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Posts Tagged capitalism
Situated along a relatively quiet stretch of track and a bike path in Madison, the building itself looks like something plucked from a Lionel catalog.
Yet this picturesque station serves nothing but the College of St. Elizabeth and, perhaps, a few guests from the nearby Madison Hotel. There’s another station about 2 miles away, built on a viaduct that runs through the center of town.
Today’s commuter rail planners would probably lay a concrete pad, plant some ticket machines, and call the job done. Luckily, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad had greater ambitions.
Called simply the “Lackawanna” by train buffs, this coal-hauling line had one of the most impressive physical plants of any railroad in history. It pioneered the use of steel-reinforced concrete, which it used for everything from grandiose stations and bridges to humble signal towers.
It would have been cheaper to build a smaller, less substantial station for this somewhat unimportant location, just as it would have been cheaper not to span a valley at Nicholson, Pennsylvania with a massive concrete viaduct, or create an earthen berm to minimize the gradient.
Yet the Lackawanna did all of these things. Even though the company no longer exists, its greatness is still evident in the Tunkhannock Viaduct, (currently unused) “Lackawanna Cutoff,” and the simpler dignity of Convent Station.
This mentality probably cut into the Lackawanna’s profits, but it made the trains run better, and impressed the public.
The idea of a private company spending more money than necessary just to, essentially, show off is an alien idea today, but it has great utility.
Today’s U.S. passenger trains are run by public agencies, which get their funding from taxpayers and are thus caught up in the toxic debate over government spending.
Yet it’s apparent, from the hope-tinged-cynicism surrounding President Obama’s intermittent support for high-speed rail, that people think this is important. It’s hard not to look at the systems of countries like France, Japan, and China and not feel like the U.S. should catch up.
However, those systems were created by the same mentality that drove the leaders of the Lackawanna: a singular focus on building the best railroad, period.
It also demands a level of corporate citizenship that today’s ultra-capitalistic cabals utterly lack.
At the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway–the world’s first–there was a banner that read “Private Risk For Public Good.”
We’ve all heard the line that corporations are only responsible to their shareholders. Good thing no one told the builders of Convent Station.
“Millennials” have a lot to answer for.
We don’t buy cars, and we don’t buy houses. All we need to do is refrain from having 2.5 children, and we’ll have destroyed the American Dream.
Analysts often attribute my generation’s spending habits to some form of contrary thinking, but there’s a simpler explanation: we have no money.
A recent article in The New York Times highlights the problem of unpaid internships, which have replaced many entry-level jobs, leaving young people with no way to enter the working world.
Some college graduates spend the rest of their twenties in a cycle of internships, with no ability to advance to real jobs and, of course, no money to show for it.
Employers seem to think that they can run businesses without employees or, at least, without paying them.
In addition to replacing entry-level jobs with internships, they’ve turned increasingly to freelance or temp workers for jobs even the most desperate person won’t do for free.
Since these people aren’t technically employees, a company doesn’t have to offer them benefits, or pay its share of certain taxes–like Social Security–that are regularly deducted from employee paychecks.
Then there was the tantrum some companies threw when the Affordable Care Act mandated that they provide health insurance for all full-time employees. They delayed the employer mandate, then threatened to eliminate full-time positions just to get out of the requirement.
Unpaid internships, the cutting of full-time positions, and oppressively-low minimum wages may be good for business, but they’re not good for society.
People are quick to judge someone who borrows too much, or makes an extravagant purchase they really can’t afford. Maybe we should do the same with businesses.
A business that makes money while keeping its workers poor is operating on as false a pretense as a janitor who buys a new Mercedes.
The latter would be judged irresponsible, so why shouldn’t McDonalds’ be criticized for claiming massive profits while refusing to pay its employees a living wage?
That probably isn’t going to happen It’s always easier to blame the individual than the organization, especially when the organization is judged according to different standards.
Facebook’s purchase of WhatsApp is in the news because of the comical list of companies that appear to be worth less than WhatsApp.
Yet, like Facebook itself, WhatsApp doesn’t produce anything. It’s just an app.
It seems that actually making goods or providing services is bad for business, let alone taking care of employees.
And how can employees stand a chance when money is flowing to businesses that don’t even need to pay for factories or stores to operate?
Karl Marx said the only way for workers to secure their rights was to gain control of the means of production, but when nothing tangible is produced, what is there to take control of?
The economy is becoming increasingly ethereal; the rise of the Internet has made eliminating expenses the main priority of businesses, not being good at what they do, or playing a responsible role in society.
The fundamental purpose of a business is to make money, but when businesses make that their exclusive purpose, everybody loses.
The snide criticism of the “Millennial” lifestyle will probably turn to panic is this generation reaches middle age, and is still getting other people’s coffee.
Three years ago, Chrysler launched a Superbowl ad titled “Imported From Detroit,” emphasizing the obvious parallels between the carmaker and the city.
While most Superbowl ads feature animals and hijinks, this one was almost inspiring, even if the car it was meant to sell–the 2011 Chrysler 200–was pretty terrible.
For a moment, it seemed like corporate America could sympathize with the rest of America, instead of just finding ways to avoid paying taxes.
However, in the car industry, things change quickly.
Chrysler has established a modicum of stability thanks to its merger with Fiat, revamping its lineup and even producing daring new models like the Dodge Dart and Jeep Cherokee.
Earlier this week, Chrysler unveiled the 2015 200 at the North American International Auto Show in–you guessed it–Detroit.
From Eminem’s purposeful stare in that 2011 ad, you’d think this would be a fulfilling moment, a sign that a city and a car company are climbing out of the pit of doom, together.
In reality, it was just another car unveiling. Journalists were impressed by the new 200’s sleek European styling and high-tech powertrain, but it’s a car divorced from its surroundings.
I wouldn’t want to take a drive through Detroit in the 2015 Chrysler 200. I’d be afraid of getting car-jacked.
Of course, the solidarity depicted in Chrysler’s 2011 Superbowl ad was just an illusion; all advertisement is illusion. Still, it’s not easy to watch corporate fortunes rebound faster than civic fortunes.
Chrysler still has a long way to go to secure its future, but only its investors will be unhappy if progress doesn’t continue.
Corporations can (and do) fluctuate. Cities can’t afford to.
It seems like it would be better to begin the holiday season in good spirits, and to know when to end it. That’s why I’m proposing a sort of amnesty period once all the gift giving is done.
Today, I exploited the narrow window before a bad snowstorm to run a few errands, like any other Wednesday. However, since this was the day after Christmas, it was oddly sickening. After a month of crowded stores and endless commercials it just seemed like too much, and I don’t even celebrate Christmas.
I’m sure the people who work in retail that had to get up this morning and wait on customers returning the gifts their relatives had frantically bought weeks (or days) earlier feel the same way.
We live in a commercial society, there’s no denying that, so piling an extra helping of buying on top of our normal consumerist activities is like chasing a keg stand with a martini.
There’s nothing wrong with needing stuff, or wanting to give it to show affection, but after such a long slog maybe it would be nice to take a break. That’s why I’m proposing that Christmas and December 26 be a shopping holiday, where the stores are closed and we can focus on using our possessions instead of buying more.
This idea definitely belongs in the “it’s a nice thought, but it’ll never happen” category, but it’s nice to dream. Wouldn’t it be relaxing to have two consumption-free days, a counterpart to Thanksgiving and Black Friday? Balance is important.


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Wildberries eyes entering Chinese market — source
MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Russia’s largest online retailer Wildberries is exploring possibilities to enter the Chinese market and has already begun negotiations with potential partners, a market source familiar with Wildberries' plans told TASS.
"The company has plans to enter the Chinese market. Negotiations with potential partners have already begun," the source said.
A spokesman for Wildberries declined to comment.
According to data from the registry on the website of the National Intellectual Property Administration of China, back in 2021, the company filed applications for registration of its trademark in the country in various classes in line with the International Classification of Goods and Services.
Wildberries has been operating on the market since 2004. Its presence geography covers all Russian regions, as well as Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Israel and Azerbaijan. Its turnover for 2022 soared by 98% compared to the previous year and amounted to 1.669 trillion rubles ($17.9 bln).
Photo by Peter Kovalev/TASS

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Argos unveils top toys for Christmas 2017
Argos has revealed its predictions for the best selling toys of Christmas 2017.
Consumer robotics market will grow to $13.2bn by 2022, says Tractica
Market intelligence firm Tractica has unveiled its latest report into the future of consumer robotics, with toys cited as a key driver for the sector over the next five years.
Hatchimals, Paw Patrol and Swimways help Spin Master to strong Q1 2017
Spin Master has enjoyed a strong start to the year, with its Q1 2017 results showing a revenue increase of 40.8 per cent.
Spin Master’s David McDonald lifts the lid on the design process behind the toy craze of 2016, Hatchimals
Spin Master’s VP of product development reveals where the idea came from and the challenges faced in creating a toy that hatches itself out of an egg.
Spin Master takes Chinese manufacturer to court over patent infringement
Spin Master has filed a civil proceeding against Dongguan Moral Region Co in China’s Guangzhou IP court for an alleged patent infringement.
Spin Master teams with Rube Goldberg Inc for new line of STEM activity sets
Spin Master has teamed with Rube Goldberg Inc to launch a line of Rube Goldberg activity sets under its Wonderology Science brand.


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Auto Review: Ford boosts your Eco
By Bill Heald - ReminderNews
Feature Article - posted Thu., Oct. 6, 2011
2011 is starting to wind to a close, and it’s been a very big year in terms of substantial changes for a lot of very popular models. And while you might not be able to tell from the exteriors alone, Ford’s best-selling F150 pickup line has received a huge update this year in terms of new engines across the board. This is a very big deal, in that Ford’s goal has been to improve the engines not just in terms of power, but fuel economy as well, and to make each mill a class leader to go along with their already revered chassis. All these new engines get a standard six-speed automatic transmission, too, which is welcome news indeed, and it makes them the first in this segment to have this fuel-saving gearbox in every model.
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of reviewing what will likely be their most popular engine, which is the 5-liter V8. This week we get to sample their most interesting new powerplant, an ambitious creation that Ford touts for its power, hauling ability and fuel economy: the 3.5-liter Turbocharged EcoBoost V6.
This engine is designed by Ford to address the conundrum facing all pickups designed to pull and haul substantial loads, which is, how do you get the power you need without having to live with poor fuel economy? The solution is a V6 engine of modest displacement, enhanced by state-of-the-art turbocharging, which the company says delivers the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a V6. The numbers are impressive: 365 horsepower and a whopping 420 lb-ft of torque. The acceleration of our 4X4 SuperCrew Platinum was brisk, with 60 mph arriving in about 7 seconds. Shifting is smooth and allocates power efficiently, and naturally there’s a tow mode that optimizes shift points for hauling heavy loads. And speaking of heavy hauling, our test mule with the towing package could tow a trailer weighing up to 9,700 pounds, and haul a 1,960-pound payload. The suspension on our tester handled rough terrain well, although on the road there is enough stiffness to remind you this is a substantial truck built to deal with very heavy chores.
In addition to the EcoBoost engine, we got to enjoy the opulent trim package known as Platinum. It still amazes me how far automakers have come in created decidedly un-Spartan interiors in such tough, capable vehicles. Ford loaded our Platinum SuperCrew with some of their best amenities, including heated and cooled leather seating, a seriously powerful Sony sound system (with Ford Sync technology, of course) and even electric, retractable running boards. That last feature is something I reckon no hard-working cowboy ever even dreamed of. Room is excellent for all passengers, and the cavernous rear seat has lower cushions that fold up to increase interior cargo space.
Strong, comfortable and even frugal for a big truck, the 2011 Ford 4x4 SuperCrew is EPA-rated 15 MPG city/21 highway and has a base price of $46,745. With options including the $750 EcoBoost engine, our sticker came to $52,075. www.ford.com


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The prosecutor began his opening statement by asking, "Where's the beef?"--reprising the famous Wendy's tagline from the 1980s. He then convinced the jury that Mark Zachary, 51, had the beef--an $80 side of New York Strip--under his shirt as he was leaving a Reid's supermarket in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Now Zachary is going to prison for ten years after being given the maximum sentence for shoplifting (third offense or greater).
According to the police report, Zachary fled when the store manager approached him about the bread-box sized side of beef under his shirt. That is, he fled directly into the path of an off-duty police officer, Kevin Dukes, who was entering the store.
On the stand during his two-day trial, Zachary denied he was stealing the meat, arguing that he was merely "massaging it."
The Aug. 26, 2009 incident was Zachary's ninth offense.


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This past Monday, Google announced that it would lease office space from St. John’s Terminal at 555 Washington Street. This major expansion announcement would make Google the largest commercial tenant in NYC. The Google campus would be over 1.7 million square feet, which would also include two nearby buildings. This comes at an interesting time, as their tech rival Amazon recently announced its plans to expand to NYC as well. With this expansion, Google would add approximately over 7,000 new jobs in New York within the next ten year.
New York City might become one of the biggest tech centers outside of Silicon Valley. “The expansion puts Google’s ambitions for the city on par with tech rival Amazon.com Inc., which recently selected New York as one of two East Coast locations for major satellite offices expected to employ 25,000 new workers each by 2028.” The move by these two giant tech companies is a huge economic gain for the city. While Amazon looked “for favorable tax breaks and incentives, Google has favored a quieter approach to expansion, saying it hadn’t pursued incentives from New York.” This stark contrast approach seen by these two competitors shows a lot about how they want to be publicly perceived. Google comes off as the humble, hard worker that earned their way without government tax breaks, while Amazon goes in the opposite direction. William Floyd, the head of external affairs for Google was quoted, “We’ve been growing steadily for the past 18 years without heralding trumpets, or asking for support from the government. We’ve done it by the dint of our own work.”
To get the campus up to par with Google’s reputation, they plan on investing over $1 billion dollars in capital improvement projects. The Hudson Square Campus will certainly become the centerpiece of the West Village neighborhood. Some Google employees are expected to move into the Hudson Street building by 2020, and into the St. John’s Terminal building by 2022 when construction is over.
 MacMillan, D. (December 2018), Google Details Major New York Expansion. Retrieved from The Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-details-major-new-york-expansion-11545040801 Accessed on December 21, 2018
 Swearingen, J. (December 2018), Google to Build $1 Billion NYC Campus, No Tax Incentives Required. Retrieved from New York Magazine http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/google-to-invest-usd1-billion-in-nyc-no-tax-incentives-needed.html Accessed on December 27, 2018


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Y’all ready to gather again? Lisa Davidovich has recently joined the all-woman sales team at Austin’s Marquee Event Rentals, a locally born company providing everything from tenting to tabletop.
Browsing: ATX Woman to Watch
Sarah Puil, founder and CEO of female-led and venture-backed Austin startup BOXT, is breaking the glass ceiling while changing the way we all experience a glass of wine at home.
Austin’s unstoppable women of fintech, Elena Ionenko, Lisbeth Garassino and Annie Janofsky, are three of the leading ladies behind the company TurnKey Lender.
April Fried is the founder and chief executive officer of Atomic April, Atomic April Hair Studio and Pop Tinsel Accessories. Her 30-plus years of creativity and experience have taken her on a journey around the world to ensure her clients look their best.
Sponsored Content Co-Founder & CEO, Co-Founder & COO, MindBar Austinites Hailey O’Neill and Barbara Nadalini-Priesnitz…
Leslea Roberts is the go-to woman if you’re looking to buy a home in beautiful Horseshoe Bay. She stands out from the crowd with her high work ethic, blatant honesty and strong financial background.
With the mindset that two is always better than one, Emily Waldmann and Megan Gallagher are a Realtor team with DEN Property Group, based in Austin.
Braelinn Frank is the founder and CEO of the artful press-on nail brand Rave Nailz.
Shayda Torabi is the co-founder and CEO of Restart CBD, Texas’ premier cannabis brand.


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Alex Le (right) and Siqi Chen (left) are two Zynga alums looking to build something to last for a long time. heyday.com
The UpTake: Tired of games that last as long as their users are interested, Zynga alums Siqi Chen and Alex Le are looking to build something that lasts for a long time in Heyday.
Siqi Chen and Alex Le cut their entrepreneurial teeth building wildly popular social games, but they wanted to work at a company where a product launch didn’t feel a bit like a funeral.
A game launches. Users play the game. They move on.
“You know that the minute you launch a game, the product is dying,” Chen said. “That’s not a great feeling for a product designer.”
Chen and Le have spent most of their careers building games. They founded their own company Serious Business in 2008 and scored a breakout hit with Friends for Sale, which had started as a side project at Chen’s previous job. The game surged to 6.5 million users at its peak in November of 2009 leading to an acquisition by Zynga in 2010 where they worked until 2012.
Their latest venture— a journaling app for iOS called Heyday which launched Thursday —is a step in the opposite direction. It’s a diary that (mostly) writes itself, pulling in photos, recording locations and occasionally prompting the user to take down some thoughts. Users can tag their photos or not. It’s a private journal, but the option is there to share moments to social media. Users have the option to keep the data the app collects on their own phone, not the company’s servers.
The app also resurfaces old memories in the form of say, a reminder about what you were doing on the same day one year ago.
“We wanted to build a product that’s didn't diminish over time.” Le said. “As you add more things to your journal, the more precious it becomes.”
Heyday has raised $2 million in seed funding, with a staff of nine people based in San Francisco. Chen said that the company won’t monetize through ads, but will eventually offer premium services, such as printed photo books and advanced integrations with other services. FitBit would be one possibility.
Alex is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He writes about media entrepreneurs and creatives for Upstart Business Journal.
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Ukraine and Germany will create Chamber of Commerce and Industry in KyivStaff writer ▼ | March 18, 2016
Ukrain has ratified an agreement between the Governments of Ukraine and Germany on the creation of the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Cooperation To promote trade and economic relations
During the presentation of the bill on the ratification of the Agreement at the meeting of Parliament, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Trade Representative of Ukraine Nataliia Mykolska has stressed that Germany is a strategic trade partner of our country, and a high level of economic relations between the two countries shows the importance of the Agreement.
"In 2015 the volume of bilateral trade between Ukraine and Germany totalled around US $ 6.2 billion. Germany is our third largest trading partner for exports and first trading partner among the EU States.
Moreover, Germany is among the top three countries to invest in our country, and the number of enterprises with German investment is about 4 thousand", said the representative of the Government.
The Agreement on establishing the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was concluded in Berlin on 23 October 2015. ■


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For the average Slovak who earns 3,225 Sk per month, spending 3,500,000 for a new Porsche 911 Carrera is inconceivable. It's no surprise, then, that only one Porsche was sold in 1995 by Porsche Inter Auto Bratislava. Sales of other luxury cars in Slovakia, however, are robust. Mercedes, BMW, and Audi are the most popular luxury cars in Slovakia. Mercedes sold 102 cars in 1995. Porsche Inter Auto sold 336 Audis, with 246 sold already this year. The Audi A6, selling for 1,270,000 Sk, is the company's best selling model.
Bavaria Auto, a BMW dealer in Bratislava, sold 35 cars in 1995 and plans to sell 150 units this year. Model prices range from 800,000 Sk to 5 million Sk. "We are expecting the sales rate to go up," said Martin Laholík of Bavaria.
Toyota plans to enter the Slovak luxury market in October with new Camry models priced from 1,095,000 Sk to 1,442,000 Sk. Toyota Tsusho Slovakia, the dealer in Bratislava, is waiting to see what kind of interest Slovaks have in the new Camrys before an exact price is determined and after the sales promotion campaign. The company will start sales of the premium Lexus model next year.
Name recognition is vital in Slovakia's competitive luxury car market. Sellers of the more obscure premium cars have to battle against the well established reputations of a few car makers. "When a man decides to buy a [luxury] car, he usually buys a BMW or Mercedes because of the name," said Peter Trgina of Toyota. "And usually they always go back to the same name that they've tried before."
Ľubomír Turcer of Jaguar Slovakia agrees. "Top managers of companies, government, or ministries usually buy Mercedes, Audis, or BMWs because they know these better," he said. Only one Jaguar was sold in Slovakia this year, to chocolate-maker Figaro. The cheapest Jaguar model sells for 2,368,000 Sk.
Cash seems to be the most common form of payment for luxury cars. Two-thirds of the BMWs bought through Bavaria Auto are purchased in cash, and the rest are leased. "Our customers pay in cash," said Turcer of Jaguar. Once a buyer decides on which luxury car to purchase, he must then wait. If he's lucky, delivery may only take one week. "If we have the [BMW] here in storage, the customer can have it in 1 week," said Laholík.
Whether sales of luxury cars in Slovakia increase "depends on the economic situation," said Martin Laholík of Bavaria Auto. Laholík noted that their sales should be helped by a lower import surcharge and an expected drop in the EU customs rate from 11.4 percent to 7.8 percent next year.
Jeffrey A. Jones is Editor-in-Chief of the Central Europe Automotive Report
28. Aug 1996 at 0:00 | Jeffrey A. Jones


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Not everyone gets car buying advice from the Autoblog Podcast (Ford can't build that many Fusions), so where do car shoppers turn for recommendations? Many potential buyers ask around among friends and acquaintances, especially those who recently purchased vehicles. AutoPacific asked 25,000 new car owners whether they would recommend their vehicle to other buyers. According to the firm's study, it takes more than just the blissful glow of new car ownership for someone to suggest that their car i
Car Buying Experience
The cynic in you might think that a rise in the price of used vehicles, just as new car sales are cratering worse than anyone can remember, is a not-so-transparent ploy to overcharge buyers. It turns out to be more a case of supply versus demand. Wholesale used car prices are bumping up as a result of sagging new car sales, according to auto auction company Manheim. Two-thirds of new car sales have a trade-in attached, which creates a supply stream of pre-owned vehicles to recycle onto dealer lo
Seriously, a survey by Consumer Reports shows 57% of car buyers are very satisfied with the treatment they got at the dealer. Another 31% said they were somewhat satisfied. That means 88% of those surveyed drove away from their car dealer with a smile on their face. If you find that surprising, get this: Of the car buyers surveyed, 96% said they considered the deal they got "fair."


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07 3월 2018
최신의 한국 경제/무역 전망을 살펴보십시오.
On Wednesday, March 7, FKCCI has organized its yearly event on the economic perspectives for the year to come, the Economic Forecasts seminar, at Millenium Hilton Hotel Seoul.
Trade growth, economic development, consumer’s trends and potential obstacles were analyzed by the speakers and discussed with the audience.
Despite the challenging international context, the unbalanced exports dynamics, the labor market and social reforms, there is a large consent that the growth rate to be achieved by Korea in 2018 will be 3 %.
The event’s speakers covered macroeconomic issues as well as real market aspects. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Jang-Hyuk LEE, Professor at Korea University Business School.
Mr. Michel DROBNIAK, Head of the Economic section at the French Embassy in Korea, delivered its macroeconomic point of view of the 2017 achievements and outlooks for 2018. An upwards trend has been noticeable for the past 3 years and Korea is doing much better than the average of the advanced countries. The main contributors to the 2017 growth in Korea were foreign trade, facilities investments and the construction sector.
For 2018, the rate of GDP growth will likely remain the same but engines will be quite different. While exports and foreign trade will remain a high driver, the construction sector will go down and investment will continue to grow but at a much lower pace. The macroeconomic fundamentals of Korea are very solid: the employment rate is expected to remain stable and government debt stays under 40% of GDP. However, the domestic demand remains quite weak and the growth between sectors performing well (IT, semi-conductors industry) and others is unbalanced. Regarding government policy and fiscal policies, the pro-income policy is not expected to significantly deteriorate the fiscal balance and government debt in the next 5 years.
As for the geopolitical environment, the highest risk is coming from the relation between US and Korea. At the long term, the most important challenges for Korea will be demography and productivity.
Mr. Suktae OH, Chief Korea Economist at Société Générale bank focused on the “global economy and financial market outlook". The bank’s view for 2018 is quite optimistic. It is the “brightest and most optimistic year since the 2008 economic crisis”, even if a US recession is expected. Since 2017, the global trade growth is more important than the global GDP growth. This trade recovery is the most important good news for the global economy.
Mr. Junho LEE, Director, FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) industry group at Nielsen Korea delivered a presentation on "the evolving omnichannel landscape". He compared sales data by channel (hypermarket, supermarket, department store, duty free, CVS, online etc.) and stressed that the biggest growth is currently happening in online and cvs channels. Mobile phone (rather than PC) has mainly contributed to the ecommerce growth. Besides, ecommerce mobile apps are becoming an important source of information (price comparison, reviews, product attribute) for the consumers. The current trends in ecommerce are premium goods, personalization (online tools to guide and support the consumer’s choice) and “O2O” - online to offline, offline to online, mixing these channels to find a way to work together to meet the consumer’s needs -.
This event was attended by the French-Korean business community and by representatives of Embassies and other public institutions.
See the event's pictures here


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The integrated LTE modem will support the latest wireless technologies, including 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1. No 64-bit ARM chip yet has an integrated LTE modem, with Apple offering a separate LTE modem on its iPhone 5S. MediaTek is expected to release a 64-bit ARM-based chip with integrated LTE. Integrated LTE modems save space, are more power-efficient and help reduce the size of a mobile device.
The integrated communications processor in the Snapdragon 610 and 615 are based on Qualcomm's RF360 Front End solution, which supports major LTE bands and modes worldwide, the company said. Support for more LTE bands will allow phones and tablets to work with more wireless carriers, whose LTE networks are built on different bands and spectrums. The chipset also supports 3G technologies such as HSPA+, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA, which is widely used in China.
Qualcomm also announced the Snapdragon 801 processor, which is an incremental upgrade from the 32-bit 800 chip that started shipping last year. The processor is faster, renders better graphics, and has wireless enhancements with support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and more LTE bands. The Snapdragon 801 processors are targeted at high-end mobile devices.


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Sega is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year with another retro console, and it looks like it might be the tiniest yet. The Game Gear Micro is a revival of Sega’s 8-bit handheld system that tried (and failed) to overcome Nintendo’s Game Boy.
More news is set to drop via the Japanese gaming news outlet Famitsu. The promo shots show that the system will unsurprisingly run at least one of the (pretty good!) Game Gear Sonic the Hedgehog titles.
An image initially hidden in the Game Gear Micro landing page also revealed that the system will come in four colors — black, blue, yellow, and red — and be released in Japan on October 6th this year for about $50 (GH₵ 288.75).
Source: The Verge
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Journey - Latest Contents
Creator Jenova Chen explains how he came up with a social game that avoids giving megaphones to giant internet babies.
"Now that we've proven they're art, how come people still don't respect games?"
The highly acclaimed adventure game, Journey, has launched on iOS without any warning.
Relive the opening moments of Thatgamecompany's Journey, now available on PC!


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The Beach Look, for School
By MARGARET TIERNEY
Published: April 25, 2004
THE first of April dawned blustery and cold, with pelting rain that gave the morning a crisp, wintry edge. But for 12-year-old Melanie Larkins and most of her friends at Middlesex Middle School in Darien, it was a long-awaited end to a school-imposed period of flip-flop exile.
''I've been waiting for this day like, all year,'' said Melanie, who donned her favorite pair of flip-flops to mark the occasion, the pink ones with the lime green polka dots.
The beach footwear has become trendy, and over the past few years more and more students have been going to school in them, warm weather and cold. As a result, many schools have felt compelled to respond. Some schools say flip-flops are inappropriate in the winter, others say they shouldn't be in school at all for safety reasons, while others don't think they are a problem.
Middlesex, for example, bans the shoes from November through March. ''I think the whole flip-flop thing is ridiculous,'' said Debi Boccanfuso, the principal at Middlesex. ''I mean, they'd wear them all year if they could.''
This year, the flip-flop motif has become popular, appearing on jewelry, clothing and on the footwear itself. Flip-flops have even emerged as a political symbol in this year's presidential race, with Republican supporters clapping them to express their view that Senator John Kerry has ''flipped-flopped'' on issues.
Edward Tunick, an owner of a clothing store in the Noroton Heights section of Darien, has witnessed the fad up close.
Mr. Tunick started carrying a brand of Connecticut-made designer flip-flops, called Eliza B., in his store two years ago, after he bought a few pairs for his wife, Carol, and she persuaded him to start selling them.
''They are the biggest selling item in the history of my business,'' Mr. Tunick said. ''Nothing has come close.''
The flip-flops are on display in the shop window, in the front of the store, near the cash register and lined up down one aisle.
Eliza B., a division of Leatherman Ltd., an Old Saybrook company, has been in business since 1967 and up until about four years ago sold mainly men's belts. It was Eliza, the daughter of the owner of the company, who came up with the idea to put colorful ribbons on flip-flops.
''She started beating on me, saying we were missing the boat. But I just ignored her,'' said Cecil Lyon, the company's owner. ''Then, in an effort to shut her up, we showed them at the surf show in Orlando.''
Now, he said, the Eliza B. brand has surpassed the old belt business. ''We can't make enough,'' Mr. Lyon said.
Eliza is now a 19-year-old student at the University of Colorado majoring in marketing.'' She certainly figured out a way to pay for college before she even got there,'' Mr. Lyon said.
Part of Eliza B.'s success is the product's deft combination of two popular items, ribbons and flip-flops. Ribbons adorn the straps and come in an array of colors and motifs (polka dots, frogs and martini glasses are the most popular at Mr. Tunick's store) and can be paired with matching belts, key chains and handbags.
Mr. Tunick said he sells about 20 pairs a day in the warmer months for $35 to $45, and he is thinking about hiring a person this summer just to handle flip-flop sales.
Even students at New Canaan High School are profiting from the flip-flop craze. Last year's Junior Achievement class sold the Toegoz brand, which offers college names on the straps in addition to other motifs, and made more money than any other class in the history of Junior Achievement businesses at the school -- more than $1,900, said Linda Lombardo, a teacher.
''We were bombarded with customers,'' said Babak Lashkari, a sophomore who was president of last year's mock company.
The business was so successful that this year's class is selling the flip-flops, too.
''We're pretty confident with the market,'' said Steven Rashin, 16, a junior and president of this year's company.
While high schools are mostly tolerant of students wearing flip-flops, the policy at middle schools varies from town to town, or in some cases by school district.
Donald Strange, principal at Western Middle School in Greenwich, takes a literal read of the school's policy against beach footwear and doesn't allow flip-flops, mainly for safety reasons.
''While they may be totally appropriate attire for the beach or a park, they are not appropriate at school,'' Mr. Strange said.
Across town, at Eastern Middle School, school officials are grappling with other apparel issues, like students wearing pajama bottoms to school and exposing their midriffs.
''Flip-flops are not high on the list, quite frankly,'' said Susan Lambert, the interim principal at the school, who said they weren't banned.
Parents are just as divided on the issue.
Avon Middle School won't allow students to wear flip-flops to school, but even if they did, Mark Hamel said he wouldn't allow his three children to wear them to school.
''Flip-flops are for the beach or the public shower,'' he said.
But Lisa Michels of Darien allows her three teenage daughters to wear them.'' You've got to pick your battles,'' she said.
Many podiatrists said that while flip-flops were not intrinsically harmful for feet, they like to see the foot better protected during colder weather and vigorous activity.
''I have no strong objection to them; I'm a flip-flopper myself,'' said Dr. Kenneth Sokolowski, a podiatrist in Wethersfield. ''But do I wear them to my office? No. Do I wear them jogging around the Broad Street green? No. Do I wear them when I climb a ladder? Certainly not.''
But for now, the familiar ''thwack'' and shuffle of flip-flops won't fade any time soon from the hallways of New Canaan High School, no matter what the weather.
Alyssa MacKenzie, 16, said she preferred flip-flops to shoes any day.
''I hate it when my toes can't wiggle,'' she said.
Photos: At Eastern Middle School in Greenwich, where Susan Lambert, top, is the interim principal, flip-flops are not banned in spring and summer months, and many styles can be seen, below. Eliza B. flip-flops are the hot item at Edward Tunick's clothing store in Darien, above. (Photographs by Suzy Allman for The New York Times)(pg. 1); Melanie Larkins, 12, was ready for flip-flop season at Middlesex Middle School. Some schools allow them in spring and summer. (Photographs by Suzy Allman for The New York Times)(pg. 5)


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- WWE.com has an article about the recent WWE '13 press event in New York City. During the article, Paul Heyman discussed the upcoming game.
"'WWE '13' presents a double opportunity. For fans of the Attitude Era, this is a dream come true." said Heyman. "For fans that have never been exposed to the Attitude Era, they're about to get their first taste of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, The Rock, The Brothers of Destruction, DX and Mankind. This is a great way to introduce these [Superstars] to the new generation of the WWE Universe."
You can check out the full article by clicking here.


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Macy's to cut 2,500 jobs in major company reorganization that will save $100million per year
Macy's Inc. is cutting 2,500 jobs as part of a reorganization to sustain its profitability.
The announcement comes on the heels of a strong holiday shopping season for the department store chain.
Macy's said Wednesday that it will reassign or transfer some workers and add some positions, leaving its workforce level at a consistent 175,000.
Job losses: 2,500 employees will lose their jobs through store closings and consolidations
The Cincinnati-based company plans to close five stores and open eight others, leaving it with 844 stores nationwide once the changes are complete.
Macy's says the moves will save it $100 million per year and forecast a 2014 profit above Wall Street's forecasts.
It will cut specific positions in its Cincinnati corporate offices, as well as other administrative roles throughout the country.
Macy's will reduce its district count to 60 from 69, the biggest shift of which is in its Midwest and North regions.
The two will be consolidated to create a new North Central region.
The retailer's CEO Terry Lundgren said of the news: 'We began five years ago with a set of business strategies that were largely untested by a national retailer of our size and scope. As the success of these strategies has unfolded, we have identified some specific areas where we can improve our efficiency without compromising our effectiveness in serving the evolving needs of our customers.'
The news sent its shares up 5.5 percent in after-hours trading.
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TRENDnet Launches the ProView Megapixel PoE Internet Camera
TORRANCE, Calif. -January 7, 2010-TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces the launch of the price-to-performance category leading ProView Megapixel PoE Internet Camera, model TV-IP522P.
The ProView Megapixel PoE Internet Camera transmits real-time video over the Internet at up to 1280 x 960 SXVGA resolution. Manage up to four video profiles and record megapixel H.264 quality video while simultaneously streaming content to a compatible 3GPP mobile phone. No need to install this camera near a power source, power and data are received through a single Ethernet cable using Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology.
Manage up to 32 cameras from TRENDnet's ProView camera line with the included complimentary camera management software. Advanced features include Samba client support, motion detection recording, email alerts, scheduled recording sessions, H.264/MPEG-4/MJPEG image compression, 2-way audio, input/output ports, a removable CS mount lens, 16x digital zoom, four video profiles, and a built-in SD card slot to store video directly to a memory card. The camera's extruded aluminum housing has top and bottom mounting points and it comes with a wall/ceiling mounting kit.
"The ProView Megapixel PoE Internet Camera boasts a compelling blend of enterprise class features," stated Sonny Su, Technology Director of TRENDnet. "It is well positioned to gain significant market share within the IP Camera Megapixel sub-segment."
The ProView Megapixel PoE Internet Camera, model TV-IP522P, will be available from online and retail partners in early March.
The MSRP for the TV-IP522P is U.S. $249.99.
TRENDnetis an award winning global brand, dedicated to providing a completeline of high quality yet affordable networking solutions for small tomid-sized business and home users alike. Founded in 1990, TRENDnetis headquartered in Torrance, California, and maintains branch officesin Europe, Central America, South America and Asia. TRENDnet productsare sold in over 125 countries. The TRENDnet brand is consistentlyrecognized for high quality, exceptional performance and unparalleled support. For more information visit http://www.trendnet.com
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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday gave preliminary approval for an extra $5 per hour in hazard pay for grocery store workers citywide due to the health risks they face during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By a 14-1 vote, the council approved the emergency ordinance, which would require all grocery and drug store chains with at least 300 or more employees nationwide to pay their employees an extra $5 per hour. It would stay in place until L.A. County drops down to the yellow and lowest tier of the state’s coronavirus recovery roadmap.
A final vote is set for March 3.
Currently, L.A. County is in the purple and highest tier, which categorizes the virus as widespread. The hazard pay ordinance would remain in place even if L.A. County drops down to red and orange tiers.
This comes one day after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a similar $5 ordinance for all unincorporated areas that will remain in effect through at least the next 120 days.
“I’m glad, at least, we are going to have this but it should be retroactive,” Rite-Aid employee Laura Orantes told CBSLA Wednesday.
Orantes has been working at the same Rite-Aid store in L.A. for more than 30 years. She said she is committed to her job but working during the pandemic has been challenging. She caught COVID-19 last July.
“The headaches, the body aches, fever, cough, loss of smell,” she listed. “It took me a long time to get it back. And nausea until this day, I still have that. You don’t know how it’s going to affect you. So when I got it the first thing I was wondering is if I , among will die.”
The pay hike sparked controversy in Long Beach when retail giant Kroger announced it would be closing two stores in response, a Food 4 Less and a Ralphs, in April.
The Office of the Chief Legislative Analyst for the city of L.A. has released a report about the potential consequences of the hazard pay proposal, saying it could add more pressure to struggling stores, among other issues.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)


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Woody’s Bar-B-Q announced plans today to unveil two new limited-time offer sandwiches in its Southern barbecue locations all across the nation.
It’s only fitting that a 35-year-old Southern barbecue franchise would want to have a presence in a state that is home to the “BBQ Capital of the World.” That’s why Florida-
After spending a year as the owner of a Woody’s Bar-B-Q franchise in Jacksonville, Florida, industry veteran Jack Dunsmoor has decided to add more to his plate he will open his second Woody&r
Woody’s Bar-B-Q invites customers to pull up a chair at one of the company’s participating franchise locations all across the nation to celebrate the July 4th Ribtacular from
Woody’s Bar-B-Q is firing up the grill for two new limited-time menu offers.
The quick-service vision that initially began buzzing around the brains of cofounders Woody Mills and Yolanda Mills-Mawman in 2007 recently became a full-blown reality for Southern barbecue franchi
Authentic Southern barbecue may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of dieting, but thanks to the recent debut of its Healthy Choices menu at Woody’s Bar-B-Q locations t
Throughout the month of February at participating locations all over the U.S.
As a Michigan entrepreneur and owner of the Macomb Music Theater, Lucky’s Pub and Grill, and Ultimate Sports Bar, Wally Mona has made a success out of providing his patrons with memorable exp
Woody’s Bar-B-Q, the Florida-based Southern barbecue franchise company, has been met with a positive response from Canadian cosumers, thanks to master franchisor Dan Masters and his six curre
Fast casuals thrive despite higher check averages.
Jacksonville-based Woody’s Bar-B-Q currently has a slew of authentic Southern barbecue franchises in Florida, Utah, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, with more to follow shor
National franchise chain Woody’s Bar-B-Q debuts a new concept in marketing and fashion – the Forever Shirt.
After 33 years in the barbecue business, Woody Mills and his partner, Yolanda Mills-Mawman, have discovered that the best way to keep their fans coming back for more is to throw in the occasional p


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The subsequent weeks are going to be full of surprises for Animal Crossing: New Horizons players. The much-awaited winter update is finally here, and some updates are already available. Others, however, will gradually sink in as the festive season comes closer.
Players will be able to partake in the Turkey Day celebrations (aligns with Harvest Festival) starting on November 26. Thanksgiving and Christmas are also making their way to the game in the form of Toy Day, the celebration of which will commence on December 24.
The island, too, will undergo a festive change. Festive clothing will be available, allowing the players to collect seasonal DIY recipes and ornaments.
The updates already available include new hairstyles and reactions for the players. More importantly, the players for long have hoped for an update that would allow them to transfer saved data from one Switch console to another. The players can rejoice as Nintendo has finally made it possible!
Like every update, this one too comes with several tweaks. Nintendo has made minor changes to the ability to travel forward in time. This feature has been available since the beginning of the series, but players stand divided on the benefits of its use.
While the players can still use the feature, they can no longer travel forward in time. Prior to this, several players could enjoy the Halloween update before it had kicked off for the other players by adjusting their island clock.
Alas, this is no longer possible, as the players can’t trigger major seasonal events ahead of time. But the players can go back in time to enjoy the events they missed out on or can simply relive these events.
This is a welcome tweak for the players who find it difficult to manage time to enjoy all updates. They can simply alter the clock of their island and can enjoy the update at a time convenient for them.
Even though it is possible, it might not feel the same as not everyone would be excited about it. Moreover, we don’t quite know whether the players will get hold of critters or the DIY recipes available in the previous updates.
Like every other update, the players will get familiar with this one too, with time. Stay tuned for more news on the same!


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IKEA has recalled about 12,000 ODGER Swivel Chairs because the chairs’ leg base can break and cause people to fall.
IKEA said it received 4 reports of the leg base breaking, including 2 reports of consumers who were injured as a result of a fall.
The chairs were sold in the color anthracite (gray). The name and date stamp can be found under the seat, molded into the chair material. The recalled chairs have a date stamp before and including 2221.
They were sold at IKEA stores and online at ikea.com from October 2019 through December 2022 for about $160.
IKEA is asking consumers to immediately stop using the recalled swivel chairs. The chairs can be returned to any IKEA store for a full refund. No proof of purchase is necessary.
Consumers who do not wish to return it to the store can also contact IKEA for instructions on how to dispose of the chair for a full refund.
For more information, call IKEA toll-free at 888-966-4532 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.


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iYogi, an Indian company that offers remote help to consumers struggling with technology problems, is planning to expand its service to customers in India and China, after the rapid success of its main business in the US.
Since its launch in 2005, iYogi has established itself as the largest subscription help service in the US, with around 400,000 customers in the US paying $170 a year for access to phone and online helplines that have been primarily staffed in India. Its main rival in the US is the Geek Squad customer service operation run by Best Buy, the leading US consumer electronics retailer.
The company, which says it plans an IPO in New York sometime this year, raised $30m in December from investors led by Sequoia Capital, partly to fund growth in India, the Middle East and in Europe, on top of its existing English-language businesses in the US, Britain, Canada and Australia.
But Uday Challu, the chief executive and co-founder, told beyondbrics that iYogi also hopes to use its launch in India this year, its first venture into an emerging market, as preparing the way for further expansion next year into China.
“When you go to India or China you are dealing with a different demographic, with different devices and different problems,” he said.
iYogi’s operations so far have been focused on English-speaking markets. But Mr Challu said it had begun a pilot service in Europe providing support in French, German, Spanish and Italian. He said a planned new service centre in the Middle East – possibly to be located in Egypt – would provide support to Arabic speaking customers, but also to southern European countries. Its planned move into China in 2012 would also involve providing Japanese language support.
iYogi, which has recently opened its first service centre in the Philippines, is also looking for a location in Latin America for a service centre that would work in a number of languages.


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AS the country teetered on the edge of Thatcherism, four young friends from Glasgow were building a legacy symbolising all she despised.
Far from her dream of no society, they formed a workers’ co-operative built on the core principles of democracy, equality, self-management and the promotion of community.
That was 1978 and 37 years on, Thatcher is dead and Greencity Wholefoods are flourishing in Scotland, expanding in the middle of recession, with an annual turnover of £6million.
The four were Sara McCann, then 21, Giles Boddington, 26, her then partner, his 20 year-old sister Phillida and her husband Nick Fleming, 24.
Giles said: “We were looking for something to do together and we were all in to wholefoods. We heard about workers’ co-ops and thought that the idea fitted perfectly with our political views.”
The four were pioneers, helping establishing the organic health food market at the height of the chip pan’s popularity, when no one had heard of quinoa, let alone how to pronounce it (keen-wah).
With £4000 from their savings, they opened the Grassroots health food store in Glasgow’s west end. In the first year, employee numbers grew from the original four to 12 and turnover was just over £200,000.
Leaving Grassroots in the ownership of their workers, they formed Greencity, as a wholesalers, who are now based in the city’s Dennistoun.
They found other co-operatives and traded with them. They milled their own flour, bottled their own olive oil and started manufacturing as well as selling.
Looking back, Giles admits that the ethos of running a business on consensus, was at times a “nightmare” of endless meetings.
Each founder ultimately left to pursue other avenues and Giles now runs a business using horses as a means of therapy for children.
Giles said: “It really informed me on how to do business and it is really important to give people responsibilty and allow them to develop.
“You also have to be prepared to be disappointed at times.
“I am hugely proud of what we created. After all this time it is still there, with the same ethos, and that is an achievement.”
Greencity now employ around 40 people and their turnover is increasing by an average of 10 per cent per year.
In the canteen, where every “member” gets free breakfast and lunch each day, Babs McGregor talks enthusiastically about the co-operative she joined in 2000.
Babs said: “We are growing as opposed to surviving, so we are bucking the trend. Our market is a growing market.
“The difference between us and a normal company is that we run it ourselves and have our own tiers of management but none of our profit goes to absent shareholders, it comes to us and we decide what to do with it.”
The structure is different in a workers’ co-operative. There is a manager for each team – like the drivers, warehouse workers, sales reps and the finance department – and they are nominated by the workers themselves.
Babs said: “Otherwise you wouldn’t get any respect.”
There are regular team meetings and, four times a year, there are general meetings. The workforce is still small enough to use a show of hands for decisions. A full member of the co-op has full voting rights.
Babs said: “That open flow of dialogue is always going round. We are implementing new computer systems and we are all involved at varying levels.”
The managers are not paid more than other staff – there’s a flat wage structure of £9.50 an hour.
The company carry the radical ethos of equal pay and equal say.
The wage is reasonable for the sector but there are also profit share bonuses and perks.
The team at Greencity are a diverse bunch and some have been hunt saboteurs or animal rights campaigners. Their mascot is a Staffie called Clyde.
They supply to hotels, delis, restaurants and even schools and they have a lucrative contract with North Ayrshire Council, supplying organic healthy foods.
Heath food is now on trend and the backlash against supermarkets has gathered momentum.
But foods like quinoa can be problematic for companies such as Greencity who will only buy fairtrade and ethically produced food.
The Peruvian grain, once a staple for the poor of Peru and Bolivia, is in such demand its cost has become prohibitive there.
Greencity source their quinoa from a fairtrade company in Bolivia, who limit the impact on the locals but they also buy from a grower in Essex.
Greencity helped drive forward Glasgow’s decision to become fairtrade.
Babs said: “Our buying policy is very tight. If we hear stories that question the ethics of a product, we will investigate.”
The company stopped selling a particular sea salt when they discovered the Israeli producers were supporting illegal settlements in the West Bank.
When family firm Rachel’s Dairy were bought over by Nestle, Greencity stopped stocking it.
Babs said: “We had to take a hit there. It is one of the best brands of organic yoghurt but we couldn’t really have held our head up high if we continued to stock Nestle.
“We have to work hard sourcing products.”
They also help in the community, sponsoring a female football team, donating to the food bank and the UNITE women’s shelter.
Workers have a nine-month probation period to make sure that they fit in.
She said: “We are looking for that extra something. They need to be able to do the job but they also have to be a good co-operative member and a lot of that is being able to see the bigger part of the business, not their only little section.”
Greencity help pay for childcare and contribute to supporting children until they reach 16.
There have been disputes with workers but only a couple over the last 37 years and staff turnover is exceptionally low.
Babs said: “We want Greencity to do well, not just for us but because it is good for Scotland to have a company like ours.”
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MANHASSET, N.Y. International Rectifier Corp. posted GAAP earnings of $25.7 million, or 36 cents per share on sales of $297.1 million, compared with $35.7 million, or 48 cents per share on sales of $281.9 million in the year-ago third fiscal quarter.
In the previous quarter, International Rectifier (El Segundo, Calif.) earned $24.3 million, or 34 cents per share on sales of $278.8 million in the previous quarter.
Gross margin was 40.0 percent in the third quarter, unchanged from the December quarter but down from 44.4 percent in the year-ago March quarter. Thirteen-week product backlog was $247 million at the end of the March quarter, up 22 percent sequentially.
Earlier this month, International Rectifier said it would seek to sell its non-focused and commodity product lines and accelerate its transition to high-performance analog, mixed-signal, and digital ICs and advanced-circuit products. Such products comprised 23 percent of the company’s revenue in the March quarter, with sales rising 8 percent sequentially.
In the March quarter, IR's Focus Products revenue grew 6 percent quarter-on-quarter, with all product segments recording double-digit percentage growth over a year ago.
"Demand soared in the March quarter,” said Alex Lidow, chief executive of International Rectifier, in a statement. “Demand was strongest in Japan, where our orders were up 110 percent on the strength of new digital TV and game station programs.”
IR generated $25 million in cash from operations in the March quarter and $74 million fiscal year-to-date. Total cash and cash investments were over $900 million at the end of the March quarter.


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More than 300,000 Changsha Merchants Adopted Digital Yuan
Changsha, China, is making a major stride in the digital currency world – with over 300,000 stores and vendors now accepting payments in digital yuan. This paradigm-shifting development has been welcomed as a revolutionary approach to financial transactions by those versed in the topic.
The ever-increasing adoption rate is a testament to its efficiency and versatility, offering users a viable alternative to traditional payment methods. Alongside this, the decentralized structure of the digital yuan renders it an attractive option for those seeking more autonomy when managing their money. It certainly looks like China is entering a new era of financial freedom!
Changsha city citizens have engaged in over 53.25 million processes, and a total worth of 1.2 billion USD has been transacted since its inception. This impressive uptake speaks to the innovative and far-reaching effects of the new form of currency, signifying a radical shift in how people transact locally and globally. Moreover, it is an incredible example of how technology can be leveraged to revolutionize everyday life while eliminating potential barriers and complications posed by traditional forms of payment.
When was this Pilot introduced in Changsha?
Hunan’s capital city of Changsha, with just under 8. million inhabitants, was added to the digital yuan pilot program in April 2021. This marks a landmark step for the city, as it joins cities like Shanghai, Hainan, Xi’an, Qingdao, and Dalian in testing out this novel form of currency.
This is an opportunity for the citizens of Changsha, who can now explore how a digital currency works within their city and across China. Expert observers suggest that while there will be several challenges along the way, this move paves the path toward adoption on a wider scale – potentially leading to broader economic implications.


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Kids’ businesses a hit
Morgan’s Grove Market hosted a group of new vendors Saturday, when local children set up shop for “Kids Entrepreneur Day.”
Sisters Nicole, age 10 and Brielle Lambert, age 8., of “Peace- Love Cupcakes,” were excited to sell out completely by Saturday afternoon.
Nicole said learning math and time management skills and interacting with customers were her favorite parts of the experience.
“I liked to explain about the different foods, ” she said.
Lambert said that she and her sister worked for more than six hours on the array of cupcakes they sold with the help of their mother Sara.
Sara Lambert said Nicole immediately stepped up to participate in the event along with 30 other kids.
“She always has these ideas,” Lambert said, explaining that Nicole often spends her weekends selling lemonade at the end of their driveway.
“She wants to have a store.”
Lambert said “Kids Entrepreneur Day,” gave Nicole the opportunity to plan a booth and product all on her own, evaluating needed supplies, labor and potential profits all by herself.
“I’m really proud of her,” she said.
Nicole’s father Paul Lambert said he was grateful to the event’s organizers for the unique experience.
“As a concept it’s, great- the idea of encouraging kids to invent and create,” he said.
Paul said the opportunity to think outside of the box and experiment with ideas in realistic way is important for kids in a world where they’re often encouraged to follow trends.
“It’s a brilliant idea,” he said.
Paul said that he was impressed with the community’s support of the event all day, which he said is crucial in encouraging kids to try new things.
“All the people who showed up are making it fun,” he said.
Susie Wilmer, vendor manager for Morgan’s Grove Market said the event was designed to offer kids an real-world business experience.
“It was a chance to come and experience setting up their own little business,” she said.
At 15 different booths, children of all ages, sold items of their own making or design, including mini-bird feeders, slushy and lemonade drinks, planters with succulents and make-believe products like “monster spray,”
“Gosh they came up with some really great ideas,” Wilmer said.
“There was several of them who sold out!”
Wilmer said interest was so great, the market may hold a similar event in the future though no official plans have been made.
The market will celebrate “Customer Appreciation Day,” this weekend with music, freebies and special deals for customers.
Visit the Morgan’s Grove Markets Facebook for upcoming events and vender information at: www.facebook.com/morgansgrovemarket.


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UK-based Quotevine outdoors Tom Jones as new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Having spent more than two years as Sopra Banking Software’s chief technology officer (CTO), Jones will lead operations for a much smaller player in fintech.
Reporting to CEO Daniel Layne, Jones will oversee Quotevine’s implementation of business strategies and procedures. Quotevine offering is end-to-end finance software for asset, auto and consumer finance companies.The hope is that the addition of Jones will welcome larger customers “in the coming years”, says the roughly 20-person firm.
“Joining Quotevine has re-sparked my belief in innovative software and brilliant products,” says Jones. Before Sopra, Jones was COO of Apak Group – a Sopra Banking Software company.
Quotevine CEO, Daniel Layne, praises Jones’ “great mixture of entrepreneurial skills” and his experience working with Tier 1 organisations.
“As we welcome larger and larger customers in the coming years […] the entire team is conscious of maintaining service for existing customers as we grow,” Layne adds.
With start-up creation and acquisition under his belt, Jones will now look to rapidly grow Quotevine beyond its few heavyweight clients. These include Toyota Financial Services, 1pm plc and Motonovo.


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Jennifer Byrne, whose exclusive chat with JK Rowling screens on ABC1 tonight, is the only reviewer in Australia to have read her new novel The Casual Vacancy ahead of its worldwide release this afternoon.
No copy was allowed to be sent to Australia. Byrne had to fly to London and sit in the offices of Little Brown, Rowling’s publisher, every day to read the book. She was banned from even taking the book back to her hotel to read.
“They were very charming and they would make a cup of coffee and take me to a room with a view over the Thames and there I would sit. It took about three and a half days to finish,” she told Crikey.
Before she even got her hands on the book, which was a spiral-bound manuscript kept in a manilla envelope, Byrne had to sign three different confidentiality agreements (including one which said she wasn’t allowed to say there was a confidentiality agreement, but the publishers agreed she would struggle to keep that quiet).
“The only frustration, which was a huge frustration, was there was no one else to talk about the book with,” said Byrne.
Rowling’s first non-Harry Potter book, and the first aimed at adults, is a gritty contemporary novel about a local council election in a English town, covering Muggle issues of public housing, poverty and abuse. The UK Telegraph‘s Allison Pearson — one of a handful of reviewers who’ve read it after signing hefty legal contracts — calls the ending “so howlingly bleak that it makes Thomas Hardy look like PG Wodehouse”.
At 5pm AEST today — 8am in London, 3am in New York, 11am in St Petersburg — the book goes on sale. It’s all about creating “a moment”, says Matt Hoy, the sales and marketing manager at Hachette Australia, the book’s Australian publishers.
“Just like the public globally expect music and film and television to be simultaneous to them in all territories at the same time, we strive to do that with books as well,” said Hoy.
Yet several independent booksellers tell Crikey the secrecy and hype is unlikely to translate into sales, and in fact may hinder them.
Despite the hoopla — boxes must be kept in a safe position, no box may be opened until 5pm AEST, forms must be signed guaranteeing an embargo will not be broken — it was just a standard delivery van dropping off the boxes of books to Australian bookstores yesterday afternoon. “No armed guards, no fanfare, just a normal delivery,” said bookseller and co-owner at Adelaide’s Imprints Booksellers, Jason Lake.
Creating a moment is hard when people know nothing about it. “You’re buying these things blind,” said Lake. “It might be fabulous, it might be a dog.”
Lake says if he had an opportunity to read the book in advance, and loved it, he would happily spruik it to customers. But “as a small independent, I can’t really afford to sink valuable dollars into something that may not work for me”.
Fiona Stager, co-owner of Brisbane’s Avid Reader, agrees. “I want to know what a book is like, to a certain extent, before I can commit to huge numbers and put my hand on my heart and tell readers this is a good book,” she told Crikey.
Reading advance copies of books is what determines Avid Reader’s Book of the Month and whether the shop chooses to actively promote it. In the case of The Casual Vacancy, Avid Reader will update its website and social media, but no other events are planned.
It’s a similar issue for Sydney’s Abbey’s Bookshop, says store manager David Hall. “We didnt go very big on it,” said Hall. “We just weren’t sure how it was going to go. No one could see it beforehand, so it makes it hard.”
Discounting by K-Mart, Big W and the like — the book retails for $39.95 — has a big impact on sales. “The market share of this book is probably going to be modest [for independent bookstores]”, said Martin Shaw, the books division manager at Melbourne’s Readings. Plus, secrecy doesn’t work quite as well for an adult market: “It’s not quite the sense of high drama that perhaps it was in the past with her or other authors.”
Canberra’s Paperchain Bookstore organised a steam train ride when the last Harry Potter came out, with the kids getting handed the book on board. “We couldn’t work out what to do with this one,” said manager Steve Belton. “Kids will come to most things but adults won’t normally come along to a party.”
Belton echoed other booksellers who spoke of their relief of books at least appearing in the media in a positive light, even if they haven’t been able to read it yet.
But despite the hoops she had to climb through to read The Casual Vacancy, Byrne backs the tough embargo restrictions. “It’s really tough for booksellers, particularly for conscientious ones who do like to know a product and have a good relationship with the customers, I can absolutely understand the frustration,” she said.
“But I think the reasons are bigger than that, which is that frankly it would be up on the net and people would be getting bastardised versions … I don’t think its about selling more copies. It’s about readers having a chance to judge it for themselves. Because it’s not going to sell more copies for the secrecy.”


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Sony at set to release a special-edition Grand Theft Auto V PlayStation 4 bundle in Europe in November.
Listings on Amazon confirm the bundles will be released on the same day as GTA 5 hits shelves on November 18.
Germany, Italy, and Spain have all got listings, Express Online have contacted Sony in regards to a UK launch.
The PS4 makers have also revealed a new eSports platform for the console, called the PlayStation Official League.
Prizes will be offered for official matches for big name AAA games.
It willl launch tomorrow in Spain and eventually be available in other locations.
Fifa 15, Battlefield 4 and War Thunder willl all be available to play, and give players the chances to build up their rank during several seasons a year.
Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi meanwhile has revealed the seventh instalment will be released in 2015, or 2016 on PS4.
"Everything will be running naturally," he said.
"PS3 was much, much more difficult.
"The high quality of data that we have being rendered on the PS4 I think is going to make an incredible difference."


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Major cigarette manufacturers including ITC, Godfrey Philips and VST have decided to shut all their factories and stop manufacturing with effect from today in the wake of larger pictorial warnings covering 85 per cent of the packaging space coming into force.
The companies, which are members of Tobacco Institute of India, who account for more than 98 per cent of the country's domestic sales of duty paid cigarettes in India claimed the estimated production revenue loss of over Rs 350 crore per day for the tobacco product manufacturers.
"Owing to ambiguity on the policy related to revision of Graphic Health Warnings on tobacco product packs, the members are unable to continue manufacturing cigarettes from April 1, 2016," Tobacco Institute of India (TII) said in a statement.
TII Director Syed Mahmood Ahmad said Indian tobacco industry had written to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 15, seeking clarification on the matter.
Fearing, potential violation of rules by continuing production, TII members have decided to shut their factories, the statement said.
"The move will result in an estimated loss of Rs 350 crore per day in production turnover for Indian tobacco industry," it said.
The notification by Health Ministry on September 24, 2015, for implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Amendment Rules, 2014, comes into force from today. These prescribe larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products.
The ministry had made a commitment to Rajasthan High Court on March 28 that it will implement the said rules from April 1, 2016.
The Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation had described as "too harsh" the government's proposal that 85 per cent of the packaging surface carry pictorial warnings and recommended that the message occupy 50 per cent of the space.
The stand had evoked sharp criticism from MPs and health experts.
TII said, "the extreme 85 per cent warnings will promote illegal cigarette trade and adversely affect the livelihood of 45.7 million people dependent on tobacco which included farmers, labour, workers, trade and others."
It further claimed that "illegal cigarettes account for one fifth of the total cigarette industry resulting in annual revenue loss of Rs 9,000 crore to the national exchequer."


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The 7th edition of Fashion Factor, one of Dubai’s leading fashion competitions, with the theme ‘THE FUTURISM,’ has commenced.
DUBAI, UAE, February 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 7th edition of Fashion Factor, one of Dubai’s leading fashion competitions, with the theme ‘THE FUTURISM,’ has commenced. The event will continue tomorrow and, over the course of two days, host more than 2000 participants. Fashion Factor, held at The Agenda Arena, serves as a significant meeting point in the fashion world, providing emerging designers with an opportunity to establish a strong presence in the industry.
Fashion Factor, one of Dubai’s most prestigious fashion competitions, continues to host creative and talented fashion designers. Held in Dubai, the fashion hub of the Middle East, brings together leading figures in the fashion industry, providing an opportunity to showcase innovative designs that will shape the industry. Throughout the six previous editions, Fashion Factor has hosted collections from more than 200 international designers. In its 7th edition, Fashion Factor continues to welcome international designers, providing a platform for a global fashion perspective with the theme ‘THE FUTURISM.’ The competition, centered around this theme, will showcase collections from various designers over the course of two days.
The competition, which takes place at The Agenda Arena in Dubai, hosts over a thousand participants daily and is broadcast live on various television channels. With a broad spectrum of participants, ranging from celebrities to influencers, photographers to professional models, the competition becomes a significant meeting point of the fashion world. Among the spectators attending the competition are prominent figures such as Victoria Bonya, Islam Sabry, Ramona Gabor, Sharmoofers, Bushra Rozza, Lojain Omran, Mr. Thank You, Snejana Onopka, Rita Harb, Yara, Lamiaa Menhal, Zozo Kahramana, and Chanel Ayan. Additionally, the competition enhances industry connections by increasing opportunities for idea sharing and collaboration among participants.
Fashion Factor highlights cultural diversity and creativity
Going beyond just a competition for aspiring fashion designers, Fashion Factor provides participants with numerous opportunities. Each fashion designer has the chance to showcase their authentic collections in front of a live audience, introducing their designs to leading figures in the industry. The showcased designs are evaluated by the jury members throughout the competition process. On the final day, successful designers, as determined by the assessments, will be presented with awards. Winners in Fashion Factor will not only receive awards but also have the opportunity to establish a strong presence for themselves in the industry.
CEO and Founder of Fashion Factor, Sherif Thomas stated, ‘’We continue to bring together international fashion designers at Fashion Factor. With this event where we shape the future of fashion, we increase the likelihood of success for both local and international designers. Through the Fashion Factor competition, we not only provide an opportunity for designers to showcase their collections but also create an international platform that contributes to their success in their careers.’’
Fashion Factor, continuing to capture the interest of fashion enthusiasts, brings along the excitement of discovering the future fashion designers. Going beyond being just a fashion competition, Fashion Factor emphasizes cultural diversity, creativity, and innovation. The competition, bringing together names that will shape the future of fashion, aims to focus on sustainability in the fashion industry
Emir Bilal Özkan
The post The largest fashion competition in Dubai, Fashion Factor, has begun first appeared on Beauty Ring Magazine.


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DeRodes joined Home Depot in February 2002 and the statement credited him with several major IT rollouts, including self-checkout, "continual point of sale upgrades," BEAR, the Company's back-end automated receiving system and an SAP Finance implementation that was considered at the time the largest ever. He was also credited with opening the Austin Technology Center in 2005, "which provided needed backup systems and security for the Company's data management infrastructure."
Home Depot CIO Steps Down
Home Depot CIO/EVP Bob DeRodes has resigned and will leave the $77 billion home improvement chain "at the end of the year," according to a statement Home Depot issued Thursday. DeRodes will continue to run IT until he leaves, the statement said, as the chain starts a search for his replacement.


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Chevrolet is rumored to be working on 2019 Camaro for Xfinity
2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS to the NASCAR Xfinity Series?
Last week, Chevrolet released a brand new Camaro that is on it’s way to dealerships across the world. While the 2019 Chevy Camaro SS has just been released, it’s rumored that a new Xfinity machine is already in development.
At the start of the 2018 season,Read More


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Lily Cole becomes the first brand ambassador for The Body Shop
Lily Cole has been announced as the first ever global brand ambassador for The Body Shop. The British model fronts the beauty brand's Beauty of Heart campaign which she helped to launch in London on Thursday.
"The Body Shop first approached me a year ago - maybe even more than that - and I can't tell you how inspired I've been by the work that they have done," Cole said at the launch."I have long been an advocate of the potential of using business and consumer power to cause positive change."
As a great supporter of saving the environment, Cole seems like the perfect candidate to represent a ethically responsible brand such as The Body Shop. The Beauty With Heart campaign will start to roll out in UK from 3rd May, with a global expansion to follow from 15th May. For more beauty news and reviews, visit kissandmakeup.tv


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Businesses look forward to weekend Brewers/Cubs series
The Brewers begin a heated battle on the field this weekend against the Chicago Cubs. Will the rivalry remain heated?
Tim Dixon, owner of the Iron Horse Hotel, said Cubs games in Milwaukee tend to fill up his hotel.
"Nineteen games have resulted in 92 percent occupancy," he said. "Fourteen of those have been sell outs."
Tim Smith, of the InterContinental Hotel, agrees that Chicago games are good for business.
"Regardless of how well the Brewers are doing, with the Cubs we sell out," he said. "It's just a busy weekend."
Brewers/Cubs rivalries have typically been on weekdays, since the teams are within an easy driving distance. But two weekend series this year means Milwaukee businesses should see some extra business.
"They're eating in our restaurants, shopping and having fun," Brent Foerster, of VISIT Milwaukee, said. "That's good for our economy."
He said that a few extra marketing dollars are spent each year on Cubs fans.
"The last summers we've been doing radio campaigns on Cubs radio," he said. "Reminding them (to come to Milwaukee) not just for Cubs/Brewers games, but to come up for all our festivals."
The Brewers also have a rare home stand against the New York Yankees this season. Some hotel owners said they are already sold out for that series.


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It's proving to be a hectic day for PS5 restocks. Game released a bumper crop this morning just after 9am, swiftly followed by Currys at midday. Both retailers sold out within an hour or so but there could be more to come today...
It seems like the first of several big PS5 restocks, dubbed "March Madness" on social media, have begun. Game's PS5 restock comprises 60% disc edition and 40% Digital Edition but was blighted by glitches, leaving many gamers to vent their fury on Twitter.
The good news is that Game and Currys are expected to restock again later today or this week.
According to one prominent tipster, "Due to the huge amount of bugs, Game will most likely re-release the stock that doesn't get sold either later today or later in the week." Fingers crossed.
Yesterday Amazon restocked although there was no sign of the rumoured AO.com restock.
Meanwhile, it was a familiar story at Argos. The high street tech chain released a batch of PlayStation 5 consoles at 1am and 3am yesterday, but a website error left many gamers empty-handed.
Curious as to why Argos drops before dawn? "Almost every PS5 stock replenish has been around the same time," said an Argos spokesperson. "With less people online at this time the website runs smoother."
Sony's next-gen games console has been in short supply since launching back in November. Demand is being driven through the roof by a shortage of AMD chips, which power the PS5.
It's not all doom and gloom, though. Sony has revealed the PS Plus games for this month. Subscribers with a PS4 or PS5 will get Final Fantasy 7 Remake, a slicker new take on the classic RPG, and Remnant: From the Ashes, a third-person shooter set in space. PS5 owners get first-person shooter Maquette as an exclusive, plus there's a shooter called for the PSVR virtual reality headset called Farpoint.
We've also spotted some of the best PS5 deals on games and accessories, so you can start building your PS5 set-up while you hunt down a PS5.
The lowdown on PS5 stock and where to buy
Which should you buy? PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition
Save on PS5 bundles with today's best PS5 deals


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Apple has denied reports that it has forced downgraded the quality of its Face ID technology to help its manufacturing partners get its flagship iPhone X smartphone out on time. The claims were made with...
The cheapest model starts at £699 in the UK
Covid-19 has put many people off the idea of public transport, especially in major cities like London. Could a new electric scooter be the answer for shorter trips?
The company is expected to announce four iPhone 12 models on 13th October
Cambridge-1 will be among the world's top 30 most powerful supercomputers, and top three most environmentally-frien
Says its new iPad Air is six times faster than the top-selling Chromebook


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Egypt is developing its advertising methods and will be promoting its tourism through digital platforms in order to keep up with the latest technological changes in the global tourism sector, announced the Tourism Ministry.
Minister of Tourism Rania al-Mashat highlighted the main elements for advertising the country’s tourism through “People2People”, promoting each tourist city individually and the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, GEM 2020.
Attending the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Beijing, China, Mashat met the Vice Chairman and President for Strategic Growth for Mastercard Inc, Mike Froman, and stressed the importance of statistics and analysis in tourism and their role in understanding tourist trends.
The Egyptian cabinet said on its Facebook page that Mashat and Forman discussed various aspects of cooperation between the Tourism Ministry and the company in data analysis, digital transformation and promoting Egyptian tourism.
The minister had met with MasterCard officials in Cairo in August to tackle the structural reform program for the development of the Egyptian tourism sector.
The program was developed in November 2018.
Mashat stressed that information on tourists helps governments and decision-makers identify new trends, contributing positively and effectively in the development of appropriate strategies to attract more inbound tourism.
Moreover, the government said positive global reports are praising the boom achieved by the tourism sector, where Egypt was the fourth country with the highest growth in global performance in the travel and tourism competitiveness index, according to the report of the World Economic Forum for Travel and Tourism 2019.
For his part, Froman said his company is looking forward to cooperating with the Ministry of Tourism in data analysis, digital transformation and promotion of Egyptian tourism through electronic platforms and applications.
He added that the company will provide information about tourists and their expectations during their visit to Egypt, which will help the Ministry develop appropriate promotional plans to attract more people from all over the world.


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The Danish startup Bownty collects deals from a total of 100 deal sites in Denmark, UK, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, and Portugal. Currently Bownty offers deals in approximately 1200 cities in Europe. In 2014, Bownty acquired its biggest competitor in Southern Europe, Yunait, which made the Danish deal aggregator Europe’s largest.
“When we founded Bownty, our ambition was to build a large, successful company that does for deals on local experiences, what momondo has done for the travel market. With the investment, we now have investors on board, all of which have helped to create some of the most successful companies with the same business model as ours. It’s incredibly valuable to our business,” says Steffen W. Frølund, founder and CEO of Bownty.
The Series A investment comes from the British investment fund HOWZAT Partners along with Denmark’s largest early stage venture fund SEED Capital and several business angels including Pia Vemmelund, Managing Director at momondo and Chairman of Bownty. Common to all investors are their expertise in building successful aggregators such as momondo, Trivago, and Cheapflights. Bownty raised its first investment in early 2012. It came from SEED Capital, which invested in the dealplatform again in 2013 along with Accelerace Invest.
Sascha Hausmann from HOWZAT Partners, who will also become board member at Bownty: “We were attracted by Bownty’s impressive organic growth and track record of successful acquisitions so far. The team has clearly demonstrated a great understanding of how to scale and grow a truly global business. We are excited to support the team now with their international expansion strategy and look forward to seeing increased brand awareness of Bownty in the coming months.”
With the investment, Bownty is now able to continue its aggressive growth and pursue new opportunities for growing the business further. Since January 2015, the 4 year old company has more than doubled the number of employees in the Copenhagen based HQ.


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Following the "41% of Facebook users are a bit dim" revelations, a recent survey sponsored by Microsoft has shown that Americans aren't too blessed in the online common sense department either.
A survey carried out in May this year, which involved 2482 American adults, revealed some worrying statistics about online security.
It seems that 17% of US adults have fallen victim to an internet scam; 81% of that 17, admitted that they were to blame.
The victims admitted that they had opened dodgy e-mails or, worse, actually sent information to companies that appeared above-board just because they had professional logos or recognisable names.
Lack of awareness seems to be the main reason for folk to fall victim to online threats.
The survey discovered that 58% of the adults consulted were not aware of online scams, and even those that were aware, did not know how to avoid the threats.
It's a wonder those victim stats weren't higher...


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Netflix Replaces Apple as Nation's Top Internet-Movie Business
IHS, formerly Screen Digest, says revenue generated from Americans who buy and rent movies online more than doubled to $992 million last year.
Netflix zoomed past Apple in 2011 to become the nation's leading supplier of movies streamed over the Internet, according to revenue data IHS released on Friday.
While Netflix claimed just 1 percent of the total online movie business in 2010, it leapt to 44 percent last year. Apple, which leads the "transactional" business as opposed to subscription, saw its revenue share fall from 61 percent in 2010 to 32 percent last year.
IHS says Netflix is so dominant in the SVOD category that it's nearest competitor, Hulu, is just 10 percent its size.
The transactional side of the online movie business -- Apple iTunes and its competitors -- was up 75 percent to $273 million.
Electronic sell-through, which IHS notes is more profitable for the studios than are the online rental models, grew by just 2.4 percent last year to $236 million.
The online movie business on whole more than doubled to $992 million last year, and IHS expects it to double again this year.
IHS says "the big growth story" of 2011, though, was Walmart's Vudu, which captured 8.2 percent of the transactional market, up from 2.8 percent the year prior.
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UNCASVILLE, CT (June 3, 2019) – Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions, will kick off its 4th Annual Northeast Auction at Mohegan Sun on Wednesday, June 26th, with a special Shell Family Day powered by Pennzoil featuring free admission for high school students (with a valid ...
Tag: car show
Blockbuster Inaugural Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction Sells Out Weekend Tickets In First Few Hours2016-06-23
Within a few hours of opening its doors today, the public has purchased every ticket to Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast Auction on June 23-25, 2016, at Mohegan Sun. In addition, consignments for The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions® are sold out and Barrett-Jackson set an attendance record for any event at Mohegan Sun. To meet the strong demand, Barrett-Jackson will offer a limited number of twilight tickets on-site, as well as increase support for bidding.


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Uber Aims To Stop Drinking & Driving
Posted by Legacy Marketing / April 13
GoPro Cameras have been taken down mountains, into oceans, and now into outer space. NASA's video shows astronauts working on the exterior of the shuttle. According to Terry Virts and Barry Wilmore, the astronauts performing the procedure, it was a fairly mundane mission but the views we get are breathtaking. More details on HuffPost.
Facebook recently launched their own stand-alone messaging application for Web browsers. For now, this new version will not be replacing the messenger on your Facebook page directly. This Web version is supposed to make Messenger easier and farther away from distracting notifications and newsfeeds The Facebook Web version offers the same amenities as the mobile version such as photo and video sharing and payments. Learn more from Mashable.
Uber’s Toronto-based team rolled out a marketing promotion in an effort to highlight its safety credentials. The ride-sharing company planted an ‘Uber Safe kiosk’ on a popular Toronto sidewalk after midnight so that passersby could blow into the machine’s breathalyzer. If they were above the legal limit, participants were offered a free ride from Uber. In the video overviewing the campaign, Uber notes that drunk driving accidents triple after midnight and they used the slogan “You drink, we drive”. Check out Entrepreneur for more.


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Heaven Hill is to release a sparkling variant of its Hpnotiq Liqueur alongside a new campaign fronted by reality TV star Khloe Kardashian.
Infused with “Champagne-like bubbles” Hpnotiq Sparkle, bottled at 12.5% abv, is a blend of fruit juices, white wine, vodka and Cognac.
In support of its launch, Khloe Kardashian, one of the stars of Keeping up with the Kardashians, will host “I Need Sparkle” sweepstakes across US print, digital and social medias during the holiday season.
“Hpnotiq Sparkle builds on a strong Hpnotiq brand franchise,” said Brittany Capito, senior brand manager for Hpnotiq Liqueur.
“Both seasonal specialties and sparkling wines have been on the cutting edge of industry growth over the past three years. Sparkle combines the two to make holiday celebrations fabulous and more festive.”
Available in a 750ml bottle, Hpnotiq Sparkle carries an RRP of US$19.99.
In July this year, Kentucky-based Heaven Hill Distilleries expanded its liqueurs stable with the acquisition of Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur from Miami group Maurice Cooper et Cie.