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Will’s Shop ‘n Save transfers ownership to Edwards Brothers Family Supermarkets
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Will’s Shop ‘n Save of Dover-Foxcroft has announced a purchase and sale agreement with Edwards Brothers Supermarkets. Will Wedge states he and his wife Melissa are very pleased to be transferring the store back to the Edwards family. In 2011 Dana Edwards, father of new owners Jeremy and Jason Edwards, sold the Wedges the Dover-Foxcroft supermarket. Dana has since retired and his sons have created their own supermarket chain to include stores in Unity and Trenton.
Will shared his relationship with the Edwards family goes back to 1988 when Dana, a store manager for Hannaford at the time, hired him as a store manager trainee. Twenty-three years later, Dana offered Will and Melissa the opportunity to purchase a business in Dover-Foxcroft. Now 34 years later Will is offering Dana’s sons an opportunity. Will is confident the Edwards Brothers Supermarket brand will be a big plus to this market based upon their commitment to customer service, community involvement, shared services, and synergies shared among the three locations.
Will expressed the greatest joys he received over the past 11 years have been working with a high performing team of professional associates, amazing customers, and a great community spirit. His hardest moments were the passing of older customers with whom he grew very close; however, with each passing a young mom and dad would walk into the store and say, “Hey Will, meet your newest customer.”
“It was also great fun to watch young people grow into young adults and eventually work at the store,” he said.
Owning their own supermarket had been a dream of the Wedges for a long time. They’re grateful to have had the opportunity to not only do that, but also to create a special place in this marketplace that became a community hub where people could go and get food along with interacting with their friends and neighbors. Their strategy was simple: best in class customer service, well-stocked shelves, high quality foods, low prices, and cleanliness. Now they are excited to retire and have the ability to spend time with their kids and five grandchildren.
Jeremy Edwards, president of Edwards Brothers Supermarkets, stated the Edwards brothers are very grateful to Will and Melissa for the opportunity to expand their business to Dover-Foxcroft. Jeremy expressed a high level of excitement at the opportunity to once again be a part of the Dover-Foxcroft community.
“My brother Jason and I feel that those who have the ability to help, also have an inherited obligation to do so, for this reason we try our best to support local charities as well as non-profits in the communities in which we do business,” he said.
Edwards said he recalls the first time he met Will in the late 1980s at the Hannaford Supermarket in Plymouth, New Hampshire. “I was only six years old and I would poke holes in the freshly wrapped melons for fun causing poor Will to have to rewrap them; now I’m almost 40 years old and purchasing Will’s store.”
Edwards stated that Edwards Brothers Supermarkets and Will’s have the same suppliers so customers can expect to find the same quality products with Hannaford pricing or better. Jeremy stated, “Will has done a fantastic job building a high caliber team of associates who are experts in customer service. Jason and I look forward to working with and learning from the Dover team. It is our sincere hope that all of Will’s associates will stay on with us, so our customers will retain the highest level of customer service that they are accustomed to.”
Edwards stated that the Edwards brother’s goal for the Dover-Foxcroft store is simply to build upon the foundation laid by previous owners. “This store has always been a staple in the community, since Judkins built it in the early 60’s and a strong line of independent grocers have built it up brick by brick: Graves Supermarkets, Edwards Family Shop ‘n Save, and Will’s Shop ‘n Save. Edwards Brothers Supermarkets will be no different because we understand that the secret is being “big enough to serve you, but small enough to know you. At Edwards Brothers Supermarkets, we invite everyone to come ‘Shop ‘n Save with us!’”
The transfer of ownership will be in late May.


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Midlands-based carmaker Jaguar Land Rover posted a 9% year-on-year rise in its pre-tax profits to £287 million for the quarter ended September 30.
The manufacturer generated revenue of £2.9 billion during the period, as strong demand in China helped boost sales.
Strong demand for Range Rovers and a Jaguar XJ model powered by a three litre engine led to an 87% rise in retail sales in China.
There was a 6% rise in sales in Russia, while in the UK the figure was 1% higher.
Jaguar Land Rover's pre-tax profits stood at £1.1 billion in the 12 months ended March 31, compared with £14.6 million in the previous year.
The carmaker, owned by Indian firm Tata Motors, posted a 51% year-on-year rise in its revenues to £9.9 billion.
The latest figures indicated a recovery made by the firm, which had incurred losses two years ago due to the economic crisis.
Copyright © Press Association 2011

domain: news


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The latest organizing information for New Flyer bus manufacturing, Activision Blizzard, and Norse Atlantic Airways.
The latest information about who is voting to join CWA.
The latest organizing information for Maximus, Verizon Wireless, and more.
The latest organizing news from Activision Blizzard, America's Test Kitchen, Wise Connect, and The Hill.
In a historic win for worker organizing in the media industry, an overwhelming majority of workers at America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) has voted for union representation with CWA in a National Labor Relations Board election.
Blizzard Quality Assurance Workers in Albany Become Second Group of Activision Blizzard Workers to Form Union with Communications Workers of America
A supermajority of quality assurance testers at Blizzard Albany (formerly Vicarious Visions) have announced the formation of the Albany Game Workers Alliance/CWA and filed for a union representation election with the National Labor Relations Board. Last week the workers asked that Activision Blizzard management voluntarily recognize their union and respect their right to organize without retaliation or interference.
Verizon Wireless Retail Workers in Flint, Mich., File for Union Election With Communications Workers of America
Today’s filing comes one week after Portland-based Verizon Express retail workers filed for an election and follows a historic union election win by Verizon Wireless workers in the Seattle area.
Workers are organizing and voting to join CWA at Verizon Wireless, Eastern Airlines, and Maximus.
Portland-based Verizon Express workers ramp up organizing efforts following an historic union win by Verizon Wireless retail workers in Washington earlier this year.
Workers at Seven Seas Entertainment and at the Public News Service (PNS) won voluntary recognition of their unions with CWA.
Workers at AppFolio and a group of film and television post production coordinators have voted to join CWA.
Today the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Microsoft announced they have entered into a ground-breaking labor neutrality agreement. The agreement will apply at Activision Blizzard beginning 60 days after Microsoft’s acquisition closes, and it reflects a fundamental belief by both organizations that enabling workers to freely and fairly make a choice about union representation will benefit Microsoft and its employees, and create opportunities for innovation in the gaming sector.
Today, a group of freelance post production coordinators in New York unanimously voted for union representation with CWA, becoming the first post production coordinators in New York’s motion picture industry to win formal union representation.
In the truest form of trade union solidarity, Workers United and the Communications Workers of America (CWA), together with the organizing committee of Fruit Stand Workers United(FSWU) have agreed that CWA will provide support to FSWU’s union organizing efforts at Apple’s Grand Central Station store in New York City. FSWU had originally approached Workers United for support. Workers United is the union that is supporting the Starbucks Workers United campaign.
The latest organizing information for AT&T In Home Experts, the Tower Climbers Union/CWA, and Integral Care (Austin-Travis County Mental Health Authority).
The latest organizing information for Raven Software, Qualtek Tower Climbers, America’s Test Kitchen, the Financial Times, and more.
In a major step forward for workers organizing in the media industry, a strong majority of workers at America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) have signed cards indicating their desire to form a union with CWA.
A majority of wireless tower climbers at QualTek have voted for union representation with CWA in an election that was conducted yesterday.
Raven Quality Assurance Workers Celebrate Historic Win, Game Workers Alliance (CWA) Becomes First Certified Union at Activision Blizzard
Today, Quality Assurance workers at Activision’s Raven Software video game studio won their union election and will be represented by CWA.
This week, CWA filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Apple for multiple federal labor law violations on behalf of workers at stores in Atlanta and New York City.
The latest organizing information for Raven Software/Activision Blizzard, AT&T In Home Experts, State of New Mexico workers, and Verizon Wireless.
Workers at Verizon, Apple, and others are organizing to join CWA.
Apple retail workers at the Apple Cumberland Mall store in Atlanta, Georgia filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, becoming the first group of Apple retail workers in the United States to seek formal recognition for their union. The workers will be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
An overwhelming majority of wireless tower climbers at QualTek in Henderson, Nev., filed a petition last week with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election.


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The dirty secret of the mobile ad network business is that its biggest players don't make money at it. Not Velti. Not Millennial Media. Not Augme/Hipcricket. Almost certainly not Opera. And not Pandora (which has a huge mobile ad business, but no bottom line earnings).
We met with the CEO of one mobile ad network recently who claims he's achieved what, in this business, counts as a miracle: He'll turn his first profit in Q4, and be fully profitable in 2013 and beyond.
Meet Dipanshu Sharma, CEO of xAd.
xAd has an interesting business model. It's a mobile ad network like everyone else, but it specializes in location-based targeting almost entirely for small and medium-sized businesses, and they pay mostly based on performance—NOT eyeball impressions.
Just like everyone else, xAd runs ads in apps, but the ad is only served once the user's location is verified by xAd's SmartLocation technology. That allows xAd to target someone with an ad in an area as small as a three-foot radius, Sharma claims.
The advantage for advertisers is that if a user looks at an app while they're shopping in Best Buy, xAd can serve that user an ad touting a cheaper product at the store across the street. This practice—where shoppers use stores as if they were only showrooms for products, and then use their devices to find them more cheaply elsewhere—is known as showrooming and is one of the most hated new trends in brick-and-mortar retail.
xAd tweaks the usual model even further: most clients are on a performance-based payment plan, meaning they only pay for an ad if a user clicks on it and generates a map with directions to the advertiser's store; if it generates a phone call to the business; or if the user drives to the store (which xAd can track).
"We've been going out to bigger brands since March," Sharma says. xAd counts Dunkin' Donuts and Dell among its national clients.
Sharma says he has 1.2 million advertising clients — many of whom are mom-and-pop joints — running 3 million campaigns per day. His network generates 1 billion impressions per month, he says. He declined to cite his revenues. The company has taken $13.7 million in total financing from several backers, and has 70 employees. Most of them are based in San Francisco, but there are up to 10 in new York and 10 in India.


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Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is releasing an upgraded mobile app that enables streaming of all DVR content outside the home, reports media tech blogger David Zatz.
In addition, users of Verizon's new IMG Software 3.0 app will be able to view live programming -- in addition to their DVR recordings -- from any channel in their lineup on mobile devices inside the home. Zatz claims to have tested the app on iOS and says it's supported for Android and Amazon Fire TV devices.
"The new features referenced in the link below are currently rolling out market by market – this should be complete by mid December. They're available for FiOS Quantum TV customers who have downloaded the FiOS Mobile App," said Verizon spokesman Raymond McConville to FierceCable.
This is a major step forward for pay-TV's moribund TV Everywhere initiative -- legacy versions of Verizon's FiOS mobile app only let users stream a small subset of their channels.
According to postings from users on DSL Reports message boards, Verizon recently deployed the update in upstate New York. The publication said Verizon hopes to have the upgrade deployed across its FiOS footprint by mid-December.
The app update will be available to FiOS TV customers who have the Quantum TV DVR.
Verizon's approach isn't exactly unique in the pay-TV industry. Through its X1 platform, for instance, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) enables full-channel viewing on the Xfinity TV app within the home. And those with Comcast's cloud DVR can stream recorded shows both inside and outside the home.
Inside the creation of Verizon's Go90
Verizon faces more fire from Pittsburgh mayor over FiOS build
Verizon sued for patent infringement by Kudelski


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Kucoin Raises $10m In Strategic Investment From SIG
Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has raised $10 million in strategic investment from U.S. trading company Susquehanna International Group (SIG).
KuCoin is using the raised funds to prepare for the bull market by upgrading the platform infrastructure, expanding the product line, and continuing to hire employees. The company currently has 300 open vacancies.
The crypto exchange plans to introduce new services in Asia, Europe, and other regions.
KuCoin CEO Johnny Liu noted that SIG’s investment is part of a collaborative effort to support startups and promote new blockchain technologies with a focus on Web3 and decentralized ecosystems.
“We have gone through several crypto cycles and are committed to evolving no matter what. We are happy to announce that we have found another partner with the same vision and values. SIG’s support will strengthen KuCoin’s leading role as a centralized exchange and facilitate the expansion of our ecosystem in the decentralized Web 3.0 world,” commented the head of the marketplace.
The partners will also create a blockchain incubator and develop the ecosystem around KuCoin Token (KCS) and the KuCoin Community Chain (KCC) blockchain.
SIG is confident that cooperation with KuCoin will be beneficial for the entire crypto industry:
“This will create synergy between SIG and KuCoin. We believe that our work will benefit the entire crypto industry and make it available to a wider audience,” the investment department of SIG noted.


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Media Release — Ape Entertainment, in partnership with Ars Nova, is proud to announce the release of the original 48 page one-shot Black Dynamite: Slave Island, inspired by the major motion picture BLACK DYNAMITE.
“Between the streets, Vietnam and the C.I.A., Black Dynamite thought he had seen it all. But nothing could have prepared him for his most dangerous mission yet! In BLACK DYNAMITE: SLAVE ISLAND.
ISLAND, the world’s greatest Blaxploitation sensation uses his fists of fury to shut down a secret island where the Man still plays by 1850’s rules!” SLAVE ISLAND is based on a story by Michael Jai White, Byron Minns and Scott Sanders. Written by Brian Ash (The Boondocks),with inks by Jun Lofamia, one-shot is due in stores April 2011.
“We pick right up where the movie left off and continue with the same over the top action in the one-shot,” explained Brent E. Erwin, COO of Ape Entertainment. “When you are dealing with the quintessential badass, tough-as-nails hero, why would you change a thing?”
“SLAVE ISLAND is a blacktastic journey into a dynamite new world,” says the film’s director, Scott Sanders. “Ash and LoFamia created a spot-on recreation of the comics I loved as a kid, with an added Black Dynamite twist!”
For more information on Black Dynamite, visit www.blackdynamite.com or become a fan on Facebook.
For comic book pre-sales, visit:http://www.blackdynamitemovie.com/store/comics/black-dynamite-slave-island
For more information on Ape Comics, visit www.apecomics.com
Follow us online on twitter:twitter.com/apecomics
Friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ApeEntertainment


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We all know what the big soda makers think of taxes on sugary beverages: they’re against them. Vehemently.
But what do smaller, independent soda makers think of the kinds of taxes that have been passed in Philadelphia and Berkeley, and are being considered in a bunch of other cities? Also against, if not always as vehemently.
This is no surprise—who wants to be taxed? But the independents face a quandary: they position themselves as “alternative,” and they tend to go after consumers who are generally of a more liberal bent. If they align themselves too closely with the Cokes and Pepsis of the world, they risk alienating some of those customers.
“I have mixed feelings,” says Jennifer Cue, CEO of Jones Soda, the Seattle-based company whose motto is “Run with the little guy… create some change.” She, like every other soda maker we interviewed, thinks the taxes are unfair in singling out one type of product. But she acknowledges that the aim of the taxes—to reduce the incidences of obesity and diabetes—is a good one, and one that many of her customers support.
“I’m the mother of a nine-year-old,” she says. “I understand the motivation behind it. But why just soda? Why not candy bars?”
That sentiment is echoed, in far more colorful terms, by Chris Reed, the founder of Reed’s Inc., the San Diego company best known for its Ginger Brew. “The taxes are completely lame,” he says. And, he asks, why are they levied only on beverages? “Why not candy? Why not junk food of all kinds?”
Carleton Johnson, a co-founder of the Minnesota-based Boundary Waters Brands, agrees. “Other things are just as sugary,” he says. “But we’re getting singled out as an easy target by politicians.” Boundary Waters makes Joia Life All Natural Soda. “There’s sugar in beer, there’s sugar in kids’ juice drinks, and they’re not being taxed.”
The argument for singling out beverages with added sugar, including soda, flavored waters, and sports drinks, is that a huge proportion of the calories from sugar consumed by Americans comes from such beverages. Nonetheless, it’s a fair argument: why not tax all sugar-containing products?
Reed, though opposed to any new taxes on principle, would rather that a sugar tax be applied at the source—on sugar producers, and producers of high fructose corn syrup. Though that would raise his own costs, Reed believes it would nonetheless be more equitable.
Either way, though, Reed says: “In the long run, I don’t care.” That’s because of another big difference between the independents and the soda giants—the former are far less affected by such taxes. They make high-end products that are consumed in small amounts, and they don’t really compete on price. A few pennies on top of an already pricy bottle of Ginger Brew won’t make much difference. The soda taxes are aimed more at the people who consume in large quantities, and who buy products that very much do compete on price. “Nobody’s buying 2-liter bottles or 64-ounce Big Gulps” of Reed’s products, he notes.
Berkeley’s Soda Tax Appears To Cut Consumption Of Sugary Drinks https://t.co/NsPEwCCnsx
— NPRFood (@NPRFood) August 23, 2016
Cue makes the same point. “We’re a premium soda company,” she says. “Our business model isn’t set up on the assumption that people are going to be consuming huge amounts. If every American had one Jones Soda a year, we’d be off to the races.” Other producers say the same: Joia sodas “are a nice treat,” Johnson says, and aren’t meant for daily consumption.
Yet another thing that sets the independents apart: they don’t do a lot of lobbying. None of the producers interviewed for this article is a member of the American Beverage Association, which has spent millions to fight against soda taxes in cities across the country, often successfully. On its own, Boundary Waters “isn’t big enough to have a bullhorn,” says Johnson.


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Texas small businesses remain optimistic, report shows
Texas-based small business owners remain optimistic about future business, according to a new report from the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor.
American Express surveyed small businesses throughout Texas to determine that 76 percent of small business owners plan to grow their business in the next six months. This is slightly less than results from Texas small businesses in the spring when 81 percent of small business owners said they planned to grow their business, but it is greater than national average of small businesses planning to grow their business — 69 percent .
Slightly less than one third — 30 percent — of small business owners also responded in the survey that they plan to hire in the next six months. This percentage is comparable to national survey respondents. Nationally, 29 percent of small business owners said they plan to hire in the next six months.
One of the most dramatic increases in the survey was the percentage of Texas small businesses owners that said they paid themselves a salary. Sixty percent of small business owners in Texas said they paid themselves a salary. Compared to last fall, only 36 percent of business owners said they paid themselves a salary in Texas.
Molly Ryan covers manufacturing, technology, the Port and logistics for the Houston Business Journal. For her breaking stories and industry insights, follow her on Twitter.
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SAN JUAN DE TEOTIHUACAN, Mexico, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Wal-Mart's expansion plans in Mexico have sparked the same kind of local opposition the giant discounter has long faced in the United States.
Bodega Aurrera, a unit of Wal-Mart of Mexico, is building a 71,902 square-foot cinder block superstore with 236 parking spaces about a mile from one of the nation's premier archeological sites, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
Among the nearby treasured ruins are a complex of pyramids and other structures built between the fifth and ninth centuries and later called by the Aztecs "the place where men became gods."
Residents as well as archeologists are livid that Mexican authorities consented to Wal-Mart's plans.
People like Garcia accuse the town, the state and the federal Institute of Anthropology and History of corruption.
Raul Arguelles, a Wal-Mart spokesman, says the company's only motive for building a store is to bring lower prices for basic goods to consumers. People here now have to trek 30 miles to the nearest hypermarket and pay higher prices in the old-fashioned market, he said.


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Redwood City – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to increase penalties on businesses that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors.
Proposed by County Health, the increased penalties are intended to discourage retailers from taking the risk of selling tobacco products to minors and help prevent youth from getting hooked on nicotine. In California, 67 percent of current and former smokers report that they started smoking by the age of 18.
“When we discuss these issues, what we are really talking about is saving lives,” said Warren Slocum, who represents District 4 on the Board of Supervisors. “We need to put teeth into enforcement for two big reasons: one is that we need to make the penalty large enough to negate the profit in selling to minors. And two, we need to do everything we can to keep cigarettes and other tobacco products out of the hands of kids. Most adult smokers began when they were not old enough to legally buy tobacco products.”
The increased penalties will “strengthen the ordinance's provisions to reduce youth access to tobacco products” in unincorporated San Mateo County. The biggest hammer is a provision that requires a permit be suspended if a business is found to have sold tobacco products to persons under the age of 21.
In the past, retailers may have received a warning or letter of reprimand if caught selling tobacco to minors.
The updated ordinance also:
- Increases fines up to $500 for a first violation, and up to $1,000 for all subsequent violations within a 60-month period.
- Prohibits issuing new Tobacco Retailer Permits to any location within 1,000 feet of a “youth-populated area” (public or private school, playgrounds, for instance) or within 500 feet of an existing tobacco retailer.
- Mandates a fine for any ordinance violations.
- Increases the number of required on-site inspections by County Environmental Health Services to two a year.
The addition of two inspections per year for all tobacco retailers increases the annual permit fee from $174 to $672.
County staff will encourage cities within San Mateo County to adopt the updated tobacco retailer permit ordinance.
“Young people in our community are healthier when tobacco retailers are held accountable for selling tobacco products illegally to underage customers,” said Clara Boyden, deputy director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, who oversees the tobacco program for County Health.
According to County Health, from April 2021 to June 2022 a total of 11 of 74 tobacco retailers in San Mateo County sold to underage youth decoys during Sheriff Office enforcement operations. That’s about 15 percent.
Limiting youth access to tobacco products in retail is a key component of a comprehensive tobacco prevention strategy.
In 1998, the Board of Supervisors established one of the state’s earliest Tobacco Retailer Permit programs. Since then, the County has updated the ordinance to keep up with shifting tobacco delivery models with the proliferation of electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco, for instance.
Learn more about County Health’s efforts to promote smoke-free homes, limit the availability of tobacco products in retail environments, and provide resources for individuals interested in quitting smoking.
San Mateo County Health


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Duncan Bannatyne cuts jobs at fitness firm as he feels weight of tax hikes
Dragon's Den star's gyms business said he has faced rising costs
Duncan Bannatyne yesterday said he had been forced to lay off staff because of a tax hike.
The increase in VAT to 20 per cent, which happened in 2011, meant the Dragon’s Den star’s gyms business has faced rising costs, he said.
Frontline staff numbers at Bannatyne Fitness Limited fell from 2,370 to 2,201 last year, even though the number of gyms remained at 59.
‘Between the VAT, the employers’ national insurance, the employees’ national insurance and income tax we’re all as a group in this country paying way too much tax,’ Bannatyne said.
‘I don’t know where the hell it all goes.’
The outfit also embarked on a £92million sale and leaseback for 39 gyms with M&G in order to cut its debt mountain, the accounts show.
Borrowings had racked up to £117million payable over the next five years, which one accountant described as a ‘very big figure’ for a company of its size.
Annual pre-tax profits rose from £4.3million in 2012 – when it was hit with a £4.5million accounting charge – to £10.5million during 2013, while sales slipped from £89.5million to £88.8million.
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Immersed in Entrepreneurship
From left, Katerina Axelsson, co-founder and CEO of Bottlefly, a virtual sommelier; Lisa Getzler, executive director of Lehigh's Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Innovation; and Magali Mathieu, co-founder of running fundraiser app Atlas, Inc., meet with students.
Photo: Christa Neu
From treading the halls of renowned product design companies to hearing Google developers discuss the latest app, 56 Lehigh students got the experience of a lifetime over winter break, participating in the latest LehighSiliconValley immersion trip to California’s Silicon Valley—a trip that took place as Lehigh is rapidly expanding its presence on the West Coast.
The cohort of undergraduate and graduate students spent 10 days in the hub of entrepreneurship, birthplace of cutting-edge technologies and world-changing business models. They interacted with CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, inventors, product designers and others who play key roles in building new enterprises to learn about the ecosystem and culture. Along the way, they met Lehigh alumni who lead and innovate at such companies as Google, Adobe and Alaska Airlines and in industries spanning venture capital, software, startups, data analytics, consulting, technology, finance and marketing.
Now in its seventh year, the program is a three-credit course built on a “live case” learning environment that focuses on real companies, real players and real situations. Students meet with experts, immerse themselves in fast-paced business environments and learn how to apply lessons to their own entrepreneurial journeys.
“You don’t need to be a founder to have a founder’s mentality,” said MBA student Will Kane ’18G, a healthcare technology manager at Johnson & Johnson. “Really, it’s like a mindset that can be applied in all aspects of life. Whether you’re starting a company, funding a company, or, like me, part of a larger corporation, you can be an innovator in that space, even if you’re not starting your own company.”
The program, a flagship of Lehigh’s Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Innovation, is one of a growing number of Lehigh initiatives on the West Coast. Among the most notable is the university partnership, launched last year, with the nonprofit Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. The university has also continued to expand its Western Regional Office, which aims to create new opportunities for current and prospective students and greater connections with industry. Lehigh has about 8,000 alumni in the western region and about 2,000 in the Bay Area.
For the first time, LehighSiliconValley participants could this year take an additional deep dive into one of three specialized learning tracks–Design Thinking, FinTech (Financial Technology) or Software Engineering. This new option was implemented to further engage the academically diverse group and provide experiences immediately applicable to student studies, co-curricular efforts and entrepreneurial goals, said Lisa Getzler, Baker Institute executive director and director of LehighSiliconValley.
FinTech students visited Silicon Valley Bank and Visa/TrialPay, where they learned about commercial banking, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and opportunities and innovations driving this new area. The Design Thinking group learned about ideation, worked with founders of LUNAR Design and visited global design firm IDEO. And the Software Engineering cohort learned about being a Silicon Valley software engineer in settings ranging from startup to established tech powerhouses, visiting Google, Adobe, Cisco Systems, the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, OSIsoft and Bracket Computing.
“If you’re thinking about entrepreneurship or starting your own company, you need to be here [in Silicon Valley],” said Tom Gillis ’15P, ’17P, ’19P, founder and CEO of Bracket Computing and an ardent supporter of Lehigh’s West Coast efforts. “If you are here, things happen.”
Sprint to the Finish
As a capstone to the experience, the Lehigh students engaged in a “Design Sprint,” in which they used design thinking to generate solutions for companies that completed Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s Milestone Makers program. The sprint took place at the Lehigh@NasdaqCenter, a 4,500-square-foot space opened in 2017 in Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center to provide educational, internship and research opportunities and host alumni and admissions events.
IDEAS major Rachel Shields ’18 said the sprint inspired her and her fellow students to approach issues from all angles and brainstorm in search of innovative solutions. “I think we all had a lot of cool ideas and some of it seemed to be aligning with what the company wanted to do, so I think we definitely inspired more ideas in them, and they inspired more ideas in us,” she said.
The group also learned about Bitcoin and virtual reality at Boost VC, witnessed product evolution at LUNAR Design and heard how startup SpotHero took over the parking space market after gaining VC investment from Paul Martino ’95. At Adobe, they learned about drones and digital experience software and met Ann Lewnes ’83, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
The LSV experience gave Alex James ’19, a computer science and business major, new perspectives on job opportunities and exposure to the West Coast. “I hear about it, but it’s definitely different to be here and to feel the culture,” he said.
See more LehighSiliconValley coverage online at the Lehigh News Center and student blogs at lehighsiliconvalley2018.tumblr.com.
Photos by Christa Neu


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By: Jennifer Saba
Monster Worldwide, the parent company of the online recruitment site Monster.com, and Adicio, an interactive classified advertising software company based in Carlsbad, Calif., have a struck a multi-faceted partnership today.
The alliance covers three different components.
Newspapers using Adicio’s software to manage help-wanted, real estate, and or auto classifieds, now have the ability to do everything from up selling to the Monster.com database (while maintaining their private label) to striking full-fledged partnerships with Monster — similar to The New York Times Co. deal.
Monster also will be the preferred partner of Adicio, recommending that its clients use Adicio software for auto and real estate classifieds.
Adicio in turn, will handle the technology integration for media companies choosing to work with Monster.
“Today’s announcement represents a tremendous opportunity to increase Monster’s localized points of distribution across the country – which is a key component to our strategy to drive market share, particularly among the small and medium-sized business segment,” Doug Klinger, president of Monster North America, said in a statement.
Adicio’s has more than 250 media companies as clients (including E&P). About 60% of those are newspaper companies that use Adicio’s software platform for recruitment advertising. Eighty percent of Adicio’s clients are newspapers that use the platform for auto and real estate classified advertising.
Tony Lee, chief alliance officer at Adicio, stressed to E&P that newspapers are not obligated to do anything. Adicio will continue to support clients using Yahoo’s HotJobs platform. “We’re saying our preferred partner is with Monster,” he said.
He added that Adicio expects a “healthy number” of its clients to be interested in the ability to up-sell into Monster’s network. Monster and Adicio will share revenue.
Also part of the deal: Monster customer will be able to purchase print advertising from Adicio media partners, where online ads can be published in print.


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Handelsbank pulls support for cryptocurrency toneel Cryptopia
Last updated 12:11, February 1 2018
Christchurch-based Cryptopia has become popular with traders around the world.
Bankgebouw moves to close cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia’s Fresh Zealand dollar trading accounts are bad news for Kiwi investors.
The exchange said that its handelsbank had told it that it would close the accounts for its Fresh Zealand dollar-tethered currency (NZDT) on February 9.
NZDT is used by Fresh Zealand traders spil a way into, and out of, cryptocurrencies on Cryptopia. It represents about Two vanaf cent of the trading on the toneelpodium.
Cryptopia has stopped accepting deposits into NZDT and customers who want to withdraw their funds will need to do so by February 9, unless another banking solution is found within that time.
The exchange is also suggesting a competitive market rate to permit users holding NZDT to convert it to bitcoin.
“Due to the enormously geschreven notice from the handelsbank (and little chance to present our case and provide compliance documentation to demonstrate our commitment to the applicable regulations), wij believe this is the best course of activity to protect our users. While wij are working hard to secure alternative banking services, wij have to prepare for the possibility that there may be a period of time inbetween this closure and being able to provide thesis services again ter future,” Cryptopia said te an update.
Users will still be able to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on other providers’ platforms and then trade those currencies across Cryptopia.
“Unluckily, our current handelsbank has notified us that they intend to close our NZDT account on 9 February. This is indeed disappointing by NZ banks. Te my practice trading with them, @Cryptopia_NZ seems a solid business and totally onto it re crypto. https://t.co/fUwe0hmaM6
Caudillo manager Dave Sanders said he hoped it would not be long before another banking option wasgoed found. It wasgoed possible that a solution would be discovered before the February 9 cut-off.
“It’s unfortunate for Fresh Zealanders. It’s likely to be improvised but it means that people have to resort to less secure ways of getting their cryptocurrencies it’s a dangerous world out there.”
Verslaggever and Cryptopia trader Richard MacManus said he wasgoed aware of other Fresh Zealand exchanges that had had their kattenbak accounts closed.
Fresh Zealanders would be compelled to buy bitcoin and other currencies through overseas exchanges, he said. “It’s a bit of a painful process. You have to send a wire transfer to [the exchange that accepts it ter Australia], a placed you don’t indeed know a lotsbestemming about. It feels riskier than dealing with someone te Fresh Zealand.”
Fresh Zealand Bankers’ Association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman said anti-money laundering laws were one of the main reasons that banks struggled with cryptocurrencies.
I just found out that Cryptopia [a NZ company I believe] has just closed down its NZDT market.. the NZ omschrijving of Tether. This entirely screws mij spil I am using both NZ dollars, and a NZ bankgebouw account tied to Cryptopia. Any suggestions anyone? Robinhood?
“The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act wasgoed implemented ter June 2013. The law is designed to help protect Fresh Zealand from financial crime, improve our financial reputation overseas, and meet our international obligations,” she said.
“Banks have an significant role to play te meeting the law’s aims. They take their obligations under the law very earnestly. They’ve invested powerfully te policies, systems, processes and staff training to ensure they identify, manage and mitigate any risks that the law targets. “
She said banks had to be able to identify the senders and recipients of funds, and the source of those funds.
“Banks treatment this on a case-by-case poot. The need for customer due diligence may affect some cryptocurrency traders and individuals transacting ter cryptocurrencies.
“Banks operate ter a very competitive environment and are ter the business of attracting and retaining customers. That’s balanced by the need to take their compliance obligations very earnestly. If they can proceed to canap a customer within the bounds of their AML obligations, they will.”
ASB said it could not comment on Cryptopia’s case.
“However, wij are presently reviewing our relationships with crypto-exchanges, while ensuring wij serve with our regulatory obligations,” a spokeswoman said.
“Ultimately, our purpose is to keep our customers safe spil wij turn our minds to a number of evolving business models, including crypto.”
* Comments on this article have bot closed.


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GRANTON, Nova Scotia—Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. will continue to build tires—winter tires predominantly—at its factory in Granton through May 2020, extending for two more years a special manufacturing arrangement that was due to end in 2018.
"We continue to have significant customer demand for this winter product line and are certainly pleased to extend this project at our Michelin Pictou County site until 2020 to meet this need," said Jeff MacLean, president of Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.
The production extension covers the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 winter tire. Michelin announced in 2014 it intended to phase out nearly all production at the 46-year-old plant in Pictou County, then extended the factory's life for two years in March 2016.
This two-year project extension will maintain the current workforce at the site, meaning any new hires will be due to normal attrition. Existing tire building equipment will be used for this project and no additional investment is required for this project extension.
Maclean said demand for the winter tire is coming both from Canada—where, for instance, Quebec has instituted a winter tire requirement—and from export markets.
Michelin did not quantify the scale of production at the plant in Granton.
The factory also still produces tire membranes and serves as a rubber-compounding site for other Michelin plants.


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At a time when exporters are hit with a slump in global market in the wake of Covid-19, they have to cope with a tedious process of getting GST refunds and the MEIS (merchandise exports from India scheme) entitlements due for the period much before the Rs 2 crore limit was fixed.
The piling dues have led to liquidity crunch for exporters, for which they are approaching banks for extension of moratorium.
The MEIS scheme was designed to offset infrastructural inefficiencies and associated costs involved in exporting merchandise products.
Mahesh Desai, chairman, EEPC India, the apex body of engineering exporters, said, the body was receiving grievances from members that the shipping bills were not receiving validation in time for processing GST refunds. “The July bills, submitted within due dates have not been validated so far,” he said.
The government has imposed a Rs 2-crore reward limit per import export code (IEC) under the MEIS from September 1.
However, this year exporters have not received the entitlements even for April-August. “Greater clarity is required and dues as per the old norms should be paid for the period as there is no limit on the rewards,” Desai said, adding that exporters are also confronted with lack of access for GST refunds through the concerned GST portal.
While the global trade is re-opening, exporters are facing huge problems of logistics, regulatory hurdles as also skewed demand.
Under such circumstances, the exports need to be supported by the government. Engineering exports generate large scale employment , particularly in the small and medium enterprises.
The lockdown has been officially lifted but there are several problems still being faced by manufacturers.
The shortage of labour is still being felt.
Despite Union home ministry guidelines to allow movement of personnel from one state to the other, their movements are being restricted.
Banks are also not willing to extend the moratorium on loan repayments while GST dues are piling up coupled with MEIS entitlements, Desai said.
Source : PTI


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CIO Raman Mehta is leading a dramatic modernization of Visteon’s IT and IS architecture and enterprise systems, helping the cockpit electronics supplier to further digitalize its engineering, production and supply chain. By Christopher Ludwig Every company in the automotive industry today is concerned with the transformation of their business models, from manufacturing and value chains, Read More..
BMW will use the Aras PLM platform as its backbone for test data management, the open-source product lifecycle management specialist said in a press release. The Aras software “will support planning, scheduling, execution, and documentation of vehicle tests, and test results at various stages of vehicle development,” it added. Aras said its platform will connect Read More..
Siemens plans the acquisition of simulation software specialist TASS International, in a move to strengthen its product lifecycle management (PLM) business. Terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed. Netherlands-based TASS specializes in autonomous driving, integrated safety, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and tire modeling. Especially autonomous driving and integrated safety are key growth areas in the Read More..
Siemens is reorganizing its IT operations as part of a series of measures aimed at boosting the group’s efficiency. The Germany-based technology conglomerate said it isÂ reviewing the geographical setup of itsÂ IT activities and digitizing its own processes. It is also planning the centralization of German storage facilities at itsÂ Digital Factory Division. IT operationsÂ will play a Read More..
DS Automobiles will use the “Virtual Garage” technology developed by Dassault Systemes to launch its new SUV, the DS 7 Crossback. Dassault Systemes, which is a leading supplier of 3D design, digital mock up and product lifecycle management software, said its technology will transform DS showrooms by providing an immersive virtual reality experience. That experience Read More..
Wind River said it has added Arynga software to its automotive portfolio in a bid to accelerate the introduction of over-the-air (OTA) updates to embedded software. The product lifecycle management (PLM) company, which is part of the Intel group, said the combined new software will help realize greater car connectivity and autonomous driving and will Read More..
Dassault Systemes said it will acquire all of 3DPLM Software, an India-based R&D company it owns jointly with Geometric, an Indian engineering services provider. The transaction means the French product lifecycle management software group will be able to fully integrate 3DPLM into its operations, which center around its 3D Experience platform. â€œThe full integration of Read More..
Siemens said Chinaâ€™s Desay SV will adopt its product lifecycle management (PLM) software, as the automotive electronics supplier prepares to implement new manufacturing technologies. Desay Chairman Tan Choon Lim said in a press statement that the software â€œwill enable us to implement a unified solution for project management, 3D modeling, collaboration, quality and manufacturing.â€ Desay Read More..
Siemens and Hewlett Packard have built a new vehicle design infrastructure that provides Nissan’s global R&D centers with improved access to the latest vehicle development data. The two technology companies said the infrastructure, which usesÂ a virtual desktop for engineering, letsÂ Nissan more easily manage itsÂ global vehicle design operations. The Japanese carmaker has already started using the Read More..
As vehicles grow in complexity, coordination between carmakers, suppliers and other partners Â faces increasing challenges. In answers to written questions,Â Siegmar Haasis, CIO Research and Development at Mercedes-Benz Cars, discusses the growing relevance of standards and lifts the veil on some of the initiatives Daimler is undertaking in this area. automotiveIT:Â Mr. Haasis, you are a strong Read More..


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Today's consumers are increasingly aware that their spending habits impact social change, and they want to spend their money with companies that support their personal values. Corporate social responsibility can improve your community and inspire the public to positively promote your brand.
By Janet Liao
Collecting warm winter coats isn't the primary business of Lakeshore Athletic Clubs, but this fall, the Chicago-based fitness club was on a campaign to collect more than 600 jackets to donate to the White Elephant Resale Shop, where proceeds from sales benefit patients treated at the local Children's Memorial Hospital.
Whether it's sponsoring a charitable event or integrating a marketing campaign with a nonprofit cause, more businesses are getting involved in the business of philanthropy and are making social responsibility a part of company culture.
Because of its philanthropic efforts, Lakeshore Athletic Club has given back to its community and has sold more gym memberships. "New members receive $50 off the enrollment fee if they donate a coat and existing members receive a $25 gift card towards the club's products or services," says Bob Good, Lakeshore's sales director. Good coordinates several fundraisers and events each year in conjunction with local charities and nonprofit foundations, including the Leukemia Research Foundation, AMVETS, Big Brother's Big Sister's and U.S. Marines Toys for Tots.
Building a Positive Brand
Consumer culture has become experience-driven, says Dov Seidman, CEO of LRN in Los Angeles, a company that helps businesses develop ethical corporate cultures and author of HOW: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything.in Business (and in Life). "Consumers don't just want products or services anymore," Seidman says. "They want a rich and valuable experience, and experience happens when people relate to each other."
What's more, how your company appeals to your customers, on an authentic, ethical or social level, could win (or cost you) a customer, says Seidman. "Consumers and shoppers today are more conscientious," he says. "They want to have genuine relationships with companies, and they want to know what companies are really about."
Studies show that a business's ethics can influence purchases. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they prefer to purchase products and services from a company with ethical business practices and higher prices, rather than from one with questionable business practices and lower prices, according to an Opinion Research Corp. survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted for LRN.
Giving Back — On Company Time
To build those genuine relationships with the community, it's not uncommon for companies to encourage their employees to roll up their sleeves and volunteer for charitable causes. Cbeyond, an Atlanta-based managed services provider that delivers integrated packages of IT communications services to small businesses in the United States, understands that its impact on society extends beyond the products and services it provides.
"Every company is in the business to provide products and services to customers," says Michelle Tank, director of public relations and community affairs at Cbeyond. "But a company with employees that engages in corporate social responsibility and makes a positive impact on the community stands out."
At Cbeyond, social responsibility is a core part of company culture. In 2004, Cbeyond launched a networking and volunteer program, CbeyondCommunity Connections, that gives each employee eight hours of paid time off annually to participate in volunteer work. It also encourages employees to take part in the numerous opportunities to get involved in business networking groups and industry associations that are relevant to their small business customers.
"It has increased awareness of brand within and outside of our company," Tank says. "As our employees are out volunteering and interacting with the community, they naturally talk about Cbeyond, and it creates word-of-mouth marketing for the company."Visit Retail Resources & Tools


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Nestlé plans to launch a vegan KitKat bar19 Feb 2021
For those looking for plant-based treats, KitKat bars will soon offer a vegan alternative, announced Swiss CPG giant Nestlé. The newest KitKat formulation will be called KitKat V, and it will be certified vegan as well as use 100% sustainable cocoa.
While the exact ingredient list of its vegan formula was not released alongside the announcement, Nestlé noted that consumers will “soon have a delicious plant-based option that delivers the perfect balance between crispy wafer and smooth chocolate that people know and love.”
However, not everyone will immediately have access to this new sweet treat. When the vegan KitKat rolls out, it will be available in “several countries across the globe,” the company said. Nestlé did not disclose all those future destinations for the debut of its vegan candy bar, but it did say in the release that in the initial testing phases for the product that these new KitKats will only be available in boutique KitKat Chocolatory shops or online and through select retailers.
Britain is one location that is sure to receive vegan KitKats in the initial launch as research for this new vegan KitKat was done in the country. However, the U.S. will not take part in the initial testing wave and will have to be on the waiting list for a future release date since KitKat in that country is produced under a licensing agreement with Hershey’s, the company said.
This launch is part of the company’s larger effort to help "people embrace a more plant-based diet, with options across its wide range of food and beverages." Already, Nestlé has developed and released plant-based alternatives to dairy made from rice, oat, soy, coconut, pea and almonds that are found in its non-dairy ice cream, coffee creamers and other products.
In addition to appealing to consumers that are looking toward plant-based alternatives for health reasons, vegan diets are also more sustainable. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee found in 2015 that eating less meat was better for the environment, The Hill reported at the time. Nestlé, which is planning to spend billions to reach its sustainability goals of net-zero emissions by 2050, cut food waste and create sustainable packaging alternatives, is opening yet another avenue to help reach these goals through its crispy, veganized KitKat bar.
Amano brings umami flavor through plant-based enzymes
26 Apr 2021
Amano Enzymes launched a new plant-based enzyme called Umamizyme Pulse for use by manufacturers looking to amplify the savory and umami flavor profiles of plant-based protein applications. The company said its enzyme can be added to foods like soups, b...Read more
Plant-based bacon alternative raises $40M
21 Apr 2021
Atlast Food Co, which owns the mycelium-focused, plant-based protein brand MyEats, received $40M in a Series A round led by Viking Global Investors with participation from 40 North, AiiM Partners, Senator Investment Group, Stray Dog Capital and Footpri...Read more
Pea-based tofu offers another alternative for plant-based protein
19 Apr 2021
UK-based tofu alternative manufacturer Peafu is looking to make a pea-based tofu product available to the market by 2022. Currently, the product is in the prototype phase.Read more
1 in 4 meat substitutes do not contain enough protein
14 Apr 2021
One in four plant-based protein options does not contain sufficient protein to be considered a source of protein, according to Irish industry watchdog Safefood in a new report. Despite the incongruity between 25% of labels professing products to be an ...Read more
IFF: enzymes can boost bakery sector with label-friendly solution
13 Apr 2021
Enzymes are the key to anchor clean label formulation strategies in the bakery sector, International Foods & Fragrances (IFF) said in a recent webinar. With demand from consumers for natural ingredients reaching new heights, the flavor company posited ...Read more
DSM acquires Amyris’ bio-based flavors and fragrances business
9 Apr 2021
Netherlands-based Royal DSM acquired the flavor and fragrance bio-based intermediates business of California-based Amyris in order to extend the Dutch corporation’s presence in bio-based flavor and fragrance ingredients. The transaction was completed o...Read more
Vegan ingredients maker gets $11M in seed funding
7 Apr 2021
Vegan ingredient maker Nourish Ingredients received $11 million in a seed funding round led by Hong Kong billionaire Chris Liu’s Horizons Ventures and the Australian government’s Main Sequence Ventures. Horizon Ventures is known for providing early-sta...Read more
Pig-free pepsin comes to market from Clara Foods
22 Mar 2021
Following six years of research, biotech ingredients maker Clara Foods rolled out the first commercially-available, animal-free pepsin enzyme that is is free of antibiotics and hormones as well as being vegan, Kosher and Halal, according to a press rel...Read more
Follow Your Heart dips into pancake batter
17 Mar 2021
Trailblazing vegan brand Follow Your Heart has entered a new category with the launch of its Rocket Cakes bottled pancake batter mix. The mix is a refrigerated batter made from corn, white rice and millet flours and is gluten-free, soy-free and non-GMO...Read more
Food allergies are impacting more than half the U.S. population
15 Mar 2021
Just over half of the U.S. population (51%) is impacted by food allergies or sensitivities, according to a new study by That’s It which used the Suzy marketing platform. This number is not necessarily those who have to contend with food allergies thems...Read more
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The micro finance initiative launched by the Alexandria Businesses Association (ABA) will expand to 100 branches in 14 governorates by end of this year, said Mohamed Sabry, chairperson of ABA.
This came during the conference ‘Future of Investment in Egypt..Vision of Business Community,’ held on Monday by the Egyptian Businessmen Association (EBA), Egyptian Junior Business Association (EJB), and ABA.
The micro finance initiative reached 1.5m people while the credit portfolio hit EGP14bn, Sabry mentioned, adding that ABA launched and participated in several initiatives to provide finance for micro enterprises, in addition to training for employment activities.
ABA gathers about 300-member-companies in all fields of the economy, including industry, tourism, maritime, and others, Sabry added, noting that his association offers 65,000 job opportunities through the member companies.
ABA also inaugurated its V-Tech center that helped 2,000 Egyptians get job opportunities after receiving the required training programmes, he said.
The center provides 12 specialised workshops that are certified from esteemed foundations and in full coordination with reputable institutions including the American University in Egypt (AUC), Sabry stated.
He also explained that the ABA adopted several initiatives to deepen the Egyptian industry as well as the Arab industry, noting that he discussed new ways to boost Egypt’s exports to Arab countries with the ministry of trade and industry.
ABA discussed with parliament the amendments of about 45 laws in cooperation with the Egyptian government, he said, adding that his association held 200 meetings, organised 28 working trips abroad, and participated in 100 exhibitions and conferences.


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The YSL Spring/Summer 2023 Menswear show held on July 15th in Marrakech, Morocco was inspired by the late designer’s storied connection to Morocco.
Sartorial curation and ‘simplicity as a choice’ was Miuccia Prada’s big idea for the brand’s latest season. “It was about clothes that people could really wear, but with an impact.
Following the launch of VTMNTS under VETEMENTS, headed by Guram Gvasalia as sole creative director, all eyes were on the Zurich-based brand to see what the new identity would be.
Whence the humble beginnings of Instagram and the casual snap and share culture of the early 2010s came, there is an altogether different manifestation of our experience of ourselves and our relations in digital spaces which has emerged.
Since 2018 University of Toronto Masters student Diana Wei Dai has been the creative director and co-founder of the annual ‘Trashion’ show.
The concept of conceiving a career in sustainable fashion came to Braden Quinn when he dropped out of his engineering program at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
In the wake of Omicron and the general bereft nature of culture as of late, fashion week in Paris, New York, and Milan have returned with a bang.
Last month, it wasn’t the opulent couture or plethora of celebrity sightings that gained attention at Paris Couture Week. Rather, it was a singular woman with heavy eye makeup who stole the scene.


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15 November 2018
10 Scottish companies were rewarded for their commitment to sustainability at the VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards.
09 November 2018
Mabbett reflects upon what has changed since last year and what is new on the horizon.
09 October 2018
Greenvale AP, one of our VIBES2018 sponsors, share about their sustainable credentials and Green20 strategy
13 July 2018
VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Awards shortlist announced
10 May 2018
Scotland’s sustainable businesses are 10 out of the 11 UK business shortlisted for the 2018 European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE) from Scotland.
24 April 2018
The search for Scotland’s best green businesses is drawing to a close this week with just a few days remaining for companies to enter the VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards.


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10 May 2021: As Wales heads ever closer to the easing of lockdown comes as music to the ears of those in hospitality, none more so than restaurant operators and owners who have had a torrid time over the last 12 months.
In recognition of World Gin Day, Marco Pierre White Restaurants has teamed up with award-winning gin distillery Cygnet Gin to provide customers across the restaurant estate a new range of delicious gin specials. Regarding as being one of the most popular drinks on offer, the iconic gin and tonic has had a bit of renaissance in recent years with well over 100 gin brands now on the market. And as new distilleries pop up all over the country, bars and restaurants across the UK have also increased dramatically the number and types of gin-based drinks they serve giving this ‘ginaissance’ an added boost. With World Gin Day taking place on 12 June, gin aficionados who visit any of the revered chef’s restaurants…Read more


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The Southern Plains Co-op’s new liquor stores in Estevan and Oxbow are opening on July 12.
Carol McKay, the co-op’s manager of human resources, said the co-op is very, very excited to have the two new stores open.
The Estevan grocery store has gone through renovations, taking an area that was for the grocery store and offices, and transforming it into the liquor store.
Beer and coolers are in a refrigerated area with a walk-in cooler. The store has lots of variety, and even co-op labelled products such as wine on the shelves.
A growler bar will feature a selection of Saskatchewan beers for growler fills.
“The employees that are currently on staff will know how to do the growlers,” McKay said.
As for the Oxbow location, it is part of the expanded convenience store at the east edge of the town. It has more variety than what was in the Oxbow area.
All beer and coolers are also going to be refrigerated, and McKay said there is a great selection of product.
“The public should be very pleased with the look and the style and lots of varieties,” said McKay.
Both stores will have a strong selection of Saskatchewan products.
Customers have been eagerly awaiting the opening of both stores, as they have been asking when the stores would be open. McKay noted that there will be member patronage dividends on alcohol products purchased at the stores.
A lot of work had to be completed before the co-op received the necessary approval from Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming for the stores to open.
Next week’s edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.


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It’s been a while since there’s been any real news of substance about Motus Motorcycles, but the Feb 2010 issue of motorcyclist has a feature article (PDF) on the new sport-tourer, that reveals some of the specs of the new machine.
The MST-01 sport tourer is expected to weigh 545 lbs–substantially less than the current generation FJR or Connie, and will be powered by a 90° V -4 with an expected output of 140HP at 7,800 RPM and 120 lb-ft of torque at 4,500RPM. That torque figure seems…high. Tire-shreddingly so. That power will be channeled through a 6-speed gearbox to a chain final drive…and that last bit is where they lose me. It’s 2010. I’m not gonna spend my Saturdays lubing a chain like some kind of animal.
The MST-01 will have integrated luggage, including an interestingly-designed two-position trunk. The price point for this is supposed to be competitive with a fully-equipped BMW K1300GT, so let’s call it $25k out the door.
Working prototypes are supposed to be hitting the test track later this year, with 2011 production models available as early as this December.


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Business Wire is now offering a Mobile Alerts option to clients that will make text message alerts available to interested audiences. BW clients can embed a mobile landing page that will be available to subscribers and provide access to press releases pushed out by the newswire service.
Vimeo has launched a video service for small businesses called Vimeo Pro. [via Beet.TV]
Chrome has replaced Firefox as the second most-popular browser in the UK. Internet Explorer is still number one. [via Mashable]
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text: The Nike LeBron 9 Low in a very patriotic White, Navy and Red colorway will be released on June 16th, 2012. Of course it’s still possible to find them earlier on eBay or citysole.com, who posted some really nice photos with the USA flag in the background. LeBron James will most likely use these between games in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He was already pictured wearing a different shoe – Nike Hyperdunk 2012 – during Nike Basketball’s unveiling of USA Basketball official team jerseys back in February. Continue reading for a detailed look at the LeBron 9 Low USAB.


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Don't underestimate people's urge to travel after years of pandemic restrictions. Hilton sees strength in leisure, business, and group travel, yes, business and group, through the year-end and beyond.
Third-quarter results at Hilton Worldwide suggest the pent-up demand for travel after the pandemic still has room to run. Most hotels will have pricing power through at least the rest of the year, and probably longer, according to Hilton’s executives on Wednesday.
Hilton — which owns several brands including Waldorf Astoria — raised its profit forecast for 2022 after seeing a surge in earnings. In the third quarter, the company generated a net income of $347 million on revenue of $2.37 billion. It predicted that the rest of the year would also be strong as the company runs the highest margins in its history.
“While we’re not naive to what’s going on with the Fed here and with central banks in other parts of the world in trying to tame inflation by slowing economies, we do think we have a reasonably unique setup that is maybe different than some other industries for a period of time that is going to benefit us, not just in the fourth quarter, but into next year,” said Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO, during a call with analysts.
In the third quarter, a stronger dollar relative to the euro led many Americans to fly to Europe in droves, helping to boost Hilton’s overall revenue. Hilton boosted its system-wide revenue per available room — a key industry metric — by 5 percent over the comparable period in 2019. That was the first time the metric had exceeded the prior peak since the pandemic began.
The rest of the year looked promising for the McLean, Virginia-based company. In the fourth quarter, revenue per available room will be between 2 percent and 6 percent above the comparable period in 2019, executives forecasted.
Nassetta pointed out that the hotel sector was hurt more by the pandemic than other industries and it makes sense that its recovery would be more robust. Mega-events such as large international conferences are continuing to return, and consumers are shifting from spending on things to experiences, he said. Meanwhile, the supply of lodging remains low relative to historical trendlines.
“At the moment, those tailwinds are stronger than the headwinds,” Nassetta said. “And I would say meaningfully stronger. My own belief is we have enough wind in our sails to go for a while.”
In the decade before the pandemic, supply wasn’t high but it was above 30-year averages. More importantly, demand wasn’t increasing rapidly as gross domestic product was only growing in the low single digits a year. Those factors denied hoteliers pricing power.
Today, supply will be higher for an extended period of time because of many hotel closings during the pandemic. Demand has surged because of a post-pandemic ramp-up in travel. Inflation is also playing a role.
Shovels in the Ground
In the third quarter, Hilton added 12,100 net rooms. It okayed 19,900 new rooms for development, bringing its development pipeline to 416,000 rooms — half of which are under construction — as of September 30.
Conventional wisdom in the hotel industry is that it has gotten harder this year to get developers to put shovels in the ground because of rising interest rates and portfolio disruptions for financial institutions. Yet Hilton’s executives haven’t experienced that. In the U.S., its signings for the year will be over 2019 levels, and roughly 25 percent of the rooms it brings on board are conversions.
Hilton’s ownership base comprises mostly small- and medium-sized businesses, most of which do hotel development full-time. The current boom in hotel demand is letting these owners and investors make “gobs of money in most of their hotels,” Nassetta said. So that boom is motivating them to sign for more properties.
While big banks may be pulling back on lending, Hilton’s owners tend to get financed in local and regional banks where they established track records with lenders for reliability. And as other forms of construction drop off, subcontractors become more available.
Some analysts like what they call Hilton’s quality versus quantity approach to hotel development.
In a report, JP Morgan Research analysts Joseph Greff, Omer Sander, and Ryan Lambert said they “remain very impressed” with how Hilton’s “strong brands” produce “above-peer third-party network growth” and that the brands have “durable and sustainable competitive advantages.” They alluded to Hilton’s brands often claiming some of the highest shares in their markets on average and across each of their segments, such as leisure versus business.
Hilton referred to data from STR, the market research firm, that its year-to-date net additions were higher than all of its major branded rivals.
Strength in Conversions
Conversion of independent brands to Hyatt brands has been higher than usual this year. Was that more than the market could sustain given long-term trends?
“If you get a little bit of a reset in people’s outlook in a downturn, then the outlook [for conversions] gets better, as capital costs sort of adjust, rates come down, and spreads [between the bid and ask in pricing] tighten,” Nassetta said. “You actually then see a pickup in transaction activity.’
In today’s booming market, independent hoteliers can hold their own in performance without the safety of global brands and marketing. But if economies worsen, that might change the dynamics, leading to continued strength in conversions.
Group Business Rebound
In the quarter, Hilton saw group revenue per available room reach roughly 93 percent of prior peak levels. Executives expected the group business to lap the previous high watermark by end of the year or early next.
“When we sit here and talk to our sales teams, across the world, the biggest issue is just having enough people to keep up with all the demand,” Nassetta said.
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Photo credit: The lobby of the new in 2022 Waldorf-Astoria Kuwait. Hilton, which own several brands including Waldorf Astoria. Source: Hilton.


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DHL, the leading global logistics company, is to invest £90 million in its infrastructure to support Britain’s thriving export market.
With continued demand for British goods from overseas markets, this latest investment will increase capacity for express shipments across DHL UK sites and support its customers’ export growth ambitions.
Investments span across DHL sites in the UK and the two largest-scale investments will take place at the East Midlands Airport hub and Southern hub site near Heathrow, with DHL investing £90 million and £32 million respectively.
Additional sites in Manchester, Croydon and Sheffield will see crucial changes to their infrastructure including additional warehousing, sorting facilities and the most up to date operational processes to improve international trade, cut transit times and drive more efficient, sustainable supply chains for UK businesses. The investment will be fully realised by 2016.
Ken Allen, global CEO of DHL Express, commented: “This investment in the UK forms a key part of DHL’s global growth and service improvement strategy, following the recent investment of $177 million in the Middle East. With ongoing growth in the US and the development of our European hub in Leipzig, we’re strengthening our leadership position through improved service capabilities.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP said: “I am delighted that DHL is continuing to invest in the UK, supporting the growing number of British businesses selling their products abroad. This new investment is further evidence that our long-term economic plan is working and Britain is coming back. But the job is not yet done and we must make sure the world’s largest companies maintain the confidence they have re-gained in the UK if we are to build a resilient economy.”
Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL Express in the UK & Ireland added: “As we celebrate DHL’s fortieth year in the UK, this investment demonstrates our confidence and commitment to enterprise and British export businesses.
“We’ve already invested £2 million in our Oxford and Park Royal sites in the past two years and have seen the benefits that this brings. Developing our infrastructure is integral to support growth in the UK export market and will allow us to cater for future demand. International trade is a golden opportunity for many businesses in the UK and through this major investment, we can partner with and help facilitate success for them.”
As experts in international shipping, DHL Express offers guidance to businesses of all sizes who are considering targeting the global marketplace through export services. Its Export Advisors Service provides free advice for businesses, whether they are a DHL customer or not. The team of dedicated export specialists, can assist with export strategy and provide detailed information on customs regulations, legal and administrative differences as well as local insight.


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Claman on Call: FBN’s Liz Claman with an after-hours web exclusive on the markets, Yum Brands’ third-quarter earnings and GoDaddy ’s efforts to close the gender gap in the technology sector.
WSJ Celebrity Business Reporter Lee Hawkins on Danica Patrick’s NASCAR career.
Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Christine Jones on NSA spying, millennials and her political campaign.
Author Gordon Chang weighs in on Alibaba, Weibo, GoDaddy . com and the Chinese economy.
GoDaddy Group is gearing up for an initial public offering, a media report said Friday. GoDaddy, which helps individuals and businesses set up Websites and offers we...
GoDaddy, the domain registrar known for its racy ads, is preparing for an initial public offering, according to a report from Dow Jones Newswires. The wire service r...
NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick on GoDaddy ’s Big Leap contest.
With more than 110 million viewers tuning in to the Super Bowl , the heat is on for advertisers. Deutsch NY CEO Val DiFebo weighs in on the marketing trends surrounding the big game this year.
Across the country, insurance brokers are scooping up insurance-related domain names and are looking to make money off consumers’ ObamaCare confusion.
KKR & Co LP (NYSE:KKR) said on Friday that its second-quarter earnings declined by 74 percent as a lower appreciation in its private equity funds overshadowed a quad...
KKR & Co LP said on Friday that its second-quarter earnings declined by 74 percent as a lower appreciation in its private equity funds overshadowed a quadrupling in ...
Private equity firm KKR & Co LP said on Thursday it will share 40 percent of profits from its own investments with shareholders and reported quarterly earnings that ...
Does your website look as good on a mobile device as it does on a TV? If not, digital design expert Janine Warner tells what changes you need to make and why.
GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving on women in the tech workforce and the company’s focus.
FBN’s Cheryl Casone on Danica Patrick and GoDaddy ’s breast cancer awareness fundraiser.
FBN’s Jo Ling Kent on Google’s new domain services and the potential implications for its competitors.
Renaissance Capital IPO ETF manager Kathleen Smith and Wells Fargo senior equity strategist Scott Wren discuss the state of the IPO market.
FBN’s Liz MacDonald on GoDaddy ’s plans to tap the public markets.
Claman on Call: FBN’s Liz Claman with an after-hours web exclusive on the markets, GoDaddy ’s IPO filing, PayPal’s management shake-up, California Chrome’s Belmont Stakes injury and the Stanley Cup’s boost to merchandise sales.
Morgan Creek Capital Management CIO Mark Yusko on the opportunities for investors in Russia and China.


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SALISBURY – During its meeting on Tuesday, the Salisbury City Council voted to hold a public hearing dealing with what one city inspector sees as problems being created by the Okey Dokey store at 126 E. Innes St.
Code Services Division Manager Chris Branham told council that Okey Dokey was ignoring orders to clean up behind the store and that if the business won’t do it, the City would.
When discussing the area behind the building, Branham wrote: “there continues to be a large amount of debris and storage material that harbors an environment that is unsafe and does not contribute positively towards maintaining public health and general welfare.”
Branham presented his findings to the council, saying the area behind the store is creating unsafe and hazardous conditions for the downtown district. Branham wants Okey Dokey declared a general nuisance, giving the City to right to clean up the area.
Council set the public hearing for Tuesday, December 18 during the regularly scheduled meeting.


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Catalyst took part in LAMMA 2024, an event that connects farmers across a range of sectors with companies offering cutting-edge agricultural machinery, technology, and equipment. We took this opportunity to speak with experts to hear their views on how these new machinery and technology is impacting the sector.
Watch the video below to hear from James Buchanan, Sales Director, Ibcos & Catalyst, Simon Chadbone, Development Manager, Kubota UK, Des Boyd, Sales Director, Kramp UK, Tim Mueller, Export Manager, Granit Parts, Thomas Banbury, Managing Director, South West Handling Ltd., and Pawel Tomczak, Managing Director, ADR UK Tyremart.
James Buchanan shares that technology drives the sector. If we look back to original tractors and compare them with today, we have driverless hands free tractors. Technology drives the efficiencies within the farm, which impacts the food that we get on the table and subsequently impacts the profitability of those farms and the profitability of those dealers who are serving those farmers.
Des Boyd discusses how more and more products are being brought in from across the globe. Farmers and dealers need to look at where they can source those products from a wholesale point of view, as well as how they can be maintained.
Simon Chadbone mentions the impact on decision making in the sector. A lot of the data related technology is enabling us to make informed decisions rather than emotional ones. This means that dealers are in a much stronger position to see a positive return on investments, whether that’s machinery, maintenance, or service contracts.
Thomas Banbury discusses how new technology has made it much quicker and easier to diagnose issues from a desk for a customer in a field and get them back working. This reduces downtime and increases profits for the farmer or construction worker.
Pawel Tomczak believes that the biggest opportunities are still within digitalisation. The agriculture sector is moving into the digital world and ease of access of data and information will be crucial to the performance in the market.
Tim Mueller adds that technology continues to be a main driver in the agriculture sector as we tackle new environmental and geopolitical challenges.
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Ubisoft has publicly ruled itself out of the race to buy Eidos because it's too expensive. Reuters reports that a spokesperson for the company said, "Ubisoft has no intention of making an offer for SCi-Eidos." Ubisoft has previously been named as a possible bidder for the firm.
SCi has said that discussions were going on with a number of companies but would not reveal their identities. The Ubisoft spokesman said SCi's valuation did not fit with Ubisoft's "profitability criteria". Asked if this meant it was too expensive, he said "yes", reports Reuters. "We are looking at other opportunities for external and internal growth which can create more potential value for shareholders."


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AGAWAM, Mass (WWLP)–The official start to spring is less than three weeks away, but as frigid temperatures persist in western Massachusetts, many are feeling like this very cold winter may never end.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone where the night coldness and the low temperature was this long, for so long,” Doris Preston, from Agawam, said.
Cold and snow has affected businesses too. Car sales for January and February hit a lull, but others have seen a big jump in their numbers.
Sales at Delivery.com, a metropolitan delivery business, spiked 30 percent, and Carmex lip balm products sales are up nearly 10 percent compared to this time last year.
The Ace Hardware company is also having it’s best winter in more than a decade for shovel and snow blower sales.
“The second storm came around and we sold even more shovels, because that first storm when you took out your old shovel and it broke half way through that storm, you were out looking for a new shovel,” Manager of Rocky’s Ace Hardware in Agawam, Bruce Drewniany, told 22News.
Drewniany also said there has been a big demand for rock salt and ice melt this winter, but the store is showing signs that winter will soon be behind us.
Fertilizer and other spring item displays gave customers hope that Spring is on it’s way.
“I’m ready for spring, warm weather, birds, being able to go outside in shorts and not having to layer up all the time,” Dorothy Sliech, from Agawam, said.
The 22News Storm Team is forecasting a slight warm up for the upcoming weekend.


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Pippa Middleton may be on vacation, but her impeccable style hasn't had a day off since the royal wedding on April 29.
With the world now watching her every move, the newly minted style icon has been spotted in a slew of chic (and afforable!) looks ranging from the bright blue Zara blazer and Tory Burch flats she wore the day after her sister's nuptials to the French Connection print jersey dress she was recently snapped in while shopping in London.
And this past weekend the 27-year-old strolled around Madrid, Spain in a strapless polka-dot Theory dress from last season, which she paired with her favorite gray Modalu handbag (it's since been renamed "Pippa" after selling out almost immediately), sunglasses and ballet flats.
Earlier during the Madrid sojourn, Pippa and her pals were spotted partying at hotspot Fortuna nightclub, sightseeing and sipping wine at a cafe.


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January 5, 2015
New startup targets GoPro fans with drone camera technology | sUAS News.
December 28, 2014
QuadH2o Designs New Drone for Capturing Aerial and Underwater Video : News : Headlines & Global News.
December 26, 2014
Navy first: Full-sized drone copter flies from ship at sea | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com.
December 19, 2014
UAS Magazine – The Latest News on Unmanned Aerial Systems – NextGen, FAA seek UAV study participants for beyond line of sight.
November 1, 2014
Best Drone Available: IRIS+ Personal Drone – 3drobotics.com.
October 29, 2014
CyPhy Works’ New Drone Fits in Your Pocket, Flies for Two Hours – IEEE Spectrum.
October 26, 2014
The new fully integrated RiCOPTER UAV in flight! – YouTube.
October 23, 2014
UAVs Flex Their Artificial Muscles – IEEE Spectrum
October 22, 2014
Create you own Google Earth – in real time with DroneDeploy’s mapping engine for drones | sUAS News. DroneDeploy is launching the first drone software capable of creating orthorectified maps in real-time. Farmers, surveyors and search and rescue teams typically had to wait for 4-6 hours for maps to be created out of drone imagery, […]
October 21, 2014
Cape Town Sharks from the Air — Incredible Drone Video |.
October 21, 2014
Anura: The Beginning of the Drone Era for the Masses by Jason Lam — Kickstarter.
October 6, 2014
ovanovic has previously worked on submersible drones and comes from family where hardware is dinner table conversation—Her mom leads PCB design for Google Glass, her dad heads R&D for a high-end headphone company, and her little brother is in charge of product at quantified car startup Automatic. Nixie team members Michael Niedermayr, Floris Ernst, Stefan […]
September 30, 2014
Gang-gang: Canberra’s champion drone.
September 29, 2014
Spaxels lightpainting in the sky video #drone #droneday « adafruit industries blog.
September 26, 2014
When Drone Delivery Makes Sense – IEEE Spectrum.
September 19, 2014
Hoverbike Quadcopter Sets New Standards in Drone Tech | Wall Street Daily.
September 12, 2014
Making drones more customizable | MIT News Office.
September 9, 2014
Amazon unveils Drone Store, tells users to ‘Fly responsibly’ | ZDNet.


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Police Can Open Your Phone. It’s OK
This article is a part of the On Tech e-newsletter. You can enroll right here to obtain it weekdays.
Technology that makes our smartphones laborious to interrupt into with out a password makes us safer from hackers and different undesirable intruders. But it additionally makes it harder for the police to do their job.
American regulation enforcement officers for years have stated firms like Apple and Google ought to make it simpler to interrupt cellphone passcodes to allow them to higher examine crimes. Most know-how consultants say it’s unimaginable to make a cellphone that good guys can simply get into with out unhealthy guys exploiting it.
My colleague Jack Nicas, who wrote on Wednesday about this standoff between cops and techies, talked to me a few large revelation: Law enforcement officers are capable of get into telephones way more usually than beforehand understood. Jack additionally stated that the struggle over cellphone safety has resulted in a messy however largely efficient center floor on security — even when nobody on this debate will say so.
Shira: Don’t we wish the police and prosecutors to get into telephones of individuals accused of crimes?
Jack: Most individuals would agree that it’s acceptable in some instances for regulation enforcement to get knowledge from a suspect’s smartphone. And with courtroom warrants they do, utilizing instruments from firms like Grayshift and Cellebrite to unlock encrypted iPhones and different smartphones and extract knowledge.
What worries civil rights advocates is that we’ve seen that the police aren’t utilizing these code-breaking applied sciences solely in essentially the most critical instances, but in addition in shoplifting, drug and assault investigations. And years of data collected by the nonprofit Upturn present that these instruments are utilized by way more regulation enforcement companies than we’d identified.
Why ought to law-abiding individuals care? People may say they don’t have anything to cover.
We know the way a lot info our telephones have, together with our whole location historical past, passwords to accounts, all our textual content messages and probably embarrassing pictures. That’s what makes smartphones so worthwhile in police investigations — and what makes it doubly vital for there to be warning in when and why police search them.
Upturn discovered that many U.S. regulation enforcement companies had few restrictions, if any, on what circumstances they’ll break into individuals’s telephones and what they do with the info. More public transparency about how regulation enforcement makes use of these instruments could be a welcome additional layer of accountability.
If the police ceaselessly break password locks on smartphones, what’s their grievance?
It typically takes days, weeks or months for regulation enforcement to make use of know-how instruments to interrupt right into a cellphone, and lots of investigations are time delicate. In these conditions, cops and prosecutors don’t care about Apple’s worries over cybersecurity.
Our colleagues’ investigation final yr into baby sexual abuse imagery confirmed the commerce offs of know-how that retains our digital exercise non-public: It lets criminals conceal horrible exercise. That’s true of smartphone locks, too.
Absolutely. That’s why I don’t suppose we’ve seen the top of this debate — as a result of there’s no simple resolution.
Can smartphones maintain us secure from unhealthy guys and likewise let cops catch criminals? Is there a center floor?
That center floor often is the messy establishment.
Smartphones for essentially the most half are effectively shielded from break-ins by criminals and hackers. However, in instances the place many people agree that regulation enforcement ought to be capable to entry cellphone knowledge, there are instruments to assist them break in. Those strategies don’t require tech firms making a “backdoor”— a software program opening that safety consultants fear could possibly be exploited by criminals or authoritarian governments.
Huh. So neither cops nor Apple would admit it, however this deadlock … it’s good?
Perhaps nearly as good as it may well get. Completely impenetrable telephones could be unhealthy for public security, whereas “again doorways” in encryption could be unhealthy for cybersecurity. Neither aspect is extremely glad with this workaround, nevertheless it principally works.
Big Tech makes unusual bedfellows
I virtually get hives when firms’ purported rules conflict with their habits.
Jack wrote about one of many allegations within the U.S. authorities’s antitrust lawsuit in opposition to Google: A fundamental approach that Google preserves its alleged monopoly is thru agreements that makes its search service the built-in alternative for individuals utilizing Apple’s computer systems, iPhones and the Siri voice assistant.
I additionally wish to draw consideration to Apple’s function right here. This is the hives half.
Apple for years has trash talked firms like Google that promote digital advertisements primarily based on our exercise and pursuits. “They’re gobbling up all the pieces they’ll find out about you and making an attempt to monetize it. We suppose that’s improper,” Apple’s chief government, Tim Cook, stated in 2015. He’s repeated some model of that often.
But right here’s the factor: It’s hypocritical for Apple to say that digital promoting machines are ruining our lives whereas concurrently taking billions of every year from Google, thereby strengthening a kind of digital promoting machines.
An Apple government was requested in a congressional listening to final yr about why the corporate bashes Google however takes its cash. He stated that Google’s search engine is one of the best.
Hmm. Even if Google search cured most cancers, it’s not necessary for Apple to take Google’s cash for something.
Companies can conduct enterprise how they need. The authorities will not be saying that Apple is doing something improper. But certainly if Apple wished to use its rules about “creepy” techniques of firms like Google, it might act in a different way.
What if Apple didn’t take Google’s cash, and when individuals purchased a brand new iPhone they’d the selection of which search engine they wished to make use of?
Apple might additionally remind individuals each few months to attempt another like Bing or DuckDuckGo. Apple might, if it wished, make its personal search engine. This could be pricey and presumably unwise, however hey, Apple has the cash to place its rules to work if it wished to take action.
Before we go …
Google’s low-key chief government will get the eye he most likely didn’t need: My colleague Dai Wakabayashi introduces us to Sundar Pichai, Google’s boss who now leads an organization within the authorities’s cross hairs. “He has surrounded himself with different critical, buttoned-up profession Google managers who deliver a variety of boring to the desk,” Dai writes, delightfully.
Technology is often abused to harm the susceptible: Tech nerds have apprehensive for years about “deep pretend” know-how that digitally alters photos and movies getting used for political propaganda. But the tech is generally abused to harass girls. One service is creating unauthorized and faked photos of girls and women with their clothes eliminated, The Washington Post reported.
When members of Congress go large on Twitch: About 435,000 individuals at one level tuned into the net streaming web site Twitch on Tuesday to see Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez play the homicide thriller online game Among Us to encourage younger individuals to vote, the Verge wrote. My colleague Taylor Lorenz just lately defined how this sport has “begun to function a default social platform for younger individuals caught in quarantine.”
Hugs to this
A sprawling hedgehog “freeway” in Britain lets the prickly cuties safely roam via individuals’s yards through miniature ramps, staircases and fence holes. Here is a video!
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Organic food market takes offby The Daily Eye Team April 22 2014, 5:12 pm Estimated Reading Time: 0 mins, 43 secs
Farmers can achieve better yield, but they are struggling to market organic products owing to lack of government support Organic food market in India is expanding at a staggering rate of 400 per cent every year according to a report published by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) but the farmers are unable to realise the full potential of the crops grown with natural fertilizer. It is because they are marginalised by the government which extended maximum support to corporate entities, said G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, Director of Secunderabad-based Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA). Addressing a seminar on organic farming at Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) here on Saturday, Mr. Ramanjaneyulu said empirical data gathered from about nine lakh farmers across the country proved that the difference in yields of organic and conventional systems of agriculture was just about five per cent.


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The new bad-arse Palm Pre phone charges wirelessly. That is, it's got a magnetic induction charger—like a toothbrush—called the Touchstone. More info during our hands-on. [Palm Pre Details]
Palm Pre's Amazing Wireless Touchstone Charger
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