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On the official company blog, Peloton is promoting its 2020 version of a virtual Turkey Trot.
In a year where many local Turkey Trot races might be temporarily off the schedule, it’s a tradition that we’re determined to keep going — Peloton style. We love how holiday races bring communities together and are a near-and-dear tradition for so many. That’s why we’re bringing you our very own virtual Turkey Trot for 2020, for everyone to join this year!
If you aren’t familiar, a “turkey trot” is a usually 5k race/fun run that takes place on the morning of Thanksgiving. Most of the people in the US who participate in one do so to burn a few extra calories ahead of a large meal for Thanksgiving. Turkey Trots are also usually kid-friendly as many include a 1-mile walk or other kid-focused activities.
On Thursday, November 26 at 6 a.m. ET, Peloton will be adding two audio-guided Turkey Trot classes to its on-demand library:
- 30-min Turkey Trot with Matty Maggiacomo
- 45-min Turkey Trot with Matt Wilpers
Accessing the runs will require the Peloton digital app, but if you aren’t a member you can have 30 days free access to get started.
Before you head out, make sure you’ve got plenty of flat running space to get started, and most of all, have fun. The classes will assume you’re running straight away from your starting location and will inform you when it’s time to turn back.
Virtual Turkey Trots are going to be very popular this year with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellations of almost all in-person races, so it’s smart of Peloton to capitalize on this to drive digital subscribers, which are a lead generation tool for its hardware
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Don’t believe the hype. The U.S. is still home to the top economy in the world.
There’s a nasty rumor going around that China is now the world’s largest economy.
The reasoning? Things are cheaper in China than they are in the United States. Here’s the main argument for anointing China No. 1, as put forth by MarketWatch:
When you measure national economic output in “real” terms of goods and services, China will this year produce $17.6 trillion — compared with $17.4 trillion for the U.S.A.
Don’t panic, my fellow Americans. We shouldn’t be worried. The MarketWatch rumor is not true.
Economists love to measure economies in terms of “purchasing power.” After all, a “real” dollar is only worth as much as you can buy with it (so $1 = two bananas). Which is why everyone likes to talk about Big Macs and Lattes. But does it really help us understand a whole nation’s economy?
In the United States, prices for energy, food, and manufactured goods respond to the global market — if steel is more expensive in London, it’s more expensive in New York. The value of our currency adjusts to balance the cost of goods in both countries. But that doesn’t happen in China where the yuan is manipulated to make imports more expensive and exports cheaper.
When you compare the two economies using actual U.S. dollars rather than Crocs, there’s no competition: China’s total economic output is just 56 percent of the United States’ $16.8 billion.
And purchasing power parity (PPP) helps us compare the economic lives of Chinese citizens to individual Americans. To do so, we have to look at things per capita.
According to the International Monetary Fund, the average American is 4.5 times more affluent than the average Chinese citizen, bringing in an average annual income of $53,000 versus $11,900 in 2013.
Look, there’s no doubt that China’s economy has grown stronger in recent years (the country certainly benefited from the 3.2 million jobs that we’ve sent their way since 2001, but that’s for another blog post). In any case, it’s only natural that a nation of 1.3 billion people will grow into a large global economy. And the rise of the developing world is one of this century’s most inspiring stories.
But why should that mean negativity about our own economy? No matter how hard we work each year, the pundits keep trying to fill America’s stocking with coal.
It’s important to keep in mind:
- Thirty-nine of the world’s 100 most innovative companies are American, just six are Chinese, according to Forbes.
- America is the third most competitive economy in the world, according to the World Economic Forum. China ranks 28th, behind Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland.
- American inventors own more than twice the patents as their counterparts in China, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
- Living standards, education, and social equality put the U.S. among the top five most developed nations, while China is tied for 91st with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Nations Development Programme reports.
So, don’t fret my friends. The United States shouldn’t cede its economic leadership with so little thought. It’s premature, it’s not real, and it’s just another way to beat down expectations for a brighter future.
Our prosperity was built by the hands of American workers. Don’t we deserve a little acknowledgment for that — and maybe an American-made scarf?

domain: news


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OMAK, Wash. (AP) -- Cattle brands have been a hallmark of the West, and many ranchers are resisting a push to trade them in for newer ways of tracking animals.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been trying for years to develop a program that would allow regulators to pinpoint animals' location with 48 hours of a disease outbreak. Countries like Canada and Australia have been touting their programs to advantage in the competition for export markets.
The USDA's final proposal for a mandatory program is due this summer. It's leaving it up to states to decide how livestock will be tracked, but it's pushing low-cost ear tags.
Western ranchers argue brands are a permanent mark, while ear tags can fall off when cattle graze in brush, next to fences or in harsh weather.


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Upon their return from Colombia, People’s Weekly World reported that a delegation led by AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez Thompson “met with leaders of the major Colombian labor federations who told them they were opposed” to the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) because of “the harmful effects the deal would have on Colombian workers.”
What People’s Weekly neglected to mention was that the U.S. labor delegation went out of its way to avoid any encounters with the heads of the many trade unions in Colombia that support the deal. Over 80,000 Colombian workers in export industries like cut flowers, mining, petroleum products, coffee, textiles, sugar, and bananas support free trade with the U.S., but big labor does not want to hear about it.
As Commerce Secretary Carlos Guiterrez pointed out Tuesday, one of the best ways Congress could stimulate the economy is to pass pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Europe and China are currently moving aggressively to increase their share of global trade. Congress needs to stop keeping the U.S. on the sidelines and let us back into the game.


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Ogilvy Paris announces the arrival of Fanny Camus-Tournier as Head of Strategic Planning. Fanny will be in charge of a multidisciplinary team of planners, combining branding & advertising, customer engagement, PR & Influence. She was previously Director of Strategic Planning at Herezie.
First modeled by the independence of Buzzman and La Chose, then bathed in the digital strategic marketing of agencies Nurun and Blast Radius, it’s natural that Fanny joined Ogilvy Paris to embody an integrated strategic planning.
Coca-Cola, Hermes, EasyJet, Danone or Delsey are some of the brands she has worked with.
In addition to her daily missions, Fanny is a founding member of the CPS, the collective of strategic planning, which aims to put a spotlight on strategic planning as not only a profession but a practice.
Shares Fanny Camus-Tournier. “David Ogilvy’s words: ‘The consumer is not a moron, she’s your wife’ has always resonated with me as a guiding principle and now I hope to transmit the respect and conviction these words deserve within the very walls of its author.”
"We are pleased to welcome Fanny whose talent, personality and background will allow us to continue our transformation to build brands that matter in the 21st century,” adds Natalie Rastoin, President of Ogilvy Paris.


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KISS Publishing Ltd. and The Secret Experiment has revealed a brand new trailer for their upcoming noir title Beckett, set to be released next Tuesday, February 27th, on Steam. The publisher released some details about the game, which we’ve posted below the trailer, which includes the new that the game will be featured at the new Dundee location of the V&A. The game itself looks trippy and just by visuals alone will make for an interesting game let alone a stream for gamers to play on Twitch and YouTube. Enjoy the trailer!
Beckett is an abstract retelling of a missing person’s case where the investigator is searching for a young man suffering from ‘The Soft Paranoia’ a mental illness that warps reality, and ﬁnds himself caught up in an advancing march through a world that challenges his resolve and sanity. The story is told through digital artwork, illustration, photography, ﬁlm and print, with an audio pallet built through ﬁeld recordings and original composition. Beckett will be showcased in the V&A, the world’s leading museum of art and design, who have hand-picked Beckett as an example of design excellence in storytelling and digital media to be featured in its new museum in Dundee.


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Following the biggest increase in April, the international daily chemical giant Procter & Gamble once again revealed the news of price increases.
On June 10, Procter & Gamble's Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten said at the meeting that as freight and bulk commodity costs far exceeded expectations, in order to ensure profitability, branded products including SK-II may increase prices again.
This price increase is actually foreseeable. Two months ago, there was a rumor from P&G that due to the increase in costs, "P&G will have a wider range of commodity price increases in the future."
High cost is the main reason for price increase
The high cost of logistics and transportation and the high cost of bulk commodities are the main reasons for the recent continuous price increases.
It is reported that the Procter & Gamble Group had predicted that in the 2021 fiscal year, the freight cost will exceed 200 million U.S. dollars (about 1.3 billion yuan), and the after-tax bulk commodity cost will be about 125 million U.S. dollars (about 800 million yuan). In a recent P&G meeting, Andre Schulten pointed out that P&G’s freight and bulk commodity after-tax costs for this fiscal year were approximately US$600 million (approximately RMB 3.8 billion), far exceeding expectations.
In this regard, relevant people said, “Rising costs will definitely be transmitted to the end of the product.” In fact, the global commodity prices are showing an accelerated upward trend, which has become the main reason for pushing up the price of cosmetics.
According to the data monitoring of the business agency, in February 2021, in the list of commodity prices, commonly used cosmetics such as ethylene glycol, ethanol, and 1,4-butanediol have ushered in the first wave of price increases this year. Among them, the price of 1,4-butanediol doubled in one month, rising by 16,025 yuan per ton, ranking first in the entire chemical raw material rise and fall list with an increase of 117.83%.
CCTV Finance has also reported that in the first quarter of 2021, some chemical raw materials, including PVC, soared, and the price once reached the highest peak in the past ten years.
In addition, the cold current in Texas in February of this year led to the closure of chemical plants, pushing the prices of polyethylene, polypropylene and other chemical products to their highest levels in many years.
Jon Moeller, chief operating officer of P&G, also said: “This is the largest increase in commodity raw materials in the 33 years since I joined P&G.”
In order to cope with this higher cost of commodities, P&G announced on April 20 as early as April 20 that it will increase the price of baby care, feminine care and adult care products in September this year, with a price increase of 5%-9%. Not waiting.
Logistics and transportation costs have also become a major factor pushing up prices. According to relevant sources, the cost of logistics and labor is rising, which also means that companies have to bear more cost pressures.
The news of the price increase is revealed again this time, which means that the price increase may have been inevitable and is accelerating.
According to Andre Schulten, the price increase will cover all brand products including SK-II. As the world's largest daily chemical group, P&G's brands include not only SK-II, but also Olay, Shufujia and other brands, covering men's personal care, women's personal care, personal health care, and baby care.
It is worth noting that the price increase of raw materials is also transmitted to the country, causing domestic beauty brands to increase prices. It is understood that Proya, Shanghai Jahwa and Marumei's average selling price for skin care products in the first quarter of 2021 increased by 21.91%/15.97%/35.41% year-on-year respectively. Some insiders analyzed that, in addition to the impact of rising prices on the raw material side, another part of the reason lies in the gradual transformation of the brand to the high-end direction.
Collective price increases for imported beauty
In addition to Procter & Gamble, beauty imports including Chanel, La Mer, Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, Jo Malone and Guerlain have ushered in several rounds of price increases in the past two years, and the reasons for the price increases are basically the same.
For example, in February of this year, Chanel announced an increase in the price of its skin care products. The original price of the camellia facial cleanser for 435 yuan rose to 460 yuan, but the product was priced at 420 yuan a year ago; in October last year, Lancome also announced The official retail prices of multiple products were adjusted, and the price adjustment range for a single product ranged from 5 to 30 yuan. Among them, lip makeup products topped the list with a 5.5% increase.
According to the latest data on imported cosmetics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, from January to May, the price of imported cosmetics this year has increased significantly, from 39,000 US dollars/ton in January to May last year to 53,000 US dollars/ton. That’s 36%.
Guo Yuxuan, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Economic Research, once said in an interview with the media that cosmetics have a strong brand premium attribute, and the huge price difference between different brands is more due to the social attributes of the brand. Regarding the price increase of mid- to high-end brands, buyers are not very sensitive to small price fluctuations, and demand will remain stable.
Therefore, even if the price of imported products continues to rise, imported beauty brands still have a good performance this year.
According to relevant data from the General Administration of Customs of China, from January to May this year, the number of imported cosmetics was 187,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.6%; the value of imports was US$99.9 billion (approximately RMB 63.9 billion), a year-on-year increase of 43.9%.
During the 618 pre-sale that just opened, imported beauty brands have achieved good results. According to ECdataway data, on the day of the 618 pre-sale, a total of about 10 brands had self-broadcast sales exceeding 100 million yuan. Among them, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Shiseido’s store live broadcast sales ranked the top three, respectively 349 million yuan, 328 million yuan and 328 million yuan. 216 million yuan. This shows that it has not been affected by price increases.
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LAUDER’S OPTIONS: The Estée Lauder Cos. chairman Leonard Lauder plans to sell 800,000 shares of the firm’s Class A common stock underlying options that expire in 2005. Approximately 200,000 shares will be sold each quarter for a year...
LAUDER’S OPTIONS: The Estée Lauder Cos. chairman Leonard Lauder plans to sell 800,000 shares of the firm’s Class A common stock underlying options that expire in 2005. Approximately 200,000 shares will be sold each quarter for a year under a prearranged plan established for the orderly sale of the shares related to options granted in 1995. The shares slated for sale represent less than 1.5 percent of the shares and options beneficially owned directly or indirectly by Lauder, who may also sell other shares outside the plan as circumstances warrant. As of April 23, the firm had more than 230 million shares of Class A and Class B common stock outstanding.
RACHMANIS TO FIRMENICH: Daniel Rachmanis, currently chairman of TechPack International, will join Firmenich on June 1 in a senior management role overseeing operations in the Americas. In his new post, Rachmanis will report to Charles Drayson, Firmenich’s president of fine fragrances for North America.
MIXED RESULTS: Earnings rose but sales slipped at Henkel in the first quarter of 2003.
First-quarter operating profits at the Düsseldorf-based group were up 3.5 percent to $189.5 million, and return on sales was 7.2 percent for the period compared with 6.7 percent the previous year. All dollar figures are converted from the euro at current exchange rates. In the quarter, net profits rose 24.7 percent to $130.8 million and earnings per preferred share rose 22.1 percent to 94 cents per share.
Group sales, on the other hand, were down 3.1 percent to $2.6 billion. Adjusted for currency effects, sales for the quarter rose 2.8 percent, the company said.
Henkel’s beauty sales declined 3.8 percent to $552.7 million, but earnings before interest and taxes held steady at $47.4 million. Adjusted for foreign exchange effects, the beauty sales downturn was 0.2 percent. Return on sales improved to 8.6 percent from 8.3 percent the previous year.
STILA BLOOMS: Stila’s sales, well, bloomed at Bloomingdale’s last week. After a record-breaking personal appearance at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship late last week —?which drew 325 people and reportedly generated upward of $25,000 at retail that day — founder Jeanine Lobell and her team followed it up with a two-day “Down With Love” artistry event in the store. The brand is the exclusive makeup partner for the film. The three-day combined total was said to be upward of $41,000.MOLTON MOVE: Joe Bierman has joined Molton Brown’s U.S. subsidiary as chief operating officer. Most recently, Bierman worked as vice president of marketing for Sephora, where he oversaw strategic planning.
SMASHING: Smashbox Cosmetics has named Holly Mordini vice president of global artistry and education, a new position. Mordini, who has been with the brand for six years, will be responsible for building global brand awareness and growing retail sales.
THAT’S AMORE: Kathy Hughes has been named senior vice president of sales for AmorePacific, the prestige skin care brand that is scheduled to make its entry into the North American market in September.
HEAD START: Mother-daughter duo Sylvie and Olivia Chantecaille are celebrating Mother’s Day a bit early — today — with a launch event for a new Chantecaille fragrance called Le Jasmin at Bergdorf Goodman. The two will be on hand from 1-7 p.m.
LIGHT OF DAY: Executives at Ralph Lauren Fragrances were busy Wednesday promoting the brand’s latest scent — Glamorous Daylight. The day began with a public appearance at Bloomingdale’s by actress Penélope Cruz. Customers were lined up around the block while Cruz signed away for hours, claiming she got her energy from the fans. According to industry sources, the event garnered about $10,000 in sales. The same evening, a reception attended by beauty industry insiders was held at the Four Seasons Hotel to celebrate the launch. Cruz was again on hand to promote the fragrance and explained that “[Glamorous] Daylight is more for me. It has an antiglamour, glamour scent. You can wear it with jeans.”
INDUSTRY EXPOSURE: The Fragrance Foundation was on a mission this week to publicly highlight its annual FiFi awards, a campaign that went from the New York Stock Exchange to Bloomingdale’s on Tuesday. Maria Bartiromo, who anchors CNBC’s “Squawk Box” from the NYSE, read off nominees for six fragrance award categories at a morning press conference held at the exchange. “[Fragrance] is a $6 billion business and I follow a lot of these companies because they are listed here and at other exchanges,” she said, discussing her participation. Later, at Bloomingdale’s, MTV personality Hilarie Burton rounded out the field of 12 total award categories as customers looked on. The 31st annual FiFis are scheduled for June 9 at Lincoln Center and Harvey Fierstein is the scheduled host.BEAUTY AT BERGDORF’S: Bergdorf Goodman and WWD’s sister publication, W magazine, hosted the first of four “Face to Face” panel discussions last Thursday at Goodman’s Café on the Beauty Level of the store. Hosted by W beauty director Jane Larkworthy, the event drew more than 50 people, who heard plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Bays Brown, makeup artist Bobbi Brown, fragrance expert Sylvie Chantecaille and fitness expert David Kirsch discuss the topic, “Life-Changing Beauty.”
KASHUK BOOKING: Sonia Kashuk gave makeup consultations — in the Barnes & Noble at Manhattan’s Citigroup Center on April 25. The makeup artist was wrapping up the last leg of a five-city promotional tour for her book, “Real Beauty.”
PLANTING THE SEEDS: The Countess Sondes has created a collection of products based on the wheat seed oil from her Lees Court Estate in Kent, England, called Seeds, which is set to make its debut in Fred Segal Apothia, Bergdorf Goodman and specialty stores this month. The nine-stockkeeping-unit line includes bath, body, fragrance and home products, ranging in price from $25 to $40. Seeds is expected to ring up first-year retail sales of $1 million, according to industry sources.
ATTENTION SHOPPERS: Sephora’s new loyalty card, introduced May 1, is for consumers in France and Monaco. Cardholders can receive gifts and obtain invitations for events at the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned chain. They may also accrue points on a one-per-euro basis. Once 150 points are amassed, cardholders will be offered a one-day 10 percent discount in Sephora for all items, except books and special offers.
KAMALI TO PRESENT: Fashion designer Norma Kamali is scheduled to present honors during the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors’ annual meeting and dinner in New York on June 5. Kamali will present the 2002 Cosmetic Entrepreneur Awards for Leadership during the event.
BROWN’S HONOR: Bobbi Brown will receive the New York Mission Society’s First Person Award at the Society’s annual awards gala next Thursday. The honor recognizes leadership in business, philanthropy and community service and both Brown and David Barger, president and chief executive of JetBlue Airways, will receive the award this year.
AWARD WINNING: Designs from Diam International, a merchandising hardware provider, recently won four of the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute’s Outstanding Merchandising Achievement awards. Three tester stands — one for Clarins makeup, another for Lancôme’s Purple Rain and a third for Nina Ricci product — were each honored. The fourth award was bestowed upon an Estée Lauder makeup station.DEMETER DESIGNS: Demeter Fragrances is part of a Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum exhibition that will run until January 25. The show, called “National Design Triennial: Inside Design Now,” is the second in a series of exhibitions running at the museum once every three years. The exhibition features 80 designers or design groups working in the U.S. and highlights several dozen Demeter fragrances.
CANNES DO: MAC makeup artists will give makeovers to nominees, presenters and VIPs at the Cannes Film Festival beginning next week. These services will be offered in an area called the Kaleïden Beauty Space at the Carlton Hotel, which also will feature fashion designers and offer hair, facial and massage services.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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THe FDA announced a New Era of Smarter, Safer Food Safety last fall to move beyond FSMA, the landmark new U.S. food safety law and address the marketplace dynamics that were transforming the food, retail and food-service sectors. This webinar will focus on the Agency’s much-heralded program and what it means for the AIM community and the customers they serve. Our speaker, Karil Kochenderfer of LINKAGES, spoke at the hearing and will speak at this webinar about the data-driven, tech-enabled and traceable food system that FDA envisions to create with this new program and regulation.
About Karil Kochenderfer | For over 25 years, Karil has represented the food, pharma and apparel industries nationally before Congress, the FDA, Wall Street and the media as well as internationally. During this time, she worked on some of the most critical issues facing the food industry ranging from biotechnology to blockchain to food safety, supply-chain standards and CBD — all issues of interest to AIM, its members and friends. Karil led the first WTO case on product labeling over 20 years ago where product transparency, traceability and trade were first raised. She has served on four U.S. Government advisory committees and regularly participates in U.S. embassy training programs for new personnel regarding regulatory trade barriers blocking US and global supply-chains.


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The Chinese industrial laser market is experiencing a difficult time in 2019 after rapid growth over the past two years (FIGURE 1). As this is being written, the uncertain Sino-U.S. trade war has certainly worsened the situation. On one hand, fierce competition has led to a sharp drop in prices of lasers, especially those of fiber lasers and ultrafast lasers. On the other hand, unprecedented low selling prices make the application of laser technology even more cost-effective than many traditional manufacturing technologies, therefore making laser applications spread rapidly, especially in the sheet metal cutting, laser marking, and computer, communication, consumer electronics (3C) manufacturing markets. At the same time, the rise of improved domestic laser products is replacing imported ones, dramatically changing the whole laser industry landscape in the country that dominates global industrial laser revenues.
Chinese economic growth has been slowed for the last few years with annual GDP growth at 6.8% last year and 6.3% in the first half of this year. China’s manufacturing infrastructure is undergoing a transition from low value-added to high-end, smart manufacturing.The photonics-based industry, with lasers at its core, is playing a big role in this transition. Last year, the strategic high-tech sector grew at much higher rates than the GDP growth at 11.7% and 8.9%, respectively, where lasers have found many applications. Many laser companies are doing relatively well compared to the impact experienced by other sectors, even though the slowing economy is impacting near-term revenues.
2019 is destined to be an extraordinary year for China's laser industry. Both the trade war and the price war have brought opportunities and challenges to the development of China's laser industry. The result is the unprecedented consciousness and determination of laser manufacturers to innovate independently and to make more investment in R&D and in order to survive.
Although the global economic situation is still not optimistic, most of the Chinese traditional manufacturing industry is still in the stage of "converting the old to the new." Laser technology not only can promote the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries, but also make use of its advantages to make its own markets space broader. Also, the "one belt and one road" initiative has created a good economic growth opportunity for China's manufacturing industry as well as laser industry in the Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia, and other countries.
The emergence of 5G communication generating demand for laser processing will prompt the emergence of new products and new formats from laser manufacturers. Demand for laser processing, especially for ultrafast lasers and its processing systems, will grow rapidly as OLED screens become mainstream products.
Laser cladding and laser repairing applications are entering a growth stage due to the maturity of laser sources and process qualification. This will benefit industries such as power utility, oil and gas, metallurgy, aviation, and space. Both fiber lasers and direct-diode lasers are used in these processes—however, it requires extra high reliability and stability processing under harsh working environments.Laser welding will also see its growth in China through the growth of electric cars and the power battery industry. TABLE 2 shows the forecast for this market demand and potential capital investment—in particular, capital investment in laser equipment.
The Chinese industrial market is experiencing an ugly price war on both fiber lasers and ultrafast lasers amid the trade war between the U.S. and China. Most domestic companies are struggling with economic downward pressure. Technical hurdles in high-power fiber lasers and ultrafast lasers have been overcome by domestic manufacturers that are changing the domestic market landscape dramatically and very soon, the rest of the world will feel the consequential impact.


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TORONTO - Canadian and U.S. cannabis companies are facing a spike in already high costs of insurance to protect top executives from personal liability, following a slew of lawsuits by disgruntled investors alleging fraud and misinformation, with more such action expected. Some of the biggest cannabis companies, including Medmen Enterprises, Canopy Growth, CannTrust Holdings, Aphria Inc and Columbia Care, have faced shareholder litigation, accusing leaders of false claims, failing to act in the interest of all shareholders and attempts to defraud investors. The lawsuits are yet another sign of souring sentiment against an industry that has failed to deliver on promises of boundless growth. And the rising costs are another headwind for companies already shuttering operations and cutting jobs due to slower-than-expected demand. "More frequently we,
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Woodward sales soar 21 percent in ’08
Woodward Governor, the aerospace, industrial controls and aircraft engine systems manufacturer with more than 1,500 local employees, reported a 21 percent increase in its year-end sales and a 24 percent jump in net earnings.
The company, which was founded in Rockford in 1870 and based here until late 2006, reported quarterly sales of $350.5 million and earnings of $34.4 million as it benefits from an increasing global demand for airplanes and energy-efficient power systems. The year-end sales rose to $1.26 billion and $121.9 million in profits.
“Our business showed continued strength through our fiscal fourth quarter,” Woodward Chairman and CEO Tom Gendron said in a news release. “We took advantage of two continuing trends in our markets — the increasing global need for both energy efficiency and emissions reductions.”
Woodward, which is now based in Fort Collins, Colo., has more than 4,200 workers worldwide and about 1,500 in its Rockton and Loves Park operations, which almost entirely work in the company’s turbine systems segment — accounting for $595.8 million of the company’s sales. Woodward is in the early stages of a $50 million expansion and renovation of its Loves Park plant, which used to double as company headquarters.
Woodward’s results didn’t include sales from two recent acquisitions. In October, the company acquired MPC Products of Skokie and MotoTron, an Oshkosh, Wis.-based company. MPC makes high-performance electromechanical motion-control systems for aerospace companies, and MotoTron specializes in software tools and processes to develop control systems for marine, power-generation and industrial applications.
Woodward borrowed $400 million to finance the MPC purchase. It paid $17 million for MotoTron.
Despite the positive results, Woodward’s stock is caught up in the vast global sell-off hitting many publicly traded companies. Woodward is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol WGOV. Its stock closed at $22.08 today, down 8.7 percent.
Reach Assistant Business Editor Alex Gary firstname.lastname@example.org or 815-987-1339.
Woodward yearly results
Year Sales Net earnings
2008 $1.26 billion $121.9 million
2007 $1.04 billion $98.2 million
2006 $855 million $69.9 million
2005 $827.7 million $56 million
2004 $709.8 million $31.4 million


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In today’s modern and dynamic workplace, a growing company cannot expand if they aren’t training their employees on new standards and practices. Simply throwing together a PowerPoint deck and distributing it just does not cut it anymore. Let’s face it; what works in one country may not be suitable for another, and so forth. So, […]
China’s online education industry has grown consistently in recent years. With US$1.2 billion of global investments in edtech in 2016 and an expected 20% annual growth rate, the e-education market is expected to reach US$190 billion by 2019, according to iResearch. More than just a new trend or fashion, the digitalization of education in China is becoming a serious industry.
In our digitally connected world, e-Learning is being used ever more frequently as a method of information delivery. Utilized by industries around the globe, e-Learning allows for efficient and cost-effective continued learning and training opportunities. Localizing e-Learning material enables users to access course materials easily from anywhere around the world through the internet or company intranet.


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Online ticket platform Atom Tickets announced a new service, Atom Movie Access, enabling exhibitors to develop custom theatrical ticket subscription plans for consumers.
The move represents an effort to incorporate movie theaters with the consumer-popular concept of ticket subscriptions, while not alienating exhibitors as was done by subscription pioneer MoviePass.
MoviePass has cited fraudulent use of its $9.95 monthly subscription – not a flawed business model – for the service’s fiscal challenges.
App-based Atom Movie Access affords exhibitors the ability to offer subscribers reserved seating, pre-order concessions, invite friends via social media and check-in using portable media devices.
“We’ve always believed in being a valuable partner to exhibitors, starting with the core functionality of our app, which allows for marketing promotions at specific locations and integrating exhibitor loyalty plans,” Matthew Bakal, co-founder of Atom Tickets, said in a statement.
The service, which is co-owned by Lionsgate, Disney/Fox and Fidelity Management & Research Co., also offers backend support, including payment transactions, customer service and fraud detection.
“Atom Tickets is an innovative ticketing platform that enables exhibitors to reach and engage new and incremental audiences,” Bakal said.


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The view from the top of IT with TechWorld Editor Rohan Pearce
Sixteen cases of software pirating were settled by Business Software Alliance (BSA) in Australia last year, a marked increase from 2010 when only six cases were settled.
By Hamish Barwick | 20 February, 2014 11:53
A new exploit that prompted Adobe to release an emergency patch for Flash Player was used in targeted attacks that distributed malware designed to steal log-in credentials for email and other online services, according to researchers from antivirus firm Kaspersky Lab.
By Lucian Constantin | 05 February, 2014 17:53
Adobe released an update for Flash Player to fix a critical remote code execution vulnerability that is actively being targeted by attackers.
By Lucian Constantin | 04 February, 2014 19:35
Software vendor Adobe has added direct support for 3D printing to Photoshop. An updated to the company's subscription-based Creative Cloud suite rolled out on 16 January includes direct support for desktop 3D printers from MakerBot and the Shapeways online 3D printing service.
By Rohan Pearce | 16 January, 2014 16:00
Attackers exploited a vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion to install data-stealing malware that works as a module for Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) Web server software.
By Lucian Constantin | 16 December, 2013 16:18
Oracle surprised many tech industry observers by announcing Thursday it would pay US$871 million for marketing automation software vendor Eloqua. The move seemed a bit unlikely given the amount of sales and marketing software Oracle already had.
By Chris Kanaracus | 20 December, 2012 20:59
While apologies from BP to the world regarding its environmental disaster and even from a U.S. Congressman to BP have stolen headlines of late, the tech industry has not been without its fair share of apologies during the first half of 2010 either.
By Bob Brown | 22 June, 2010 02:29
Adobe's Creative Suite 5 has just been announced, and here we have all you need to know about the new collection of creative tools, including step-by-step guides to the main applications. It's expected to be on the shelves by the end of May, featuring revamped versions of its leading arts, design, video and animation tools – plus two new web-design applications, Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder.
By Digital Arts staff | 13 April, 2010 15:28
It's been 20 years since Adobe 1.0 was released, and graphics professionals everywhere are still using Adobe's products to produce videos, Web sites, images and other creative material. We've taken a look back to see where Adobe Creative Suite has been and where it's going.
By Serdar Yegulalp | 13 April, 2010 06:50


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Antalya welcomed the first guests from Great Britain
After the UK removed Turkey from the red list, British tourists began to arrive at the resorts of Antalya. The first planes with 500 tourists from the UK have already landed at Antalya International Airport. Now they should not go to quarantine after a vacation in Turkey. According to forecasts, this year Turkey will receive at least 200 thousand guests from the UK.


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk qualified for a payout of $2.1 billion, his second enormous remuneration grant from the electric carmaker.
Tesla’s normal trailing market an incentive more than a half year transcended $150 billion on Tuesday, as indicated , which means the CEO can practice an extra 1.69 million investment opportunities, however he should hold up in any event five years before he can sell them.
The choices have a strike cost of $350.02, which means Musk would procure a $2.1 billion increase in the event that he practiced and could promptly sell the offers, noted.
The load of Tesla is exchanging over $1,500 an offer and the stock is up over 497% in the previous year.
TheStreet’s Martin Baccardax talked about how Tesla could advance on to the S&P 500 in the not so distant future.
Tesla could “legitimize one of the most zapping moves in U.S. advertise history if the spotless vitality carmaker can post a quarterly benefit after the end of exchanging Wednesday,” composed Baccardax. “Tesla will clear a critical obstacle towards its incorporation on the benchmark if its ready to distribute a GAAP benefit for the second quarter after the end of exchanging Wednesday, a figure that would check four back to back quarters operating at a profit for the Palo Alto, California-based carmaker.”


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By MARILYN McCONAHAY
For Miami Valley Today
TROY — Classic car enthusiasts will want to mark the calendar for Friday, April 26, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. to enjoy the day at Troy Main Street’s Downtown Cruise-In. Troy’s Public Square will be filled with timeless vehicles, featuring classic cars and vintage trucks as well as newer models.
“We’re excited to host this cruise-in in downtown Troy,” said Troy Main Street Executive Director Nicole Loy. “Our guests can enjoy displays of Slingshots, Camaros, Corvettes and many more.”
“The vehicles that have been registered so far are phenomenal, and I’m really looking forward to all the activities that will be held,” Loy said.
In addition to the display of showcased vehicles, visitors to the day’s activities will be able to enjoy Hot Wheel racing and a “Make and Model” matching game.
For the art lovers, auto expressionist Daniel Brown will display his paintings near his own classic automobile.
Many downtown businesses also will stay open late to welcome visitors to their stores, and the Miami Valley Veterans Museum will display “History in a Box” near a veteran-owned vehicle, according to Loy.
The high point of this event will be when trophies are given to the top three vehicles. Visitors and participants will have a chance to participate by helping select the winners.
One sponsor of the event has a longtime tie-in with Troy when it comes to cars and trucks.
“We have always been interested in supporting downtown Troy, especially because our business got started 44 years ago by my father, Ron Erwin,” said Matt Erwin of Erwin Chrysler Dodge Jeep, located on County Road 25-A south of town.
Other sponsors for the cruise-in include ALN Senior Care & Home Services, Alvetro Orthodontics, Excellence in Dentistry, F&P America Mfg., Fairfield Inn and Suites, GNB Troy Banking Center, Heath Murray of State Farm Insurance, Kettering Health Network, KSM MetalFabrication, Miami County Visitor’s Bureau, Premier Health/UVMC, Unity National Bank, Upper Valley Hearing & Balance and Western & Southern Life.
Those who wish to register their vehicle(s) for the cruise-in can do so by calling Troy Main Street at 339-5455. All vehicles must be pre-registered.
Troy Main Street, Inc., is a 501(c)3 organization. For more information, visit troymainstreet.org.


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Jan 28, 2015
Writer/director Zak Penn talks about his documentary Atari: Game Over, resilience in Hollywood, Ready Player One & Last Action Hero.
Jan 21, 2015
Legendary game designer Howard Scott Warshaw talks to us about creating the E.T. videogame in just five weeks, Atari's collapse, and more.
Apr 29, 2014
As an excavation uncovers copies of Atari's E.T. in the New Mexico desert, we take a look at the history behind the infamous game...


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Hey, American manufacturers, maybe you`re not as dead as you think.
At a time when gloom about the future of U.S. heavy industry is so thick you could cut it with a sushi knife--and many pessimists are turning in desperation to the guaranteed nonremedy of protectionism--along comes an eminently hard-nosed business executive who tells me America should be back on top of the trading world in the next decade.
The holder of this unorthodox and fascinating view is Joseph J. Kroger, executive vice president of Sperry Corp. and president of its Information Systems Group, who says he discerns unmistakable signs that U.S.
manufacturing, ''far from being dead and buried, is on the verge of a remarkable comeback.''
Those who buy the conventional assessment of today`s economy may well wonder what Kroger has been smoking. As has been well publicized, the U.S. has lost more than 1.6 million manufacturing jobs since 1979, and such major corporations as AT&T, Eastman Kodak and Westinghouse have announced recently that they will trim their labor force and restructure their plants to meet the competitive thrust of Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and other low-cost producing nations. Congress and the White House are arguing only about how much antitrade legislation is necessary to help brake the export of jobs.
Kroger, though, not only doesn`t share this panic but openly scoffs at reports chronicling the alleged demise of American industry. He sees the country, instead, about to realize the ''impossible dream'' of revitalizing its industrial productivity and regaining its international edge in the 1990s. The secret weapon that Kroger thinks will soon make American (and other)
consumers voluntarily shift allegiance and proudly buy products ''made in the U.S.A.'' is nothing other than an old-fashioned American virtue: technological leadership.
Specifically, he sees increased use of industrial computers bringing now- struggling U.S. manufacturers back into a true leadership role as we approach the 21st Century.
Kroger`s optimistic forecast is based on personal experience coupled with the growing demand by new and old-time manufacturers for technological advances that spawned what are called computer integrated manufacturing systems, or CIMs. Not surprisingly, Sperry, along with IBM, is a leading supplier of CIMs for steel, autos, textiles and a host of other major--and often-beleaguered--industries.
With CIMs, manufacturing plants are hooking the new technologies into electronic networks, creating what are in effect central nervous systems for factories that permit them to streamline operations in virtually every area, from the front office to the assembly line to the shipping docks.
There was a time when such technological pioneering would have been routine for the U.S. Now, though, industry experts frequently cite our technological gaps as contributing to the loss of market share to foreign companies. (For every robot used in this country, Japan uses 11.)
Labor-union resistance has been a factor here. But it is no secret that blue-collar workers are beginning to share their tasks with robots, laser scanners and ultrasonic probes--and many workers, in fact, owe their continuing employment to such devices. (A recent report of the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment concluded that while the need for craft workers, laborers and clerks might decrease, technological change would increase the demand for engineers, computer scientists, technicians, repairers and installers.)
A shifting economy is inevitably scary to those whose traditional employment seems imperiled, but if Kroger is right, the technology-driven America that will emerge will be able to provide challenging jobs and higher living standards for all its citizens.
He talks hearteningly of steel mills operating near full capacity; of Detroit, without the aid of quotas, blunting the import invasion; of a boom for U.S. machine-tool makers; of American shoemakers reclaiming lost markets; of textile makers and jean designers returning home--and even of baseball uniforms, most of which are now produced in Japan, again being manufactured in the land of Abner Doubleday.
Even if this untrendy industrial optimist is only partly right about the significance of the technological update now within the grasp of U.S. manufacturers, it suggests that once again, the dumbest prediction of all may be to count America out.


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Netflix is reportedly testing a cut-price mobile-only subscription offering in Malaysia in an apparent bid to open up the service to more users in this market.
According to a Reuters report, Netflix’s mobile plan is priced at MYR 17 (€3.59) per month, compared to MYR 33 for its basic plan in the country.
“We are testing to understand consumer interest in a mobile-only plan in some countries,” said the company in a statement to Reuters. “Generally, we try out lots of new ideas at any given time, and they can vary in how long they last and who sees them. We may not ever roll out the features or elements included in a test.”
The news follows much speculation about Netflix’s plans to offer cut-price offerings in Asian and other global markets in order to reach more subscribers.
Speaking on the company’s third quarter earnings call last month, Netflix’s chief product officer, Greg Peters, said that Netflix may look to make faster inroads into emerging markets like India by cutting prices.
“We’ll experiment with other pricing models – not only for India, but around the world – that allow us to broaden access by providing a pricing tier that sits below our current lowest tier,” he said.
However, at an event in Singapore last week, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told Reuters that plans for cheaper pricing in India had been “misunderstood” and that the company did not have plans to reduce its pricing in this market.
Speaking to India’s The Economic Times this week, Hastings described its entry level INR 500 per-month (€6.14) pricing as “great value” compared to the INR 200 – INR 220 it costs to go to the cinema. Currently Netflix’s three pricing tiers in India cost INR 500, INR 650 and INR 800 per-month.
Asked specifically by The Economic Times if the company would look to lower prices in order to reach mass-market appeal in India, Hastings said: “You may be right for our second hundred million [subscribers], but for our first hundred million I think we’re pretty good pricing. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”
“We’re still mostly in English so we’ve got a lot to do to broaden out over the next couple of years, supporting many more regional languages and storytelling styles. Someday I’m sure our pricing will evolve in more options but for the next couple of years I think what we’ve got is a very cost-effective option.”
In India, Hastings said that Netflix is initially focusing on people who watch entertainment in English – a segment that he conceded “a fraction of the Indian market”. However, in time he said the SVOD service aims to expand into more Hindi-based content and then Tamil and Guajarati as it targets other regions.
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▸ The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum partners with the innovative car rental platform Urent.
Ever imagined Airbnb for cars? Well, there is one – Urent is a new online platform that aims to revolutionise the UAE car rental industry. It is the first platform in MENA to offer peer-to-peer vehicle sharing which will ultimately create a whole community focusing on trust-building between two people as parties, one being the private vehicle owner and the other being the renter.
It will also provide UAE residents and citizens with the right to rent vehicles of up to six categories. The platform will also be licensed by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Omar Al Ashi, CEO & Founder – Urent; announced the partnership with the Seed Group – an association of diversified companies owned by The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum.
“With the support of The Private Office and Mr. Hisham Al Gurg, URENT will set an example for the people of the MENA region and highlight the promising future of the sharing economy and, more importantly, the importance of using existing vehicles”
– Al Ashi
Hisham Al Gurg, CEO of Seed Group and The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, said Urent could meet the enormous demand for rented transportation options brought about by the growing number of tourists and expatriates in the UAE.
“Urent has come in the right place at the right time. Omar provided us with an excellent presentation on how Urent could make full use of its unique business model as being the region’s first Airbnb for cars.”
– Hisham Al Gurg
Urent has launched its website already but the official launch will be on June 29.


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Musician Lana Del Rey became the newest face of H&M’s fall and winter advertising campaigns. Here she is donning a pink angora blend sweater, peach pants, faux-diamond chandelier earrings and big hair in this retro-looking pic. According to WWD, H&M is her first modeling gig and as part of the deal, Lana performed a cover of “Blue Velvet” for a “minifilm” that will be released on hm.com on September 19th. The film will be distributed globally too and edited versions will serve as TV ads for H&M.
H&M’s creative director, Donald Schneider told WWD that the mood of the campaign “is very L.A. noir, ” so look for Del Rey to become even more jaded, gloomy, and dead-eyed femme fatalistic over the next few months.


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betapharm, a German pharmaceutical company owned by 3i, has been acquired by India’s Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in a €480m deal. The fourth largest generics company in Germany, 3i first invested €110m in the company in March 2004 as it spun-out from Hexal, the German drugs maker. At the time it was a sales and marketing subsidiary owned by Andreas and Thomas Strengmann. 3i partner Bernie Schuler, who led the investment and the exit, said: “This was a principal to principal deal where I spent a considerable amount of time talking to the Strengmann family. In a deal of this kind you have to build up rapport with the owners because they are not familiar with the world of private equity and do not make decisions based solely on financial rationale. We were able to build a relationship based on trust and proceed on that basis.”
3i changed the orientation of the business and brought in Thomas Nedtwig as CFO, a member of 3i’s People Programme, who set about establishing a finance department from scratch and installed SAP, an enterprise resource management software solution. 3i also introduced Dr Wolfgang Niedermaier as CEO to replace the retiring Peter Walter. 3i partner Schuler sat on the board of betapharm as a non-executive director and helped the business establish a pipeline of products, and set up a number of partnerships with drug companies, many of which are located in Asia.


text: Video game giant Nintendo Co. reported quarterly earnings yesterday, far surpassing estimates on the strength of the mega hit Pokémon Go. The Japanese company delivered a profit of 64.7 billion yen ($569 million) for the quarter and raised its full-year forecast to 90 billion yen for the fiscal year. That’s up from prior projections of 50 billion. A weaker yen came in handy, too. Read more from Bloomberg here.


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Vietnam's first int'l tourism office opened in UK
The Hanoitimes - The office aims to introduce and update new Vietnamese tourism products to travel businesses in the UK.
Vietnam's first international tourism office named “The Visit Vietnam” was officially opened in London, the UK, on February 18, the Government Portal reported.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung said that the UK is one of Vietnam’s strategic partners and its second largest travel market in Europe. Therefore, Vietnam's international tourism office in the UK will help British people know more about the country.
Vietnam's first international tourism office named “The Visit Vietnam” was officially opened in London. Photo: VNA
The Visit Vietnam will cooperate with British partners to promote tourism cooperation between the two countries and boost bilateral ties in the coming time, Tung added.
According to Tran Trong Kien, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), The Visit Vietnam in the UK is responsible for coordinating with the UK’s PC Agency to promote destinations of Vietnam.
Besides, the office aims to introduce and update new Vietnamese tourism products to travel businesses in the UK in order to boost the number of British tourists as well as those from key European countries to Vietnam in the time ahead, Kien said.
Director of Asia Pacific Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Kate White appreciated opening of the office.
Vietnam News Agency reported that Kate White praised the natural beauty and culture of Vietnam. She also believed that the F1 race to be held in Hanoi once again proves that Vietnam is an attractive destination for international visitors.
Vietnam is considered the fastest growing tourism market in the world by many international travel organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association, among many other prestigious bodies in the field.
The country has received many awards such as the leading travel destination in Asia for two consecutive years, the world's leading golf destination, the top cultural tourism destination in Asia, among others.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam's tourism welcomed nearly 18 million international arrivals in 2019, up 16% compared to 2018, including 237,355 British visitors, up 105% year-on-year.
- Hard hit by Covid-19, Vietnam tourism companies go online
- Vietnam Airlines U-turns to transport passengers from Europe to Vietnam
- Hanoi craft villages urged to apply new technologies to promote products
- Vietnam tourism industry prepares post-epidemic plans
- Vietnam tourism industry takes strong hit from cororavirus
- Vietnam’s two biggest airports stop receiving arrivals from South Korea
- Vietnam launches stimulus program for inbound and domestic tours
- Vietnam's first int'l tourism office opened in UK
- Three scenarios for Vietnam’s tourism revival proposed
- Tourism revenue in Hanoi in Jan rises despite epidemic outbreak
Vietnam starts nationwide isolation on April 1 over Covid-19
Wiping out Covid-19 in Bach Mai Hospital is a priority: Party official
Vietnam to declare national coronavirus epidemic, stops public transport
March 31: Vietnam finds four new coronavirus cases
Vietnam identifies three coronavirus hot spots, including largest hospital
Foreign companies express commitment to Vietnam efforts against Covid-19
Hanoi implements effective solutions against Covid-19 pandemic
Hanoi’s streets become deserted due to business restriction order
March 27: Vietnam’s coronavirus case toll rises to 163


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Wasted food among top greenhouse gas emitters – UN report
One-third of all food produced globally remains uneaten and gets thrown away, making the wastage the world’s third-biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions after industry in the US and China, a new UN study reveals.
A total of 1.3 billion tons of food a year, worth $750 billion, is thrown away, emitting 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide, according to data collected by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
"We simply cannot allow one-third of all the food we produce to go to waste or be lost because of inappropriate practices, when 870 million people go hungry every day," says the FAO’s Director-General, José Graziano da Silva.
The data is part of the “Food Wastage Footprint” report issued Wednesday. The study is a first attempt at analyzing the impact of uneaten food on the global environment.
In the industrialized nations most of the blame for food ending up as garbage lies with consumers buying more than they actually need, while in the developing world it’s mostly lame agricultural techniques which result in the harvest not reaching the people.
Overall, 54 percent of total wastage is at the pre-processing stage, with potential food being lost during post-harvest handling and storage. The remaining 46 percent is lost during processing, distribution or consumption.
The food that’s destined for the bin is being produced on 30% of all agricultural land, meaning this land is being stripped of its biodiversity to make way for farming.
Wasted food production also takes up 250 cubic kilometers of water each year. The water waste thus is equivalent to the annual water discharge of the Volga River, or is three times the volume of Lake Geneva.
"Food wastage reduction would not only avoid pressure on scarce natural resources but also decrease the need to raise food production by 60 percent in order to meet the 2050 population demand," the FAO report says.
A 120-page program to tackling the food wastage is enclosed to the report. The suggestions include better shopping planning for consumers to avoid over-buying. Businesses are being encouraged to make food donations to charities. Industries are expected to search for alternative ways of doing away with food waste for it not to end up rotting in landfills.
Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are believed to be triggering global warming. The issue remains highly divisive, however, with some critics questioning the extent to which climate change is caused by humankind.


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Toronto-based Invafresh was the first company to offer a fully centralized, multi-vendor back-office scale management solution to the marketplace in 2003.
Scale management enabled grocery retailers to save on labor, reduce manual error, ensure scale up time, and manage all scale vendor solutions, through one single software platform, said Stephen Midgely, the company’s vice president of marketing.
“These benefits were the impetus for us launching a scale management solution to the market, and they remain key benefits today,” he said. “Invafresh continues to be the category leader in scale management software 20 years later and we manage more scales at more retailers than any other software provider in grocery.”
Some of the key advantages for retail grocers for having scale management software include:
- Ensuring consistent data such as pricing, item, and labelling information across the retailer’s entire chain of stores
- Reduced labor requirements as 1,000’s of scales can be managed by very few administrators (and in some cases a single administrator). This allows in-store employees to spend more time focusing on serving their customers.
- Ensuring scale label data meets with grocery regulatory requirements
- Controlling scale pricing/data centrally, preventing in-store price overrides
Any scale management solution, Midgely said, must manage all scale data correctly to ensure customers know their food is safe and meets their nutritional needs.
“Fresh labelling is critical to ensuring success for both retailers and their customers as both rely on the accuracy of pricing and item data on the package, and that it will be captured accurately at the point of sale,” he said. “Whether producing cut meat in deli, cut fruit in fresh or wrapping steaks in a meat wrapper, scale management data must be accurate across all scales in order to provide customers with a quality level of service.”
Invafresh is seeing an increased move towards technology as a means to optimize in-store processes and counter some of the macrotrends experienced by retailers coming out of the pandemic, such as inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain issues, Midgely said.
That said, technology is also playing an increasingly important role in merchandising, from the use of prescriptive analytics to in-store display ads. It’s no different when it comes to the evolution of scale management technology.
“There is an opportunity for retailers to rethink scale management as an emerging merchandising tool – more effective labels designed to attract and inform consumers,” Midgely said. “We’re seeing the use of QR codes, enhanced safe handling and traceability information, for example, being added to labels to better connect and inform shoppers.”
Fresh is where Invafresh excels, Midgely said — and it’s where retailers make their margin.
Invafresh’s scale management solution supports all major scale vendors, providing retailers with the flexibility to support different scale manufacturers and stay current on the most recent scale functionality without having to purchase proprietary software, he added.
“The Invafresh Scale Management Platform delivers better uptime for all scales across our retailers as they are able to leverage our scale monitoring and self-healing capabilities,” Midgely said. “SMP includes proactive alerting and advanced reporting to maximize the uptime of retailers’ scale networks. It also supports the transfer of data beyond scales to kiosks, electronic shelf labels, ecommerce platforms, and more.”


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Barry Salzman, a veteran of DoubleClick, will be Google’s first head of media and platforms, with oversight of YouTube, the Google Content Network, DoubleClick’s ad serving business, and the DoubleClick Ad Exchange.
His hire may signal a desire to centralize sales outreach to agencies and advertisers. Salzman will consolidate management of the company’s sprawling display sales teams in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. He reports to Henrique de Castro, the company’s VP of global media and platforms who replaced David Rosenblatt early last year.
Google is aggressively acquiring and launching businesses in the display ad space. Recent examples include the launch of its DoubleClick Ad Exchange last summer, and the late 2010 acquisitions of dynamic ad firm Teracent and mobile ad network AdMob.
Those efforts may be paying off in the form of increased investment from large brand advertisers. On the company’s Q4 earnings call, Global Sales President Nikesh Arora said the company had gotten a display revenue boost from big customers like Volvo and American Express.
On the same call, CEO Eric Schmidt called display advertising “the next huge business for us,” though he said other channels such as mobile may grow faster on a percentage basis because they’re smaller.
Barry Salzman is a veteran of DoubleClick from the days when it operated an ad network alongside its ad management tools. Between 1997 and 2002, he was president of DoubleClick International and later DoubleClick Global Media. He left the company around the time DoubleClick exited the media business, becoming COO of ShopWiki and CEO of YC Multimedia, which sells in-store digital media.
Salzman will not be responsible for the display advertising products themselves. That job belongs to VP of product management Neal Mohan.
On January 17 2017, ClickZ Intelligence and Constant Content held The Content Marketing Masterclass webinar.
Every year, Google's well-oiled digital ad machine generates tens of billions of dollars in revenue, making the search giant the biggest single recipient of digital ad spend.
As an organisation, finding the right marketing channels is an essential part of your marketing strategy.
2017 is the year in which CMOs are expected to outspend CIOs on technology, according to Gartner, which is no surprise given the way in which consumers of all kinds are increasingly using technology in their everyday lives.


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Apple releases iOS 4.0.2, 3.2.2 with fix for PDF exploit
The updates address a security hole used by hackers to "jailbreak" the iPhone, iPod touch. The PDF exploit could also be used by hackers to gain remote control over an iOS device.
iOS 4.0.2 is available for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and second- and third-generation iPod touch models. iOS 3.2.2 is for the iPad and iPad 3G.
Earlier this month, users released a browser-based hack that took advantage of a PDF exploit in Mobile Safari. The hack could allow users to run unauthorized code on their iOS devices through a process known as jailbreaking.
The jailbreak takes advantage of a PDF exploit that one prominent security expert called "scary." By tricking a user into simply visiting a website and loading corrupted PDFs through the iOS browser, a hacker could take control of an iOS device.
Apple quickly responded after the hack was made public, and said that it had already developed a fix for the issue. It said the PDF exploit would be plugged with a forthcoming update, which was released Wednesday in the form of iOS 4.0.2 and iOS 3.2.2.
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Dublin-based ASKfm, an IAC/InterActive Corp. company, has released the next version of its Web site and mobile app for devices running Android and iOS. The refresh, announced Thursday, aims to keep lighthearted communication flowing between teens and Millennials using the platform.
Unlike Facebook, where people go to post photos and gain Likes, ASKfm focuses on the conversation between users, a steady stream of communication through questions and answers.
The product's redesign came from user feedback, says Andrea Cutright, COO of ASKfm. "Our users are young and tend to be digital natives, which is a very visual language," she says. "So we built an integration GIPHY, giving users the ability to answer questions with GIFs."
Some 150 million global users ask more than 18 billion questions annually -- about 4 million questions daily. They ask and answer questions in more than 49 languages. More than 75% of ASKfm users interact with people they know in real life. Users can now invite friends to join ASKfm conversations via text message, which allows for tagging and exchange between users through @mentions.
Bright and bold hues of orange, blue, yellow and green aim to offer a youthful feel more aligned with its core user base. A new mascot, OwlCat, which showcases the user's personality, represents the natural curiosity and wisdom that comes from conversations, Cutright says.
Soon after launch, the ASKfm “Question of the Day” feature will be programmed by a selection of Vine stars, including Rickey Thompson, DSharp, and Marcus Perez, thanks to an integration with Collab, a partner platform for Vine creators. ASKfm will update the content in the U.S. daily. A new “Grab n’ Ask” feature will also fuel new conversations by allowing users to easily share questions they find interesting with their friends.


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The New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) moved one step closer this week to launching adult-use sales and opening recreational shops by green lighting emergency lab testing regulations and immediately opening the application process for testing facilities.
Medical cannabis testing facilities can apply to test recreational marijuana products under the new rules, which also require the establishment of a state reference laboratory for quality control. Under the emergency regulations, labs must be ISO 17025 accredited and use third-party sampling firms to select samples for testing.
The regulations, which are nearly identical to what the CCB proposed June 1, go into effect immediately. The CCB will not take public comment on the rules, but will consider comments submitted to the June 1 proposed rules and make necessary changes.
In addition to the lab testing regulations, the CCB approved the first conditional adult-use processor licenses at Monday’s meeting, with fifteen (15) applications approved in total. To be eligible to apply for a conditional adult-use processor license, a processor must:
- Have applied for a cannabinoid hemp processor license before Jan. 1, 2022;
- Hold an active cannabinoid hemp processor license issued by the Office of Cannabis Management; and
- Have an ownership interest of 51 percent or more of the applicant entity.
Adding processors and laboratories to the cannabis supply chain is key to launching the state’s first legal adult-use cannabis sales by the end of 2022. Experts predict the cannabis market will ultimately generate billions of dollars and create opportunities for all New Yorkers, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.


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155. Robert Reich's Blog: When Will The Recovery Begin? Never.
July 11, 2009 § Leave a comment
This becoming standard thinking now. The question is, will those who can’t survive be quiet abut it?
In a recession this deep, recovery doesn’t depend on investors. It depends on consumers who, after all, are 70 percent of the U.S. economy. And this time consumers got really whacked. Until consumers start spending again, you can forget any recovery, V or U shaped.
Problem is, consumers won’t start spending until they have money in their pockets and feel reasonably secure. But they don’t have the money, and it’s hard to see where it will come from. They can’t borrow. Their homes are worth a fraction of what they were before, so say goodbye to home equity loans and refinancings. One out of ten home owners is under water — owing more on their homes than their homes are worth. Unemployment continues to rise, and number of hours at work continues to drop. Those who can are saving. Those who can’t are hunkering down, as they must.


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RESTON, Va. (CBS.MW) - Wireless carrier Nextel Communications, bolstered by higher than expected sales and customer additions, narrowed its second-quarter loss.
In the latest quarter, Nextel said its loss attributable to common shareholders fell to $292 million, or 38 cents a share, from $315 million, or 52 cents, a year earlier. The company was expected to lose 36 cents, according to the consensus survey of analysts by First Call.
Revenue advanced 59 percent to $1.26 billion from $793 million a year earlier. Analysts were expecting sales of about $1.2 billion.
The extra revenue derived in part from a 560,600 gain in net new customers and from an increase in revenue per subscriber to $74 a month from $72 in the previous quarter. Analysts had expected new additions of around 525,000 and monthly subscriber revenue to remain flat.
Nextel ended the quarter with about 5.62 million users. The company caters primarily to business customers, many of whom like the unique features on the company’s network. Nextel allows users to talk to each other at the push of a button, much like a walkie-talkie. Groups of users can also hold conference calls.
Cash flow, a key measure of financial health in fast-growing industries, climbed to $290 million from $109 million a year ago. Cash flow basically reflects the ability of a company to pay its bills on time, make new investments and acquire assets or other companies.
During the quarter, Nextel said about 14.6 million Internet text messages were sent on its network, an increase of 156 percent. See press release.
Shares of Nextel (NXTL) fell 1 13/16 to 67 amid a broad downturn in U.S. stock markets.


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The chief executives of 17 technology industry organizations have asked President-elect Donald Trump to advance investments in technology infrastructure as part of efforts to create jobs and build up the U.S. economy.
The trade groups’ CEOs wrote in a letter published Tuesday that the Trump administration should also promote technological innovation through tax reform and updates to regulations related to international data transfers.
They also submitted to Trump’s transition team their recommended personnel for several key administrative posts as well as their qualifications, according to the letter.
“We recognize a critical early step in achieving your goals of moving the country forward in a productive way will be identifying the right people for critical positions,” the executives added.
The signatories to the letter include:
- Bruce Mehlman, executive director of the Technology CEO Council
- Carl Guardino, president and CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group
- David Heard, interim CEO and chairman of the board of the Telecommunications Industry Association
- Dean Garfield, president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council
- Edward Black, president and CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association
- Evan Burfield, CEO of startup incubator 1776
- Evan Engstrom, executive director of Engine
- Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association
- John Neuffer, president and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association
- Ken Wasch, president of Software & Information Industry Association
- Linda Moore, president and CEO of TechNet
- Melissa Blaustein, founder and CEO of the Allied for Startups
- Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of the Internet Association
- Mike Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association
- Morgan Reed, exeutive director of The App Association
- Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA
- Victoria Espinel, president and CEO of the BSA | The Software Alliance


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- ticket title
- WHO Provides Healthcare Services at 25 Medical Centres
- Libya’s Humanitarian Coordinator underlines the need to restore essential services for people affected by conflict
- Morocco: International Solidarity Prevents Civil War in Libya
- CBL: Commercial Banks Profits Plummet by 25%
- Libya Elected Vice President of Near East Forestry and Range Commission NEFRC
The amount of milk produced in the EU will for the first time in three decades be determined by market forces only after European milk quotas ended on 1 April. The quotas were introduced in 1984 when production outstripped demand with the aim of putting an end to Europe’s “milk lakes and butter mountains”. It is hoped that by scrapping the quotas, Europe’s milk producers are able to supply fast-growing markets in Asia and Africa. However, some farmers worry it could lead to price volatility.
The idea behind the abolition of milk quotas is to give the EU’s milk producers more flexibility to respond to growing demand, particularly on the world market. Even with quotas, EU dairy exports have increased in value by 95% over the past five years. Exports of dairy products to Korea alone more than doubled between 2010 and 2014.
Polish EPP member Czesław Siekierski, chair of the Parliament’s agriculture committee, noted that while dairy farmers have some concerns, they have been aware of the move since 2003: “Milk quotas did not safeguard the market from significant fluctuations in prices, incomes and production.”
The quota system has often been blamed for preventing EU producers from responding to growing demand for dairy products on the world market. Siekierski said: “The Russian embargo forced a search for new export markets, which will be helpful after the abolition of milk quotas. Some opportunities to secure new markets also emerge through bilateral trade negotiations.”
Milk is produced on roughly 650,000 EU farms. The industry is worth close to €55 billion, while dairy processing companies employ 300,000 people.
UK ECR member James Nicholson sees the abolition of milk quotas as the end of an era for the dairy industry: “After 31 years it will understandably be cause for some nervousness and trepidation for dairy farmers.”
Nicholson, who is in charge of drafting a report on Europe’s dairy sector, views the abolition of quotas as “an opportunity to build a more confident and robust dairy sector for the future”. He also urged the EU to help mitigate the effects of price volatility on farmers.


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It’s been used as a poncho, helped endless people move and cart gym gear, and has even been ripped-off by a luxury fashion brand — 30 years after its release, Ikea is celebrating their iconic blue Frakta shopper bag.
In the video above, the Swedish retailer have capitalised on the "Frakta craze", which swept Instagram after the bag was loosely copied by Balenciaga earlier this year, by taking a sentimental look at its everyday uses.
From vests to bum bags, Instagram is full of hilarious DIY Frakta products. The Frakta pocket vest, for example, is made of three Frakta bags is going for $338. A steep increase on the original $1 bag.
Check out some of Instagram's best Frakta hacks below to celebrate its big 3-0:


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Love is not an ingredient—particularly not in this case. Insects, on the other hand...
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
MARCH 06, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
FOREIGN LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
2014 - BIMBO FOODS BAKERIES DISTRIBUTION, LLC
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No one will ever know what it’s like to walk a mile in Tiger Woods’ shoes. But someone might soon find out what it’s like to drive thousands of miles in Tiger’s car.
General Motors Corp.’s Buick division said Monday it will launch a promotion this week that will give away a new Buick Lucerne CXS luxury sedan driven by Woods every time he wins a PGA Tour tournament this year.
Buick is calling it the "Tiger Wins, You Could Win" promotion, which begins with Woods’ season debut at this week’s Buick Invitational at La Jolla, Calif., and ends at the PGA Championship in August.
Each car, which will serve as Woods’ personal courtesy car the week of the tournament, will be manufactured at GM’s assembly plant in Hamtramck, according to Buick golf marketing manager Larry Peck.
The high-end cars have a suggested retail of about $40,260. Each car will be painted black and include 18-inch chrome wheels, a spoiler, a V-8 engine, heated and cooled seats and even heated windshield washer fluid, Peck said. Also, cars that are awarded will feature a commemorative plaque with Woods’ signature.
"I’m happy to give away as many Lucernes as I can — because that means I’m winning," Woods said in a released statement. "This year, I will have to be careful about leaving anything in the car after the tournament."
In the event Woods doesn’t win a tournament in which he plays, there will a drawing for a trip for two to meet Woods and have a chance to win a car at Buick event in October at Los Angeles.
"Whenever he plays, somebody’s going to win," Peck said by telephone Monday.
For the record, Woods won six PGA Tour events last season, including the Buick Invitational.


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Honda Says Sayonara to the CRZ
In the blink of an eye…Honda quietly ceased production of its CR-Z hybrid “sports” coupe, it will not be around next model year.
The CR-Z was pretty well received by critics but unfortunately it was largely ignored by new car buyers. In fact sales have been trickling at a snail’s pace for years since it was released despite a few clever but ultimately futile attempts of kick-starting interest. It seems that CR-Z lacked that special something that pushes a vehicle into popularity.
It was widely speculated that the CR-Z was set to return for the 2017 model year but at the same time experts who looked at current and past model sales figures have foretold the imminent demise of the CR-Z beginning with its discontinuation in the European and Australian markets. This month, the CR-Z’s lackluster run is ending in Japan and it was also subsequently announce that it was saying sayonara to the US market as well.
Ironic enough, the US was essentially the last hope for CR-Z sales in the world. And yet, the company’s North American office released their public statement telling us that Honda will “discontinue CR-Z this year ” as it “significantly expand[s] its sales of electrified vehicles with the addition of two new volume models” (AutoBlog). Those models that they mentioned refer to the 2017 Accord Hybrid and the “Clarity” range of fuel cell, electric, and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
So what was lacking in the CR-Z?
The CR-Z has a 1.5-liter engine and electric motor that combine for both 130 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque and it was only available in a manual-transmission trim. That’s right this was a manual transmission hybrid. That makes it a bit of a rarity. It’s not so much that the CR-Z was bad, or that the car itself wasn’t “fun to drive” as noted by many critics. It’s the failure to live up to potential. Meaning, the CR-Z’s predecessor, the first-generation Insight hybrid, was considered much more fun and fulfilling for owners to drive despite lacking the sportiness of the CR-Z’s styling. Despite Honda attempting to position it as the successor the much loved CRXs of yesteryear, which in the availably sport trims were considered an outright blast to drive. Instead, the CR-Z had mostly unremarkable driving dynamics under its styling and ergonomic design choices. Many noted that it was a heavy car, preventing it from being particularly powerful and efficient.
Is it going out with a bang?
While the CR-Z is being phased out, there is some hope in the form of the final edition package. Honda’s Japan-only CR-Z Final Label gives drivers some neat cosmetic changes including like special edition badging and unique alloy wheels. There will be “Final Label” logos and exclusive equipment from the higher, more well -received trim levels. The attention the CR-Z is getting makes sense in Japan, where collectible special edition cars are in high demand. And yet it seems highly seems unlikely that Honda will extend the effort to the US beyond a sale promotion.
We expected this.
Given how unpopular and low-selling it was to Americans from the start, it was actually far more surprising that the CR-Z is lingered as long as it did in the market. And yet for whatever reason, instead of addressing whatever was keeping the CR-Z from resonating with US buyers, a move Honda has done for the highly panned last-generation Civic, the CR-Z went nowhere fast literally and figuratively.
Released in 2010 as a 2011 model year vehicle, the CR-Z has always struggled to find buyers from the start. Last month, Honda moved less than 300 of the hatchbacks off U.S. lots, which make for approximately 15 percent of the 1557 CR-Zs it sold in May 2011—which was low for a debut. To clarify what we mean, Honda sold more than 35,000 Civics last month alone.
Honda has since focused more on their EV’s and even an Acura NSX that has made hybridization cool. In our opinion, there’s no real reason the small hatch wouldn’t benefit from some sort of on-demand electric torque. In many respects, the CR-Z’s time might have been now, perhaps being released too early.
Goodbye Honda CR-Z, we hardly knew you.
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Alex has worked in the automotive service industry for over 20 years. After graduating from one of the country’s top technical schools, he worked as a technician achieving a Master Technician certification. He also has experience as a service advisor and service manager. Read more about Alex.


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The EU’s efforts to rein within the energy of massive tech firms resembling Google and Fb via antitrust investigations have taken too lengthy, dulling their effectiveness, a report stated Thursday.
Authorized instruments obtainable to the bloc’s competitors regulators, in the meantime, haven’t saved tempo with digital markets, permitting Silicon Valley giants to remove rivals, stated the report by the European Courtroom of Auditors, which examined the EU’s enforcement of competitors guidelines over the previous decade.
European Union authorities have been on the forefront of world efforts to convey the tech giants to heel however they have been criticized for prolonged investigations which have resulted in fines which can be big but inexpensive for the rich firms. Google is at the moment interesting a 2.four billion euro ($3.7 Cdn) antitrust tremendous levied in 2017 that stems from an investigation into its purchasing search outcomes that started a decade in the past.
The report discovered that antitrust instances took a mean of 4 years earlier than a choice was made. Beneath EU laws, antitrust investigations can solely begin after a contest downside has been noticed, the report stated.
“Notably within the digital financial system, this can be too late to deal with a contest downside.” Nonetheless, apart from EU guidelines on mergers, “the [European] Fee has at the moment no instruments in its arms that will enable it to intervene” earlier than competitors issues come up.
Competitors guidelines often take note of an organization’s market share and revenue margin and costs of products or companies however these conventional benchmarks are laborious to use to digital firms, which use knowledge and algorithms to compete for a market, “resulting in `winner-takes-all’ outcomes,” it stated.
The report stated that whereas shoppers could be harm by the practices of digital firms, it is laborious for the EU Fee to provide you with applicable treatments for a contest downside “as a result of figuring out the hurt could be significantly complicated.”
The EU’s competitors commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, who’s finishing up separate investigations of Amazon, Apple, Fb and Google, has began turning to “interim measures” as a faster approach to get firms to cease anticompetitive practices.