Mohammad Amir included in Pakistan World Cup squad despite thrashing in England
Experienced left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir was Thursday included in Pakistan’s World Cup squad after their bowlers were taken to the cleaners by England recently.The thrashing by English batsmen in a T20 International and two ODIs has alarmed the selectors, who were initially not keen on picking Amir for the showpiece owing to lack of form.Though Amir is suspected to be suffering from chicken pox and is to have a medical examination done in London, a reliable source told PTI that the team management, including captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and head coach Mickey Arthur, expressed confidence in the bowler and allowed him time to recover.”The chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq is also in agreement with the team management but he wants to first be sure Amir can be fit by the time the World Cup starts from May 30,” the source said.He said the team management and chief selector are now awaiting the medical report of Amir who was sent to London to stay with his in-laws after it first emerged he might have contracted chicken pox.”If the cricket board confirms that Amir can make a recovery in two weeks time, the management and chief selector will want him in the World Cup squad,” the source said.The lacklustre performance of the bowlers in the matches against England forced the team management to go back to Amir, who was not part of the 15-man squad named initially.”They are also keeping a close look at Asif Ali who has scored two successive half-centuries in the ODIs and if he continues his form he might well be included in the World Cup squad but at whose cost this has to be decided,” he added.advertisementAlso Read | World Cup controversies: Javed Miandad’s antics against India, Prasad teaches Sohail a lesson
World Cup Spain skipper Ramos hoping to avoid peak Ronaldo in Portugal clash Dejan Kalinic 14:34 6/15/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Images World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal v Spain Spain Portugal Sergio Ramos Two Real Madrid team-mates are ready to lock horns at World Cup 2018, with both hoping that the other does not perform at their best Sergio Ramos hopes the “dangerous” Cristiano Ronaldo is below his best when Spain face Portugal at the World Cup.The Real Madrid team-mates will do battle in a blockbuster Group B clash in Sochi on Friday.Ramos said he preferred to be playing alongside Ronaldo rather than against the star forward, but he is simply hoping the 33-year-old is not at his best at the Fisht Olympic Stadium. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now Arsenal would be selling their soul with Mourinho move “I’d rather have him on my team than against me. We know how dangerous he can be,” the Spain captain told a news conference.”He ended the season in outstanding shape. He’s a constant threat.”Not only Ronaldo but the Portugal squad are very talented. There are many players who can hurt you quickly, a lot of skill and safe in their defensive formation.”We will see a match for all sports lovers. It will be beautiful. I hope Cristiano doesn’t play his best match.”Spain go into the opener after a tumultuous week during which head coach Julen Lopetegui was sacked and replaced by Fernando Hierro.
“Our neighbourhoods only become safer when we all work together,” said Stephanie MacInnis-Langley, director of the crime prevention unit. “This award will help identify and recognize the many crime prevention efforts already underway across Nova Scotia.” For more information on the awards, including guidelines, criteria and nomination forms please go to the department website at www.gov.ns.ca/just. Deadline for nominations is March 6. The awards will be presented by Mr. Clarke April 2 at the First Annual Crime Prevention Symposium in Halifax. The Department of Justice is now accepting nominations for the first annual Minister’s Award for Leadership in Crime Prevention. The award will be given in six categories, and will recognize the efforts of those who are making significant contributions to a safer Nova Scotia. “We want to show people across the province involved in grassroots initiatives that we applaud and support their hard work,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Cecil Clarke. “This award is an important part of our crime prevention and reduction strategy, Time to Fight Crime Together.” The Department of Justice will select one nominee in each of the following categories: individual youth community group or organization community policing media business community.
OTTAWA – The federal government is using a deep mine of digital data to map out what it says are the economic benefits to the United States of its unfettered trade with Canada, says Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.Freeland told an audience in Mexico City on Tuesday that the government’s trove of data drills down into individual U.S. congressional districts to show the local upside of the trading relationship with Canada.The data is all part of the Liberal government’s full-court press on the Trump administration to demonstrate the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement. President Donald Trump has savaged NAFTA and threatened to scrap the three-country trade pact if it can’t be renegotiated to his satisfaction.Canada, in response, has mounted an information campaign on Trump and his cabinet, as well as Congress, state and local governments to underline the mutually beneficial trade between the countries.The Trudeau government has repeated the talking point that 35 U.S. states call Canada their top customer, while nine million Americans depend on Canada for their jobs.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also assigned 11 cabinet ministers to key U.S. states to make the case for NAFTA and thinning borders.Freeland added a new set of numbers to illustrate the government’s work on that front during a day-long conference of politicians and business leaders in Mexico City.She said that since Trump’s January inauguration, there have been 235 meetings between Canadian and U.S. government officials; 110 Canadian political visits to the U.S; high-level meetings with Trump and 13 of his cabinet secretaries.Canadians have also met 115 members of Congress and 35 state governors or lieutenant-governors, she added.“If you’re an American official or legislator, it’s been hard to avoid a Canadian. Everywhere they turn, we try to be there,” said Freeland.The message was the same every time, she said: that Canada and the U.S. enjoy a balanced and mutually beneficial relationship.“We have a lot of numbers to back that up. We’ve broken it down to specific congressional districts,” she said.Freeland recalled a meeting she had with Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, in which she apparently dazzled him with data about his Wisconsin district.“I told him that his district did a billion dollars of trade with Canada. And he was shocked. He said, ‘just mine? A billion dollars of exports?’“I said, ‘yes Speaker, that’s right.’”Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray said Mexico has been mounting a similar political offensive in Washington that has resulted in “countless” meetings with American counterparts.But unlike Canada, he said Mexico isn’t actually counting the number of meetings, adding: “that would be a good practice, we should start counting how many.”Freeland chimed in, saying: “I have a spreadsheet in my office, Luis.”Despite the emphasis on the U.S., Freeland reassured the Mexicans that Canada is committed to a three-way renegotiation of NAFTA.She downplayed any suggestion the NAFTA renegotiation might lead Canada to do a side deal with a hard-bargaining Trump administration — something Mexico doesn’t want.She said it is simply common sense that the 23-year-old agreement is “modernized” by all three members.“We don’t even feel this is a contentious issue. It’s just a matter of common sense. NAFTA can be modernized only with the agreement of the three parties.”Some groups, such as the Canadian American Business Council, have said that if the going gets too tough between Mexico and the U.S., Canada should consider going it alone on a separate deal with the U.S.Last week, the U.S. officially served notice of its intention to renegotiate NAFTA, triggering a 90-day consultation before the start of formal talks later this summer.Videgaray said Freeland’s presence in Mexico City sends a strong signal.“Thank you for being in Mexico,” he said. “It says a lot that you are here.”Freeland told reporters after the conference that with the U.S. starting its 90-day clock, Canada’s consultations would become more structured and formal, building on previous meetings with business, indigenous groups, unions and the provinces.Freeland offered little hint of what Canada’s negotiating strategy would be, but said one principle would be to “do no harm” to a pact that has already proven its worth.
OTTAWA – The Trudeau government’s treatment of injured veterans will be under the spotlight Monday when a B.C. court rules whether a landmark lawsuit filed by six disabled ex-soldiers can proceed.The case, known as Equitas, revolves around a decision in 2006 to replace lifelong pensions for disabled vets with a single lump-sum payment, career training and targeted income-replacement programs.The veterans, who launched their lawsuit five years ago, allege those changes discriminate against today’s service members because the previous pension system provided more financial support over a lifetime.They want the government to bring back the disability pensions, or at least something equivalent.While the pension changes and lawsuit were launched under the previous Conservative government, Monday’s ruling could have major implications for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.That’s because Trudeau campaigned with Equitas members during the last federal election campaign in 2015, and the Liberals were the only party that promised to reinstate the lifelong pensions.But two years later, that commitment remains unfulfilled. And while the government has said it will provide more details by the end of the year, many veterans are worried that it will fall far short of what was promised.Meanwhile, the Liberals have continued to fight the lawsuit, which the Harper Conservatives appeared on the verge of settling before losing the election.Monday’s ruling by the B.C. Court of Appeal has been a long time coming; a panel of three judges has been weighing since June 2016 whether the case has enough merit to proceed.Lawyer Don Sorochan, who represents the Equitas veterans, says a ruling in favour of his clients would represent a big step forward, but that there will be many more proceedings before victory can be declared.“Legally, it goes back into the grind,” he said, saying the next step would likely be to see whether the case can be certified as a class-action lawsuit.Aaron Bedard, one of the six injured veterans involved in the case, said he and the others knew that it would be a long fight when they launched the lawsuit, but they felt it was something they had to do.“This is an issue that affects people who are vulnerable,” said Bedard, who worked with the Liberals during the last election and says he trusted Trudeau to bring back the old disability pensions.The fear now, he said, is that the Liberals will simply take the lump-sum payment, which is worth a maximum of $360,000, depending on the extent of a veteran’s injuries, and spread it out over several decades.If the B.C. Court of Appeal rules against the Equitas veterans, Bedard said the group is prepared to take the matter all the way to the Supreme Court — and to polling stations across the country during the next election.“There’s no position where this is a win-win for them,” he said. “And it could bode very poorly for them in the next election if they keep playing games with us.”— Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter.
OTTAWA – Canadian companies are more upbeat about the future than they were three months ago with firms planning to boost investment and to hire more workers, according to the Bank of Canada’s latest business outlook survey.With a little more than a week before the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate announcement, the results Monday further solidified forecasters’ expectations that governor Stephen Poloz will raise the trend-setting interest rate for a third time since last summer.“The big takeaway from today is that this survey gives the Bank of Canada a green light — a bright green light — to hike interest rates again next week,” Manulife Asset Management senior economist Frances Donald said in an interview.The poll results showed firms had begun to focus more on hiring and investment to address capacity pressures that had intensified over the past year — mostly due to labour shortages. They expected this pressure to persist for the next 12 months, the survey said.Overall, the results, which are closely examined by the central bank, found that business sentiment in the country had almost climbed back up to its summertime high.Donald said the outlook survey is one of the few forward-looking indicators available in Canada and she believes that more results like the report Monday would put the central bank on an even more aggressive rate-hiking path.“If businesses continue to indicate, like they did today, that they want to hire more and spend more that’s only going to encourage the Bank of Canada to want to cool the economy before it becomes overheated,” she said.The indicator reflecting firms’ plans to increase investment spending perked back up, close to a post-recession high, and became more broadly based across sectors and regions.Hiring intentions have also increased since the fall, particularly in the service sectors, as labour shortages became “more intense than they were a year ago.”“Firms plan to expand operations to accommodate sustained demand, which is evident in a rebound of investment and employment intentions since the autumn survey,” said the bank’s report, which shared results of its poll of about 100 companies.The survey showed the share of businesses predicting they would face some or significant difficulty meeting any unexpected rush of demand had also climbed to its highest level since the 2008-09 recession.The Bank of Canada noted capacity pressures had yet to translate into generalized wage pressures.However, the bank’s report said wage-growth pressures had edged up and were widespread in British Columbia, where firms reported challenges in recruiting and retaining workers because of stiffer hiring competition and minimum-wage increases.“It highlights that inflationary pressures are increasing as a result of, in part, expectations for higher wages being paid,” said Scotiabank deputy chief economist Brett House said Monday.“We’re seeing increasing confidence in the recovery and we expected the pickup in wages because of both the tightening labour market and the fact that wages typically follow macroeconomic growth.”The poll showed companies still intended to spend and hire more, even with growing concerns about the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and expanding protectionism, in general. Some firms predicted U.S. growth and the low Canadian dollar to help their sales over the coming 12 months.The central bank’s survey also found that companies remained upbeat about their sales growth expectations for the upcoming year. Their outlooks, however, had moderated somewhat since the fall with predictions that the strong run of recent sales activity would return to a more normal level.In terms of sales growth, businesses highlighted “strong real estate markets, sustained foreign demand and tangible support from federal stimulus spending,” the report said.All eyes are now on the Bank of Canada’s rate announcement next Wednesday.Last Friday, an impressive jobs report led some analysts to change their predictions to say that Poloz would indeed raise the rate target next week, a move that would likely prompt the big banks to raise their prime rates.The employment numbers showed that job creation in 2017 reached a pace not seen in a calendar year since 2002. The surge helped push the unemployment rate last month to 5.7 per cent — its lowest mark in more than 40 years.Follow @AndyBlatchford on Twitter
“Now more than ever the use of Immersive Technologies, Advanced Equipment Simulators to train mining equipment operators is recognised as a global best practice.” These simulators are used at hundreds of sites around the world to train novice operators, improve experienced operators, drive continuous improvement projects and ultimately deliver real results in safety, productivity and unscheduled maintenance. With the announcement of the new IM360 Advanced Equipment Simulator, Immersive Technologies has expanded the scope of simulation based training to now go beyond equipment operator training, while dramatically increasing the level of training flexibility available.“Product development over our 20 year history has focused on making mine sites safer and their employers more profitable through our simulator based training and together with our integration and support expertise the IM360 will continue to deliver on our mission,” says Wayde Salfinger, Executive Director-Marketing, Immersive Technologies.The IM360 features the flexibility to provide simulation based training for all machines from Immersive Technologies’ largest range of mining equipment simulator modules including surface, underground hard rock and underground coal equipment. Through the patented RealMove™ technology, the IM360 allows trainees to freely walk around their mine site and practice responding to emergency evacuations and identify risks in a 360° realistic environment. Personnel can now be prepared and assessed to a standard far beyond traditional methods.“We have an extensive catalogue of case studies proving the effectiveness of Immersive Technologies simulators in mines and training centres. We see actual in-pit results from customer simulator training programs averaging 10.4% increases in tyre life, 6.85% reduction in fuel use and 62.2% reduction in brake abuse among many others. These case studies are validated by third party measures and equate to significant savings for our customers,” says Bryant Mullaney, Professional Services Manager, Immersive Technologies.The removable motion base for seated equipment operator training allows trainees to feel the movement they would experience in the real machine, including rapid jolts, feelings of acceleration or the vibration in the seat as they traverse over steep and rocky roads or along uneven surfaces.The visual display system for seated equipment includes RealView technology, which dynamically adjusts the perspective of the trainee providing a true real-world view outside the cabin while increasing the level of depth perception.The IM360 is available in classroom and transportable configurations, the classroom model has been designed to be installed in existing buildings or training rooms and allows for multiple simulators to be located close together. The self-contained transportable model is ideal when training space is not available indoors and additionally can be moved easily between sites.This new line of simulators, with their 360° display, walk around features and flexibility to run surface and underground machines, complements Immersive Technologies’ current range of Advanced Equipment Simulators including the industry leading PRO3-B.The PRO3-B in contrast to the IM360 is designed specifically for surface. Its 180° seamless curved screen features enhanced visibility for machines where the operator has a high seating position such as haul trucks, excavators, shovels, dozers, wheel loaders, draglines and graders.
You won’t see Windows 8 PCs on store shelves for a few more months, but manufacturers now have their hands on the official Windows 8 RTM code. Microsoft announced today that the milestone had been reached, and partners like Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Toshiba, Dell, and HP are now pushing hard to get their release day goods shined up for the general public.There’s no Microsoft-sanctioned way for you to get your hands on the Windows 8 RTM just yet, but it’s coming soon. On August 15th, those of you with an MSDN or TechNet subscription will be able to download the finalized Windows 8 files.And with Windows 8 hitting RTM, it’s time for the Windows Store to open for business, too. Microsoft has fully opened the doors for app submissions — including paid apps. And speaking of app submissions, the Store has expanded its global reach to include 54 additional markets. As previously announced, the company is sticking with the tried-and-true 30% commission rate for the Windows Store, though that drops to 20% after an app hits $25,000 in total revenue. Microsoft is hoping that the lure of a truly global store, the massive Windows user base, and the potential to earn a little extra cash will have developers scrambling to deliver great Metro apps for Windows 8.Come October, everyone will be able to see the results. Don’t forget about the upgrade offer, either. If you’ve got a valid license for Windows on your home computer, you’ll be able to upgrade to Windows 8 for just $39.99. After January 31, 2013, you’ll have to pay the full retail price.More at The Windows Blog and Windows Store for Developers
Monday 12 Jun 2017, 2:38 PM By Sean Murray Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article ‘We know it rains in Ireland. It’s just not on’: Emergency motion on Sandymount bathing ban A similar bathing ban has been lifted at Dollymount after raw sewage washed up on the beach. Share10 Tweet Email3 A BATHING BAN introduced on Friday at Dublin’s Sandymount strand remains in place today.Dublin City Council said the ban came after heavy rainfall led to sewage washing up on the beaches from the River Liffey.The temporary bathing ban came into place on Friday evening at Dollymount and Sandymount strands but a spokesperson for DCC confirmed the ban remains in place in Sandymount today.The spokesperson said: “Following laboratory analysis results for the bathing water sample taken on Friday 9 June, the temporary bathing ban will remain in place for Sandymount Strand.A further example was taken yesterday and another is due to be taken today, as part of this season’s schedule, with results for both rounds of samples being available on Wednesday 14 June.Local Green Party representative for Clontarf Donna Cooney said that bathers, the local economy and the local environment will suffer if sewage and drainage systems are not updated in the area.Sinn Féin councillors have tabled an emergency motion at Dublin City Council, and the matter will be debated this evening.Councillor Chris Andrews told TheJournal.ie that it was urgent to get to the bottom of the matter quickly.He said: “We need to find out the precise reasons why this happened, beyond just that issues around rainfall and flooding.We’re in Ireland. We know it rains a lot. It’s not acceptable that these can be closed.“We need to get more clarification,” Andrews said. “I’m looking for information on what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again.”Commenting on the continued ban in Sandymount, the Green Party has called for urgent action to address issues with Dublin’s waste water treatment systems.Its leader TD Eamon Ryan said: “Water quality failures threaten public health, tourism and the environment. Bathers are at risk of skin irritation and illness if exposed to pollution in these areas.Tourism is a huge driver of the economy in coastal areas, and must be protected.The Green Party’s Donna Cooney added: “I, like many Dubs, swim regularly in the sea. Warm weather is set to return on Wednesday, and we fear tourism could be negatively affected by these water quality issues.Flash flooding is becoming more common and unpredictable as the weather associated with the effects of climate change. Our sewage and drainage systems need to be upgraded extensively to deal with this reality.Read: Going for a dip this weekend? Avoid Dollymount and SandymountRead: More remains have been found in the Wicklow Mountains http://jrnl.ie/3439905 37,074 Views Short URL Jun 12th 2017, 2:38 PM File photo File photo 31 Comments 
THE AVERAGE GRADUATE starting salary has now exceeded €30,000, according to a new report.The average starting salary is now €30,409, up from €29,060 last year, figures in the latest GradIreland salary and recruitment trends survey show.In 2017, the average was €28,554 so this year’s figure is the largest scale increase of recent years.This year’s survey shows that almost half (46%) of all graduates will earn between €20,000 and €30,000 as a starting salary, up sharply on last year.Only 3% of employers offered salaries below the €20,000 mark in 2019.Over a quarter of graduates (26%) will earn between €30,000 and €34,000, very similar to last year. The same number will earn in excess of this, significantly up on the 16% in this category in 2018. Source: GradIrelandLaw is the best paid sector in this year’s survey, at €40,000, up from €30,000 in 2018.A significant amount of salaries are now through the €30,000 barrier as a startingsalary, including banking, technology, engineering, retail and sales, logistics and transport and construction.“These increases are indicative of both the competitive nature of graduate recruitment but in some sectors, they are also representative of the transformative effect of well remunerated graduate programmes launched by employers which have redefined these sectors in the eyes of many graduates, in retail for example,” the report notes.According to the research, employers are increasingly concerned with what graduates expect when it comes to starting salaries. In last year’s data, 63% of employers felt that Irish graduates had realistic expectations when it came to assessing what they could earn at the start of their careers.This year, only half of employers felt the same way; one-third (32%) said they felt that graduates had unrealistic expectations; while 18% were unsure.InternshipsEight in 10 employers (81%) said they plan to either maintain or increase their levels of graduate recruitment next year.The vast majority of employers surveyed (88%) offered work experience and/or internships, up from 80% last year.Of this, 67% of employers said that they were primarily targeting undergraduates who were still pursuing their studies, while 33% said they were targeting both those still at third level and graduate job seekers.Some 84% of employers said that they either expected their internship numbers to stay the same (52%) or grow (32%). Only 5% said they expected the number to decrease; 12% did not answer this question. Image: Shutterstock/fotoinfot Wednesday 28 Aug 2019, 6:10 AM By Órla Ryan File photo Image: Shutterstock/fotoinfot https://jrnl.ie/4784590 28 Comments Aug 28th 2019, 6:11 AM 
The average graduate starting salary is now over €30,000 Law is the best paid sector, according to new research. File photo 25,057 Views Share10 Tweet Email7 Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
La Chine et le WWF cherchent six gardiens de pandasChine – Un appel à candidatures vient d’être lancé à travers le monde par un centre chinois de protection des pandas. En partenariat avec le WWF, ce centre est à la recherche de six gardiens capables de s’occuper des animaux pendant un mois.”Projet Panda”, c’est le nom de ce projet lancé par le Centre des pandas de Chengdu, capitale de la province du Sichuan (sud-ouest) et le Fonds mondial pour la nature (WWF). Les six heureux élus se verront offrir la possibilité d’observer les pandas, tout en leur fournissant une aide s’ils en ont besoin. Comme l’a précisé le centre à l’AFP, les gardiens auront également la chance d’assister à la naissance de pandas, une espèce menacée de disparition. Aujourd’hui, il ne reste en effet plus que 1.600 pandas en liberté dans le monde et environ 300 en captivité. Ces derniers vivent essentiellement en Chine, dans le cadre de programmes de préservation de l’espèce.Dans les montagnes proches de Chengdu, les six candidats sélectionnés étudieront la vie des animaux en liberté, et seront invités à raconter et commenter leurs observations sur un blog. “Nous espérons que grâce à ce projet de plus en plus de gens se joindront à notre mission de protection des pandas et comprendront l’importance de la préservation de l’habitat sauvage” des animaux, a souligné Zhang Zhihe, directeur du Centre.Les amoureux des pandas venant du monde entier disposent de six semaines pour déposer leur candidature sur le site www.pandahome.com. Douze finalistes seront sélectionnés par des experts, avant que les six gagnants ne soient choisis parmi eux.Le 21 août 2010 à 12:04 • Emmanuel Perrin
Stay on target Sorry, You Can’t Date Keanu Reeves in ‘Cyberpunk 2077”Star Wars Pinball’ Has Your Favorite Brand in Ball Form For all of its problems, one of the video game industry’s most admirable qualities is being able to rally its members around charities. When you’re fortunate enough to spend so much time thinking about entertainment, you can start to feel a little guilty. So good thing it’s not too hard to find a group using video games to give back.But you know what’s better than one video game charity? Seven video game charities teaming up like the Avengers of altruism. This fall’s greatest gaming crossover is the One Gamer Fund, and you can join them this weekend.One Gamer Fund unites seven of the most prominent charitable video game organizations: AbleGamers, Child’s Play, Games for Change, Global Game Jam, IGDA Foundation, Stack-Up, and Take This. Individually they’ve performed good deeds such as raising money for sick kids, helping games become more accessible for the differently abled, providing mental health services for gamers, and fostering a more diverse community of video game developers.Together, they’ll continue to do all that and more. By collaborating, the One Gamer Fund can share funds and knowledge to achieve its mission of improving the world with the generosity of the gaming community more effectively. “With One Gamer Fund, it’s never been easier to help some of the most distinguished gaming charities all at once,” said co-founder Seven Siegel in a statement.To celebrate its formation, the One Gamer Fund is asking you to chip in a variety of ways this weekend. You can watch One Gamer Fund streams on Twitch, purchase One Gamer Fund shirts at The Yetee, buy any game published by Good Shepherd Entertainment on Steam, or just contribute to One Gamer Fund directly.Gaming is an expensive hobby. So if you can afford to buy a 4K TV for your PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, you can probably afford to help out one of the numerous good causes One Gamer Fund supports. Honestly, it’s a better use of your money.Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey.
If you’re a huge DC Comics fan who just can’t get enough collectables, these quarterly World’s Finest: The Collection boxes are a must-have. And the current box? They started the show with a showstopper: It’s themed with none other than the Dark Knight himself. • Save 40% on your first World’s Finest Box (Coupon code: IGN40)This month, you’ll get a travel mug, batarang pushpins, a vinyl figurine, a Wayne Interprises teeshirt (XS – 3XL), a grappling hook umbrella, emblem patches, metal utility cards, a mini poster, a GCPD dossier on the Joker and Two-Face, and a metal prop coin. All together, that gear is valued at over 120 bucks. Normally, a single box costs $48.99 (plus shipping and handling). But when you use coupon code “IGN40” during the checkout process, you’ll save 40% off of your first box. If you like what you get, you can stay subscribed, and get a new box every quarter (at full price). If one box is enough, just be sure to cancel before the next box ships.Okay, so what will future boxes hold? We’re not entirely sure just yet, but you can rest assured that many other beloved DC franchises will get their time in the limelight.Note: Terms and conditions apply. While supplies last. Discount applies to first box only. Offer expires 11/22/17. See the World’s Finest site for more information.Our commerce group sources the best deals and products for the Geek Deals posts. We operate independently of Editorial and Advertising and may earn a percentage of the sale, if you buy something via a link on the post. If you are interested in promoting your deals, please contact us at commerce@ziffdavis.com.For more great deals, head over to TechBargains.
Software vendors must remain current with computer technology. Minimally, this means open architecture like running on the same Mac or PC the user otherwise uses in his job, and optimally access data through a centralized database that gives your company a choice of which database platform to utilize: whether Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase or other popular and powerful relational database management system (RDMS) packages available today. And bundling a versatile report writer like Crystal Reports to enable you to prepare reports (online or hard copy output) without the need for vendor programming.If yours is not a small publishing office, you will want the application to be server-based for sharing information not only between users internal to your offices, but even remote offices, which thanks to the Internet, can be globally located today. For example, a sales rep in Amsterdam can see his client’s ad (or the issue map) from your server. AND, as the next topic emphasizes, you can properly integrate your internal (and client/printer) applications to truly realize the benefits of ERP.Plus, your vendor has to be willing to continually re-invest in his software as new technology facilitates, such as the next topic demonstrates. Software Integration:Second perhaps only to computer platform, your company wants to bi-directionally and dynamically share data between software applications in real-time (like right at this moment) to avoid errors as well as eliminate redundancy: literally single-entry data, and maybe by someone outside your company; but with commensurate checks-and-balances to ensure accuracy.Such data-sharing is not a simple task, as it can mean that two or more software vendors have to agree to work together (and who may in different products be competitors). This is only compounded in the event one or more of your vendors have not re-invested in their software as computer technology has advanced, meaning possibly high integration fees.Ease-of-Use:The software needs to be as intuitive as possible, even providing intelligent defaults including user-definable drop down lists, as to what entry choice you will make where possible. And be reasonably adaptable to your company’s way of doing business.Robust Feature Set:For the person using the software (and for the company’s determination of cost/benefits and ROI), this is the name of the game: what’s in it for the users and company to buy one vendor’s product over another’s—or even investing in a new application for that matter? Let me provide you an example of an up-and-coming application, one that has been around for awhile, but which takes on new urgency with the integration of content and production of your printed magazine—including with your printer per the next topic, your issue map. One that can even expand into Web integration for your Web site and related e-media applications.• Your mapping software (also referred to as the flatplan, dummy or schematic) should be visual and smart: catching incorrectly placed ads and providing the user with top-down data detail as to what comprises each page’s content—either as images or metadata or both. And, it should be able to handle the most complex of makeup, including geo/demo and other targeted marketing.• Mapping software may even contain related modules like Production Schedules, through an integrated database that can relate job specifications and activities to schedule performance. Even the ability to try out different map scenarios through a real-time collaborative Cost Estimating module, covering both manufacturing and distribution expenses.• The mapping software should not only interface with other software applications, but also enable you to compose pages from the map through interfaces with either Quark Xpress or Adobe InDesign. This can even help build classified pages.• Besides interfaces, the mapping software also needs to be self-sufficient for companies that may not have ad management systems by offering a complete Ad Booking system.• Most importantly, your mapping software should be compatible with your printer and advertisers and their agencies’ systems, importing/exporting files in whatever format is appropriate: PDF/X, JDF, and/or XML/PROSE. This can enable an electronic insertion order being sent to you from your advertiser’s agency; or for you to send manufacturing or purchase orders to your printer—all through the Internet. Even where the sending data can be automatically acted upon by the receiving party’s (including your own) software.Consider Your Printing Partner:Your printer has likely been on a quest for some time to automate many of its manufacturing and business operations. In the process, you likely have seen a drop in paper consumption waste factors and better and more consistent quality. The next step is to electronically streamline every other aspect of business and manufacturing that is possible, through an increased focus on Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). As a result, the appropriate mapping software can reach out not only to your printer’s customer service rep through an electronic purchase or manufacturing order, but even to scheduling and the manufacturing floor. In turn, this passes along efficiencies and other forms of savings to the publisher and printer—while avoiding miscommunications and other costly mistakes.Your Software Vendor’s Operating Policies (both spoken and unspoken):Software vendors have to make money to stay in business, but how they go about accomplishing that can impact your cost of doing business with them in ways that are not always apparent—nor in your best interests.One area is in added development costs a vendor might quote to enable its product to operate the way you need. You should make a detailed listing of the features for which you are looking, and compare them to what the software vendor’s product does as determined both through the feature set the vendor provides you and through live demonstrations, ideally at a client site so you can interact with a publisher about his impressions of the product in detail, if at all possible. Be open-minded that the workflow derived from the vendor’s software may actually improve upon your own operations, whether due to automation, the developer’s workflow model or both.The other area is whether or not you continue to get upgrades of the software as the vendor enhances the feature set for other customers: see next topic.Here is where talking to other users of the considered product(s) is important: talk to the client’s existing customer base, and not necessarily only the ones to whom the vendor points. Sometimes a client roster can be found on the vendor’s Web site. In other cases you can network, such as joining FOLIO:’s mediaPRO Web site. Or otherwise reach out to your peers to learn of their experiences with a software application and the products they use.To sum up this point, your questions to a prospective vendor’s clients should include the following points:• How long has the publisher been using the software? In other words, have they fully vetted the product? Have they comparative experience with competing vendors’ products?• Can you talk to actual users (as well as IT or the original buyer) in terms of what they specifically like (and don’t like) about the product: even—as suggested above—see the software in operation at the publisher’s site?• Without discussing dollars, did the publisher pay what he expected to pay when justifying the ROI? Concentrate particularly on any customization and implementation as well as integration fees. Why Pay for Maintenance/Support (and Specifically, Upgrades)?Being consumers of software products like Microsoft Office have spoiled us into thinking that we need not pay for anything after buying the software itself, outside of the occasional upgrade.That is not the case with professional business software such as used in publishing and as covered herein. Paying for continuing maintenance/support is something you really need to do and should be a consideration of your ROI analysis going forward. But, it is also important that you clarify the vendor’s position on the availability of upgrades, which must be factored into maintenance/support fees by the vendor. If your vendor is as progressive in its approach to continuing software development as this column urges, upgrades means better product as time goes on. Leaving the next topic’s most difficult situation a moot point. As publishers look for ways to cut costs, one of the primary sources of cost-cutting is through automation of workflows. At the same time, employees are looking for a more efficient way of doing their jobs given the workloads expected of them as a result of the competitive and economic pressures facing magazine publishers today.In the December, 2007 issue of FOLIO:, I covered “Enterprise Resource Planning,” or “ERP”: simply the ability of a publisher to computerize—and streamline—its operations and administration to an optimal level based on today’s computer technology.This column expands upon that article to cite the major features you need to consider when buying publishing-specific software in order to better automate your publishing office. But also, what you can do to benefit both in economies and timing in terms of your printing partner’s own efforts at streamlining manufacturing and related processes while enabling you to perhaps better compete in e-media as well as print.Platform and Related Architecture:
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ReutersWith leading domestic carrier Jet Airways lurching from one crisis to another, talks of its rescue are hinging on the potential exit of promoter Naresh Goyal.There have been talks about suitors including Etihad Airways and the Tata Group making Goyal’s future in the company a key pivot in the acquisition alks.The Business Standard reported on Wednesday that a consortium of lenders led by State Bank of India are formulating a funding plan that doesn’t see Goyal keeping his current position in the company.The report says SBI could possibly convert its debt to equity in Jet Airways when the consortium recasts the Rs 8,000 crore debt. The discussions have apparently taken an ominous turn for iconic aviation entrepreneur Goyal, with even his position on the board becoming a negotiable matter.According to a Mint report, the consortium of local banks led by SBI has proposed a $900 million package for the embattled airline, which includes fresh equity infusion and restructuring of $450 million of existing loans.As per the plan, while Goyal and Etihad will funnel $450 million, the rest will be pooled in by the local consortium. The talks aim at finalising the turnaround plan this month so that the cash-strapped airline gets the funds before a March deadline set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).Ongoing forensic auditEarlier on Tuesday the Times of India reported that Jet’s lenders would not release further funds until a forensic audit undertaken by Ernst and Young gives assurance on Jet Airways’ business viability. All the three options before the lenders –Goyal selling his stake, starting of insolvency proceedings when the loans turn NPA and restructuring of loans, which changes the current equity structure — will result in major setback for Goyal.The debt-laden airline’s crisis worsened last week when it defaulted on loan repayments to banks. “Payment of interest and principal installment due to the consortium of Indian Banks (led by State Bank of IndiaNSE 0.10 %) on December 31, 2018 has been delayed due to temporary cashflow mismatch,” Jet Airways said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.India’s biggest full service carrier, which posted three consecutive quarters of losses since March, has been looking for a suitor for some time. Etihad itself had emerged as a possible buyer earlier but Chairman Naresh Goyal’s unwillingness to cede control had spoiled the merger prospects.Jet Airways, which Goyal founded in 1993, is reeling under a debt pile of 81.5 billion rupees ($1.2 billion). Bloated costs, surging fuel prices and a weaker rupee are hurting Jet Airways. Peers such as SpiceJet and Indigo had reported impressive profits during the same period. Mid-air technical snag forces Etihad flight with 349 people on board to make emergency landing Close IBTimes VideoRelated VideosMore videos Play VideoPauseMute0:01/1:08Loaded: 0%0:01Progress: 0%Stream TypeLIVE-1:07?Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedSubtitlessubtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialogsubtitles off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window. COPY LINKAD Loading … According to some reports in November, Goyal was considering pruning his equity stake in the company to as low as 15 percent in order to prevent the embattled airline going belly up. The report has emerged after a meeting Goyal had with Etihad group CEO Tony Douglas in Dubai.Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways has a 24 percent share in Jet Airways. Before Jet’s troubles worsened, Etihad had reportedly shown interest in taking a controlling stake in the loss-making airline, but Goyal, who holds 51 percent, had declined the offer.