Archive of articles - January 2012, page 2

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Slovak firm offers self-service beer

A SLOVAK company called Mad Box, from Slovenská Ľupča in eastern Slovakia, has designed a patented automatic beer dispensing station where a customer can serve himself a nice brew after inserting the proper coins. After two and a half years of design, and a similar period distributing the machine in Slovakia and Germany, the company now has its sights set on broader markets, the Hospodárske Noviny financial daily reported last July.

Be safe before travelling abroad to work: tips from the IOM

•Obtain the address and the telephone number of the Slovak embassy in the country where you are travelling and memorise them.

Kofola or Šofocola – a close call

KOFOLA, a non-alcoholic cola beverage popular in Slovakia, won a blind taste test against a less-known beverage named Šofocola – but it was a rather narrow escape for the most well-known domestic brand. An advertising expert said the outcome of the taste test showed that brand recognition, rather than a tangible quality like taste, has a significant impact on consumers’ purchasing habits.

U.S. Steel resumes full workweek

U.S. STEEL Košice (USSK) will resume its standard five-day workweek in February after having cut its workweeks in January to four days, the SITA newswire reported.

Jobless rate rises again

MOST of the political parties competing for votes in the March 10 general election claim to have plans to create more jobs in Slovakia. The most recent data on unemployment show that the country is in urgent need of a workable plan to create more jobs and overcome various labour market problems such as the huge number of long-term unemployed.

Slovak man embroiled in internet piracy case

A SLOVAK CITIZEN made it into international media headlines recently. The reason for his notoriety is his part in an alleged crime that could result in him being sent to prison for at least 25 years. In a case that could represent a significant milestone in the fight against internet piracy, Július Bencko has been charged, along with executives of the file-sharing website Megaupload.com, with what US authorities say was widespread infringement of copyrights via the internet.

Radka Minarechová

Slovaks make ‘the Mercedes of the skies’

A SMALL Prievidza-based company called Aerospool has manufactured over 420 two-seat Dynamic WT9 aeroplanes since 2001 and the planes have become legends in their class. In addition, home hobbyists with the proper technical skills have assembled another 50 Dynamic WT9 aeroplanes from components manufactured in Prievidza, the TASR newswire reported last July.

Trnava jazzer is 90

NEW YEAR’S Eve is a normal workday for only a few occupations, such as musicians. And one of Slovakia’s oldest musicians, Eugen Nemeš from Trnava, remains quite active: even after celebrating his 90th birthday over the Christmas holidays he spent the turn of the years performing at the Piešťany spa with his Old Boys Jazz Band.

Obama greets Chára’s Boston Bruins

THE CURRENT holders of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup, the Boston Bruins, were welcomed to the White House on January 23, the SITA newswire reported, led by their team captain Zdeno Chára from Slovakia.

Put your mug on a postage stamp

SLOVAKIA’s state postal service, Slovenská Pošta, has developed a new web application through which anyone can order a postage stamp accompanied with their photograph or any other image they choose.“Customers can use these stamps when sending letters or a package [posted from Slovakia],” said Andrea Pivarčiová of Slovenská Pošta, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Zlatý Bažant wins fans abroad

ZLATÝ Bažant (Golden Pheasant), a beer produced by Heineken Slovensko in Hurbanovo in southern Slovakia, is the most-exported Slovak beer. The biggest foreign demand for Zlatý Bažant comes from the US, followed by Canada and Poland. But beer drinkers in Great Britain or Australia can quench their thirst with it as well.

Seeking patriotic buyers in Slovakia

THE SHARE of Slovak food products offered on the shelves of retail chains’ shops is about 50 percent, a smaller proportion than in many other countries, say several experts. They add that this particularly low share of domestic foodstuffs on retailers’ shelves has a negative impact on the Slovak economy by reducing employment and increasing the country’s dependence on imports. The declared preference of Slovak consumers for domestic products, even if they have higher prices, provides optimism that sales of domestically-produced goods could increase. Producers and retailers, as well as the government, hope that various promotional and educational campaigns will help make that happen.

Csáky reportedly tried to use old ID

THE FORMER leader of the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), Pál Csáky, reportedly presented police officers with his old identification card as a member of parliament even though he has not had a seat there for almost two years, the Noviny.sk website reported.

Another anonymous document named “Sasanka” emerges

ANOTHER anonymous document has emerged on the internet, this time featuring alleged transcripts of short text messages exchanged between Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chairman Richard Sulík and businessman Marian Kočner under the title Sasanka, meaning Anemone in English. The alleged document appeared on the same web server as the Gorilla file, containing alleged wiretap transcripts showing high-level political corruption in 2005-6. Sulík confirmed on January 27 that he used to meet Kočner but said he does not remember the exact wording of the short messages they exchanged.

Compiled by Spectator staff

Quote of the week

“I have sometimes had the impression that there was a tacit agreement to not look into big corruption cases linking high-ranking politicians and financiers”

Slovak consumers are very price-sensitive

Increasing awareness of Slovak-made foodstuffs

RETAIL chains in Slovakia are well aware of the importance for the domestic economy of selling local products. On the other hand, they stress that products on their shelves must have reasonable prices as Slovak consumers are very price-sensitive. The retail chains welcome campaigns supporting the purchase of local products, but say a proper definition of what constitutes Slovak food is still lacking.

Japanese crafts unveiled at the SNM

IT IS probably not intentional that after you enter the Slovak National Museum (SNM) to head for the new exhibition of traditional Japanese arts and crafts you must first pass by a large Slovak country wagon and several rooms recalling the atmosphere of a typical Slovak village. Nevertheless, the contrast between the robust, rough style of Slovak folk art and the tiny, fine Japanese artefacts and the filigree of that country’s traditional crafts is quite marked.

KBŠ in a redesigned bottle

THE BOTTLE for Karpatské Brandy Špeciál, or KBŠ as it is familiarly known in Slovakia, has undergone a redesign. Vitis Pezinok, the producer of the brandy, which has a golden-amber colour, strong bouquet and full-bodied taste, also produces several wine labels and other distilled spirits. The new design for the KBŠ bottle was unveiled in early December. The label, featuring a dominant medieval knight and five stars was also significantly modified, the company said.

A sense of Svätý Jur’s past

THIS fascinating postcard from 1910 shows the centre of Svätý Jur, a picturesque small town near Bratislava. The card is brimming with interesting monuments which can be identified.

Branislav Chovan

Public wants better business climate

THE SLOVAK public thinks improving the business environment would bring more jobs to Slovakia than large-scale public investments, according to a survey conducted by the MVK polling agency among 1,145 respondents between January 5 and January 11, the SITA newswire reported.

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