout the week and would order more as needed.
Donalson said Academy also expected to get in more championship swag.
Copyright 2021 KWTX. All rights reserved.


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Thu, Dec 31, 2020 – 12:58 PM
THE UK-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA) will take effect at 7am Singapore time on Jan 1, the Ministry of Trade and Industry announced on Thursday.
This comes three weeks after representatives from both countries signed the agreement – the first free trade deal between the UK and an Asean member state.
The FTA will take effect via provisional application until it is ratified by both countries and enters into force.
Under the new free trade pact, British and Singapore companies will enjoy the same benefits that they have been receiving under the European Union-Singapore FTA, including tariff elimination for goods trade and increased access to their respective services and government procurement markets.
The EU-Singapore FTA will cease to apply to UK-Singapore trades when the new agreement takes effect on Jan 1.


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SEOUL—A Dutch court gave Samsung Electronics Co. its first victory in a global patent dispute with Apple Inc., a decision that analysts said was largely symbolic but may help bring the companies closer to a settlement of their sprawling legal tussle.
A court in The Hague on Wednesday ordered Apple to pay damages for infringing a technical communications patent in some of its mobile devices, including the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and iPad 1 and 2.
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Audi’s tiny TT sport coupe might be getting a serious performance boost soon, but not in horsepower.
Instead, brand development boss Wolfgang Durheimer says the company is building a lightweight version of the car with targeted to be just a hair over 2,200 lbs. Achieving that would give it a lighter curb weight than cars like the Mazda MX-5 and would represent an almost 1,000-lb weight loss overall.
Despite that, the car is said to come equipped with a roll cage and a five-cylinder engine. Of course, official plans to build the car have yet to be signed off. If that happens, the car could offer around 360 hp split between its four wheels if it has the same TFSI five cylinder as the TT RS Plus pictured above.
SEE ALSO: Audi TT RS Plus Unveiled with 360-HP
If that happens, the car will be built of Volkswagen’s widely-implemented new MQB architecture which underpins the VW Golf, Audi A3 and many others.


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Lightspeed appoints Kady Srinivasan chief marketing officer
Montreal-based commerce tech firm Lightspeed announced on Wednesday the appointment of Kady Srinivasan, former Klaviyo and Dropbox executive, as its chief marketing officer.
In this role, Srinivasan will lead Lightspeed's overall marketing strategy and build on the company's position in the market to help drive strategic growth and innovation. She will report to JP Chauvet, CEO of Lightspeed.
"We're thrilled to bring Kady onto the Lightspeed team as our new CMO with her vast experience scaling up SaaS companies, expanding businesses, and launching innovative cloud-based software solutions," said Chauvet.
”Her unique skill set will be pivotal for Lightspeed as we zero in on our target market of complex SMBs, raise brand awareness, and continue to roll out our flagship retail and hospitality products globally.”
Srinivasan joins the company with more than 15 years of experience in marketing from retail, gaming, consumer products, and technology companies. Most recently, she was at Klaviyo, a SaaS marketing automation technology provider, serving as SVP, global head of marketing. Prior to this, Srinivasan was the chief marketing officer at Owlet Baby Care, leading the global marketing and sales efforts.
Before joining Owlet Baby Care, Kady was Dropbox's global head of marketing and integrated GTM, where she led marketing for SMBs and consumers. Likewise, Srinivasan served as senior director of growth and integrated marketing for Electronic Arts' mobile division. She is currently a venture advisor at Relay Ventures and a mentor for Girls Who Code.
"It is an exciting time to be joining Lightspeed," said Srinivasan. "Now more than ever, the company's technology plays such an important role in helping complex businesses thrive. I look forward to bringing my tech industry marketing experience to advancing Lightspeed's position as one of the world's most innovative and fast-growing commerce companies. I can't wait to get started.”
Earlier this year, the company also appointed Ryan Tabone as its chief product and technology officer. Most recently, it promoted JD St-Martin to the role of president.
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AgFunder News reports that Food-X, an international food business accelerator backed by venture-capital firm SOSV, revealed its fifth round of food innovators. Each of the eight startups will receive $50,000, expert counseling, and opportunities to collaborate.
The winners come from around the globe and are undertaking a variety of projects, from reducing food waste to fostering relationships between food-loving strangers. Several of the winners have the potential to disrupt how the food industry disposes of food waste. For example, RISE converts spent beer brewing grains into flour.
Notably, Food-X saw a record number of applications this round: more than 500. This suggests that more and more entrepreneurs are turning to the food and beverage industry to launch their businesses.
While SOSV touts Food-X as being the first accelerator of its kind, similar opportunities for food innovators have been sprouting up in recent years. Food+Tech Connect published lists of food accelerators and corporate incubators for food innovators that appeared in 2013 and 2014.
Also notably, most of the recipients of Food-X prizes pair their food businesses with food policy. This season’s cohort includes four companies addressing nutrition and health and three companies addressing food waste and food recovery. Similarly, past winners have done the same.
Undoubtedly, funding your startup can be the single most challenging step in starting your food business. Thankfully, the success of the food and beverage industry has inspired venture capitalists to invest in food entrepreneurs, offering not only cash, but expertise, counseling, and networking, as well, especially to those interested in confronting some of society’s greatest challenges.


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- The U.S. economy has entered the third stage of the coronavirus pandemic called the "healing phase," according to economist Michelle Meyer.
- The first and second phases occurred when businesses shut down and then started to reopen.
The economy faces a bumpy ride as it tries to heal from the shock of the coronavirus recession, according to Michelle Meyer, head of U.S. economics at Bank of America.
In a CNBC interview, Meyer said the U.S. economy has entered the third stage of the coronavirus pandemic called the "healing phase," after the lockdown and transition phases when businesses shut down and then started to reopen.
"This is the part of the cycle where things are going to be a little bit harder, it's going to be a bumpy ride ahead," Meyer said.
She spoke before the Commerce Department reported on Thursday that the U.S. economy saw a historic quarterly plunge in activity, a 32.9% swoon in gross domestic product from April through June.
The U.S. officially entered a recession in February as unemployment surged and production halted due to lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus. As businesses started to reopen in May and June, key metrics such as job growth and retail sales have bounced back.
Meyer said the June jobs report, which showed a record increase of 4.8 million nonfarm payrolls, will be the "high-water mark" in terms of monthly payroll growth. Some economists expect job growth will slow as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise and business uncertainty remains high.
"We do anticipate we will see further job creation in the months ahead, it just won't be quite as strong as we had seen in June," she said.
U.S. economic growth going forward will depend on factors such as whether the virus is contained and the degree of fiscal and monetary stimulus, Meyer said. Congress and the Fed have already injected trillions of dollars into the economy to try to blunt the impact of the pandemic, and more stimulus is likely on the way from Washington.
"I do think it's fair to make the case that monetary and fiscal policy has helped to drive higher the stock market just like monetary and fiscal policy is being used to support the real economy," she added.
For now, Meyer said disinflation is a bigger concern than inflation due to weak demand from businesses and consumers.
"I think if we actually get inflation on the upside that would be a good problem because it would show that we're seeing a drop in the unemployment rate and wages are picking up and people have more purchasing power," she said.


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U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke Announces $1.7 Million Recovery Act Grant to Create Jobs, Boost Development in Augusta, Georgia
August 25, 2009
Contact: Bryan Borlik, (202) 482-4085
WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $1.7 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia, Inc., Augusta, Ga., to help convert an existing retail space for use as the Goodwill Career Campus. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.
"The Obama Administration is committed to creating jobs, encouraging innovation and improving our nation's economic competitiveness," Locke said. "This grant will help provide workers with the hands-on job training needed to better compete for jobs in the retail and restaurant sectors."
The ARRA was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It is providing immediate relief for American families and jump-starting billions of dollars in new projects that are creating jobs, improving infrastructure and strengthening local economies.
The Department of Commerce is a voice for Main Street businesses. It focuses on creating jobs by fostering innovation and opening markets to U.S. products. Locke is a key member of President Barack Obama's economic team.
EDA is an agency within the U.S. Commerce Department and supports the economic development needs of distressed communities throughout the United States. Its mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy.
Additional information on how EDA investments are helping distressed communities create a positive and sustainable economic future can be accessed at: http://www.eda.gov.