text:
Tag Archives: Fender
Fender introduces its own line of guitar-themed wine
Fender Guitars has partnered with the Armida Winery to launch its own line of guitar-themed wines.
Fender’s selection of vino includes a Strat-themed Cabernet Sauvignon, a Thinline Telecaster Pinot Noir, and a Jazzmaster Chardonnay. There’s also a more high-end Telecaster Zinfandel that goes for $500 a bottle.
This isn’t the first time Fender has extended its brand into the lifestyle… Read More
Introducing Fender Guitars’ new folding-neck model CD-140S VA and CD-60 VA acoustics
Fender has released a pair of acoustic guitars equipped with hinged necks, allowing them to be folded to facilitate ease of transport during travel. The CD-140S VA and the CD-60 VA both come equipped with Fender’s patented Voyage-Air neck hinge, which makes it possible for the instruments to be folded in half and easily stored in a standard backpack-sized… Read More
Check this cool article from The London Sun on Funk legend Nile Rodgers and his white 1959 Fender Stratocaster, courtesy of GSTV friend and brother Dave Lippey:
by Ellie Ross
IT’S the £1.3billion guitar that continues to earn its owner a fortune.
Funk legend Nile Rodgers is the genius behind disco giants Chic but has also produced and played on some of the biggest-selling albums of all time by artists including Madonna, David Bowie, Duran Duran and Diana Ross.
And on each track he has played his… Read More
Guitar Shop TV met with Author/Photographer Lisa S. Johnson at The Cutting Room in New York this month to discuss her fabulous new book “108 Rock Star Guitars”
Fender dusts off a pair of “forgotten” classics
Long lost Fender models the Coronado and the Starcaster have suddenly resurfaced on the guitar makers website. Both models are known for iconic design and configurations that are somewhat unconventional by Fender’s standards.
The Coronado, for its part, was first unveiled in the mid-Sixties and became associated with players like Dave Davies of the Kinks and even Elvis Presley, both of whom were assumedly drawn to the guitar because of its cool looks.
The Fender Starcaster… Read More
Green Day bassman gets his own signature models
Here is the official press release from Fender:
Fender press release
Fender, Squier and hard-hitting Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt join forces once again for the release of the Fender Mike Dirnt Road… Read More

domain: news


text:
Polaris Market Research has released new research which discovered the global healthy snack market is anticipated to reach around $40,699 million by 2026.
In 2017, the cereal and granola bars segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue, and Europe accounted for the majority share in the global healthy snacks market.
The rapid increase in the obesity rate of the global population majorly drives the growth of the healthy snacks market. Growing concerns regarding healthy eating habits and increasing disposable income in developing regions support market growth.
Consumers are increasingly consuming snacks with a high content of fiber, calcium, protein, whole grains, vitamins and minerals and there has been an increasing demand of snack products, which enable consumers to maintain weight, provide nutritional requirements and align with their health goals. Major factors for increased demand include an additional source of protein and other nutrients.
However, the high costs of healthy snacks limit the growth of the market. New emerging markets, emerging consumer demographics and sale through online channels are set to provide growth opportunities for the healthy snacks market in the coming years.
Increasing incidences of health disorders related to obesity have resulted in increased awareness regarding healthy eating habits. Health and fitness consciousness is also increasing in countries such as China and India due to improving lifestyle and changing food habits. Consumers are also tracking their nutritional intake, and consuming healthy snacks.
The growing digitization and access of information has further increased consumer awareness. Leading players in the market are also taking initiatives to increase awareness among consumers through health subscription and other marketing campaigns.
Asia-pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. A significant rise in the obese population has been registered over the past few years in Australia, China and Japan among others.
The obese and geriatric population is increasing in this region, increasing the demand for healthy snacks. Sedentary lifestyles coupled with hectic work schedules are encouraging consumers to adopt healthy snacking options to meet their nutritional requirements.
Increasing awareness regarding the health benefits of healthy snacks and rising disposable incomes in developing countries of this region augment the market growth in the region. Leading global players are expanding their presence in developing nations such as China, Japan, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia to tap the growth opportunities offered by these countries.
Healthy snacks include dried fruit snacks, meat snacks, cereal and granola bars, nut and seed snacks and others. The cereal and granola bars segment is expected to lead the market during the forecast period owing to increasing demand for on-the-go nutritious snacks.
Additional features, like better taste and increased filling capacity, further encourage consumption. These bars provide instant energy, thereby increasing their demand among athletes.
Well-known companies profiled in the report include PepsiCo Foods, Nestlé S.A., General Mills, The Kellogg Company, The Kraft Heinz Company, Herbalife Ltd., Nutrisystem Inc., Mondelez International, Inc., Hormel Foods Corporation, Tyson Foods, Inc., Calbee Inc.and B&G Food Inc., among others.


text:
- Digital Cameras
Monday, 2 Mar 2015
Nikon announces launch of D7200, CoolPix P900, View NX-i and the renewal of the Nikon Image Space app for both iOS and Android
Not resting on their laurels after the launch of the D5500, Nikon has just announced the launch of the D7200, a 24.2 Megapixel DX-format camera, the Coolpix P900, a new super-zoom compact and some new software. More details within.
Wednesday, 18 Feb 2015
Hot on the heels of the NX1 comes the NX500, a camera that takes the advanced technology from the NX1 and puts it into a compact design that’s suitable everyday use. More after the jump.
Friday, 13 Feb 2015
Ever wanted a high-res, full-frame DSLR for doing astrophotography? The FX format, 36.3MP Nikon D810A is it. For the rest of us, the camera maker has also unveiled a few new Coolpix compact cameras.
Friday, 6 Feb 2015
Are the 50.6MP EOS 5DS and 5DSR overkill for you? Perhaps you'd want to take a look at the 24.2MP EOS 750D and 760D entry-level DSLRs that Canon has also announced today.
Thursday, 5 Feb 2015
Nikon has just announced the pricing and availability for their latest products - the Nikon D5500, AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II, COOLPIX S2900, COOLPIX L31 and the AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR. Details within.
Monday, 26 Jan 2015
Samsung’s new firmware update is quite a major one, with most of the improvements targeting video users. Full details within.
Thursday, 22 Jan 2015
Nikonrumors reports that Nikon USA has issued a service advisory in response to complaints of unnatural flare from a small group of D750 users. Read on for the full details, and the full text of the service advisory.
Wednesday, 21 Jan 2015
Panasonic has just announced the launch of the Lumix DMC-GF7W, a mirrorless camera with a 180 degree tilt-type monitor for easy selfies. More details after the jump.
Monday, 19 Jan 2015
Details of the Fujifilm X-A2 and XQ2 have just been released on Fujifilm’s website, and both cameras feature Wi-Fi transfer for wireless backup to your computer, as well as a host of other improvements.
Thursday, 15 Jan 2015
Going overseas? Canon's got your camera covered with the new Asia Traveller Protection Programme. Check out how you can get your camera repaired overseas if it's still under warranty.


text: Nike Sportswear will counter the kick-off of tomorrow’s Super Bowl XLV game with the release of the “Alpha Pack”. Limited to a mere 25 units, the pack contains a pair of Nike’s new Alpha Talon football cleat and a pair of the Zoom Huarache Trainer Mid, both of which feature similar Black/Grey-Neon color schemes. Also included is a black Nike duffel bag. The pack is scheduled to release tomorrow, February 6th, 2011, exclusively through NikeStore.com at exactly 7pm Eastern Standard Time. If you’re not looking to purchase the pack and you’re more interested in just the Huarache, they’re expected to release separately also through NikeStore, as well as other select Nike Sportswear retailers.


text:
Until 30 September, both the Mövenpick
Hotel Saigon and Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi are offering half and
full-day meeting packages for just US$1 per participant.
Basically, youre paying the price of the mints, quipped
Dominik Stamm, general manager of the Mövenpick Saigon. It
doesnt get any better than that.
deal, which is available to groups who book a minimum of 10 rooms
at any corporate or Internet rate, includes venue, equipment,
lunch and coffee breaks.
The Mövenpick chain is
internationally renowned for its commitment to business travellers,
added Knuth Kiefer, general manager at the Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi.
This move reinforces that commitment, because it provides
companies a platform on which to interact, no matter the state of
the global economy.
Room rates vary and include
daily buffet breakfast. A complimentary room is accorded for every
15 paying rooms.
other recent news regarding:


text:
MONTPELIER – President Obama nullified Vermont’s GMO labeling law on Friday by quietly signing a federal law nicknamed the “Dark Act.”
The new federal law lifted the requirement for food companies to mark their products with clear GMO labeling and essentially allowing the food industry to regulate itself.
Following President Obama’s signing of S.764, the Vermont Attorney General will no longer be allowed to enforce Act 120, Vermont’s first-in-the-nation law requiring the labeling of food produced with genetic engineering.
“We successfully defended our law for two years, and as a result, many companies are now disclosing that their products are produced with genetic engineering,” said Attorney General William H. Sorrell. “We hope they will continue to do so going forward, not because our law requires it, but because it is the right thing to do.”
Critics of the new federal law have dubbed it the “Dark Act,” standing for “Denying Americans Right to Know.”
The “Dark Act” establishes a “National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard,” which, among other things, could permit companies to provide a scannable code, only accessible with a smartphone, rather than a clear on-package disclosure.
“It is unfortunate that corporate interests were ultimately able to water down Vermont’s clear disclosure standard through the passage of this federal law,” said Sorrell.
Under the federal law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has two years to draft regulations to implement the labeling standard.


text:
Not to forget Samsung has already mocked Apple for not providing a charging adapter and free earphones inside the boxes of the iPhone 12 handsets. Samsung even made fun of Apple for being late to join the 5G party. Soon after the launch of iPhone 12, Samsung has shared a post on microblogging site Twitter that reads “Some people are just saying hi to speed now, we’ve been friends for a while. Get your Galaxy 5G device now.”
Interestingly, Samsung had earlier mocked Apple for including the notch display and removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. However, Samsung was quick to follow Apple and it ultimately removed the headphone jack from its flagship phones after a couple of years and even included a smaller notch in its display which it calls Infinity O or V depending on the design.
Surprisingly, reports claim that Samsung may again take inspiration from Apple and remove box contents like earphones and charging adapter as well.
Meanwhile, talking about the new advertisement posted by the company’s Dutch arm, it showcases a graffiti artist walking up to a Galaxy Z Fold 2 billboard that is captioned ‘Think Different’ (which actually belongs to Apple). The artist cuts across the word ‘Different’ with spray paint and replaces it with the word ‘Bigger’ with special focus on the ‘i’. Here’s the video below:


text:
Transformative Fashion With Jordan Roth
8 monthes ago - By WWD
“So here's the good news about this: as I explained, I'm already in mourning for having to take it off,” says Jordan Roth, back in a white button down and jeans as he sits on the banister in the mezzanine of the Hirschfeld Theater.
“So now, I got to wear it and experience, take it off and I get to put it back on tomorrow.”
It's Sunday morning and Roth has just completed a final fitting for his Met Gala look; the theater owner and producer is feeling rather sentimental already, but given the context, it should be expected.
“This was really like creating a piece of theater,” Roth says. “It...
Read more ...
The headlines of PourElles
How to edit your instagram photos (Apps + before after) ♡
Hello guys! ♡♡ This article is about editing apps that you can use to edit your photos. Below you can find examples of how I edited some of my photos and what apps did I...
Études F/W 19 Show
Valentino Delivers Spacey Style with Fall '19 Collection
Pierpaolo Piccioli dreams up out of this world graphics for Valentino's fall-winter 2019 collection. Piccioli collaborates with Undercover designer Jun Takahashi on unique...
Rihanna Is Supposedly Starting a Luxury House With LVMH
After an incredibly successful launch of Fenty Beauty in 2016, a triumphant Savage x Fenty lingerie line, a load of other fashion-related projects, and a potential new album...
Bergdorf Goodman November by Ben Hassett
Marie Claire China
Press the Shutter
JW Anderson Channels the Work of Paul Thek for FW19 Collection
Following the announcement back in December that JW Anderson would relocate to Paris Fashion Week , the Northern Irish designer presented his Fall/Winter 2019 collection. The...
Thieves Like Us for Rogue Magazine
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter Is Under Way
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter Is Under Way Six Local Designer Labels Showcased at FASHIONALLY Parades The 50th edition of HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter...


text:
Microsoft sent anxious bloggers and message boarders into a fury with the announcement of an external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 at this past week's Consumer Electronics Show. Bill Gates himself announced that such a device would be made available for the system, without sharing specifics on price and availability.
It turns out that someone a bit closer to Microsoft's game side, Peter Moore, was waiting in the wings with a few clarifications, only he was talking to the Japanese press. ITmedia sat down with Moore and asked the hard questions about Blu-ray, internal drives and the system's slow start in Japan.
Moore doesn't confirm too much in the interview aside from what was revealed by Gates at the CES keynote, refusing to comment on the connection method, the specifications and price. He is, however, adamant that this announcement has nothing to do with a recent JiJi report that stated Microsoft would be releasing an HD-DVD compatible version of the Xbox 360 in the near future. Microsoft immediately denied that report.
The Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive is exclusively external, according to Moore. In reference to plans to release an Xbox 360 model with a built in drive, Moore states "At this point, we have no such plan. We believe that we've created something excellent with the Xbox 360 system design, which involved Japanese designers. To simply throw away something like that in less than a year and make something new -- it isn't possible, and there's no reason to do it. First off, it's inconsiderate to the users who purchased the system."
One of the reasons Microsoft is going exclusively with an external device, Moore admits, is that it's unsure of who will win in the next generation DVD battle, a war of biblical proportions set to be fought between the Blu-ray and HD-DVD "camps." MS is siding with HD-DVD, and for this Moore points out many of the reasons Gates and other Microsoft spokespersons gave at CES. Moore adds, "We don't know which will win -- HD-DVD or Blu-ray. But because we've gone with an external form of device, we can remain compatible with changes to the situation in the future. However, Sony cannot. If Blu-ray wins, it will probably be a great chance for Sony. However, if Blu-ray loses, Sony will suffer great harm."
Moore refrains from specifically stating straight out that Microsoft will consider a similar external Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. When asked if MS would consider such a device prior to the release of the PlayStation 3, he responds with "I get the feeling that this assumes the next generation DVD format war will come to a close early and Blu-ray will emerge victorious. However, we really don't know what will happen. We have a plan to ship many millions of Xbox 360 units, and despite that we can wait for the results of the format war and plan accordingly."
Moore seems to be a bit more clear on the topic of games using the HD-DVD format. Asked if such games will appear, he states "We're not considering that at this time. The HD-DVD drive will be something that exclusively supports movie playback. We believe the current DVD format can offer exceptional games."
Closing off the interview, Moore is asked some questions about the Xbox 360's poor sales performance in Japan. He admits that one of the big problems for Japan was the availability of only six titles at the system's launch. Microsoft had originally scheduled twelve titles for the launch, he reveals. However, a number of games, including Dead or Alive 4 and Enchant Arm, were hit with last minute delays.
He doesn't feel that launching worldwide was a mistake, though, citing the importance, from a marketing perspective, of a year-end launch. Moore also points to upcoming titles like Lost Odyssey, Ninety-Nine Nights and Blue Dragon as signs that the system will achieve success in the long term.


text:
Largan expected to keep lead in smartphone dual-lens module
Jun 24, 10:56
Although adoption of dual-lens cameras for smartphones is not yet popular, Largan Precision is expected to maintain its leading market status in technology and production capacity of smartphone-use dual-lens modules, according to industry sources.
IC suppliers landing short lead-time orders for Type-C solutions
Jun 21, 22:11
Taiwan-based IC suppliers have been receiving more short lead-time orders for USB Type-C solutions from notebook vendors and ODMs recently, indicating that the Type-C interface is likely to become mainstream in products in the second half of 2016, according to industry sources.
Alltop to distribute dividends; pushing into non-notebook applications
Jun 17, 15:27
Taiwan-based connector maker Alltop Technology hosted an investors conference on June 16, where it announced it will distribute dividends of NT$1.80 (US$0.06), NT$1 in cash and NT$0.80 in stock. Alltop also noted that products for network communications and industrial equipment as well as water-proof...
TAICS, WPC to cooperate to set up Qi ecosystem
Jun 17, 14:48
Taiwan government-sponsored Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards (TAICS) and Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) on June 16 signed an MoU for cooperation to boost Qi wireless power charging standards and set up a Qi ecosystem, according to TAICS.
Gigabyte sees drops in May revenues
Stockwatch - Jun 13, 21:59
Gigabyte Technology has reported consolidated revenues of NT$3.29 billion (US$101.52 million) for May 2016, representing a 14.98% drop on month and 14.38% drop on year.
Taiwan notebook ODMs look to strong shipments in June, says paper
Newswatch - Jun 13, 16:24
The top-four Taiwan-based notebook ODMs, Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron and Inventec, are expected to see their notebook shipments remain strong in June after posting strong gains in May, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.
Chicony Electronics revenues drop on year in May
Stockwatch - Jun 8, 15:24
Chicony Electronics has reported consolidated revenues of NT$6.052 billion (US$187.98 million) for May 2016, representing a 14.45% increase on month and 11.1% drop on year.
ASMedia expects strong 2H16
Jun 8, 14:16
ASMedia Technology, a subsidiary of Asustek Computer, hosted an investors conference on June 7, during which company president Chewei Lin pointed out that growing demand for gaming products are expected to help ASMedia achieve better sales in second-half 2016 than in the first half and its performance...
ASRock expects growing performance in 2016
Jun 8, 10:58
ASRock had an unsatisfactory performance in 2015 due to decreased motherboard shipments in China and increased expenses on server and industrial PC (IPC) investments; however, the company expects its operation to be stable in 2016 as its motherboard team in China has been completely reorganized, while...
PCB Drilling board maker Aurona reports strong sales in May
Newswatch - Jun 7, 22:07
Aurona Industry, a leading provider of PCB drilling back-up boards, has reported revenues of NT$100 million (US$3.11 million) for May, up 7.25% on year. Year-to-date revenues totaled NT$505 million, increasing 5.76% from a year earlier.
Intel, AMD new CPU platforms target January 2017 launch
Jun 7, 14:28
Market watchers originally expected Intel and AMD to launch their new CPU platforms in the third and fourth quarter, respectively, to help boost PC demand in the second half, but both CPU makers have recently postponed their launch schedules to January 2017 at CES 2017 since the upstream supply chain...
Largan Precision May revenues up on-month, down on-year
Stockwatch - Jun 6, 11:06
Smartphone-use lens module maker Largan Precision on June 5 reported consolidated revenues of NT$3.363 billion (US$103 million) for May, the highest monthly level so far in 2016 with on-month growth of 8.31% but an on-year decrease of 23.90%, and NT$14.739 billion for January-May, slipping 23.38% on...
Ichia May revenues fall 17% on year
Stockwatch - Jun 3, 11:25
Handset-use flexible PCB (FPCB) and keypad maker Ichia Technologies has announced consolidated revenues of NT$513 million (US$15.7 million) for May 2016, down about 17% on year.
Gigabyte to push Xtreme Gaming concept for graphics card business
Jun 2, 11:01
Despite having been operating in the graphics card market for many years, Gigabyte Technology has never stopped evolving. Not willing to stay only as a good-quality graphics card maker, Gigabyte has developed its Xtreme Gaming-series, looking to cultivate deeper relationships in the gaming market.
Nintendo NX mass production postpones to early 2017
Jun 2, 10:44
Nintendo's next-generation game console, the Nintendo NX is scheduled to enter mass production in early 2017, delaying about half a year from the company's original mass production plan in the mid-2016. Sources from the related upstream supply chain pointed out that the delay was because Nintendo wished...
AMD to release first Polaris graphics card at the end of June
Jun 1, 22:00
AMD has unveiled the company's strategy for its upcoming Polaris architecture-based Radeon RX-series graphics cards, introducing levels of VR performance and future-proof technologies at a variety of price points. The Radeon RX 480 delivers premium VR capability at a price of starting at US$199 for...
Samsung announces mass production of 512GB NVMe SSD in single BGA package
Jun 1, 21:57
Samsung Electronics has begun mass producing NVM Express (NVMe) PCIe SSD solutions in a single ball grid array (BGA) package for next-generation PCs and ultra-slim notebooks, according to the South Korea memory vendor. The new BGA NVMe SSD, named PM971-NVMe, features a compact package that contains...
Computex 2016: AMD introduces new mobile APU lineup and Zen architecture
Jun 1, 20:10
AMD has announced its full seventh-generation AMD A-series processor lineup, designed to help provide productivity and entertainment performance with mobility for consumers. Previously codenamed Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge, the seventh-generation AMD FX, A-series, and E-series accelerated processing...
CMC Magnetics obtains optical disc capacity booked until end of 2016
Jun 1, 20:07
Optical disc maker CMC Magnetics has obtained booming orders to fully occupy its production capacity until the end of 2016 because makers around the world have been forced out of the market. CMC has hiked quotes by 5-10% for orders in the second quarter, according to company chairman Robert Wong.
Micron launches 3D NAND SSDs
Jun 1, 13:05
Micron Technology has introduced a new lineup of 3D NAND flash SSDs - the 1100 SATA and 2100 PCIe NVMe SSDs - designed to address the storage demands of today's most challenging client computing platforms including Ultrabook and tablets as well as performance-oriented desktops and workstations. The...
Taiwan ultra-thin heat-pipe makers under price cut pressure
May 31, 20:32
Due to increasing competition for orders for ultra-thin copper-based heat-pipes used in smartphones, prices for pipes with a diameter of 0.4mm have dropped from US$1 in early 2016 to US$0.50 or even US$0.40 currently. Taiwan-based makers have been under pressure from smartphone vendors asking for further...
Computex looks to take on new identity
May 31, 08:51
This year's Computex Taipei 2016 will mark a turning point for Asia's biggest tradeshow, as Taiwan begins asserting itself as being not only the center of the global ICT supply chain but also as a key partner for building the global technology ecosystem and driving innovation. This new positioning...
Powering the cloud: Intel embraces new identity
May 30, 22:09
The next wave of computing is now beginning to define the IT industry, where the boundaries of computing are expanding as billions of smart and connected devices, new data-rich services and cloud apps fueled by the Internet of Things (IoT) increasingly bring new experiences to our lives. Aligning itself...
Computex 2016: Nvidia promotes Pascal GPUs
May 30, 16:07
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, at the company's pre-Computex 2016 press conference on May 30, talked about its latest Pascal-based GPUs, which have been broadly adopted in applications including datacenters, car-use electronics and deep-learning platforms.
Tablet supply chain turning to other markets
May 30, 15:57
With demand for tablets gradually weakening, upstream panel suppliers such as China-based DPT that used to rely on tablets for growth, have started turning to look for opportunities elsewhere and some have entered the car-use electronics market.
MSI expected to ship 21 million motherboards/graphics cards in 2016
May 24, 14:17
Micro-Star International (MSI) is expected to ship 21 million motherboards and graphics cards combined in 2016 including both own brand and OEM shipments, while the company's gaming notebook business is also enjoying strong shipments and profits. MSI is currently a top-three gaming notebook vendor...
Catcher expects growth in 2H16 thanks to new product launches
May 20, 14:50
Catcher Technology expects its revenues in the second half of 2016 to see strong growth from the first as many of its clients will launch new products beginning June, company chairman Hung Shui-shu said at a shareholders meeting on May 19.
Hiwin Technologies looks to demand for industrial robots in China
May 18, 11:31
Precision mechanical motion control component and robot maker Hiwin Technologies, viewing that the China government will boost industrial intelligent automation in the 13th National Development Plan (2016-2020), expects potential demand for industrial robots in the China market, company chairman Eric...


text:
At the bottom of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, the port of Baltimore's backdoor to the Northeast, is five feet of mud that two of the port's biggest customers say is costing them money.
Dredge away that five feet -- make the canal and its connecting channels 40 feet deep instead of 35 -- and the state will keep China Ocean Shipping Co. and Evergreen Line happy. More of their ships will be able to use the canal, sailing north out of the Chesapeake Bay instead of the time-consuming trip south to the bay's mouth.
For port officials, that's reason enough to spend $83 million dredging a 40-foot-deep swath from Baltimore harbor to the Delaware Bay. Every ship that wants to use the canal but can't is another potential loss to deep-water ports like Norfolk.
"Dredging is like our license to compete," former port Director Tay Yoshitani said before his departure last month. "The depth has to be there before we can talk seriously about marketing ourselves."
The canal connects the northern Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay via the Elk River, shaving 150 nautical miles off a trip to or from New York.
But as Baltimore struggles to conform to the shipping trade's modern trends toward larger, heavier vessels, there are no guarantees that deeper channels will mean more business for the port.
Some steamship lines say they can't fit through the canal because of the bridges over it, not the depth of the water in it.
Other companies say they won't use the canal regularly at any depth because of the fees it costs them.
"That might be the single most important issue affecting this project," said Kevin Horn, a maritime consultant for Louis Berger International Inc. in Washington. An average 3,000-container vessel will pay $3,137 in extra pilot's fees to use the canal, he said.
Still, ships carrying the kind of cargo that Baltimore's public ports are seeking most vigorously -- automobiles -- usually don't have a problem with depth because cars are comparatively light. And the container cargo trade is evolving toward ships so massive they could never use the C&D, the shallowest channel in any major East Coast port.
"How much money should we spend to get a little more traffic through the canal?" asked U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, an Eastern Shore Republican. "We want the port to be viable and prosperous, but we don't want them to spend huge amounts of && money on infrastructure that won't be used."
A group working with the Army Corps of Engineers to study the economic benefit of deepening the canal expects to complete its report next month. Its conclusion could determine whether the future of commercial shipping has already passed the C&D Canal by.
The Brewerton and Fort McHenry channels leading up the Patapsco River into Baltimore harbor are maintained at 50 feet, as are the channels leading south of the river to the Atlantic Ocean. When approached from the south, that makes Baltimore's port among the deepest ports on the East Coast -- deeper than New York, where plans to dredge down to 45 feet will require blasting into bedrock.
As such, Baltimore is trying to lure two of the world's largest steamship lines, Maersk Inc. and Sea Land Service Inc., to build a megaport here that would handle some 500,000 cargo containers a year -- more than doubling the amount of container cargo handled here. The companies want to cut their unit costs by sailing huge 1,100-foot "megaships" and calling at just one East Coast port. They expect to choose a location later this year.
The state's Seagirt Marine Terminal was constructed in anticipation of larger vessels, and was equiped with cranes that can reach 135 feet off the pier -- enough reach to load and unload megaships. Depth at the piers might need to be improved, but Baltimore is otherwise a viable option for the big-ship market.
"The big ships will never use the canal. It doesn't enter into our planning," said Ron Signorino, director of regulatory affairs for Maersk, whose 1,000-foot Regina Maersk is touring American ports. "But up the bay, your approaches in Baltimore are pretty much satisfactory now. Maybe when you plug the tides into the (( consideration things get close, but the depth is there."
While massive vessels are gradually joining the commercial fleet, however, typical merchant ships conform to a design limitation known in the maritime trade as "panamax" -- the maximum size of a ship that can fit through the Panama Canal. While new, larger ships can't sail in the northern bay, most panamax ships can.
Because of the dimensions of the Panama Canal's locks, it cannot accommodate any ship longer than 950 feet and wider than 106 feet. The C&D Canal has no locks and is 450 feet wide, but the Panama Canal is 4 1/2 feet deeper.
And in commercial shipping, that 4 1/2 feet of draft can make the difference between losing money and making a profit.


text:
CALL time on so-called giveaway booze promotions is the message from the Rochdale Council leader.
Councillor Alan Taylor wants to see the local authority given powers to stop off-licences from offering cheap deals on drink, a move suggested by government ministers.
He said. “I don’t wish to make supermarkets or off-licences a scapegoat for problems.
“But I think, though, some retailers go too far. Unfortunately, some of the special offers you see encourage binge drinking.
“It has been proved that anti-social behaviour is linked to binge drinking. You have ridiculous offers like 12 cans of beer for £5 or bottles of wine cheaper than three quid.
“I think that is wrong and I think this council and our police would appreciate more powers through our licensing department to restrict this.”
But Councillor Taylor’s suggestion came under fire from an off-licence owner, who claimed such measures would only punish small businesses.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The big supermarkets have enough money and space to buy alcohol in bulk, making it cheaper, so we already have to compete with them.
“It always seems to be the small store on the corner that gets the blame for binge drinking rather than the parents who buy drink in the big chains and give them to their children.”


text:
McDonald’s introduces stand-alone McCafé
The location in Toronto's Union Station is part of the QSR's strategy to become a go-to coffee brand.
McDonald’s Canada has introduced its first stand-alone McCafé location at Union Station in Toronto, part of the QSR’s ongoing strategy to position itself as a go-to for coffee and now, food items that pair well with its beverages.
“The new stand-alone McCafé locations allow us to build on our strong coffee credentials and create even stronger connections with our brand by offering our guests the more complete café menu they’ve been asking us for,” John Betts, president and CEO of McDonald’s Canada, said in a press release.
The new café, smaller than a typical McDonald’s restaurant, will include “on the go” items, like the Egg McMuffin and artisan sandwiches (such as apple and brie on a croissant), as well as McCafé Bakery items such as “authentic French croissants” and cream cheese danishes with fruit. Those Bakery menu items began rolling out to McDonald’s locations nationally in August.
Some menu items, such as the McCafé Affogato (soft serve ice cream and Oreo cookies with espresso), aim to make the location a destination for afternoon pick-me-ups, as well as the morning breakfast rush, according to the press release.
The menu items, as well as the stand-alone café, were created in response to consumer feedback asking for menu items to pair with their coffees, says Catherine Crozier, McCafé growth platform lead at McDonald’s Canada.
The new location includes self-ordering kiosks, mobile device charging stations, and free Wi-Fi. Currently aimed at commuters and busy downtowners, McDonald’s will be looking at consumer response to figure out its strategy with the stand-alone cafés going forward, Crozier says.
After creating its free coffee days in 2009, McDonald’s launched the McCafé brand nationally in Canada in 2011 with espresso-based drinks, followed by “Real Fruit Smoothies” in 2012 and McCafé Premium Roast Coffee through grocery channels in 2014.
A second dedicated McCafé location is set to open at First Canadian Place in downtown Toronto in January, and will have seating for 19 people.
McDonald’s is currently using social media to drive people to the new location, promoting the hashtag #MyMcCafeRitual to get people from across Canada engaged. It’s also using new digital columns in Union Station.


text:
A press release issued by McDonald’s earlier this month verified the news that the fast food restaurant chain would bring back the reusable, collectible pails that were initially introduced to the market in 1986.
The classic Happy Meal will be sold at participating McDonald’s restaurants across the country beginning on October 18 and continuing through Halloween, or until supplies run out, whichever comes first.
McDonald’s revealed five fan-inspired methods to repurpose the Halloween pails once the meal is finished, ranging from utilizing them as potting containers for plants to use them as accessories for a holiday celebration.
Does McDonald’s have Halloween Happy Meals?
McDonald’s is really getting into the Halloween spirit now that its famous and fun Happy Meal pails are back.
The McBoo, McPunk’n, and McGoblin are going to be available starting on Tuesday in the United States for a short time. This comes after there was some buzz about the vintage Halloween buckets on the internet and on social media.
Over the years, the popular things changed, with some becoming themed for popular television programs and characters, such “As Scooby-Doo” and “Monster High.”
When McDonald’s created the buckets in 2016 based on the beloved Halloween movie “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” it was the last time anyone saw them.


text:
New Microsoft Teams Premium Uses ChatGPT to Take Meeting Notes
Microsoft has released a new subscription level for its messaging service, Microsoft Teams Premium, which employs OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to take notes during meetings and organize tasks afterward. The integration is part of Microsoft’s long-term plan to incorporate the generative AI chatbot into all of its consumer and enterprise products following its recent multi-billion dollar investment into OpenAI. The tech giant has begun integrating ChatGPT and related models into its Office suite, Bing search engine, and Azure, with more products in the pipeline.
Microsoft Teams Premium
ChatGPT acts like an AI secretary for Teams meetings, similar to Otter.ai, Airgram, or Supernormal. The AI automatically transcribes and summarizes the conversation, pulling out key comments and offering a tentative schedule of future events and action items based on the discussion. The Microsoft Teams recap page will include a recap of the meeting, with speakers marked in the transcript and the whole thing divided into chapters by the AI and applicable to PowerPoint Live meeting recordings as well as the standard meeting format.
Users will also have personalized timelines with their own entry and exit noted. The AI can help them learn what they missed in the meeting and will even mark when their name was mentioned and when their managers or closest colleagues talked. Microsoft Teams Premium is also employing linguistic AI tools for real-time translations in captions for subscribers in more than 40 languages. The new Teams tier is priced at $7 but will rise to $10 a month in July.
“Built on the familiar, all-in-one collaborative experience of Microsoft Teams, Teams Premium brings the latest technologies, including Large Language Models powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, to make meetings more intelligent, personalized, and protected—whether it’s one-on-one, large meetings, virtual appointments, or webinars,” Microsoft Teams vice president Nicole Herskowitz, explained in a blog post. “There’s a ton of time-consuming administrative work during meetings, like taking notes, figuring out important takeaways, and capturing the right action items and owners. That’s why Teams is infusing AI throughout the meeting experience, helping you be more productive in new ways.”
The growing demand for AI meeting assistants has prompted a lot more interest in companies and products in the space. Adoption accelerated in the last few years to accommodate more people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as advances in natural language understanding and conversational AI. The evolution is apparent in how meeting transcription startup Otter.ai raised $50 million in 2021 to completely overhaul and expand its platform with AI-powered meeting summaries, notes, and a suite of communication tools rivaling Slack. The same changes fueled plenty of other funding rounds for young startups like Supernormal, including Airgram’s $10 million and Xembly’s $15 million, while Supernormal just raised $10 million and is incorporating OpenAI’s models into its meeting AI assistant.


text:
Social Media: It's Business and It's Personal
It’s Business and It’s Personal Looking to build their customer bases, area businesses are discovering that social networking isn’t just for teenagers anymore By Lilly Rockwell Originally published in the Apr/May 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine
In the midst of a slumping housing market, Sandestin Realtor Jessica Jones was eager to find a way to attract more clients than the ones who were responding to her print advertisements and word-of-mouth networking.
She turned to Twitter, a fast-growing social-media Web site that allows users to post 140-character messages while monitoring what other people are writing.
“It’s another beautiful day in Sandestin! Lots of buyers out there looking for property,” she writes on her @CompassRealtyFL Twitter account.
The next day, she posts links on Twitter to her Facebook page of her agency’s Sandestin resort market report, with a detailed breakdown of home sales in the area in 2009.
Jones is a Twitter fan. But she hasn’t been one for long.
“When I started, I wasn’t really sure about it,” said Jones, who owns Compass Realty. But after a few months, she grew to love the quirky Twitter lingo. She has accumulated more than 350 followers and has brought in new clients solely because of her posts on Twitter and Facebook.
“It’s easier for people to engage in something like Twitter or Facebook rather than a cold call,” Jones said. “They get a feel for your personality.”
In Pensacola, Shelley Yates helps manage the @GoodGrits Twitter account and Facebook page for Great Southern Restaurant Group, which owns four local restaurants: Fish House, the Atlas Oyster House, Fish House Deck Bar and Jackson’s Steakhouse.
She says the group’s efforts on Twitter and Facebook have yielded new customers and helped cement the support of loyal customers through social media-only drink and food specials.
When Tropical Storm Ida blew into town last November, Yates found participants at a nearby convention through Twitter and sent messages urging them to stop by.
“I knew there would be a lot of people in town that had never been through a storm and were frustrated by other businesses closing,” Yates said. “I said, ‘After the convention, if you’re looking for a place to eat, we’re open.’ ” It worked, and Yates said the restaurants stayed busy throughout Ida’s mild-mannered reign.
Jones and Yates are part of a tsunami of owners of small and medium-size businesses turning to social media. Many are finding that it’s a way to boost revenue, network with customers and competitors, and improve customer service. They’re following a lead set by Fortune 500 companies such as Wells Fargo, AT&T and Southwest Airlines that have fully integrated social media into their business model. They use Web sites like Facebook and Twitter to post news, answer questions or complaints, offer discounts, and provide a close connection with customers. They often find that the strategy helps to offset assumptions that large corporations are indifferent.
Internet usage data shows social-media sites are experiencing tremendous growth. Facebook is now the fifth most popular Web site in the United States in terms of the number of unique visitors and fourth in terms of hours spent online, according to marketing research company comScore. Only Internet behemoths such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft rank higher.
From a marketing perspective, social media offers the ability to reach consumers based on their location, interests, gender, age or job — an approach known as ad-targeted advertising. And social-media users are typically in sought-after age groups, technologically savvy and affluent.
Social media has evolved from a frivolous time-waster for teenagers interested in posting party pictures and chatting with friends to a mandatory business tool for companies of all types and sizes.
It’s more than a passing fad. Social-media gadflies characterize it as a communication revolution, similar to how television and the Internet transformed the way people interact with brands, seek information and entertain themselves.
“Like so many people, I considered it a frivolous waste of time, a productivity-killer and a distraction,” said Rick Oppenheim, who owns Tallahassee public relations firm RB Oppenheim Associates. “I scoffed at others who were involved in it because so many of them seemed like they were techno-geeks who were compulsive and addicted.”
His naysaying went away in late 2008 when he quickly realized the marketing potential of social-networking sites.
Now, Oppenheim is one of the most active Twitter users in Northwest Florida, and he advises clients on their social-media strategies, evangelizing about its effectiveness.
“What we’re seeing is a different type of communication with a different type of vehicle,” said Josh Hallett, a new-media strategist at Orlando-based Voce Communications who organized the successful BlogOrlando conferences geared toward learning about social media. Add social media to the buffet of advertising choices available to businesses, such as print, radio and TV, he added: “Twitter and Facebook are just different ways to communicate.”
But social media is still a frighteningly new concept for many business owners, who are skeptical that time spent chatting on Twitter or posting pictures on Facebook will really benefit their business. Won’t Twitter just be replaced by some other newfangled Web invention? Who has time for all this online stuff, anyway?
Michael Calienes, a self-professed social-media expert and ad agency owner in Tallahassee, chuckles about concerns that sites such as Twitter are a passing fad or have reached their peak.
“That’s crazy,” Calienes said. “The Twitter phenomenon is still so new that there is so much opportunity. That’s like saying that print advertising was going out of style in 1915.”
Will It Work for My Business?
Some social-media experts say every business can stand to benefit from using social media, no matter what industry or size. They cite the networking benefits, the opportunity to learn from peers, and branding and revenue-making opportunities.
Gerry Gilmer, an associate in communication at Florida State University, emphasizes that social media is a powerful tool for businesses because it is considered a trustworthy way of talking about a brand. One reason for the trust, Gilmer said, is because the information is passed along through friend networks. If a friend on Facebook recommends a new cupcake shop, “I will trust them. She likes it, I will like it,” Gilmer said.
But social media isn’t for everyone. There’s that familiar term ROI, or return on investment, which is used as a yardstick to measure the success of most advertising and media campaigns. With social media, businesses are struggling to establish a way to measure whether time spent online is bringing in dollars.
Short-term boosts in sales or instant customer satisfaction in a product or company can’t be guaranteed just by using these new Internet tools.
Hallett and other experts advise that business owners must be discriminating in how much time they spend with social media. The first step, he said, is to look at your established clients, customers or donors and determine if they are on Facebook or Twitter.
“If less than 10 percent are, it’s not a good use of your time,” Hallett said. “If maybe 40 percent are using it, then maybe it is.”
Experts also discourage business owners from joining social-media sites if they aren’t committed to it.
“If you don’t see the perceived value of what you’re generating, then you won’t make time for it,” Calienes said. Just as blogs need fresh content to stay effective, so do social-media sites.
“One of the biggest things is underestimating the time and effort it takes to maintain a relationship online,” warned Hallett, who said users of the new media must think seriously about content.
“A lot of (businesses) are latching on to it for the wrong reasons, and that is because they think they need to be on Twitter,” Gilmer added.
There are even some businesses, though perhaps not many, for which it just doesn’t make sense to be on social media, said Meryl Evans, a Texas-based writer and social media expert.
“It depends on the business goals and the target market,” Evans said. Construction companies, defense contractors and manufacturing facilities may not even have a Web site, much less a need to accumulate “friends” on Facebook.
Setting a Strategy
After establishing that social media is right for a business, determine your goal. Is the purpose to win over disgruntled customers, improve a corporate image, increase sales, monitor competitors, network with potential clients, or all of the above?
Target the people in your community who have a heavy presence on social media sites, also known as “influencers,” said Jessica Mansfield, president of Miramar Beach-based Vivid Publicity and Marketing. These people can get your message out to an even bigger audience, and they are considered a trusted source of information.
Next, determine how to measure whether you’ve met your goal. One simple measure of success in social media is the number of Twitter followers or Facebook friends one has. There are also customer-service surveys and social media-only coupons.
If the goal is to monitor what is being said about a company or industry, there are free software applications for Twitter, such as TweetDeck, that give alerts through keywords. For instance, a bakery in Escambia County could have alerts for “Pensacola” and “birthday party.”
With Facebook, there are opportunities to target customers based on their interests, location, political or religious affiliation, age, gender or relationship status.
“The ‘search’ and ‘monitor’ capabilities are great,” said Kelly Robertson, of Tallahassee-based public relations firm Kidd Group. “We have really been able to target audiences using specific keywords to begin dialogues and conversations.”
Many banks, airlines, and Fortune 500 firms have found success using social media, as have sole proprietors and small businesses such as restaurants and real estate agents.
Cable company Comcast used Twitter to improve customer satisfaction. Since joining Twitter in 2008, the company has improved by 5 percentage points its rankings in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, from 54 percent to 59 percent approval.
“(Comcast employees and executives) are known in particular for getting on these social-networking sites and finding negative things being said about them, and immediately contacting customers to try to make it right,” said Gilmer, the FSU associate in communication.
Comcast has a team of nearly a half-dozen people, headed by Frank Eliason, the national director for customer service at Comcast, just to respond to queries sent through Twitter. At a conference in 2009, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said Twitter had “changed the culture of our company.”
There also are the cable provider’s detractors, such as the @comcastcaresnot Twitter account. Its presence confirms what social-media experts say: It’s better for companies to stay on the offensive, jumping into the fray and helping disgruntled customers, rather than letting their critics go unchecked online.
Northwest Florida business owners using social media report mostly success stories.
“It’s probably exceeded my expectations,” said Christina Johnson, who runs Tallahassee-based On 3 Public Relations. “I thought it was another avenue for e-mail, quite frankly. But it’s more interactive, and you can tune in to what the community is talking about or what its interests are.”
Johnson, like many sole proprietors, reports that Twitter is a useful tool to stay connected within her industry, drum up new business and show off her clients and work.
Calienes, the advertiser, was laid off in 2008 from a local advertising agency, was looking for ways to market himself.
“I jumped on Twitter and Facebook,” he said, hoping that if he learned enough about this emerging medium, it would establish him as a player in the social-media arena.
That was in fall 2008. Over a year, Calienes said his presence on Twitter and Facebook helped bring in new clients and establish himself as an expert.
“It is generating business now,” he said. “It really is about building and creating the kind of content that draws people to or away from you. You become your own content. It helps you attract the kind of people you want for customers.”
Calienes now is helping several clients generate social-media content. And was successful in starting a Tallahassee business and technology lunchtime meet-up called “Conversation Fridays.”
Still, other business owners say it’s not yet clear whether their efforts on social media will bear fruit. Given the time spent developing content for social-media sites, many business owners and marketing officials hesitate to give it a thumbs-up.
Sandwich-maker Subway, for instance, has a Twitter account called @SubwayTally. It’s used for updates on menu items, coupons and promotions, and fun facts and trivia.
The Twitter account is actually run by Stacy Kader, an account supervisor with Birmingham, Ala.-based advertising firm The BLR Agency, which does regional work for Subway. Kader said the company is using the Tallahassee and Valdosta, Ga., market as a test case for Twitter.
“We manage seven different Subway markets in the Southeast region, and Tallahassee is our test,” Kader said. “We picked it because of the campuses, and I thought it would get a higher usage of Twitter and Facebook than other markets.”
It’s too early to tell whether it’s worth the time and effort, Kader said. She posts trivia questions worth a gift card or free drinks if followers mention the word “Twitter” but typically gets only a half-dozen responses.
“It’s interesting, because people keep telling me (social media) is a novelty — it’s the shiny new object in the room — and to be cautious with what we do and how much time we spend with it,” Kader said. “But at the same time, our users are increasing every day.”
Truth in Social Media
Many business owners complain about the time-intensive nature of social media. This has created an entire new business of the Twitter-for-hire, people who manage the social-media accounts on behalf of other businesses, much in the way that Kader maintains the Subway account.
But this practice is controversial. Some social-media experts say it’s disingenuous. Others defend the practice as a legitimate way to manage a client’s public relations efforts, just as you would write an ad campaign or letter on behalf of a client.
On Call Computer Solutions, a Tallahassee-based computer repair shop, hired Ryan Cohn to manage its Twitter account in 2009.
“He is basically, at the moment, operating under my company,” Mike Frieder, the president of On Call, said of Cohn. “There is too much we have going on during the day. (Tweeting) would take me away from doing even the smallest of tasks.”
Frieder, a non-Tweeter, says he is pleased with the results he is getting from Twitter.
“We are definitely getting some business out of it,” he said.
Cohn, who has started a business managing social-media accounts, says he is helping the time-challenged small-business owner delegate this important task.
“Small businesses don’t have the budget for a massive TV campaign or radio or a lot of the traditional mediums,” Cohn said. “What works well is social networking and social media.” They also are short on time, so Cohn steps in for them, setting up Twitter accounts or a Facebook page on their behalf and writing daily updates. To help sprinkle his updates with authority and knowledge on the subject, he stays in close e-mail communication with the owner and reads industry news to stay up to date.
Some social-media experts, such as Calienes and Gilmer, said they disapprove of what Cohn and others are doing — acting as online representatives for a company’s publicity efforts.
“That is certainly something I don’t do and don’t condone,” Calienes said. “It actually goes against what the mantra of social media is, which is to build a relationship.”
Gilmer said that if you don’t have time for social media, don’t do it at all.
“I have problems with (assuming an identity). It’s ethically wrong,” he said. “I think it will backfire.” Cohn said that when asked, he divulges his real identity or forwards questions to Frieder, On Call’s owner.
Personalization Is Important
Approach social media with a willingness to let the old rules of public relations, with formal press releases, carefully crafted speeches and campaigns, fall away in favor of a more relaxed tone with personal interjections mixed with business news, social media experts say.
Some of the most popular business-oriented Facebook pages or Twitter accounts, such as the one by online shoe retailer Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, include a mix of personal asides and business news. Hsieh writes about his plane being delayed in Dubai and includes an e-mail he sent to Zappos employees about the company’s recent merger with Amazon.com.
That cliché about not just writing about what you had for lunch? That may be true, but sometimes writing about what you ate can add a human touch to your updates.
“It’s more conversational and a different type of medium and tone,” said Kidd Group’s Robertson. She recommends having one person for each company be in charge of a Twitter or Facebook account to maintain some continuity in tone.
“The smaller the company is, the more important it is to personalize it,” said Andy Martin, the president of Orlando-based Al Dente Marketing.
Don’t be too aggressive about promoting your business, social-media experts say. Marketing through social media is subtle. It takes the form of advice, links to company blogs, or discounts and coupons. Roughly one out of every eight to 10 tweets should be self-promotion, Robertson said, adding, “There is an underlying etiquette with all of these tools.”
Sites such as Facebook and Twitter also encourage ongoing dialogue. It’s not enough to post a status update and log off. To be successful, a user might also comment on someone’s Facebook picture or respond to a Twitter update that resonates with him or her.
Conversations between two people on a Web site such as Twitter and Facebook can be viewed by the public at large, or by a list of approved friends or followers. Social-media experts say this can be a benefit, allowing a business to openly illustrate how it handles customer questions and complaints.
“You have the opportunity to do it in a public realm, so all of the other individuals are following and watching to see how you handled the situation,” Robertson said. “You are able to change the perception and opinion of your organization.”
Reluctance to participate in social media will eventually give way to widespread use and acceptance, social-media experts say. However, they caution that it may not be the right tool for every business, just as some businesses haven’t developed Web pages.
“The big mistakes are people who just want to wait,” said Martin, of Al Dente Marketing. “There is no rule book for this. They say, ‘Show me a case study.’ The case study will be you.”
Social Media By the Numbers
- Founded in February 2004
- More than 350 million active users
- More than 700,000 businesses have active pages
- Average user has 730 friends
- Facebook is valued at close to $10 billion in 2009
—Compiled from Facebook and The New York Times
- Founded in August 2006
- More than 11 million accounts
- There are more women on Twitter than men (53 percent vs. 47 percent)
- New York has the most Twitter users of any city
- Just over 85 percent of all Twitter users post once a day
- Twitter is valued at $1 billion in 2009
—Compiled from analytics firm Sysomos and The New York Times
- Founded in May 2003
- Over 55 million users
- Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members
- LinkedIn was valued at $1 billion in 2008
—Compiled from LinkedIn and The New York Times
- Founded in February 2005
- Hundreds of thousands of videos are uploaded daily.
- Each minute, 20 hours of video are uploaded
- Of all users, 51 percent go to YouTube weekly
- Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006
—Compiled from YouTube
One of the most intimidating aspects of joining a social-media Web site is learning its culture. Each site has its own shorthand language and way of doing things. To make things a little easier, we have compiled a handy guide to speaking social, with an emphasis on Twitter and Facebook.
- Tweet: The core of Twitter. The 140-character-or-less messages you type.
- Follower: A business or individual who has chosen to follow your Tweets.
- Following: A business or individual whose Tweets you would like to see.
- RT: Retweet, or repeating what someone else said.
- @name: Used to respond to another Twitter user.
- DM: A direct, private message to another Twitter user.
- #name/place/person: The number sign, often called a hashtag, is used to identify topics, such as a city, a conference, or even a celebrity.
- List: Used to organize Tweets under different topics.
- Status Update: Typically short messages (420 character limit) on what you’re up to. Can also post links to Web sites, pictures and video through a status update.
- Friend: Someone who can see your profile information and status updates, and vice versa. Typically used for personal pages, not for businesses.
- News Feed: A list of all the status updates from friends you interact with the most.
- Live News Feed: A list of all the status updates from all of your friends.
- Profile: Click on this and it takes you to your personal page — sort of a mini-Web site that includes basic information about you, as well as your recent status updates, photos and video. Businesses use “Fan Pages” instead of Profiles.
- Inbox: When someone sends you a message, it appears in your inbox. It’s very similar to e-mail in that it is a private message between two people.
- Chat: Located in the bottom right-hand corner of your Facebook page, it will appear as the word “Chat” with a number by it indicating the number of friends available online to chat. Double-click on a name to open a chat window with that person.
- Tag: A way to identify someone in a photo, video, status update or link. You will be notified if someone “tags” you, and the linked material appears on your profile page.
Social Media 101
What is social media? It’s a catch-all phrase for Web sites that allow users to connect and share information with each other. Most social media sites allow users to pick and choose who can see the information being posted, so it allows users to “cherry-pick” their audience.
What types of social media sites exist? Twitter: A micro-blogging service similar to text-messaging that allows users to post 140-character status updates that can be viewed by “followers.” Twitter has set up a Business 101 Web site that is a good guide for businesses at business.twitter.com/twitter101/
- Facebook: Users create their own “pages,” or miniature Web sites, where they can post information including photos, videos, links to other Web pages and status updates, as well as respond to what other people are writing. One-on-one chatting is also available, as are private messages. Privacy settings give you control over who sees your content.
- YouTube: Designed for uploading and sharing videos. Allows users to comment on videos, share them with other users, and post easily on other Web sites. Content can be anything from “American Idol” replays to a video of your cat doing a silly trick.
- LinkedIn: This service is for professionals interested in networking with business and personal contacts. Each user has a network of contacts that can be viewed by other users. It’s popular to use LinkedIn when looking for a job, and it serves as a virtual résumé.
- Blogger/WordPress: Both Blogger and WordPress are platforms that allow users to write online journals and, in some cases, develop simple Web sites or “blogs,” short for “Web Logs.” Users control privacy settings. These sites are often used in tandem with Twitter and Facebook.
Should I pick Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Which one is best for a business? If you can, do all three, say social media experts. If you’re a consultant or in a business that requires a lot of networking, pick Twitter. If you need to post lots of videos, pictures and host events, choose Facebook. If you’re looking for a job, check out LinkedIn.
Isn’t Twitter just people posting boring things about what they had for lunch? Sure, some Twitter users might write about more mundane things, but the vast majority of people on Twitter use it for professional reasons, networking with industry leaders, talking with customers and potential customers, and having conversations.
Can I sign up for an account but not actually use it? Sure. Experts say the best way to learn about social media is to sit back and watch.
How do I find friends or people to follow? Twitter has a “find people” search function in which you can type in a name or a business and see if it matches a Twitter account. There also is Twitter.com/search, which is similar to Google in that it searches all Twitter accounts for a word or phrase. On Facebook, use “search” at the top of your main page and enter a name. There also is targeted advertising available based on a Facebook user’s interests or affiliations.
Why can’t I set up a Facebook page for my business? You can, just not the same kind of account as for an individual. Facebook permits businesses to establish either “fan” or “group” pages. Either option gives businesses the same capabilities as a regular Facebook page, just no “friends” list.
I keep hearing about Twitter and Facebook applications. Should I use them? Some Twitter applications are very useful. TweetDeck, for instance, makes it easier to set up keyword alerts and track what is being said about your company or industry. There also are handy mobile applications, typically for smart phones, that allow users to access their account, update a status, and even submit video and photos.
What’s a tinyurl? What’s a bit.ly? Since Twitter has a 140-character limit on its status updates, there are several free ways to shorten links with lengthy URLs so they fit on a Twitter screen. Tinyurl.com is one option, as are bit.ly and tr.im. The main difference is that bit.ly allows users to track who has clicked on the link.
Should I pay attention to who is “following” or “friending” me? Yes. Social media experts say it can reflect badly on your brand if there are spam or pornography accounts attached to your company. Go through your followers periodically and block the inappropriate ones. This will remove them from your followers list.
Top 850 Twitterers
@OnCallComputers This Tallahassee-based computer company hits the right mix of business advice, personal musings, and nods to other area businesses.
@CompassRealtyFL Sandestin Realtor Jessica Jones understands Twitter is more than posting links to her own property listings. She includes information about green building and design as well as her personal thoughts.
@SubwayTally An advertising firm runs the Twitter feed for the Tallahassee-Valdosta area franchises, with a mix of coupons, promotions and personal reflections.
@Trusteria This Tallahassee business helps connect businesses with consumers. Their chatty tone and strong promotion of local business is just right.
@RyanCohn One of the undisputed social media kings of Tallahassee, Cohn manages the Twitter feed for several local businesses and is a frequent Twitterer himself.
@RickOpp This public relations guru is a huge Twitter fan and one of the best at engaging the community in a dialogue. He also includes reflections on the news, business advice, updates on his comings and goings and jokes with other Twitterers.
@GoodGrits This Pensacola restaurant owner shows how to use Twitter to drive traffic with social-media only promotions and other tidbits about its waterfront restaurants.
@michaelcalienes Tallahassee advertising man and co-founder of social media networking event, the Conversation Factory.
@tallycpa Accountant Adam Watson writes about tax tips and general business advice, always useful and never crossing the line into obvious self-promotion.
@PcolaFLrealtor Jack Lara is a Pensacola-based Realtor who posts frequent updates, from his adventures listing homes as short sales to his thoughts on sports.
@CRASeaside The best way to stay plugged into the comings and goings at Seaside is through this rental agency’s Twitter feed. Everything from good deals on airfares to national media articles about this quaint New Urbanism community.


text:
- Lyft received a whopping 7 sexual assault lawsuits in a day Wednesday 10:00 PM
- High school reopens investigation into Nazi salute video after other racist videos emerge Wednesday 7:14 PM
- Facebook content moderators continue to suffer from brutal working conditions Wednesday 5:58 PM
- #RIPReese: Man bullied for relationship with trans woman dies by suicide Wednesday 4:46 PM
- Redaction error reveals ICE is paying Palantir $49 million Wednesday 4:25 PM
- People are using social media to raise awareness about the Amazon fires Wednesday 4:24 PM
- How to watch ‘Detective Pikachu’ right now Wednesday 3:56 PM
- Walmart is suing Tesla over fires at stores with solar panels Wednesday 3:44 PM
- Jeremy Renner asks nicely for Sony to let Spider-Man back in the MCU Wednesday 2:51 PM
- The best and safest torrenting sites you should be using in 2019 Wednesday 2:47 PM
- ‘Beyoncé’s Assistant for a Day’ creator is releasing more games on storytelling app Yarn Wednesday 1:54 PM
- Why does everyone keep falling for that Instagram and Facebook hoax? Wednesday 1:46 PM
- A bunch of celebrities fell for that viral Instagram hoax Wednesday 1:17 PM
- Former Die Antwoord crew member says video shows ‘homophobic attack’ Wednesday 1:13 PM
- How to stream all the MLS Rivalry Week matches Wednesday 1:13 PM
Pranksters need $500 to sip Dom Pérignon from a diaper
Jon Hendren and David Thorpe want to pour Dom Pérignon into baby-poop cloths and then drink it. All they need is $500.
Forbes-endorsed pranksters Jon Hendren and David Thorpe, known for sending Pitbull to perform at a Walmart in Alaska and producing a neverending feed of absurd Twitter one-liners, want to get people “thinking very hard about consumerism and vanity and material culture.”
They also want to get really drunk. On expensive Champagne. Drunk out of diapers.
They’re starting an Indiegogo campaign so they can pour Dom Pérignon into baby-poop cloths and then drink it. All they need is $500, enough to cover the costs of the bubbly.
Words can’t do this pitch justice. Just read it:
At press time, the campaign was doing rather well:
So, naturally, they upped the ante.
Your move, Kristen Bell.
Art via @arr/IndieGogo
A former assigning editor for the Daily Dot, Cooper Fleishman's work focused on the web culture and niche internet communities. He joined Mic as a senior editor in 2015. His work has been published by HyperVocal and the Good Men Project, and he previously copyedited for Rolling Stone, Men's Journal, and Us Weekly.


text:
Manga creator Kentarō Satō revealed on Monday that they are working on a new manga. Sato revealed a preliminary storyboard for the new manga, but did not reveal further details.
— (@sato_ken_taro) April 19, 2021
Author Satou ( Magical Girl Apocalypse ) launched the Magical Girl Site horror manga on Champion Tap! Was a manga website in July 2013, before transforming it into Weekly Shounen Champion in September 2017. The manga ended in 2019 with 16 volumes. Seven Seas Entertainment is publishing the manga in English and published the 14th volume on April 6.
The manga was adapted into an anime and premiered in April 2018 and ended in June 2018. The anime streamed on Amazon Prime Video outside of Japan.


text:
BMW Group has announced a role as a disdainful worldwide automotive partner of a subsequent installment of Paramount Pictures’ and Skydance Media’s mythological movement film franchise, “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.”
It opens in cinemas around a universe from 27 July.
BMW has been a partner of a iconic film array given 2011, and in a arriving film, BMW once again provides a operation of vehicles and tellurian selling in support of a release.
The new film finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF group (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some informed allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a competition opposite time after a goal left wrong.
The group of agents is reinforced by a new BMW M5 and a series of other BMW models, including a 1986 BMW 5 Series Sedan, a BMW 7 Series Sedan and a BMW R nineT Scrambler.
Styled with evil BMW M Performance Parts, such as a black kidney grille and carbon-fibre counterpart caps, a BMW M5 creates an considerable coming in a film.
With a absolute 4.4-litre V8 biturbo engine with TwinPower Turbo record and 600 hp and a total fuel consumption: 10.5L/100 km.
With a newly-developed high-performance M xDrive all-wheel drive, a BMW M5 creates certain that Cruise’s Ethan Hunt always has a best-possible traction and higher pushing dynamics to keep him forward of his enemies.
The BMW R nineT Scrambler can be seen in pivotal scenes, behaving adventurous manoeuvres during fast speed in a furious follow by Paris.
A 1986 BMW 5 Series Sedan, from BMW’s ancestral past, also creates a vital coming in a high-octane stage that sets a new customary for a action-film genre.
Follow Wheels.ca on


text:
The University of Michigan said Wednesday that its index of consumer sentiment rose to 88.8 in November from 86.9 in October. Consumers are more optimistic that their incomes will increase, the Michigan survey found, but their expectations are modest: Respondents expect their incomes will increase 1.1 percent over the next 12 months. Yet the Michigan survey...» Read More
With declining categories such as GPS devices and computers, no new must-have videogame console, and little buzz beyond tablets as the next big must-have gadget, consumer electronics is poised to have a blue holiday.
For bargain hunters on the prowl for the best deal, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are no longer an either-or proposition — and that’s a huge plus for consumers.
Wealthy Americans may appear to the masses as a unified group, but there is divergence in the attitudes of the rich toward holiday spending this year – which means that the key to how the holiday season unfolds may rest in the hands of the wealthiest.
With the poor job market and uncertain recovery, hundreds of thousands of Americans have put off moving out on their own — and that's depriving the economy of a lot of activity. The New York Times reports.
The high unemployment and low consumer confidence in the U.S. may have prompted investors to steer clear of consumer-related bets. But one fund manager is taking the opposite view, believing the return of prosperity in America will bolster shares in consumer discretionary stocks.
An outlook on what Petsmart expects in service sales, with Robert Moran, PetSmart CEO, who shares the company's plans for expansion.
Gold has many years left on its bull run, but the precious metal will eventually reach a bubble, famed investor Jim Rogers told CNBC Wednesday.
Breaking down a weaker than expected October's employment data, which is up 104,000 and the unemployment rate at nine percent, with CNBC's Hampton Pearson; Diane Swonk, Mersirow Financial; MarkeZandi, Moody's Analytics; CNBC's Steve Liesman & Rick Santelli.
Discussing an optimistic outlook for the economy and the markets, with Neil Hennessy, Hennessy Funds, and Tom Lydon, Global Trends Investments.
American consumers are still spending, cautiously, but doing so when and where they want, HSN's Mindy Grossman told CNBC Wednesday.
Applications for U.S. home mortgages rose last week, recouping some of the steep decline a week before as demand for both purchases and refinancing perked up, an industry group said on Wednesday.
Emergency repair and insurance group HomeServe has suspended all telephone sales after it launched a review into whether some of its staff could have been mis-selling products.
The American people, not the federal government, should be the ones investing in new businesses that will create jobs, Rep. Spencer Bachus told CNBC Wednesday.
CNBC's Rick Santelli and Diana Olick break down September new home sales data.
America is in the midst of physical decline. Decades of infrastructure neglect are eroding centuries of economic progress. Call it: The Great Regression.
A breakdown of September's durable goods data, with CNBC's Rick Santelli and Steve Liesman.
U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly dropped in October to its lowest level since March 2009 as consumers fretted about job and income prospects.
"When I look at Zuccotti or McPherson or Grant Park, I’m not surprised the Occupiers don’t have a fixed agenda, writes the best-selling author," adding, "For decades, we’ve been like a tether ball in a schoolyard, pummeled by so much abuse from so many different directions that we’ve just spun around in circles. Now, the Occupiers are stopping the ball."
Discussing the economic worries and rising food prices that are impacting the consumer and a look at how grocery stores are faring, with Craig Herkert, Supervalu Inc. president/CEO.
Bank seizures of US homes fell in the third quarter but an upswing in default notices suggests foreclosures could start to rise again, a report by RealtyTrac said on Thursday.


text:
Martin Greene shared the image taken on Monday at Sainsbury’s in Penzance on Facebook along with the caption: “Sainsbury’s Penzance. Well done mate, no way any virus is getting through the mesh on that bee keeper hood.”
The picture shows a man pushing his trolley towards the shop’s entrance in full white, protective clothing.
The shopper was on the receiving end of some curious glances as he went about his business.
Martin’s post attracted some humorous puns about the man ‘beeing careful’ and being ‘buzzing to be out and about’.
With the country currently under lockdown shopping for essential supplies is one of the only reasons given by the Government for people to leave the house.
Supermarkets across Cornwall are taking extra safety measures including limiting the number of people in shops and keeping people two metres apart at the checkout.


text:
Mailbox a little lighter? Direct mail credit card solicitations fell 30% last year and the U.S. Post Office wants to reduce services to cope with lower demand and increasing costs. The USPS is asking Congress for permission to stop delivering mail on Saturdays to offset projected losses of $6 billion this year. Overall mail volume declined 4.5% in 2008 or about 9 billion pieces. Credit card direct mail offers declined by 1.7 billion pieces. The Post Office has annual operating revenue of nearly $75 billion and employs 682,000, the second-largest employer in the USA behind Wal-Mart. The service processes more than 212 billion pieces of mail annually. According to CardWatch.com, direct mail credit card packages fell to an estimated 3.9 billion pieces in 2008, compared to 5.6 billion in 2007 and 5.8 billion in 2006. The 3.9 billion level is the lowest since 2003.
DIRECT MAIL VOLUME 2000: 3.5 billion 2001: 4.9 billion 2002: 4.5 billion 2003: 3.9 billion 2004: 4.2 billion 2005: 6.0 billion 2006: 5.8 billion 2007: 5.6 billion 2008: 3.9 billion Source: CardWatch.com (www.cardwatch.com)


text:
Huawei is Planning to Enter The Electric Car Market, Huawei’s business has been enduring under the US boycott. Accordingly, we have seen the organization expanding its scope of items and venturing into new business sectors, and its most recent thought may simply be electric vehicles.
Another report on Huawei claims that the organization is wanting to create electric vehicles under its own image and some of them may even dispatch this year. The organization has apparently as of now began planning electric vehicles and is moving toward providers.
Huawei’s head of shopper business bunch Richard Yu, who was additionally answerable for the organization’s stunning development in the cell phone business said that they are moving concentration to EVs. These will focus on the mass market portion, demonstrating that they may simply be sensibly valued.
The report guarantees that Huawei is in chats with Changan Automobile, a Chinese vehicle maker claimed by the state. The organization is in chats with different automakers just as the BAIC Group’s BluePark New Energy Technology. Huawei plans to utilize these organizations’ vehicle plants to make its own EVs.
Notwithstanding, then again, a Huawei representative has denied plans to deliver any EVs. He said:
Huawei is not a car manufacturer. However through ICT (information and communications technology), we aim to be a digital car-oriented and new-added components provider, enabling car OEMs to build better vehicles.


text:
Our Favorite Video Experience Is Mobile Video
Mobile. Most of us can’t remember a time when our mobile device wasn’t our constant companion…literally. Gone are the days of a mobile device just being for phone calls and text conversations. Our mobile devices house our photo libraries. We connect with family, friends and colleagues via social network platforms. We check bank accounts or read the news. The list goes on. And, we watch videos on it. From entertainment to tutorials to advertising, we can watch it all from the palm of our hand.
Research firm, eMarketer reports, one in three consumers watch video on their mobile devices, which means watching video on mobile is already more common than using devices to listen to music. There’s also mounting evidence that people who watch video on their smartphone are giving it their full attention. But, mobile doesn’t just command our attention. It allows viewers the opportunity to explore products and offers before making a purchase.
Mobile video advertising is set to reach new heights in the years ahead. Data from an ad buyer survey from Cowen and Company predicts mobile video ad spend will reach $8.6 billion globally in 2018.
The consumer packaged goods industry is taking note. Luis di Como, Senior Vice President Global Media at Unilever observed, “Recent research from the Mobile Marketing Association shows the effectiveness of mobile advertising and, in particular, the strength of mobile video advertising combined with data and context targeting. Video has long played an important role in building Unilever brands and now that consumers are spending more and more time with mobile media Unilever is working to understand how best to use mobile video and other mobile ad formats.”
Advertising on a mobile device offers the ability to identify unique users; therefore it can be relevant and timely to the viewer. Coupled with services such as geofencing, brands can locate opted in customers and send targeted content based on their location. To effectively engage potential customers, brands need to look closely at mobile advertising, both now and into the future.


text:
China is ready to overtake Germany as the world’s biggest market for Volkswagen vehicles. According to VW China executives, the company is set to sell 1.05 million vehicles this year, with the first half having reached 531,614 units. These were 3,000 units less than sales in Germany but the figure represented a growth rate of 23.2% over the past year, compared to 3.7% growth for Germany. This goal will certainly not be an easy one to achieve but for VW Group, China’s market leader at 19.1% share, it will be easier than most others. With the help of Project Olympia which was a strategy from years ago, VW will introduce a string of new models in China, more than 12 in the next two years.
Costs will be cut, better brand positioning attained and marketing beefed up. In fact, the market is so important, cars like the compact Lavida sedan are developed with Shanghai Auto and will be totally unique to the Chinese market.


text:
The Fintech100 list is compiled by fintech investment firm H2 Ventures in collaboration with KPMG Global Fintech practice and includes both 50 established leading fintechs and 50 “emerging stars”.
In the past, some of Australia’s most prominent start-ups like Afterpay, Airwallex and Prospa have been represented on the list.
The process for selecting the top 50 established fintechs involves not only a nomination period but also a universal search across companies.
Companies are ranked on total capital raised, rate of raising, location and degree of sub-industry disruption as well as the judging panel’s rating on the degree of product, service, experience and business model innovation.
The emerging fintech recognised undiscovered companies, with judges looking for the players of the future and those with fresh new disruptive ideas.
The final list will be announced during Sibos in September, with global co-lead of KPMGs Global Fintech practice Ian Pollari saying was hoping to represent the global highlights of the fintech industry.
“The Fintech100 has tracked the ongoing emergence of the global fintech sector, with many of the companies growing from humble beginnings as nascent start-ups to major players in their sector.
“With 36 countries represented on the 2018 list, we look forward to uncovering and highlighting the next generation of top fintechs from across the world.”
Ben Heap, executive chairman of H2 Ventures, said that the fintech industry was constantly growing and lists like this shines a light on the best and brightest in the field.
“Last year, the top 50 companies on the list had raised an aggregate $A50 billion in the previous 12 months.
“This increased investment is leading to new financial technologies and business models that have the potential to transform financial services markets across the globe — and we hope to shine a light on the best and brightest in the 2019 Fintech100.”
Eliot Hastie is a journalist on the wealth titles at Momentum Media.
Eliot joined the team in 2018 having previously written on Real Estate Business with Momentum Media as well.
Eliot graduated from the University of Westminster, UK with a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism).
Comments powered by CComment


text:
GUELPH ARTS COUNCIL
Guelph Arts Council is pleased to collaborate with the Art Gallery of Guelph and the University of Guelph’s School of Fine Art and Music in presenting Opportunity Knocks: Re-imagining your Arts Career.
How can arts students and emerging artists re-imagine the careers they could pursue? What are the emergent, entrepreneurial, or unexpected career paths that arts grads have taken?
A group of diverse arts trailblazers will share stories and lessons learned. Students, artists and creatives of all disciplines, ages and experience levels are welcome.
The three-hour session begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 at the Art Gallery of Guelph, 358 Gordon St, Guelph, and includes intro presentations, a panel discussion and Q&A, and networking.
Confirmed speakers include Sally Frater, Tory Miles, and Alex Ricci, University of Guelph graduates who’ve been innovative in their arts careers. Sally is currently the Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Guelph with a BFA in Studio Art and MA in Contemporary Art from The University of Manchester/Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Tory is a digital matte painter and concept artist, classically trained in painting, whose credits include The Shape of Water and Hellboy. Alex leads audiovisual collective VERSA with Monika Hauck. VERSA creates powerful instrumental music written around live looping bass guitar, and pairs it with responsive projections that visualize sound. Other presenters will be announced.
The workshop is free but registration is appreciated. Please register online or by calling Guelph Arts Council at 519-836-3280.
In announcing the session, Guelph Arts Council Executive Director Patti Broughton said: “We are so grateful to the Art Gallery of Guelph, SOFAM, and the presenting artists for making this evening of conversation possible. Attendees will come away thinking about the unexpected opportunities that careers in the arts can offer.”
This workshop is offered in partnership with the Guelph Emerging Artist Mentorship Project, and made possible with support from RBC Emerging Artists Project.
Kootenay Gallery of Art set to launch virtual store on July 16 – Castlegar News
The Kootenay Gallery of Art is officially launching its new virtual store on July 16.
The store will offer up to 400 different jewelry, ceramics, pottery and woodworking objects from about 20 different artists in the region.
Art gallery curator Maggie Shirley said digitizing the items from the gallery’s gift shop and putting them online hasn’t been easy.
“Once we picked what items we wanted for the store, we had to weigh, measure and take pictures of each item,” said Shirley.
“After, we had to process the photos and create an inventory of what items we were selling online. While it was quite a long process, we’re hoping it’ll be worth it in the end. ”
It’s hoped the virtual store will bring in some much needed income for the art gallery, which has been temporarily closed since mid-March due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Shoppers will be able to use different filters like product type, price and by popularity when they browse the store. Prices will vary from $20 to as much as $185, depending on the product.
While the store will offer shipping across North America, Shirley admits that shipping costs could deter people from buying some of the products online.
Despite the difficulties, Shirley said it feels great to finally launch the product to the public.
“It feels great not only in terms of a sense of accomplishment, but it also feels like were moving the gallery into the 21st century. We’re finally looking ahead in terms where the markets are moving.” said Shirley.
“It also feels great because there’s so many talented artists in the region and this store will help to put their artwork out into the world.”
Staff members have spent hundreds of hours creating the virtual store since they started the project back in early April.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia reopens this week – HalifaxToday.ca
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will resume welcoming visitors through its doors this week.
The gallery reopens on Thursday, July 16 with new hours and safety measures.
It is open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
BMO Free Access Thursday Nights go from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon, access is limited to seniors and higher-risk individuals, and it’s members-only from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Frontline workers with identification get free admission until September 1.
Guests will enter the building through the courtyard between Hollis Street and Bedford Row and there is a set capacity, along with one-way flow to help visitors maintain a safe physical distance.
Gallery staff will be wearing masks and visitors are encouraged to do the same.
As always, large handbags, backpacks, umbrellas and oversized personal items are not allowed in the exhibition spaces. The coat room and lockers can be used, but those heading to the gallery are asked to bring as little as possible.
Guided tours and other programming are currently on hold, as are facility rentals.
More information can be found on the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia website.
Purchasers Preview Night offers first glance into this year’s Sooke Fine Art Show – Victoria News
Here’s an opportunity to get the exclusive first look at this year’s Sooke Fine Art Show.
Purchaser’s Preview Night, which is held annually the night before the art show begins, will be held virtually this year.
Those who wish to join in on Purchasers Preview Night can buy a special access code and have the first tour through this year’s online gallery.
“This exclusive evening allows early access to view and buy extraordinary artworks from Vancouver Island and B.C.’s coastal island artists ahead of the thousands of attendees who gain access the next day,” said organizers of the Sooke Fine Art Show in a press release.
A wide range of categories will be featured in the show, including more than 375 juried works of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, fibre arts, jewelry, glass, and ceramics in a virtual format.
Terrie Moore, executive director of the Sooke Fine Arts Society, said organizers worked hard to reflect the same feel of the in-person art show as much as possible.
Local chef Pat Hogan of 4 Beaches Catering, has created a special appetizer “grazing boxes” that people can purchase and enjoy while they “attend” the event at home.
Moore encourages attendees to make a night of it then share their celebrations on social media using @SookeFineArts and the tags #SookeFineArts2020 #SookeFineArtsGala. The entry code for Purchasers Preview Night costs $25 and can be bought at www.sookefinearts.com/special-events-2/.
This year, people can visit the show online anytime from July 24 to Aug. 3, although Moore added it might be possible to buy art from the website until the end of September.
There is no fee to view the galleries.
GTAA cutting 500 positions at Pearson Airport – 680 News
5 Ways To Erase Ableism From The Workplace And Politics – Forbes
What’s a Tiger without a roar? – pgatour.com
Silver investment demand jumped 12% in 2019 – report – MINING.com
Iran anticipates renewed protests amid social media shutdown
Richmond BBQ spot speaks out about coronavirus rumours Vancouver Is Awesome
- Politics20 hours ago
Trudeau apologizes for not recusing himself from WE Charity contract discussions
- Sports21 hours ago
Auston Matthews confirms he tested positive for COVID-19
- Media21 hours ago
Trump administration accused of ‘onslaught’ against media by UN expert
- Health19 hours ago
B.C. reports 62 COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths over three days – Global News
- Tech19 hours ago
Ubisoft: Sexual misconduct probe sees three senior heads resign – BBC News
- Science20 hours ago
Here's how to view comet NEOWISE in the night sky – KitchenerToday.com
- Science23 hours ago
Superflare Detected to Come From Nearby Red Dwarf Star (Study) – lintelligencer
- Sports20 hours ago
Washington NFL team dropping 'Redskins' name, long denounced as slur, after 87 years – CTV News


text:
The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
In the world of craft beer, trends come and go. But while the industry flirts with triple IPAs and ghost chile beers, another movement appears to have staying power: More women are entering the industry. In Colorado brewing circles, the best-known female is Kim Jordan, co-founder and CEO of New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins.
When, 22 years ago, she and her husband started the brewery, Jordan couldn’t have known that she was breaking ground for more gender equity. Today, women have become involved in all levels of the state’s booming industry—there’s even a collaboration beer, called “Ellegance,” made by local female brewers. A look at Denver beer’s feminine side.
Prost Brewing Company
Most folks aren’t used to seeing a woman clean out fermentation tanks or throw around 50-pound bags of grain—but that’s just part of the job for brewer Ashleigh Carter. “Some people look at me like I should be pouring them a beer. I can’t do that, but I can take them on a tour and tell them how we make beer.” prostbrewing.com
Great Divide Brewing Company
As the craft beer industry grows, more job opportunities open up. Anna Nadasdy, director of Great Divide’s sales and marketing, says it’s a joy to see more women getting involved in beer. “We’re not at parity yet, but it’s definitely great to see the transformation occur.” greatdivide.com
Laura Vande Zande
Renegade Brewing Company
Taproom manager Laura Vande Zande partly attributes the rise of women to the evolution of craft brew. “[Beer] was about football games and drinking a Bud out of the back of the truck,” she says. “Now, it’s a 10-ounce pour of something rich and flavorful—it’s become more sophisticated.” renegadebrewing.com
Black Shirt Brewing Company
Carissa Miller helped launch the River North neighborhood brewery—and she designed the interior, worked on beer recipes, and balanced the books. She also does nearly every job on site, from helping clean tanks to serving pints. “It’s important for me to keep my thumb on the pulse and be involved in the brewery and the delivery of our craft.” blackshirtbrewingco.com
All Praise the Colorado Beer Goddesses
In late February, eight beer-loving women rallied around a single mission: to create the first-ever all-female-brewed collaboration beer in Colorado. Named Ellegance, this Belgian-style brown ale (which was made at Wynkoop Brewing Company) became the official collaborative brew of March’s Colorado Craft Beer Week. Quaff a pint at the Wynkoop, Ale House at Amato’s, Star Bar, or the Denver Bicycle Cafe.


text:
Ready to see what radically personal customer service looks like? Sign up for a free demo with Gladly today.
Gladly, which provides customer service software to help businesses deliver better customer experiences, announced today funding of $36 million, led by GGV Capital. Companies use Gladly to streamline every customer service scenario across voice, email, SMS, chat, and social media.
“Legacy products, including the leading cloud products, like Salesforce and Zendesk, are all centered around tickets and cases, and they tend to silo the conversations inside of individual channels,” wrote Gladly’s cofounder and CEO, Joseph Ansanelli, in an email to VentureBeat. “So, a single phone call can kick off the creation of a new case number, and if a customer decides to then email, text, or tweet, a new case or ticket gets created for each and every subsequent communication.”
Read the full story on Venture Beat here: https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/20/gladly-raises-36-million-to-simplify-customer-service-across-calls-social-media-and-emails/