text:
There’s been much to applaud in the past 40 years, but it’s all for naught if we don’t know where we’re heading. Some of the industry’s brightest minds are recognized here for their vision of the passenger experience of the future.
MARTINE VAN DER LEE – DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA, KLM
For Walking the Talk on Direct Customer Communications Online
KLM piloted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its customer-service operations three years ago, and 50 percent of its social interactions are now supported by the technology – something Martine van der Lee says makes her team of 350 (the largest social media team in the world) twice as productive.
Conversational interfaces – be they social media, messaging apps or voice-activated systems – will continue to play a major role in the passenger experience of the future, and when combined with AI, they’ll yield entirely new user experiences and commercial opportunities, van der Lee says. “We believe service will become real-time and proactive, with complete trips being booked and planned through conversational interfaces,” she says. “Building your brand and business with conversation is the future.”
CLYDE HUTCHINSON – HEAD OF INNOVATION, VIVA AIR LABS
For Rooting Out Regional Travel Deterrents
In Latin America, the journey to the airport could cost a traveler just as much as the airfare itself, says Clyde Hutchinson, identifying one of the pain points low-cost carrier Viva Air sought to address with the inauguration of South America’s first aviation innovation lab last year. Regarding the question of urban mobility, Viva Air Labs is slated to run a pilot project this fall at José MarÃa Córdova International Airport in Colombia to deliver a multimodal solution that would allow passengers to get to and from the airport inexpensively and efficiently.
Another segment of the journey begging to be reconsidered, according to Hutchinson, is the airport, which in addition to long queues and baggage woes offers food that “is typically unhealthy and lacking character or a sense of place” and a “duty-free bargain that is now more expensive than you can buy at home online.” Hutchinson envisions airports of the future taking cues from models like WeWork and Selina “rather than the declining shopping mall,” and as one of the lab’s only full-time employees, he is eager to prototype new solutions from innovators and entrepreneurs in the region.
DR. MARK HILLER – CEO, RECARO AIRCRAFT SEATING
For Not Resting Until Passengers Can Do So Comfortably, Too
Space and comfort are compromised in the aircraft cabin, but the application of new materials and technologies could mitigate the impact flying has on sleep, posture and pressure points – even in the main cabin, says Dr. Mark Hiller. Recaro was awarded the 2019 Crystal Cabin Award for “Passenger Comfort Hardware” for a trio of comfort elements designed for long-range economy-class flying, and recent partnerships with jetlite for human-centric lighting that reduces the effects of jet lag, and Airbus for an Internet of Things-enabled cabin environment, show that Dr. Hiller isn’t resting on his accomplishments.
When it comes to his vision for the future of the passenger experience, Dr. Hiller expects seats to be fully customizable and adaptable. “Passengers will be able to determine how their seat will look, which comfort options will be available and what additional services they will receive,” he says, adding, “There is also a growing trend to increase the sustainability of a product and reduce its environmental impact – efficiency is a key consideration.”
STEVE KING – CEO, BLACK SWAN DATA
For Making Sense of Today’s Numbers for Tomorrow’s Reality
“It’s shocking, really, when you look at all the airlines that are going bankrupt these days. I think it’s a moral responsibility for all of us working in the business to help them out, because without them we simply don’t have any business,” says Steve King, explaining why Black Swan Data’s aviation arm, Fethr, isn’t just about creating pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) tools for airlines, but also pairing these with business models that allow airlines to keep flying. “Right now, airlines are being penalized with everything new they are trying to do. They shouldn’t be paying for things when they’ve got loads of passengers sitting idle-thumbed,” he adds.
A self-proclaimed geek, King believes airlines can harness the growing ubiquity of in-flight connectivity – and the resulting onslaught of data – to better understand passenger behavior patterns and create personalized and profitable in-flight experiences. Armed with strong industry alliances – Panasonic Avionics has helped it get airline exposure and Gate Gourmet has allowed it to experiment with menus and crunch data on waste – Fethr is well-positioned to make that happen. “I can talk as much as I want about algorithms and AI, but we need the people who can actually implement the change on our side,” he says.
AIREEN OMAR – DEPUTY GROUP CEO, TECHNOLOGY & DIGITAL, AIRASIA
For Building the Digital Airline of This Generation’s Dreams
It seems like every airline these days is pontificating on plans to become the “Amazon of travel,” but AirAsia is actually doing something about it, having just this spring announced plans to erect an e-commerce lifestyle app it hopes will surpass the size of its airline business. CEO Tony Fernandes intends to spend up to $22.5 million a year to transform the low-cost carrier into a technology-first company, and the woman tasked with the job of heading digital strategy and encouraging innovation and collaboration across the business is Aireen Omar.
Nearly two decades after becoming the first in the region to issue e-tickets, AirAsia – fortified by a mega-pool of consumer data from its booking engine – is now primed to take on non-airline companies, too. “Any startup, or even the existing players, would love the data that we have on our consumers and their behavior,” Omar told Nikkei Asian Review. To expand its core business, AirAsia this year launched a venture-capital arm, called RedBeat Ventures, of which Omar is its CEO, to invest in startups operating in travel, lifestyle, logistics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fintech and more.
DAVID BARTLETT – CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, PANASONIC AVIONICS
For Realizing the Possibility of Wellness on Board
Not long ago, mobile phones did little more than make calls – now they are personal devices containing entire worlds. Panasonic Avionics is planning a similar shift for the humble in-flight entertainment experience: “We are transitioning IFE systems to be digital platforms that drive new outcomes in addition to just playing movies,” says Bartlett.
The company’s Wellness solution is a great example of how an open framework could deliver entirely new and personalized experiences for passengers. It integrates with external apps such as Calm, myNoise and Mimi, and can also combine with an Internet of Things endpoint to provide better noise reduction, lighting and air cleansing. The company is even working with ecosystem partners such as wellness retreats to deliver new content. “Because of advances like these, I’m a firm believer in our aspiration that tomorrow’s passengers will leave the plane feeling even better than when they boarded,” Bartlett says.
GIL WEST – SENIOR EVP AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, DELTA AIR LINES
For Fostering Technological Innovation From the Inside Out
They say if you want something done right, you ought to do it yourself. This might be what Gil West had in mind with the creation of Delta Air Lines’ wholly owned subsidiary Delta Flight Products (DFP), which began as a vision to help the airline take control of the most complex aspects of aircraft interiors. In addition to facilitating mid-life interior modifications, DFP has already yielded its own wireless streaming in-flight entertainment technology, enabling the reduction of about one pound (half a kilogram) of wiring per seat, the company reports. As a result, Delta’s modified Boeing 767-400 fleet will eliminate about 1,330 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
DFP, along with The Hangar, Delta’s global innovation center, are “key channels we’re using across the business to constantly explore new ways to turn air travel into a part of the journey to get excited about,” West explains. “Customers expect their experiences with Delta to align with those of other great brands, so as technology advances at warp speed, we will continue innovating to transform flying in the ways customers and employees tell us are most important.”
DUPSY ABIOLA – HEAD OF GLOBAL INNOVATION, INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES GROUP
For Believing in a Sustainable, Technology-Enabled Future
As a young barrister, Dupsy Abiola found herself abandoning her career and setting up her own intern recruitment company: an online meeting place where students and graduates could be matched with employers. To get Intern Avenue off the ground, she delivered the pitch of a lifetime on Dragons’ Den, where she was offered an investment of £100,000. Several years later, she now sits on the opposite side of the pitch table for Hangar 51, International Airlines Group’s (IAG) accelerator program, which gives startups the chance to rapid-pilot their ideas on an airline’s global scale. (Past participants have included Volantio, Inflight VR and Mototok.)
“Most corporate accelerator programs are externally based, but we’ve really committed to having startups working side by side with our c-level, senior executives and everyone in our offices for 10 weeks. This level of engagement gets the best value for us and for them,” Abiola says. Her ultimate vision for the future of travel? “Seamless, sustainable and powered by technology.” This year’s iteration of the Hangar 51 innovation program includes a sustainability category, with a focus on carbon offset, carbon capture and innovative waste management, giving weight to Abiola’s vision.
DEVIN LIDDELL – PRINCIPAL FUTURIST, TEAGUE
For Innovating at the Seams of Transport Industries
While industry insiders are touting the need for seamless air travel, Liddell is busy imagining a future for the seams surrounding that journey – be they the transition from city to airport, security checkpoint to gate, or aircraft cabin to hotel room. “These in-between moments, these handoffs, are the real opportunities for breakthrough design that delivers better passenger experiences and better aviation-based businesses,” Liddell says.
As a regular contributor on Fast Company, Liddell has written about the looming effects of lost airport parking revenue at the hands of ridesharing and autonomous vehicles, the role of artificial intelligence in airport processing and radical alternatives to current airline practices, such as the introduction of Amazon-style subscriptions. Through regular work with clients like Toyota, Amazon and Google, Liddell bolsters his intermodal focus with intimate knowledge, not blanket assumption. “People will sometimes ask me why I’m so active within both commercial aviation and autonomous vehicles, for example. The reason is super-straightforward,” he says. “Both of their futures are deeply intertwined.”
PAUL EDWARDS – HEAD OF CREATIVE DESIGN, AIRBUS
For Flexing Imagination Inside the Confines of the Cabin
The parameters of comfort, service, ambience and design in the cabin are undergoing a process of expansion, says Paul Edwards, the main creative architect behind Airbus’ Airspace. “Airlines will offer passengers in all classes much more choice and flexibility, including the ability to select a flight experience based on their personal needs, which are very different for business or leisure, for old or young or for traveling alone or with family,” he says. And while in the past, the cabin experience was punctuated by stand-alone cabin elements – seats, galleys and lavatories, for instance – with greater digitization these will conjoin, and an Internet of Things-enabled environment will become the standard.
“IoT is about so much more than just voice-activated controls,” Edwards says. “We will see the merging of lighting and display technology to create truly unique, inspiring spaces and atmospheres where ambience and functionality combine, enhanced by augmented reality and supportive multimedia technologies such as surface lighting, OLED screens and artificial outside views.” A visualization of these digitally enhanced spaces was made public at this year’s Paris Air Show, where Airbus released its Airspace Cabin Vision 2030. Like the airframer’s Concept Cabin 2050, the vision for 10 years out is driven by passenger needs, Edwards says, but is “just a little closer to reality!”
MICHAEL IBBITSON – EVP, TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, DUBAI AIRPORTS
For Daring to Find a Simpler Way Through the Airport
The fact that passengers still have to queue at check-in, passport control and the gate to prove who they are when they’ve already provided all that info weeks or even months out “is just bizarre,” says Michael Ibbitson. A system that ensures traveler identities are made available to all the entities before they arrive would improve the experience for travelers and reduce the amount of space dedicated to processing in airports, Ibbitson says. The reallocation of space is something that would certainly benefit an airport like Dubai’s, which saw 22 million travelers pass through its doors in the first quarter of 2019 alone.
“It’s not a simple task because it’s cross-border, cross-jurisdiction and it covers many ideologies and governments,” Ibbitson says. But Dubai Airports is working closely with IATA, as well as other airports and airlines, to create a system that is standardized across the entire industry, with trials already completed between London and Dubai and pending for London-Dubai-Australia. Ibbitson insists this type of industry-wide collaboration isn’t unprecedented: Widespread standardization of barcode boarding and e-ticketing have already been achieved, for example. “Surely we can do the same with identity and biometrics,” he says.
“The New School” was originally published in the 9.4 September/October issue of APEX Experience magazine.


text:
This Thanksgiving, be ready with the best sports apps so you don't miss out on any of the football action.
Have you ever been a little confused about what to call your Android phone? Back in the day, phones were phones and the nomenclature was quite...
Find out what features and custom options are available in some of the best Android keyboards brought to you by third-part providers.
Find out about some exciting features that Android Kit Kat will be bringing to the Moto X, including touchless control and improved Hangouts.
Follow these simple steps when switching from iPhone to Android.
For the Google purists looking for the best bang for the buck, look no further than the new Google Nexus 5 from LG. The new Nexus 5 features a beautiful...
Last week's big tech news brings us rumors of a possible curved iPhone 6 in 2014. Sticking with Apple, the new iPad mini with retina display has arrived bu
‹ Previous 18 of 28
As the 2014 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show comes to close in Las Vegas today, we look back and refelect on all the tech the show had to...
Google has updated its Google Play Services which brings with it support for turn-based mulltiplayer support for Android games, a Google Drive API, and...
Thew world's most popular Android device could be set to make an appearance earlier than expected. According to a recent interview with the EVP of Samsung
For all those iPhone owners who have waited patiently to hunt like the Predator, your wait is over. The new FLIR One case brings true thermal vision to...
There are certainly no shortages of new Android smartphones at CES this year, and ASUS is making waves with a handful of notable new devices.

domain: news


text:
National Cryptocurrency Planned By Bank Indonesiabr>
Bank Indonesia, the country’s central bank, is planning to create a state-issued cryptocurrency called “Digital Rupiah.”
Susiato Dewi, the assistant deputy executive director of Bank Indonesia’s payment systems department, said that the country’s physical banknotes may be converted into digital money. She added that the Digital Rupiah would be trialled this year in an effort to help make the payment system more efficient.
Dewi noted that central banks in other countries had also begun trials to anticipate the possible use of cryptocurrencies for inter-country transactions. Dewi assured that the Digital Rupiah will be different from existing cryptocurrencies because it would be based on the certain values of assets. She said the central bank would take into account the inflation rate affecting Indonesia’s currency as it determines the number of Digital Rupiah to release into circulation.
Earlier this month, the central bank issued a warning against selling, buying, or trading cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Central bank governor Agus Wartowardojo said that using bitcoin as a payment and transaction instrument violated Law No. 7/2011, which designates the rupiah as the only official transaction and payment instrument in Indonesia.


text:
U.S. News & World Report has ranked the best cars for families for the past 12 years. The 13th list is out, choosing winners in nine categories: Midsize car, hybrid car, hybrid SUV, compact SUV, 2-row SUV, 3-row SUV, large SUV, minivan, and EV. As a measure of how much the vehicle landscape has veered toward SUVs, when U.S. News launched the awards in 2011 there were 10 categories just for cars as well as another nine for SUVs and one for the minivan. Now, there aren't enough midsize sedans to break the award into affordable and upscale segments, and there aren't enough subcompacts nor hatchbacks nor wagons to award those segments anything. That's called "progress," right?
Anyway, the outlet explains that "the award methodology combines professional automotive reviews, safety and reliability ratings, seating and cargo volume and the availability of family-friendly features. Within each of the nine automotive categories, the vehicle with the highest composite score is named the Best Car for Families in that category." The winner in each segment:
Midsize Car: 2023 Kia K5 — One of Kia's three awards in this year's ranks, displaces the Honda Accord that's won three times in the past four years.
Hybrid Car: 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid — The standard Camry is what usually swaps places with the Accord in the Midsize category. Locked out of that this year, it leads the hybrid spot by displacing the Accord Hybrid that won last year and picking up the mantle of the Avalon Hybrid that won in 2020 and 2021.
Hybrid SUV: 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid — In the 11 years this category's been awarded, the Highlander Hybrid has lost this category just once, ceding the silverware to the Lexus RX Hybrid in 2014.
3-Row SUV: 2023 Kia Telluride — The Telluride development team needs to buy another trophy cabinet. Kia's big SUV keeps hoovering so many awards. The Telluride takes this spot for the fourth year in a row.
Large SUV: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban — The only domestic on the list has won three years in a row and five times in total. It's back at the top after the Yukon and Escalade siblings won in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and the Ford Expedition won from 2018 to 2020.
Electric Vehicle: 2023 Kia EV6 — This segment used to be twinned with the Hybrid Car award. Broken out as EV-only this year, the EV6 sends another triumph to South Korea.
Minivan: 2023 Honda Odyssey — The Odyssey retains its shutout status, winning for the 13th consecutive time.
You Might Also Like


text:
Guadalupe Ramirez and her husband Ben Blevins were featured in their fair trade craft store AlterNatives Boutique in the Carytown neighborhood of Richmond in January 2021. She founded the shop almost three decades ago.
From Guadalupe Ramirez
Facebook recently announced its quarterly financial results, reporting $ 9.19 billion in profits on $ 29.01 billion in revenue. In a call to announce his performance, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg referred ten times to the importance of Facebook services “to grow your small business”.
Facebook wants lawmakers and the public to believe that its services are vital to Main Streets across America, and is spending tens of millions of dollars in advertising and lobbying to paint that picture. But the truth is that big tech companies like Facebook take advantage of and abuse small businesses. As a Richmond store owner, my business has experienced this firsthand.
I started a fair trade craft store 27 years ago and we have helped hundreds of ethical artisans around the world sell their crafts, jewelry and clothing to local and online conscious consumers. We pride ourselves on sourcing goods from underserved and overlooked communities, and communicating our mission to the Richmond community is at the heart of our marketing.
But the pandemic has put pressure on our store, and like millions of small businesses across the country, we have turned to digital advertising to promote our artisans’ goods and try to stay afloat. I hoped that advertising on Facebook would tell our story and reach new customers who shared our company’s values. Boosting our ecommerce sales was the only way we could survive the business, and Facebook promised the biggest bang for our buck.


text:
Irish Consumer Sentiment Falls Sharply In October On COVID-19 Fears
Irish consumer sentiment dropped sharply in October to its lowest level in five months on increased concerns about the potential impact of COVID-19 restrictions on household finances and jobs, a survey found on Friday.
The KBC Bank consumer sentiment index tumbled to 52.6 in October from 60.7 in September. That compares with a pandemic low of 42.6 in April during a complete lockdown of the economy and a 2020 high of 85.5 in January before the first case.
Respondents were surveyed either side of the Oct. 13 budget, which delivered Ireland's largest ever stimulus package and before the government followed a series of increasing COVID-19 restrictions with a stay-home order this week.


text:
The first application considered by the state from an Alaska cannabis retailer seeking to allow customers to use marijuana on-site failed to get approval Thursday during a meeting in which regulators wrestled with how to interpret the rules for such businesses.
The Marijuana Control Board voted 2-2 on the application from marijuana shop The Fairbanks Cut during the second day of its July meeting, convened in Fairbanks. The store sought an endorsement to allow people to smoke there in an outdoor area. A tied vote means no endorsement, though the business plans to appeal the decision, said Lily Bosshart, one of the owners.
In March, the state adopted rules that allow on-site consumption of marijuana at Alaska cannabis retailers. The Fairbanks City Council in April voted to allow smoking as well as use of edibles at such shops, and the Anchorage Assembly decided last month to allow on-site consumption of edibles, but not smoking. Retailers that want to offer on-site consumption still must get an endorsement from the state to do so.
At the center of the split vote Thursday was the issue of whether the store is located in a “freestanding” building, Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office director Erika McConnell said in an email. That’s a requirement for shops that want to offer on-site consumption, per state rules.
Regulations say that “freestanding” means “a building that is not supported by another structure and does not share ventilation or internal air space with an adjoining structure and smoke from the building cannot travel into the adjoining structure.”
At Thursday’s meeting, regulators discussed the fact that The Fairbanks Cut — which opened in April — isn’t the only business at its address. There’s also a construction company located there.
“Because the building in which The Fairbanks Cut is located also contains another business, the (question) was whether The Fairbanks Cut could be considered a freestanding building,” McConnell said in an email.
The business wants to fence in a parking lot and make it into an area where people can smoke, Bosshart said in an interview Thursday after the decision. She took issue with how regulators understood the rules.
“The definition of freestanding does not mention anything about sole occupancy within the building,” Bosshart said.
“Our building is all by itself in the middle of a field,” she said, “but they decided it’s still not enough.”
Beyond that store’s application, regulators at the meeting discussed what the interpretation of “freestanding” means for the industry more broadly, and how to iron out kinks in those new state rules.
“What is the standard practice when you have a new piece of legislation and it has a term or a word or a phrase that is very important to a lot of people,” said board chair Mark Springer, “but the regulators particularly who have the responsibility of framing around that statute — what is the practice to get a standard definition?”
The board voted to have Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office staff work on clarifying aspects of state regulations for on-site consumption.
The freestanding rule is “extremely prohibitive" because it’s hard to find buildings that comply, said Bosshart, who is also an owner of Anchorage cannabis store Dankorage. She worries the rule will prevent other businesses from pursuing the endorsements, and pointed to it as one reason why her business was the only one at this month’s board meeting to seek such approval.
The Marijuana Control Board typically has five members, and so can usually avoid vote ties. Earlier this year, the Legislature rejected by a single vote Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s nominee for the fifth seat.


text:
NEW DELHI : The Centre is working on a new legislative framework for ports, which seeks to usher in transparency in port tariffs, revamp penalties for offences, and bring over 15 sets of rules, replacing the over 110 years old act.
The proposed Indian Ports Bill, 2023, to replace the Indian Ports Act, 1908, seeks to empower the Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) and promote integrated planning between states and Centre with respect to port development, a top government official said.
The new legislation will help better determine port tariff.
“The definition of port tariff is being proposed to be made inclusive and it will include multiple components such as port duties. Focus is on transparency and de-regulation,” the official said.
Under the existing laws, major ports are governed by the Centre while non-major ones are under the control of the state. This control structure has been maintained in the new bill. But the central government can direct any port to adopt a mechanism for electronically integrating port related data with a centralised system as per the proposal.
This new amendment has taken a middle path by watering down contentious provisions that seemed to impinge upon rights of state governments which were proposed in earlier iterations.
MSDC will consult with central and state governments while issuing guidelines for port tariff.
“The council has been empowered to issue guidelines, which are solely recommendatory,” said the official cited above. Boards of major port authorities, and state maritime boards (SMBs) will also be empowered to remit the whole or any portion of port tariff, the person said.
In another significant proposal, the central and state governments can notify new ports and alter the limits of existing ones. Further, these governments have been empowered to take action to make ports or their parts non-operational on specified grounds. Besides this, the central government can de-notify a port if it has not been operating for a decade. Further, a port can be made non-operational in the interest of national security.
A three-tier dispute resolution mechanism has been proposed to address conflicts between two or more state maritime boards.
“The SMB would adjudicate disputes within a state. The state governments can review orders passed by SMB within a specified time. Appeals against these orders can also be filed with the appellate tribunal (adjudicatory board under Major Ports Authority Act),” the official said.
To contain pollution, each port needs to prepare a waste reception and handling plan.


text:
BATAVIA – The restaurant and dining scene in Batavia has become renowned in the Chicago area in recent years for its continued expansion both downtown and along the Randall Road corridor.
With a diversity of offerings, including ethnic cuisines and dining atmospheres ranging from gracious to casual, Batavia restauranteurs have been enticing residents to eat out in their own hometown.
To encourage Batavians to another helping of local fare, the seventh annual Restaurant Madness promotion is providing diners with a steep discount on their next meal.
Running from March 17 to 21, Restaurant Madness offers a 20 percent discount for meals at participating Batavia establishments.
Every Batavia household and business address recently received a glossy postcard, redeemable for the 20 percent reduction on the food bill.
Or, for those who many not have received the postcard, a coupon may be printed by visiting the websites for the city of Batavia, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce or Batavia Main Street, all of which have collaborated to produce the promotion.
There are 34 Batavia establishments participating in Restaurant Madness. They include coffee shops, diners, quick-serve eateries and full-service restaurants.
“It’s a great event to entice our residents and business community to break cabin fever and to get out and take in our local fare,” said Chris Aiston, the city of Batavia’s economic development consultant.
A listing of all the participating establishments may be found by visiting www.cityofbatavia.net/restaurantweek.


text:
Eco-Friendly Coffin Gets Accepted Into American Design MuseumAn eco-friendly coffin built by a Kiwi designer is being displayed in a prestigious American design museum – a move that could bury the competition.
The Artisan casket, made of plywood and fitted with a wool fleece mattress and pillow, is the brainchild of Auckland designer Greg Holdsworth.
It is the first Kiwi design selected for inclusion in New York’s Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum’s National Design Triennial Exhibition, which opened on Friday.
Held every three years for the past 30 years, the exhibition showcases the world’s most innovative designs for the future.
Holdsworth and wife Leanne, whose business Return to Sender is built from their shared commitment to protecting the environment, said they were bowled over when approached by the Smithsonian.
“For the first time ever, New Zealand is on the map in what would be considered the most sought-after exhibition of future designs that are going to make a difference to the world,” Leanne Holdsworth told the Sunday Star-Times.
They have their fingers crossed that the coffin will capture the imagination of Americans and lead to an overhaul of the way they dispose of their dead. Each year the 22,500 cemeteries across the United States bury millions of tonnes of steel, copper, bronze and reinforced concrete, as well as enough treated wood to build 3500 homes.
“A huge amount of unnecessary resources are used to bury people,” Holdsworth said. “It’s revolting to think about that level of waste. To be able to influence a population like that is pretty exciting.”
Holdsworth said the coffin would be on display in the museum for six months and then would tour with the exhibition around the States for two years. Her husband had originally planned to go to New York to see the exhibition, but a new baby forced him to rethink his plans.
Greg Holdsworth came up with the design for the Artisan coffin after his father-in-law was laid to rest in a casket he would have deplored because it was made of synthetic materials rather than natural wood. At the time, he was in his final year of a design degree at Unitec in Auckland and made designing an eco-coffin his project.
His low-sided coffin with a rounded lid went on to win two design awards in 2007. A lighting piece by Hawke’s Bay designer David Trubridge has also been chosen to feature in the exhibition.
See the Smithsonian’s Design Museum online at www.cooperhewitt.org.


text:
133rd Canton Fair to resume offline exhibition in mid-April 2023
The 133rd China Import and Export Fair, or the 133rd Canton Fair, will resume offline exhibition on April 15 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, said Chu Shijia, director of China Foreign Trade Center, on last Saturday.
The fair will be held in three phases, with its exhibition area expanded from 1.18 million to 1.5 million square meters, focusing on home appliances and machinery, consumer goods, textiles and clothing, and health.
Currently, more than 40,000 enterprises have applied for exhibition booths, with the booth number increasing to nearly 70,000 from the previous 60,000. The online exhibition is also opening arms to all qualified enterprises.
Among the exhibitors, there are over 5,000 high-quality and characteristic enterprises, including 2,632 state-level high-tech enterprises, 2,074 brand enterprises of Canton Fair, 1,292 AEO authorized enterprises and about 500 champion enterprises in the manufacturing industry, and "little giant" enterprises which specialize in niche sectors, command high market shares and boast strong innovative capacity.
The fair has started global promotion in advance and sent invitations to 950,000 domestic and foreign buyers, 177 global partners, and 224 business institutions of foreign embassies and consulates in China, said Chu.
We warmly welcome clients from all over the world to come to China to place orders,welcome to our booth and welcome to visit our factory&showroom.


text:
NFT game Aavegotchi has decided to go live on Matic Network rather than their initial plan of launching on Ethereum. The team decided to migrate to Matic owing to the higher gas fees on the Ethereum network. The project will instead move to Matic, a smart-contract platform, and layer two scaling solution for Ethereum. According to the team, Matic Network was the perfect choice to launch Aavegotchi given its friendly ecosystem for non-fungible tokens.
According to an announcement, Aavegotchi is postponing the Jan. 4 mainnet launch of its NFT game due to the high activity on the Ethereum blockchain.
Aavegotchi was initially planned to launch on Ethereum. However, the high gas fees on the network made the Aavegotchi team second-guessing their plan. The team then decided to move to the Matic Network following a community vote on Discord.
Aavegotchi is a trading game inspired by the Tamagotchi line of toys from the 90s. Unlike the real toys, the NFT collectibles, carry value in the form of staked tokens and wearables that can be traded just like any other blockchain token.
Recently, Ether (ETH) crossed $1,000 for the first time in two years. The Ethereum blockchain has also been facing higher transaction volumes on its network. Just a few days ago, gas prices on the Ethereum network have reached an average of $10.20 per transaction as the price of Ether surged to yearly highs.
This in turn makes it expensive for app developers to operate on the network. The Avagotchi team even wrote that such higher transaction fees were beyond the acceptable threshold.
Meanwhile, Aavegotchi is not the only NFT game to move to the Matic Network. For instance, OpenSea, one of the largest NFT marketplaces too decided to migrate to Matic. Another crypto collectible card game SkyWeaver also announced that it would be launching its open-beta version on Matic Network.


text:
The giant chain of coffee joints claims up to 90% of the $1.6 billion spent in U.S. stores using a smartphone in 2013, and 2014 probably wasn't much different despite the introduction of Apple Pay in October. In its holiday quarter reported today, Starbucks said momentum continued to build for its mobile app, which allows customers to pay for a Frappuccino with a wave of their smartphone at the checkout counter.
In its first fiscal quarter of 2015 ended Dec. 28, the company said it had more than 13 million mobile users in the U.S., up from 12 million reported in October. They made some 7 million mobile transactions a week, constituting 16% of transactions.
CEO Howard Schultz has made mobile payment a top priority, even suggesting late last year that Starbucks' digital stored-payment cards could become a broader currency that could be used to buy at other retailers as well. That will be a challenge, but it's clear the company has no intention of ceding customer relationships to Apple Pay,
For now, it's apparent that the Starbucks app is helping the business on several levels. For one, the app has helped boost My Starbucks Rewards, its loyalty program, because it makes it easier to track purchases to get free drinks and other perks. In the first quarter, Starbucks added 900,000 new rewards members, for a total of 9 million, up 23% from a year ago.
Mobile payment also greases the skids for Schultz's other ambitions, such as mobile order and pay. The company tested the ability to order on smartphones and pick up in stores to avoid lines in Portland, Ore. in December. Although Starbucks didn't provide numbers, it went well enough that the company plans to launch mobile order and pay in 600 stores in the Northwest in the next few months, and nationally later this year. "It will drive a significant increase in mobile transactions in stores," Schultz said today during the analyst conference call.
By most accounts, Apple Pay has proved popular among iPhone 6 users (the only ones who can use it for now), and even Google Wallet has seen a boost thanks to publicity about mobile payment. But Starbucks' app seems likely to remain popular thanks to its unique combination of payment and rewards. Apple and Google will need to offer more value than mere payment if they're to become indispensable to iPhone and Android owners.


text:
Energy expert and former head of the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals Union Hassan Khosrowjerdi says export of petrochemicals will continue growing on condition of safe feedstock supply.
Khosrowjerdi said due to appropriate feedstock supply in the
first half of this year, export of petrochemicals grew, thus promising a good
year for Iranian petrochemical industry.
He said if feedstock continues to be supplied adequately,
the exports will be better even than the first six months of this year.
He went on to say that the exported Iranian petrochemicals
can find their real status in global markets, so cooperation of all officials
in charge will be a breakthrough.


text:
ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) this morning issued a news release highlighting some of its financial and business achievements for January 2017, as well as its plans to build on these milestones moving forward. After reporting significantly higher revenues for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2016, the company has now achieved revenue growth for three consecutive quarters, and ChineseInvestors.com will look to continue this trend through its entry into the hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) health products market. In addition to completing a $5 million private placement, the company kicked off 2017 with the launch of its new www.ChineseCBDoil.com site, through which it aims to offer CBD products to the Chinese community in both the United States and Mainland China. “The hemp-based CBD oil market has great potential and our management team and employees are very excited to develop this new division of the company,” Warren Wang, founder and CEO of ChineseInvestors.com, stated in the news release. “Our longer term plans include opening additional brick-and-mortar retail locations in the U.S. and around the world.”
To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/Ji6zc
Founded in 1999, ChineseInvestors.com endeavors to be an innovative company providing: (a) real-time market commentary, analysis, and educational related services in Chinese language character sets (traditional and simplified); (b) support services to our various partners; (c) consulting services to smaller private companies considering becoming a public company; and (d) advertising and public relation related support services.
NetworkNewsBreak (NNB) provides a rapid summary of corporate news that caught the attention of CBDWire (CBDW). NNB keeps you up-to-date on active US Public Companies complementary to CBDW’s broader scope as a provider of news aggregation and syndication, enhanced press release services and a full array of social communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and distribution company with an extensive team of journalists and writers, CBDW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies who need to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CBDW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CBDW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CBDW is where news, content and information converge.
For more information, visit https://www.cbdwire.com.
Please see full disclaimers on the CBDWire website: http://nnw.fm/Disclaimer


text:
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Spot linear alkylbenzene (LAB) prices in Asia appear to have brushed off the impact of recent feedstock shortages, but they are unlikely to fall back sharply anytime soon following India’s move to impose anti-dumping duties (ADDs) on some imports.
Prices in southeast and northeast Asia have eased about $30/tonne from their near-two-year highs hit in mid-March and have been stable through April so far, according to ICIS data.
A prolonged shutdown at Shell’s Pearl gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant in Qatar has curtailed supply of raw material normal paraffin (n-paraffin) to some key LAB producers in Asia. Some of the producers said they have since switched to alternative suppliers to ensure no significant disruption to LAB production.
“We do some business with Pearl GTL, mostly on contract basis,” said a source at a LAB manufacturer. “There has been no major impact on our operations.”
Other LAB producers declined comment on whether Pearl GTL was indeed their main supplier of n-paraffin but simply said they were running their LAB plants at normal rates.
Shell said in February that operations at its 1.5mn tonne/year Pearl GTL plant in Ras Laffan, Qatar, were suspended due to “unforeseen maintenance”. The plant, a joint venture between Shell and Qatar Petroleum, produces base oils, naphtha and n-paraffin, among others. High-purity n-paraffin is obtained by hydrotreating jet kerosene.
It was not clear when the plant can resume operations, but market sources said they expect Pearl GTL to be restarted around end-May at the earliest.
Some market participants said that the impact of the shutdown may be being downplayed.
Between February and May, n-paraffin output is estimated to have probably been reduced by 60,000-80,000 tonnes due to the shutdown, they said.
“It's surprising that there has not been any major impact from the shutdown. If it [shutdown] was one to two months, it's fine but this is going on longer than anyone thought,” said a market source.
LAB prices across Asia increased through February and traded up to almost two-year highs in mid-March, which coincided with rising prices of main raw materials benzene and n-parrafin.
By the week ended 15 March, LAB prices in southeast (SE) and northeast (NE) Asia had hit their highest since July 2015 while prices in India had jumped to their highest since June 2015.
Aside from the impact of higher benzene prices, the move in LAB prices at the time was linked by some market participants to the reported shortage of n-paraffin due to the shutdown of Shell’s Pearl GTL plant in Qatar.
Prices had since eased, but are not expected to weaken by much as they are supported in the near term by India’s imposition of ADDs on LAB imports from Qatar, Iran and China, market sources said.
India had initiated the investigation into the alleged dumping in late 2015 following complaints from domestic producers. In a circular dated 11 April 2017, the government imposed ADDs ranging from $23.78/tonne up to $300.22/tonne on LAB imports from the three countries, for five years.
“The domestic prices will go up, exporters will sell at domestic prices, making more money,” said one market source in India.
While there has been limited information about whether Indian producers and those producers not affected by the ADDs would really bump their prices higher, it appears unlikely that LAB prices will decline sharply anytime soon.
LAB prices in India have been stable at their recent highs since mid-March.
“Maybe some Indian producers may use this to their advantage but I don’t really think so. I think the (ADDs) would have been factored in already [in the prices],” said another market source.
Focus article by Izham Ahmad


text:
- Apple imports iPhone SE 3, iPad models ahead of India launch: All you need to know
- OnePlus budget-friendly smartphone Nord CE 2 Lite will likely come with Snapdragon 695 chip, 64MP camera
- Budget 2022 goes tech-tonic! FM puts focus on e-passport, 5G, gaming, AVGC, EV battery swapping & more
- Fans can't keep calm: Samsung Galaxy S22 series may get 50MP rear camera, Super Clear lens
- Vishal Garg's return as CEO shakes Better.com; many resign, company rolls in NDA, 'no phone' rule for meetings
One forecaster, Insider Intelligence, does not expect Meta Platforms Inc's Instagram social media service to lose users in the next three years. But its November estimates show Instagram's growth in monthly users will fall to 5.8% this year and 3.1% by 2025 from 16.5% last year.
Instagram, which the tech giant acquired in 2012 for $1 billion, has been viewed as an antidote to slowing growth at Facebook, with revenue from ads on Instagram increasingly crucial to Meta.
The company is putting those funds toward building out a new business selling virtual-reality goggles and related metaverse technologies. A decline in Instagram users and inability to raise ad prices could halt Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's ambitions.
Fewer people checked their Facebook every day per quarter than they did the year before for the first time ever during the last three months of 2021, Meta said on Wednesday. It was one of several troubling signs, along with profit below expectations and a disappointing revenue outlook, that dropped shares over 26% on Thursday.
Meta Chief Financial Officer Dave Wehner on Wednesday told financial analysts part of the usage decrease for the main Facebook app and website came from fewer COVID-19 lockdowns, which have tended to generate a boom in online activity. He also blamed rising internet costs for consumers in India and increasing interest in ByteDance Inc's video-sharing app TikTok.
Meta does not regularly break out usage of Instagram, but analysts say TikTok is hurting Instagram's growth, too.
Facebook and, to a degree, Instagram have overcome challenges before, including data privacy disasters, scrutiny over the wellbeing of users and competition from Snap Inc's Snapchat, Twitter Inc and many others over the years.
Indeed, Instagram is investing billions of dollars into video-related features, such as a TikTok-style option called Reels. Zuckerberg told analysts Wednesday that Reels was its fastest growing content format “by far” and the biggest contributor to engagement growth on Instagram.
Analysts say Reels eventually could become a bigger revenue-generator than ads set against photo and text posts. But in a nod to the challenge ahead, Zuckerberg noted, Reels is not popular enough yet to attract the ad sales that older features do.


text:
PQ Corp for sale, could fetch $1 billion--sources
Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:12pm ET
NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - Specialty chemicals business PQ Corp. has been put up for sale by its private equity backers, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters and could fetch as much as $1 billion.
The Berwyn, Pennsylvania, company is owned by CCMP Capital Advisors, a private equity firm that was formerly part of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s private equity business, which bought PQ from the founding Elkinton family in a deal announced in December of 2004.
Two sources familiar with the situation said the company was up for sale and one of the sources said it could fetch more than $1 billion and could go to a private equity buyer.
But an industry source said the company would probably be sold for less than $1 billion, based on its earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation.
The price the private equity buyers originally paid for PQ was undisclosed, although a report at the time in The Deal publication put the price at $700 million, or seven times earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation.
CCMP declined comment.
Kevin Doran, vice president of human resources and communications at PQ Corp. said: "We have not made any public comments about any such activity."
Demand for chemical companies has been high among both private equity firms and competitors as the industry consolidates.
Specialty chemicals in particular have done well. In February, Lyondell Chemical Co. agreed to sell its titanium dioxide business to Saudi Arabia's National Industrialization Co. <2060.SE> for about $1.2 billion, a higher price than expected.
PQ Corp. said in a news release on its Web site in March that net sales for 2006 were $708.6 million, up 12 percent from the previous year, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation were $149.1 million for 2006, up 27 percent.
Engineering News Archive


text:
Rural communities across Tennessee's southeast corner have an investment in locally owned businesses, not the least among them eateries that supply food, jobs and draw visitors that help form the tax base for schools and local government.
The Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association has set up an online resource listing the region's hometown restaurants to expand the carry-out and delivery menu during the coronavirus pandemic that has dealt a crushing blow to the local business community, according to Jenni Veal, tourism coordinator for the association.
"The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been immediate for small businesses, and especially within the tourism, hospitality and restaurant industries," she said. "So in unprecedented times like this, you just do whatever you can to support what remains. And what remains right now are our restaurants and their owners, who have switched gears during this crisis to offer delicious, homemade food for take-out and delivery."
The list and links to websites or social media pages includes locally owned restaurants in rural Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie counties, as well as more metropolitan Bradley and Hamilton counties. The list on the agency's website is not compete, Veal said. Any locally owned restaurants that would like to be added can do so by contacting Veal at [email protected], she said.
Tourism is Tennessee's second- largest industry and in recent years there's been record-breaking tourism growth across the state with travelers spending an estimated $60 million per day, Veal said, citing tourism office statistics.
"When tourists visit rural communities to hike, paddle and explore, their dollars not only invest in small businesses and jobs, but they generate state and local tax revenue that supports a community's schools, social services, infrastructure and local government," she said. "That economic boom has been completely shut down by COVID-19."
Sequatchie County-Dunlap Chamber of Commerce executive director Janis Adams Kyser said local restaurants are important to the local economy and have stepped up as the coronavirus pandemic puts the squeeze on local businesses and their neighbors.
"Our local restaurants and businesses are critical to our survival as a community," Kyser said. "They're open and they're doing drive- thru service. They're keeping all the employees they can keep."
Kyser said staff at many restaurants are clad in masks and gloves and all are delivering meals to folks in their cars or through a drive-thru window to maintain the recommended social distances.
"We are trying to be proactive," she said. "I think that's one indication that Sequatchie County has only one confirmed case," she said, noting there could be another, overlooked factor.
"One of the things that every restaurant brings to us, they bring out the sweet tea," she said conspiratorially. "Maybe it's that Sequatchie Valley sweet tea that's keeping us going, I'm not sure."
Patty Henry owns SueBob's Diner in Powells Crossroads, Tennessee, which snugs up to the bottom of Walden's Ridge in Marion County. The pandemic has had a negative impact but a few changes combined with a drive-thru that was already in operation allow Henry to meet the changing needs of her customers.
"All I did was adjust my hours. I'm going to be expanding them again because of an opportunity I have to feed the elderly," she said. But that could change operations, too, and Henry suggests her customers check suebobs.com for the latest hours.
"I'm operating off of what's happening in the world around me," she said, mentioning Marion County Mayor David Jackson's curfew of 8 p.m. CDT announced Tuesday.
Veal hopes stir-crazy Chattanooga folks will take a short, scenic cruise for a meal from somewhere different.
"It's been heartwarming to see our communities doing all they can to support their local restaurants, but the populations in rural areas are limited," she said. "So we decided to help spread the word to our Chattanooga friends to encourage everyone to 'think regionally, act regionally.'
"Most of the small towns in our region are within a short and beautiful drive of Chattanooga, so it's not a big investment to get out on a beautiful day and take a drive for some good food that supports a small business," she said.
Videos and photos of some restaurants' current operations can be seen on the association's social media platforms, Veal said.
Kyser in Sequatchie County said with everyone in the same situation it's time to take care of each other.
"If my boat floats and yours doesn't, we all sink together," she said.
Contact Ben Benton at [email protected] or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.
WHERE TO EAT
Below is the initial list of locally owned restaurants in Southeast Tennessee provided by the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association. Phone numbers are listed as provided. The list on the agency's website is updated as new information is provided by restaurant owners. Information for restaurants with no phone number listed can be found on their social media platforms or at the association's landing page. To be added, contact Jenni Veal at [email protected]
Morgan Bros. BBQ: 423-447-6423
Little Mountain Video: 423-881-3985
Mi Cabanita: 423-447-2668
Pailo Market: 423-554-3891
Pikeville Pizza King: 423-447-7564
Cookie Jar Café: 423-949-5852
Dunlap Restaurant: 423-949-2595
Anthony & Theresa's Homecookin': 423-949-4089
Andy's Pizza and Steakhouse: 423-949-3633
Pizza King: 423-949-4373
El Metate: 423-949-6132
SueBob's Diner: 423-658-8575
Sequatchie Cove Farm Trading Post (pre-order online only)
Jerome's Fine Swine BBQ: 423-658-5880
Johnny's Hook & Grill: 423-815-4014
Whitwell Dairy Bar: 423-658-6050
Rusty Joe's: 423-661-2000
Pizza Chef: 423-658-0333
Ramsey's BBQ & Catering: 423-939-0433
Top of the Rock: 423-939-9037
Snack Shack: 423-942-8955
T's Diner: 423-942-3505
Whiskey Barrel Bar & Grill: 423-939-0754
El Toril: 423-228-4640
Dragging Canoe Coffee Traders: 423-939-9372
Dixie Freeze: 423-837-6423
Harvey's Pirate Drive-In: 423-837-7763
Lookout Winery & Wood Stove Pizza
TENNESSEE'S SOUTH CUMBERLAND
Jim Oliver's Smokehouse Restaurant: 931-924-2091
Mountain Goat Market: 931-924-2727
Papa Ron's: 931-924-3355
High Point: 931-924-4600
Depot Café: 931-224-3842
Dixie Dinner: 931-924-9292
Hank's Corner Grille
Dutch Maid Bakery & Cafe
The Southern Oven: 931-779-6836
Simply Southern: 931-467-2600
Fat Chunks and Dave's: 931-779-4080
CHATTANOOGA & TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN
Monkey Town Brewing Company
Screen Door Kitchen
2 Squares A Day
Bread & Butter
River Street Deli
The Southern Star – downtown
Southern Star Takeout – Signal Mountain
Fat Boy's Roadside Eats
The Chef & His Wife
Rib & Loin
Bite Me Bakery
Shane's Rib Shack
SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS & FOOTHILLS
Shane's Rib Shack 423-476-5970
Ocoee Dam Deli
Bakery on Main
Maddi Mae's Café
Source: Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association


text:
Feature: Second-hand books find new life online
BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) — Wang Anna, a 28-year-old working in Beijing, used to pack used books into every nook and cranny of her bedroom because her bookcase was full.
But now she has a way to dispose of her used books. She opened an online bookstall on the second-hand book trading website kongfz.com four years ago, and since then has sold more than 100 books.
"Selling my books to other readers is more environmentally friendly than throwing them away," Wang said. "And the value of the books can be maximized if they are passed on to more readers."
Book recycling has become increasingly popular in China, as websites and mobile apps for trading used books flourish.
However, Wang sometimes finds selling books on kongfz.com to be a lot of work because she needs to input the books' information, wait for buyers to order, and then ship the books.
Yushu, which can be accessed at 22bat.com and the company's official WeChat account, eliminates these troubles.
Staff of Yushu provide on-call and onsite service to collect books free of charge. The collected books are sold at a 62-percent discount online and at brick-and-mortar bookstores, or they may be donated or made into other products.
Yushu's logistics service works with online retail giant JD.com, enabling the book-collecting service to cover 344 cities in China, Yushu founder Shang Xiaohui told Xinhua.
Shang started the book-recycling project as a university student in Shanghai in 2013 and founded Yushu in June 2017. The platform has collected nearly six million books so far.
For Shang, the popularity of Yushu is partly due to increased environmental awareness on the part of donors, and their belief that the books can help people.
A fourth grader at Guangqi primary school in Shanghai mobilized more than 400 pupils to donate 1,230 books, and they are still continuing to donate, Shang said.
"Publishing a 250-page book consumes 7.5 kilograms of water, nearly 1 kilogram of wood and 125 grams of coal," Shang said, adding that many donors believe in protecting natural resources.
The collected books will be disinfected and some will be distributed to more than 80 public libraries in schools, communities and welfare houses established by Yushu.
Yushu staff handle every book carefully because the books may change children's lives, Shang said.
He once learned that Shejie Primary School in poverty-stricken Guizhou Province badly needed books.
A volunteer teacher who had been working at the school for two years told Shang that bookstores in towns were too far, and books were too expensive for the school.
Soon after, Yushu staff donated 300 books to the school, then donated another 600 later.
The students were very happy and wrapped the books in newspaper to avoid scratches.
"Yushu is awesome. It makes my idle books achieve more value," a book donor named Mimi said on Yushu's official WeChat account.
Chinese adults read an average of 7.86 books in 2016, according to an annual survey on reading habits conducted by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication in April 2017.
Shang's vision is for Yushu to help Chinese people read one more book per year and to give children in poor areas more access to good books.
Shang said Yushu plans to set up 1,000 public libraries by the end of this year.
As more book-trading websites and mobile apps emerge, more Chinese are dusting off their used books and letting them begin a new chapter online.


text:
Jack in the Box (JACK) said last week that it would explore options for its Qdoba Restaurant Mexican restaurant chain.
The move comes shortly after activist investor Keith Meister and his insurgent fund quietly accumulated a 1.8% position—about $56 million worth—in the restaurant chain between January and March.
And while Meister's Corvex Management LP hasn't made any noise yet, it is very possible that the insurgent fund's agitations led Jack in the Box to consider strategic options for Qdoba. The restaurant chain hired Morgan Stanley for the review.
It's unclear at this stage exactly what Jack in the Box will consider doing. However, a decision not to sell or spin off the unit would likely lead to further share accumulations by Corvex and some escalation - even a director-election proxy contest. The insurgent fund has launched 17 activist campaigns and five proxy contests since 2011 - and another one could emerge at Jack in the Box.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there were significant discussions between Corvex and Jack in the Box prior to its announcement of strategic options for Qdoba," said Nick Setyan, an analyst at WedBush Securities Inc.
Analysts following the restaurant chain believe a spinoff is Qdoba's likeliest fate, though some private equity firms could be interested in buying it as well.
Setyan calculates a $123 a share sum-of-the-parts valuation for the two companies if they were to trade separately. "If JACK were to trade on its own it would be worth $100 a share, which is what it is trading at right now with Qdoba in the mix," he said. "Qdoba on its own would trade at $22 or $23 a share."
Setyan notes that a spin-off would make the most sense from a taxation point of view, adding that Qdoba could subsequently become a much more coveted target of activism once it is a separate publicly-traded company.
"There is a lot an activist could push for once Qdoba is separated," Setyan said. "There is room for activists to push for franchising as well as operational improvements and a sale."
Currently, Qdoba has a roughly 50%-50% split when it comes to company-operated and franchised locations. According to a May 17 quarterly report, Qdoba has 377 company-operated locations and 340 franchised ones.
"Qdoba is ripe for an activist once it is spun off in a tax-advantaged way," Setyan said.
Activists frequently push companies that operate a large percentage of their stores into having them franchised out, with the goal of raising funds for shareholder distributions and debt reduction.
For example, Mick McGuire and activist fund Marcato Capital has been nudging Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD) to franchise more of its company-owned stores.
And activist Glenn Welling of Engaged Capital successfully pushed the freshly-squeezed-juice and smoothie retailer Jamba Juice (JMBA) to convert itself mainly into a franchised-owned company with the cash generated from franchising company-owned stores being used largely for stock buybacks. Also, it's possible that Welling could be pushing Ruby Tuesday's to franchise some of the 500+ stores it currently operators.
Corvex would receive a stake in Qdoba through a share distribution if the restaurant unit is spun off. Meister could subsequently launch an activist campaign to have the company franchise more stores or sell itself to a strategic or private equity buyer.
Also, Corvex could drive a sale of Jack in the Box? Less likely. One recent acquirer, Restaurant Brands International Inc. (QSR) isn't expected to have any interest in Jack in the Box or Qdoba.
Restaurant Brands International recently acquired Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in a $1.8 billion acquisition, adding to its stable of Burger King and Tim Hortons chains.
"If they acquire something it is unlikely to be another quick-service-restaurant concept," Setyan said. "They likely are looking for a pizza or taco concept chain."
Nevertheless, there has been a spate of restaurant deals in recent years, suggesting that a sale of Jack in the Box could happen. These include JAB BV's $7.5 billion pending purchase of Panera Bread Co. (PNRA), which is expected to close in the third quarter. Also, Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) recently acquired Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen from L Catterton and Oak Investment Partners LP in a $780 million deal. Finally, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. was acquired from Sentinel Capital Partners by Oak Hill Capital Partners in a $525 million transaction.


text:
According to a study conducted by the NRF Foundation, young people are looking for careers with companies that give back to the community and place a high importance on the environment. They want their opinions to be heard and to advance their careers quickly. What most young people do not realize is that retail offers all of these attributes. The NRF recently launched their “This is Retail” campaign to educate young people who are not considering retail about the opportunities the industry provides.
Read the full article here:


text: Apple has wrapped up its Spring Forward event — Apple Watch! A new MacBook! HBO Now on Apple TV!. Join Chris Ziegler (with new glasses), Casey Newton (via San Francisco), and Ross Miller (hi!) as we break down all the news of the day, and later on, discussing the finer points of arm hair grooming.


text:
You are here
US consumer prices jump 0.5% in January
[WASHINGTON] US consumer inflation jumped sharply in the first month of 2018, the government reported Wednesday - an increase that sparked jitters on Wall Street about interest rate hikes coming sooner than expected this year.
The consumer price index (CPI), which tracks the costs of household goods and services, rose 0.5 per cent last month, exceeding analyst expectations, according to the Labor Department's closely-watched report.
The core index, which excludes volatile food and fuel categories, rose 0.3 per cent, the largest increase since January 2017.
The long anticipated upward movement in consumer prices was sure to fuel worries among investors that the Federal Reserve could tighten interest rates at a quicker pace.
The annual CPI increase held steady at 2.1 per cent, with the core rate up 1.8 per cent, also the same as in December, the report said.
Meanwhile, falling auto sales in January helped drive down the pace of consumer spending, which fell by the largest amount in 11 months as outlays for hurricane reconstruction subsided.
Wall Street jitters sparked a global stocks sell-off this month in large part due to fears that the potential for mounting inflation amid strong job growth could push the Fed to raise rates more aggressively than the three hikes predicted this year.
In a separate report Wednesday, the Commerce Department said retail sales in January fell 0.3 per cent, seasonally adjusted, after holding flat in December.
The result is subject to revision but fell far short of analyst expectations and could suggest consumer demand is reverting to a slower trend at the start of the year.
American consumers spent an estimated US$492 billion last month, which was still a solid 3.6 per cent higher than January 2017.
Vehicle and parts sales fell 1.3 per cent from December, the largest drop since August, even as gas stations saw a healthy bump, rising 1.6 per cent in the month.
Within the numbers, there were also were signs that spending on reconstruction after the late summer hurricanes continued to decline.
Sales of building materials and garden supplies saw their largest monthly decrease in nearly two years, giving up 2.4 per cent.
And home furnishings fell 0.4 per cent, after a 1.1 per cent drop in December.
Online retail had a flat January, while sales at long-suffering department stores rose 0.8 per cent.


text:
Today's newspaper delivery delayed
There was a problem with the printing press at the plant in Peoria, Illinois, where The Hawk Eye is printed.
Due to this situation the newspaper delivery will be delayed today (Wednesday Feb. 26). The plan is to have newspapers delivered before noon. The mail delivery of the newspaper also will be delayed one day.
There also will be no inserts in the newspaper. The grocery store ads will be inserted in the Thursday edition.
We appreciate your patience with this unfortunate situation.
The Hawk Eye


text:
- Green Growth
- Your Consultant
22:30 | 26/06/2020
Nestlé Vietnam and La Vie are engaged in a wide range of activities to spur the development of circular economy in Vietnam and shaping a ...
15:08 | 15/06/2020
As water is the most valuable resource on Earth, Nestlé Vietnam and La Vie, members of Nestlé Group, have dedicated efforts to protecte water resources ...
22:40 | 19/05/2020
Under the "Overcoming challenges, grasping opportunities" programme, Nestlé and La Vie supported 22,000 partners with packages of their products.
08:00 | 13/04/2020
With the purpose of enhancing people’s quality of life and contributing to a healthier future for everyone, Nestlé Vietnam continues to support the Vietnamese government ...
08:00 | 10/04/2020
Nestlé Vietnam has launched a breakthrough in packaging innovation by introducing paper straws for its Nestlé MILO breakfast drinks.
10:00 | 06/04/2020
In accompanying Vietnam’s government to battle the coronavirus pandemic, Nestlé Vietnam has handed nutritional products valued at VND3 billion ($130,000) to those heroic people fighting ...
18:22 | 31/03/2020
Binu Jacob has been appointed as managing director of Nestlé Vietnam from April 1, 2020.
12:29 | 23/03/2020
La Vie and Nestlé Vietnam joined organisations in Long An to donate water and daily essentials to people heavily affected by drought and saltwater intrusion.
08:05 | 02/03/2020
Nestlé Vietnam has introduced Nescafé Aromatico and Nescafé Excellente – the two latest products made of premium quality coffee beans sourced from the Central Highlands ...
08:20 | 16/12/2019
Given its long-term commitment to Vietnam’s coffee industry, Nestlé Vietnam is continuously driving initiatives to bring a positive impact on the lives of Vietnamese coffee ...


text:
Ready to go… “Beyond the Little Black Dress”!
We are very excited to announce that our brand has been invited to Washington DC to present our collection in the fashion event Beyond the Little Black Dress on Sep 28. The event is organized by the Institute Alliance Française de Washington DC at the French Embassy of the US capital.
Well, the show is just around the corner ❤! The final countdown has begun and the time goes by quickly with a lot of preparation heat!
All we can say for the moment is that this show will be the first in which Avgousta Theodoulou accessories will appear, signifying the launch of this line of products.Find out soon all about our show in Washington DC on our site. As for the experience and details, those will be shared as usual through posts on this blog and social media!
For now, have a look at the video teaser, with scenes of the previous edition of the event, prepared by the organizers:


text:
The latest appalling jargon word in an industry already bursting withis still far from being big business. Lotus Development’s Internet supremo Victor Aberdeen begs to differ. them is “etailer” – not a strange south American mammal, but an “electronic retailer”. But so far, the results for etailers trying to sell their wares online have been almost as feeble as the name itself.
The supposed boom in electronic commerce has spawned a huge new business in conferences, books, consultancy and other sources of advice for vendors panicking that they would be left behind.
What hasn’t materialised so far, though, are spectacular profits for the etailers, or significant new services for the customers, because of the Net, the most common medium for the new e-commerce.
According to Forrester Research, the most common use of the Web by businesses is still as a marketing tool, with over 80 per cent of companies doing no more than putting up a simple publicity page with contact details.
As far as actual transactions go, business-to-business systems have had a headstart, mainly because there is a precedent for this in technologies such as electronic data interchange, an expensive way of exchanging business information on dedicated networks, which is now migrating to the Net.
The dream of closing down all those expensive branches and selling to consumers via the Internet still seems far away. Popular myth blames the well-publicised mistrust of the Internet’s security for this, but recent studies indicate that the great public objections are more fundamental – money and ease of use.
A new study conducted by Jupiter Communications found that 65 percent of those that use the Internet regularly – an estimated 60 million – have never made a purchase online. The threat to the traditional high street seems limited so far.
But of Web surfers who fail to purchase online, 77 percent said they would shop on the Net if there were more discounts; 64 percent of Net virgins said bargains would attract them.
Another new piece of research, from Forrester Research, says that 90 percent of company Web sites have failed to deliver on expectations, largely because they are so unfriendly for customers to use. Most of them break the most simple Web design rules, and 62 percent of US surfers who try to buy online give up because it is too difficult or complicated, says the report.
It may be worth persevering – 95 percent of those who successfully make a purchase are satisfied and repeat the experience. There have been some notable pioneers such as Tesco Online and the Amazon.com bookstore, but on the whole the e-commerce revolution has not yet happened.
The IT industry, as usual, is quick to blame the millennium bug. “Companies know they have to get on the Web and start trading, but that takes large new servers and software, and their budgets are tied up in the Y2K bug,” said one IT consultant.
The cost of setting up a serious trading site is certainly encouraging some firms to stay out of e-commerce or to opt for cheap solutions that do not provide users with any added value.
But many of the excuses do not ring true. While people are using the Internet to obtain information, it will take as long for them to see online shopping as a natural route as it took for people to use ATMs rather than queueing up in the bank. And in some sections of the population, that was years.
So, vendor needs to provide an incentive to use the Net. They need to offer greater convenience or lower prices than the stores, or clear added value, and they need to consider whether their products lend themselves to being sold electronically. Software, or bulk commodity goods, do, because the customer does not need to feel or view them in advance. Items, like clothes that need to be examined in detail are far less suitable.
In other words, “etailers”, stop making excuses and start asking the customers what they really want.
Caroline Gabriel is a group editor in VNU’s IT portfolio
Victor Aberdeen, Internet product manager, Lotus Development UK
I truly believe that almost every business can be an e-business. It’s not surprising that Forrester Research has stated that the most common use for the web is still as marketing tool. This is because there are few businesses out there that can’t work better if they communicate better.
An example of a new public service for using the Internet is a doctor’s surgery. We communicate with the receptionist: why not simply book an appointment on the Internet, instead of getting the receptionist to do it? The receptionist finds our records, and passes them to the doctor – but the doctor could review those records on a database. The doctor sends us to a pharmacy with a prescription – but the local pharmacies could communicate with the surgery, giving valuable feedback about whether prescriptions were picked up, and when. The pharmacy could even communicate with drugs companies. The opportunities to change a process which has been the same for several hundred years are plentiful.
In this example, good e-business, just like good business, relies on interaction, not just pushing information onto other people. Few businesses do enough to encourage feedback from employees or customers – even when we use technology, we simply push data one way, whether we’re sending out a memo on paper, or in e-mail. As long as we do that, we’re wasting an opportunity that e-business and the internet can exploit.
Technology projects have a well-deserved reputation for expanding out of control. Trying to do too much can be worse than doing nothing at all. Instead, concentrate on how to change the way people work – and that means changing how they communicate. And that means thinking about e-business first, and your IT infrastructure later; then, and only then we will see the spectacular profits rolling in.
With 65% of UK accountancy practices already using or planning to use cloud accounting software, Paul Haydock of DueCourse examines four reasons why SME owners should consider a cloud-based service
BDO has implemented data submission and extraction technology to improve efficiency and automate manual processes
Driving opportunity for all and empowering businesses for success are the key themes for the Sage Summit UK this year, which takes place on 5-6 April
Advanced has extended its West Midlands HQ following the creation of 200 jobs and planned hiring of a further 200 employees over the next nine months


text:
Toyota recently unveiled its all-new 2018 Camry during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This upcoming model received a complete overhaul and it now looks much more aggressive than its previous generations.
The 2018 Toyota Camry looks sleeker while its hood, shoulder line and roofline were placed lower in a bid to improve aerodynamics as well as its overall design. It also comes in two sportier trims, the SE and XSE, which has its own distinct details.
The all-new Camry will be underpinning the same new global architecture as the new Prius hybrid and it’s wheelbase has been increased by two inches. On top of that, it also has better agility thanks to its platform which is far more rigid than before.
For 2018, the Camry will be coming with three powertrain options, the 3.5-liter V6, 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engines, as well as a new hybrid setup. Although Toyota did not mention its power outputs, it revealed that the 2.5-liter was made to juice the most out of the new platform, according to AutoGuide.
It’s said that the new hybrid powertrain will be building off the same 2.5-liter engine paired to a CVT that comes with a Sport mode made to replicate the six-speed sequential gearbox.
Details are still pretty scarce right about now but we’ll be sure to bring you more info once the 2018 Toyota Camry nears its launch date.


text:
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2017, H.R. 3530 introduced to legalize industrial hemp in the US
Kentucky representative James Comer, a strong advocate of industrial hemp, has filed a bill in congress to revise the Controlled Substances Act to exclude hemp from the list of controlled substances, in order to allow states to study and grow the versatile and eco-friendly crop. This is welcome news for US CBD companies which have been operating in a gray area of the law for years.
Bill H.R 3530, entitled The The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2017, seeks to make a distinction between hemp and its psychoactive cousin, marijuana, and end outdated regulations on industrial hemp. Farmers all over the world grow hemp commercially for fiber, seed, and oil for use in a variety of industrial and consumer products. In fact, United States is the only developed nation which lists hemp as a dangerous drug. As a result, the US currently imports an estimated $500 million worth of hemp annually from other countries.
Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading grassroots hemp advocacy organization supports Congressional bill H.R. 3530, as introduced on July 27, 2017.
Hemp has boundless potential as a sustainable alternative to plastics and other environmentally harmful products. The fast-growing and environmentally friendly plant can be used in thousands of everyday items, including fuel, fabrics, paper, auto parts, lotion, furniture, carpet, and, of course, hemp seed and oil, plant-based beverages, and nutritional supplements. It can be used in everything from construction materials to cosmetics to ice cream. CBD (cannabidiol), a prominent cannabinoid found in hemp is one of the most studied compounds in the world and is being touted as super supplement and being credited by many for successfully treating a wide variety of ailments from sleeplessness, to depression, to epilepsy, to cancer, and much more.
The bill allows for commercial cultivation of industrial hemp with a THC content of no more than 0.3 percent by dry weight, consistent with the definition of industrial hemp provided in Sec. 7606 of the Farm Bill of 2014 which allowed certain states to cultivate and study hemp. Additionally, H.R. 3530 would allow for research cultivation on industrial hemp crops with a THC content of up to 0.6 percent by dry weight.
Another aspect of the bill is that it would create a new category for hemp research at universities and state departments of agriculture, and allow for further study and commercialization of industrial hemp crops as well as CBD. The ultimate goal is to take industrial hemp to the next level and begin to treat it like other traditional farm crops such as corn, wheat, or soybeans.
The next step is for the bill to be reviewed by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on the Judiciary. Many advocates have high hopes that this bill will be the one to pass. Similar legislation is also being considered in the Senate.
H.R 3530 has 16 co-sponsors:
- Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA]
- Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO]
- Rep. Massie, Thomas [R-KY]
- Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA]
- Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
- Rep. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND-At Large]
- Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-O]
- Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN]
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN]
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-O]
- Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI]
- Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR]
- Rep. Schrader, Kurt [D-OR]
- Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO]
- Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY]
- Rep. Garrett, Thomas A., Jr. [R-VA]
The full bill can be found here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3530/text


text:
Kashmir’s first season fruit, cherry, is ripening. In fact, some varieties like “awwal number” are already ready for the harvest. Last time, the cherry farmers endured heavy losses due to a lack of transportation because of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. Despite prospective bumper produce this season also, the farmers are staring at another “fruitless season.”
Horticulture plays an important role in Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. A large number of people are dependent directly or indirectly on it. Covid-19 has again brought about pain and anguish in all spheres of life. Poor farmers are no exception. The impact will be immediately felt by cherry growers as supply-chain distortion could hurt them badly.
As per figures cited by the growers, the cherry produce in Kashmir last year was about 12,000 metric tonnes. The growers as per them faced massive losses due to limited demand last year as Mumbai and other suitable markets for the delicate fruit remained out of bounds due to covid-19. The growers are looking for the government’s support and there is need to work out a mechanism in advance for ensuring speedy transportation of the horticultural produce especially cherry by way of various interventions.
Cherry canning units need to be made functional and raw cherry need to be exported to different mandies of the country.
Last year, the figures cited by the government and the growers regarding transportation varied a lot but farmers have high hope that there are no transportation related delays this year. The government should make arrangements to ensure the fruit reaches markets and the end consumer. The cherry growers do not have the luxury of cold storages and their yield would perish if it doesn’t sell in time. In fact, there should be a special arrangement in place to ensure that the produce that has less shelf life is consumed quickly. The growers need supply chain workable every time. The Valley for one reason or another has some sought of crisis—whether in terms of highway closure or some disturbances within. The successive governments despite assurances have failed to put in place cold storage which would have helped the growers to ward off the present crisis. It is better that alternative plans are set up and concretized well in time. In the first instance, efforts should be made to transport the fragile fruit. Otherwise, it will bring about a catastrophe in the lives of the poor orchardists who depend on returns to keep wheels of life going on. If they ever needed the government, it is now.


text:
Operation Candy Crush: Stores sold marijuana derivative that looks like candy
MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (WKRN) – Almost two dozen stores were padlocked Monday morning during a joint operation across Rutherford County, targeting stores allegedly selling illegal marijuana products that look like candy.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office and the Smyrna, Murfreesboro and LaVergne police departments carried out raids at 23 stores across the county. Twenty one people were indicted for selling illegal products.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh and Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold said they launched an investigation last year after hearing complaints from parents.
Undercover detectives bought products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, and some synthetic drugs at multiple stores. Cannabidiol was found in gummy bears, gummy worms and other products that look like candy. They cost anywhere from $7 to $70, and are advertised as mood enhancers and relaxers, according to police.
“We feel these stores are marketing these items toward minors,” Fitzhugh said. “These items can commonly be confused by a child as candy and are illegal.”
One of the businesses raided Monday appears to be an e-commerce company that sells oils, gummy worms and gummy bears with CBD. Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold said Cloud 9 Hemp is a distributor.
“If you look at some of the packaging, I think the packaging is coming from another country,” said Arnold. “I don’t think they are even being made in this country, but somehow these individuals in Smyrna were able to get this product and were able to distribute it out to some of our convenience stores.”
Supporters of medical marijuana are not happy about the raids. Teresa Long stopped by one padlocked store in Murfreesboro to buy CBD oil she said she uses for a medical condition.
“I use CBD in my vape, and you can’t even tell you’re using it, but I have essential tremor and it helps me immensely.”
Investigators insisted the products they seized are not legal and are unregulated, and some contain synthetic drugs which have killed two people in the United States.


text:
[UPDATED: 2:14pm PST]
Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include news of the PS3 losing its Virtua Fighter 5
exclusivity as the game heads to Xbox 360, a single and multiplayer demo for Crackdown
heading to the Xbox Live Marketplace in January, and Mad Catz hiring former Rockstar head of finance Stewart Halpern as its new CFO.
- Though long touted as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, Sega of America and Sega Europe have announced that Virtua Fighter 5
, the latest in their popular long-running fighter series, will indeed be coming to Microsoft's Xbox 360 in 2007. The game, which will see its debut on Sony's console on February 20th in the U.S., and as a European launch title for the PlayStation 3 in March, will be brought to the 360 in both regions in 'late summer' of next year. Sega Europe creative director Matt Woodley said, “Bringing Virtua Fighter 5
to the Xbox 360 offers us a platform with power to handle the astonishing visuals, the complex and varied fighting styles of all the customisable characters and will undoubtedly put Virtua Fighter 5
into the hands of a gaming audience craving for a highly polished and credible fighting game.”
- Microsoft has revealed that it will release a single and multiplayer demo for the upcoming Xbox 360 title Crackdown
over Xbox Live Marketplace on January 18, 2007. In addition, the company also noted that the full version will ship to retail in North America on February 20. The M-rated action sandbox title is in development by Realtime Worlds (All Points Bulletin
), which was founded in 2002 by managing director, Dave Jones, the creator of popular franchises such as Grand Theft Auto
. Hailed as “GTA
will allow players to fully explore the hoodlum filled streets of Pacific City as they play as a genetically enhanced agent and combat crime either alone or cooperatively throughout a free-form campaign.
- Representatives from Mad Catz Interactive have revealed that the video game peripheral, game and accessories manufacturer has named Stewart Halpern as the company's new chief financial officer, a position which had been vacant since September 1, 2006 following the resignation
of Cyril Talbot III. Halpern will start with the company on January 15, 2007. As CFO, Halpern will be responsible for managing all financial and treasury functions, SEC reporting and compliance, bank and financial community relationships and conducting internal and industry analysis to support the Company’s strategy and goals for growth and profitability. Prior to joining Mad Catz, Halpern worked as the head of finance for Rockstar Games, where he was involved in the oversight of financial, business and legal affairs including annual budgets, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, analysis and negotiation of acquisitions, and publishing and licensing transactions. Halpern has also worked as the chief financial officer of Rush Communications, as well as a sell-side video game and entertainment industry analyst with the firms of RBC Capital Markets, Banc of America Securities and Furman Selz.
- The latest updates on Gamasutra sister alt.gaming weblog GameSetWatch
include a look at Russian-authored PC game Diver: Deep Water Adventures
, a new fan made flash video
featuring Nintendo's Mario and Luigi, and an overview
of Hudsonsoft’s turn based strategy game Military Madness
- The latest updates from Gamasutra sister website Game Career Guide
include a new feature
covering tips when interviewing for a game industry job, and Course PTR's release of Beginning C++ through Game Programming, Second Edition
- A new project listing
by casual game publisher Gogii Games has been posted, detailing three possible Nintendo DS and Wii projects that the company is looking to have quoted based on a design concept. The company notes that these will be “PC ports of casual titles that were sucessful online or at retail.”
- Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings
, including openings from Datascope Recruitment, Infinity Ward / Activision, Radical Entertainment, Rocksteady Studios, Spark Unlimited, and THQ.


text:
RPA stands for Robotic Process Automation and has been around for nearly 10 years. However, it started getting especially popular around 2019. With the rise of companies like UiPath, Automation Anywhere, and Blue Prism in the restaurant industry, RPA surprisingly hasn't been fully embraced yet.
RPA has been popular in banking, financial services, insurance, and healthcare, but has been lacking representation in the restaurant industry so far. Recently, Stealth Scaling has rolled out an RPA service for restaurants which will automate manual repetitive processes such as sales reporting, invoice processing, inventory auditing, labor reports, and revenue reconciliation for franchise chains and franchisees.
The reason why it's important in 2023 is because of a significant increase in labor cost. It’s becoming very expensive, and any sort of administrative or manual work that restaurants are doing is eating into their profit margins. Leveraging RPA technology (a bot) would enable a company to complete the same repetitive work that a human would do; for example, clicking, copying and pasting, opening up different systems, or plugging in information, except it can accomplish this up to 10 times faster than a person would.
Leveraging software also comes with significant labor savings. One of the new offerings that Stealth Scaling is rolling out is its own RPA-as-a-service business for restaurants. Stealth Scaling specializes in the restaurant industry, has worked with some of the largest restaurant chains in the country, and has already been embedded into franchise operations such as centralizing phone orders, catering orders, and handling customer service functions. So, with the rollout of the new service, restaurant chains won't have to pay for expensive RPA licenses or implementation costs. They would only pay a per-transaction fee that will be far less costly than hiring an actual human employee. This opportunity is massive for restaurants aiming to lower FTE counts, increasing overall profitability and operational leverage as they go into the new recession.
Some of the most popular RPA use cases in the restaurant industry are within the finance department, administrative department, and inventory management department. Daily reports can be automated by extracting financial data from different ERP applications. For example, Primanti Brothers recently embraced RPA in a situation where they would traditionally use eight regional managers, each spending 45 minutes a day pulling sales data from their 5 locations. Sometimes, they would have to prepare reports for weekends and holidays as well.
Now, they leverage RPA bots that produce daily sales and labor reports in under 3 minutes – not 45 – and it has helped them save 2,000 hours annually on manual labor resulting in roughly $84,000 in savings. An additional benefit of automating these daily reports is that they're free of manual errors. They're done within a specific time range and basically allow managers to do more strategic tasks and functions, such as making sure their guests inside the restaurant are satisfied.
Another use case for RPA in restaurants is revenue reconciliation. Revenue reconciliation helps them figure out what products are selling and how to better manage inventory. This is a process that could very well be automated. A restaurant called Paradise, an Asian restaurant, works with four digital food platforms such as Uber Eats and has over 6,000 daily transactions across the board. Prior to automation, it took them five days to reconcile. Due to manual processing, it took a lot of time and 4 FTE's to complete. Now, they use RPA to extract data from their system to flag exceptions, inform a human-in-the-loop about them, and are able to reconcile the transactions in under 4 hours instead of 5 business days.
Stealth Scaling not only has the RPA software that can automate and speed up all of these processes, but also has access to hundreds of humans-in-the-loop that can be trained to handle any sort of exceptions if the automation process encounters any errors. This way, we can truly help restaurants save money on FTE count, as well as increase profitability and productivity in restaurants.


text:
Another success story for Israel’s chip industry: AeroScout, a developer of WiFi-based RFID tags used for the tracking and monitoring of valuable enterprise assets, is holding talks for its acquisition at a price of $240 million, Calcalist learned.
According to estimates in the industry, the buyer is a global service and infrastructures company that is expected to turn AeroScout into its development center in Israel. After the acquisition, AeroScout's executive managers, including co-founder and CEO Yuval Bar-Gil, will likely stay on to head the new R&D center.
Estimates are that the deal's timing stems from demands by the company's investors, among them several veteran VC funds, to see some return on their investment and from the realization that although AeroScout is a growing enterprise, it operates in a small-scale market.
The company’s estimated annual revenues are $40-50 million whereas the market for RFID tags for medical or industrial purposes grosses an estimated $150 million altogether, making it hard for companies in the industry to generate high enough values to trade on the stock exchange.
AeroScout was founded in 1999 and has since raised $83 million in six financing rounds. During that time, co-founder Albert Ezra left the company and the founders' stock was diluted by eight VC funds which invested in the company at various stages.
AeroScout's largest investor is the Pitango VC fund, which holds a 20% stake in the company. Israeli VC fund Star, which is no longer active on the investment market, holds 18% of the company's stock and US Menlo Ventures holds an 18% stake as well.
Additional investors include Grey lock Partners, Evergreen and the VC divisions of electronics giants Intel and Cisco, each holding an estimated 7%-9% stake in the company.
Bar-Gil and the executive management own another 15% of the company's stock.
Article originally published on Calcalist


text:
Israeli Regulators Advocating Crypto Trading Platform
Share this article
As cryptocurrencies gain more widespread global acceptance, regulatory bodies around the world have begun to see opportunity in blockchain. Today the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), the country’s official market regulator, advocated for the creation of a state-sponsored, regulated cryptocurrency trading platform.
The ISA, which had been studying the cryptocurrency market in depth for the previous two years, affirmed the potential of the blockchain space as part of the reason for its recommendation. ISA Chair Anat Guetta reported:
“The excitement that defined the field in 2017 has cooled off, but the technology is here to stay.”
The ISA proposed regulating cryptocurrencies under a slightly modified version of their present securities laws, altering disclosure demands for companies looking to offer digitized assets.
A contributing factor to the ISA’s decision to support a crypto platform is that the regulator sees increased income potential in blockchain offerings. In 2018, IPO’s (Initial Public Offerings) from startup tech companies in Israel fell 33%, part of a larger trend of decline in the country’s markets.
And with souring global economic conditions and tense trade relations between the U.S. and China, venture funding grows increasingly difficult for any new company to come by.
However, in contrast to the movement of traditional markets, Israeli interest in the blockchain space has only increased. In 2017, the Bank of Hapoalim, Israel’s largest bank partnered with Microsoft to roll out a new blockchain based payment platform. Forbes has reported that the number of blockchain startups in the country tripled in 2018 to over 200 early-stage companies, making Israel a world center for blockchain tech.
The ISA’s recent decision to propose the issuance of digital tokens as a means of fundraising suggests that the cryptocurrency space continues to capture the attention of the country’s highest financial and regulatory bodies.
The author is invested in cryptocurrencies.