Giant Lottos Celebrates 20 Years of Trusted Service and Highlights Positive Customer Experiences on Trustpilot

Acquisition growth in 2024 includes 7 companies, 1700 new associates and 89 new branches

Michigan's Upper Peninsula, known for its awe-inspiring winter landscapes and abundant snowfall, has again been nominated for USA TODAY's 10Best "Best Snow Destination" title.

- Overseas Korean Unification Event held successfully in Leipzig, Germany on November 9 - North Korean defector's live painting and barbed wire bracelets highlighting reality attracts attention

The COP29 Summit in Baku has approved the key rules that would govern trade in carbon credits. A UN-backed global carbon market is likely to begin next year or so. Despite the BASIC grouping’s demand that discussions on ‘climate change-related, trade-restrictive unilateral measures’ like Europe's CBAM should be included in the main agenda, it was decided that CBAM would be discussed informally.

India's wholesale price index (WPI) inflation rate rose to 2.36 per cent in October 2024, up from 1.84 per cent in September, largely driven by increased prices in food items, manufacturing, machinery, and motor vehicles. The WPI index rose to 156.1, with manufacturing products increasing to 142.5. Primary articles saw a 2.35 per cent rise, while fuel and power decreased by 0.27 per cent.

Heimtextil 2025 expands its Carpets & Rugs segment with new halls and over 300 exhibitors, featuring a Belgian Textiles area by Fedustria. Highlights include a Carpet Lounge by Cover Magazine, expert talks on trends, AI in design, and sustainability, plus guided tours. The event, showcasing global innovations and partnerships, runs from 14-17 January, 2025, in Frankfurt.

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025, set for October in Singapore, has nearly sold out its 60,000 sqm exhibition space with strong interest from 731 global tech providers. The event, supported by CEMATEX and CTMA, will showcase innovations tailored for Asia’s growing textile hubs. Key sectors include finishing, spinning, and knitting, highlighting sustainable tech and automation trends.

Suominen Corporation has reported Q3 2024 net sales of €111.6 million (~$120.53 million), up from €106.4 million YoY. The company suffered a net loss of €3.2 million (~$3.4 million) due to operational challenges. YTD sales reached €343.8 million (~$370.9 million), and the company expects a full-year EBITDA increase. Sustainability efforts earned Suominen a Gold Medal from EcoVadis.

The 2024 Laureus Sport for Good Index honours brands advancing the 17 SDGs through sport, highlighting impactful initiatives that address key social and ecological issues. Head of Partnerships Astin Ewington emphasises the Index’s role in showcasing sport's power to drive positive change, inspiring more brands to use sport as a platform for meaningful, sustainable impact.

Wacoal Holdings has reported revenue of ¥90,167 million (~$586.1 million) in H1 2024, down by 5.2 per cent YoY. Gross profit fell 4.9 per cent to ¥51,056 million (~$331.86 million). Domestic revenue dipped 4.8 per cent to ¥45,006 million, while overseas revenue declined 1.4 per cent to ¥34,549 million. The company’s business profit was ¥2,304 million, down 39.6 per cent YoY in its overseas segment.

Gokaldas Exports has reported an 85 per cent YoY revenue increase in Q2 FY25, with total income reaching ₹941.8 crore (~$111.6 million) and PAT at ₹28.2 crore, a 19 per cent rise. EBITDA grew 48 per cent to ₹82.4 crore (~$9.77 million), though margins declined by 222 bps to 8.7 per cent. H1 FY25 revenue surged 82 per cent to ₹1,881.5 crore (~$223.0 million), with PAT slightly down by 2 per cent YoY.

H&M is partnering with Glenn Martens for an Autumn 2025 collection. Known for merging streetwear and couture, Martens joins a line of iconic designers H&M has collaborated with since 2004, when it launched its first designer collection with Karl Lagerfeld. This initiative has made top-tier fashion accessible, reflecting each designer’s unique vision and values across two decades of partnerships.

Library Technologist, Digital Skills & Web Content Management

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Bien-Être Simple’s Vibrant Branding and Web Design by Impulso

Finding power on location can be tough, especially when those locations are out in the middle of nowhere. It’s been getting a lot easier in...

The post Bluetti’s new Elite200 V2 wants to power your camera gear on location appeared first on DIY Photography.

Analog, Mapalong, more tries at trans-Atlantic sleep, Cuba, Fontdeck, and my youngest son entering school; it all happened in the last year. At the end of 2007, I wrote up the year very differently. After skipping a couple of years, this is a different wrap-up. To tell the truth I put this together for me, being the very worst of diarists. It meant searching through calendars, Aperture, and elsewhere. I hope it prompts me to keep a better diary. I give you: 2010 in pictures and words:

Analog.coop is still fresh after launching in December. We’re still a bit blown away by the response but decide not to do client work, but to make Mapalong instead. We jump through all kinds of hoops trying to make it happen, but ultimately it comes down to our friend and colleague, Chris Shiflett. He gets us going. It snows a lot in Bristol. The snow turns to ice. I slip around, occasionally grumpy, but mostly grinning like an idiot.

My family and I go to Cuba on our first ever all inclusive ‘package’ holiday. It’s a wonderful escape from winter, tempered by surreptitious trips out of the surreal, tourist-only island, to the other Cuba with an unofficial local guide. My boys love the jacuzzi, and sneaking into the gym. Z shoots his first arrow. Just after we return, he turns 4 years old. Now, he wants to go back.

I visit Chris in Brooklyn to work on Mapalong. We play football. Well, Chris plays. I cripple myself, and limp around a lot. At the same time I meet the irrepressible, Cameron Koczon. We all get drunk on good beer at Beer Table. Life is good. Cameron comes up with the Brooklyn Beta name. It starts to move from idea to action.

Just before Brooklyn, a discussion about First Things First opens during a talk at BathCamp. The follow-ups become passionate with posts like this straw man argument and a vociferous rejoinder.

The sun comes out. The garden becomes the new studio. Alan Colville and Jon Gibbins stop by as we work on Mapalong. The hunt starts for a co-working space in Bristol. I write pieces about self-promotion and reversed type. Worn out from the sudden burst, I go quiet again.

We find a place for our Bristol co-working studio studio. Mild Bunch HQ is born! I design desks for the first time. Our first co-workers are Adam Robertson, Kester Limb, Eugene Getov, and Ben Coleman. Chris and I meet again across the Atlantic; he makes a flying visit to Bristol. The gentle pressure mounts on fellow Analogger, Jon Gibbins to come to Bristol, too. Something special begins. Beer Fridays have started.

Fontdeck comes out of private beta! Almost 17 months after Rich Rutter and I talked about a web fonts service in Brighton for the first time, the site was live thanks to the hard work of Clearleft and OmniTI. Now it features thousands of fonts prepared for the Web, and many of the best type designers and foundries in the world.

For the first time in around 15 years I visit Belfast. At the invitation of the Standardistas, Chris and Nik, Elliot Stocks and I talk typography at the Ulster Festival of Art and Design. We’re working on the Brooklyn Beta branding, so talk about that with a bit of neuroscience thrown in as food for thought. Belfast truly is a wonderful place with fantastic people. It made it hard to miss Build for the second time later in the year.

June was busier than it felt. :)

Summer arrived in earnest. X has a blast at his school sports day. I do, too. Mild Bunch HQ is liberally dosed with shared lunches from Herbert’s bakery and Licata’s deli, and beers on balmy evenings outside The Canteen with friends. That’s all the Mild Bunch is, a group of friends with a name that made us laugh; everyone of friendly disposition is welcome!

8 Faces number 1 is published and sells out in a couple of hours. I was lucky enough to be interviewed, and to sweat over trying to narrow my choices. The .Net interview was me answering a few questions thrown my way from folks on Twitter. Great fun. Elliot, Samantha Cliffe, and I had spent a great day wandering around Montpelier taking pictures in the sun earlier in the year. One of her portraits of me appeared in both magazines. Later that month, I write about Web Fonts, Dingbats, Icons, and Unicode. It’s only my fourth post of the year.

Sometimes, some things strip me of words. Thank you.

The whole of Analog heads to Brooklyn for a Mapalong hack week with the Fictive Kin guys. We start to show it to friends and Brooklyn studio mates like Tina (Swiss Miss) who help us heaps. It’s a frantic week. I get to spend a bit of time with my Analog friend Andrei Zmievski who I haven’t seen in the flesh since 2009. Everyone works and plays hard, and we stay in some fantastic places thanks to Cameron and AirBnB.

Just before I head to NY, Z starts big school. He looks too small to start. He’s 4. How did time pass so fast? I’m still wondering that after I get back.

The whole of Analog, the Mild Bunch HQ and many others from Bristol, and as far away as Australia and India, head to New York for Brooklyn Beta! A poster whipped together my me, printed in a rush by Rik at Ripe, and transported to NY by Adam Robertson, is given as one of the souvenirs to everyone who comes.

Meanwhile, Jon Gibbins works frantically to get Mapalong ready to give BB an early glimpse of what we’re up to. Two thousand people reserve their usernames before we even go to private beta!

Chris and Cameron work tirelessly. Many, many fine people lend a hand. We add some last minute touches to the site, like listing all the crew and attendees as well as the speakers. Cameron shows off Gimme Bar with an hilarious voice-over from Bedrich Rios. Alan narrates Mapalong and we introduce our mapping app to our peers and friends!

It’s something we hoped, but never expected: Brooklyn Beta goes down as one of the best conferences ever in the eyes of veteran conference speakers and attendees. ‘Are you sure you’ve not done this before?’ I hear Jonathan Hoefler of Hoefler Frere-Jones ask Cameron. It makes me smile. The fact one of our sponsors asked this question in admiration of Chris and Cameron’s work meant a lot to me. I was proud of them, and grateful to everyone who helped it be something truly friendly, open, smart, and special.

The BB Flickr group has a lot of pictures and links to blog posts. Brooklyn Beta will return again in 2011!

X turns 7. I realise he really isn’t such a toddler anymore. It took me a while even though he amazes me constantly with his vocabulary and eloquence. His birthday party ensues with a trip to Legoland on the last weekend of the season to watch fireworks and get into trouble. Fun times finding Yoda and the rest of the Star Wars posse battling each other below the Space Shuttle exhibit.

8 Faces number two is published after being announced at Build. Much of the month was spent juggling Mapalong work, and having a great time typesetting the selections spreads for each of the eight faces chosen by the interviewees. That, and worrying with Elliot how it might print with litho. It all turned out OK. I think.

The .Net Awards take place in London. Christened the ‘nutmeg’ awards thanks to iPhone auto-correction, I’m one of millions of judges. We use it as an excuse for a party. At the end of the month, lots of the Mild Bunch go to see Caribou at The Thekla. Good times.

Mapalong goes into private beta! We start inviting many of the Brooklyn Beta folks, and others who’ve reserved their usernames. Lots of placemarks get added. Lots of feedback comes our way. Bug hunting starts. Next design steps start. We push frequently and add people as we go. Big things are planned for the new year!

The Mild Bunch Christmas do goes off with a bang thanks to Adam Robertson making sure it happened. Folks come from far and wide for a great party in The Big Chill Bar in Bristol. Lowri sneaks shots of Sambuca for the girls onto my tab, and we drink all the Innis and Gunn they have.

A few parties later, and the year draws to a close with a very traditional family Christmas in our house. Wood fires, music, the Christmas tree, and two small boys doing what kids do at Christmas. It’s just about perfect; A tonic to the background strife of the month, with a personal tragedy for me, and illness in my close family. Everything worked out OK. Steam-powered fairground rides, dressing up as dinosaurs, and detox follows with a bit of reflection. New Year’s Eve probably means staying in. Babysitters are like gold dust, but I just found we have one for tonight, so it looks like our celebration is coming early!

In the new year, I’ll be mostly trying to do the best I can for my family, my colleagues, and myself. The only goals I have are to help my children be everything they can be, make Mapalong everything we wish it to be, and feel that calm, quiet sense of peace in the evening that only comes from a day well done. Other than that I’ll keep my mind open to serendipity. (…and do something about some bits of my site and the typesetting that’s bugging me after writing this. :)

If you made it this far, thank you, and here’s to you and yours in 2011; may the best of your past be the worst of your future!

A lot to look forward to in 2017. How did 2016 treat you: ???? or ????? (at San Francisco, California)

The right photo effect can transform an ordinary image into a work of art. Adjustments to lighting, color balance, and texture help you create the perfect mood for your project.

The county said the 32-hour workweek has attracted a host of new talent: Applications have spiked 85.5% and open positions are being filled 23.75% faster, while more employees are staying in their jobs -- separation (employees quitting or retiring) dropped by 48%. And 84% of employees said their work-life balance was better.

Phil Wilson is a Web Software Developer for the University of Bath where he develops n-tier J2EE web applications, and has been doing this for various companies for five years. Phil's interests include web standards, Web usability, collaborative Web tools, Firefox hacking and the Semantic Web. Phil facilitated a workshop sessions on "The Eternal Beta - Can it Work in an Institution?".

Scott Wilson works for CETIS. He was initially responsible for turning the CETIS site into THE portal for learning technology standards. Scott is an Assistant Director of CETIS, and has a special interest in standards for infrastructure and enterprise integration. Scott facilitated a workshop session on "XCRI: Syndicating the Online Prospectus" with Ben Ryan.

Peter Walker leads the Web development and consultancy team at the Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) within the University of Bristol. He is project manager for, amongst others things, the University's Content Management System and the EELS e-learning project. Pete has lead the development of the Bristol Online Survey (BOS) service since its inception in 2001. Pete has a BA in History/Politics and an MSc in Information Technology. He is also a certified Prince2 practitioner. Despite being in IT since 1989 he would still describe himself as a techno-phobe and likes to keep things simple! Peter facilitated a workshop session on "Your Web site: a Better User Experience" with Stuart Church.

Matt Thrower is a Systems Support Co-ordinator in the Software and Systems Team in UKOLN. Matt facilitated a workshop session on "Thieves in the Night: Hidden Problems in Web site Redesign".

Emma Tonkin is an Interoperability Focus Officer at UKOLN, based at the University of Bath, England. Following a postgraduate degree in HCI, she is currently pursuing a PhD with the Mobile and Wearable Computing group at the University of Bristol, England. Her research interests include collaborative classification, automated classification and mobile and ubiquitous computing. Emma facilitated a workshop session on "Usability testing for the WWW".

Adrian Stevenson works for the Learning Technology Services Team which is part of Internet Services at the University of Manchester. He is responsible for investigating and assessing emerging Web and elearning technologies and is the organiser of the University's eLearning Technologies Group. His experience is in Web-based systems design and development using HTML, XML and Web Service technologies. Adrian has also worked for MIMAS, a national data centre based at the University of Manchester, on the JISC-funded JORUM project (2002-2005). Prior to this he was a Web Developer for Multimedia Services at Leeds Metropolitan University (2001-2002) and the Web Editor at King's College London (2000-2001). Adrian first studied Economics and later Continental Philosophy at the University of Warwick. Following this he became a professional guitarist in a number of bands based in London, as well as a Sound Engineer for a number of independent artists including My Bloody Valentine. Adrian facilitated a workshop session on "Know Me Knowing YouTube".

Jeremy Speller has been involved with the UCL Web presence since 1995 and is now Head of Web Services. He is currently working on the migration of UCL's central materials to a Zope/Silva-based CMS and is taking forward development of an enterprise portal. Jeremy is also involved with development of services to provide the student experience of the future and has particular interest in the use of handheld and mobile devices. Prior to becoming a full-time Web "operative", Jeremy's background was in planning and statistics at UCL and previously at the University of Birmingham. Way back when he ran the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme at what was then CVCP. Jeremy chaired the second morning session on Tuesday 17 July: Getting Technical.

Stuart Smith is currently investigating the use of mobile technologies as part of his work for MIMAS, a national data centre based at the University of Manchester. MIMAS hosts large and varied data sets including repositories of learning materials. Stuart is involved in giving usability advice to colleagues delivering learning materials in both the Higher and Further Education sectors and views mobile technologies as highly significant in the future of learning. Stuart has 10 years experience in Web development and has published papers on Accessibility. As well as working in the academic sector he has experience in information management and public relations for a national charity and has worked in the mobile phone sector. Stuart facilitated a workshop session on "Portable Devices for Learning: A Whistlestop Tour".

Dan Smith has been the lead CMS developer for the University of Southampton for four years, initially leading the University's CMS pilot and procurement projects. For the last three years, Dan has lead the implementation of the University's strategic CMS, Interwoven TeamSite. Prior to joining the University of Southampton, Dan was a CMS developer at Ordnance Survey. Dan facilitated a workshop session on "Implementing a Content Management System: Can you Avoid the Pain?".

David Sloan is project lead of the Digital Media Access Group (DMAG), a research and consultancy unit based in the University of Dundee's School of Computing, and specialising in inclusive design and accessible ICT. David is involved in a number of academic research projects focusing on accessibility and user-centred design, completing a PhD in the area of Web accessibility in 2006; he has also advised many commercial clients and currently co-ordinates the university's Web Accessibility Service, providing practical and strategic advice to staff on web accessibility issues. David facilitated a workshop session on "Contextual Accessibility in Institutional Web Accessibility Policies" with Simon Ball.

Andrew Savory has been developing web applications commercially for the last decade and is Managing Director of Sourcesense UK, the leading open source software solutions provider. He's a committer on the Apache Cocoon project. Andrew facilitated a workshop session on "Sustainable Services: Solidity based on Openness?" with Ross Gardler.

Helen Sargan works for the University Computing Service and has been looking after the Web in Cambridge since 1994. Helen facilitated a workshop session on "Just say No to Powerpoint: Web Alternatives for Slides and Presentations" and chaired the first morning session on Tuesday 17 July: Getting Technical.

Ben facilitated a workshop session on "XCRI: Syndicating the Online Prospectus" with Scott Wilson.

Sebastian Rahtz is Information Manager at Oxford University Computing Services, where he continues to evangelize for XML content on the web using a decent schema. Given that he is heavily involved in the Text Encoding Initiative, it is no surprise that he produces Web pages written in TEI XML. Until recently he was director of OSS Watch, JISC's Open Source Advisory Service, and remains an open source evangelist. Sebastian facilitated a workshop session on "Geolinked Institutional Web Content" with Patrick Lauke and Nigel Bradley.

Andy Powell is Head of Development at the Eduserv Foundation, a Bath-based charity that supports the effective use of ICT in education. As a member of Bath University Computing Services he was the first 'webmaster' at the University of Bath, moving in 1996 to UKOLN where he was involved in a number of European and JISC-funded 'digital library' projects. More recently, Andy has liaised closely with the JISC, advising them on the standards and protocols needed to support e-learning and e-research, notably through the development of the JISC Information Environment and the e-Framework for Education and Research. Andy facilitated a workshop session on "Athens, Shibboleth, the UK Access Management Federation, OpenID, CardSpace and all that - single sign-on for your Web site" with Andrew Cormack and Richard Dunning.

Debbie Nicholson has worked at the University of Essex for 13 years. Having previously worked in the Timetable Office and Systems Administration, she now works in the Web Support Unit (WSU) and has been there for 5 years. She is part of a team of 6 people who are responsible for the maintenance and development of the University corporate pages, the University Web site design service, Web support across the University and Web related training for staff. Debbie facilitated a workshop session on "So, What Would You Do With 45 Sixteen Year Olds?".

William (Bill) Mackintosh is Web Manager at the University of York. A Web CMS selection process is underway before the introduction of an Institutional Portal. William facilitated a workshop session on "Web Usage Statistics in the University Environment" with Paul Kelly.

Patrick Lauke currently works as Web Editor for the University of Salford, where he heads a small central Web team. In 2003 he implemented one of the first Web standards based XHTML/CSS driven UK university sites. He has been engaged in the discourse on accessibility since early 2001, regularly contributing to a variety of Web development and accessibility related mailing lists and forums. He also takes an active role in the running of Accessify.com, moderates the Accessify forum, and is co-lead of the Web Standards Project Accessibility Task Force (WaSP ATF), which he joined in June 2005. An outspoken accessibility and standards advocate, Patrick favours a pragmatic hands-on approach to Web accessibility over purely theoretical, high-level discussions. "I'm an idealist by nature, but a pragmatist by trade. I'd never class myself as an expert and I certainly don't have all the answers...I'm just an opinionated guy eager to find real world solutions 'where the rubber meets the road'." Published works include a chapter in Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance, released by Friends of Ed in 2006. In his spare time, Patrick pursues his passion for photography and runs a small Web/design consultancy. Patrick facilitated a workshop session on "Geolinked Institutional Web Content" with Sebastian Rahtz and Nigel Bradley.

Paul Kelly is the Web Content and Design Officer at the University of York. Paul facilitated a workshop session on "Web Usage Statistics in the University Environment" with William Mackintosh.

Claire Gibbons is the Web Officer for the University of Bradford, working within the department of Marketing and Communications. Claire is responsible for the external face of the University's web presence and works closely with departments and Schools to ensure consistency of University brand and message as well as compliance with standards and legislation, such as SENDA. Claire is also studying for the Chartered Management Institute Diploma in Management - which has sparked her current (and slightly obsessive) interest in organisational culture. Claire is also working on the new University visual identity roll-out for the University of Bradford and the Content Management System Project. Claire facilitated a workshop session on "People, Processes and Projects - How the Culture of an Organisation can Impact on Technical System Implementation" with Russell Allen.

Ross Gardler works for the Open Source Software Advisory Service. In recent years Ross has been active in Computer Science research (UK and West Indies), has lectured in Computer Science and Management (West Indies) and has been a freelance contractor across the UK. He is active in a number of open source projects and is a member of the Apache Software Foundation. Ross is particularly interested in the development of a healthy community for open source projects. Ross facilitated a workshop session on "Sustainable Services: Solidity based on Openness?" with Andrew Savory.

Stephen Emmott is the Head of Web Services at the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) where he leads a team of 10 delivering the LSE's Web site, portal ("LSE for You") and document management services. Prior to this he was the Editor of Web Services at King's College London (1997 to 2000) and has worked a total of 9 years in higher education and 3 years in industry. His background is in cognitive science and he is currently leading an initiative to adopt PRINCE2 at LSE. Stephen chaired the morning session on Wednesday 18 July: Conclusions.