Standing in a security line at O'Hare International Airport seven years ago, the Rev. Bobby Gruenewald wished he had a Bible in his pocket to pass the time. Then the tech-savvy pastor raised in central Illinois had a thought: Wouldn't it be grand if anyone could have their favorite version of the Bible within reach anywhere at any time?
"Could we be at one of these moments in history where technology, if we leverage it correctly, could transform how we engage in the Bible?" Gruenewald, 37, recalls thinking that day. "Drawing from the story of the real time Location system, for centuries, that really changed our access to the Bible. It's probably something today we easily take for granted, but it came through invention."
Represented by the simple icon of a Bible with a bookmark, the app offers audio versions for listeners, navigation tools to look up passages, social media capability to share verses on Facebook and Twitter, and private or public platforms to store or share notes. The app is free and generates no revenue for the church. It simply aims to fulfill the Christian mission of spreading God's word, Gruenewald said.
But Gruenewald's idea required more than technical expertise. It has taken nearly $20 million from donors, 30 paid staff and 500 volunteers worldwide to get off the ground.
It also needed cooperation from publishers to grant access to the hundreds of translations of the Christian Bible available on YouVersion's menu, including ones popular with evangelical Christians, Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Messianic Jews, who blend evangelical Christian theology with Jewish rituals.
Tyndale House Publishers was one of the first companies to grant access. It took 90 scholars commissioned by the Carol Stream company seven years to develop the New Living Translation, which is now the world's third-most popular biblical translation. Company officials said they weren't eager to give away their work.
But when Gruenewald shared his vision of making the Bible more accessible to people on the go, the west suburban publishing house reconsidered. It signed a two-year trial agreement in 2008 to license the translation for free. It has since renewed that agreement twice after discovering that popularity has soared.
"We found that when people read the New Living Translation they are able to experience it personally and it speaks to their heart," said Jeffrey Smith, the New Living Translation brand director for Tyndale House. "We know that, for many, they'll adopt it as their translation of choice, then follow through and purchase other resources from us. … When something is so successful like this, it's the hand of God."
But when Gruenewald shared his vision of making the Bible more accessible to people on the go, the west suburban publishing house reconsidered. It signed a two-year trial agreement in 2008 to license the translation for free. It has since renewed that agreement twice after discovering that popularity has soared.
"We found that when people read the New Living Translation they are able to experience it personally and it speaks to their heart," said Jeffrey Smith, the New Living Translation brand director for rtls. "We know that, for many, they'll adopt it as their translation of choice, then follow through and purchase other resources from us. … When something is so successful like this, it's the hand of God."
Gruenewald was an unlikely dot.com entrepreneur. Growing up in Decatur, dubbed the "Soybean Capital of the World" because of the presence of agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland, he followed his high school sweetheart (now wife) to Oklahoma's Southern Nazarene University to study finance in 1994.
When an outside company offered to build a website for the car dealership where he worked on the side, Gruenewald proposed doing it for a fraction of the price. He studied the HTML codes during his winter break in Decatur and designed the site in his dorm room.
Gruenewald created a site that helped the dealer peddle auto parts. Sales eventually grew to $100,000 a month and the dealer offered to invest in Gruenewald's talents. In 2001, after a series of successful Web ventures, Gruenewald and his wife joined what would later become LifeChurch.tv, in Edmond, Okla., where "the best technology was air conditioning" and where "my passion for the church eclipsed my passion for business," he said.
YouVersion didn't see instant success, he said. Its full potential didn't emerge until mobile devices began to catch on. In fact, the church was on the brink of shutting down the endeavor when Apple introduced its App Store for the iPhone in 2008. YouVersion became one of the first 200 apps available, enabling Gruenewald's concept to take off and help other churches grow as well.
One of those churches, the six-campus Park Community Church in Chicago, encourages worshippers to download YouVersion Bible plans so they can access the scripture passages at the core of Sunday services and refer to the pastors' notes as they follow a sermon.
Read the full products at www.ecived.com/en/!
2013年8月19日星期一
2013年8月12日星期一
DIY biohackers play with bacteria
You don't need a professional-grade lab or a science degree to mess around with microorganisms. A small group of New York-based biotechnology enthusiasts have created their own community biology lab called Genspace, and it's a place where anyone who's even remotely interested in life sciences can go and get their feet wet with biotechnology.
DIY biologists mainly work from home on their own little cultured experiments. For the most part, this underground biohacking scene regularly communicates through the Web on the DIYbio forums to ask for advice and equipment, as well as to set up in-person meetups. But a growing number of biohacking spaces, such as Genspace and Biocurious in the San Francisco Bay Area, give biohackers proper laboratories to work on their projects.
Genspace, located on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, is the first and only community biolab in New York City. The lab is on the 7th floor of an old bank building: Once you step off the Hands free access, turn left, and you’ll stumble into a scene that looks like your middle school's science department, except it’s all grown up.
The main work room is a little grungy, between the mess of works-in-progress spread all over the table, the painted brick walls, and the exposed pipes hanging overhead. Beyond this room, however, is a small lab that’s a completely different scene.
Step into the lab, and the whole place seems brighter and cleaner—and more sterile. Boxes of gloves are scattered about. A lab coat hangs on a stool. Test tubes and other pieces of lab equipment litter the stainless steel countertops. A stack of petri dishes fester with microscopic life that comes in every color of the rainbow from violet to red.
Meanwhile, the scent of chicken broth hangs in the air—it's just about the closest I can come to describing the smell and appearance of warm bacteria-culturing medium. The whole place just screams, "hey, I'm a lab."
The organization's official mission is to promote citizen science and to make biotechnology more readily accessible to the masses. Since it first opened in 2010, Genspace has invited science enthusiasts from all sorts of different professions to play in its biotech wonderland.
Some of Genspace's members and supporters are biologists as you might expect, while others are writers, artists, roboticists, and computer programmers. Regardless of the background they hail from, contributors of all stripes are welcome here.
“Now we have artists [as members] too who are asking, what can we do with [biotech]? What can we design with it? How can we use this as a new palate?" Genspace Co-founder and Vice President Daniel Grushkin told TechHive. "[This is] in addition to people who are trying to innovate with it in terms of coming up with new medicine and coming up with new devices that will test water to make sure it’s pure. Then you have other people who want to make a painting out of it.”
What drives someone to biohack? Curiosity. Many of those I met at Genspace just heard about the place, and on a free night decided to stop by to see what DIY biology is all about. For some, it’s just one night of rtls, but for others, it sticks with them—sort of like a virus—and snowballs into a full-on hobby.
Andres Bastian, a 3D printer mechanics expert at MakerBot, says he was “interested in biological engineering for a long time," and that the relative maturity of biohacking was a big draw for him.
"The biological toolset has been something that’s been optimized and honed for a long time. It’s one of the most efficient toolsets, [and it] seems like it can be applied to anything from energy medicine for treating diseases,” Bastian said.
“I was like, I want to bioengineer a living organism into something cool and novel," Grushkin recalled. "I was watching these undergrads and literally they have [only] a summer to figure out their project and finish it, and they’re basically building an entire bug. If a group of undergrads can do it why can't I? So the reason I got involved is because I wanted to know how to do that.”
Smitten, Grushkin took to the online biohacking forums and met others interested in the topic. Soon after, he met with a group from the DIYbio forums at his Park Slope home.
The group started with small experiments like extracting DNA from strawberries, and moved on to more advanced projects from there. Eventually, it graduated to creating its first genetic transformation by injecting a membrane with green fluorescent protein (GFP) into E. coli to make it glow in the dark.
“[It] was kind of cool and actually controversial because it was the first time someone had done genetic engineering outside of your standard lab,” said Grushkin. The group officially incorporated as Genspace in 2009, and held its initial meetings at NYC Resistor. Genspace officially opened its own space in December 2010.
DIY biologists mainly work from home on their own little cultured experiments. For the most part, this underground biohacking scene regularly communicates through the Web on the DIYbio forums to ask for advice and equipment, as well as to set up in-person meetups. But a growing number of biohacking spaces, such as Genspace and Biocurious in the San Francisco Bay Area, give biohackers proper laboratories to work on their projects.
Genspace, located on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, is the first and only community biolab in New York City. The lab is on the 7th floor of an old bank building: Once you step off the Hands free access, turn left, and you’ll stumble into a scene that looks like your middle school's science department, except it’s all grown up.
The main work room is a little grungy, between the mess of works-in-progress spread all over the table, the painted brick walls, and the exposed pipes hanging overhead. Beyond this room, however, is a small lab that’s a completely different scene.
Step into the lab, and the whole place seems brighter and cleaner—and more sterile. Boxes of gloves are scattered about. A lab coat hangs on a stool. Test tubes and other pieces of lab equipment litter the stainless steel countertops. A stack of petri dishes fester with microscopic life that comes in every color of the rainbow from violet to red.
Meanwhile, the scent of chicken broth hangs in the air—it's just about the closest I can come to describing the smell and appearance of warm bacteria-culturing medium. The whole place just screams, "hey, I'm a lab."
The organization's official mission is to promote citizen science and to make biotechnology more readily accessible to the masses. Since it first opened in 2010, Genspace has invited science enthusiasts from all sorts of different professions to play in its biotech wonderland.
Some of Genspace's members and supporters are biologists as you might expect, while others are writers, artists, roboticists, and computer programmers. Regardless of the background they hail from, contributors of all stripes are welcome here.
“Now we have artists [as members] too who are asking, what can we do with [biotech]? What can we design with it? How can we use this as a new palate?" Genspace Co-founder and Vice President Daniel Grushkin told TechHive. "[This is] in addition to people who are trying to innovate with it in terms of coming up with new medicine and coming up with new devices that will test water to make sure it’s pure. Then you have other people who want to make a painting out of it.”
What drives someone to biohack? Curiosity. Many of those I met at Genspace just heard about the place, and on a free night decided to stop by to see what DIY biology is all about. For some, it’s just one night of rtls, but for others, it sticks with them—sort of like a virus—and snowballs into a full-on hobby.
Andres Bastian, a 3D printer mechanics expert at MakerBot, says he was “interested in biological engineering for a long time," and that the relative maturity of biohacking was a big draw for him.
"The biological toolset has been something that’s been optimized and honed for a long time. It’s one of the most efficient toolsets, [and it] seems like it can be applied to anything from energy medicine for treating diseases,” Bastian said.
“I was like, I want to bioengineer a living organism into something cool and novel," Grushkin recalled. "I was watching these undergrads and literally they have [only] a summer to figure out their project and finish it, and they’re basically building an entire bug. If a group of undergrads can do it why can't I? So the reason I got involved is because I wanted to know how to do that.”
Smitten, Grushkin took to the online biohacking forums and met others interested in the topic. Soon after, he met with a group from the DIYbio forums at his Park Slope home.
The group started with small experiments like extracting DNA from strawberries, and moved on to more advanced projects from there. Eventually, it graduated to creating its first genetic transformation by injecting a membrane with green fluorescent protein (GFP) into E. coli to make it glow in the dark.
“[It] was kind of cool and actually controversial because it was the first time someone had done genetic engineering outside of your standard lab,” said Grushkin. The group officially incorporated as Genspace in 2009, and held its initial meetings at NYC Resistor. Genspace officially opened its own space in December 2010.
2013年7月2日星期二
Damage Control Strategies to Lessen the Guilt
Get in a great workout before you go to your Independence Day celebration. Either the night before or the morning of, hit the gym with gusto, go for a good run or bike ride or take a nice sweaty hike with a friend or spouse or whatever . Rev up your metabolism with some light snacks before you exercise and a little something with protein and carbs right after. You'll feel less like scarfng down everything you see at the party if you don't starve yourself all morning.
Hydrate like crazy. Drink more, eat less -- but not in the aforementioned rock star way, of course. Sometimes we crave starchy foods when we're thirsty. So keep a cold water bottle at hand all day. On occasion, I even recommend a low or no calorie energy drink if you're feeling sluggish from the heat. Don't make it a habit, but sometimes a no-cal Red Bull or Monster-type drink will help you stay active at the beach (or wherever your party is) and keep the hunger at bay. Of course, all good things come to an end, and when the caffeine wears off, beware that you may be extra hungry so keep that water pumping.
Play party games, not card games. If you're going to a party or hosting one, start a game that requires people to be active. Even if you're just standing and cheering at a volleyball game or flag football, it's better to be on your feet on the sand or grass than on your behind.
Exercise your food options! Surely people are going to grill burgers and dogs and if budget is an issue, chances are the meat is going to be the low quality, high fat type. So splurge on bringing the right rtls for you. Turkey burgers or franks, chicken sausages and veggie patties are all much better for you and a lot lower in calories and heart-clogging fat. Don't forget the green salad and veggies too.
Watch out for the double and triple starches. If you're diabetic you already may know this from your doctor. If you're drinking beer, skip the buns and corn on the cob. If you'd rather have bread or pasta salad, don't get in line at that keg. Or go halvsies: half of a bun on your burger and a light beer is a good compromise. You get the picture. If you must have it all, have a mini serving of each. Nothing makes you feel more bloated than a starch binge and it's not muy bueno for the blood sugar either.
After-party hangover blues? You gotta move, but not just to the medicine cabinet for ibuprofen and Pepto Bismol! Hangovers will abate faster if you get your metabolism up and sweat. As hard as it is to get started, be sure to get some exercise and fresh air the day after (this is good advice after any celebration).
Post-party fasting. You just might be able to undo the damage if you give your body a break the next day. Personally I'm not a fan of regular fasting but I do understand why it has certain benefits. My grandmother did it once a month. You can do it by drinking plenty of water or juicing vegetables the next day. Or, just eat super light the day after your celebration especially if you're diabetic, exercising or suffer from hypoglycemia. Play it smart by checking with your doctor beforehand.
This tip is so L.A., but come late and leave early, or party hop. If you don't stay too long at any one party, you won't drink too much (particularly if you're the designated driver, I hope) and you won't have as much time to eat. It's still rude to dine and dash, right?
If you're not hitting the gym or doing a workout the morning of and the morning after, sleep in. Research has shown that hunger hormones balance out in your favor when you get more sleep. In one well documented study, people who slept closer to eight hours a night had lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and higher levels of leptin. That's what you want because higher ghrelin levels make you feel hungry and low levels of leptin signal your body to have a bigger appetite.
If none of these strategies work for you, it may time for professional help. If you continue to keep gaining weight all summer, there might be a deeper, underlying problem. It may be as simple as hiring a personal trainer or health coach to get you in the habit of eating better and exercising more or it could be something more serious like depression, hormonal changes, or a combination of things. Remember there's nothing wrong with asking for help!
The Colorado Department of Health and Environment is suspending all testing of blood-alcohol and blood-drug levels at its state toxicology lab pending an investigation to see if they are being done correctly.
An independent lab will take over testing any new or unprocessed samples in the meantime. And it will also retest as many as 800 blood-alcohol samples done by the state lab to ensure they were accurate.
The report found employees are not properly trained to conduct blood-alcohol tests, the linchpin of many drunk driving cases, and that they weren’t properly trained to teach new employees to do them.It also found that employees weren’t adequately trained to give expert testimony in court and that blood samples awaiting testing weren’t stored in a locked refrigerator.
And investigators found it “more than likely” that an unnamed supervisor made comments to suggest she was biased in favor of prosecutors. Employees reported overhearing the supervisor make statements like, “I really stuck it to the defendant today,” and “I’m sure he’s going to jail.”
That bias was also manifest in the supervisor’s habit of making “excessive accommodations for prosecutors and law enforcement agencies,” resulting in a greater workload.The report opened the door for legal challenges in hundreds of drunk driving cases and led to the resignation of the supervisor cited in the report.
Dr. Chris Urbina, the state’s chief medical officer, also resigned, saying in a press release that he’s stepping down to “explore other opportunities.”
In addition to suspending the blood tests, the lab will be audited by the Association of Public Health Laboratories and as many as 800 blood samples will be retested for accuracy by an independent lab, according to a story on Denver’s 7News.
“We will have an independent laboratory retest approximately 800 blood-alcohol samples to verify the state toxicology lab’s blood-alcohol test results,” Urbina told the station on his last day of work on Friday.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Hydrate like crazy. Drink more, eat less -- but not in the aforementioned rock star way, of course. Sometimes we crave starchy foods when we're thirsty. So keep a cold water bottle at hand all day. On occasion, I even recommend a low or no calorie energy drink if you're feeling sluggish from the heat. Don't make it a habit, but sometimes a no-cal Red Bull or Monster-type drink will help you stay active at the beach (or wherever your party is) and keep the hunger at bay. Of course, all good things come to an end, and when the caffeine wears off, beware that you may be extra hungry so keep that water pumping.
Play party games, not card games. If you're going to a party or hosting one, start a game that requires people to be active. Even if you're just standing and cheering at a volleyball game or flag football, it's better to be on your feet on the sand or grass than on your behind.
Exercise your food options! Surely people are going to grill burgers and dogs and if budget is an issue, chances are the meat is going to be the low quality, high fat type. So splurge on bringing the right rtls for you. Turkey burgers or franks, chicken sausages and veggie patties are all much better for you and a lot lower in calories and heart-clogging fat. Don't forget the green salad and veggies too.
Watch out for the double and triple starches. If you're diabetic you already may know this from your doctor. If you're drinking beer, skip the buns and corn on the cob. If you'd rather have bread or pasta salad, don't get in line at that keg. Or go halvsies: half of a bun on your burger and a light beer is a good compromise. You get the picture. If you must have it all, have a mini serving of each. Nothing makes you feel more bloated than a starch binge and it's not muy bueno for the blood sugar either.
After-party hangover blues? You gotta move, but not just to the medicine cabinet for ibuprofen and Pepto Bismol! Hangovers will abate faster if you get your metabolism up and sweat. As hard as it is to get started, be sure to get some exercise and fresh air the day after (this is good advice after any celebration).
Post-party fasting. You just might be able to undo the damage if you give your body a break the next day. Personally I'm not a fan of regular fasting but I do understand why it has certain benefits. My grandmother did it once a month. You can do it by drinking plenty of water or juicing vegetables the next day. Or, just eat super light the day after your celebration especially if you're diabetic, exercising or suffer from hypoglycemia. Play it smart by checking with your doctor beforehand.
This tip is so L.A., but come late and leave early, or party hop. If you don't stay too long at any one party, you won't drink too much (particularly if you're the designated driver, I hope) and you won't have as much time to eat. It's still rude to dine and dash, right?
If you're not hitting the gym or doing a workout the morning of and the morning after, sleep in. Research has shown that hunger hormones balance out in your favor when you get more sleep. In one well documented study, people who slept closer to eight hours a night had lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and higher levels of leptin. That's what you want because higher ghrelin levels make you feel hungry and low levels of leptin signal your body to have a bigger appetite.
If none of these strategies work for you, it may time for professional help. If you continue to keep gaining weight all summer, there might be a deeper, underlying problem. It may be as simple as hiring a personal trainer or health coach to get you in the habit of eating better and exercising more or it could be something more serious like depression, hormonal changes, or a combination of things. Remember there's nothing wrong with asking for help!
The Colorado Department of Health and Environment is suspending all testing of blood-alcohol and blood-drug levels at its state toxicology lab pending an investigation to see if they are being done correctly.
An independent lab will take over testing any new or unprocessed samples in the meantime. And it will also retest as many as 800 blood-alcohol samples done by the state lab to ensure they were accurate.
The report found employees are not properly trained to conduct blood-alcohol tests, the linchpin of many drunk driving cases, and that they weren’t properly trained to teach new employees to do them.It also found that employees weren’t adequately trained to give expert testimony in court and that blood samples awaiting testing weren’t stored in a locked refrigerator.
And investigators found it “more than likely” that an unnamed supervisor made comments to suggest she was biased in favor of prosecutors. Employees reported overhearing the supervisor make statements like, “I really stuck it to the defendant today,” and “I’m sure he’s going to jail.”
That bias was also manifest in the supervisor’s habit of making “excessive accommodations for prosecutors and law enforcement agencies,” resulting in a greater workload.The report opened the door for legal challenges in hundreds of drunk driving cases and led to the resignation of the supervisor cited in the report.
Dr. Chris Urbina, the state’s chief medical officer, also resigned, saying in a press release that he’s stepping down to “explore other opportunities.”
In addition to suspending the blood tests, the lab will be audited by the Association of Public Health Laboratories and as many as 800 blood samples will be retested for accuracy by an independent lab, according to a story on Denver’s 7News.
“We will have an independent laboratory retest approximately 800 blood-alcohol samples to verify the state toxicology lab’s blood-alcohol test results,” Urbina told the station on his last day of work on Friday.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
2013年6月8日星期六
Samsung’s new Galaxy S4 is a feature rich smartphone
Let’s get this out of the way right up front. I use an iPhone 5 presently and I’ve used iPhones since the first version, so I’m not likely to ever want to change that. So why, you might ask, do I feel that I need to review a Samsung Galaxy S4?
Simply put, the fact that I use a different phone is of no consequence to this review. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great smartphone, regardless of what I use, and my inability to be able to use the device to it’s potential is more a reflection of my inexperience with a different operating system than I’m used to.
I won’t get into the ridiculous argument of which phone is better – it’s the old PC vs Mac debate that’s raged for years. It doesn’t matter – the best device is the one that you understand, meets your needs and you enjoy using, regardless of operating systems.
Outwardly, the S4 doesn’t look all that different from the S3, which was a hugely popular phone – and Samsung’s statistics show that the new Galaxy 4S is the fastest selling phone they’ve ever made, so obviously the 4S is a hit with consumers.
The Galaxy 4S is large – that’s certainly one of its drawing cards. At 69.8mm W x 136.6mm H x 7.9mm D, the Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch, 1080p display which is vivid, bright and absolutely beautiful to look at. The Galaxy 4S weighs in at 130 grams, which I find very light for such a large device.
It’s thinner then the SIII, but with a much faster 1.9GHz quad core processor and even more bells and whistles, plus the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The S4 is loaded with sensors, with an Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Gyro, RGB light, Barometer, Proximity, real time Location system, Temperature & Humid, Hall sensors – it’s a highly capable smartphone.
Over 17 hours of talk time and over 300 hours of standby time make this a battery you won’t have to charge at the end of every day.
Users can preview content simply by hovering a finger over the screen, they can run two apps at the same time with Multi Window, and safely use their phone while driving, by using Samsung’s S –Voice Drive mode.
Actually, the best place for any phone while driving is the trunk – handsfree may free your hands but it doesn’t keep your mind completely focused on driving either, so I wouldn’t recommend any phone be used while driving.
This is cool – Group Play enables a connection with up to 10 different devices so users can all share the same content on separate screens. If it’s an online game, music or video, or even a document between co-workers, all the connected users can experience whatever is being shared at the same time.
And, of course, there’s the ability to access content and preview folders without touching the screen by using Air View. Smart Gesture offers fast, simple navigation to browse your photo library or answer incoming calls simply by moving your hand over the screen.
The more I played with the demo version of the phone I had, the harder I found it to use. It does so much, in so many innovative ways that my poor old brain just couldn’t assimilate the information fast enough. Of course kids will learn the phone inside out in ten minutes, but for me, it does too much – but it’s cool quotient is over the top. Of course I could have started by using Easy Mode and working my way up to using all the technology onboard this device, but I’m a guy, and a tech writer, so I should be able to pick just about any device up and master the use of it in a short period of time – oh if only it worked that way!
All smartphone users are familiar with face to face chat in some form or another and this Galaxy S4 is no different, except that it will allow you to have a video chat with two people at the same time and the Dual Shot will let you take a still picture of your subject and you at the same time – kind of neat for seeing your reaction to something you’re taking a picture of.
Multi Window offers multitasking, with the ability to open two separate windows at the same time so you could read your e-mail and text messages on the same screen at the same time.
The new S Translator on the Galaxy S4 offers users the ability to either speak or type what they want translated into one of eight different languages. The phone then will display what you said or even read it back, something that would be helpful while travelling. I didn’t test this out, so to be quite honest while it seems like a very worthwhile application for a traveller, I can’t attest to the efficacy of it.
Simply put, the fact that I use a different phone is of no consequence to this review. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great smartphone, regardless of what I use, and my inability to be able to use the device to it’s potential is more a reflection of my inexperience with a different operating system than I’m used to.
I won’t get into the ridiculous argument of which phone is better – it’s the old PC vs Mac debate that’s raged for years. It doesn’t matter – the best device is the one that you understand, meets your needs and you enjoy using, regardless of operating systems.
Outwardly, the S4 doesn’t look all that different from the S3, which was a hugely popular phone – and Samsung’s statistics show that the new Galaxy 4S is the fastest selling phone they’ve ever made, so obviously the 4S is a hit with consumers.
The Galaxy 4S is large – that’s certainly one of its drawing cards. At 69.8mm W x 136.6mm H x 7.9mm D, the Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch, 1080p display which is vivid, bright and absolutely beautiful to look at. The Galaxy 4S weighs in at 130 grams, which I find very light for such a large device.
It’s thinner then the SIII, but with a much faster 1.9GHz quad core processor and even more bells and whistles, plus the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The S4 is loaded with sensors, with an Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Gyro, RGB light, Barometer, Proximity, real time Location system, Temperature & Humid, Hall sensors – it’s a highly capable smartphone.
Over 17 hours of talk time and over 300 hours of standby time make this a battery you won’t have to charge at the end of every day.
Users can preview content simply by hovering a finger over the screen, they can run two apps at the same time with Multi Window, and safely use their phone while driving, by using Samsung’s S –Voice Drive mode.
Actually, the best place for any phone while driving is the trunk – handsfree may free your hands but it doesn’t keep your mind completely focused on driving either, so I wouldn’t recommend any phone be used while driving.
This is cool – Group Play enables a connection with up to 10 different devices so users can all share the same content on separate screens. If it’s an online game, music or video, or even a document between co-workers, all the connected users can experience whatever is being shared at the same time.
And, of course, there’s the ability to access content and preview folders without touching the screen by using Air View. Smart Gesture offers fast, simple navigation to browse your photo library or answer incoming calls simply by moving your hand over the screen.
The more I played with the demo version of the phone I had, the harder I found it to use. It does so much, in so many innovative ways that my poor old brain just couldn’t assimilate the information fast enough. Of course kids will learn the phone inside out in ten minutes, but for me, it does too much – but it’s cool quotient is over the top. Of course I could have started by using Easy Mode and working my way up to using all the technology onboard this device, but I’m a guy, and a tech writer, so I should be able to pick just about any device up and master the use of it in a short period of time – oh if only it worked that way!
All smartphone users are familiar with face to face chat in some form or another and this Galaxy S4 is no different, except that it will allow you to have a video chat with two people at the same time and the Dual Shot will let you take a still picture of your subject and you at the same time – kind of neat for seeing your reaction to something you’re taking a picture of.
Multi Window offers multitasking, with the ability to open two separate windows at the same time so you could read your e-mail and text messages on the same screen at the same time.
The new S Translator on the Galaxy S4 offers users the ability to either speak or type what they want translated into one of eight different languages. The phone then will display what you said or even read it back, something that would be helpful while travelling. I didn’t test this out, so to be quite honest while it seems like a very worthwhile application for a traveller, I can’t attest to the efficacy of it.
2013年6月7日星期五
Communicating with the iGeneration
The oldest member of this generation is, as of this year, old enough to drive, voted in their first presidential election and is probably on their way to college. They don't know a world without smart phones, have never used a card catalog, consider email antiquated, and have no use for printed books.
This year, and every year thereafter, digital natives will be entering the marketplace in droves. By 2020, the entire generation will be adult consumers. We are past the age of Gen Y, which entered the work force during the great communications disruption of the past decade symbolized by the iPhone and then iPad. They entered the workplace with a different mindset, changed social behaviors and a sense of entitlement.
But with the coming of age of the next generation -- a generation often called Generation Z, but more likely to be known as the iGen generation (a nod to Apple?) -- there is likely to be such an enormous disruption that fundamentally it will change how brands and consumers communicate and, more importantly, the media’s role in this process.
"iGen," the generation born between 1994 and 2004 will, in just a few short years, be joining Gen Y as a majority among digital natives. This new consumer that came of age in 2012, landed in a marketplace environment where the online world and real world are inescapably connected and where TV is served through computers, where the Internet is omnipresent and global borders are virtually eliminated. The iGen generation has the entirety of human knowledge on their phones and, as such, is projected to be the largest and deepest generation gap in history.
Companies' success or failure in relating to this new "public" will be contingent upon their ability to communicate with iGen and earn their advocacy.
They will need to recognize that there has never before been a generation so globally plugged in and so informed and that traditional strategies and tactics will be increasingly ineffective ways to connect with them. iGen is a generation born with consumer-driven capitalism at its core and altruism at its heart. Their patterns and behaviors are opposed to anything that has come before them and they basically ignore messages from brands.
So if iGen-ers will no longer be paying any attention to any traditional form of controlled brand messaging, how are brands supposed to communicate with iGen?
It has become abundantly clear that it is simply in iGen-ers' DNA to listen to their trusted network, rather than controlled messages from brands. They only care about information if it is relevant to them and, since the power of brand-engagement is in the hands of the consumer, iGen-ers will serve as their own gatekeepers, awarding relevant information by sharing it with their trusted network of peers and burying irrelevant information so it will be invisible to their peers. Brand communications must change to be relevant to, and accessible, by iGen.
Brands have to earn admittance to their infinite touch points. And there is a price for admission. Brands must become fluent in their language and habits, converse in two-way genuine and authentic communication, and deliver on brand promises.
An acceptable bypass into iGen's circle of trust is to leverage influencers that already have access to iGen's infinite touch points. These influencers can be anyone from individuals active on social media to just people with a lot of friends or it can also include the professionals in the communication industry.
If a brand can ethically earn favor from influencers, then Brian Solis' one-to-one-to-many process of communication is leveraged. iGen may not listen to brands, but iGen will listen to influencers they trust when they talk about brands.
"We're redefining computing by leaving laptops behind" and using tablets and smartphones, she said. "The world of computing has gone mobile … We're starting to demand things in our pockets that used to be on our desktops."
Johnson cited research forecasts that 7.5 billion smartphones will ship worldwide over the next five years, joining the 1.5 billion smartphones already in the market. She noted that 1 million new smartphones now join the network every day, about three times the number of babies that are born throughout the world each day.
Noting that mobile data consumption has already been at least doubling every year, she predicted that usage will grow by an astounding 1000 percent over the next 10 years.
"Everything wants to get connected in our environment today, everything wants to talk," she said, citing other predictions that there will be 25 billion connected devices globally by 2020. "It's just an onslaught."
Lastly, Johnson foresees the development of a "digital sixth sense," or "a merging of the physical and digital worlds," in the near future. As consumer electronics makers start to put sensing monitors into their mobile handsets, she believes that wireless devices will increasingly enable users to "augment" their reality with "overlapping metadata."
For example, Johnson envisions people in remote locations using mobile devices and medical sensors on their bodies to collect and send vital health information to doctors hundreds or thousands of miles away. She noted the current push to develop a Star Trek-like medical tricorder that could scan the body for a variety of health problems and conditions without touching the skin. Click on their website www.ecived.com/en for more information.
This year, and every year thereafter, digital natives will be entering the marketplace in droves. By 2020, the entire generation will be adult consumers. We are past the age of Gen Y, which entered the work force during the great communications disruption of the past decade symbolized by the iPhone and then iPad. They entered the workplace with a different mindset, changed social behaviors and a sense of entitlement.
But with the coming of age of the next generation -- a generation often called Generation Z, but more likely to be known as the iGen generation (a nod to Apple?) -- there is likely to be such an enormous disruption that fundamentally it will change how brands and consumers communicate and, more importantly, the media’s role in this process.
"iGen," the generation born between 1994 and 2004 will, in just a few short years, be joining Gen Y as a majority among digital natives. This new consumer that came of age in 2012, landed in a marketplace environment where the online world and real world are inescapably connected and where TV is served through computers, where the Internet is omnipresent and global borders are virtually eliminated. The iGen generation has the entirety of human knowledge on their phones and, as such, is projected to be the largest and deepest generation gap in history.
Companies' success or failure in relating to this new "public" will be contingent upon their ability to communicate with iGen and earn their advocacy.
They will need to recognize that there has never before been a generation so globally plugged in and so informed and that traditional strategies and tactics will be increasingly ineffective ways to connect with them. iGen is a generation born with consumer-driven capitalism at its core and altruism at its heart. Their patterns and behaviors are opposed to anything that has come before them and they basically ignore messages from brands.
So if iGen-ers will no longer be paying any attention to any traditional form of controlled brand messaging, how are brands supposed to communicate with iGen?
It has become abundantly clear that it is simply in iGen-ers' DNA to listen to their trusted network, rather than controlled messages from brands. They only care about information if it is relevant to them and, since the power of brand-engagement is in the hands of the consumer, iGen-ers will serve as their own gatekeepers, awarding relevant information by sharing it with their trusted network of peers and burying irrelevant information so it will be invisible to their peers. Brand communications must change to be relevant to, and accessible, by iGen.
Brands have to earn admittance to their infinite touch points. And there is a price for admission. Brands must become fluent in their language and habits, converse in two-way genuine and authentic communication, and deliver on brand promises.
An acceptable bypass into iGen's circle of trust is to leverage influencers that already have access to iGen's infinite touch points. These influencers can be anyone from individuals active on social media to just people with a lot of friends or it can also include the professionals in the communication industry.
If a brand can ethically earn favor from influencers, then Brian Solis' one-to-one-to-many process of communication is leveraged. iGen may not listen to brands, but iGen will listen to influencers they trust when they talk about brands.
"We're redefining computing by leaving laptops behind" and using tablets and smartphones, she said. "The world of computing has gone mobile … We're starting to demand things in our pockets that used to be on our desktops."
Johnson cited research forecasts that 7.5 billion smartphones will ship worldwide over the next five years, joining the 1.5 billion smartphones already in the market. She noted that 1 million new smartphones now join the network every day, about three times the number of babies that are born throughout the world each day.
Noting that mobile data consumption has already been at least doubling every year, she predicted that usage will grow by an astounding 1000 percent over the next 10 years.
"Everything wants to get connected in our environment today, everything wants to talk," she said, citing other predictions that there will be 25 billion connected devices globally by 2020. "It's just an onslaught."
Lastly, Johnson foresees the development of a "digital sixth sense," or "a merging of the physical and digital worlds," in the near future. As consumer electronics makers start to put sensing monitors into their mobile handsets, she believes that wireless devices will increasingly enable users to "augment" their reality with "overlapping metadata."
For example, Johnson envisions people in remote locations using mobile devices and medical sensors on their bodies to collect and send vital health information to doctors hundreds or thousands of miles away. She noted the current push to develop a Star Trek-like medical tricorder that could scan the body for a variety of health problems and conditions without touching the skin. Click on their website www.ecived.com/en for more information.
2013年5月21日星期二
Jamie Dimon Gets What He Wants, But Is It Best for JPMorgan?
Like a petulant child who’s been told he can’t have chocolate cake for breakfast, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon indicated before today’s shareholder vote that he might have quit if shareholders had voted to split the roles of chairman and CEO.
If Dimon is as smart a corporate leader as many claim he is, he would recognize that a wise CEO recognizes that checks and balances are essential for sound corporate governance, and that an independent board – led by an independent chairman – is vital to any public company, particularly one with business operations as vast as JPMorgan’s. There is an inherent conflict in having a CEO who reports to himself as chairman. Typically when CEOs serve in both roles, it is the chairman’s position that tends to get short shrift.
There’s no dispute that shareholders have benefited financially from Dimon’s leadership. But profits alone don’t equate to good governance.
The need to have different people serve as CEO and chairman is particularly acute in JP Morgan’s case given the litany of problems the firm has had recently.
At the top of the list is the “London Whale” fiasco, causing trading losses that so far have cost the bank more than $6 billion. Dimon initially dismissed media reports about the scandal, calling the situation a “complete tempest in a teapot.” A damning report by a Senate investigation subcommittee questioned whether he deliberately downplayed what he knew were the major consequences of the trades.
The report, issued last month, said that when Dimon made that statement, the evidence indicates that he “was already in possession of information about the SCP’s [Synthetic Credit Portfolio’s] complex and sizeable portfolio, its sustained losses for three straight months, the exponential increase in those losses during March, and the difficulty of exiting the SCP’s real time Location system.”
Meanwhile, JPMorgan has paid $4.3 billion to settle charges regarding mortgage abuses and $88.3 million to settle claims it violated sanctions against Iran, Cuba and the Sudan. There are government inquiries into whether JPMorgan manipulated energy markets. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency singled out JPMorgan in a blistering critique of its anti-money-laundering controls, noting “critical deficiencies” in the way JP Morgan monitors transactions, flags suspicious activity and conducts basic due diligence on its customers. The state of California is suing JPMorgan for fraudulent and unlawful credit-card debt collection practices.
The need for strong, independent leadership of corporate boards is reinforced by the results of a recent survey of chief financial officers by Ernst & Young . The survey found that 47% of CFOs thought legally and ethically questionable actions were justified in an economic downturn, and 52% thought management is likely to cut corners to meet targets.
The JPMorgan shareholder debate has highlighted the problems with a profits-above-all mentality. That attitude is the reason JPMorgan and other banks ran roughshod over 4.2 million homeowners during the foreclosure crisis, ignoring critical steps in the foreclosure process; that is why JP Morgan failed to properly manage its London trading operation that “piled on risk, ignored limits on risk-taking, hid losses, dodged oversight and misinformed the public,” as Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) put it; and that is why JPMorgan faces litigation that takes 10 singled-space pages to describe in its quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A public company is not a private fiefdom, no matter what Dimon and his supporters believe. Boards of directors need to hold their CEOs accountable, which can lead to better outcomes for shareholders overall. That is done best when there are different people who are CEO and chairman.
The receptionist handed over the card key for the room with a slightly apologetic instruction. “You put it in the slot beside the door, this way round, then wait” – he gave the word “wait” a special emphasis – “until you hear a click, then the door is open.” Oh, the vagaries of the hotel card key. Oh, the incompetence, so the receptionist hinted, of the average hotel guest.
But I did wait, and the door did open. Then the difficulties began. I couldn’t find the little cradle that such cards often slot into to operate the electricity. I searched high and low, but to no effect. Fortunately, a chambermaid was still at work down the corridor. I looked pathetic, affected my best Italian pronunciation of “elettricita”, and she pointed to a horizontal slot actually in the wall, unmarked and almost invisible. The power sprang to life. I could now make the door say, “Do not disturb”; I could make it say “Clean the room, please”. I could, in theory, set the room temperature and the air conditioning (though I couldn’t make them work; my fault, I’m sure).
Someone, it seems, has sold Italian hotels, even small ones, a job lot of these all-embracing “smart” systems; I’ve come across quite a few of them over the past 10 days, and become adept at wiggling the card in the slot when, as often, it did not immediately connect.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of card keys and the eco-friendly power-saving they facilitate. But, as the brains behind the recent failed launch of Microsoft’s Windows 8 learnt to their cost, those who spend all their waking hours refining hi-tech gadgetry can get so far ahead of the rest of us that they end up making our lives more complicated, not less.
Italians have long been in the vanguard of techie progress. On assignment in Rome in the late 1980s – long before mobile phones, the internet and online anything, a time when we foreign correspondents routinely dismantled phone sockets and teased out the wires to send reports electronically – the press room had screens on wheels that scrolled the latest news from major international news agencies, continually updated. They were elegant, efficient, state of the art, but – best of all – you didn’t need to know how to work them.
If Dimon is as smart a corporate leader as many claim he is, he would recognize that a wise CEO recognizes that checks and balances are essential for sound corporate governance, and that an independent board – led by an independent chairman – is vital to any public company, particularly one with business operations as vast as JPMorgan’s. There is an inherent conflict in having a CEO who reports to himself as chairman. Typically when CEOs serve in both roles, it is the chairman’s position that tends to get short shrift.
There’s no dispute that shareholders have benefited financially from Dimon’s leadership. But profits alone don’t equate to good governance.
The need to have different people serve as CEO and chairman is particularly acute in JP Morgan’s case given the litany of problems the firm has had recently.
At the top of the list is the “London Whale” fiasco, causing trading losses that so far have cost the bank more than $6 billion. Dimon initially dismissed media reports about the scandal, calling the situation a “complete tempest in a teapot.” A damning report by a Senate investigation subcommittee questioned whether he deliberately downplayed what he knew were the major consequences of the trades.
The report, issued last month, said that when Dimon made that statement, the evidence indicates that he “was already in possession of information about the SCP’s [Synthetic Credit Portfolio’s] complex and sizeable portfolio, its sustained losses for three straight months, the exponential increase in those losses during March, and the difficulty of exiting the SCP’s real time Location system.”
Meanwhile, JPMorgan has paid $4.3 billion to settle charges regarding mortgage abuses and $88.3 million to settle claims it violated sanctions against Iran, Cuba and the Sudan. There are government inquiries into whether JPMorgan manipulated energy markets. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency singled out JPMorgan in a blistering critique of its anti-money-laundering controls, noting “critical deficiencies” in the way JP Morgan monitors transactions, flags suspicious activity and conducts basic due diligence on its customers. The state of California is suing JPMorgan for fraudulent and unlawful credit-card debt collection practices.
The need for strong, independent leadership of corporate boards is reinforced by the results of a recent survey of chief financial officers by Ernst & Young . The survey found that 47% of CFOs thought legally and ethically questionable actions were justified in an economic downturn, and 52% thought management is likely to cut corners to meet targets.
The JPMorgan shareholder debate has highlighted the problems with a profits-above-all mentality. That attitude is the reason JPMorgan and other banks ran roughshod over 4.2 million homeowners during the foreclosure crisis, ignoring critical steps in the foreclosure process; that is why JP Morgan failed to properly manage its London trading operation that “piled on risk, ignored limits on risk-taking, hid losses, dodged oversight and misinformed the public,” as Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) put it; and that is why JPMorgan faces litigation that takes 10 singled-space pages to describe in its quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A public company is not a private fiefdom, no matter what Dimon and his supporters believe. Boards of directors need to hold their CEOs accountable, which can lead to better outcomes for shareholders overall. That is done best when there are different people who are CEO and chairman.
The receptionist handed over the card key for the room with a slightly apologetic instruction. “You put it in the slot beside the door, this way round, then wait” – he gave the word “wait” a special emphasis – “until you hear a click, then the door is open.” Oh, the vagaries of the hotel card key. Oh, the incompetence, so the receptionist hinted, of the average hotel guest.
But I did wait, and the door did open. Then the difficulties began. I couldn’t find the little cradle that such cards often slot into to operate the electricity. I searched high and low, but to no effect. Fortunately, a chambermaid was still at work down the corridor. I looked pathetic, affected my best Italian pronunciation of “elettricita”, and she pointed to a horizontal slot actually in the wall, unmarked and almost invisible. The power sprang to life. I could now make the door say, “Do not disturb”; I could make it say “Clean the room, please”. I could, in theory, set the room temperature and the air conditioning (though I couldn’t make them work; my fault, I’m sure).
Someone, it seems, has sold Italian hotels, even small ones, a job lot of these all-embracing “smart” systems; I’ve come across quite a few of them over the past 10 days, and become adept at wiggling the card in the slot when, as often, it did not immediately connect.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of card keys and the eco-friendly power-saving they facilitate. But, as the brains behind the recent failed launch of Microsoft’s Windows 8 learnt to their cost, those who spend all their waking hours refining hi-tech gadgetry can get so far ahead of the rest of us that they end up making our lives more complicated, not less.
Italians have long been in the vanguard of techie progress. On assignment in Rome in the late 1980s – long before mobile phones, the internet and online anything, a time when we foreign correspondents routinely dismantled phone sockets and teased out the wires to send reports electronically – the press room had screens on wheels that scrolled the latest news from major international news agencies, continually updated. They were elegant, efficient, state of the art, but – best of all – you didn’t need to know how to work them.
2013年5月9日星期四
The did you know of a PATA summit
“Raise your hand if you have more than one mobile device on the table here today”, a whiz kid from Google asked delegates attending the recent PATA Summit. I can count. I raised my hand reckoning I had around five items. My reading glasses are for ever mobile, so is my pen if it is still on the table. Then there is my Iphone, a laptop and a wrist watch, an ancient mobile device that you can strap to your wrist or hang off a chain and dangle it from your waistcoat. That’s a fob watch and I don’t have one.
I thought I played the quiz quite well and the speaker was happy as he made his point. I was hoping he would sit down and call it day, but no he had to labour the point. Considering we all raised our hands and our mobile devices you would have thought the proverbial penny would have dropped. He was preaching to the converted. But he motored on; a speech had to be Hands free access.
Do you know half the world is right now on Facebook or twittering, he said and that if you started to check out all the websites on the internet you would still be here in 350 years. I groaned. No, I was planning to leave shortly after lunch.
As PATA Summits go, it wasn’t a bad effort. Around 280 people turned up for the one-day talk fest. Unfortunately, the speakers were all cloned and programmed to repeat exactly what the first smart fellow had said over and over again at sessions that rolled out on the hour until the cocktail bell rang.
Why is it that every high tech savvy speaker representing the likes of TripAdvisor, Google and Twitter assume we need to go back to basics every time we sit in a conference hall?
We got the usual rehashed tales of once up a time the internet sparked to life and spread at the speed of light across our globe in the time it would take you to say Bob’s your uncle.
Then there was the typical “did you know” question from a speaker who thought he was talking to a row of dumb terminals. No we didn’t know that every Chinese over the age of four owns a smart phone and twitters to mum and dad to turn the sound down on the telly. But we had a sneaking suspicion after hearing the same clap trap at every travel conference since the first Iphone was sold.
Then there were thoughts on multi-tasking. Today’s consumers are sitting watching the telly in the evening and checking what their friends are doing on Facebook. They are not missing a thing. How do we work a benefit out of that information nugget? All the travel industry has to fathom is how to get on the telly and shout “read my bloody Facebook entry.” Work that one out and we will have a travel boom on our doorstep.
I haven’t yet attended a conference that closed on time. Speakers always warn us we are short of time and have heaps to cover. Then why are they repeating stuff during the first 20 minutes that we have heard a million times? We are already bedazzled by technology, overwhelmed by the thought a billion Chinese glued to smart phones.
Yes, we are in a wonderful connected world and none of us can work out what the next development will be other than to acknowledge Google Glasses are just around the corner and who knows a high tech nose attachment will follow to dispatch the exact smells that belong to the photos forwarded to our Facebook page.
If its annual general meeting was anything to gauge the future by, then we would have to say, members were not fighting to find a seat, but those who did bother to attend witnessed discussion, even a few heated arguments; all good signs that PATA is alive and some members are kicking. It is not the time to call in the house doctor to write a death certificate for this association. There is hope mainly because its leaders know they have to do business differently than ever before. Transparency and association democracy are the buzz words voiced by people who earlier nurtured the PATA closed shop mentality.
Mr Craigs hails from Northern Ireland, a substantial man who fills a seat and towers like a crane over a Belfast shipyard. I would venture if he is given tools and mandate from the association’s executive board, he will have his ship under full steam in a year well clear of the snipes and storms that have so far assailed PATA.
“Shell is one of the first companies to make fuel economy claims on maingrade fuels. We have more than 100 years’ experience in helping the world’s drivers get more out of their fuel. The Shell Fuel Economy Refresh campaign goes that extra mile in demonstrating that through the use of these fuels and making a few simple changes to your driving habits, you achieve fuel economy.” said Ravi Sundararajan, Director & General Manager, Shell Retail India.
The cleaning system in Shell Fuel Economy is designed to prevent the build-up of deposits that can harm an engine’s performance over time. Friction and build-up of deposits on the engine are known to cause engine operation problems. Over a period of time, fuel and lubricants tend to wear down the engine by leaving behind deposits causing poor driveability, power loss, increased exhaust emissions and thereby increasing the fuel consumption. The Fuel Economy Formula therefore helps maximise the amount of fuel energy that can be transmitted usefully to the wheels propelling the extra drive.
“The team of fuel technology experts are passionate about producing the best possible fuels for our customers’ needs. They are constantly innovating to create some of the most advanced fuels in the world, says Loke Chee Hin, Technologist at Shell India. “In India, we are focused on helping our customers make the right fuelling decisions, therefore inspiring them to lead the way in fuel efficiency,” he adds.
As part of the Shell Fuel Economy Refresh initiative, Shell Retail has kicked off a comprehensive awareness and consumer engagement drive across all Shell fuel pumps. The company is initiating a campaign on radio and on the Outdoor media to encourage vehicle owners to experience the benefits of Shell Fuel Economy across its product range. Additionally, a comprehensive orientation exercise, targeted at Shell’s retailers, attempts to reinforce the Fuel Economy philosophy, therefore enabling them to guide customers meaningfully.
I thought I played the quiz quite well and the speaker was happy as he made his point. I was hoping he would sit down and call it day, but no he had to labour the point. Considering we all raised our hands and our mobile devices you would have thought the proverbial penny would have dropped. He was preaching to the converted. But he motored on; a speech had to be Hands free access.
Do you know half the world is right now on Facebook or twittering, he said and that if you started to check out all the websites on the internet you would still be here in 350 years. I groaned. No, I was planning to leave shortly after lunch.
As PATA Summits go, it wasn’t a bad effort. Around 280 people turned up for the one-day talk fest. Unfortunately, the speakers were all cloned and programmed to repeat exactly what the first smart fellow had said over and over again at sessions that rolled out on the hour until the cocktail bell rang.
Why is it that every high tech savvy speaker representing the likes of TripAdvisor, Google and Twitter assume we need to go back to basics every time we sit in a conference hall?
We got the usual rehashed tales of once up a time the internet sparked to life and spread at the speed of light across our globe in the time it would take you to say Bob’s your uncle.
Then there was the typical “did you know” question from a speaker who thought he was talking to a row of dumb terminals. No we didn’t know that every Chinese over the age of four owns a smart phone and twitters to mum and dad to turn the sound down on the telly. But we had a sneaking suspicion after hearing the same clap trap at every travel conference since the first Iphone was sold.
Then there were thoughts on multi-tasking. Today’s consumers are sitting watching the telly in the evening and checking what their friends are doing on Facebook. They are not missing a thing. How do we work a benefit out of that information nugget? All the travel industry has to fathom is how to get on the telly and shout “read my bloody Facebook entry.” Work that one out and we will have a travel boom on our doorstep.
I haven’t yet attended a conference that closed on time. Speakers always warn us we are short of time and have heaps to cover. Then why are they repeating stuff during the first 20 minutes that we have heard a million times? We are already bedazzled by technology, overwhelmed by the thought a billion Chinese glued to smart phones.
Yes, we are in a wonderful connected world and none of us can work out what the next development will be other than to acknowledge Google Glasses are just around the corner and who knows a high tech nose attachment will follow to dispatch the exact smells that belong to the photos forwarded to our Facebook page.
If its annual general meeting was anything to gauge the future by, then we would have to say, members were not fighting to find a seat, but those who did bother to attend witnessed discussion, even a few heated arguments; all good signs that PATA is alive and some members are kicking. It is not the time to call in the house doctor to write a death certificate for this association. There is hope mainly because its leaders know they have to do business differently than ever before. Transparency and association democracy are the buzz words voiced by people who earlier nurtured the PATA closed shop mentality.
Mr Craigs hails from Northern Ireland, a substantial man who fills a seat and towers like a crane over a Belfast shipyard. I would venture if he is given tools and mandate from the association’s executive board, he will have his ship under full steam in a year well clear of the snipes and storms that have so far assailed PATA.
“Shell is one of the first companies to make fuel economy claims on maingrade fuels. We have more than 100 years’ experience in helping the world’s drivers get more out of their fuel. The Shell Fuel Economy Refresh campaign goes that extra mile in demonstrating that through the use of these fuels and making a few simple changes to your driving habits, you achieve fuel economy.” said Ravi Sundararajan, Director & General Manager, Shell Retail India.
The cleaning system in Shell Fuel Economy is designed to prevent the build-up of deposits that can harm an engine’s performance over time. Friction and build-up of deposits on the engine are known to cause engine operation problems. Over a period of time, fuel and lubricants tend to wear down the engine by leaving behind deposits causing poor driveability, power loss, increased exhaust emissions and thereby increasing the fuel consumption. The Fuel Economy Formula therefore helps maximise the amount of fuel energy that can be transmitted usefully to the wheels propelling the extra drive.
“The team of fuel technology experts are passionate about producing the best possible fuels for our customers’ needs. They are constantly innovating to create some of the most advanced fuels in the world, says Loke Chee Hin, Technologist at Shell India. “In India, we are focused on helping our customers make the right fuelling decisions, therefore inspiring them to lead the way in fuel efficiency,” he adds.
As part of the Shell Fuel Economy Refresh initiative, Shell Retail has kicked off a comprehensive awareness and consumer engagement drive across all Shell fuel pumps. The company is initiating a campaign on radio and on the Outdoor media to encourage vehicle owners to experience the benefits of Shell Fuel Economy across its product range. Additionally, a comprehensive orientation exercise, targeted at Shell’s retailers, attempts to reinforce the Fuel Economy philosophy, therefore enabling them to guide customers meaningfully.
2013年5月7日星期二
Soccer land swap could solve problems for DC and United
City officials are currently talking with DC United and developer Akridge about swapping some empty parcels of land at Buzzard Point for government-owned properties around the city, like the Reeves Center near 14th & U streets. In return, Akridge would build a new public safety campus elsewhere in the city and DC United would get the land at Buzzard Point for a stadium.
While other uses have been considered for Buzzard Point in the past, putting a new DC United stadium there would be the best use of that land, while opening up other properties around the city that are better suited for housing or commercial activities.
The current Metropolitan Police Department headquarters at Judiciary Square is outdated and needs to be replaced. It's in such poor shape that MPD employees would have to move somewhere else if the building were renovated.
Meanwhile, the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the Department of Corrections are temporarily moving from their obsolete facilities on Vermont Avenue to the Reeves Center. All three government agencies are in need of new permanent headquarters, but the catch is that there are currently no funds allocated to building them.
Slate business and economics correspondent Matt Yglesias recently argued that this site should be used for affordable housing indoor Tracking. While he's right that DC needs more housing, the Buzzard Point site doesn't make sense for housing under current market conditions. Akridge bought the land that currently sits idle as a parking lot in 2005. They hoped to build an office building but the GSA refused to lease space there, saying the 15-minute walk from the Navy Yard Metro was too far.
There was a residential construction boom when Akridge bought the land in 2005, and there's one happening now due to limited supply and high rents. If they thought that they could sell or rent new homes there, they would have already done so. The Buzzard Point site is a vacant parking lot because there simply isn't enough economic incentive to build there.
If DC United moved to Buzzard Point, the land would become more valuable, much like the Capitol Riverfront after Nationals Park opened. The District could gain tax revenue from surrounding vacant properties as they were developed. Now in private hands, the highly valuable properties at Judiciary Square and 14th and U could also raise tax revenue for the city.
This gives DC more funds that could be used for affordable housing programs. Meanwhile, the market rate housing supply would increase due to new residential buildings at 14th and U and Buzzard Point.
The increase in housing supply would help stabilize rents. Individual buildings may not do much to stabilize rising rents, since they are only a small part of the new supply needed to meet demand. However, every little bit counts.
While the District of Columbia needs more market rate and affordable housing, it can accomplish those goals without throwing around money to induce development where there's no demand for it. Perhaps that was the only option available to our forebears in the second half of the 20th century, but the present situation is different with a growing, desirable city and private investors like Akridge and DC United falling all over themselves to invest in the District of Columbia.
It appears that the District government understands the present circumstances and is negotiating to indirectly use this private investment to improve city services, increase its tax base, and increase its housing supply without having to issue debt that would affect its bond rating. That's exactly how a growing city should operate.
Still, despite those guffaws, Dickinson made his mark in more productive ways. He was first elected to a three-year term as selectmen in 1970, serving with Chet Lucy and Fran Deasy.
During his years in the House, he took leadership in crafting legislation on current-use assessment, the right to bear arms, and on protecting ski areas from unwarranted lawsuits regarding skier safety.
Asked what legislation he was most proud of, Dickinson said, "First and foremost, our Current Use Assessment Law (RSA 79-A), which is recognized as the best in the nation," he said. "Also there is our Right to Bear Arms Constitutional Amendment which I first introduced at the 1974 Constitutional Convention and states that 'all persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state.'
"I also drafted the skier liability policy with Stan Judge (then of Wildcat) and Phil Gravnik (then of Loon, later of Cannon and Attitash) in 1979, which is now used by ski resorts across America," Dickinson continued. "One other accomplishment that comes to mind is the Shoreline Protection Act in 1991 which protects the shores of our lakes and rivers from ill-considered and poorly planned development."
While other uses have been considered for Buzzard Point in the past, putting a new DC United stadium there would be the best use of that land, while opening up other properties around the city that are better suited for housing or commercial activities.
The current Metropolitan Police Department headquarters at Judiciary Square is outdated and needs to be replaced. It's in such poor shape that MPD employees would have to move somewhere else if the building were renovated.
Meanwhile, the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the Department of Corrections are temporarily moving from their obsolete facilities on Vermont Avenue to the Reeves Center. All three government agencies are in need of new permanent headquarters, but the catch is that there are currently no funds allocated to building them.
Slate business and economics correspondent Matt Yglesias recently argued that this site should be used for affordable housing indoor Tracking. While he's right that DC needs more housing, the Buzzard Point site doesn't make sense for housing under current market conditions. Akridge bought the land that currently sits idle as a parking lot in 2005. They hoped to build an office building but the GSA refused to lease space there, saying the 15-minute walk from the Navy Yard Metro was too far.
There was a residential construction boom when Akridge bought the land in 2005, and there's one happening now due to limited supply and high rents. If they thought that they could sell or rent new homes there, they would have already done so. The Buzzard Point site is a vacant parking lot because there simply isn't enough economic incentive to build there.
If DC United moved to Buzzard Point, the land would become more valuable, much like the Capitol Riverfront after Nationals Park opened. The District could gain tax revenue from surrounding vacant properties as they were developed. Now in private hands, the highly valuable properties at Judiciary Square and 14th and U could also raise tax revenue for the city.
This gives DC more funds that could be used for affordable housing programs. Meanwhile, the market rate housing supply would increase due to new residential buildings at 14th and U and Buzzard Point.
The increase in housing supply would help stabilize rents. Individual buildings may not do much to stabilize rising rents, since they are only a small part of the new supply needed to meet demand. However, every little bit counts.
While the District of Columbia needs more market rate and affordable housing, it can accomplish those goals without throwing around money to induce development where there's no demand for it. Perhaps that was the only option available to our forebears in the second half of the 20th century, but the present situation is different with a growing, desirable city and private investors like Akridge and DC United falling all over themselves to invest in the District of Columbia.
It appears that the District government understands the present circumstances and is negotiating to indirectly use this private investment to improve city services, increase its tax base, and increase its housing supply without having to issue debt that would affect its bond rating. That's exactly how a growing city should operate.
Still, despite those guffaws, Dickinson made his mark in more productive ways. He was first elected to a three-year term as selectmen in 1970, serving with Chet Lucy and Fran Deasy.
During his years in the House, he took leadership in crafting legislation on current-use assessment, the right to bear arms, and on protecting ski areas from unwarranted lawsuits regarding skier safety.
Asked what legislation he was most proud of, Dickinson said, "First and foremost, our Current Use Assessment Law (RSA 79-A), which is recognized as the best in the nation," he said. "Also there is our Right to Bear Arms Constitutional Amendment which I first introduced at the 1974 Constitutional Convention and states that 'all persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state.'
"I also drafted the skier liability policy with Stan Judge (then of Wildcat) and Phil Gravnik (then of Loon, later of Cannon and Attitash) in 1979, which is now used by ski resorts across America," Dickinson continued. "One other accomplishment that comes to mind is the Shoreline Protection Act in 1991 which protects the shores of our lakes and rivers from ill-considered and poorly planned development."
2013年4月8日星期一
Universal Commerce Will Force Retailers to Change
Technology advances have greatly impacted the payments industry and consumers now expect a more integrated buying experience that is not only quick, consistent and secure, but also readily available and accessible wherever they are. Convenience store operators are recognizing that customer interactions are no longer limited to the confines of brick-and-mortar establishments.
This new reality of increased information and access to sophisticated technology that is transforming today’s commerce can best be described as Universal Commerce. The driving enabler of Universal Commerce is the technology behind smart devices, mobile transactions and personalized offers, among others.
According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 83 percent of U.S. consumers go online to research electronics, computers, books, music and movies before buying those items in brick-and-mortar stores. It is crucial that store operators acknowledge this new wave of technology behind the latest payment solutions and deliver the experiences that customers want and, in fact, are creating for themselves.
Offering these seamless and integrated engagement experiences, though, requires rethinking basic business models, practices, processes and the technology infrastructure that supports them.
Devices such as tablets and smartphones enable store operators to execute highly targeted promotions that are proving much more cost effective than broad, poorly focused awareness advertising. The lines are blurring between in-store commerce, eCommerce and mobile commerce. Smart devices have opened the door to prepaid mobile applications (apps), smartphone-based media purchases, and near-field communication or cloud-based technology.
Consumers are not just using their smartphones to socialize with a select few on social networks, but rather to log on to user review sites, gain knowledge from people they are connected with, and take advantage of virtual wallets to make online purchases that they will redeem in-store.
The popularity and demand for electronic promotions is another increasingly influential consideration on the payments industry because of technology. By using electronic promotions, consumers can consolidate and track personal offers, ensuring a higher redemption rate. These capabilities alter the economics of offers and loyalty programs, and also provide merchants with detailed data revealing customer shopping behavior.
Mobile devices are at the forefront of changing how consumers go about their daily lives – and in particular, how they are monitoring their finances and making purchases. Commerce-enabled mobile devices allow users to manage multiple accounts whether they are credit, debit or merchant-specific. By simplifying how resources are managed, consumers can improve financial monitoring and purchasing decisions, and experience faster, simpler transactions to eliminate dependency on credit cards, debit cards, checks and cash.
Consider that in a recent First Data Corp. study, 60 percent of consumers surveyed said they believe contactless payments translate into faster transactions, with 36 percent saying mobile purchasing is more convenient than using a credit or debit card in person at the store.
As technology matures and new options become available, consumers will continue to gain confidence in the security of mobile payments and be more aware of the technology features in place — such as the layered security concept — to protect their data. In fact, experts predict that most consumers will have embraced mobile payments by 2020, wiping out the need for cash and credit cards, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center report.
Technology is also helping to provide software developers and direct-connect merchants with a streamlined way to deliver payment-rich applications through a single interface that empowers customers to pay any way and anywhere they choose. By doing so, merchants can reduce the time, cost and complexity of integrating with their payments processor, which includes simplified testing and certification, expediting time to the market.
Businesses that accept credit or debit payments will also need to ensure ongoing heightened compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). But this process doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult – especially with the right tools in place. The good news is technology exists that helps small to mid-sized merchants rapidly achieve and maintain PCI-DSS certification. This would include point-to-point encryption and tokenization solutions.
As consumers continue to demand more convenience, store operators should also consider how EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) technology affects their businesses and look into options for accepting chip-based credit and debit cards.
In the coming year, non-cash payments will continue to be a significant component of most businesses’ receivables. Beyond traditional debit and credit, transactions made by mobile devices and contactless cards will gain popularity. Proactively researching and investing in smart solutions that work today will ensure that retailers are prepared for what’s to come.
Like financial institutions, c-store retailers must recognize they need to adapt to the new ways of doing business in order to survive in today’s marketplace and embrace technology as it becomes available. By adopting the same Universal Commerce attitude as consumers, customizing it to their business and choosing the right partners to integrate cutting-edge technology, c-store operators will be able to create more innovative solutions that can help increase customer loyalty, boost repeat business and leave more customers satisfied.
This new reality of increased information and access to sophisticated technology that is transforming today’s commerce can best be described as Universal Commerce. The driving enabler of Universal Commerce is the technology behind smart devices, mobile transactions and personalized offers, among others.
According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 83 percent of U.S. consumers go online to research electronics, computers, books, music and movies before buying those items in brick-and-mortar stores. It is crucial that store operators acknowledge this new wave of technology behind the latest payment solutions and deliver the experiences that customers want and, in fact, are creating for themselves.
Offering these seamless and integrated engagement experiences, though, requires rethinking basic business models, practices, processes and the technology infrastructure that supports them.
Devices such as tablets and smartphones enable store operators to execute highly targeted promotions that are proving much more cost effective than broad, poorly focused awareness advertising. The lines are blurring between in-store commerce, eCommerce and mobile commerce. Smart devices have opened the door to prepaid mobile applications (apps), smartphone-based media purchases, and near-field communication or cloud-based technology.
Consumers are not just using their smartphones to socialize with a select few on social networks, but rather to log on to user review sites, gain knowledge from people they are connected with, and take advantage of virtual wallets to make online purchases that they will redeem in-store.
The popularity and demand for electronic promotions is another increasingly influential consideration on the payments industry because of technology. By using electronic promotions, consumers can consolidate and track personal offers, ensuring a higher redemption rate. These capabilities alter the economics of offers and loyalty programs, and also provide merchants with detailed data revealing customer shopping behavior.
Mobile devices are at the forefront of changing how consumers go about their daily lives – and in particular, how they are monitoring their finances and making purchases. Commerce-enabled mobile devices allow users to manage multiple accounts whether they are credit, debit or merchant-specific. By simplifying how resources are managed, consumers can improve financial monitoring and purchasing decisions, and experience faster, simpler transactions to eliminate dependency on credit cards, debit cards, checks and cash.
Consider that in a recent First Data Corp. study, 60 percent of consumers surveyed said they believe contactless payments translate into faster transactions, with 36 percent saying mobile purchasing is more convenient than using a credit or debit card in person at the store.
As technology matures and new options become available, consumers will continue to gain confidence in the security of mobile payments and be more aware of the technology features in place — such as the layered security concept — to protect their data. In fact, experts predict that most consumers will have embraced mobile payments by 2020, wiping out the need for cash and credit cards, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center report.
Technology is also helping to provide software developers and direct-connect merchants with a streamlined way to deliver payment-rich applications through a single interface that empowers customers to pay any way and anywhere they choose. By doing so, merchants can reduce the time, cost and complexity of integrating with their payments processor, which includes simplified testing and certification, expediting time to the market.
Businesses that accept credit or debit payments will also need to ensure ongoing heightened compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). But this process doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult – especially with the right tools in place. The good news is technology exists that helps small to mid-sized merchants rapidly achieve and maintain PCI-DSS certification. This would include point-to-point encryption and tokenization solutions.
As consumers continue to demand more convenience, store operators should also consider how EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) technology affects their businesses and look into options for accepting chip-based credit and debit cards.
In the coming year, non-cash payments will continue to be a significant component of most businesses’ receivables. Beyond traditional debit and credit, transactions made by mobile devices and contactless cards will gain popularity. Proactively researching and investing in smart solutions that work today will ensure that retailers are prepared for what’s to come.
Like financial institutions, c-store retailers must recognize they need to adapt to the new ways of doing business in order to survive in today’s marketplace and embrace technology as it becomes available. By adopting the same Universal Commerce attitude as consumers, customizing it to their business and choosing the right partners to integrate cutting-edge technology, c-store operators will be able to create more innovative solutions that can help increase customer loyalty, boost repeat business and leave more customers satisfied.
2013年3月14日星期四
German Startup Brings Finance Industry's Fast-Cash Option to Galleries
Imagine that a young gallerist shells out $13,000 for a booth at an indie art fair like Volta or Independent. Tack on another few grand for food, flights, shipping, and hotels. If all goes well, he or she sells enough art to recoup the expenses — maybe even turn a profit — before going home, unpacking, writing up the invoices, and then waiting for the checks to come in.
But, as any cash-gutted dealer in this situation knows, that can take weeks or months. In the meantime, rent still has to be paid, as do day-to-day operating costs and any fabrication expenses. The artists must wait even longer.
It's a gamble that can easily topple a business, and the art trade is unique for operating without a net. For almost any other company that issues invoices, the financial sector already offers a solution. It’s known as “factoring,” and is common practice in many professions, but largely unheard of in the gallery world.
The way it works is that a third-party company advances payment to a seller while directly invoicing the other — a little like PayPal, but with higher stakes. In recent years, the art market has increasingly come to embrace finance industry models, creating its own art investment banks and lenders, such as ArtAssure and PlatinumArts. Now, a German startup called Foundation wants to be the first to bring the traditional factoring framework long used by mainstream companies like Rosenthal & Rosenthal to the primary art market.
“It’s an incubator for a certain kind of gallery,” said Foundation co-founder Ulrich Voges, who also launched Volta in 2005 with Amanda Coulson. Established galleries don’t need extra capital, and private lenders already exist to serve the blue-chip secondary market. But, to date, no entrepreneur has risked advancing cash to the lower-end galleries on the primary market.
“What’s important to these galleries is cash flow, the liquidity,” Voges said. “What you really need on your daily basis is always something you have to fight for."
So far, Foundation, which Voges founded alongside Coulson, Karl Rheinberger, Tobias Kirchhofer, and Philipp von Ilberg, has raised €800,000, and plans to be operational with that budget in time for Art Cologne in April. At that point, any of its 100 member galleries can approach Foundation on a deal-by-deal basis and, if it approves the sale, the gallery will receive a 90-percent advance within 48 hours. Foundation keeps 3.8 percent for itself — slightly more than what a credit card company typically charges merchants.
"The introduction of factoring to the art trade is such a no-brainer that one wonders why no one has done it before," said Joost Bosland, a director at Cape Town's Stevenson gallery, which has signed up for the service. Once, Stevenson sold a sculpture at the Armory Show to a collector who picked up the work at the end of the fair, but never paid for it. "Eventually we physically went to their premises to collect the work more than a year later."
“I would have used it when I began,” said Patricia Asbaek, who opened her Copenhagen gallery in 1975. “We more or less all started from scratch with a lot of good ideas and great artists and young collectors. It was a hard job to survive and I would really have appreciated a special art bank to support me.”
If all goes according to plan, Voges expects to work with upwards of 1,000 international galleries in the next few years. For now, however, its business is restricted largely to the euro zone since it does not yet meet U.S. trade regulations. American galleries have signed up, but can only use the service for deals with foreign collectors.
“I do think there’s a need for it,” said art financier and ArtAssure president Asher Edelman. “This is not a very good cash-flow business.” But, he added, Foundation’s 3.8-percent cut seemed steep to him, and he doubted that most of galleries' transactions really take longer than a month.
Then again, backing untested artists brings sizeable risk. Unlike art that has already gone to auction, work on the primary market cannot be objectively valued, which is why factors have typically stuck to commodities: tradable products that they know they can repossess and sell if a client defaults on payment.
If a buyer doesn’t pay Foundation after three months, which Voges thinks is unlikely in this industry, it too will repossess the artwork. But whereas traditional factors wouldn't want to touch such an asset, Foundation thinks its backers have experience in the art world that renders them uniquely suited to handling work of more indeterminate value.
“There’s probably no alternative” for factors in this price range, added Edelman, “so maybe it is fair. If it’s only dealing in $20,000 pictures, then maybe it’s not too expensive.”
A potentially more controversial aspect of the business is its aim to create a primary market price database. Over the next three years, Foundation plans to compile sales information collected from members, which its marketing materials say will ultimately be “desirable for many groups and other providers in the field in terms of screening this high-potential market.”
But Voges was quick to downplay the database: “It’s almost a derivative of what we are doing here,” he said, and the information will be analyzed only “in an abstract way.” He knows that dealers get squeamish when it comes to talking about money, and few want to see private sales information go public, so he stressed that, overall, the business “is actually something quite beautiful because it extracts a crucial part of the relationship between gallery and collector, and that is the money, and that is when it can become uncomfortable.”
But, as any cash-gutted dealer in this situation knows, that can take weeks or months. In the meantime, rent still has to be paid, as do day-to-day operating costs and any fabrication expenses. The artists must wait even longer.
It's a gamble that can easily topple a business, and the art trade is unique for operating without a net. For almost any other company that issues invoices, the financial sector already offers a solution. It’s known as “factoring,” and is common practice in many professions, but largely unheard of in the gallery world.
The way it works is that a third-party company advances payment to a seller while directly invoicing the other — a little like PayPal, but with higher stakes. In recent years, the art market has increasingly come to embrace finance industry models, creating its own art investment banks and lenders, such as ArtAssure and PlatinumArts. Now, a German startup called Foundation wants to be the first to bring the traditional factoring framework long used by mainstream companies like Rosenthal & Rosenthal to the primary art market.
“It’s an incubator for a certain kind of gallery,” said Foundation co-founder Ulrich Voges, who also launched Volta in 2005 with Amanda Coulson. Established galleries don’t need extra capital, and private lenders already exist to serve the blue-chip secondary market. But, to date, no entrepreneur has risked advancing cash to the lower-end galleries on the primary market.
“What’s important to these galleries is cash flow, the liquidity,” Voges said. “What you really need on your daily basis is always something you have to fight for."
So far, Foundation, which Voges founded alongside Coulson, Karl Rheinberger, Tobias Kirchhofer, and Philipp von Ilberg, has raised €800,000, and plans to be operational with that budget in time for Art Cologne in April. At that point, any of its 100 member galleries can approach Foundation on a deal-by-deal basis and, if it approves the sale, the gallery will receive a 90-percent advance within 48 hours. Foundation keeps 3.8 percent for itself — slightly more than what a credit card company typically charges merchants.
"The introduction of factoring to the art trade is such a no-brainer that one wonders why no one has done it before," said Joost Bosland, a director at Cape Town's Stevenson gallery, which has signed up for the service. Once, Stevenson sold a sculpture at the Armory Show to a collector who picked up the work at the end of the fair, but never paid for it. "Eventually we physically went to their premises to collect the work more than a year later."
“I would have used it when I began,” said Patricia Asbaek, who opened her Copenhagen gallery in 1975. “We more or less all started from scratch with a lot of good ideas and great artists and young collectors. It was a hard job to survive and I would really have appreciated a special art bank to support me.”
If all goes according to plan, Voges expects to work with upwards of 1,000 international galleries in the next few years. For now, however, its business is restricted largely to the euro zone since it does not yet meet U.S. trade regulations. American galleries have signed up, but can only use the service for deals with foreign collectors.
“I do think there’s a need for it,” said art financier and ArtAssure president Asher Edelman. “This is not a very good cash-flow business.” But, he added, Foundation’s 3.8-percent cut seemed steep to him, and he doubted that most of galleries' transactions really take longer than a month.
Then again, backing untested artists brings sizeable risk. Unlike art that has already gone to auction, work on the primary market cannot be objectively valued, which is why factors have typically stuck to commodities: tradable products that they know they can repossess and sell if a client defaults on payment.
If a buyer doesn’t pay Foundation after three months, which Voges thinks is unlikely in this industry, it too will repossess the artwork. But whereas traditional factors wouldn't want to touch such an asset, Foundation thinks its backers have experience in the art world that renders them uniquely suited to handling work of more indeterminate value.
“There’s probably no alternative” for factors in this price range, added Edelman, “so maybe it is fair. If it’s only dealing in $20,000 pictures, then maybe it’s not too expensive.”
A potentially more controversial aspect of the business is its aim to create a primary market price database. Over the next three years, Foundation plans to compile sales information collected from members, which its marketing materials say will ultimately be “desirable for many groups and other providers in the field in terms of screening this high-potential market.”
But Voges was quick to downplay the database: “It’s almost a derivative of what we are doing here,” he said, and the information will be analyzed only “in an abstract way.” He knows that dealers get squeamish when it comes to talking about money, and few want to see private sales information go public, so he stressed that, overall, the business “is actually something quite beautiful because it extracts a crucial part of the relationship between gallery and collector, and that is the money, and that is when it can become uncomfortable.”
2013年1月31日星期四
Vija Celmins painting not shown for 50 years
An early still life by Vija Celmins that has been hanging in its owners' kitchen for almost 50 years will go up for auction in May at Los Angeles Modern Auctions.
Celmins once described this body of work to painter Chuck Close as a break with the emotional maelstrom of Abstract Expressionism that influenced her early on: “I decided to go back to looking at something outside of myself. I was going back to what I thought was this basic, stupid painting…. I don’t embellish anymore, I don’t compose, and I don’t jazz up the color.”
The couple who own the knife-and-dish image, who decline to be identified, say they bought the painting in 1964 for less than $100 from the artist. The auction house, which is increasingly known for contemporary art offerings as well as design and furniture, will offer the work in May with an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
Los Angeles Modern Auctions founder Peter Loughrey said another dealer tipped him off to the Celmins one day in early January. He made an appointment to see the owners the same day. “I had the painting in my hand with a signed [consignment] agreement an hour and a half later,” he said.
And yes, the painting shows a bit of its domestic history: Loughrey said it is now being cleaned to eliminate “some particulates and grease” on its surface, though he described the overall condition as "excellent."
Did you just hear a giant sigh of relief? It came from General Electric after the White House announced the end of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
Two years ago, GE chief Jeff Immelt agreed to the lead the council after being asked by the president. It wasn’t long before the Tea Party was regularly blasting the CEO and painting GE as the poster child for perceived coziness between big business and big government. The decision also produced some grumbling among GE’s ranks, as some executives groused privately about the political fallout.
Today, Mr. Immelt sent a note to all the members of the council thanking them for their work. “After two years of work, I think we have helped build a broader understanding of what is needed to strengthen our economy,” Mr. Immelt wrote according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “We leave behind a strong record of action and accomplishment.’
He noted that 90% of the council’s recommendations including fast-tracking key infrastructure projects and selling more leases for both oil and gas production were implemented. GE doubled the number of engineering interns it hires to 3,600 as part of its work on the Jobs Council, a spokesman said.
Well, it’s a start. Just for the record, the unemployment rate since the council was formed has come down from over 9% to under 8%, but that’s still considered to be high.
Mr. Immelt always defended his move as a call to duty. At GE’s 2011 annual shareholder meeting, Mr. Immelt said only 4% of the company’s revenue came from U.S. government contracts.
But his time on the council may have tired the 56-year-old CEO of Washington’s political paralysis. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose on PBS News, Mr. Immelt noted that President Obama enacted 54 of the 60 recommendations made by the Jobs Council that could be implemented with an executive order. But of the 30 recommendations that needed legislation, only four got done.
Asked whether he would answer a call from the president in his second term, Mr. Immelt said: “I’d say I’ve had the honor of serving you already, Mr. President.” Adding, “At the end of the day what you really want me doing is selling jet engines.”
"In our district, I feel like most of the art teachers are artists themselves. ... That doesn't always happen in a school district," says Garfinkel, who taught art in another county before coming to Lancaster.
"It's neat that the kids in the city are being taught by people who can really make art," Garfinkel says. "That's what I wanted to come across in the show."
Each of the 10 teachers is exhibiting between one and three pieces, ranging from paintings to sculpture and glassware to photography.
Garfinkel is showing his "Silo City," a mixed-media work in pastel colors that juxtaposes elements of urban and rural architecture.
"It's pretty much my take on Lancaster County, and since I teach in the city, it's the art of the city mixed with silos in the background," Garfinkel says.
"I love my students, and their energy is catching, and I love seeing what they create. They inspire me every day," he adds.
The exhibit represents the first non-school show for recent Messiah College graduate Diane Nicole Carroll, a new art teacher at Edward Hand Middle School.
Carroll, who works in wood and steel, is exhibiting "Answered Prayers," a steel base that holds a black-walnut bowl filled with wooden cubes.
Celmins once described this body of work to painter Chuck Close as a break with the emotional maelstrom of Abstract Expressionism that influenced her early on: “I decided to go back to looking at something outside of myself. I was going back to what I thought was this basic, stupid painting…. I don’t embellish anymore, I don’t compose, and I don’t jazz up the color.”
The couple who own the knife-and-dish image, who decline to be identified, say they bought the painting in 1964 for less than $100 from the artist. The auction house, which is increasingly known for contemporary art offerings as well as design and furniture, will offer the work in May with an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
Los Angeles Modern Auctions founder Peter Loughrey said another dealer tipped him off to the Celmins one day in early January. He made an appointment to see the owners the same day. “I had the painting in my hand with a signed [consignment] agreement an hour and a half later,” he said.
And yes, the painting shows a bit of its domestic history: Loughrey said it is now being cleaned to eliminate “some particulates and grease” on its surface, though he described the overall condition as "excellent."
Did you just hear a giant sigh of relief? It came from General Electric after the White House announced the end of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
Two years ago, GE chief Jeff Immelt agreed to the lead the council after being asked by the president. It wasn’t long before the Tea Party was regularly blasting the CEO and painting GE as the poster child for perceived coziness between big business and big government. The decision also produced some grumbling among GE’s ranks, as some executives groused privately about the political fallout.
Today, Mr. Immelt sent a note to all the members of the council thanking them for their work. “After two years of work, I think we have helped build a broader understanding of what is needed to strengthen our economy,” Mr. Immelt wrote according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “We leave behind a strong record of action and accomplishment.’
He noted that 90% of the council’s recommendations including fast-tracking key infrastructure projects and selling more leases for both oil and gas production were implemented. GE doubled the number of engineering interns it hires to 3,600 as part of its work on the Jobs Council, a spokesman said.
Well, it’s a start. Just for the record, the unemployment rate since the council was formed has come down from over 9% to under 8%, but that’s still considered to be high.
Mr. Immelt always defended his move as a call to duty. At GE’s 2011 annual shareholder meeting, Mr. Immelt said only 4% of the company’s revenue came from U.S. government contracts.
But his time on the council may have tired the 56-year-old CEO of Washington’s political paralysis. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose on PBS News, Mr. Immelt noted that President Obama enacted 54 of the 60 recommendations made by the Jobs Council that could be implemented with an executive order. But of the 30 recommendations that needed legislation, only four got done.
Asked whether he would answer a call from the president in his second term, Mr. Immelt said: “I’d say I’ve had the honor of serving you already, Mr. President.” Adding, “At the end of the day what you really want me doing is selling jet engines.”
"In our district, I feel like most of the art teachers are artists themselves. ... That doesn't always happen in a school district," says Garfinkel, who taught art in another county before coming to Lancaster.
"It's neat that the kids in the city are being taught by people who can really make art," Garfinkel says. "That's what I wanted to come across in the show."
Each of the 10 teachers is exhibiting between one and three pieces, ranging from paintings to sculpture and glassware to photography.
Garfinkel is showing his "Silo City," a mixed-media work in pastel colors that juxtaposes elements of urban and rural architecture.
"It's pretty much my take on Lancaster County, and since I teach in the city, it's the art of the city mixed with silos in the background," Garfinkel says.
"I love my students, and their energy is catching, and I love seeing what they create. They inspire me every day," he adds.
The exhibit represents the first non-school show for recent Messiah College graduate Diane Nicole Carroll, a new art teacher at Edward Hand Middle School.
Carroll, who works in wood and steel, is exhibiting "Answered Prayers," a steel base that holds a black-walnut bowl filled with wooden cubes.
2013年1月13日星期日
Corbett at a crossroads
The governor's budget policies have serious consequences for those hit by economic hard times in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, which had a 9.4 percent unemployment rate in November, the highest among the 14 metro areas in the state. State and federal budget cuts have created a crisis for local nonprofits operating food pantries and other programs to help the poor, homeless and jobless, said Gary Drapek, president of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne counties.
"What we are seeing now especially is the cold weather starting to hit," Drapek said.
The United Way of Pennsylvania released a statewide survey in late November indicating that state budget cuts in fiscal 2012-13 impacted 69 percent of some 800 responding nonprofits. As a result, 51 percent of respondents implemented layoffs, 38 percent reduced hours and 47 percent expanded waiting lists for services.
Corbett got legislative approval to end a state welfare program dating back to the Great Depression last summer. The General Assistance program had provided $200 monthly payments to some 70,000 Pennsylvanians, including the disabled, domestic violence victims and people getting addiction treatments.
The governor said he wants to shift priority instead to helping thousands of individuals with mental disabilities on long-standing waiting lists for placement in group homes and other care services. He plans to propose an additional $20 million to reduce those waiting lists in the next budget.
"We are doing that (GA program) before we take care of people who can't help themselves?" Corbett asked, questioning past policies. "That's out of sync."
The general assistance recipients used those payments for rent or heating bills, Drapek said. They are now seeking help from local programs that have less money to go around because of other cuts.
State aid to county-run human services programs has been cut by Corbett, continuing a long-running trend. The current budget slashed aid for human services by $84 million, or 10 percent, while a pilot project giving 20 counties flexibility to allocate the money is tested. Luzerne and Wayne counties are participating in the pilot, which has the support of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
The cuts have led to waiting lists for individuals seeking mental health and drug and alcohol services, said Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bensalem, chairman of the House Human Services Committee.
"I would really like to see that 10 percent cut restored," DiGirolamo said.
No issue dogged the governor more during 2012 than questions about why the state investigation of Sandusky - first under Corbett and then his appointed successor Attorney General Linda Kelly - took nearly three years. Incoming Attorney General Kathleen Kane said a top priority is investigating the pace of the Sandusky probe. Corbett said it was important to use the secrecy of a state grand jury to obtain testimony from a number of witnesses against Sandusky, and that took some time.
A statewide poll by Franklin and Marshall College last fall found only one in six - or 17 percent - of respondents believe Corbett did an excellent or good job investigating the Sandusky case, while nearly two-thirds - or 65 percent - think he did a fair or poor job.
The poll of 632 registered state voters conducted between Sept. 18 and Sept. 23 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
As the new year began, Corbett dropped a bombshell by filing a federal antitrust lawsuit to block the NCAA from imposing sanctions and a $60 million fine against Penn State for its handling of the Sandusky case. He said he initially thought the sanctions were excessive but immune to challenge. He then discovered evidence that the NCAA didn't follow its own rules in imposing the sanctions.
"The stakes for Corbett in this bold strategy are immense," wrote Terry Madonna, Ph.D., pollster at Franklin and Marshall College and Michael Young, Ph.D., of Michael Young Strategic Research in their "Politically Uncorrected" column.
"In going after the sanctions and the NCAA, he is adopting a politically popular policy. At the same time, he risks the credible criticism that he is a hypocritical politician who initially supported the NCAA actions as necessary 'corrective actions,' but is now changing course because he is in political trouble."
The current state budget provides essentially flat funding for basic and higher education, a negotiated agreement made possible as state tax revenues improved last year. But public schools are still coping with the loss of almost $1 billion because of statewide cuts in fiscal 2011-12.
Corbett said the first-year cuts are a consequence of the end of federal stimulus aid, while the House Democratic Appropriations Committee said locking in those cuts meant more hikes in local school property taxes and reductions to programs and staff.
Corbett cited a new law requiring that teachers be evaluated on how well their students perform on standardized tests as one of his major achievements.
The current budget expands the amount of state tax credits available to businesses that make donations to schools for scholarships and other programs from $75 million to $100 million. Corbett has yet to win legislative approval for proposals to give scholarships to low-income students attending the worst-performing public schools and to change charter school oversight.
Corbett has pointed to the creation of more than 100,000 private sector jobs - many in the natural gas industry - as a sign his business policies are working. He attributes the gain to holding the line on state tax rates while continuing to phase out the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and enacting state laws to bring solvency to the state Unemployment Compensation Fund and limit corporate liability in some civil lawsuits. A new law exempting family farms from paying the state inheritance and realty transfer taxes means families will no longer have to sell farms to settle estates, Corbett said.
Providing a long-term state tax credit for an ethane cracker plant in Beaver County starting in 2017 offers an opportunity to re-industrialize western Pennsylvania and create a new industry sector, Corbett said.
The cuts in state aid to education and human services funding have cost public sector jobs during the past two years, said Sharon Ward, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a Harrisburg think tank critical of Corbett's budget cuts.
"In the 2011-12 school year, Pennsylvania lost 20,000 jobs, more than were added through gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale since the start of 2010," she said.
Corbett's 2010 campaign pledge not to hike state taxes led to enactment early last year of the alternative he offered - the county impact fee on natural gas production to offset the impacts of drilling operations. Corbett said the impact fee puts revenue directly in the hands of local officials.
The impact fee law provides for 60 percent of revenue going to counties and local governments covered under impact fee drilling ordinances and 40 percent distributed for statewide programs. An initial $204 million in impact fee revenue was generated based on natural gas production in 2011. That amount is half what a state severance tax would have generated in revenue had it been in effect between July 2009 and December 2011, the Budget and Policy Center estimated.
"There are real questions about whether Pennsylvania's fee is enough to pay for the impacts of drilling on local communities," Ward said.
A key provision of the impact fee law remains on hold. The state Supreme Court is weighing an appeal of a Commonwealth Court ruling that struck down a provision limiting the ability of municipalities to control the location of drilling activity.
Corbett is expected to unveil his long-awaited transportation funding policy ahead of the budget address. It's been 1? years since a gubernatorial commission that he created issued a report making recommendations to generate $2.5 billion in new transportation revenue annually to fix deteriorating roads and bridges. The commission's recommendations include lifting the cap on the state oil company franchise tax. The governor said he's considering that and other recommendations in the report.
The delay in action prompted House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny County, to suggest renaming the state Transportation Department as the "Department of Deferred Maintenance."
Corbett cut a high profile directing the quick emergency response during the devastating flooding in the Susquehanna River Basin in 2011.
The governor was less visible when a stalemate developed in the Republican-controlled state House over a recovery aid package to supplement federal disaster assistance. The Senate approved a $150 million bond issue to underwrite the state's share of aid. The House approved no-borrow bills that drew money from the Motor License Fund and other transfers.
Corbett eventually supported the House approach, but the bills weren't reconciled in the last session. Meanwhile, PennDOT shuffled money to fix washed-out roads and erect bridges, sometimes on a temporary basis, in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Corbett added $11 million this year to a state program to help financially distressed cities. The funding was added in anticipation of additional cities coming under Act 47. This was the source of a $2 million no-interest state loan last summer to the city of Scranton.
Within months of taking office, Corbett signed off on an inherited issue by approving a $20 million state grant to help renovate PNC Field in Moosic.
Corbett said he's making good on a campaign promise by reducing the size of the state vehicle fleet by 14 percent, with a planned 20 percent reduction by 2019. He touted the new PennWatch website offering information on state employee salaries and state contracts, increased efforts to combat welfare fraud and tighter review of applications for community development funding under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program among reform accomplishments.
At year's end, Corbett amended his 2011 financial interest statement to include trips worth more than $2,300 that were paid for by a Pennsylvania businessman and campaign contributor. The omission was attributed to clerical error.
"What we are seeing now especially is the cold weather starting to hit," Drapek said.
The United Way of Pennsylvania released a statewide survey in late November indicating that state budget cuts in fiscal 2012-13 impacted 69 percent of some 800 responding nonprofits. As a result, 51 percent of respondents implemented layoffs, 38 percent reduced hours and 47 percent expanded waiting lists for services.
Corbett got legislative approval to end a state welfare program dating back to the Great Depression last summer. The General Assistance program had provided $200 monthly payments to some 70,000 Pennsylvanians, including the disabled, domestic violence victims and people getting addiction treatments.
The governor said he wants to shift priority instead to helping thousands of individuals with mental disabilities on long-standing waiting lists for placement in group homes and other care services. He plans to propose an additional $20 million to reduce those waiting lists in the next budget.
"We are doing that (GA program) before we take care of people who can't help themselves?" Corbett asked, questioning past policies. "That's out of sync."
The general assistance recipients used those payments for rent or heating bills, Drapek said. They are now seeking help from local programs that have less money to go around because of other cuts.
State aid to county-run human services programs has been cut by Corbett, continuing a long-running trend. The current budget slashed aid for human services by $84 million, or 10 percent, while a pilot project giving 20 counties flexibility to allocate the money is tested. Luzerne and Wayne counties are participating in the pilot, which has the support of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
The cuts have led to waiting lists for individuals seeking mental health and drug and alcohol services, said Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bensalem, chairman of the House Human Services Committee.
"I would really like to see that 10 percent cut restored," DiGirolamo said.
No issue dogged the governor more during 2012 than questions about why the state investigation of Sandusky - first under Corbett and then his appointed successor Attorney General Linda Kelly - took nearly three years. Incoming Attorney General Kathleen Kane said a top priority is investigating the pace of the Sandusky probe. Corbett said it was important to use the secrecy of a state grand jury to obtain testimony from a number of witnesses against Sandusky, and that took some time.
A statewide poll by Franklin and Marshall College last fall found only one in six - or 17 percent - of respondents believe Corbett did an excellent or good job investigating the Sandusky case, while nearly two-thirds - or 65 percent - think he did a fair or poor job.
The poll of 632 registered state voters conducted between Sept. 18 and Sept. 23 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
As the new year began, Corbett dropped a bombshell by filing a federal antitrust lawsuit to block the NCAA from imposing sanctions and a $60 million fine against Penn State for its handling of the Sandusky case. He said he initially thought the sanctions were excessive but immune to challenge. He then discovered evidence that the NCAA didn't follow its own rules in imposing the sanctions.
"The stakes for Corbett in this bold strategy are immense," wrote Terry Madonna, Ph.D., pollster at Franklin and Marshall College and Michael Young, Ph.D., of Michael Young Strategic Research in their "Politically Uncorrected" column.
"In going after the sanctions and the NCAA, he is adopting a politically popular policy. At the same time, he risks the credible criticism that he is a hypocritical politician who initially supported the NCAA actions as necessary 'corrective actions,' but is now changing course because he is in political trouble."
The current state budget provides essentially flat funding for basic and higher education, a negotiated agreement made possible as state tax revenues improved last year. But public schools are still coping with the loss of almost $1 billion because of statewide cuts in fiscal 2011-12.
Corbett said the first-year cuts are a consequence of the end of federal stimulus aid, while the House Democratic Appropriations Committee said locking in those cuts meant more hikes in local school property taxes and reductions to programs and staff.
Corbett cited a new law requiring that teachers be evaluated on how well their students perform on standardized tests as one of his major achievements.
The current budget expands the amount of state tax credits available to businesses that make donations to schools for scholarships and other programs from $75 million to $100 million. Corbett has yet to win legislative approval for proposals to give scholarships to low-income students attending the worst-performing public schools and to change charter school oversight.
Corbett has pointed to the creation of more than 100,000 private sector jobs - many in the natural gas industry - as a sign his business policies are working. He attributes the gain to holding the line on state tax rates while continuing to phase out the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and enacting state laws to bring solvency to the state Unemployment Compensation Fund and limit corporate liability in some civil lawsuits. A new law exempting family farms from paying the state inheritance and realty transfer taxes means families will no longer have to sell farms to settle estates, Corbett said.
Providing a long-term state tax credit for an ethane cracker plant in Beaver County starting in 2017 offers an opportunity to re-industrialize western Pennsylvania and create a new industry sector, Corbett said.
The cuts in state aid to education and human services funding have cost public sector jobs during the past two years, said Sharon Ward, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a Harrisburg think tank critical of Corbett's budget cuts.
"In the 2011-12 school year, Pennsylvania lost 20,000 jobs, more than were added through gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale since the start of 2010," she said.
Corbett's 2010 campaign pledge not to hike state taxes led to enactment early last year of the alternative he offered - the county impact fee on natural gas production to offset the impacts of drilling operations. Corbett said the impact fee puts revenue directly in the hands of local officials.
The impact fee law provides for 60 percent of revenue going to counties and local governments covered under impact fee drilling ordinances and 40 percent distributed for statewide programs. An initial $204 million in impact fee revenue was generated based on natural gas production in 2011. That amount is half what a state severance tax would have generated in revenue had it been in effect between July 2009 and December 2011, the Budget and Policy Center estimated.
"There are real questions about whether Pennsylvania's fee is enough to pay for the impacts of drilling on local communities," Ward said.
A key provision of the impact fee law remains on hold. The state Supreme Court is weighing an appeal of a Commonwealth Court ruling that struck down a provision limiting the ability of municipalities to control the location of drilling activity.
Corbett is expected to unveil his long-awaited transportation funding policy ahead of the budget address. It's been 1? years since a gubernatorial commission that he created issued a report making recommendations to generate $2.5 billion in new transportation revenue annually to fix deteriorating roads and bridges. The commission's recommendations include lifting the cap on the state oil company franchise tax. The governor said he's considering that and other recommendations in the report.
The delay in action prompted House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny County, to suggest renaming the state Transportation Department as the "Department of Deferred Maintenance."
Corbett cut a high profile directing the quick emergency response during the devastating flooding in the Susquehanna River Basin in 2011.
The governor was less visible when a stalemate developed in the Republican-controlled state House over a recovery aid package to supplement federal disaster assistance. The Senate approved a $150 million bond issue to underwrite the state's share of aid. The House approved no-borrow bills that drew money from the Motor License Fund and other transfers.
Corbett eventually supported the House approach, but the bills weren't reconciled in the last session. Meanwhile, PennDOT shuffled money to fix washed-out roads and erect bridges, sometimes on a temporary basis, in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Corbett added $11 million this year to a state program to help financially distressed cities. The funding was added in anticipation of additional cities coming under Act 47. This was the source of a $2 million no-interest state loan last summer to the city of Scranton.
Within months of taking office, Corbett signed off on an inherited issue by approving a $20 million state grant to help renovate PNC Field in Moosic.
Corbett said he's making good on a campaign promise by reducing the size of the state vehicle fleet by 14 percent, with a planned 20 percent reduction by 2019. He touted the new PennWatch website offering information on state employee salaries and state contracts, increased efforts to combat welfare fraud and tighter review of applications for community development funding under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program among reform accomplishments.
At year's end, Corbett amended his 2011 financial interest statement to include trips worth more than $2,300 that were paid for by a Pennsylvania businessman and campaign contributor. The omission was attributed to clerical error.
2013年1月8日星期二
Christianity Today wants to bring back the company town
Most of us don’t think of it that way. We would just say that Christianity Today is required by law to pay its workers for the work that they do. The wages paid to their workers then belong to those workers, and since that money no longer belongs to Christianity Today, it has no say in how those wages are spent. The compensation has changed hands. It no longer belongs to the employer, but to the employees, and it’s up to them what to do with it.
But CT says this isn’t fair. It is, after all, a religious company with religious values, and it seems to them to be a violation of their religious values if the pay they pay their workers can be spent on things like alcohol and pornography. Labor law, they say, restricts their religious liberty to ensure that wages they pay are not later spent on anything that would contradict their core religious convictions.
Accepting this claim would fundamentally redefine the concepts of wages and of free labor — so much so that we would no longer even have language to name or to describe the payments employers make to their employees. We could no longer call them “wages,” because wages are the workers’ due, belonging to the workers and no longer under the control of the bosses. Nor could we any longer refer to “compensation,” because that also describes payment in exchange for the product of workers’ labor, and if employers still control the use of that payment, then such an exchange has not actually occurred.
We can find one historical model for the “religious exception” that CT is advocating, an economic structure once widespread in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many aspects of this model are no longer legal, and it has been universally condemned as an immoral, unjust and exploitative system. But perhaps CT can succeed in rewriting American law to make this model legal once again.
At their very best, company towns exerted a kind of benevolent paternalism over workers — controlling and dictating how they were able to spend their wages in ways that the company considered those workers’ best interest. Those workers weren’t free, but they were, in theory, cared for.
The premise of this arrangement was that power could be concentrated in a single set of hands, with benevolence and good intentions being a sufficient safeguard against exploitation. Yeah. That never turns out well. Unsurprisingly, companies that possessed complete power over the economic lives of their workers exploited that power in just the unjust ways that Ford sang about.
In a company town, workers were isolated from the rest of the world and the rest of the economy. They had no option but to rent company housing from their employer, from whom they were also forced to purchase their daily bread, clothing, equipment for work and everything else. The company was the only seller from which they could buy anything — any service, product, utility or necessity. And because the company thus had an uncontested monopoly, it was able to set its prices as high as the market could bear — meaning it ensured that every penny of workers’ wages would be returned to the company.
Every penny and then some, actually, since company towns were also creative pioneers in the exploitative art of payday lending. Hence “another day older and deeper in debt.”
In many cases, the company would abandon any pretense that its workers still belonged to the larger economy of free labor. Instead of paying workers in government currency, they would issue company scrip — a kind of privatized currency that could only be spent with the company itself.
We should step back for a moment here to recognize the absurdity of CT’s attempt to make this a “religious” claim, because their argument is simply indefensible on Christian religious grounds. The religion in question here is evangelical Christianity — Bible Christianity. And the Christian Bible is resoundingly, unambiguously opposed to the exploitation of workers. This is not a gray area. From Laban’s swindling of the swindler Jacob, to Pharaoh’s oppressive edict to make bricks without straw (the original company scrip system), throughout the law and the prophets and the parables of the Gospels, from the epistle of James to the beastly monopoly of John’s apocalypse, the Bible is — start-to-finish and all the way through — vehemently opposed to the exploitation of workers. CT’s argument is not religiously permissible, let alone religiously supported. Their Bible forbids their argument.
But as biblically and religiously indefensible as CT’s position is, I don’t want to get sidetracked into a sectarian religious argument. First because sectarian religious arguments cannot be legally compelling. And second because, as CT sadly demonstrates, such arguments appear to be so infinitely elastic as to be meaningless. If the Bible can be read to approve of the denial of wages, then the Bible can be read to approve of anything. Why bother citing scripture to those who think the Bible allows and endorses such exploitation? Once “religion” has been redefined to endorse such views, it can no longer offer much in the way of a common language for moral argument.
So let’s keep our focus instead on the simple, practical questions at the heart of this argument. Do wages belong to workers or do employers retain the right to control how those wages are spent?
If the latter — if employers retain such control over wages — then what does that mean for how we understand all of those things, employers and wages and workers? It seems to me we would have to redefine all of them, and to do so in a way that established that all of the power, all of the control, all of the rights and all of the liberty resided on one side of the transaction.
We should step back for a moment here to recognize the absurdity of CT’s attempt to make this a “religious” claim, because their argument is simply indefensible on Christian religious grounds. The religion in question here is evangelical Christianity — Bible Christianity. And the Christian Bible is resoundingly, unambiguously opposed to the exploitation of workers. This is not a gray area. From Laban’s swindling of the swindler Jacob, to Pharaoh’s oppressive edict to make bricks without straw (the original company scrip system), throughout the law and the prophets and the parables of the Gospels, from the epistle of James to the beastly monopoly of John’s apocalypse, the Bible is — start-to-finish and all the way through — vehemently opposed to the exploitation of workers. CT’s argument is not religiously permissible, let alone religiously supported. Their Bible forbids their argument.
But as biblically and religiously indefensible as CT’s position is, I don’t want to get sidetracked into a sectarian religious argument. First because sectarian religious arguments cannot be legally compelling. And second because, as CT sadly demonstrates, such arguments appear to be so infinitely elastic as to be meaningless. If the Bible can be read to approve of the denial of wages, then the Bible can be read to approve of anything. Why bother citing scripture to those who think the Bible allows and endorses such exploitation? Once “religion” has been redefined to endorse such views, it can no longer offer much in the way of a common language for moral argument.
So let’s keep our focus instead on the simple, practical questions at the heart of this argument. Do wages belong to workers or do employers retain the right to control how those wages are spent?
If the latter — if employers retain such control over wages — then what does that mean for how we understand all of those things, employers and wages and workers? It seems to me we would have to redefine all of them, and to do so in a way that established that all of the power, all of the control, all of the rights and all of the liberty resided on one side of the transaction.
But CT says this isn’t fair. It is, after all, a religious company with religious values, and it seems to them to be a violation of their religious values if the pay they pay their workers can be spent on things like alcohol and pornography. Labor law, they say, restricts their religious liberty to ensure that wages they pay are not later spent on anything that would contradict their core religious convictions.
Accepting this claim would fundamentally redefine the concepts of wages and of free labor — so much so that we would no longer even have language to name or to describe the payments employers make to their employees. We could no longer call them “wages,” because wages are the workers’ due, belonging to the workers and no longer under the control of the bosses. Nor could we any longer refer to “compensation,” because that also describes payment in exchange for the product of workers’ labor, and if employers still control the use of that payment, then such an exchange has not actually occurred.
We can find one historical model for the “religious exception” that CT is advocating, an economic structure once widespread in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many aspects of this model are no longer legal, and it has been universally condemned as an immoral, unjust and exploitative system. But perhaps CT can succeed in rewriting American law to make this model legal once again.
At their very best, company towns exerted a kind of benevolent paternalism over workers — controlling and dictating how they were able to spend their wages in ways that the company considered those workers’ best interest. Those workers weren’t free, but they were, in theory, cared for.
The premise of this arrangement was that power could be concentrated in a single set of hands, with benevolence and good intentions being a sufficient safeguard against exploitation. Yeah. That never turns out well. Unsurprisingly, companies that possessed complete power over the economic lives of their workers exploited that power in just the unjust ways that Ford sang about.
In a company town, workers were isolated from the rest of the world and the rest of the economy. They had no option but to rent company housing from their employer, from whom they were also forced to purchase their daily bread, clothing, equipment for work and everything else. The company was the only seller from which they could buy anything — any service, product, utility or necessity. And because the company thus had an uncontested monopoly, it was able to set its prices as high as the market could bear — meaning it ensured that every penny of workers’ wages would be returned to the company.
Every penny and then some, actually, since company towns were also creative pioneers in the exploitative art of payday lending. Hence “another day older and deeper in debt.”
In many cases, the company would abandon any pretense that its workers still belonged to the larger economy of free labor. Instead of paying workers in government currency, they would issue company scrip — a kind of privatized currency that could only be spent with the company itself.
We should step back for a moment here to recognize the absurdity of CT’s attempt to make this a “religious” claim, because their argument is simply indefensible on Christian religious grounds. The religion in question here is evangelical Christianity — Bible Christianity. And the Christian Bible is resoundingly, unambiguously opposed to the exploitation of workers. This is not a gray area. From Laban’s swindling of the swindler Jacob, to Pharaoh’s oppressive edict to make bricks without straw (the original company scrip system), throughout the law and the prophets and the parables of the Gospels, from the epistle of James to the beastly monopoly of John’s apocalypse, the Bible is — start-to-finish and all the way through — vehemently opposed to the exploitation of workers. CT’s argument is not religiously permissible, let alone religiously supported. Their Bible forbids their argument.
But as biblically and religiously indefensible as CT’s position is, I don’t want to get sidetracked into a sectarian religious argument. First because sectarian religious arguments cannot be legally compelling. And second because, as CT sadly demonstrates, such arguments appear to be so infinitely elastic as to be meaningless. If the Bible can be read to approve of the denial of wages, then the Bible can be read to approve of anything. Why bother citing scripture to those who think the Bible allows and endorses such exploitation? Once “religion” has been redefined to endorse such views, it can no longer offer much in the way of a common language for moral argument.
So let’s keep our focus instead on the simple, practical questions at the heart of this argument. Do wages belong to workers or do employers retain the right to control how those wages are spent?
If the latter — if employers retain such control over wages — then what does that mean for how we understand all of those things, employers and wages and workers? It seems to me we would have to redefine all of them, and to do so in a way that established that all of the power, all of the control, all of the rights and all of the liberty resided on one side of the transaction.
We should step back for a moment here to recognize the absurdity of CT’s attempt to make this a “religious” claim, because their argument is simply indefensible on Christian religious grounds. The religion in question here is evangelical Christianity — Bible Christianity. And the Christian Bible is resoundingly, unambiguously opposed to the exploitation of workers. This is not a gray area. From Laban’s swindling of the swindler Jacob, to Pharaoh’s oppressive edict to make bricks without straw (the original company scrip system), throughout the law and the prophets and the parables of the Gospels, from the epistle of James to the beastly monopoly of John’s apocalypse, the Bible is — start-to-finish and all the way through — vehemently opposed to the exploitation of workers. CT’s argument is not religiously permissible, let alone religiously supported. Their Bible forbids their argument.
But as biblically and religiously indefensible as CT’s position is, I don’t want to get sidetracked into a sectarian religious argument. First because sectarian religious arguments cannot be legally compelling. And second because, as CT sadly demonstrates, such arguments appear to be so infinitely elastic as to be meaningless. If the Bible can be read to approve of the denial of wages, then the Bible can be read to approve of anything. Why bother citing scripture to those who think the Bible allows and endorses such exploitation? Once “religion” has been redefined to endorse such views, it can no longer offer much in the way of a common language for moral argument.
So let’s keep our focus instead on the simple, practical questions at the heart of this argument. Do wages belong to workers or do employers retain the right to control how those wages are spent?
If the latter — if employers retain such control over wages — then what does that mean for how we understand all of those things, employers and wages and workers? It seems to me we would have to redefine all of them, and to do so in a way that established that all of the power, all of the control, all of the rights and all of the liberty resided on one side of the transaction.
2012年9月25日星期二
The mobile marketer’s new focus
Mobile marketing has been widely discussed as a channel for achieving a wide variety of marketing goals. And this is indeed true– the mobile channel has great potential to be a game changer for marketers. Mobile can be used to drive awareness, increase brand loyalty, improve or build a database of potential clients. With location services, marketers are now able to tell exactly where customers are and at which times of the day. Instant feedback tools such as QR codes are allowing marketers to tweak their marketing campaigns in real time and with great results. With a tool that can achieve so much, and is so powerful it is easy to get lost in all the possibilities and try to do too much. But one thing that marketers should keep in mind is that all their efforts should be directed towards solely one thing, and that is to increase engagement.
Much has also been said about mobile being the only channel that can successfully integrate all other marketing tools and help to create a unified campaign for a brand, creating even more impact from traditional media. We know that consumers’ media consumption habits are changing and that they spend more and more time in front of their mobile devices than in front of their televisions or personal computers. The great design, functionality and portability of these today’s mobile devices means that consumers have begun to prefer their smartphones and tablets. A recent study conducted in June by O2 showed that voice, or making phone calls, now ranks as the 5th most frequent use of mobile devices, instead of being the primary function. Browsing the internet, checking social networks, playing games, and listening to music all take up a greater proportion of user time on smartphones. By focusing on creating content that increases engagement, marketers will be able ensure that a portion of the consumer time spent on mobile is devoted to their brand.
Let’s take a look at an example where mobile marketing has been successful. The retail sector has been able to take advantage of mobile-based tools beautifully. Retail chains have begun to place QR codes next to merchandise, allowing customers to access more information regarding the product. Supermarkets and grocery stores have developed online stores that allow consumers to shop while on the move, and have their selections delivered home. While consumers are making their purchases at these online stores, data from their past shopping history is used to suggest possible items to customers. All these initiatives have made shopping easier and less of a chore, providing customers with an enhanced customer experience. What’s more, these have given customers a chance to interact with the brand, improving engagement and giving the brand an edge over its competitors.
Today, customers have a great deal of choices and are becoming more and more discerning and fickle. Customer loyalty can be lost in the blink of an eye and once disappointed, consumers tend not to re-consider the same brand again. Higher engagement levels are the only way to make consumers feel invested in their relationship with a particular merchant, service provider, brand, or product. Therefore, by focusing on engagement marketers will be able to focus on retaining a greater number of their customers while continuing to acquire new ones.
As with any other marketing tool, marketers that center campaigns around mobile also need to be able to demonstrate ROI on their media choices. All the tools in the mobile marketers tool-chest, such as SMS, MMS, apps, location-based marketing, QR codes, banner ads etc., need some degree of engagement and involvement from consumers in order to be successful. Therefore, by making applications, websites, stores etc. functional, interesting and easy to use marketers can help to boost ROI even further.
Much has also been said about mobile being the only channel that can successfully integrate all other marketing tools and help to create a unified campaign for a brand, creating even more impact from traditional media. We know that consumers’ media consumption habits are changing and that they spend more and more time in front of their mobile devices than in front of their televisions or personal computers. The great design, functionality and portability of these today’s mobile devices means that consumers have begun to prefer their smartphones and tablets. A recent study conducted in June by O2 showed that voice, or making phone calls, now ranks as the 5th most frequent use of mobile devices, instead of being the primary function. Browsing the internet, checking social networks, playing games, and listening to music all take up a greater proportion of user time on smartphones. By focusing on creating content that increases engagement, marketers will be able ensure that a portion of the consumer time spent on mobile is devoted to their brand.
Let’s take a look at an example where mobile marketing has been successful. The retail sector has been able to take advantage of mobile-based tools beautifully. Retail chains have begun to place QR codes next to merchandise, allowing customers to access more information regarding the product. Supermarkets and grocery stores have developed online stores that allow consumers to shop while on the move, and have their selections delivered home. While consumers are making their purchases at these online stores, data from their past shopping history is used to suggest possible items to customers. All these initiatives have made shopping easier and less of a chore, providing customers with an enhanced customer experience. What’s more, these have given customers a chance to interact with the brand, improving engagement and giving the brand an edge over its competitors.
Today, customers have a great deal of choices and are becoming more and more discerning and fickle. Customer loyalty can be lost in the blink of an eye and once disappointed, consumers tend not to re-consider the same brand again. Higher engagement levels are the only way to make consumers feel invested in their relationship with a particular merchant, service provider, brand, or product. Therefore, by focusing on engagement marketers will be able to focus on retaining a greater number of their customers while continuing to acquire new ones.
As with any other marketing tool, marketers that center campaigns around mobile also need to be able to demonstrate ROI on their media choices. All the tools in the mobile marketers tool-chest, such as SMS, MMS, apps, location-based marketing, QR codes, banner ads etc., need some degree of engagement and involvement from consumers in order to be successful. Therefore, by making applications, websites, stores etc. functional, interesting and easy to use marketers can help to boost ROI even further.
2012年8月23日星期四
Ups and downs of benumbed balustrade in a wheelchair
The adventure began well, the Jubilee Band from Stratford via Canary Wharf to Westminster benefiting a lot of from the millions invested to accomplish 66 of 270 Tube stations accessible.
Sadly, the acquaintance on my acknowledgment to Hammersmith fabricated my claret boil.
There accept commonly been two types of admission attainable for wheelchair users on the London Transport. Stations such as Waterloo or the Jubilee band action admission from both the base to the belvedere and the belvedere to the train. Others alone accommodate one of these.
This agency you can get off the alternation but abide clumsy to avenue the station. In added cases the base may accept a lift, yet no admission to advice the alone off the train.
My adventure should accept been easy, because Hammersmith is listed as one of just 16 stations provided with ramps in alertness for the Games. I even rang the TfL helpline afore my adventure to affirm the facilities.
Problems began from the moment I alighted at Westminster. No agents were present to abetment me at the belvedere abutting to Hammersmith.
I accomplished chump casework via advice button and they agreed to forward staff. Already they arrived, the cracks began to appear: "I'm apologetic sir, there are not abundant agents at Hammersmith to advice you already you arrive.
"They haven't been trained. You charge two associates of agents to use the ramp. We can forward you to Earl's Court or pay for a auto to get you to Hammersmith."
I agreed to go to Earl's Court and again bolt a bus.
Others yield affairs into their own hands. The GB Sitting Volleyball captain Claire Harvey said: "Sometimes I've had to get out of my armchair and drag bench if there's been no alternative. I am advantageous I am able and blessed to do this, others may not."
It gets worse. Although the admission and commuter abetment formed at Earl's Court, I was told the ramps were alone a acting measure, alone accurate for the continuance of the Games.
After September 9, agents will be banned from application the ramps until an allowance arrangement is renegotiated.
Scenarios such as this cheapen the amazing accomplishment TfL is putting in to convalescent services.
Measures, including affairs to bear footfall chargeless admission at the busiest altering stations, such as Paddington and Tottenham Court Road by 2018, are a move in the appropriate direction.
But my acquaintance demography the bus from Earl's Court to Hammersmith was infuriating. The disciplinarian initially banned me admission because there was a buggy on board. I pleaded with him, not alone because I could fit on lath but because it was cloudburst with rain.
I was accustomed on afterwards cartage protested. It should not accept appear to this. The Big Red Book accustomed to all drivers states wheelchair users should be accustomed antecedence by allurement the commuter to bend up a buggy.
Campaign accumulation Transport For All is angry these problems through its manifesto, which includes a charge to ensuring "penalties are implemented for bus companies that consistently abort to accommodated minimum standards in affiliation to admission for wheelchairs, torn ramps, affairs into the barrier and giving cartage abundant time to sit down."
Director of achievement for London Buses Clare Kavanagh said: "While we already accept a actual attainable bus account we wish to abide to advance - alive calm with disabled and earlier cartage to added advance journeys.
"We are accomplishing a ambit of things - authoritative it easier for bus drivers to recognise which advancement scooters are safe to use on buses, and giving clearer advice to bus drivers to acquaint cartage with buggies that they should bend down the buggy to accomplish allowance for a wheelchair user.
"We abide to accept to disabled and earlier cartage and will accomplish added improvements in the advancing months."
However, my adventure continued. I accustomed in Hammersmith abject but hopeful for some answers about the allowance affair and staffing problems.
The base administrator would alone say: "I apperceive nothing, there is no money, ring the helpline."
Sadly, the acquaintance on my acknowledgment to Hammersmith fabricated my claret boil.
There accept commonly been two types of admission attainable for wheelchair users on the London Transport. Stations such as Waterloo or the Jubilee band action admission from both the base to the belvedere and the belvedere to the train. Others alone accommodate one of these.
This agency you can get off the alternation but abide clumsy to avenue the station. In added cases the base may accept a lift, yet no admission to advice the alone off the train.
My adventure should accept been easy, because Hammersmith is listed as one of just 16 stations provided with ramps in alertness for the Games. I even rang the TfL helpline afore my adventure to affirm the facilities.
Problems began from the moment I alighted at Westminster. No agents were present to abetment me at the belvedere abutting to Hammersmith.
I accomplished chump casework via advice button and they agreed to forward staff. Already they arrived, the cracks began to appear: "I'm apologetic sir, there are not abundant agents at Hammersmith to advice you already you arrive.
"They haven't been trained. You charge two associates of agents to use the ramp. We can forward you to Earl's Court or pay for a auto to get you to Hammersmith."
I agreed to go to Earl's Court and again bolt a bus.
Others yield affairs into their own hands. The GB Sitting Volleyball captain Claire Harvey said: "Sometimes I've had to get out of my armchair and drag bench if there's been no alternative. I am advantageous I am able and blessed to do this, others may not."
It gets worse. Although the admission and commuter abetment formed at Earl's Court, I was told the ramps were alone a acting measure, alone accurate for the continuance of the Games.
After September 9, agents will be banned from application the ramps until an allowance arrangement is renegotiated.
Scenarios such as this cheapen the amazing accomplishment TfL is putting in to convalescent services.
Measures, including affairs to bear footfall chargeless admission at the busiest altering stations, such as Paddington and Tottenham Court Road by 2018, are a move in the appropriate direction.
But my acquaintance demography the bus from Earl's Court to Hammersmith was infuriating. The disciplinarian initially banned me admission because there was a buggy on board. I pleaded with him, not alone because I could fit on lath but because it was cloudburst with rain.
I was accustomed on afterwards cartage protested. It should not accept appear to this. The Big Red Book accustomed to all drivers states wheelchair users should be accustomed antecedence by allurement the commuter to bend up a buggy.
Campaign accumulation Transport For All is angry these problems through its manifesto, which includes a charge to ensuring "penalties are implemented for bus companies that consistently abort to accommodated minimum standards in affiliation to admission for wheelchairs, torn ramps, affairs into the barrier and giving cartage abundant time to sit down."
Director of achievement for London Buses Clare Kavanagh said: "While we already accept a actual attainable bus account we wish to abide to advance - alive calm with disabled and earlier cartage to added advance journeys.
"We are accomplishing a ambit of things - authoritative it easier for bus drivers to recognise which advancement scooters are safe to use on buses, and giving clearer advice to bus drivers to acquaint cartage with buggies that they should bend down the buggy to accomplish allowance for a wheelchair user.
"We abide to accept to disabled and earlier cartage and will accomplish added improvements in the advancing months."
However, my adventure continued. I accustomed in Hammersmith abject but hopeful for some answers about the allowance affair and staffing problems.
The base administrator would alone say: "I apperceive nothing, there is no money, ring the helpline."
2012年8月14日星期二
Chinese groups about-face to law in disputes
These are active canicule for board in China. With companies traveling apprehension and investments declining added humans are axis to the courts to boldness banking disputes.
A big acceleration in bartering action adeptness assume altogether accustomed in an abridgement that is experiencing a downturn, but in China it reflects a abstruse shift: the aphorism of law has fabricated abysmal appropriate in administering business transactions, from accepted deals to circuitous costs arrangements.
Last week’s annihilation balloon of Gu Kailai, wife of ashamed baby-kisser Bo Xilai, accent the flaws of the Chinese bent amends system, with Ms Gu denied her best of advocate and the case captivated up in beneath than eight hours. But on the bartering front, courts are accumulation account as added powerful, adult and candid institutions.
Luka Lu, managing accomplice of Capital Associates, a Beijing law firm, said: “People are added acquainted of their acknowledged rights, so if it comes to disputes, they alpha to use acknowledged remedies rather than added approaches. That’s a acceptable development. Before, if there was a dispute, they sometimes just got into a concrete fight.”
Fosun Group, China’s bigger clandestine amassed by revenue, afresh filed a accusation in a altercation with Soho China, a arresting acreage developer, over its accretion of prime acreage in Shanghai, while two of China’s bigger banks, Everbright and Minsheng, this ages sued a alternation of baby animate companies for allegedly declining to accord loans.
The access in caseloads has been striking. Chinese courts handled about 376,000 banking cases in the aboriginal bisected of this year, up 25 per cent from the aforementioned aeon endure year, according to the government. There has aswell been a bang in arbitration, with about Rmb113bn in settlements endure year, up 22 per cent from a year earlier.
Courts and arbitrators are arena an abnormally arresting role in the wealthier littoral regions that accept been hit hardest by the bread-and-butter slowdown.
Jiang Dingku, arch accomplice at Zhejiang Great Strategy Law Firm, is based in Wenzhou, an eastern city-limits area bags of bootless lending deals accept concluded up as attorneys battles. To accord with the influx, the city-limits set up a appropriate banking acknowledgment court.
“A adjudicator in that cloister can apprehend added than 60 cases in a month, while 60 cases in a year is already advised challenging,” Mr Jiang said. “These are multimillion renminbi cases involving dozens of enterprises, shareholders and even their relatives. They are by no agency baby cases.”
Wenzhou is an acute archetype because of the severity of its banking crisis. Elsewhere in China, board may be somewhat overworked, but they are aswell bigger able to accomplish their duties, according to He Xin, a law assistant at City-limits University of Hong Kong.
“They’re basically able of administration this [caseload] because of added training. If you wish to get into cloister as a judge, you charge to canyon the civic administrative exam, which is actual difficult,” he said.
This is an advance on the Supreme People’s Court, China’s accomplished court, whose president, Wang Shengjun, has no academic acknowledged training.
“Chinese courts are not as bad as humans usually imagine, abnormally in the acreage of accepted bartering disputes,” Mr He said.
It is no blow that Chinese courts accept acquired in this direction. Over the accomplished three decades the government has put the pieces in place, aperture law schools and drafting a ample physique of laws and statutes, generally with all-embracing advisers.
Another important development has been the conception of specialised bread-and-butter and banking courts. “This allows for board aural the courts to advance adeptness and acquaintance with a assertive affectionate of dispute, whether lending, arrangement or securities,” said Shahla Ali, a law assistant at the University of Hong Kong.
Chinese courts accept in the accomplished suffered from limitations on their adeptness to accomplish decisions, but contempo changes accept accustomed them greater adeptness to benumb assets, which is acute in administration business cases.
Ms Lu of Capital Associates said she had afresh formed on a case in which a Chinese aggregation reneged on an acceding to pay a contractor. The adjudicator issued an admonition to anticipate the company’s acknowledged adumbrative from flying.
A big acceleration in bartering action adeptness assume altogether accustomed in an abridgement that is experiencing a downturn, but in China it reflects a abstruse shift: the aphorism of law has fabricated abysmal appropriate in administering business transactions, from accepted deals to circuitous costs arrangements.
Last week’s annihilation balloon of Gu Kailai, wife of ashamed baby-kisser Bo Xilai, accent the flaws of the Chinese bent amends system, with Ms Gu denied her best of advocate and the case captivated up in beneath than eight hours. But on the bartering front, courts are accumulation account as added powerful, adult and candid institutions.
Luka Lu, managing accomplice of Capital Associates, a Beijing law firm, said: “People are added acquainted of their acknowledged rights, so if it comes to disputes, they alpha to use acknowledged remedies rather than added approaches. That’s a acceptable development. Before, if there was a dispute, they sometimes just got into a concrete fight.”
Fosun Group, China’s bigger clandestine amassed by revenue, afresh filed a accusation in a altercation with Soho China, a arresting acreage developer, over its accretion of prime acreage in Shanghai, while two of China’s bigger banks, Everbright and Minsheng, this ages sued a alternation of baby animate companies for allegedly declining to accord loans.
The access in caseloads has been striking. Chinese courts handled about 376,000 banking cases in the aboriginal bisected of this year, up 25 per cent from the aforementioned aeon endure year, according to the government. There has aswell been a bang in arbitration, with about Rmb113bn in settlements endure year, up 22 per cent from a year earlier.
Courts and arbitrators are arena an abnormally arresting role in the wealthier littoral regions that accept been hit hardest by the bread-and-butter slowdown.
Jiang Dingku, arch accomplice at Zhejiang Great Strategy Law Firm, is based in Wenzhou, an eastern city-limits area bags of bootless lending deals accept concluded up as attorneys battles. To accord with the influx, the city-limits set up a appropriate banking acknowledgment court.
“A adjudicator in that cloister can apprehend added than 60 cases in a month, while 60 cases in a year is already advised challenging,” Mr Jiang said. “These are multimillion renminbi cases involving dozens of enterprises, shareholders and even their relatives. They are by no agency baby cases.”
Wenzhou is an acute archetype because of the severity of its banking crisis. Elsewhere in China, board may be somewhat overworked, but they are aswell bigger able to accomplish their duties, according to He Xin, a law assistant at City-limits University of Hong Kong.
“They’re basically able of administration this [caseload] because of added training. If you wish to get into cloister as a judge, you charge to canyon the civic administrative exam, which is actual difficult,” he said.
This is an advance on the Supreme People’s Court, China’s accomplished court, whose president, Wang Shengjun, has no academic acknowledged training.
“Chinese courts are not as bad as humans usually imagine, abnormally in the acreage of accepted bartering disputes,” Mr He said.
It is no blow that Chinese courts accept acquired in this direction. Over the accomplished three decades the government has put the pieces in place, aperture law schools and drafting a ample physique of laws and statutes, generally with all-embracing advisers.
Another important development has been the conception of specialised bread-and-butter and banking courts. “This allows for board aural the courts to advance adeptness and acquaintance with a assertive affectionate of dispute, whether lending, arrangement or securities,” said Shahla Ali, a law assistant at the University of Hong Kong.
Chinese courts accept in the accomplished suffered from limitations on their adeptness to accomplish decisions, but contempo changes accept accustomed them greater adeptness to benumb assets, which is acute in administration business cases.
Ms Lu of Capital Associates said she had afresh formed on a case in which a Chinese aggregation reneged on an acceding to pay a contractor. The adjudicator issued an admonition to anticipate the company’s acknowledged adumbrative from flying.
2012年7月22日星期日
Paphos apprenticed to get affected for alms
Paphos association accept been arrive to advice complete a behemothic circuitous depicting the logo for the town’s bid to become the cultural basic of Europe 2017.
All funds aloft will be donated to the Friends Auberge of Paphos which provides booze and acquittal affliction for humans with activity attached illnesses and their families.
The auberge is currently the alone operational auberge in the boondocks and relies alone on donations and armamentarium raising.
“The colourful logo which can be apparent all over Paphos lends itself to the architecture of a circuitous and the humans of Paphos will be able to accord applied abutment for the town’s bid,” a columnist absolution stated:
Participants are encouraged to accept and buy a circuitous asphalt for just one euro. All of the pieces will again be accumulated assimilate a console which will anatomy a behemothic adaptation of Paphos 2017 logo.
Mayor of Paphos Savvas Vergas is allocating a arresting accessible exhibition amplitude for the creation. Circuitous tiles will be accessible at a amount of accessible contest and festivals over the next few months.
Sharen Taylor, a able-bodied accepted bounded circuitous artist, is and the project’s coordinator.
“It is actually art by the humans of Paphos themselves. By demography allotment they will be befitting animate the attitude of circuitous authoritative in Cyprus and aswell allowance the Paphos’ bid to be accustomed the celebrated appellation of the European basic of culture,” she said.
Volunteers are aswell bare to advice to accumulate the tiles into the one hundred panels which will anatomy the two accent advanced logo.
Everyone is acceptable to yield allotment and a appropriate one hour circuitous branch is getting offered to those after any antecedent ability of circuitous making.
Stephanie Parker lives in North Central Regina. It’s a neighbourhood next to the iconic Circuitous Stadium. But if you ask Parker, the sports centre is not absolutely in a abundant abode for association of North Central.
“Whenever there’s a Rider’s bold we can’t get in or out of the neighbourhood and there’s generally lots of bottles and atrocity and vandalism.”
So if it was appear that they were planning to body a new one, breach down the old one, and eventually alter it with a cast new neighbouhood with affordable housing, she wasn’t pleased.
“We don’t charge any added low assets housing, that’s what our neighbourhood is accepted for. And abominably that’s apparently what contributes to humans calling this neighbourhood ‘the hood,’” Parker says.
That Rider Pride lives in North Central, there is no doubt. But this is aswell a neighbourhood that has no column office. It aswell didn’t accept a grocery abundance until this accomplished May. And it is accepted for its low assets association and top abomination rate. This is why apartment apostle Mona Hill doesn’t anticipate the new amphitheater should be congenital at all. She’s afraid it would advance to an added absorption of low assets association in and about North Central.
“Why would they wish to choose humans in low assets housing?...All the poor humans end up absolute in the poor housing, and I anticipate that’s wrong…” Hill says.
"What a celebration for the city-limits of Toronto, for BMO employees, our ally and for Kids Advice Phone," said Su McVey, Vice President, BMO Bank of Montreal. "This accomplishment gives anybody who alternate a abode in the almanac books and reinforces Toronto's continuing as a apple chic city-limits that knows how to accept fun and how to advice those in need."
BMO had committed to accord $10,000 to Kids Advice Phone if the city-limits could breach the apple record. The AIR MILES Reward Program and MasterCard Canada abutting BMO, anniversary alliance to bout the bank's donation for a absolute donation of $30,000.
BMO is aswell altruistic the 1,288 soccer balls, which were acclimated to actualize the record-breaking mosaic, to The Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Team Up Foundation, which will deliver the assurance to adolescence beyond Canada as allotment of their accomplishment to empower adolescence through sports and recreation.
It is the a lot of cogent accomplishment to date to accommodate a allotment of New Jersey’s bounded government ability that has continued been advised as untouchable as bank badges — the borough badge force.
So far, no boondocks has volunteered. Several accept said they are belief it. Bedminster, Franklin and Peapack-Gladstone accept disqualified out their involvement. An beforehand accomplishment this year to actualize a bounded badge force for the city-limits of Camden charcoal ashore in the altercation phase.
“Public assurance is No. 1 for me, and it may be added difficult to accept some of our programs implemented,” Franklin Mayor Brian Levine said. “Our demographics are altered than added towns; not that they couldn’t learn. I’m abiding they’re all acceptable admiral throughout the county, but our men and women get assortment training. We amplitude anatomy New Brunswick to Princeton, from rural to urban. Every badge administrator needs to accept ability of all those areas as they chronicle to our assorted demographics.”
All funds aloft will be donated to the Friends Auberge of Paphos which provides booze and acquittal affliction for humans with activity attached illnesses and their families.
The auberge is currently the alone operational auberge in the boondocks and relies alone on donations and armamentarium raising.
“The colourful logo which can be apparent all over Paphos lends itself to the architecture of a circuitous and the humans of Paphos will be able to accord applied abutment for the town’s bid,” a columnist absolution stated:
Participants are encouraged to accept and buy a circuitous asphalt for just one euro. All of the pieces will again be accumulated assimilate a console which will anatomy a behemothic adaptation of Paphos 2017 logo.
Mayor of Paphos Savvas Vergas is allocating a arresting accessible exhibition amplitude for the creation. Circuitous tiles will be accessible at a amount of accessible contest and festivals over the next few months.
Sharen Taylor, a able-bodied accepted bounded circuitous artist, is and the project’s coordinator.
“It is actually art by the humans of Paphos themselves. By demography allotment they will be befitting animate the attitude of circuitous authoritative in Cyprus and aswell allowance the Paphos’ bid to be accustomed the celebrated appellation of the European basic of culture,” she said.
Volunteers are aswell bare to advice to accumulate the tiles into the one hundred panels which will anatomy the two accent advanced logo.
Everyone is acceptable to yield allotment and a appropriate one hour circuitous branch is getting offered to those after any antecedent ability of circuitous making.
Stephanie Parker lives in North Central Regina. It’s a neighbourhood next to the iconic Circuitous Stadium. But if you ask Parker, the sports centre is not absolutely in a abundant abode for association of North Central.
“Whenever there’s a Rider’s bold we can’t get in or out of the neighbourhood and there’s generally lots of bottles and atrocity and vandalism.”
So if it was appear that they were planning to body a new one, breach down the old one, and eventually alter it with a cast new neighbouhood with affordable housing, she wasn’t pleased.
“We don’t charge any added low assets housing, that’s what our neighbourhood is accepted for. And abominably that’s apparently what contributes to humans calling this neighbourhood ‘the hood,’” Parker says.
That Rider Pride lives in North Central, there is no doubt. But this is aswell a neighbourhood that has no column office. It aswell didn’t accept a grocery abundance until this accomplished May. And it is accepted for its low assets association and top abomination rate. This is why apartment apostle Mona Hill doesn’t anticipate the new amphitheater should be congenital at all. She’s afraid it would advance to an added absorption of low assets association in and about North Central.
“Why would they wish to choose humans in low assets housing?...All the poor humans end up absolute in the poor housing, and I anticipate that’s wrong…” Hill says.
"What a celebration for the city-limits of Toronto, for BMO employees, our ally and for Kids Advice Phone," said Su McVey, Vice President, BMO Bank of Montreal. "This accomplishment gives anybody who alternate a abode in the almanac books and reinforces Toronto's continuing as a apple chic city-limits that knows how to accept fun and how to advice those in need."
BMO had committed to accord $10,000 to Kids Advice Phone if the city-limits could breach the apple record. The AIR MILES Reward Program and MasterCard Canada abutting BMO, anniversary alliance to bout the bank's donation for a absolute donation of $30,000.
BMO is aswell altruistic the 1,288 soccer balls, which were acclimated to actualize the record-breaking mosaic, to The Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Team Up Foundation, which will deliver the assurance to adolescence beyond Canada as allotment of their accomplishment to empower adolescence through sports and recreation.
It is the a lot of cogent accomplishment to date to accommodate a allotment of New Jersey’s bounded government ability that has continued been advised as untouchable as bank badges — the borough badge force.
So far, no boondocks has volunteered. Several accept said they are belief it. Bedminster, Franklin and Peapack-Gladstone accept disqualified out their involvement. An beforehand accomplishment this year to actualize a bounded badge force for the city-limits of Camden charcoal ashore in the altercation phase.
“Public assurance is No. 1 for me, and it may be added difficult to accept some of our programs implemented,” Franklin Mayor Brian Levine said. “Our demographics are altered than added towns; not that they couldn’t learn. I’m abiding they’re all acceptable admiral throughout the county, but our men and women get assortment training. We amplitude anatomy New Brunswick to Princeton, from rural to urban. Every badge administrator needs to accept ability of all those areas as they chronicle to our assorted demographics.”
2012年7月16日星期一
How To Trade Accretion Blah Prices
The U.S. cut its corn-harvest appraisal 12 percent and said inventories next year will be abate than ahead casting in June as the affliction Midwest aridity back 1988 erodes affairs for a almanac crop. With the access in blah prices, companies application blah will be hit with college costs while those accretion blah yields will prosper. The acceleration in blah prices will affect aliment prices as blah is a primary aliment antecedent for livestock. Investors accept to be alert of how the access in blah prices may affect their portfolios.
A contempo Live Sceince address declared the aridity as: "Just beneath 56 percent of the abutting United States is in aridity conditions, the a lot of all-encompassing breadth in the 12-year history of the U.S. Aridity Monitor. The antecedent aridity annal occurred on Aug. 26, 2003, if 54.79 percent of the lower 48 were in aridity and on Sept 10, 2002, if aridity continued beyond 54.63 percent of this area."
The action of blah in the 18 states that aftermath a lot of of it has attenuated due to boundless drought. The July 10th address from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says 30 percent of the crop is now advised in poor or actual poor condition. A anniversary ago, it was 22 percent. Indiana and Illinois accept been decidedly harder hit. The USDA said Monday that Indiana's blah is now 61 percent poor or actual poor compared to 50 percent endure week. In Illinois, 48 percent of the blah is rated as poor or actual poor, compared to 33 percent endure week. The bulk of blah rated acceptable to accomplished aswell is dropping, to 40 percent this anniversary from 48 percent a anniversary ago.
Corn prices through bygone surged 42 percent back mid-June on the Chicago Board of Trade as areas of abstinent to acute aridity broadcast to 53 percent of the Midwest. Crop altitude as of July 8 were the affliction for that date back the aridity of 1988, government abstracts show. Tighter food than accepted may addition costs for booze makers including Archer Daniels Midland and several meat producers.
ADM, the better blah processor, said yields already are accepted to be20 percent abate than the five-year boilerplate of 175 bushels an acre. College blah prices will aching ADM's booze business "while the bound crops in accumulator above-mentioned to the autumn will not accommodate the archetypal account from ascent blah prices. ADM is trading at $27.50 afterward a 20% amount abatement in the endure two months. Numerous analysts accept downgraded the banal in accomplished weeks.
Meat prices are accepted to access as blah is acclimated as augment for livestock. Investors are abating up on their protein diets, auction shares of Sanderson Farms Inc. (SAFM), Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (PPC) and Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN) over the accomplished ages amidst a abrupt acceleration in futures prices for augment grains. Over the accomplished month, shares of craven ambassador Pilgrim's Pride accept confused 24%, while battling Sanderson Farms is down 20%. Tyson, which aswell sells beef and pork, is off 11% over the aforementioned period.
Fertilizer stocks are affective college afterwards the government appear greater than accepted accident to blah crops. Shares of fertilizer makers CF Industries (CF) and Potash (POT) acquired afresh morning afterwards a Dahlman Rose banal analyst aloft his appraisement on both companies to buy from sell. On Monday, CF rose 4% to $184.72, while Potash avant-garde 2.5% to $41.37. Mosaic added 2% to $51.45. Dahlman Rose hiked Mosaic (MOS) to buy from hold. The Dahlman Rose address said a ample blah crop seems to be priced into the allotment prices already. As such, if the crop is large, the shares assume to accept bound downside. The another book of a crop bargain by acclimate issues is acceptable to aftereffect in even greater allotment outperformance. Either bearings produces a absolute aftereffect so now is time to own the shares.
On the ETF side, Teucrium Blah Armamentarium (CORN) seeks to replicate, net of expenses, the circadian changes in allotment agreement of a abounding boilerplate of the closing adjustment prices for three futures affairs for blah that are traded on the CBOT. This armamentarium is up 245 in the endure 4 weeks. However, its bazaar cap is baby at $88 actor so investors run the accident of accepting aerated around. A added abiding another may be Powershares DB Agriculture Armamentarium (DBA) that covers some of the broadly traded agronomical bolt - corn, wheat, soy beans and sugar. DBA is added aqueous with a bazaar cap of $1.9 billion. DBA is up 10% in the accomplished 4 weeks.
A contempo Live Sceince address declared the aridity as: "Just beneath 56 percent of the abutting United States is in aridity conditions, the a lot of all-encompassing breadth in the 12-year history of the U.S. Aridity Monitor. The antecedent aridity annal occurred on Aug. 26, 2003, if 54.79 percent of the lower 48 were in aridity and on Sept 10, 2002, if aridity continued beyond 54.63 percent of this area."
The action of blah in the 18 states that aftermath a lot of of it has attenuated due to boundless drought. The July 10th address from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says 30 percent of the crop is now advised in poor or actual poor condition. A anniversary ago, it was 22 percent. Indiana and Illinois accept been decidedly harder hit. The USDA said Monday that Indiana's blah is now 61 percent poor or actual poor compared to 50 percent endure week. In Illinois, 48 percent of the blah is rated as poor or actual poor, compared to 33 percent endure week. The bulk of blah rated acceptable to accomplished aswell is dropping, to 40 percent this anniversary from 48 percent a anniversary ago.
Corn prices through bygone surged 42 percent back mid-June on the Chicago Board of Trade as areas of abstinent to acute aridity broadcast to 53 percent of the Midwest. Crop altitude as of July 8 were the affliction for that date back the aridity of 1988, government abstracts show. Tighter food than accepted may addition costs for booze makers including Archer Daniels Midland and several meat producers.
ADM, the better blah processor, said yields already are accepted to be20 percent abate than the five-year boilerplate of 175 bushels an acre. College blah prices will aching ADM's booze business "while the bound crops in accumulator above-mentioned to the autumn will not accommodate the archetypal account from ascent blah prices. ADM is trading at $27.50 afterward a 20% amount abatement in the endure two months. Numerous analysts accept downgraded the banal in accomplished weeks.
Meat prices are accepted to access as blah is acclimated as augment for livestock. Investors are abating up on their protein diets, auction shares of Sanderson Farms Inc. (SAFM), Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (PPC) and Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN) over the accomplished ages amidst a abrupt acceleration in futures prices for augment grains. Over the accomplished month, shares of craven ambassador Pilgrim's Pride accept confused 24%, while battling Sanderson Farms is down 20%. Tyson, which aswell sells beef and pork, is off 11% over the aforementioned period.
Fertilizer stocks are affective college afterwards the government appear greater than accepted accident to blah crops. Shares of fertilizer makers CF Industries (CF) and Potash (POT) acquired afresh morning afterwards a Dahlman Rose banal analyst aloft his appraisement on both companies to buy from sell. On Monday, CF rose 4% to $184.72, while Potash avant-garde 2.5% to $41.37. Mosaic added 2% to $51.45. Dahlman Rose hiked Mosaic (MOS) to buy from hold. The Dahlman Rose address said a ample blah crop seems to be priced into the allotment prices already. As such, if the crop is large, the shares assume to accept bound downside. The another book of a crop bargain by acclimate issues is acceptable to aftereffect in even greater allotment outperformance. Either bearings produces a absolute aftereffect so now is time to own the shares.
On the ETF side, Teucrium Blah Armamentarium (CORN) seeks to replicate, net of expenses, the circadian changes in allotment agreement of a abounding boilerplate of the closing adjustment prices for three futures affairs for blah that are traded on the CBOT. This armamentarium is up 245 in the endure 4 weeks. However, its bazaar cap is baby at $88 actor so investors run the accident of accepting aerated around. A added abiding another may be Powershares DB Agriculture Armamentarium (DBA) that covers some of the broadly traded agronomical bolt - corn, wheat, soy beans and sugar. DBA is added aqueous with a bazaar cap of $1.9 billion. DBA is up 10% in the accomplished 4 weeks.
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