In the event that you?re an bad acne sufferer you know precisely how complicated it truly is to locate successful as well as natural home remedies which do not hurt your wallet. Counting on high-priced products is not necessarily advisable, it is always far more preferable to take care of issues by natural means so that the body reacts more positively.
Many of us are all aware of the particular healing abilities of lemon when it?s utilized straight on the skin as well as consumed as a drink if we get the cold. But might lemon juice help acne? Persons all over the world have used it for years and years, therefore it need to have a little something going for it. It?s nevertheless worth noting that undiluted lemon juice may be irritating to those with very sensitive pores and skin when utilized directly. Make sure you consequently take care in case you are trying it the very first time on your acne. It is best to water it down utilizing some drinking water if you think that you might be prone to very sensitive pores and skin.
What?s promising with regard to the ones who suffer from acne is the fact that outcomes of making use of lemon juice are pretty much immediate. You can see an immense improvement straight away in your condition as well as inflammation of the skin. There are actually certain elements that you need to bare in mind nevertheless when utilizing lemon juice. You?ll want to only use it maybe once or twice weekly since it can have very astringent qualities. You don?t want to go to the opposite extreme of getting dried out and rash-ridden pores and skin. Remain wise in how many times you employ it.
It is always better to deal with your current condition instead of retaining the acne neglected. If you don?t deal with your current acne you might in worst case get very severe acne scar problems, and it is simpler to handle acne during an early stage instead of being forced to removing acne scars. If you find that lemon juice works on your acne that is certainly excellent. If this type of remedy fails to work for you, you should attempt some other sort of remedy.You can wipe out your current pimples, and many more have been able to deal with their acne before you.
Mercedes-Benz has announced its plans to fully integrate the the driver's iPhone as well as Siri assistant into future A-Class models. It'll be like having your own personal, mildly-incompetent HAL. More »
My wife has a preferred local hair salon that she visits less frequently than she?d like, mostly due to exorbitant, premium costs. I know how the saying goes, ?You get what you pay for.? Heck, I?ve even heard myself echoing this over the years on occasion. This salon, on the surface, seems to be a good illustration of that saying with several talented employees decked out in New York black, a comfortable luxurious, leather-couched atmosphere including champagne while you wait, and a steady stream of seemingly, well-to-do clients. However, as of recently, a new reason for even less frequent visits from my wife has confusingly emerged?the hair salon either is not interested in her business or they are just ?too busy.? I?ll give them the benefit of the doubt by assuming the latter and try to prove that. Here?s goes?
Example 1: The past two times my wife has tried to ?book? an appointment to give said-hair-salon her business, they responded saying they were booked solid through the next six (yes, six!) weeks. To make an appointment for a time that was convenient to my wife?s schedule would mean booking two-plus months out. The hair salon, however, was not empathetic yet happy to put her on the wait list for ?cancellations.? If she wanted a real appointment it?d have to wait until May. In layman?s terms that means ?after-season? when business is expectantly slower. Knowing how quickly hair grows and changes, and how important events call for hair-done-right, this seems extraordinary and not acceptable.
Example 2: After actually making her last appointment which included my wife AND our daughter (side note: the visit would have amounted to over $250 in hair treatment!) which she also had to wait weeks to secure that appointment, the salon had the cahonas to call the day of the appointment and ask to reschedule, for reasons ?unknown.? Really? Wait several weeks to spend over $250 for about 1 hour?s time and then have to reschedule and wait another several weeks?
Both of these examples made it obvious to me that, not only is the salon supposedly ?too busy? but they are not interested in lower priority customers during their peak season. It has left my wife, a potential regular customer?during both peak and off-peak seasons, mind you?despondent and furious. She pays the suggested rate card, tips well, and is a relatively easy, younger head of hair to work on. I mean, how different is a high-priority head, or customer, different from hers?
This hair salon?s poor treatment of, and lack of capacity for, a potential higher-valued customer?
Take a pause to do the math quickly here folks: + frequency + retention ? cost to serve customer = + profitability + lifetime value
?led me to think through the concept of capacity and how its impact on customer service may be overlooked by this salon and others, perhaps in advertantly.
Capacity, Further Defined Capacity, according to dictionary.com can be defined with relevance to our topic as:
The ability to receive or contain: This hotel has a large capacity.
The maximum amount or number that can be received or contained; cubic contents; volume: The inn is filled to capacity. The gasoline tank has a capacity of 20 gallons.
So, in a service business, capacity would mean the maximum number of person-hours that can be retained to perform specific service tasks and/or projects. This makes sense in the hair salon example mentioned earlier. There are only so many stylists that work for the hair salon, with so many available time slots for appointments within one given day. Once all of those slots are booked, it pushes available time slots further into the future. Premium time slots are more coveted and book easily whereas others, off-peak or off-season, are likely more available and accessible.
Capacity and Its Impact on Service It?s interesting to note the impact of capacity on customer service. Take a restaurant with a host, five waiters, two chefs and a wine steward, for example. If you walk into that restaurant and as the dinner evening?s first and only customer, it?s likely you will get premium level service from several, if not all, of that staff. The table will be sharply made. Your order will be taken expeditiously. Food will be prepared quickly and served hot. And, it will be a comfortable, high-touch dining experience. Fill that restaurant to capacity and it is likely service levels will change. Now, take that same filled restaurant and subtract three of the wait staff, one chef and the wine steward, and service really starts to diminish. The business and customers suddenly become, at risk for loss (i.e customers leaving, poor referrals, etc.).
At or beyond capacity does not have to necessarily equate to poor customer service. Remember, customers who have an affinity for your brand, product or service also have a threshold for their expectations. Seinfeld?s Soup Nazi was a great example of this. Customers would wait in excessive lines and be treated inconsiderately to experience an extraordinary bowl of soup, taken to go, nonetheless. It created fear and anxiety among many customers. Truth be told, it was the Soup Nazi?s exceptional product, not the wait or poor treatment, that customers desired the most. Had he improved the waiting experience by providing new soup samples, wi-fi for the busy professional, and/or compliments to each customer, it is possible demand and loyalty would have excelled. He might have even been able to charge a higher premium for his soup and generate higher profitability with the same level of personnel and infrastructure; capacity.
The Soup Nazi?s capacity and impact on customer service placed his business at risk. This was further illustrated when Elaine got a hold of his recipes. Had she opened up a soup kitchen down the street promoting the same Soup Nazi product, yet with no wait, kinder service and at better prices, she might have very well stolen some or all of the Soup Nazi?s business. It?s important to constantly remind yourself that:
Customers have choices.
Competition is formidable.
And, most businesses depend on how defendable a product or service you have, for the customer threshold on service, pricing and other factors.
Capacity-Service Tips Here are a few tips to keep your capacity and its impact on service in check to optimize your business:
Prioritize Your Customers Yet Treat Them All As VIPs: know the average revenue and/or profitability of each customer and their lifetime value (including referral value), yet treat them all as important VIPs. Low revenue generating customers can become high revenue generating customers and/or the best referrals. Don?t take any customer, and their potential for business, for granted. Take time to recognize customers and their value for your business (without customers there is no business). Be polite and thank them profusely for choosing your business.
Be Honest and Forthright. Make an Effort by Giving Alternatives to Satisfy Their Buying Need: If you?re at/beyond capacity, be sure to tell your customers, but not at the expense of making them feel unimportant. Something like this, goes a long way, ?Mrs. Customer, I?m sorry to inform that we?re currently at capacity and cannot accept your reservation during the time that you want. Your business is extremely important to us. Here are a few alternatives that may satisfy you.? Offer a discount or other incentive for the inconvenience so not to lose their business. Make the effort to retain your customers as this could be your last chance to do so. And, it costs more, generally, to acquire a customer than it does to retain an existing one.
Manage Demand, Service Capacity and Resulting Profitability, Carefully and Regularly: If your problem is high demand beyond capacity and you are not interested in increasing capacity (via technology, more employees, etc.) for whatever reason, you may consider raising your rates or not taking on new clients to prevent your business from becoming at risk. Don?t be afraid to drive demand to accommodate capacity with price, service and other functions. Rental properties have peak rates, for example, when demand is most high. This might take some testing but could be well worth it.
To reiterate, your customers have choices. Competition is formidable. And, unless your product or service is 100% defendable, decreasing service because of capacity could put your business at risk. Manage your business? capacity and service levels to help acquire, retain and grow the most profitable customer relationships and, ultimately, achieve business success.
About the Author
Angelo Biasi is General Manager of SMART Marketing Solutions, LLC, a leading full-service integrated marketing company in Florida and New York since 2001. He has helped create and execute marketing plans and integrated marketing solutions for companies such as Playtex, Bic, Rogaine, Tauck, and over 35 colleges and universities, to name a few. Angelo has an MBA in Marketing from the University of Connecticut and teaches Marketing at New York University where he has for over six years. He has been quoted and/or featured in USA Today, Mobile Marketer magazine, Mobile Commerce Daily, Luxury Marketing magazine, BNET TV and Business Currents magazine, to name a few. For more information or to learn more, email him at abiasismartmarketingllccom??(abiasismartmarketingllccom)??, visit www.smartmarketingllc.com, call him at 239.963.9396 and follow him on Twitter @angbiasi.
AP - Elevated oil prices weighed on markets Monday as investors worried that the increases could choke off a burgeoning economic recovery, particularly in the U.S.
Bistro Exchange is the go-to-classified for career opportunities i.e. chef, bartender, waitress, waiter and many other jobs in the hospitality industry viz hotels, bars, restaurants and night clubs jobs throughout the country. View career information for FREE and contact immediately. Check out the jobs that are relevant to your skill set and Apply Today! http://www.bistroexchange.com/jobs/index/41
Redesigned reward midsize SUV hits all a right notes
By Jim Redden
The Portland Tribune, Feb 24, 2012
MERCEDES-BENZ
The revised 2012 ML350 BlueTEC looks and drives great, generally for a diesel-powered midsize SUV.
ADVERTISEMENTS
The new Mercedes-Benz ML350 looked distrinctly out of place in a Eco Center during a 2012 Portland International Auto Show hold in January. The vast upstairs room in a Oregon Convention Center was dedicated to immature vehciles. It was full of tiny variety and all-electric cars. But there was a many incomparable Mercedes-Benz SUV, simply twice a distance of usually about all around it.
But a ML350 wasn?t there by mistake. It was a BlueTEC version, definition that a fuel-efficient tuborcharged diesel engine was nestled underneath a hood. The 3.0-liter V6 is rated by a Environmental Protection Agency during 20 miles per gallon in a city and 27 miles per gallon on a highway. Although that competence not too good for a tiny car, a ML350 BlueTEC comes customary with all-wheel-drive, can lift 5 adults in comfort, and can draw adult to 7,200 pounds ? creation it ideal for a environmentally-minded boat, camper or equine owner. And, by injecting a resolution called AdBlue? into a exhaust, a BlueTEC record reduces smog-causing NOx to submissive nitrogen and H2O vapor.
Yes, there are opposite shades of immature in this world. That?s what a presenters of a automobile uncover ? a Portland Metro New Car Dealers Association ? accepted when they chose to offer a ML350 BlueTEC as an instance of one of a many fuel-efficent vehicles in a field.
And that field, reward midsize SUVs, is removing some-more swarming all a time. Although a ML350 was one of a few SUVs that could chair 5 adults in oppulance when it was initial introduced as partial of a M Line in 1997. But now it competes opposite such identical sized and versed offerings as a Acura MDX, a Audi Q5, a BMW X5, a Lexus RX and a Porsche Cayenne. To stay competitive, Mercedes-Benz redesigned a M Line for 2005 and again for 2012. As a result, currently a ML350 is entirely contemporary, charity appealing styling, high-grade interior materials, and present party and navigation systems.
And, of course, a discretionary diesel engine, that came in a exam vehicle. The bottom engine is a normally-aspirated 3.5-liter gasoline V6. It offers some-more horsepower than a diesel, 302 to 240. But a diesel offers distant some-more torque, an startling 455 foot-pounds compared to a 273 in a gasoline version. That?s what accounts for a BlueTEC conspicuous towing capacity.
But ? and here?s a genuine warn ? a BlueTEC chronicle drives like a gasoline-powered SUV. In a past, diesel engines have been loud and delayed off a line. But a BlueTEC V6 usually rumbles somewhat when cold, pulls smartly divided from a passed stop, and provides copiousness of accessible flitting energy on freeways.
We did not have a possibility to exam a gasoline V6-powered ML350, though think it would usually be marginally faster than a BlueTEC version, if that.
On a road, a ML350 felt secure and solid, aided no doubt by a 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. But a altogether construction peculiarity was also impressive, with really tiny outward or breeze sound clear when a windows were up.
Our exam ML350 was also versed with choice reserve systems, including on that warned if vehicles are in a blind spots and another that vibrated a steering circle somewhat if we started flapping out of a lane. At least, that?s what Mercedes-Benz claims a complement was ostensible to do. we found it vibrated a circle on countless occasions, including when we were relocating by unconditional turns though still in a lane. Better protected than sorry, we guess.
Overall, however, a ML350 gathering like a midsize SUV from Mercedes-Benz should. What some-more could any green-thinking owners want?
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[unable to retrieve full-text content]A typical end-user client are professionals consultants who wants to increase their revenue, growth for their business, create new revenue opportunities, or start a consulting business. The CFO In The Box's materials focus on ...
Source: www.sfgate.com --- Sunday, February 26, 2012 On her first day as executive director of the California Historical Society, Anthea Hartig inherited a Golden Gate Bridge exhibition that was already behind schedule. On her desk was a contract obligating CHS to mount a... ...
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By: Mark Glendale
Wine is a perfect investment in ones business since it never goes out of
style. Most of the major types of this wine are sweet and easy drinking
wines and therefore is good for all beginners to the wine culture. The
incorporation of red wine to ones restaurant menu will boost sales since
there's nothing as enjoyable as a combination of good food, good wine and a
good conversation.
However, wine is a delicate drink and one has to get some basic information
about wine before they undertake the business. It is not enough to only know
the difference between red and white wine, one has to know the differences
between the major types of wines in order to make the best recommendations
for ones customers. To learn more about wines one can take wine tasting
courses or even simpler work in a wine retail shop. However if one does not
have the time they can simply read about the wine culture from books or
online.
Varietal wine is indicated on the label by only one variety and the name is
written using a capital initial. There are eight major types of this type of
wine and they vary from the variety of grapes used in the making of the
wine. Some of these wines include Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Malbec.
To improve meals at ones restaurant, one can pair up the food with these
different types of wine which pair up with different types of food.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best varieties of wine in the market at the
moment. It is often blended with Cabernet Franc or Merlot and pairs up well
with red meat. The meat can be simply prepared and doesn't need much
preparation.
Malbec is an easy drinking wine and is well colored. Many may find the taste
similar to that of plums and berries. It pairs well with meat based meals.
It can also go well with Indian dishes as well as Mexican dishes. It is
mainly produces in the French Bordeaux region.
Merlot is commonly recommended for beginners of wine drinking. It is soft to
drink and many individuals will enjoy pair it up with their meals. The best
thing about Merlot wine is that one can pair it up with almost any food.
This wine is therefore the wine to stock up in ones new restaurant since it
will be able to accompany any food on the menu.
Syrah wine also referred to as Shiraz is a wine with an intense spicy
flavor. Syrah is often paired up with food such as pizza, barbecued meals
and pasta. The spicy flavor also makes it suitable to pair up with meat
whether steak, wild game or even stews.
If ones menu consists of Italian and Mediterranean cuisines the best wine to
pair up the meal with is the Sangiovese wine. This wine is mostly made in
the Tuscany region of Italy.
Pinot noir is considered to be made from the noblest red wine grapes since
the grapes are very difficult to grow. It has a delicate and fresh flavor
and is best paired up with chicken, lamb or grilled salmon. It is also
suitable with Japanese dishes such as Sushi.
Zinfandel is made with from the very versatile zinfandel grapes which
produce a wide variety of wines. The Zinfandel red wine has a berry with
pepper taste. It pairs well with pasta with tomato sauce, pizzas and
barbecued meats. The only vineyards are in California.
These tips on pairing food with wine will help one improve sales in their
restaurants and will also improve the number of customers as more
individuals get more accustomed to the wine culture.
Author Resource:->??At Capital Drinks you are able to purchase top red wine online with over 1,500 grape assortments our customers are left enjoying classy wines including some award winning reds.
Perhaps tochigi, or other Cryptogon readers who are able to read Japanese, would like to report on this. There is no mainstream news coverage of this in English at the moment.
Via: Fukushima Diary:
Following up this article ..Tokyo is contaminated as the worst place in Chernobyl
Mr. Kabayama, a Tokyo city councilor of Liberal Democratic Party died after measuring radiation in Mizumoto Park.
He was measuring radiation in various areas in Tokyo and posted it on his blog.
On 6/30/2011, he measured 0.25 microSv/h in Mizumoto Park.
The next day, 7/1/2011 3AM, he was found dead with his head covered by a plastic bag.
Police thought it to be suicide for some reason. However, none of the posts on the blog suggested potential suicide, he sounded motivated to measure around in Tokyo.
Source: www.ibtimes.com --- Sunday, February 26, 2012 UFC 144 in Japan saw seven underdogs win their bouts, most notably Benson Henderson who secured a stunning victory in the lightweight title in a thrilling contest against former champ Frankie Edgar. ...
If you needed some more fuel for the burning flame known as the 2012 Nike All-Star Collection, we?ve got a last-minute inclusion for ya. Here?s a teaser of the Nike Air Force 1 Low ?2012 All-Star Game?; we?re given this quick sneak peek from one of the kings of the Air Force 1 and ATF Crew member Mayor, who conveniently showed us the etched graphic on the heel. We?ll keep you updated on this development (PE? Release?) so stick with Sneaker News and we?ll keep you in the loop.
Students can now use technology not only to excel in their studies but also to employ their time in a better way.
Here, The Mobile Indian has compiled five must have applications that are available on Android Market for students. All these apps are free of cost.
This application does not need any introduction. It is one of the most used reference sites in the world and is being referred to by practically everyone. If you need to quickly look up a term or want to know something in detail, just go through the app.
The Wikipedia app on Android has more than 20 million articles in 280 languages, and is the most comprehensive and widely used reference work humans have ever compiled. You can save articles to read later or offline, search articles nearby, share articles using Android's 'share' function, or even read an article in a different language.
This is one of the best educational applications available in the Android Market today. The app has different sections that include Subjects, Calculators, Translator, Math Invasion, Web Reference and Facts.
In the subjects section, the app lists Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. The developers are also about to add a dictionary section, which is currently inactive. Each subject has further been divided into sub sections. So if you want to know about Torque, just click on Physics and then click on Torque; or if you want to know about Statistics, go to Mathematics.
All the three subjects have been very well covered. Of course you cannot use it for comprehensive studies, but Formulas Lite, as the name suggests, is of immense help to students who want a quick revision just before a test. Since you have it on your phone, you can read it anytime, anywhere.
Besides, Formulas Lite has a Calculator, Translator, Facts and Web Reference sections. The calculator, though, is not a normal one; in fact, it provides five different types of calculators including a scientific calculator, unit converter, function derivator, binary-hex-decimal, and simple calculator.
With Translator, you can translate any English word to any of the languages listed on this app. There are no Indian languages, though; nor did it work properly when we tried. Translator perhaps works when you are connected to the internet but since it failed each time I tried, I cannot comment on this.
As the name suggests, Web Reference enables you to search for something on Wikipedia, Physics Forum, Maths Forum or Chemistry Forum. For Web Reference too you need an internet connection. The Facts section lists interesting data under various headings like celebrity, human body etc.
So all in all, Formulas Lite is a very interesting app that will prove to be helpful for students especially, enabling quick revision whenever and wherever they want.
"Evernote turns your Android device into an extension of your brain,? its developers claim and no doubt it does that with ease. With Evernote you can create notes which can be in text, picture or voice and even video, or a mix of all these. Plus, you'll never lose these Notes as they are automatically saved on the cloud, which can be accessed anytime from any computer or mobile phone using an internet connection.
So you can take notes during class and study them later. Even if you lost your phone you can retrieve notes by accessing your Evernote app using a PC, smartphone or tablet.
Merriam Webster is one of the more famous dictionaries and is referred to by many worldwide. In addition to all the definitions from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, this app offers voice search - to let you look up a word without having to spell it - along with synonyms, antonyms, example sentences, Word of the Day, and more. It's a great tool for reference, education, and vocabulary building.
You can also keep a list of words that are particularly interesting to you. Besides, in the Recent History tab, you can see the words you've looked up earlier. The app is free and does not have any ads. And, you do won't need an internet connection to view any of the definitions.
As the name suggests, this application helps you scan documents and turn them into pdf files. In a nutshell, if you find a journal or a chapter in a book you came across very useful, just scan it using this app and save it for later. This way, you can save a lot of time and energy that would've been spent taking notes.
With CamScanner, you are able to digitise paper documents by photo shooting. Simply take a picture of paper documents such as receipts, whiteboards, notes, agreements and so forth, and CamScanner can auto-crop images, enhance image quality and create industry standard pdf files. And you can easily upload documents to cloud storage sites like Dropbox, Google Doc, Box.net, and then manage them by tagging or searching.
The free version of CamScanner comes with advertisements, and creates pdf files with watermarks. There is also a limitation of 50 documents, ten pages per document, and up to three scans each time in batch mode.
Mobile bar codes are increasingly gaining momentum and companies such as Toys R Us and Glamour are placing them on billboards and walls ? providing consumers another way to shop their favorite products.
Although the technology is still emerging, it certainly has the opportunity to change the way consumers shop. Brands and marketers are beginning to see the potential of mobile bar codes and are using them in their marketing strategies.
?The immediacy of being able to purchase something you see advertised in a magazine or other out-of-home signage allows consumers to conveniently purchase the product on-the-spot, without having to search or step foot into a store,? said Nicole Skogg, CEO of SpyderLynk, New York .
?We believe that the use of mobile bar codes overall, especially mcommerce-enabled bar codes, will continue to grow as consumers become more familiar with the technology,? she said. ?Adoption rates will also continue to grow as marketers think more strategically about the use of bar codes and become more focused on delivering value.
?Well-executed, mobile bar codes drive consumer consideration and help position a brand as relevant and enticing. Poorly executed mobile bar codes, at best, serve to frustrate consumers and, at worst, are ignored all together.?
On the go shopping Last year, Toys R Us rolled out a virtual store that let consumers scan QR codes featured on billboards and shop the company?s 2011 Hot Toy List.
On-the-go commuters and travelers in the New York metro area were encouraged to take part in the initiative. The billboards were located in John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and nearly 40 NJ Transit Stations feature the showcased items (see story).
Most recently, Glamour unveiled its Apothecary Wall that features products from Unilever and Juicy Couture.
The Apothecary Wall has SpyderLynk Snaptags next to each product. Users are encouraged to download Glamour?s Friends & Fans iPhone app to scan the mobile bar code and buy the featured product right then and there.
?Placement is critical to success in adoption rates,? Ms. Skogg said. ?One of our key messages to our clients is that the placement of a mobile bar code will drive usage.
?Engaged media such as magazines, email, online and street teams at events will drive higher response rates than passive media such as event displays and out-of-home signage like a billboard ? which is typically passed by rather than viewed from a closer proximity while standing still, making it difficult for consumers to engage,? she said. ?There are much more creative ways to deploy bar codes with the Apothecary Wall being an excellent example.
?Glamour?s innovative use of the Apothecary Wall allowed them to extend the reach of the magazine, while making it fun for consumers to shop on-the-spot. By recreating a shopping isle with a 2D design, the Apothecary Wall was intuitive, approachable and easy for consumers to interact with.?
Mobile sophistication There is an increase in the sophistication of mobile bar codes and their implementation compared to last year.
Brands and marketers are incorporating mobile bar codes across their entire marketing mix.
This comprehensive approach to mobile is giving marketers the ability to model, segment and better target consumers.
Mobile commerce-enabled mobile bar codes give retailers the opportunity to extend the reach of their bricks-and-mortar retail outlets.
?We are beginning to see mobile bar codes have an impact on the retail experience however, there is still much consumer education and awareness needed for mobile bar codes to really change the way consumers shop,? said Laura Marriott, CEO of NeoMedia Technologies, Boulder, CO.
?Many major global brands and retailers, such as Calvin Klein, McDonalds, Macy?s and Target, have helped to increase this awareness by taking advantage of the ability mobile bar codes provide to bring engagement and interactivity to a consumer?s experience with a brand,? she said.
?By simply scanning the mobile bar code, consumers can instantly access an unlimited amount of data on the brand and product of interest ? from product information and reviews to special offers ? but further integration with a brand or retailer?s existing loyalty, CRM or couponing implementations will also help to drive consumer uptake.?
According to Ms. Marriott, mobile bar codes provide an easy, instant means to connect with the brand.
?I believe we will see significant uptake of these services,? Ms. Marriott said. ?Mobile bar codes still have a bit of the newness factor and are fun to engage with, which definitely also helps to drive interactions.
?And making the shopping experience even more accessible to consumers via mobile bar codes, is definitely a winning combination,? she said. ?We do expect to see these types of initiatives becoming more commonplace in the next year, which will help consumers become more comfortable with using their mobile to scan and buy on the go.
?In 2012 we should expect to see a rise in mobile bar code scanning implementations resulting in greater consumer participation, expanded loyalty initiatives and an overall enhanced consumer experience when in-store ? much more than a simple resolution to a Web URL.? Coupled with this, we expect to see hardware solutions in retail support mobile bar code scanning on a much wider basis in 2012.?
Mobile bar codes make shoppers more intelligent wherever they may be.
Consumers access more relevant content based on what their specific interests.
Additionally, with mobile bar codes shoppers can now access product reviews and price comparisons via their mobile device. This allows them to make more informed decisions on the spot when making a purchase.
?We do see some customers getting more comfortable buying products on their mobile devices, but we are not at the mass adoption level yet,? said Mike Wehrs, CEO of Scanbuy, New York. ?Thousands of people made purchases through our app over the holidays as they were scanning UPC codes from products, but there are many ways for retailers to harness that activity.
?Virtual shops are a growing phenomenon which can really enable someone to buy from anywhere,? he said.
Final Take Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce, New York
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily and Mobile Marketer. Reach her at rimma@mobilemarketer.com.
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Tags: Laura Marriott, Mike Wehrs, mobile, mobile commerce, mobile marketing, NeoMedia Technologies Inc., Nicole Skogg, Scanbuy, Spyderlynk
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In June, the UFC cut middleweight Nate Marquardt after he could not get medical clearance to fight at UFC on Versus 4 just hours before he was scheduled to weigh in. Now, he is back in the Zuffa fold, as Strikeforce signed him to fight in their welterweight division.
His signing will strengthen a promotion that has seen four champions flee to the UFC. A bout with Tyron Woodley is reportedly in the works. Marquardt brings a recognizable name and a well-rounded game to Strikeforce.
It should come as no surprise that when many people are looking to sell their home, they opt to turn to an expert real estate agent. It is the job of a realtor that will help you with the complete residence investing process. A real estate agent can make every one of the necessary sessions, schedule and operate such things as open houses, care for marketing and become there to help you make important judgements. A real estate agent is also essential in running a successful settlements when selling or buying a house.
The right realtor could make significant amounts of difference in the home purchasing process. This is the reason always take fantastic attention when choosing the right real estate agent that will help you with this process. There are a variety of crucial points that you need to look out for ina real estate agent when deciding which real estate agent you want to give you the house purchasing or home promoting method. By understanding what to consider in the high quality realtor, you can ensure that you are relying the best person while using job. Buying a residence is one of the biggest buys you will even make in your own life so you will want to make sure that you trust the right individual to assist you.
To ensure that you are having faith in the right real estate agent while using employment, you should make sure the realtor supplies the basic services that a quality realtor should really offer you. They should first be able to assist you to figure out your buying power. A good realtor will work with you and your current finances that will help you figure out an easily affordable and practical price range. They will be able to then make use of this details to locate available properties so that you can take a look at. When utilizinga real estate agent they may also be able to show you attributes that you simply cannot yet discover listed on-line.
As well as assisting you to with your important first steps in your home lookup procedure, a quality realtor can provide other services too. A real estate professional will appraise the property?s condition prior to making a purchase. A real estate professional should be able to show you plans problems that may be damaging using the house or other difficulties which could affect the durability or property?s value. They could also allow you to negotiate the best offer feasible if you choose to make a package over a home you prefer. In addition they know most of the residence funding possibilities and should be able to help you choose the right financing options for you.
Finally, a real estate agent will help walk you through the exciting final process and be sure things are taken care of. It is important to find a real estate agent which will offer you all of these characteristics. If you discover a local real estate agent which is dedicated to assisting you in all of these places you no doubt know you might be having faith in somebody that can help you purchase the house of your dreams.
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The Jaipur Literary Festival in northern India attracts thousands of book-lovers, and provides greater access to literature for India's 1.2 billion population.
? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
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Thousands of people packed beneath an enormous tent at the Jaipur Literary Festival in Rajasthan, northwestern India, in January. They came to see talk show superstar Oprah Winfrey, one of the featured guests at the festival. Among her many accomplishments is her book club, which drove book sales into the millions. But, with no Oprah equivalent in India, the young people in this country are spearheading their own book clubs.
Sumeet Shetty is an example. When he?s not buying books, he?s inviting authors to speak at his company?s book club in Bangalore. With more than 500 active members, it?s one of the biggest on the subcontinent. Though that number is only a drop in the bucket in a country of 1.2 billion, it reflects a growing trend. Literary festivals like Jaipur, one of the largest in South Asia, are exposing this generation to a variety of new authors. And, as the income of the middle class continues to rise, so does their appetite for buying books.
?My generation has so much more access to literature than my mother?s,? says Surabhi Bhatnagar, who started a book club at her university in Rajasthan. Though she plans to work in information technology, she says it is the writings of English author Virginia Woolf and works like ?Into the Wild,? by Jon Krakauer, that captivate her.
Though right now in India books sell mostly by word of mouth, perhaps it?s only a matter of time until this growing enthusiasm for literature blossoms into a world-renowned book club like Oprah?s.
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Commercial real estate is full of red tape. In fact, processing these properties can be a real headache for owners and buyers alike. While it might seem daunting, many people involved in commercial real estate could benefit from simply educating themselves on their rights. This article will outline a few tips for buyers and sellers alike.
Establish your goals before you enter the real estate market. How much time do you want to spend managing your buildings? How much of a risk do you want to take, and what kind of budget will you be working with? This should help you know what kind of property you should be looking for.
When buying commercial property remember that they do take longer than if you were going to buy a single family home. You don?t want to get impatient or rush into anything. Commercial property should not be looked at as a quick way to make some cash. Look at it as an investment.
If time is against you in regards to buying commercial property, make sure that you are never forced to make a transaction. Making a bad decision is worse than making no decision at all, as you should only sign on to things that you believe in. This will allow you to get the best bang for your buck.
If you?re trying to flip houses for a living, you need to make sure you advertise yourself. Have a website, get business cards, put ads in the newspapers for the homes, etc. If you want to make money, you need to treat this as a business, or else you can?t expect business-grade results.
As you can see, commercial real estate is easier to deal with than you probably thought it was. These tips were developed through experience, and will hopefully guide you in your commercial real estate transactions in the future. If you?re still stuck, consider hiring a professional to help you through the rest of the process.
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[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - Fans often question whether wealthy club owners have a real passion for their teams but the followers of ailing A-league outfit Gold Coast United were left in no doubt at the weekend when Clive Palmer said he did not even like the sport.
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The 23-year old daughter of John Force, NHRA funny car racing legend, defeated Bob Tasca III with a run of 309.27 at 4.2 seconds. Despite having the initial lead, Tasca lost traction on the remaining 1,000-foot drag strip allowing Courtney Force to take the reins of victory. "I was nervous going up there to the starting line,? says Force. "I was just holding on the whole time hoping [the car] would go and it did.?
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To make that top 10 is going to be tough. Somebody?s going to be left out, so I?m just going to keep fighting and keep my nose clean.?
The father and girls and cars relationship proved strong. However, Courtney?s fate was sealed by a loss to Mike Neff while father Force defeated his daughter?s rival Alexis DeJoria, Tim Wilkerson and Gary Densham to advance to the final round. But for Courtney, coming and making a few waves at the Winternationals was beyond her expectations, "I didn?t picture [going] this far into Sunday," she said. "This weekend is going way better than I expected." Between the potential rivalry brewing between Alexis DeJoria, who posted an incredible 4.141 seconds at 310.27 in a losing effort, and Courtney Hood.
The future for NHRA regarding Girls and Cars has never been brighter. "I'm having so much fun," Courtney said Friday. "I'm trying to take everything I've learned to the racetrack. I'm having the time of my life. I'm having so much fun," Courtney said Friday. "I'm trying to take everything I've learned to the racetrack. I'm having the time of my life." It?s only a matter of time before AlexiasDeJoria and Courtney hood raise the bar for girls and cars, win some events, and maybe even take over the old legacy. It?s all a matter of seconds.
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BANGKOK ? Three Iranians detained after accidentally setting off explosives in Bangkok were planning to attack Israeli diplomats, Thailand's top policeman said Thursday in the first confirmation by local officials that the group was plotting attacks in Thailand.
The allegation came after days of strong accusations by Israel that Iran was behind the botched plot as well as two others in India and the former Soviet republic of Georgia this week. Iran has denied the charges.
Citing the similarity of bombs used in New Delhi and Tbilisi, national police chief Gen. Prewpan Dhamapong said that Thai authorities now "know for certain that (the target) was Israeli diplomats."
"This issue was about individuals and the targets were specific," he said. "This was something personal."
Israel has accused Iran of waging a covert campaign of state terror and has threatened military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has blamed the Jewish state for the recent killings of Iranian atomic scientists and has denied responsibility for all three bomb plots, including an explosion Monday in New Delhi that tore through an Israeli diplomatic vehicle, wounding the driver and a diplomat's wife, and a foiled attempt the same day in Georgia.
Speaking in an interview with Israel Radio during a trip to Japan, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said: "It's clearer to more and more of the world that Iran, which is a veteran sponsor of terror, is trying to raise the bar even more, trying to harm diplomats around the world."
Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said security had been stepped up for its diplomatic staff abroad.
"Obviously, security is of the essence at times like this," Palmor said. "We are taking whatever measures are required to ensure that life and work can go on as usual."
The plot in Bangkok was discovered Tuesday only by accident, when explosives stored in a house occupied by several Iranian men blew up by mistake.
One of the Iranians, Mohammad Kharzei, was paraded before journalists Thursday wearing a striped short-sleeve shirt, his apparently handcuffed hands covered by a dark sheet.
Prewpan said Kharzei had "partially confessed" and had acknowledged knowing one of the other suspects, Saeid Moradi, whose leg was sheered off by an explosive he was carrying as he fled police in the Thai capital's busy Sukhumvit Road area.
Surveillance video released by police already links the suspects: it shows them leaving their destroyed house just after the first blast. Moradi was the last to exit, and as he walked out with a heavy backpack over his shoulder, a small crowd that had begun to gather backed away, clearly terrified.
Kharzei, grim-faced, did not speak as he stood before reporters, but Prewpan described him as "stressed out" and another official said he was having trouble eating.
The third Iranian, Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, was detained in Malaysia and the country's federal police spokesman, Ramli Yoosuf, said he was being investigated for terrorism-related activities linked to the Bangkok blasts. The official could not say whether Sedaghatzadeh would be extradited to Thailand.
A Bangkok court has approved arrest warrants for all three suspects, as well as an Iranian woman named Leila Rohani who rented the destroyed house. However, Rohani has left Thailand and is now in Tehran, according to the top immigration police official, Lt. Gen. Wiboon Bangthamai.
All four now face criminal charges including possession of explosives, attempted murder, attempted murder of a policeman and causing explosions that damaged property. Prewpan said he believed there already was enough evidence to prosecute them.
The Israeli ambassador to Thailand, Itzhak Shoham, declined to comment on reports his staff had been specifically targeted. He said the Israeli Embassy was open and functioning as normal.
Shoham told The Associated Press earlier this week, however, that the similarity of the bombs found in Bangkok and New Delhi had led Israel to believe the plots were linked.
Prewpan also said that two homemade "sticky" bombs found at the blast site Tuesday matched the devices planted on Israeli diplomatic cars in India and Georgia a day earlier.
Thailand's acknowledgment that terror attacks were being planned on its soil stood in contrast to its denials of that last month, when police arrested a Lebanese-Swedish man with alleged links to Hezbollah. At the time, authorities insisted Thailand was only being used as a staging ground for attacks, but was not the target. The man led police to a warehouse near Bangkok packed with more than 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms) of urea fertilizer and other materials that could be used to make bombs.
After that incident, Israel and the United States warned their citizens to be alert. The U.S. Embassy said foreign terrorists may have been looking to attack tourist areas in Bangkok and Thai media reported the attacks were aimed at Israeli targets, including the Israeli Embassy.
Thai officials say it is not clear if the two incidents are connected.
___
Associated Press writers Todd Pitman in Bangkok and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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In June, the UFC cut middleweight Nate Marquardt after he could not get medical clearance to fight at UFC on Versus 4 just hours before he was scheduled to weigh in. Now, he is back in the Zuffa fold, as 
