The UK’s oldest tour operator is still stuck in the past March 28, 2012 DISASTER has been averted. Just a few months ago, many thought that Thomas Cook was not long for this world. After yesterday’s update, it is clear the firm will live to fight another day. The imminent sale of its Indian business, which is expected to net £130m, along with a stabilisation in trading, means its debt repayments [...]
Employees and customers are primed for video: Be prepared March 28, 2012 1 IF A COMPANY DOES NOT CURRENTLY USE VIDEO, IS THIS A TREND THEY CAN IGNORE? Over 4bn YouTube videos are viewed every day, and 60 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. So even if customers are not deploying video for business use, that doesn’t mean their employees are not flooding their [...]
Tim Cook visits China to discuss Apple growth March 27, 2012 APPLE chief executive Tim Cook has met with government officials in Beijing after a turbulent few months for the iPad maker’s Chinese operations. The Cupertino-based company declined to elaborate on details of the visit, which is Cook’s first trip to China since becoming chief executive, but hinted it was looking at expansion in the country. [...]
Apple gains again despite Wall St slide March 27, 2012 US stocks retreated from near four-year peaks yesterday, while a batch of large-cap shares hit new highs, with the help of portfolio managers snapping up top performers near the end of the quarter. With the first quarter ending on Friday, portfolio managers adjusted holdings by buying some of the best performers to dress up their [...]
Making things is not a soft option in the UK today March 26, 2012 IN THE last twenty years, I have watched the decline of British manufacturing, particularly in my own textile sector. While prices for food and luxury goods have risen steadily, high street clothing prices have become so cheap that UK manufacturers cannot be competitive in the mass market. According to the Working Futures report, which analyses [...]
A verdant land of high gastronomy March 26, 2012 The Greenhouse 27a Hay’s Mews, W1 W1J 5NY, tel: 020 7499 3331 www.greenhouserestaurant.co.uk FOOD **** SERVICE ***** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £90 LONDON is abuzz with noisy, no-reservations joints, opening in droves in Soho. The best barbeque in town, the best burger in town, the best ceviche in town…but you’ll have to [...]
BATS founder calls for fresh flotation plan March 25, 2012 BATS Global Markets, the US exchange operator that withdrew its public offering Friday after a computer glitch sent its newly-issued stock into a tailspin, should develop a “credible IPO plan” and go through with it in the second quarter, its founder and current director has said. BATS’ own stock was to be its first listing. [...]
John Lewis sales rise March 23, 2012 John Lewis sales boosted by sun, mum, and iPads Kendal Gapinski John Lewis reported that last week’s volume of trade was a March record due to sunny weather, Mother’s Day, and the launch of the new iPad. Its sales jumped 20.9 per cent year-on-year to £63.1m. Britain’s biggest department store chain said that a sales [...]
Battle Royal comes to America in this terrifying post-apocalyptic thriller March 22, 2012 Film THE HUNGER GAMES 12A **** Every year in post-apocalypse North America, the Capitol of the nation of Palem forces the outer districts to send two teenagers as “tributes” to The Hunger Games. Half punishment for a failed up-rising, half reality show, The Hunger Games are an annual televised fight to the death where the [...]
iPad, I saw, I conquered March 21, 2012 1080P HD VIDEO The new iPad’s camera is capable of shooting quality high definition video. If you’re filming in good light, the results can be pretty astonishing. It has an image stabiliser to reduce “wobble”. The new screen also makes video playback noticeably better “THAT” SCREEN The new iPad’s biggest selling point is its retina [...]