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Samsung phones are very well-known for exploiting the Android OS, in their smartphones, winning the hearts of millions of fans in the world. But wait. Have you ever thought of a Samsung smartphone powered by Windows OS? That too, the latest supremo, Galaxy S8 running the Microsoft OS, Windows 10? Well, that has happened now, as shown in a few recently leaked images.
Keeping aside the believably of this thing happening, we can very well rejoice the whole new concept that is scratching too much of anticipation, from the crowd. Yes, the newly leaked images cover the bezel-less beauty in hand, with its screen showing various screens of what it looks like Windows 10, with various Microsoft apps like Cortana, Skype, Office, etc.
To be precise, there are totally three images: First one showing the S8, Live Tiles menu of the said OS. The second one, shows the Settings screen; and the third one shows the Windows Store. Moreover, with the revealed Windows 10 UI here, it seems that the device is running the latest Creator Update build of it.
However, we couldn’t move on without discussing the credibility of the images. Firstly, the images are of utterly poor-quality, to consider it to be legitimate. In today’s times, rendering screenshots of a Windows 10 phone, to an Android phone’s screen, isn’t a big deal. But in spite, the on screen buttons of the phone shown here, appears to be more Windows’.
Though the phone is powered by Snapdragon 835, which is potentially much capable of running Windows 10, there have been no reports or rumors lately, stating anything about a pact or even a discussion between the two giants, Samsung and Microsoft.
Then again, a thing to be noted here is, it has been about two years, since a phone emerged from the Microsoft’s castle. We have been waiting to hear either about a new phone to the Lumia line or the highly anticipated Surface Phone, from them. But, the company haven’t spilled a word about it, for so long. Will it be, due to their plans with the smartphone company?
As of now, the HP Elite X3 is the only high-end phone, running the Windows OS. Though the craze for this OS in smartphones, seems to have been depleted, there are some fanboys left out, still. Therefore, this new allegation, is definitely a great news for the few remaining ones.
Stay connected with us, we will let you know all further proceeding from Samsung and Microsoft in future (if any)!


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Why are Manufacturing Companies Moving to Mexico?
Why Are Manufacturing Companies Moving to Mexico?
Global commerce, market competition, and reduced costs among other factors, have explained U.S manufacturing companies moving to Mexico.
With their own budget plan, each company has to constantly modify and adjust to changes in the world economy. When it comes to competition, CEO’s have to think strategically when creating their own product and delivering it. Quality doesn’t always overrule quantity or other factors. No matter how good the product is, if a competitor is creating more of their product and being more cost efficient they’re more likely to succeed and generate more revenue over another competitor who is only delivering great products but at a higher cost.
This type of thinking varies from company to company as not all successful strategies work for every company. During these past few months since Donald Trump won the election the economy keeps fluctuating due to Trump’s radical changes. This causes manufacturing businesses to modify plans as well as become more flexible to change. As fragile as the economy is, U.S. companies have had to develop different plans to retain not only their present business, but also the continuation growth. However, Trump’s promise of retaining U.S. businesses within the U.S and stopping them from moving to foreign lands has had a huge impact on business owners’ decisions.
Some businesses have had to take extreme measures as well as risks in moving plants and headquarters elsewhere. Moving from one state to another might help when it comes to lowering costs, but hiring more people from another country where the wage is much lower can reduce costs to a point where it makes a significant difference in product costs. Many CEO’s have opted for hiring workers in Mexico to do the same job an American would have done in the past but at a much lower cost. This is the simplest choice for them because NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) facilitates bringing goods into the U.S. duty free. Moving manufacturing to Mexico where employees deliver the exact same product, quality, and quantity at much lower costs has benefited many Mexican’s lives dramatically as well as a company’s revenues. This is why manufacturing companies moving to Mexico is the result.
Regardless of Mexico’s minimum wage being much lower than U.S. minimum wage, Mexicans who have had the opportunity to work for these companies have experienced a positive impact in their lives professionally and economically. This has created some controversy among Americans as they see it as losing their jobs to foreigners, something Trump is very much against. Many manufacturers in the U.S. have opted for the use of robots to do certain jobs where they could have a few workers oversee the robot’s efficiency rather than having humans doing the hard work. In Mexico, they find it to be much cheaper to have humans do manual labor at a much lower pay rate, and still be at lower costs than their competitors.
There has been mixed theories and concerns regarding the companies that decided to hire employees in Mexico. Economists suggest that this is a decision that does benefit both countries whereas others have concurred that hiring of Mexicans hasn’t had any effect on the low employment rate in the U.S. nor the loss of jobs.
Although many manufacturing companies have decided to move their work to Mexico and have been successful, it has had more of a positive impact than a negative one. Despite Donald Trumps’ beliefs on keeping all U.S. companies within the U.S. with some companies ignoring that factor, the economy was able to generate 157,000 jobs since December 2017. Giving work opportunities to our neighboring country’s employees has proven to improve overall manufacturing in the U.S. Manufacturing companies moving to Mexico is a trend that will continue. Time will only tell how many more jobs continue to be created in the U.S. and whether or not it’s jeopardizing Americans’ economic stability and professional opportunities.

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Upholstering a wall with small rectangular sheets of mother-of-pearl or with millions of shimmering glass beads might seem more extravagant than tasteful—but not to designer Maya Romanoff.
Less than a decade ago, many express cruisers designed by American companies had straight hull lines, reverse-facing radar arches, and interiors that resembled crawl spaces rather than spacious wa
Delta is one of a few U.S. yacht builders that ranks with the most respected shipyards in Europe.
If there were a royal line in the American yachting industry, Magnum Marine would surely have a legitimate claim to the throne.
The Riva 86 Domino (www.riva-yacht.com), which at press time was scheduled to debut at the Cannes International Boat &
Next summer, the Italian yacht builder Pershing will launch the first boat in its 108-foot series.
Palmer Johnson shows no signs of slowing as it prepares to launch the PJ170.
Oceanfast has been building motoryachts for 25 years, and its new 48-meter series yacht is a fresh departure for the Australian shipyard.
With its Custom Line 124' (www.customline-yacht.com)—124-foot semicustom yachts expected to debut next spring—the Ita
Lord Norman Foster, the creative force behind Manhattan’s Hearst Tower, London’s City Hall, and a host of other highly acclaimed projects, is making a big splash with his most recent foray into ya
The new 43-meter Nadara from Tecnomar has a sleek, stealthy look with its aggressively pointed bow and tiger-stripe black curves created by three unbroken levels of windows.
Designing a sailing superyacht can be infinitely more complicated than a motoryacht, particularly when it needs to cross oceans in comfort.
Perini Navi, the Italian shipyard known for its fleet of colossal sailboats, has recently launched the latest in its 56-meter superyacht series by designer Ron Holland.
Several years ago, a British businessman went looking for an older yacht to restore.
It may seem somewhat incongruous for a BMW Group–owned company, DesignworksUSA, to have styled the Bavaria Cruiser 55—a yacht propelled by wind, not horsepower.
For most personal watercraft, buoyancy is a virtue. But the new $100,000 Cayago Magnum sinks by design.
Like other personal-watercraft makers, Sea-Doo voluntarily limits the top speed of its machines to 65 mph.
With the new Bertram 540, deep-sea fishing excursions and weekend family getaways no longer have to be mutually exclusive.
Noah’s Ark, arguably the world’s first expedition yacht, was built in Turkey. Yet despite this august heritage, the Turks have never been known as master shipbuilders.
Inventor Graham Hawkes’ lifelong obsession with underwater flight leads him to create a winged two-person submersible.
Ppersonal submersibles are quickly becoming standard tenders in the luxury yachting world. The following manufacturers offer submersibles of various styles and capabilities.
At 131 feet long, the new Sanlorenzo 40 Alloy (www.sanlorenzoyacht.com) would have been slowed by a hull made of fiber
RoMa, a recent launch from Viareggio Superyachts, allows 12 fortunate guests to roam in comfort across the 62-meter (203-ft.) quad-deck hull.
Oceanco’s shipyard in the Netherlands is known for producing some of the most creative custom superyachts around the world.
With its black hull and desert sand–colored deck, the Riva 68' Ego Super (www.riva-yacht.com) made quite a statement amid t
The moment tom perkins first took the helm of Maltese Falcon marked the culmination of his quest to create a new breed of mechanically sophisticated sailing superyachts.
Palmer Johnson, once the most traditional of yacht builders, bet its future on the sport yacht design in 2002.
The new Back Cove 37 has the same rugged, handsome looks of its smaller siblings, but the twin-stateroom layout makes it a comfortable cruiser.
Hunt Yachts, which can trace its pedigree back to the first modern deep-V hull in the early 1960s, has engineered a leap forward with its new 52.


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Americans drink an estimated 517 million cups of coffee every day, according to the National Coffee Association, making it the most popular beverage in the U.S. other than water. Drinking coffee has been associated with a wide range of health benefits. But will it help you live longer?
Many large studies suggest that coffee's biologically active compounds, including caffeine, may help keep inflammation, chronic health conditions and even certain cancers at bay. But because correlation doesn't equal causation, there's still not enough evidence to definitively say that drinking a morning brew will result in a longer life.
Because "the data is from retrospective studies [and] not randomized trials" there is "not really enough strong data to recommend people to drink more coffee," Dr. Chip Lavie, the medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and preventive cardiology at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans, told Live Science in an email.
That said, what exactly have these large studies tying coffee drinking with health benefits and longer lifespans found?
Related: Does wine help you live longer?
According to a 2018 study published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, there are over 1,000 biologically active compounds in coffee. One major component, called chlorogenic acid improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This translates to improving the body's ability to process sugar. Insulin sensitivity refers to how sensitive the body's cells are in response to insulin. High insulin sensitivity allows the cells of the body to use blood glucose more effectively, reducing blood sugar. A 2019 systematic review in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine has shown that these effects reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. A systematic review of nine studies found that people who drank more than six cups of coffee per day were at a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who drank fewer than two, according to a 2013 paper in Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Compounds such as melanoids, quinines, lignan and trigonelline have antiinflammatory effects and are antioxidants, meaning they prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals — unstable molecules produced by the body when it processes food and reacts to the environmental pollutants and toxins. Free radicals can lead to inflammation and contribute to a range of diseases, including cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, cataract, and cancer, according to a study published in Pharmacognosy Review.
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Of coffee drinkers, 84% have their cup of joe with breakfast, according to the National Coffee Association, suggesting that most people drink coffee for its caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by blocking signals in the brain that would usually tamp down its activity. It's also a weak bronchodilator, meaning it makes breathing easier by relaxing the muscles in the lungs and widening the airways (bronchi). However, one of the main effects caffeine has on the body is on the heart. According to the Progress on Cardiovascular Diseases study, "Habitual coffee consumption is also associated with lower risks for cardiovascular (CV) death and a variety of adverse CV outcomes, including coronary heart disease (CHD) [and] congestive heart failure (HF)."
This may seem counterintuitive to some people. "Caffeine seems bad, as it can raise heart rate and [blood pressure] acutely and theoretically increase [cardiac] rhythm disturbances," Lavie said. However, most data suggest that regular caffeine use is safe and associated with reductions in cardiovascular disease mortality and even total mortality over a period of decades, he said.
Coffee's positive effects on the heart are well-documented, with an impressive body of data. Coffee drinking may be linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease, in part, because the drink may lower the risk of other health conditions that can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the Progress on Cardiovascular Diseases study, especially "among individuals who are genetically predisposed to develop obesity, higher coffee consumption is associated with lower body mass index," a metric often used to estimate a person's body fat percentage. High BMI can lead to changes in cholesterol and increased blood pressure, both which increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and heart failure.
According to a 2017 study published in the British Medical Journal, coffee consumption also lowers the risks of liver scarring (fibrosis and cirrhosis), liver cancer and fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis). This is because the main primary caffeine metabolite, paraxanthine, appears to suppress the synthesis of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a molecule that plays a role in the development of fibrosis and tumors. The other positive benefits are attributed to the possible antiviral effects of chlorogenic acids and caffeic acid, both found in coffee, according to the British Liver Trust.
The Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases study also reported that daily coffee consumption is strongly associated with lower risks for developing neurodegenerative diseases. Many studies have hinted that Parkinson's Disease (PD) is less common in people who drink coffee, as compared with those who don't, although the reason why is still unclear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A meta-analysis of 26 studies in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease suggested that habitual caffeine consumption is linked to a roughly 25% lower risk of Parkinson's disease, although the exact reduction in risk varied between reports.
The same study cites "increasingly impressive and consistent body of data" that daily coffee drinkers have a 7% to 12% lower risk of dying prematurely compared with non-coffee drinkers. Citing a 2005 study published in the journal JAMA, which followed 521,330 adults for an average of 16 years, people in the study who drank at least three cups of coffee per day had a significantly lower risk of dying of any cause in that timeframe.
Other studies have tied coffee to increased life expectancy. In two large 2017 studies, for instance — one from the U.S. and the other from Europe — researchers found that drinking caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee every day were less likely to die over a period of about 16 years, compared with people who didn't drink coffee, Live Science previously reported.
These meta-analyses that tout the health benefits of coffee normally "adjust for a large number of potential confounding factors, including education, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, physical activity), dietary factors, and BMI," according to the British Medical Journal report. Lavie commented, "The benefits of coffee mostly seem statistically independent [of other health and lifestyle factors] but it is hard to correct statistically for everything."
The one lifestyle factor which goes against the trend is smoking. "Very heavy smokers tend to drink more coffee," Lavie said.
However, these findings come with a big caveat: although some studies indicate that coffee is associated with a lower risk of mortality, it does not necessarily mean that drinking coffee promotes a longer life span.
In a 2020 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers investigated whether drinking coffee and tea would affect the chances that the study participants would live to 90 years old. In other words, the study assessed whether drinking coffee actually boosts longevity, rather than merely reducing the likelihood of developing diseases that can kill. The study looked at more than 27,000 women ages 65 to 81, and accounted for a range of health and lifestyle factors that could also affect these participants' risk of death, including a history of disease, smoking, body mass index and their race and ethnicity.
The researchers found that "no amount of coffee consumption was associated with survival to age 90 among older women, thereby suggesting that coffee consumption is not associated with longevity," lead author Aladdin H. Shadyab, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, told Live Science.
This study is not without its limitations, though. For instance, the study can't say whether these findings extend to men, and it doesn't capture the potential benefits of coffee drinking earlier in life. "It is … possible that coffee consumption is associated with lower risk of mortality earlier in life yet, conditional upon survival to an older age such as 65 years, is not associated with longevity," the study authors wrote. So, drinking coffee could potentially lower the chance that you die in your 50s, and thus, survive into your 60s. However, once you reach your 60s, drinking coffee doesn't appear to influence whether you survive to see 90.
So should you drink more coffee in an attempt to extend your life? Lavie said that more evidence is needed before coffee can be recommended as a life-extending elixir. Nonetheless, not drinking any coffee could mean missing out on the health benefits of caffeine, antioxidants and other biologically active compounds in the drink. Furthermore, because of the "reductions in especially cardiovascular disease mortality and some even total mortality," Lavie said, "the data is good enough to let people know it is very safe to drink coffee, even several cups per day, and may even be beneficial to drink a few cups as opposed to no coffee."
This article is for informational purposes only, and is not meant to offer medical advice.
Originally published on Live Science.
Martin McGuigan is an Irish writer based in Norwich, England. His work has appeared in The Mays XIX, Cabinet of the Heed and SHE magazine. His writing explores the bizarre questions of everyday life, the mysteries of human psychology, and environmental issues. He studied English literature at the University of Cambridge and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.


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HTC has announced a new low cost smartphone at the Mobile World Congress. The HTC Smart is built around HTC’s updated Sense interface and, according to HTC CEO Peter Chou, is designed to be an ‘easier to use and more affordable smartphone for the masses.’
The budget-conscious Smart incorporates a 300MHz processor and has 256MB of memory plus a microSD memory card slot. It has a 2.8 inch touchscreen, as well as a 3Mp fixed focus camera with LED flash and a music player with a 3.5mm headphone jack. It can connect to the web using HSDPA (3.5G) but it’s not Wi-Fi capable.
HTC Sense interface
The HTC Smart uses the latest version of HTC’s Sense interface (as found on the new HTC Legend and HTC Desire). This means it has access to Friend Stream, which takes all the social elements you have stored for your contacts (such as Twitter and Facebook feeds) and displays them in one place.
HTC Smart video First Look
The Smart runs on Qualcomms Brew operating system. This means that unlike many HTC models it won’t have access to downloadable applications (apps) from the Android Marketplace. However HTC has announced that users will be able to access apps from a new store that it will set up.
HTC claim that the Smart will offer 370-minutes of talk time on a 3G network (450 minutes on GSM). The quoted standby battery life is 600 hours.
The HTC Smart will launch in April and will be available exclusively through O2. Pricing has yet to be confirmed but O2 say it will cost ‘less than half the price of a smartphone’.
It will be available in three colours – white, red and black.
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Apple iPad 2 3G data plans compared – find the best 3G plan for your iPad
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The Square Enix RPG is finally hitting the Virtual Console.
Today Nintendo released a list of games that are heading to the Japanese Virtual Console in April.
Three games will be released on the service next month, led by the highly-anticipated Chrono Trigger from Square Enix. The game, which was released for the SNES in 1995, will run at a premium price of 900 Nintendo Points, 100 higher than most SNES games, but standard for RPGs in Japan.
Joining Chrono Trigger next month will be Mega Man X for the SNES and King of the Monsters 2 for the NeoGeo. Prices for these games are 800 Nintendo Points and 900 Nintendo Points, respectively.
No specific release weeks have been announced. Release dates are often revealed one week before the game hits the service.


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Debt Settlement - Some Believe Debt Settlement Filings Will Outpace Bankruptcy In 2010
April 23, 2010 – Debt Settlement has been referred to some as a loophole in the banking system. This is because consumers are able to legally eliminate debt while avoiding the traditional method of filing bankruptcy. This is not for everyone and only those with a legitimate financial hardship will qualify. Most consumers can expect to eliminate at least 50% of their unsecured debt when they opt for debt settlement. With tougher bankruptcy laws in place many experts believe debt settlement filings will outpace bankruptcy in 2010.
Debt settlement has been around for over 10 years but it has never been so financially advantageous for consumers who are at least $10,000 in unsecured debt. It is not only consumers that are struggling with debt, but also the majority of creditors are also struggling. Creditors of unsecured debt are especially concerned. This includes credit card companies, medical institutions, and other creditors that issue credit with no tangible asset backing it up. If a consumer defaults on their unsecured debt there is really nothing that they can do about it. This is why creditors are willing to settle a delinquent balance for as little as 20 cents on the dollar.
If the debtor declares bankruptcy the creditor will likely receive nothing. To avoid this situation creditors of unsecured debt are making debt settlement deals. But in order to receive a generous debt settlement and eliminate at least 50% of the unsecured debt a consumer has to prove they are unable to make payments. The easiest way to do this is to stop paying the creditors and go delinquent. This is a tough decision to stop paying creditors but it is truly the only way to gain leverage and negotiate a debt settlement deal. FreeDebtReductionHelp.com will help consumers with the best ways to start the debt settlement process.
Debt settlement companies know how to exploit this loophole in the banking system and negotiate at least a 50% debt elimination deal. They have skilled negotiators that know exactly how far they can push creditors to get them to agree to debt settlement deals. After 90-120 days credit card companies will sell the debt to a collection agency for 20-30 cents on the dollar. After this happens, the debt negotiators come in and are able to offer a deal of 40 cents on the dollar which would be 100% ROI for the collection agency and at the same time result in a 60% savings for the consumer. This is essentially how debt settlement is able to work.
After a consumer has chosen a legitimate debt settlement company to do business with and made the decision to stop paying creditors they will begin paying into a savings account and building up funds to give the negotiators leverage during negotiation. Most debt settlement programs last 2-4 years and after that the consumer is completely debt free. This is a much better alternative than continuing to pay on massive credit card debt balances which could take the rest of one’s life to pay off.
Credit card companies will be more than happy to collect interest on the debt balance for the duration of a consumer’s life. This is how they make their money and credit cards have considerably higher interest rates than most other forms of borrowing. If a consumer has over $10k in unsecured debt it may be a wise financial decision to consider debt settlement and avoid bankruptcy. While credit scores will be negatively impacted at least initially, this is a much better alternative than continuing to pay the minimum payments on credit card debt for the duration of one’s lifetime.
To locate legitimate debt settlement services that are certified members of The Association of Settlement Companies (TASC) check out the following link or call 877-853-6466:
- Contact Information
- Michael Smith
- Contact via E-mail
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Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, hundreds of local home builders' associations across the country are hosting membership drives to recruit new members, highlight the benefits of membership and further strengthen the Federation.
[caption id="attachment_16984" align="alignright" width="300"] The Signature Kitchen Suite "Experience & Design Center" located in Napa Valley, California features nearly 200 home appliances and serves as a brand epicenter to explore the intersection between technology and culinary innovation.[/caption]
In support of this effort, Signature Kitchen Suite
is again offering a big incentive to the top nine Builder members who recruit the most new* Builder and Associate members. Those top recruiters will receive an all-inclusive, four-day trip for them and a guest to Napa Valley, Calif., which will feature a private tour of the LG and Signature Kitchen Suite
Experience and Design Center.
To help give this year's recruiters a leg up on the competition, a few of the 2019 winners offered some words of wisdom:
Paul Davis, owner and president of Marble Depot Inc, who recruited 39 new members last year:
"It's important to instill excitement. If you
aren't excited about the product you're selling, then the people on the other end of the phone aren't going to be excited either."
Jeff Logsdon, owner and president of Hearthstone Luxury Homes, recruited 23 new members last year:
"The main message that I carried [when recruiting last year is that] the association supports the builders, and the builders support the trade partners. Successful recruiting is largely about being able to explain what the association is doing to help the industry, and how that can benefit [the prospective member]."
Steven Dassa, vice president of operations for Mattamy Homes, who recruited 26 new members last year:
"It all goes back to members helping members ... and continuous follow-up."
With that advice in mind, take a look below at the latest standings of the top recruiters in each HBA size category (based on member recruitment from Sept. 1-30):
Large-size HBA (500+ members)
Medium-size HBA (250-499 members)
Small-size HBA (0-249 members)
Builder members compete against others from HBAs in the same size category, and the top three from each size category will win the trip to Napa. The prize packages include airfare, meals, hotel and transportation for each winner and his or her guest.
For more details and official rules, click here
*New Builder and Associate members only. Membership renewals are not included.


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Japan’s Exports Rise Most in 8 Months in Recovery Sign
Date: Nov 19, 2014
TOKYO — Japanese exports are increasing as the impact of the falling yen finally starts to emerge via lower prices for goods sold overseas.
The Cabinet Office said Thursday that the seasonally adjusted export volume index for October came to 92.7, up 2.2% from September and the second straight month of gains. The index hit its highest level since June 2012. The benchmark of 100 is set at 2010 levels.
Continue reading »


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The privacy wars have gotten so intense between Apple and Facebook that they have begun to reveal each other’s true intentions. iPhone maker Apple is planning to add an update that will give users the ability to stop applications from tracking their activity online. Not only will this affect tracking on the application, but it will also affect track the tracking of their activity across multiple platforms and websites.
- Facebook made almost all of its revenue ($86B in 2020) from advertising (97%). So it’s safe to say that targeted ads are pretty important for them.
- Facebook is afraid of opt-out because of its reputation. Cambridge Analytica was a prime example of when Facebook lost the trust of a lot of users.
- Facebook has a very recent history of censoring politicians
Many people don’t realize that they’re being tracked, sometimes the agreements are worded so elegantly or just so deep in the terms and conditions that they accept them without thinking. Others know they’ll be tracked anyway but might feel inclined to opt-out when given a chance. After all, not many people will willingly give up their privacy for fun.
In early September of 2020, privacy ads started to roll out from apple. Their plan to incorporate these security measures into IOS 14 was planned far in advance. These convincing ads were without doubt calculated steps to show everyone that they’re on the public’s side.Facebook has responded in a number of ways. They brought to light how small businesses will be impacted by this IOS 14 update. Facebook even created a website dedicated to the education of the connection between personalized ads and small businesses.
Dan Levy, who runs Facebook’s ad business, said in a blog post that Apple’s policy change is “about profit, not privacy.” He said the iOS change will only help Apple’s pockets get bigger. When users opt-out, some apps will be forced to have in-app purchases. This would inevitably lead to the Apple store getting their 30% cut.
Where do they go from here?
In conclusion, what could the future hold for these companies? While thinking of this, I am reminded of the competition between streaming services. Exclusivity is a great way to rake in consumers. Users will choose Netflix or Hulu because their favorite shows are only on those platforms. Who says this isn’t plausible for Facebook and Apple? Would Facebook be bold enough to only have their app available on an android device? Most likely not. Targeted ads are not necessarily essential.
“Lead generation ads won’t be changed.” Alex Andrews, Executive Director of Social Advertising at Mckay Advertising + Activation said. “Traffic campaigns, event response, and social media engagement campaigns won’t be changed. There are other effective ways to advertise that don’t necessarily rely on conversion pixel attribution.”
Snapchat has communicated to Apple that this could very well hinder the advertising business, but the fourth-quarter revenues have exceeded the expert’s expectations. Other platforms like Twitter have addressed their grievances but have not been as expressive as Facebook according to cnet.


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It won't be in the big news of the day or even discussed much in business news within Germany....but Loewe AG....the big name German manufacturer of high-standard televisions in Germany....is about to be bought by Apple.
The business sector says this is somewhere in the 110 million-dollar range.
What may be going down? Apple has a project left over from Steve Jobs....to build this nifty mini-TV that would connect to a vast network. Perhaps in this case....Loewe has a model which they've shown Apple, and suddenly the final piece to the puzzle is complete.
The hints to the story is that Loewe typically builds upscale products and usually has a four-star sound system built into the product.
My guess is that we are within a year or so....of having this pocket-sized device which can connect to a thousand different channels....perhaps even overseas channels. You pay for a subscription via Apple....turn your Loewe mini-TV on, and get updates to the latest soccer scores in Amsterdam, or catch up on the weather in New Zealand.


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Monsanto Co. announced July 19 that its board of directors has rejected Bayer AG’s revised proposal as financially inadequate and insufficient to ensure deal certainty. The most recent all-cash offer from Bayer increased the bid for Monsanto from $122 to $125 per share and represented a premium of 40% over Monsanto’s share closing price on May 9, 2016.
Despite rejecting the offer, Monsanto said it remains open to "continued and constructive conversations" with Bayer and other parties to assess whether a transaction that the board believes is in the best interest of Monsanto shareowners can be realized. "There is no assurance that any transaction will be entered into or consummated or on what terms," the company said.
Bayer said it is disappointed in Monsanto’s decision to reject the increased offer.
“The revised all-cash offer is a compelling opportunity and represents immediate and certain value for Monsanto shareholders amid recent weak business performance and Monsanto’s reduced midterm outlook,” Bayer said.
The company reaffirmed that its offer would not be subject to a financing condition. Additionally, Bayer said it has offered a $1.5 billion reverse antitrust breakup fee, reaffirming its confidence in a successful closing.
“Bayer is looking forward to continued dialogue with Monsanto under an appropriate confidentiality agreement allowing access to additional information,” the company added.
Numerous analysts have suggested that Bayer will need to offer $130-140 per share to strike a deal.
Morgan Stanley & Co. and Ducera Partners are acting as financial advisors, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as legal advisor to Monsanto.


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IFM Investors Pty Ltd Buys 10,470 Shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)
IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 17.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 72,005 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,470 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $15,451,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Eastern Bank raised its position in McDonald’s by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 105,518 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $19,465,000 after buying an additional 3,365 shares during the last quarter. United Bank raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 9.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,948 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,466,000 after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. Intrinsic Edge Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter worth $738,000. Signet Financial Management LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 27.3% in the second quarter. Signet Financial Management LLC now owns 5,176 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,056,000 after purchasing an additional 1,109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 5,951 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,098,000 after buying an additional 791 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.00% of the company’s stock.
Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on McDonald’s from $214.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 10th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $225.00 to $209.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 2nd. Bank of America upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $225.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 10th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have given a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.26.
McDonald’s stock traded up $0.49 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $212.09. The company had a trading volume of 1,994,887 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,882,884. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $212.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $210.88. The company has a market cap of $158.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.38, a P/E/G ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.58. McDonald’s Co. has a fifty-two week low of $124.23 and a fifty-two week high of $231.91.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, November 14th. The fast-food giant reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.32. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 53.62% and a net margin of 25.60%. The company had revenue of $5.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.11 EPS. McDonald’s’s revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises McDonald's restaurants in the United States and internationally. Its restaurants offer various food products and beverages, as well as breakfast menu. As of December 31, 2019, the company operated 38,695 restaurants. McDonald's Corporation was founded in 1940 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
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Nokian Planning for Covid-19
In a communication issued on their website by Jukka Rikkinen, Head of Global Security for Nokian Tyres, he stated, “our priority is to ensure the health and wellbeing of our people and to minimise the impact to the customers.”
Nokian Tyres is closely tracking updates from global health organisations and following the guidelines issued by local governments in all areas and are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their employees. As an additional precaution, the company has temporarily suspended international business travel.
The company has issued self-quarantine rules to staff and associates traveling internationally on high outbreak areas. We have requested our personnel to also reconsider all traveling and to work from home for two weeks if having traveled in countries that are listed as outbreak areas or potential outbreak areas. All travelers, business or leisure, are expected to contact their superior as well as the occupational health care before they return to their posts in the office.
Nokian Tyres has also stated that their raw material supply chain has not impacted by the corona outbreak. As a result though, the company has taken extra risk management measures to mitigate the risk in the supply chain.


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Private-equity firm Golden Gate Capital has reached a deal to purchase a majority stake in Green Street Advisors Inc., a research firm in the commercial-property industry, Green Street executives said Tuesday.
The deal, which hasn't yet closed, would bring a major outside investor into the firm for the first time. Green Street is owned almost entirely by current and former employees.
"I think they see an opportunity to help us grow in a large and rapidly growing market," said Craig Leupold, president of Newport Beach, Calif.,-based Green Street.
A Golden Gate spokeswoman declined to comment on the deal.
Mr. Leupold declined to comment on the price of the transaction. He said the investment would allow the company to grow, perhaps expanding into areas such as fixed-income research on real-estate debt.
Other potential investments include further geographic expansion—the company has been in Europe for more than six years—or improved research technology, he said.
The private-equity investment would mark a new chapter for Green Street, which began as a two-person shop in 1985, founded by Mike Kirby and Jon Fosheim. The two met while working at Bear Stearns & Co., and came up with the idea for the company at a cafe on Greene Street in Manhattan. Their plan was to focus on what they believed was a growing sector of real-estate investment trusts.
Since then, the firm—and the REIT market—have grown substantially. Green Street has 30 analysts and research associates in the U.S., which the company says makes it significantly larger than any REIT research division of Wall Street banks.
The growth has come in part because of its unusual model. Many other firms with big real-estate research teams also have investment-banking divisions.
Green Street makes part of its income from trading stock, but doesn't have an investment-banking business. Its executives contend that for that reason, they can be more objective in their criticism of companies because they don't have to worry about losing investment-banking clients if they are too tough.
Mr. Leupold said that the firm's management earlier this year tapped investment bank Evercore Group to search for potential investors in the company as a way of helping existing owners sell some of their stakes, and to allow for a transition from current leadership to the next generation of employees.
It ultimately chose Golden Gate Capital, a large, San Francisco-based investment firm that holds stakes in an array of assets, including technology companies and retail chains.
Write to Eliot Brown at email@example.com


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The extent to which COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the restaurant industry has been heavily-reported. For some disheartening perspective, BusinessInsider.com reports that upwards of 85% of independent restaurants may face closure by the end of 2020. Even for those restaurants fortunate enough to survive, a plethora of other pain points persist. This certainly includes controversy surrounding mask wearing that, in some instances, has led to retaliation against restaurant owners and employees. So, amid the cornucopia of chaos, how can restaurant owners lead their teams through one of the worst crises the industry has ever seen? One answer to this is mindfully and respectfully.
Things within the hospitality industry have changed significantly and, with health and safety standards appreciably heightened, the worst thing a restaurant owner can do is pretend things are “business as usual” … even as eateries open back up in many regions. Employees and customers are still fearful to varying degrees, and it’s an owner’s and manager’s job to mitigate those fears so individuals feel comfortable coming to work, dining in or ordering take out from an establishment.
In order to achieve this, Gregg Ward—a master corporate executive coach who serves as Executive Director for The Center for Respectful Leadership—suggests that operators endeavor to be extraordinarily clear as to the protective and precautionary health and safety guidelines, policies and procedures that have been instituted.
Ward, an expert in the neuroscience behind respectful leadership who has trained major corporations, police departments and much in between for over three decades, says that, “You need to demonstrate that you care as much about your employees as you do your customers, he underscores. “If employees know that their bosses truly care about their health and safety, they will willingly abide by the protocols that you’ve put in place.”
During this tumultuous time, restaurant operators would do also well to make relevant, meaningful changes. Being willing to pivot and embrace agility can be a make or break mindset. Indeed, what worked for a restaurant even six months ago may not work now. Clinging to old ways of doing business can spell failure for your restaurant, so now is the time to “think outside the box” relative to menu offerings, facility operations and design, customer engagement and more. Even small but impactful changes can help you thrive during these uncertain times.
As one who’s reported extensively mindful leadership on Forbes.com, FastCompany.com and elsewhere, I contend that restaurant operators should also strive to lead a team mindfully. Mindfulness has been shown to improve outcomes, both for personal mental health, as well as outcomes in the workplace. Practicing mindfulness in the workplace can lead to increased resiliency, which is so important right now. There are certainly a wealth of studies and reports outlining the benefits of mindful leadership, with one PositivePsychology.com story detailing enhanced task performance impacts.
Amid today’s ever-changing norms, perhaps Ward’s overarching operational philosophy of “respectful leadership” will best drive productivity and performance. It’ll certainly help cultivate a more conscientious and considerate organization.
Forbes Business Council Member Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally-regarded brand analyst, strategist and futurist who reports on noteworthy industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators across all categories, both B2C and B2B. This includes field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events. Merilee is Founder, Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List” as well as Host of the nationally-syndicated “Savvy Living” TV show. As a prolific consumer and business trends, lifestyle and leisure industry voice of authority and tastemaker, she keeps her finger on the pulse of the marketplace in search of new and innovative must-haves and exemplary experiences at all price points, from the affordable to the extreme. Her work reaches multi-millions worldwide via broadcast TV (her own shows and copious others on which she appears) as well as a myriad of print and online publications. Connect with her at www.TheLuxeList.com and www.SavvyLiving.tv / Instagram www.Instagram.com/LuxeListReports / Twitter www.Twitter.com/LuxeListReports / Facebook www.Facebook.com/LuxeListReports / LinkedIN www.LinkedIn.com/in/MerileeKern.
Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or arranged at no cost to accommodate if this is review editorial, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.


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Franchise owners told to start serving more veggies and fruit
Sliced carrots reportedly are in 7-Eleven's future. It's part of a plan the chain is implementing to change its image. Company executives are seeking to go beyond beer, cigarettes and beef jerky. Details: San Francisco Chronicle.
Via: The Obscure Store and Reading Room and Media Orchard.
Tags: 7-Eleven, Marketing, PR, Public Relations, Advertising, Media by Sistrunk


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In move to capitalize on Brazil’s fast growing SUV segment, Honda has unveiled the Fit Twist crossover. Exclusively for the Brazilian market (at least for the time being), the rugged Fit is said to maintain the ease of use and driving comfort of the Fit hatchback while offering a sportier image with a bold design.
Designed by Honda’s local automobile R&D team in Brazil, the off road-inspired Fit Twist is distinguished from the standard Fit by a bolder front grille, new fog lights, roof rails, plastic body cladding and aluminum side plates. Except for new seat upholstery, the interior remains unchanged.
Despite its rugged looks, the Fit Twist doesn’t even get an updated suspension, featuring the same ride height as the Fit hatchback. It also shares the hatchback’s 1.5-liter flex-fuel engine, which produces 116 horsepower when running on ethanol and 115-hp when using gasoline. Power is sent to the front wheels, rather than all four wheels, through either a manual or automatic transmission driving.
The Honda Fit Twist goes on sale in November 2012.
China’s Geely Enters Brazil with Emgrand EC7 Sedan
“Os chineses estão chegando” — that’s what our counterparts in Brazil are probably saying after China’s Geely entered their country with the Emgrand EC7 sedan. Loosely translated, it means “the Chinese are coming.”
Here in North America, we have been saying that even before the financial crisis, but so far nothing has materialized…yet. Undeniably, Geely’s entry into Brazil is just part of the beginning of a broad expansion of Chinese automakers out from their uncertain home market into the rest of the world. No country, rich or poor, will be spared. They will be knocking on our door soon enough.
Emgrand is actually a more luxurious sub-brand of Geely. As one of its primary models, the EC7 — with its clean and modern look inside and out — is sold in 20 countries around the world and was the first Chinese-made car to pass the Euro-NCAP safety crash tests, having earned a respectable 4-star rating in 2011.
Brazil has one of the largest and fastest growing auto markets in the world. Factor in the country’s less stringent safety standards, and it’s a no-brainer why Geely and Emgrand want a piece of it.
Assembled in Uruguay, the Emgrand EC7 will be sold throughout South America, with Geely saying in a statement “The products assembled in the Uruguayan plant will principally serve the Brazilian and Argentinian markets, in accordance with the South American Common Market Agreement.”
The Uruguay plant has an annual capacity of around 20,000 units of four separate lines of vehicles, three of which will be built in the future: EC7, EC7-RV, GC2 and GX2 EC7, EC7-RV, GC2 and the GX2.
Hyundai HB20S For Brazil, Details and Pictures
Hyundai Motor has unveiled the HB20S for the Brazilian market. The tiny sedan completes the Korean automaker’s HB20 lineup, which includes the HB20 hatchback — named 2013 Brazilian Car of the Year — and the HB20X crossover.
The HB20S will likely be powered by the same three engines as the hatchback: 1.0L and 1.6L, with a manual gearbox and 1.6L, with automatic transmission.
The three HB family of cars are expected to further boost Hyundai’s presence in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
Sales of the Hyundai HB20S will begin in April 2013.
Infiniti Coming to Brazil in 2014
Infiniti is now part of the latest batch of premium automakers heading to Brazil, having recently begun offering its vehicles in Singapore, Chile, Dominican Republic, South Africa and Australia.
Seeing that the Brazilian market is notably larger than all of the aforementioned markets, it is only natural that Infiniti would start pushing its wares in the region. The company will enter the market with its FX and JX SUVs and the next-generation G sedan, all three of which will be sold at two Infiniti Centers in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
“As part of Infiniti’s worldwide expansion, Brazil is a logical addition to our footprint for premium car owners,” said Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti. “By 2014, premium vehicles with a unique combination of inspired performance, attentive hospitality and unparalleled quality will become a reality for the Brazilian market. We are delighted to enter Brazil as we know discerning customers there are very receptive to premium brands.”
Rival Acura has also confirmed its intentions to enter the Brazilian market in 2015.


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Jan 29, 2013
On Wednesday February 13th the annual Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Exhibition will take place in Farnborough, the exhibition will run for 2 days, ending on Thursday 14th of February.
Jan 23, 2013
A group of foster families celebrated Christmas by having a party and raising funds for Chestnut Tree House recently.
Jan 16, 2013
Ethically-sound graffiti removal company Community Clean has so far achieved great success in the restoration of London Bridge; with the very latest in non-destructive surface restoration system, Microstrip.
Jan 14, 2013
A LEADING not-for-profit fostering agency which provides carers for children and young people throughout the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands, is to open a Teesside office to help meet demand.
Jan 14, 2013
Office space provider Clarendon Business Centres will open a new suite of offices in Fulham Green; providing businesses in the area with the opportunity to benefit from their excellent range of services.
Jan 09, 2013
British manufacturer of high-end, award-winning audio equipment, Naim Audio, is proud to announce the launch of its two latest products: the DAC-V1digital to analogue converter, and the NAP 100 power amplifier.
Dec 17, 2012
Dunkley Tiles, a leading tile supplier based in Bournemouth, is expanding its offering for 2013 and now selling an exclusive collection of bathroom sanitaryware, furniture and accessories.
Dec 04, 2012
Beating off stiff competition from business centres throughout the UK, Prama House, based in North Oxford, was awarded the prestigious title of Group Business Centre of The Year 2012 by the Business Centres Association.
Nov 30, 2012
This coming February, Wessex Packaging will be exhibiting to professionals in the UK electronics industry at the Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Exhibition.
Nov 28, 2012
Designer cutlery retailer Table Top Traders has released a series of tips to ensure that Christmas is as magical as possible.


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GrubHub co-founder and CEO Matt Maloney at the New York Stock Exchange today. Click to enlarge
GrubHub Inc. delivered a strong IPO this morning as investors gobbled up shares, sending the stock up about 31 percent.
The stock, which sold to brokerages for $26 a share, popped to near $41 in initial trading before closing at $34 per share.
GrubHub's debut is among the best of recent Chicago-area tech IPOs. Arlington Heights-based Paylocity Holding Corp., which went public March 13, enjoyed a 41 percent jump on the first day. Textura Corp., based in Deerfield, had a 39 percent opening-day bounce when it went public in June.
At $34 a share, GrubHub will have a market value of $2.7 billion, up sharply from $2.1 billion last night when it sold the shares to underwriters.
GrubHub, which allows people to place food orders online, benefited from a strong appetite for its stock, raising the price of its IPO from an initial range of $20 to $22.
CEO Matt Maloney, who founded the company a decade ago with Mike Evans, led the coast-to-coast road show over the past two weeks. Investors quickly warmed to GrubHub's story and the company's potential to disrupt a large old industry.
"The realization that there was $70 billion spent in takeout last year in which 97 percent was placed over a phone call from a paper menu is kind of a revelation for a lot of people," Mr. Maloney told me this morning. "It's very clear how much better ordering online or through a smart phone is."
"You put those two things together and take a step back and say, 'Holy cow, GrubHub is significantly larger than everybody else in the space combined.' It's not a tough story to sell. The market responded with incredible enthusiasm."
The biggest question investors had, he said, is how GrubHub will continue the growth. A key ingredient is marketing. Late last year, GrubHub launched a major television-advertising campaign.
Peter Krasilovsky, an analyst research firm BIA/Kelsey, pointed out several challenges in this blog post Friday:
"While GrubHub has a nice lead in this space for now, the key will be to extend its brand and reach. Its brand awareness remains low, and it is mostly known among niches, such as office workers and college students."
The IPO is a huge milestone on a decade-long journey that started in a Lakeview apartment and reached the New York Stock Exchange this morning.
"It is only another step in the company's history, but a good one," Chuck Templeton, one of Chicago's most successful tech entrepreneurs, who was an early mentor to GrubHub's founders. "It took them a while of putting everything on their personal credit cards, not sure if they were going to get investment, finding the first customers, writing the first code, pivoting the business model, finding some of the best early stage investors in Chicago to back them, finding world-class talent to join the team, putting together amazing operations . . . It's a great story and Mike and Matt deserve a lot of credit."
As an e-commerce company, GrubHub often has been overshadowed by Groupon Inc. Although they are two of the highest-profile companies in the recent emergence of Chicago's startup tech scene, they took very different paths.
Andrew Mason, who was a coder at Chicago e-commerce company InnerWorkings, dropped out of grad school at University of Chicago to start Groupon with InnerWorkings founder Eric Lefkofsky. The daily-deal idea exploded, and Groupon briefly became one of the nation's hottest tech companies before stumbling. Though it topped $1 billion in revenue, Groupon wasn't profitable when it went public in 2011 and still isn't. Today, Groupon's market value is about $5.3 billion, less than what Google Inc. offered to buy the company nearly four years ago.
Messrs. Evans and Maloney were coders at Apartments.com. After launching the company, Mr. Maloney went back to University of Chicago to get an MBA. They built the company slowly and ended up merging with rival Seamless before attempting an IPO. While the combined company had $170 million in revenue last year, it had a profit of $4.2 million. GrubHub has been profitable for three years, according to its prospectus.
Mr. Maloney capped the journey by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," the 38-year-old CEO said. "There's tons of energy in the room."
The best moment may have come last night. After a small dinner with his team, Mr. Maloney bypassed the hotel bar and hired a car to take a ride over to Wall Street.
Workers were hoisting up GrubHub banners in front of the New York Stock Exchange. "I took a photo of it at night," he said. "It was pretty incredible."


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The manufacturing sector in the country is expected to show positive growth in the second quarter of the current fiscal (July-September 2009-10), a survey by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) showed.
The FICCI survey showed that eight out of the 10 segments of the manufacturing sector would report high growth in the July-September 2009 quarter compared with the growth in the same quarter of the previous year.
Industry segments, including metal and metal products, machinery and equipment, automotive, chemicals, leather, electronics and miscellaneous industries are expected to post high growth.
Manufacturing growth would, however, be constrained by falling exports, mainly in the textiles, metals, chemicals, tyre and electronics segments, the survey based on responses from 250 firms showed.
Manufacturing sector, which accounts for around 80 per cent of the country's industrial production, would, however, be impacted by high interest rates and the difficulties associated with contracting credit, according to the survey.
Industries like textiles, metal and metal products, tyres and chemicals as also miscellaneous industries expect their exports to continue falling in the second quarter as well.
With interest rates on commercial loans ruling above 16 per cent, the manufacturing sector in the country will find it difficult to effectively compete globally, the survey noted.
"Banks are reluctant to lend to SME manufacturers as many of them had earned losses in the previous year and hence banks are insisting on credit ratings for these borrowers," the survey stated.


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Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) has increased drastically in popularity with consumers and retailers alike, saving on shipping costs and cutting down on fulfillment times. A new survey, conducted by Radial and NAPCO Research, of U.S.-based retailers with annual revenues over $10 million, reveals just how popular.
Some of the findings outlined in this new infographic include:
- 67% of shoppers in the U.S. have used BOPIS in the past 6 months
- 88% of retailers are able to track incremental in-store purchases from the BOPIS customers
- 98% of retailers who have adopted these programs, say they’re getting additional in-store purchases from their BOPIS customers.
For the full reports, download this free e-book:


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Adelaide-based K-TIG is commercialising its industry-disruptive technology under a Welding-as-a-Service (WaaS) business model.
The K-TIG system can perform a traditional six-hour weld in less than four minutes to a quality standard and unlike traditional welding it requires no edged preparation or filler materials.
Steel-Ti is a newly incorporated venture by Michael Teo that will supply high value tanks and vessels to the oil & gas, aviation and shipping industries, and piping for the liquefied natural gas industry, to the growing Southeast Asian and Japanese markets.
The Teo family have a strong track record of successful business ventures and are synonymous with fabrication, global shipping and logistics through a conglomerate of family owned and controlled companies across Southeast Asia, including Pacific International Lines (PIL) and Singamas.
A purpose-built manufacturing facility is being constructed, with Steel-Ti scheduled to move in by January 2020.
K-TIG re-listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in October following the successful acquisition by Serpentine Technologies Limited, which has now been renamed K-TIG Limited. The re-listing followed a successful AU$7 million capital raise.
Its cloud-based software control platform allows K-TIG to remotely monitor, support, control and record operational performance and output.
The K-TIG technology has been exported to 20 countries with blue-chip customers including GE, Siemens, Bilfinger, Doncasters and the UK Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Steel Ti is the first customer in Southeast Asia to adopt the new WaaS model.
K-TIG CEO David Williams said the agreement with Steel-TI illustrated the strategic growth priority on long-term recurring revenue generation.
“Signing an 8-year agreement with Steel-Ti demonstrates how transformative our technology is for the industry and the market’s willingness to adopt the technology.”
Under the deal with Steel-Ti, K-TIG will also provide extensive advice and support in relation to materials handling, cutting and automation equipment that will facilitate exceptional quality, high-volume output from the facility.
K-TIG’s technology will record and monitor all usage to provide a transparent reporting and billing system for its licensing arrangements.
K-TIG licence fees adjust automatically in line with actual production and utilisation of its technology. The technology’s cloud feature allows K-TIG to continuously support its customers by storing their welding data, providing updates to software and firmware and uploading new weld routines that customers may require.
Managing Director and majority shareholder of Steel-Ti Precision Welding Michael Teo said K-TIG’s recent move to the WaaS business model made the decision straightforward.
“We are excited to be the first company in Southeast Asia to deploy the latest generation of K-TIG’s technology and one of the first companies in the world to adopt the Welding-as-a-Service model pioneered by K-TIG,” he said.
“We are strategically located in one of the world’s highest-growth regions, we have exceptional commercial networks throughout Southeast Asia and Japan, and plan to leverage this to grow our welding business exponentially.”Jump to next article


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Samsung has recently launched its flagship smartphones Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10e and Samsung Galaxy S10+. All these smartphones comes with wireless charging support. And Now the Samsung has launched two new compatible charging accessories in India.
The company has launched a power bank with wireless charging and a wireless charger for the desk that can charge two devices at once.
Today we will be having a look on these two power banks Samsung Wireless Power bank and the Samsung Wireless charger Duo Pad. Both these power banks are now available in India to purchase. So let’s move further and dig some more information about these wireless power banks.
Samsung wireless Power Bank Features and Details
Both the power banks are great in term of features, the Samsung Wireless Power Bank bears a capacity of 10,000mAh. The body of this power bank is made using aluminium and polycarbonate materials and is just 234g in weight and only 15mm thick.
Now moving towards its features, it comes with a USB Type-C port, Type-A port, Power button and four LED lights to indicate the battery level. In terms of charging it can provide 15W fast charging through these two ports to compatible devices and also gets fast charge through a compatible 15W Quick Charge 2.0 or Adaptive Fast Charger. Apart from this it can also charge a Qi-compatible device wirelessly at 15W. All the devices supporting Wireless charging can be charge with this power bank.
This power bank can charge two devices at once, one using the USB port and one through wireless charging. We are not sure for now that it can charge three devices or not two with USB Type-A and USB Type-C and one with wireless charging.
Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad Features and Details
The Samsung has also launched a Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad which can charge two Qi-compatible devices at the same time. It has two indication coils and a USB Type-C Port and it is capable to charge wearable’s also like smartwatches and also wireless charging compatible wireless earbuds.
This Samsung Wireless Charger Dua Pad supports fast charge 1.0 and fast charge 2.0. it is capable to charge Qi-enabled device with upto 15W power.
Samsung Wireless Power Bank, Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad Price and Availability in India
The all new Samsung Wireless Power Bank will be available in two different color options Pink and Silver and it is priced at INR 3,699 where as the Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad will be available in Black and White color options and it is priced at INR 5,999. These products will be available via Flipkart, Amazon India, Samsung e-Shop and Samsung Opera House stores.
Stay Tuned with us to get more Interesting Products updates.


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Baladna Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kamel Abdallah has resigned from his post, according to a post from Qatar Stock Exchange.
It was also stated that the Board of Directors appointed Baladna Food Industries Chief Executive Officer Mr. Malcolm Jordan as the Chief Executive Officer for Baladna and delegated him with all powers required for that post.
According to his bio in Baladna’s website, as the CEO of Baladna Food Industries, he led the development and execution of both short- and long-term strategies, supporting the achievement of Qatar’s National Food Security Program.
prior to joining Baladna, Mr. Jordan was part of the leadership team of Almarai, the largest food manufacturer and distributor in the Middle East and the largest integrated dairy company in the world.
Having worked in the region for the past 25 years, Mr. Jordan has a proven track record of delivering superior commercial results, building highly motivated teams and leading business transformation, value chain optimization and major innovation projects.
Mr. Jordan is a graduate in Food Technology from the West of Scotland Agricultural College in Scotland and holds a Certificate in Leadership Development from IMD in Switzerland.
As one of Qatar’s leaders in dairy and beverage production, Baladna has been contributing towards Qatar’s self-sufficiency goals by adopting an innovative line of products. Currently, Baladna has nearly 20,000 dairy cows and supplies the market with all the necessary dairy products comprising of Fresh milk, Ayran, Laban, Yoghurt, Arabic ghee and Cheese. Last year, the company also established itself as the provider of 95% of Qatar’s fresh milk demands. Baladna has also started exporting products to Afghanistan and are looking to expand to regional markets like Kuwait and Oman.
Source: Qatar Stock Exchange, Baladna
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Maximizing the Value of IBM’s New IBM Z Pricing Model
IBM Z Tailored Fit Pricing is a new, flexible software pricing model that promises to simplify the existing pricing landscape.
IBM recently announced a new pricing model for IBM Z software charges for their mainframe customers. Tailored Fit Pricing is a new, flexible software pricing model that promises to simplify the existing pricing landscape. Two new pricing solutions, Enterprise Consumption and Enterprise Capacity, offer alternatives to the rolling four-hour average (R4HA) based pricing model, for both new and existing workloads.
The motivation behind the new pricing model had a lot to do with the challenges around the R4HA pricing model that has been in place since 1999. This model is what we’re all used to and how we’ve come to know the IBM software pricing. In the era of hybrid cloud, where everything is connected and workload patterns are constantly changing, predicting demand for IT services can be a major challenge. The new pricing model is intended to be a simpler, more transparent and predictable option for mainframe customers. IBM expects that these new tailored pricing models are going to be more attractive for many of their mainframe customers.
4HRA Pain Points
The 4HRA pricing model had a couple of challenges that we are all familiar with. The complexity around trying to manage it, measure it and accurately report it to IBM are all challenging for many organizations. Additionally, efforts to keep workloads running at certain times of day to minimize your cost on the 4HRA leads to additional effort and stress on the part of customers trying to architect their systems and their environments around the pricing model as opposed to architecting them for the best performance or the most optimal sort of deployment options. Further, the impact of short-term spikes in workloads could have
an inordinate, and likely unpredictable, impact on a customer’s software licensing costs.
In this model, there are two new pricing solutions – Enterprise Consumption and Enterprise Capacity. These alternatives to the four-hour rolling average (4HRA) based pricing model are for both new and existing workloads and were created to provide a simpler, more transparent and predictable option for mainframe customers.
Download this eBook to learn how this new pricing model allows customers to realize even more savings with Precisely – through direct cost savings as well as delayed upgrades because of CPU usage reduction.


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Slashdot posted a story that highlights Vietnam’s tech boom, something that we are following because of our continuing market research on the Southeast Asian digital games market. While Vietnam continues to have strict regulatory policies governing telecom and digital games distribution, the market is one of the most exciting to watch within SEA.
People’s Daily Newspaper reported the latest pricing scheme for mobile data by China’s three leading mobile carriers. This follows on the previous system of “speeding up and charging less”. The new scheme will involve 5 tiers of network charges, and the price per unit will fall as consumption rises. The rollout will begin with a few test provinces and cities.
Ai You Xi (www.play.cn), China Telecom’s only game platform (launched in 2010), has formed a strategic partnership with CMGE. The two companies will cooperate on game operations and marketing, and will try to merge gaming and telecom services. Ai You Xi has three major product lines: mobile game center, TB game center, and the portal “play.cn”. Together these services have more than 200 million registered users, 30 million MAU, 8,000 games and 1,200 partners.
Follow us on Twitter @nikochina to see these comments in real time as we publish them! Here are a few of our tweets from last week:


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Here’s a glimpse at the new products introduced to the trucking industry last week (Aug. 3-9, 2020).
For more on each product, please click the company names below.
- Agility Fuel Solutions released its new third-generation roof mount compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system for refuse collection vehicles.
- Carrier Transicold has announced the debut of its thin-profile Vector HE 19 unit.
- Michelin North America announced it is launching the Michelin X One Line Energy T2 tire for the North American line-haul market.


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SEOUL/DETROIT (Reuters) - South Korean electric vehicle (EV) battery maker LG Chem is considering building a second U.S. factory, three people familiar with the matter said, accelerating a race to add capacity to meet growing global demand for green vehicles. LG Chem, one of the leading EV battery makers in the world that counts General Motors and Volkswagen among its customers, is weighing investing about 2 trillion won ($1.70 billion) in the plant that could begin production in 2022, one of tContinue reading LG Chem considering building second U.S. EV battery plant, say sources
LG Chem considering building second U.S. EV battery plant, say sources originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Jul 2019 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A new trailer for Pokemon Sun and Moon has introduced a raft of new details about the game, including the Poke Finder, a new mode that looks very much like Game Freak has built fan-favourite Pokemon Snap into the new games.
The Poke Finder allows players to take pictures of wild Pokemon in set locations around Alola, then have those photos rated. The better the rating, the more features are unlocked for the Finder - for instance, the ability to zoom in.
The trailer also revealed that Sun and Moon are set "12 hours apart" - essentially, while Pokemon Sun will be tied to the time on your 3DS internal clock, following a full 24-hour day/night cycle, Pokemon Moon will be shifted 12 hours ahead of that time.
As usual, there will be differences between the two games' included Pokemon - for instance, Totem Pokemon (introduced in a previous trailer) will alter, with Sun getting Gumshoos, while Moon will get the new Alolan form Raticate.
Other newly introduced Pokemon include Type: Null - a synthetically-created, Frankenstein's monster of a beast - and Jangmo-o, a dragon-type that looks like prime fare for cool evolutions.
The trailer also introduced an entirely new form of creature, seemingly not even referred to as Pokemon - Ultra Beasts. While multiple have been teased, the only one we've seen thus far is UB-01, a glass-like jellyfish style creature whose "movements resemble those of a young girl."
The Ultra Beasts are of interest to a new faction, the Aether Foundation, which is based on a man-made island off the Alolan archepelago. The Aether foundation will also seemingly be part of the fight against this game's villains, Team Skull.
Finally, a running quest in the game will see players collecting the mech-like Zygarde's Cells and Cores, gradually transforming it into its Complete Forme.
Pokemon news has been coming at a pace recently - we learned about early purchase bonuses at last week's Nintendo Direct, and also heard tell of a possible upcoming demo yesterday. Pokemon Sun and Moon hit the Nintendo 3DS on November 18.
Joe Skrebels is IGN's UK News Editor and he plans on becoming the world's premier Trubbish photographer. Follow him on Twitter.


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Since Ferrari picked up its first award in the Performance Engine category in 2011, the titles in this area have come thick and fast. With four awards for the 4.5-litre V8, one for the 6.3-litre V12 and two for the 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo, the last seven years have been characterised by Maranello dominance.
And when it came to this year’s trophy, that dominance showed no signs of letting up. Topping the group by a massive 317 points, the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 once again took the crown, beating competition from 53 other powerplants, including the 4-litre boxer engine from Porsche and the Prancing Horse’s own 6.5-litre V12 unit.
The fact that this year’s trophy is the V8’s third Performance Engine award in three years is testament to the engine’s longevity as well as Ferrari’s development capabilities.
Recently tweaked for inclusion in the 488 Pista, the 3.9-litre sensation is the most powerful eight-cylinder the Italian brand has ever developed.
However, the challenge for Ferrari was to improve an engine that has already proved to be one of the greats.
Using lightweighting techniques first used for the 488 Challenge, the Pista engine is 18kg (40 lb) lighter than the GTB derivative. And with an ability to punch out 720ps at 8,000rpm and 770Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, the mid-rear-engined architecture’s 185ps/litre specific power output ensures the Pista trim stands out in its class.
Aided by two IHI-sourced twin-scroll turbos – featuring integrated rev sensors – for instant and linear power delivery, Ferrari was able to achieve a 50ps power increase over the GTB powertrain.
“How do you take insane and give it nuance? Ferrari has managed it by massaging it, adjusting it and controlling peripheral systems like airflow and cooling to bring more power, more control and more of the true Fiorano experience,” concluded Calibre’s Carl Cunanan.


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Amazon launches grocery website in U.K.
Amazon is slowly expanding its grocery delivery service with the launch of its U.K. store coming just days after a launch in Germany.
Britain's online supermarket market is fierce. In the past five years alone it has grown 34% to $4.5 billion, according to researchers Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.
Now, online retailing giant Amazon is getting in on the grocery game with the launch of a delivery service in the U.K. The move comes just a couple of days after Amazon opened its first European grocery offering in Germany.
"This is big news in the online market. When the world's largest online retailer makes a play it is bound to shake a few things up," said Natalie Berg, research analyst at Planet Retail, via Bloomberg Businessweek.
"We have seen supermarkets move into selling DVDs and books. This is the first time it has happened the other way around."
Amazon will be stocking around 22,000 products, 2,000 of which will be stored in warehouses around the U.K., with its largest facility, of 800,000 square feet, at Swansea Bay in Wales. Fresh and chilled items will be sent via outside suppliers but Amazon will send groceries by mail, the same way it dispatches other products.
The Amazon grocery site is up and running in the U.K., but is still in beta.
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Fans of peri peri chicken will be celebrating as a new Nando's has been confirmed for Reading.
Although no opening date has been set, the international chain is recruiting staff for its new branch in the town.
Nando's will be taking a unit in Reading Gateway retail park in Imperial Way, just off the A33 and near junction 11 for the M4.
The South African chain will create a number of new jobs in the area is recruiting full time and part time grillers, cashiers and hosts.
Nando's will join Wren Kitchens, Costa, Premier Inn, Beefeater and Burger King on the former Worton Grange brewery site in Reading, Berkshire .
A Nando's spokesman said: "We are really excited to be opening another restaurant in Reading later this year and can’t wait until we can start hosting local PERi-PERi fans."
Anyone interested in applying for any of the roles should send their CV to firstname.lastname@example.org .
In 2018, Nando's threatened a rival chicken restaurant in the town, called Fernando's with legal action for copyright infringement.
Fernando's owner Asam Aziz eventually decided to rename the restaurant Fernandez but this year changed the restaurant's name again due to a branding dispute with the Fernandez Grillhouse .
Mr Aziz has since settled on Manzano's for the name of his restaurant in Oxford Road.


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Visa and MasterCard payments are temporarily unavailable
This is the exact title of the today’s announcement at the official Alertpay’s blog. Shortly the Visa and Mastercard card payments are temporarily displayed due to unspecified reasons, characterized by Alertpay as problems beyond their control. According to our info, there is a technical problem since the time Visa and Mastercard decided to add an extra layer of security on the card transactions (3-D Secure step). Unfortunately Alertpay can’t resolve this malfunction and disabled this feature without anybody knowing when this will come back. Really sad news for the Alertpay users.
Update – June 07, 2012: The function is currently unavailable until further notice. Source: Cannot validate a credit card from the USA.


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Aquascutum’s Chinese owner is the subject of a potential lawsuit over unpaid invoices, as fears over a liquidity crisis persist. A Portuguese fabrics firm called Calvelex is expected to take it to court this week.
After specialising in luxury, the pre-owned fashion e-tailer is re-focusing on affordable luxury brands, while adapting its purchasing options and commissions to the mid-market segment, and eyeing global expansion.
SMCP has named Elina Kousourna as the new CEO of its recently acquired menswear brand De Fursac and promoted Flavien d'Audiffret to the executive's former role as the group's strategy, digital and development director.
The app designed to inform customers about the environmental and social commitments made by fashion brands is soon to launch on app stores. Formerly called Clothparency, it has now settled on the name Clear Fashion.


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13th February 2014 – Nintendo has today announced that its first Nintendo Direct broadcast of 2014 will air tomorrow, with a focus on revealing more details on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS titles releasing by the end of autumn 2014. The broadcast will be hosted by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata.
The broadcast will be streamed in Europe on 13th February at 11pm CET. In Australia and New Zealand, check out the Nintendo Direct website on 14th February at 9am AEDT.
For local times click here


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PIE varieties such as mussel, spinach and bacon, butternut squash, blue cheese and leek, and a full English breakfast pie will all be on offer at Lancaster’s 6th annual beer and pie festival, which kicked off yesterday, Thursday.
A total of 36 ales and 20 different varieties of pies will be on offer at the White Cross, Penny Bank and Merchants pubs until Sunday.
Tim Tomlinson, licensee at the three pubs, said the festival had grown in popularity each year.
“I remain strongly of the opinion that Lancaster is a Mecca for cask ale lovers and we should be proud of the variety and quality of pubs and ales we have on offer,” he said.
“We have specifically invited all the CAMRA branches in the North West of England to come and see what Lancaster holds and hopefully extend the excellent reputation we already enjoy.
See the Lancaster Guardian (15-04-11) for full story.


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Cape Town – Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx are finally red carpet official! Well, sort of.
The notoriously private couple – who have never confirmed their relationship – attended the 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion on Monday night together.
While the avoided posing next to one another on the red carpet by taking photos with everyone else, they eventually stood for photos in front of a giant pink rose wall.
And we have to say they looked stunning! Katie was dressed in a custom Zac Posen gown, made of 300 yards of multi-layered hand sewn coloured tulle, while Jamie smouldered in a a black suit with a skinny tie, sequin panther pin and purple shoes - which complemented Katie's outfit perfectly.
SEE THE SNAPS HERE:
(Photos: Getty Images)
SEE MORE PICS: 47 unforgettable photos from the 2019 Met Gala


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Severe winter weather dampens DuPont's farm sales
By Swetha Gopinath and Kanika Sikka
(Reuters) - DuPont (DD.N: Quote), which is making a big push into the agriculture market, reported a steeper-than-expected 3 percent fall in quarterly revenue as severe winter in North America delayed the planting of crops.
Sales in the agriculture business, DuPont's biggest, fell 6 percent, the first decline in ten quarters, due to lower demand for seeds and herbicides in North America and lower corn plantings in Brazil and North America.
"Impact of the weather pushed a lot of the agriculture demand out of the quarter and into the second quarter," SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst James Sheehan said.
Operating earnings fell 5 percent to $1.44 billion in the agriculture business.
DuPont, however, backed its full-year 2014 operating earnings of $4.20-$4.45 per share.
In the first quarter, operating earnings increased in five of DuPont's seven units, including industrial biosciences, nutrition & health and performance materials businesses.
As part of DuPont's strategy to move into less volatile businesses, the company is hiving off its performance chemicals unit, which has weighed on results since 2012 due to weak prices for a white pigment used in toothpastes, sunscreens and a host of other products.
Operating earnings in the business, which also makes materials used in non-stick cookware and refrigerants, fell 20 percent in the quarter. Continued...


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In the “gig economy”, more and more voices are raised against the working conditions of bicycle delivery men and VTC drivers who have an independent status, while being dependent on the platforms. Some countries are starting to shake things up, and France is also more clearly showing its position in favor of protecting the rights of these self-employed workers subordinate to platform algorithms.
In Spain, wage employment is the path chosen by the government. Spain-based food delivery companies now have three months to employ their couriers as staff, under new rules approved by the government on Tuesday. It is one of the first laws in Europe concerning the rights of workers in the gig economy.
The decree aims to clarify the legal situation of thousands of couriers after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled last year that companies must hire them as employees. “The regulation approved today (…) puts us at the forefront of a technological change that cannot leave labor rights behind,” said Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz, according to comments reported by Reuters.
A faltering economic model
Uber has spoken out against the new regulation, saying it will “directly hurt thousands of couriers who use food delivery apps for much-needed flexible earning opportunities and who have made it clear that” they did not want to be classified as employees, ”said a spokesperson.
According to Adigital, an association of companies that represents companies in the gig economy, including Glovo and Deliveroo, this decree is “a blow to the future of the digital economy in Spain”.
Although the legislation makes it harder for companies to have independent couriers, closing the door to a common practice, several delivery associations and labor experts say it does not completely resolve their legal situation, anticipating further battles. potential judicial proceedings.
Most delivery companies have started to prepare for the change, seeking new business models. Just Eat, the Spanish branch of Take Away, has already hired some of its workers and is covering peak demand with workers from transport companies. Others, like Glovo, have chosen to hire certain delivery people through interim agencies, according to delivery people. But one thing is certain, the skepticism on the viability of the economic model of the platforms weighs on the markets, evidenced by the very difficult beginnings of Deliveroo on the London Stock Exchange, with a fall of 26.3% of its share.
In France, delivery people can appoint their representatives
In France, where nearly 100,000 people are affected by the economy of collaborative platforms, the avenues put on the table tend to be directed towards collective negotiations, rather than towards the generalization of wage employment. An ordinance dated April 21, 2021 allows self-employed workers on mobility platforms to appoint their representatives in 2022. At the same time, it creates the Social Relations Authority for Employment Platforms, a new public establishment responsible for “regulating social relations between platforms and independent workers ”.
This ordinance follows the work carried out by the government with the social partners, as well as the recommendations of the mission entrusted by the Minister of Labor to Bruno Mettling, president of the consulting firm Topics, on the regulation of labor relations in the sector. For Gilbert Cette, professor of economics at the University of Aix-Marseille, this protection of labor rights towards which collective negotiations must lead is not limited to the field of social protection in the field of wages. “For example, there is no equivalent of the minimum wage for employees, or minimum income or maximum working range protection”, he said, this Wednesday morning, during a hearing in the Senate on this subject.
For the economist, the systematic reclassification of the status of the self-employed worker into an employee, as Spain does, seems to be an “erroneous choice” which “tends to want to force into this category a form of activity which is different. and which calls for different flexibilities ”. He recommends, in this sense, to “bring out through collective bargaining protections that are associated with the specificities of these forms of activity, in all areas where these protections are impoverished”, he suggests. “We must find the means to bring about this collective bargaining between platforms and workers, so that standards are developed in a conventional manner. “
The path of collective bargaining rather than wage labor
Also questioned this morning by senators from the Social Affairs Committee, Bruno Mettling agrees with his position, asserting that the way of collective bargaining is the most “efficient”. In the course of the interviews carried out for his report, he observes that “if some workers are projecting themselves into salaried work, it is not a massive demand. And therefore, the real question is not that of status, but of access to rights ”. But the thing is not as simple as it seems, and we remember in March 2020 the judgment of the Court of Cassation, which proposed to reclassify for the first time in France as an employment contract. relationship between the company Uber and one of its drivers.
Bruno Mettling underlines that the ordinance which has just come out, if “it allows to organize the expression of the representatives of the workers”, does not say anything on the other hand on “the organization of the platforms themselves”. He encourages “the whole system to be put in place quickly”.
For its part, the European Union has launched a consultation on the right to collective representation of self-employed workers, which could lead to a Commission initiative at the end of the year.