Golroo Blog

London skyline at sunset. Photograph: Getty Images

(With input from Wikipedia)

Many cities like to think of themselves as international hubs for business and culture, but of those which can truly lay claim to the title of being a “global city”?

The Middle East has several contenders such as Cairo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Beirut, but can they hold their own against the likes of London, Hong Kong and New York?

Yahoo! Maktoob News counts down the top 10 cities as according to the 2010 Global Cities Index, a collaboration between Foreign Policy magazine, consultancy A.T. Kearney and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

1. New York
New York City, the most populous city in the United States, is known for its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing centre.  It is host of the United Nations Headquarters and home to many international conglomerates.

2. London
The capital of the UK is Britain and Europe’s largest and most populous city with more than 7.5 million inhabitants. It has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions. It is influential in politics, finance, education, entertainment, media, fashion, arts and culture.

3. Tokyo
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the largest metropolitan area of the country. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family.

4. Paris
The French capital is the largest city in France with a population of over 2 million. It is one of the world’s leading business and cultural centres. Its influences in politics, education, entertainment, fashion and arts contribute to its status as a major global city.

5. Hong Kong
Situated on China’s south coast, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world with some 7 million people living there. It is renowned for its expansive skyline, night life and deep natural harbour.

6. Chicago
Chicago is the third most populous city in the U.S. with over 2.8 million inhabitants. It is one of the world’s top financial centres and is also a major hub for industry and infrastructure. Chicago is the home of U.S. President Barack Obama.

7. Los Angeles
The second most populous city in the United States with 3.83 million inhabitants, Los Angeles is a world center of business, entertainment, culture, fashion, technology and education. It is also home to several renowned institutions.

8. Singapore
The island country of Singapore has a diverse population of 5 million people.  It has the sixth-highest percentage of foreigners in the world (42%), and is second most densely populated after Monaco.

9. Sydney
With a population of some 4.5 million, Sydney is the largest and most populous city in Australia. It has a reputation as an international centre for commerce, arts, fashion, culture, entertainment, music, education and tourism.

10. Seoul
The capital and largest city of South Korea, Seoul has a population of over 12 million and is one of the most densely populated and largest cities in the world. It is a major financial and commercial centre and home to a number of large conglomerates.

ref: maktoob

DUBAI – With the temperature heating up as summer sets in, it is time to seriously start thinking of taking extra precautions while basking in the sun.

But how much sunscreen is enough to achieve that sun-kissed look without burning? Here are a few helpful application tips so you keen yourself protected without ending up swimming in sunscreen.

Magic formula
To gauge the frequency of use of sunscreen, first determine how long it would take you (in minutes) to burn without wearing sun protection (about 20 minutes for a ‘light skinned individual’).

Then multiply the number by the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of the product you are using. Finally, divide that number by 60 (minutes) and you have frequency in hours that you should apply sunscreen.

For instance, if you observe a sunburn sensation in 10 minutes and use SPF 30, 10 multiplied by 30 is 300, divided by 60 is 5. So this means you have to apply the sunscreen every five hours.

Don’t forget your cutlery
Dermatologists recommend a teaspoon of sunscreen lotion for the face and approximately three tablespoons for the body. The more the sun protection applied, the better it is for your skin.

Importance of water resistance
In case of excessive sweating or swimming, use products with water resistant formula and re-apply if you find the sunscreen wearing off.

Year-round protection
While many people only associate sunscreen with a day out on the beach, it is to be remembered that even casual exposure to sun can be harmful to the skin. Sunscreen is thus an everyday use.

Mamta Thakkar is the UAE general manager at Merle Norman Cosmetics

ref: yahoo (Maktoob)

MUMBAI – He’s the evergreen bus conductor-turned-film star who is worshipped like a god in his native south India. Now the actor Rajinikanth appears to have a movie budget that befits his megastar status.

The 60-year-old superstar’s latest film, the Tamil-language “Endhiran”, has a budget of 1.65 billion rupees (35 million dollars), according to the movie’s official website.

That would make it the most expensive Indian film ever, beating Bollywood’s Hindi-language underwater odyssey “Blue”, which reportedly cost 750 million rupees, and “Kites” which starred Hrithik Roshan and was said to have been made for 1.25 billion rupees.

Shooting for “Endhiran”, which is due for release later this year, has taken the cast all over the world, from the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru to Brazil and the United States.

“It seems a very lavish production from what we’ve seen from the stills,” leading film critic Taran Adarsh told AFP.

The science-fiction fantasy, which will be released in Hindi as “The Robot” and “Robo” in Telugu, also stars former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, who is one of Bollywood’s biggest names and the daughter-in-law of megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

But the big draw is still likely to be Rajinikanth, the moustachioed action hero famous for his stylised acting who left a job on the buses to study drama in the then city of Madras in southern India in the early 1970s.

A star of more than 150 films, his presence on screen has been likened to a leaping tiger, and his fans are known to pray in front of life-size cardboard cut-outs of the actor for the success of his latest release.

“Rajinikanth is a very big star in India as well as in Japan, Malaysia, the US and UK,” said Adarsh, who writes for www.bollywoodhungama.com. “He’s a good actor and caters to the masses.”

In “Endhiran” Rajinikanth plays the dual role of a scientist and a robot he creates that falls in love with Rai’s character.

The film sees him team up with the director S. Shankar and the composer and lyricist A.R. Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work on the hit film “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Analysts said the actor’s star appeal and the big budget is increasingly rare, as studios, particularly in Bollywood, find that a big name and even bigger budget are no guarantee of box office success.

Revenues declined by nearly 14 percent to 89.3 billion rupees in 2009, hit by a damaging Bollywood producers’ strike, swine flu fears and poor quality content, auditors KPMG said in a report published in March.

In recent years, exorbitant fees for actors have been cut and performers have turned their attention to quality not quantity when making films in the hope of making an impact in India’s increasingly crowded entertainment sector.

South Indian cinema — India’s largest film-producing region encompassing Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada language films — remains more star-driven but is taking note of the need for higher production values.

Studios across India are putting more money into the quality of production like special effects, script-writing, marketing and consumer insight work, said Rajesh Jain, head of media and entertainment at KPMG.

“It’s a shift from taking audiences for granted,” he added.

ref: wikipedia.org

Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, columnist, author and presenter of radio and television.

Brand achieved fame in the UK for presenting a Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother’s Big Mouth, and for his radio show, among other television series and award ceremonies. He has also appeared in a number of films, including the romantic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bedtime Stories, St Trinian’s, Get Him to the Greek, and most recently, Despicable Me. He is noted for various controversies that have surrounded him in the British media, such as the 2008 prank calls that led to his resignation from the BBC. He is engaged to Katy Perry.

Early life

Brand was born in Orsett Hospital, Grays, Essex, England, the only child of Barbara Elizabeth and Ronald Henry Brand, a photographer,who married six years earlier. Brand’s parents separated when he was six months old. His mother raised him on her own; he had a somewhat isolated and lonely childhood. When Brand was seven, he was sexually abused by a tutor.When Brand was eight, his mother had uterine cancer; a year later she had breast cancer. Brand stayed with relatives whilst his mother underwent treatment. When Brand was 14, he became bulimic. He left school and home at 16, at which time his mother had lymphoma and he did not get on with her live-in partner. He then began taking drugs, including: cannabis, amphetamines, LSD, Ecstasy, cocaine, crack and heroin.Brand stated during an interview on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Saturday that he had “a strange relationship with his father, whom he saw sporadically and who took him to visit prostitutes during a trip to the Far East”. After Brand’s parents divorced, his father remarried twice.

ref:wikipedia.org

Travis McCoy (born August 6, 1981) is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop group Gym Class Heroes. He released his first solo album, Lazarus, on June 8, 2010 under the name Travie McCoy. The lead single, “Billionaire”, peaked at #4 on the Hot 100.

Early life

McCoy was born and raised in Geneva, New York. His father is Haitian and his mother is of Irish and Native American ancestry. In high school, he met Matt McGinley in his gym class and the two bonded over their love of music. They decided to start a band and played with other musicians until Gym Class Heroes was formed in 2001.

Personal life

In early March 2008, McCoy opened up about his battles with opioids. He stated that he had been addicted to pharmaceuticals since he was 15 years old.

McCoy dated singer Katy Perry on and off for several years. He had given a promise ring to Perry,and when asked if this was rehearsal for an actual proposal, McCoy shrugged with a grin. The two broke up in December 2008.They began dating again in April 2009.However, they broke up once more a few months later.

ref: wikipedia.org

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Perry was born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents; she grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in church as a child. After earning a GED during her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a music career. She released a self-titled gospel album in 2001 as Katy Hudson which failed with the closing of its record label that year. She recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed most of a solo album from 2004–2005, neither of which were released.

After signing on with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single, “Ur So Gay”, that November, which garnered attention but did not chart. She rose to fame with her second single “I Kissed a Girl” in 2008, which topped international charts. Perry’s first mainstream album, One of the Boys, followed later that year and was eventually announced to be the thirty-third best selling album of 2008 worldwide. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America; “I Kissed a Girl” and her second single “Hot N Cold” both received multi-platinum certifications. Perry was ranked the 97th Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard.She became known for wearing unconventional style of dress, often combining colors and vintage fashion. Her next album, Teenage Dream, is scheduled to be released in August 2010.

Perry had a long relationship with Travis McCoy; she is currently engaged to Russell Brand.

ref: wikipedia.org

Justin Drew Bieber born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian pop-R&B singer. His performances on YouTube were seen by Scooter Braun, who later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher, and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid.

His debut single, “One Time”, was released worldwide during 2009, and charted within the top 30 in over ten countries. It was followed by his debut release, My World on November 17, 2009, which was certified platinum in the United States, which at the time gave Bieber the highest debut by a new artist in the year, and made Bieber the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100. His first full studio release, My World 2.0 was released on March 23, 2010 and has since received similar success; debuting at number one and within the top ten of several countries and was certified platinum in less than two months of release in the United States. It was preceded by international hit song “Baby” in January 2010.

ref: wikipedia.org

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American recording artist. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City’s Lower East Side in 2003 and enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.

Released on August 19, 2008, her debut album, The Fame, reached number one in the UK, Canada, Austria, Germany and Ireland, and reached the top-ten in numerous countries worldwide; in the United States, it peaked at two on the Billboard 200 chart and topped Billboard‘s Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Its first two singles, “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”, co-written and co-produced with RedOne, became international number-one hits, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States as well as the charts of other countries. The album later earned a total of six Grammy Award nominations and won awards for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording. In early 2009 she embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour. By the fourth quarter of the year, she had released her second studio album The Fame Monster, with the global chart-topping lead single “Bad Romance”, as well as having embarked on her second headlining tour of the year, The Monster Ball Tour.

Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rock artists such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop musicians such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She has also stated fashion is a source of inspiration for her songwriting and performances. Gaga was ranked the 73rd Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard.As of May 2010, Gaga has sold over 15 million albums and over 40 million singles worldwide.In May 2010, Time magazine included Gaga in its annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In June 2010, Forbes listed Gaga fourth on its list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world; she is also ranked as the second most powerful musician in the world.

Fusing art, calligraphy, and old Persian culture, Nima Behnoud creates modern, contemporary and fashionable clothing, worn by everyone from celebrities such as Heidi Klum and Nicky Hilton, to teenagers in Beirut.

With a fresh idea, undeniable talent, a thirst for fashion and the help of friends, Behnoud added NY (for New York) to the end if his first name (Nima) to create his own clothing line, Nimany.

“It was really New York that opened up my mind,” said Behnoud, who moved from Tehran to San Francisco in 1994, to study art and design and work as an art director for a prominent ad agency. But Behnoud soon realized that his thirst for fashion and retail were not being satisfied and he had a feeling that as one of the fashion capitals of the world, New York could quench that thirst.

Nimany’s signature style comes from taking quotes from old poets such as Rumi, using ancient calligraphy and layering them onto t-shirts. The result – a wearable, artistic masterpiece, or a “collage of words” as Behnoud calls it. Behnoud describes his first experiment with this idea as his “aha moment.” “People who didn’t even understand the content became interested,” said Behnoud. With this in mind, he ran with his fresh idea.
Shoppers on a budget will love the Long scarf from the Nimany collection. It is a 650-year-old traditional skirt for both men and women. The scarves were traditionally worn by wrestlers and served as a heroic symbol. Today, shoppers can purchase them for only $40. “The scarves are very unique,” said Behnoud. “They are made from hemp, so they are soft and smooth and there is an amazing history behind it.”

In addition to the Long scarf and t-shirts, Nimany features leather goods, belts, bracelets, wrap dresses and denim, as Behnoud plans to turn Nimany into a line consisting of a full range of contemporary clothing.

In Los Angeles, limited Nimany items can be purchased at Fred Segal. L.A. shoppers, however, are encouraged to shop online at nimany.com, to view and purchase the full collection.

ref :health.com

1) Blissful meals

Though their findings are debated, several studies show that a lack of certain vitamins and minerals may put you at risk for depression. Try these 10 nutrient-rich meals that taste as good as they make you feel.

Salmon Salad With Vinaigrette
Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids may have therapeutic benefits in depressed children. And this savory salmon dish contains 6 grams of this monounsaturated fat.

Ingredients: Green beans, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, minced shallots, salmon fillets, mixed salad greens, Vidalia onion, eggs
Calories: 271

2) Spanish Shrimp and Farfalle

Eating a carbohydrate-rich meal may increase levels of serotonin, one of the chemicals in our body responsible for elevating mood. This spicy dish will wow your taste buds and pack in some omega-3s too.

Ingredients: Farfalle, large shrimp, cumin, olive oil, onion, thyme, cinnamon, orange juice, sherry vinegar, tomatoes, pimiento-stuffed olives

Calories: 417

3) Flaxseed Falafel Sandwich

This wrap combines delicious Middle Eastern flavors, vitamin B6, and omega-3 fatty acids to create a delicious, bad mood–blasting meal.

Ingredients: Flaxseed, chickpeas, garlic, parsley, lemons, cumin, coriander, red pepper, breadcrumbs, eggs, olive oil, pitas, lettuce, fat-free yogurt, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño pepper

Calories: 507

4) Deep Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Though chocolate can ease a sweet tooth, research has shown it is more likely to prolong a bad mood than ease it. However, this dessert, which combines wholesome whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, and antioxidant-rich chocolate, is a healthy way to indulge.

Ingredients: Whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, baking soda, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, dark chocolate chips, unsalted almonds

Calories: 94

5) Gingery Lentil Soup

This hot and spicy dish is full of protein, fiber, and nearly 25% of your daily folate needs. Folate is important for mood, because low levels of this vitamin have been associated with increased rates of depression.

Ingredients: Olive oil, carrots, onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder, chicken broth, lentils, diced tomatoes

Calories: 253

6) Grilled Scallops With Lemon Chickpea Salad

Tangy and fresh, you’ll love this simple salad. And you’ll get vitamin B6 and omega-3 fatty acids, two important foods that may help regulate your mood.

Ingredients: Chickpeas, garlic, stalk, celery, flat-leaf parsley, lemons, olive oil, sea scallops, baby spinach

Calories: 170

7) Triple Bean Salad

This bean salad contains selenium, a micro-mineral that protects against free-radical damage and lowers inflammation. A small study even found that high amounts of selenium helped patients with mild-to-moderate depression.

Ingredients: Green onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, black beans, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice

Calories: 128

Asparagus With Poached Egg and Parmesan

Start the day off right with this savory, modified take on eggs Florentine. Eggs are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D, which may better your mood.

Ingredients: Eggs, white vinegar, asparagus spears, olive oil, garlic, butter, lemon juice, parsley, Parmesan cheese

Calories: 256

9) Blackberry Banana Slim-Down Smoothie

This light and refreshing smoothie contains antioxidant-rich berries and banana, plus vitamin B12–rich yogurt. It’s a sunny way to start your day.

Ingredients: Banana, light coconut milk, low-fat yogurt, lemons, honey, blackberries

Calories: 250

10) Yogurt and Spice Grilled Chicken Skewers

This light, protein-rich appetizer combines spicy chicken with tangy sauce. Protein-rich foods keep you alert and energized, which is especially important for those with depression.

Ingredients: Honey mustard, reduced-fat sour cream, low-fat yogurt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, chicken breasts

Calories: 210

Image Credit: Javed Nawab/Gulf News

Dubai: etisalat has announced its alternative BlackBerry services on Tuesday. (GulfNews)

It will offer BlackBerry customers a free smartphone for those signing up to a 12-month contract (as an add-on package).

Replacement packages consist of bundled SMS and MMS; bundled data usage; bundled voice minutes; and alternative smartphones.

The replacement packages were announced two days after the UAE Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA) said BlackBerry services in the UAE would be suspended from October 11, 2010.

A base package has been set up by Etisalat for all BlackBerry customers who subscribed to the services on or before July 31 2010, as default.

The second add-on package includes “free monthly minutes to customers without yearly commitment and without free smartphone” according to the etisalat website.

Smartphone devices offered with the add-on to package 1 are: Nokia E72; Sony Ericsson X10; Mini Sony Ericsson X10; Mini Nokia E66; Sony Ericsson Vivaz; Nokia N900; Nokia N 97; Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro; Sony Ericsson Satio; Samsung Wave; Samsung Galaxy S; and the iPhone.

du is yet to announce its alternative package. According to its website, “detailed information on the alternative solutions” will be announced in the next few days.

Image Credit: Pankaj Sharma, Xpress

Dubai Metro introduces check-in service for Emirates (GulfNews)

Dubai: Passengers flying on Emirates can now check-in at three Dubai Metro Stations with the introduction of Self-service, Check-in Kiosks.

The new system means customers can check in, select their seats and print their boarding pass at Mall of the Emirates, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Financial Centre Metro Stations on the Red line.

Passengers only need the reservation code or the ticket number, or their Emirates’ Skywards membership number, to access the service.

Check-in at the Metro stations should be done at least two hours prior to the flight’s departure time.

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) regulations state that passengers are allowed to carry up to two luggage pieces each on the Metro, provided the first piece does not exceed the size specification of 81cm in width, 58cm in height and 30cm in depth, and the second not larger than 55cm in width, 38cm in height and 20cm in depth.

Those carrying only hand-luggage can proceed directly to immigration, while passengers with baggage can check-in their luggage at dedicated Baggage Drop counters.

UAE regulator to suspend BlackBerry services from October 11 / GULF NEWS

ref: GulfNews.com

DUBAI – Sex toys and games, illegal in the UAE, are being sold openly in the country, news website Emirates Business reported on Monday, adding that Arab women and men from Saudi and Qatar are the biggest customers.

“Our products range from flavoured lubricants to sex games, body stickers, costumes, handcuffs, sticks, rings, and a bevy of other items. They are very popular and demand is very high,” a saleswomen at a Dubai mall store was quoted as saying.

She added that demand for these products is high and they run out of stock quickly.

The customers are mainly Arab women, she said, adding that “we also have Arab men, mainly from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who like these things”.

A saleswoman at another outlet in a trendy mall in the emirate told Emirates Business that demand for sex toys is very high.

“However, we don’t sell them, as it is illegal. They also ask for videos, which we also don’t sell.”

Majority of the customers are between 30 and 45 years of age, Emirates Business reported, adding that prices of these adult products range from 100 dirhams ($27) to 550 dirhams.

ref: Maktoob

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broadly recognized, widely-implemented strategy for managing and nurturing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support. The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new clients, nurture and retain those the company already has, entice former clients back into the fold, and reduce the costs of marketing and client service.  Customer relationship management denotes a company-wide business strategy embracing all client-facing departments and even beyond. When an implementation is effective, people, processes, and technology work in synergy to increase profitability, and reduce operational costs.

Benefits

These tools have been shown to help companies attain these objectives:

• Streamlined sales and marketing processes
• Higher sales productivity
• Added cross-selling and up-selling
• Improved service, loyalty, and retention
• Increased call center efficiency
• Higher close rates
• Better profiling and targeting
• Reduced expenses
• Increased market share
• Higher overall profitability
• Marginal costing

Related Trends

Many CRM vendors offer Web-based tools (cloud computing) and software as a service (SaaS), which are accessed via a secure Internet connection and displayed in a Web browser. These applications are sold as subscriptions, with customers not needing to invest in the acquisition and maintenance of IT hardware, and subscription fees are a fraction of the cost of purchasing software outright.

Challenges

Despite the benefits, many companies are still not fully leveraging these tools and services to align marketing, sales, and service to best serve the enterprise.

Tools and workflows can be complex to implement, especially for large enterprises. Previously these tools were generally limited to contact management: monitoring and recording interactions and communications. Software solutions then expanded to embrace deal tracking, territories, opportunities, and at the sales pipeline itself. Next came the advent of tools for other client-facing business functions, as described below. These technologies have been, and still are, offered as on-premises software that companies purchase and run on their own IT infrastructure.

Often, implementations are fragmented; isolated initiatives by individual departments to address their own needs. Systems that start disunited usually stay that way: siloed thinking and decision processes frequently lead to separate and incompatible systems, and dysfunctional processes.

Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers (Harland, 1996). Supply Chain Management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption (supply chain).

Another definition is provided by the APICS Dictionary when it defines SCM as the “design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand, and measuring performance globally.”

Supply chain management problems

Supply chain management must address the following problems:

• Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, cross-docks and customers.
• Distribution Strategy: questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme, e.g., direct shipment, pool point shipping, cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping; mode of transportation, e.g., motor carrier, including truckload, LTL, parcel; railroad; intermodal transport, including TOFC (trailer on flatcar) and COFC (container on flatcar); ocean freight; airfreight; replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated, private carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, or 3PL).
• Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: The above activities must be well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, full truckload (FTL) rates are more economical on a cost per pallet basis than less than truckload (LTL) shipments. If, however, a full truckload of a product is ordered to reduce transportation costs, there will be an increase in inventory holding costs which may increase total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These trade-offs are key to developing the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy.
• Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc.
• Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods.
• Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain.

Supply chain execution means managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional.

Multichannel marketing is marketing using many different marketing channels to reach a customer. In this sense, a channel might be a retail store, a web site, a mail order catalogue, or direct personal communications by letter, email or text message. The objective of the company doing the marketing is to make it easy for a consumer to buy from them in whatever way is most appropriate. To be effective multichannel marketing needs to be supported by good supply chain management systems, so that the details and prices of goods on offer are consistent across the different channels. It might also be supported by detailed analysis of the return on investment from each different channel, measured in terms of customer response and conversion of sales. Some companies target certain channels at different demographic segments of the market or at different socio-economic groups of consumers.

MultiChannel marketing allows the retail merchant to reach its prospective or current customer in a channel of his/ her liking.

A social network service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Although online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.

The main types of social networking services are those which contain category places (such as former school-year or classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with Facebook, Bebo and Twitter widely used worldwide; MySpace and LinkedIn being the most widely used in North America; Nexopia (mostly in Canada); Bebo, Hi5, Hyves (mostly in The Netherlands), StudiVZ (mostly in Germany), iWiW (mostly in Hungary), Tuenti (mostly in Spain), Decayenne, Tagged, XING, Badoo and Skyrock in parts of Europe; Orkut and Hi5 in South America, India and Central America; and Friendster, Mixi, Multiply, Orkut, Wretch, renren and Cyworld in Asia and the Pacific Islands and Orkut and Facebook in India.

There have been some attempts to standardize these services to avoid the need to duplicate entries of friends and interests (see the FOAF standard and the Open Source Initiative).

Although some of the largest social networks were founded on the notion of digitizing real world connections, many networks focus on categories from books and music to non-profit business to motherhood as ways to provide both services and community to individuals with shared interests.

Web 2.0

The term “Web 2.0” is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site gives its users the free choice to interact or collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumer) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumer) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social-networking sites, blogs, wikis, video-sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies.

The term is closely associated with Tim O’Reilly because of the O’Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. Whether Web 2.0 is qualitatively different from prior web technologies has been challenged by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, who called the term a “piece of jargon— precisely because he intended the Web in his vision as “a collaborative medium, a place where we [could] all meet and read and write”. He called it the ‘Read/Write Web’.

Charles Ponzi in 1920

ref: wikipedia.org

Charles Ponzi (March 3, 1882 – January 18, 1949) was an Italian swindler, who is considered one of the greatest swindlers in American history. His aliases include Charles Ponei, Charles P. Bianchi, Carl and Carlo. The term “Ponzi scheme” is a widely known description of any scam that pays early investors returns from the investments of later investors. He promised clients a 50% profit within 45 days, or 100% profit within 90 days, by buying discounted postal reply coupons in other countries and redeeming them at face value in the United States as a form of arbitrage.Ponzi was probably inspired by the scheme of William F. Miller, a Brooklyn bookkeeper who in 1899 used the same scheme to take in $1 million.