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This watermelon I bought on a whim is pretty good, but I can definitely imagine a better one.

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Happy Sunday from Software Expand! In this week’s edition of Feedback Loop, we talk about the future of Windows Phone, whether it makes sense to build media centers discuss the preferences for metal vs. plastic on smartphones. All that and more past the break the proof of concept can make.

Just because you can do something, should you? Samsung thinks so. Its second experimentally screened phone taps into its hardware R&D and production clout to offer something not many other companies.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM WINDOWS PHONE?

fotolia_73526765

And so, following the Galaxy Round, here’s the Galaxy Edge. If you take the basic shape and concept, it’s the spitting image of the curved-screen Youm prototype spied at CES a little less than two years ago US. Fortunately.

Now, though, it’s a for-real smartphone you can buy. I’ve been testing it out in Japan, where it launched instead of the Note 4, although both the Note 4 and the Note Edge will eventually be available.

Galaxy Note Edge is how much it resembles the Note 4

The ability to shrink the likes of Chrome and Google Maps to a popup window and layer it on top of other apps is also useful. Love to see something similar on the iPhone 6 Plus you just get the Note 4 anyway?

Despite the unusual, curved screen, it still packs all of the good things that made the Note 4 such a strong choice. But bragging rights aside, is there enough of an argument for a curved screen.

METAL VS. PLASTIC PHONE BODIES?

Galaxy Note 4 because the setup is identical here. Yes running on Android 4.4 KitKat.
Galaxy Note 4 because the setup is identical here. Yes running on Android 4.4 KitKat.

 

The exploration of space stands as one of humanity’s greatest achievements. While history has hailed the men and women who reached the cosmos, and those who helped them get there, much of the infrastructure that sent them skyward lies forgotten and dilapidated.

Galaxy Note 4 running Android 4.4 KitKat

And how does Apple’s biggest phone compare to the Note Edge? Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage. However, just like the stylus, there’s a while before you get the knack of all the little provisions Samsung’s made to ease users into this screen size.

Roland Miller has spent nearly half his life chronicling these landmarks before they are lost forever long been obsessed with space as a child, he dreamed of being an astronaut.

HARDWARE

Its curves are subjective and divisive; my friends and colleagues have offered up reactions ranging from outright bemusement to adoration. The screen looks great, with the punchy contrast and sharpness that’s been a Samsung flagship mainstay for years. We’ll get back to that edge, but it’s the headline part of a 5.6-inch Quad-HD+ display.

ONE-HANDED USE

Make this secondary menu transparent, allowing me to maintain all that screen space. The ability to shrink the likes of Chrome and Google Maps to a popup window and layer it on top of other apps is also useful I’d love to see something similar on the iPhone 6 Plus continues to clear away.

SOFTWARE

If you’re looking to learn more about the stylus uses, I’d advise a quick read of Brad’s Galaxy Note 4 review, because the setup is identical here. Yes, there are TouchWiz bits running on Android 4.4 KitKat.

fotolia_81764888
The Galaxy Note Edge grabs your attention. Its curves are subjective and divisive

 

But let’s focus on what’s different here: that edge. There are two display modes you can flit between: a slender, unassuming bar that can display a customized message and a more substantial column that attempts to offer extra functionality, notifications or context-dependent menus for certain apps, like the camera.

The front-facing camera is also a top-end sensor compared to the competition, 3.7 megapixels with an f/1.9 lens.

While I’m not a huge selfie taker, you’ll have to ask our Senior Selfie Editor, but I do take a whole lot of photos with my smartphone.

The same high-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 screen we're certain 1080p Plus
The same high-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 screen we’re certain 1080p Plus

When it’s expanded, the UI is a basic row of icons, which you can navigate with a little swipe. This may look a little unusual, but swishing through the various mini-screens is immensely satisfying.

And how does Apple’s biggest phone compare to the Note Edge? Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage.

However, just like the stylus, there’s a while before you get the knack of all the little provisions Samsung’s made to ease users into this screen size.

The screen is marginally smaller than the Note 4, despite the cranked-up pixel count. Like the Note 4, text pops a little more, and pictures you take with the 16MP camera are obviously better replicated on the Note Edge’s screen.

All told, it’s an excellent camera. The image stabilizing works well on all the neon lights that pepper Tokyo, while even people were neatly captured. There’s some noise, but it compares favorably against older Galaxy phones. Daylight meant effortless captures and some really nice shots, if I say so myself.

Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage.

Changing China: How Beijing’s crackdowns are impacting business

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Hardly a day has gone by in recent months without news of a fresh crackdown on one part of the Chinese economy or another.

The slew of announcements of tough new regulations and the stringent enforcement of existing rules have targeted many of the country’s biggest companies.

As we explained in the first part of this series on the recent developments in China, these measures are part of President Xi Jinping’s centrepiece policy initiative, known as “common prosperity”.

The phrase is not a new one in China. It has been around since the 1950s, when it was used by the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China Mao Zedong.

The sharp escalation of the term’s use in the year that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also celebrates its 100th anniversary has been seen as a signal that it is now central to government policy.

Key to the common prosperity policies are Beijing’s attempts to narrow the huge wealth gap between the nation’s richest and poorest citizens.

It is an issue that some would argue both endangers the rise of the world’s second largest economy and poses an existential threat to the CCP.

These latest measures are seen by some as a way to rein in the billionaire owners of some of China’s biggest companies to instead give customers and workers more of a say in how firms operate and distribute their earnings.

‘Local moves with a global impact’

The ramping up of rhetoric from Beijing in recent months has seen action being taken against a dizzying array of Chinese business interests.

Everything from insurance agents, private tutoring firms, real estate developers and even companies planning to sell shares in the US have come under intense scrutiny.

The technology industry, in particular, has seen a deluge of action against it, including crackdowns on ecommerce firms, online finance services, social media platforms, gaming companies, cloud computing providers, ride-hailing apps and cryptocurrency miners and exchanges.

An advertisement for an English training schoolIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,A number of businesses including private tutoring firms have come under intense scrutiny

These moves are, of course, having a major impact on both China’s economy and society, and effects are also being felt around the world.

The country has long been seen as the factory of the world, as well as a major engine of global economic growth.

Now, the uncertainty around the regulation of businesses in China is making it difficult for companies from overseas to make decisions about potential investments.

Although another way of looking at it is that while there will be some short-term upheaval as the new rules are implemented, the reworked regulatory framework will remove uncertainty in the long-term. Presumably, that’s the way the Chinese government views it, at least.

Crushing the mighty Ant

Even before it became fully apparent that Mr Xi was looking to reshape China’s economy with his common prosperity policies, Beijing unleashed a shock and awe display of its firepower.

Less than a year ago, Jack Ma, the multi-billionaire founder of Alibaba who was known for his flamboyant appearances at dazzling corporate events, was just about to oversee the world’s biggest ever stock market debut.

The initial public offering of Ant Group, Alibaba’s financial affiliate and owner of China’s largest digital payment platform Alipay, was set to rake in $34.4bn (£25.4bn).

It would have made Mr Ma Asia’s richest person, but then he made a controversial speech criticising China’s financial system.

Within days of the address the share sale was called off and the once-high-profile Mr Ma was not seen again in public until January the following year.

Jack Ma, founder of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, dressed as Michael Jackson at a party celebrating the 18th anniversary of Alibaba Group in 2017.IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,Jack Ma was notably absent after falling foul of China’s regulators last year

Since then Alibaba has been hit with a record $2.8bn fine after a probe found that it had abused its market position for years. Ant has also announced a drastic restructuring plan for its business.

Whether or not the episode was officially part of the common prosperity initiative we can leave to the historians of the future.

What we can say for sure is that Mr Ma’s spectacular fall from grace and the action taken against his vast business empire served as a powerful opening act to the drama that is now reaching into every corner of China’s economy.

Teetering tower of debt

China Evergrande Group is another vast company that has found its fate intertwined with common prosperity policies.

Its core business is real estate development but the company also has interests in wealth management, electric cars and food and drink manufacturing. It even owns one of China’s biggest football teams – Guangzhou FC.

It is run by a multi-billionaire, Hui Ka Yan, who unlike Jack Ma actually did, briefly, become Asia’s richest person – back in 2017, according to Forbes.

In recent weeks the debt crisis engulfing Evergrande has rocked global financial markets.

On its way to becoming one of China’s biggest real estate developers it racked up debts of more than $300bn.

Media caption,What China’s Evergrande crisis means for the world

Beijing now views heavily-indebted property firms as a threat to the economy, so Evergrande was exactly the sort of company it had in mind when it introduced measures to cut borrowing in the sector.

Now, without enough fresh infusions of borrowed money, the company is struggling to meet the repayments on its existing debts.

Under the common prosperity doctrine, authorities seem more likely to help buyers of Evergrande’s properties and the customers of its wealth management business rather than the company itself and its other creditors like bond holders and banks.

This notion was supported just this week when China’s central bank, without directly mentioning Evergrande, vowed to protect consumers exposed to the housing market.

That all adds up to a major headache for financial markets as the firm has seen more than 80% wiped off its stock market value in just the last six months.

A boss battle for gaming

When in early August a Chinese state media outlet called online games “spiritual opium” it was viewed as a red flag.

The news sent shares in gaming firms like Tencent and NetEase sharply lower as the industry braced itself for tough new curbs.

To no-one’s surprise, later the same month authorities unveiled plans to further clamp down on the country’s young gamers and impose tighter regulations on gaming platforms.

Under-18s were told that they would be allowed to play for only an hour on Fridays, weekends and holidays and that gaming would only be allowed between 8pm to 9pm.

A group of teenage Chinese boys playing mobile video game.IMAGE SOURCE,EDWIN TAN
Image caption,Under 18s face tough restrictions on when they can play video games

The new regulations mean that it will be up to the gaming companies to prevent children from breaking the rules, while authorities have said they will increase their scrutiny of the firms to ensure the limits are enforced.

If all of this sounds like the Chinese government must be running out of businesses to hit with new rules, Beijing has signalled that the crackdowns will continue for years to come.

Just last month, it published a new 10-point plan, which runs to the end of 2025, outlining tighter regulation of much of the economy.

What is not yet clear is just how radically these new rules and much stricter enforcement of existing ones will reshape the world’s second largest economy.

The outcome of that is likely to have major ramifications for all of us, whether we live in China or not.

This is the second in a three-part series looking at China’s changing role in the world.

Part three will explore the global implications of Beijing’s transformation of how the country’s businesses operate.

Game of Hacks – See How Good You Are

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Happy Sunday from Software Expand! In this week’s edition of Feedback Loop, we talk about the future of Windows Phone, whether it makes sense to build media centers discuss the preferences for metal vs. plastic on smartphones. All that and more past the break the proof of concept can make.

Just because you can do something, should you? Samsung thinks so. Its second experimentally screened phone taps into its hardware R&D and production clout to offer something not many other companies.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM WINDOWS PHONE?

fotolia_73526765

And so, following the Galaxy Round, here’s the Galaxy Edge. If you take the basic shape and concept, it’s the spitting image of the curved-screen Youm prototype spied at CES a little less than two years ago US. Fortunately.

Now, though, it’s a for-real smartphone you can buy. I’ve been testing it out in Japan, where it launched instead of the Note 4, although both the Note 4 and the Note Edge will eventually be available.

Galaxy Note Edge is how much it resembles the Note 4

The ability to shrink the likes of Chrome and Google Maps to a popup window and layer it on top of other apps is also useful. Love to see something similar on the iPhone 6 Plus you just get the Note 4 anyway?

Despite the unusual, curved screen, it still packs all of the good things that made the Note 4 such a strong choice. But bragging rights aside, is there enough of an argument for a curved screen.

METAL VS. PLASTIC PHONE BODIES?

Galaxy Note 4 because the setup is identical here. Yes running on Android 4.4 KitKat.
Galaxy Note 4 because the setup is identical here. Yes running on Android 4.4 KitKat.

 

The exploration of space stands as one of humanity’s greatest achievements. While history has hailed the men and women who reached the cosmos, and those who helped them get there, much of the infrastructure that sent them skyward lies forgotten and dilapidated.

Galaxy Note 4 running Android 4.4 KitKat

And how does Apple’s biggest phone compare to the Note Edge? Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage. However, just like the stylus, there’s a while before you get the knack of all the little provisions Samsung’s made to ease users into this screen size.

Roland Miller has spent nearly half his life chronicling these landmarks before they are lost forever long been obsessed with space as a child, he dreamed of being an astronaut.

HARDWARE

Its curves are subjective and divisive; my friends and colleagues have offered up reactions ranging from outright bemusement to adoration. The screen looks great, with the punchy contrast and sharpness that’s been a Samsung flagship mainstay for years. We’ll get back to that edge, but it’s the headline part of a 5.6-inch Quad-HD+ display.

ONE-HANDED USE

Make this secondary menu transparent, allowing me to maintain all that screen space. The ability to shrink the likes of Chrome and Google Maps to a popup window and layer it on top of other apps is also useful I’d love to see something similar on the iPhone 6 Plus continues to clear away.

SOFTWARE

If you’re looking to learn more about the stylus uses, I’d advise a quick read of Brad’s Galaxy Note 4 review, because the setup is identical here. Yes, there are TouchWiz bits running on Android 4.4 KitKat.

fotolia_81764888
The Galaxy Note Edge grabs your attention. Its curves are subjective and divisive

 

But let’s focus on what’s different here: that edge. There are two display modes you can flit between: a slender, unassuming bar that can display a customized message and a more substantial column that attempts to offer extra functionality, notifications or context-dependent menus for certain apps, like the camera.

The front-facing camera is also a top-end sensor compared to the competition, 3.7 megapixels with an f/1.9 lens.

While I’m not a huge selfie taker, you’ll have to ask our Senior Selfie Editor, but I do take a whole lot of photos with my smartphone.

The same high-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 screen we're certain 1080p Plus
The same high-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 screen we’re certain 1080p Plus

When it’s expanded, the UI is a basic row of icons, which you can navigate with a little swipe. This may look a little unusual, but swishing through the various mini-screens is immensely satisfying.

And how does Apple’s biggest phone compare to the Note Edge? Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage.

However, just like the stylus, there’s a while before you get the knack of all the little provisions Samsung’s made to ease users into this screen size.

The screen is marginally smaller than the Note 4, despite the cranked-up pixel count. Like the Note 4, text pops a little more, and pictures you take with the 16MP camera are obviously better replicated on the Note Edge’s screen.

All told, it’s an excellent camera. The image stabilizing works well on all the neon lights that pepper Tokyo, while even people were neatly captured. There’s some noise, but it compares favorably against older Galaxy phones. Daylight meant effortless captures and some really nice shots, if I say so myself.

Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage.

Modern Language Wars, PHP vs Python vs Ruby

0

Happy Sunday from Software Expand! In this week’s edition of Feedback Loop, we talk about the future of Windows Phone, whether it makes sense to build media centers discuss the preferences for metal vs. plastic on smartphones. All that and more past the break the proof of concept can make.

Just because you can do something, should you? Samsung thinks so. Its second experimentally screened phone taps into its hardware R&D and production clout to offer something not many other companies.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM WINDOWS PHONE?

fotolia_73526765

And so, following the Galaxy Round, here’s the Galaxy Edge. If you take the basic shape and concept, it’s the spitting image of the curved-screen Youm prototype spied at CES a little less than two years ago US. Fortunately.

Now, though, it’s a for-real smartphone you can buy. I’ve been testing it out in Japan, where it launched instead of the Note 4, although both the Note 4 and the Note Edge will eventually be available.

Galaxy Note Edge is how much it resembles the Note 4

The ability to shrink the likes of Chrome and Google Maps to a popup window and layer it on top of other apps is also useful. Love to see something similar on the iPhone 6 Plus you just get the Note 4 anyway?

Despite the unusual, curved screen, it still packs all of the good things that made the Note 4 such a strong choice. But bragging rights aside, is there enough of an argument for a curved screen.

METAL VS. PLASTIC PHONE BODIES?

Galaxy Note 4 because the setup is identical here. Yes running on Android 4.4 KitKat.
Galaxy Note 4 because the setup is identical here. Yes running on Android 4.4 KitKat.

 

The exploration of space stands as one of humanity’s greatest achievements. While history has hailed the men and women who reached the cosmos, and those who helped them get there, much of the infrastructure that sent them skyward lies forgotten and dilapidated.

Galaxy Note 4 running Android 4.4 KitKat

And how does Apple’s biggest phone compare to the Note Edge? Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage. However, just like the stylus, there’s a while before you get the knack of all the little provisions Samsung’s made to ease users into this screen size.

Roland Miller has spent nearly half his life chronicling these landmarks before they are lost forever long been obsessed with space as a child, he dreamed of being an astronaut.

HARDWARE

Its curves are subjective and divisive; my friends and colleagues have offered up reactions ranging from outright bemusement to adoration. The screen looks great, with the punchy contrast and sharpness that’s been a Samsung flagship mainstay for years. We’ll get back to that edge, but it’s the headline part of a 5.6-inch Quad-HD+ display.

ONE-HANDED USE

Make this secondary menu transparent, allowing me to maintain all that screen space. The ability to shrink the likes of Chrome and Google Maps to a popup window and layer it on top of other apps is also useful I’d love to see something similar on the iPhone 6 Plus continues to clear away.

SOFTWARE

If you’re looking to learn more about the stylus uses, I’d advise a quick read of Brad’s Galaxy Note 4 review, because the setup is identical here. Yes, there are TouchWiz bits running on Android 4.4 KitKat.

fotolia_81764888
The Galaxy Note Edge grabs your attention. Its curves are subjective and divisive

 

But let’s focus on what’s different here: that edge. There are two display modes you can flit between: a slender, unassuming bar that can display a customized message and a more substantial column that attempts to offer extra functionality, notifications or context-dependent menus for certain apps, like the camera.

The front-facing camera is also a top-end sensor compared to the competition, 3.7 megapixels with an f/1.9 lens.

While I’m not a huge selfie taker, you’ll have to ask our Senior Selfie Editor, but I do take a whole lot of photos with my smartphone.

The same high-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 screen we're certain 1080p Plus
The same high-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 screen we’re certain 1080p Plus

When it’s expanded, the UI is a basic row of icons, which you can navigate with a little swipe. This may look a little unusual, but swishing through the various mini-screens is immensely satisfying.

And how does Apple’s biggest phone compare to the Note Edge? Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage.

However, just like the stylus, there’s a while before you get the knack of all the little provisions Samsung’s made to ease users into this screen size.

The screen is marginally smaller than the Note 4, despite the cranked-up pixel count. Like the Note 4, text pops a little more, and pictures you take with the 16MP camera are obviously better replicated on the Note Edge’s screen.

All told, it’s an excellent camera. The image stabilizing works well on all the neon lights that pepper Tokyo, while even people were neatly captured. There’s some noise, but it compares favorably against older Galaxy phones. Daylight meant effortless captures and some really nice shots, if I say so myself.

Well, both remain unwieldy to grip, and the Note Edge is wider. However, the edged screen nuzzles into my hand better and those software tweaks mentioned above give it the advantage.

Where data meets IP – protecting business data in a commercial context

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In our previous publication, we discussed how a business’ data can be protected by characterizing it as intellectual property and protecting it as such. One of the most common ways to protect business data in a commercial context is through license agreements that impose contractual controls on the scope of protection of such data, as well as any related or derived data that may come into existence through its use and processing throughout the commercial relationship.

The creation of new data derived from a licensor’s business data may result in a substitute to, and/or reduce the market for its products or services. Therefore, it is important for licensors to clearly set out terms relating to derivative data in order to protect the licensor’s rights or control over such data and maintain its commercial value. From a licensee’s perspective, it is also important to ensure the rights granted in a license agreement appropriately address the licensee’s intended use of the data. As such, there are several terms in license agreements that may be heavily negotiated. The following are some non-exhaustive practical tips that businesses transacting with data should consider when licensing their data to third parties.

Definition of original vs derived data

As previously noted, it is important to clearly define original data as distinct from derived data. One way to do so in a manner that reduces the substitutability of the data (i.e., to the licensor’s benefit), is to define derivative data as data from which the licensor’s original data cannot be reverse engineered. Alternatively, the definition of derived data can be defined as data that cannot serve as a commercial substitute to the original data. Additional layers of distinction should be introduced carefully, taking into account the nature of the data (i.e., personal, medical, engineering, etc.) and how heavily it will be modified or co-mingled with other data sets.

Rights to derivative data

Copyright protection, which can apply to original compilations of data, subsists automatically upon the creation of any literary, dramatic, artistic or musical work and the author is generally the first owner of such proprietary rights, unless there is an agreement to the contrary. Since the authorship of derivative data can result in new rights where the licensee can be considered the sole author of such derivative works, license agreements should clearly address who is the intended owner and copyright holder of these derivative works to prevent any ambiguity and disputes down the line.

Scope of the license grant

The most important part of any license agreement pertaining to data (and any derivatives therefrom) is the scope of the license granted to the licensee, which should be set out as clearly and plainly as possible. Licensors generally wish to negotiate a more limited license, whereas licensees generally seek to negotiate a broader scope with as few limitations as possible. The scope of the license can be limited as follows:

  • Exclusivity – licenses may be exclusive or non-exclusive. Where the data being licensed is a compilation, the license should generally be non-exclusive.
  • Territorial restrictions – the agreement may limit the scope of the license to a specific geographic region, and this may be particularly beneficial if the licensor wants to limit the geographic scope due to business factors or foreign laws.
  • Permitted uses – use may be permitted for specific purposes only (i.e., a project or specific business purpose).
  • Sublicensing – a licensor may designate whether the licensee is permitted to further sublicense the data to others.

Beyond its scope, a good data license should also address the manner of delivery, maintenance, and control of the licensed data, as well as any applicable data security policies, practices and protocols imposed upon it, particularly where the data comprises or embodies personal or sensitive financial, technical, or commercial information.

Use restrictions

Licensors may set out whether the licensee may create or use derivative data and other restrictions to using their data. Another way to limit the possibility that business data will lose its value and allow a licensee to gain a competitive edge is to formally restrict the licensee’s ability to reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, adapt or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the data or methods used to compile the data. Furthermore, a licensor may restrict a licensee’s ability to modify, copy or create derivative works of the data and generally seek contractual acknowledgments and covenants from a licensee regarding data ownership, consent to an injunction in case of breach and even liquidated (i.e., fixed) damages clauses should a licensee breach these valuable obligations.

Privacy and cyber-security considerations

There are various privacy concerns surrounding derivative data, as derivative data creates additional pools of risk. The ability to aggregate collected data may be important to the licensor or licensee – e.g., to track industry trends. However, this creates privacy concerns relating to the breach of confidentiality or contractual obligations with third parties because the data is no longer in its original form but could still be considered personal information, which can potentially be accessed by unauthorized third parties and threat actors. This risk can be mitigated by anonymizing the data, and the license agreement can impose obligations and standards in that regard.

Oregon businesses feel the pain of supply chain delays

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Noah Cable’s olive oil is MIA.

Well, not exactly missing in action. He knows roughly where it is. It’s in a 20-foot shipping container that left Italy in August. In a normal year, it would have reached his shelves in July.

Cable is one of the owners of Wellspent Market, a specialty food business in Portland. Olive oil is the backbone of their business. (His partner Jim Dixon’s Twitter handle is @pdxoliveoilguy.) But their big, annual shipment of Italian oil is months delayed.

So, Cable waits. He logs onto the website vesselfinder.com to track the boat carrying the olive oil. He does that a lot. Sometimes he checks on his phone.

“It’s like watching your shoes come that you ordered online,” he said. “I’m literally going onto the website every day and being like, OK where are you now?”

Wellspent Market is one of many businesses in Oregon snarled in the global supply chain disruptions wrought by the pandemic — from toilet paper last spring to microchips today. These disruptions have hurt businesses small and large. Sportswear giant Nike, headquartered near Beaverton, recently cut its revenue forecast after a COVID-19 surge shuttered footwear factories in Vietnam.

Wellspent Market’s Hannah Cable tips a drum of olive oil to fill a bottle at the Portland shop, Oct. 8, 2021. The store’s once yearly olive oil delivery from Italy has been stuck in transit for months.
Wellspent Market’s Hannah Cable tips a drum of olive oil to fill a bottle at the Portland shop, Oct. 8, 2021. The store’s once yearly olive oil delivery from Italy has been stuck in transit for months.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

But when it comes to small businesses — well, they want to grow. And supply chain troubles have gone on so long they’ve constrained the growth of smaller outfits such as Wellspent Market.

How olive oil delays changed a company’s growth curve

The olive oil is a case in point. It was delayed getting from farms to shipping container. Then delayed again getting on a boat to leave Italy. Cable watched, on the vesselfinder.com map, as the container ship carrying it crossed the Panama Canal and made its way past Manzanillo, Mexico. He followed as that boat made it through the Port of Long Beach. Some Southern California ports have been parking lots, with vistas of container ships idled in wait.

At some point, though, the olive oil was loaded onto a different ship heading to Seattle. It’s expected to reach port by next week, though it will likely be November before the oil gets trucked down to Portland.

Meanwhile, there’s a lot of cash tied up in that shipping container.

“It’s almost $100,000 worth of olive oil,” Cable said. “Which I can’t stress enough is a massive amount of outlay of cash to just be sitting for months on end.”

A customer shops at Wellspent Market in Portland. The delay in the store's olive oil delivery from Italy has delayed the launch of a distribution program that would put Wellspent’s olive oil in more local shops.
A customer shops at Wellspent Market in Portland. The delay in the store’s olive oil delivery from Italy has delayed the launch of a distribution program that would put Wellspent’s olive oil in more local shops.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

The delay has hobbled one of Cable’s growth plans — at least for now. He had planned to launch a distribution program that would put Wellspent’s olive oil in more local shops. He wanted the program flourishing by the holidays.

But with the oil arriving halfway through November…

“That entire program is on hold.”

The big picture: Everybody feels the pain

In some respects, Oregon’s economy may have had less direct exposure to supply chain issues than other states because of industries that rely on locally sourced products.

“So, the wine industry or the dairy industry or the lumber industry. Those industries, by definition, are more resilient, because they’re less connected to the global supply chain, at least at the supply side,” said Carlos Mena, a professor of supply chain management at Portland State University.

Still, Mena said, every company ends up feeling the effects in some way — either directly through shortages or indirectly through inflation as prices go up.

In the end, everybody feels the pain, said Josh Lehner, an economist with the state of Oregon.

Containers are stacked at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.
Containers are stacked at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.

Jae C. Hong / AP

“We have global supply chains in every single industry,” he said. “And so, when you have problems at the ports in Southern California or the railyards in the Midwest or we’re running out of raw materials over in Southeast Asia and the like, those reverberate throughout the economy.”

Even companies with home-grown products are not immune. Take Westward Whiskey, the largest whiskey producer in Oregon. It’s been called “Oregon’s single malt powerhouse.”

During the pandemic, that powerhouse has been pinched by bottle shortages.

Paying a price for the bottle bottleneck

Westward makes its whiskey from Northwest grain. But its angled bottles are custom made for the brand in Mexico.

Westward Whiskey employee Alyssa McMillen checks a label while packaging a 750ml bottle at the Southeast Portland distillery in Oct. 8, 2021. The company has experienced delays in bottle deliveries from Mexico.
Westward Whiskey employee Alyssa McMillen checks a label while packaging a 750ml bottle at the Southeast Portland distillery in Oct. 8, 2021. The company has experienced delays in bottle deliveries from Mexico.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

Thomas Mooney, Westward’s co-founder and CEO, said supply chain disruptions, including bottle shortages, have been a nightmare.

“Every step of everything that is supply chain related has been a battle,” he said. “And that is certainly not getting better.”

The bottle factory in Mexico City has endured its own supply chain problems. Mooney said one of its production leaders died from COVID-19 — a trauma that compounded the difficulty of operating a factory in the pandemic.

While it used to take several months to order and receive bottles, Mooney said it can now take three times that long.

“It feels like there hasn’t been a week in the last 18 months when we weren’t short of one of our bottle sizes,” he said. “Running out of a bottle size is not just an annoyance. It makes it impossible to do business in a market.”

‘Destructive’ vandalism found across Windsor frustrates residents, business owners

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“Destructive” and “careless” vandalism across the city has residents and business owners feeling frustrated.

Between the night of Oct.14 and the morning of Oct. 15, some Ford City business owners and residents said they noticed a large face spray painted across walls, garages and fences. Most of the work is tagged with the word Kurs.

“People bruising up the roads, the [buildings] for fun and I don’t think it’s right because they’re screwing up the properties,” said Ford City resident Kelly Hicke. “They need to grow up.”

The vandalism was also spotted in downtown Windsor, on the TownePlace Suites by Marriott and a city parking garage along Chatham Street West.

The same tag appeared about three weeks ago at the end of September, covering dozens of buildings on Ottawa Street.

At the time, Windsor Police said in a tweet that they were aware of “several incidents of mischief (graffiti)” that took place and encouraged victims to reach out.

 

Windsor graffiti artist and locals react to vandalism across the city

24 hours ago

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Artist DENIAL asks whoever created the vandalism to ‘put down the paint.’ Others say they were frustrated and that the work has destroyed properties. 1:33

As for the most recent acts of vandalism, police said they have no comment.

On Monday morning, railway maintainer for Condor Signal and Communications Mauro Gatto was covering up the vandalism found along the tracks that cross Drouillard Road.

“It’s a hassle. It takes us out of our regular job of maintaining what we maintain,” Gatto said. “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

He wasn’t the only one cleaning up, others working and living in the area had either already gone out to clean up their property or were planning to.

Ford City BIA chair Shane Potvin called it “destructive” and “sad.” He said he encourages people to report it to the police and send in any surveillance video.

Vandalism ‘gives artists a bad name’

Daniel Bombardier, also known as graffiti artist DENIAL, said he was disheartened seeing the widespread damage.

“Whatever their point is, this isn’t the way to make it,” he said. “Put down the paint.”

Bombardier continued to say that when situations such as this take place, they “give artists a bad name.”

He said he estimated that the damage across the city is about $50,000 and noted that getting the paint off of brick will be hard for some people.

“Please don’t associate what happened there with public art and graffiti art, because that’s not what this is, this is something way different,” he said, adding the best way to fight vandalism is to commission public art on empty walls.

The City of Windsor said that people can report graffiti to them, but if it’s occurred on private property the owner is responsible for the costs.

How this restaurant earns millions of Chase points each year to bring staff on around-the-world trips

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Where can your points and miles take you? For Seattle-based restaurant owner Brian Canlis and his leadership team, it’s all around the world.

His restaurant, Canlis, is an iconic fine dining establishment that has been in business for more than 70 years and has been passed down for three generations.

But this restaurant should never be mistaken as being antiquated or dated. Canlis and his team are constantly brainstorming and iterating on ways to take Canlis to the next level. Part of that has been through travel.

“For a Christmas gift one year, we wanted to give our team education and experience,” said Canlis. “We told them, ‘You can go to any restaurant you want in the world for dinner. We’re going to pair up into teams of two, and you have 80 hours to get there and back.”

Now, many of these gourmet jaunts are booked entirely with the company’s points. Each year, Canlis and his team travel to a new destination to enjoy a night at a top-notch immersive dining experience in foodie destinations. We’re talking Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark; Mingles in Seoul, South Korea; and Den in Tokyo.

Around-the-world trip to Tokyo. (Photo by Brian Canlis/Canlis)

According to Canlis, these trips have been transformative for his team, allowing them to come back fresh-minded and to report on what they’ve learned, as well as helping them to think more creatively about how to elevate the fine dining experience at Canlis.

I interviewed Brian Canlis on how they bring these trips to life for their staff, and how the millions of credit card points they have amassed have helped them do so.

IN THIS POST

Hiring an in-house ‘Points Guy’

When it comes to points and miles, there’s one thing we can all agree on: It takes a lot of time and effort to understand the ins and outs of using credit cards and points programs to your advantage. That’s why Canlis has designated his very own in-house “Points Guy,” Kwan Lui. He manages the restaurant’s entire credit card spending and points balances.

“These trips weren’t cheap. Before we started using points, we were spending more than $20,000 per trip,” said Canlis. “But one day, Kwan came up to me and said, ‘Next year, I think we can do these trips entirely on points.’”

In order to accomplish that, Kwan got the team at Canlis to use cards exclusively from the Chase business card trifecta: the Ink Business Cash Credit CardInk Business Unlimited Credit Card, and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.

But you don’t have to be an expert to learn how points and miles can take your business to the next level. By using all three cards, business owners can take advantage of each of the card’s unique rewards rates to be able to earn thousands — and even upward of millions — of bonus points every year. Let’s take a look:

Card Annual fee Sign-up bonus Earning rate
Ink Business Cash $0 $750 bonus cash back (or 75,000 points) after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year:

  • At office supply stores.
  • On internet, cable and phone services.

Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year:

  • At gas stations.
  • At restaurants.

Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Ink Business Unlimited $0 $750 bonus cash back (or 75,000 points) after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
Ink Business Preferred $95 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year:

  • Shipping purchases.
  • Internet, cable and phone services.
  • Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
  • Travel.

Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Although the first two are cash-back cards, your cash back can turn into Ultimate Rewards points when you combine your award balances with that of your Ink Business Preferred account. When redeeming your points for travel, Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, according to TPG’s valuations. Therefore, if you can reach the spending requirements on these three sign-up bonuses alone, you’re looking at 250,000 points — worth a whopping $5,000.

From there, you can be strategic about earning points based on bonus categories. Naturally, Canlis and his team will maximize the 5x and 2x earning categories (and their maximum spending limits) on the Ink Business Cash and the 3x on the Ink Business Preferred. At the same time, all other purchases will go on the Ink Business Unlimited to earn 1.5x, with uncapped earning potential.

All three cards let you add employee cards for no additional fee, allowing you to earn points even faster.

“We have cheat sheets on our desks to help us understand what card to use to pay for certain expenses,” said Canlis. “Our employees are incentivized to put things on the right cards so that we can earn enough points for our annual trips.”

Not all expenses go on the credit cards

(Photo courtesy of Canlis)

For most business expenses, it was as easy as switching from paper checks and debit cards to credit cards. However, Canlis was initially worried since credit cards are typically frowned upon in the restaurant vendor world, with some merchants refusing to accept them.

“The other thing I was afraid of was, well, don’t people want checks?” said Canlis. “Like if I were to call my linen company and ask to pay with a credit card instead, aren’t they going to be bummed by me? The answer is, no. Many vendors were more than happy to switch over and accept credit cards since they get the money so much faster, and there’s no pain of processing checks.”

Today, credit cards have become the norm, though processing fees may deter vendors from accepting them.

“I do have some small farmers who would prefer that I don’t use a credit card, in which case I have no problem doing so,” said Canlis. “It’s a conversation we want to have with each vendor if they’re okay with credit cards, and we have no problem writing a check to those who prefer that instead. It’s not worth hurting relationships over earning some points.”

Spending breakdown

(Photo courtesy of Canlis)

Although Canlis has been operating for decades, the team switched over to using credit cards in 2015. Here’s a breakdown of their estimated spending:

  • Food: Canlis uses 30-plus vendors, most of whom accept credit cards.
  • Bills: From utilities and legal counsel to business insurance — which racks up $60,000 in spending per year alone.
  • Dry goods: This includes to-go containers, paper towels, toilet paper, restroom towels and more.
  • Merchandise: Last year, Canlis spent more than $100,000 on merchandise to resell to guests.
  • Linens: Everything from chef coats to tablecloths, napkins and aprons.

After reviewing these expenses, you can only imagine that these cost hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. By using cards that offer bonus points on some categories (while using the Ink Business Unlimited for non-bonus purchases), the value of using credit cards shines.

Booking around-the-world trips

(Photo by Brian Canlis/Canlis)

Using points and miles to book the team’s “Around the World in 80 Hours” trip has helped Canlis and his team upgrade when available — think business- and first-class flights and five-star luxury hotels. This has even allowed them to expand their culinary options on trips abroad.

“We got to visit nine restaurants in Tokyo instead of our usual one-and-only because we could justify spending more since we used points for our other travel expenses,” said Canlis.

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program offers many redemption possibilities but know that you won’t get value when merely redeeming your points for cash or gift cards. Chase allows you to transfer your points to 11 airline and three hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio — where the real value shines. Once you get familiar with the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, you’ll start to find the sweet spots, allowing you to save thousands of dollars on travel.

“For example, the Park Hyatt in New York City gets to be more than $1,000 per night sometimes,” said Canlis. “But you can transfer 30,000 points [to Hyatt] and get a sweet ratio. That’s like, 5 or 6 cents per point.”

That’s why business credit cards that earn points and miles toward travel rather than cash will almost always be a better deal, especially for a business that spends thousands of dollars for these annual international trips.

Bottom line

(Photo by Brian Canlis/Canlis)

Points and miles have done wonders for Canlis and his restaurant. Even during such a difficult time as the pandemic, his business still amassed more than 3.8 million points last year, allowing them to start traveling again without breaking the bank.

“We have this wealth that’s not congruent with our bank accounts,” said Canlis. “We were in the midst of hiring our seventh executive chef in 70-plus years. You can’t hire a chef over Zoom, but we had points. So, we flew our new executive chef — who lived in Thailand at the time — and her partner all the way out to Seattle, and put them in a suite in the Hyatt for an entire week. That’s the kind of wealth that allows you to make bold, creative decisions that are helping my company.”

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