text:
The mobile wallet is here. Or so we are always hearing. Whilst we now have a clear idea of the scope of potential mobile payment options (i.e. mobile banking, purchase payment and personal finance management), what is still unclear is why consumers should switch from cash and credit card to mobile payments.
It might be more accurate to say that the mobile wallet race is here. Indeed, with so many players throwing their hats into the ring, all with their eye on cutting their own slice of the payment pie, are we in danger of forgetting the one thing that stands in the way of the mobile wallet revolution - adoption by consumers!
The benefits for each of the key players are obvious. The banks want a share of the annual £trillion credit revenue and the credit card companies want to protect their market share by developing their mobile offering. Then there are the new entrants, such as technology companies and mobile network operators, several of whom have applied for the necessary banking licence. All are keen to get in on the action and take a cut of what is, after all, a very attractive market. The technology and service proposition is developing at a fast rate, which is fantastic news for the consumer. But how will it eventually work in practice, and how secure will it be?
A clear, standardised solution to address these issues has yet to be defined. Each of the players is developing their own route to market, and in such a competitive environment, it is difficult for one solution to gain enough ground to be widely adopted. Near Field Communication (NFC) has been hailed by many as the answer, but only a limited number of smartphones are enabled with this, or any of the other payment options currently available in the market. Likewise, with no standard option available, retailers are reluctant to invest in the infrastructure required to handle mobile payments. With these issues yet to be ironed out, it is perhaps not surprising that, so far, only a very small percentage of consumers have adopted mobile payments.
Security breaches are a major concern for consumers, and potentially a significant stumbling block to widespread adoption. Technology companies insist that mobile payments are 100 per cent secure, but consumers are faced with reports of security failures and web privacy issues, phone theft, and hacking incidents. This information, coupled with the natural fear and reluctance associated with the adoption of any new technology, has paralysed many consumers. To give them a compelling reason to take the leap of faith and open their mobile wallet, rather than use the more trusted alternatives of cash or a credit/debit card, companies must educate consumers on the protection options available.
Research conducted by Assurant Solutions earlier this year revealed that the overall frequency of mobile transactions among current wallet users can be increased by as much as 21 per cent if the transaction is protected or guaranteed, and this figure rises to 36 per cent among current non-adopters. Currently, however, consumers seem unclear as to who will pay for unauthorised transactions on a hacked or stolen smartphone. Mobile device insurance can play a key enabling role here, by providing the vital additional protection necessary to unlock the potential of the mobile wallet for consumers.
The research also highlighted a desire among consumers to transact larger payments of up to £100-£200 using their smartphone. But the current payment systems only permit payments of £20 or less. The higher the payment options available, the more attractive the mWallet proposition becomes to both opportunistic and organised criminals. This is another strand in the dilemma facing all the players in the mobile wallet race. Caps on individual transactions and credit-related payment limits, as are in place with credit cards, may go some way to solving this issue, but again, additional protection in the form of insurance can provide both sides with the confidence to realise the potential of this channel.
The mobile wallet revolution may very well be just around the corner, but currently, the market is heavily segmented, making it difficult for consumers to fully embrace this concept. If this is to change, there needs to be clear standardisation of technology, a clear business model, clear communication as to how it works and what the benefits are over and above those of cash and credit/debit card payments and, perhaps most importantly, a clear message that protection is available to safeguard financial transactions.
Nino Treusch is head of mobile business development at Assurant Solutions Europe


text:
Exploding iPhone Forces Evacuation Of Queensland Store
A Queensland store has had to be evacuated after an iPhone exploded in its owner’s hand.
Security footage shows the man taking his iPhone 6+ in to be repaired when it blows up at the counter.
According to ViralHog, the came in complaining about the battery not holding charge and wanting the broken screen repaired.
Staff claim the battery failed and exploded, causing the screen to come off the phone.
They were forced to use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire and eventually evacuate the store due to the fumes.
“Draw your own conclusions, but imagine if this happened five minutes earlier when the guy was driving to the shop and not in the shop,” they told the site.
The store had to close for the rest of the day due to the fumes.
Top Photo: AAP

domain: news


text:
Jewelers celebrate golden anniversary
Appeal Staff Writer
The Buchheisters’ store has bejeweled generations of families.
Capital Jewelers reached the milestone of 50 years in business this month, which owner Sharon Buchheister credits to high-class service.
“The reason we’ve been hanging around for 50 years is we’re trustworthy,” she said. “Like any business, you struggle. Some months are better than others. We just keep hanging in there.”
Her late husband, Charlie Buchheister, opened the store on Oct. 12, 1956.
Skip Thurman, owner of Thurman’s Ranch House, bought his 1965 high school class ring from Charlie. He paid $60. Thurman bought his wife’s engagement ring there, their gold wedding bands in 1972 and recently a college graduation ring for his daughter, Alyson. He used the diamonds from a pinky ring that he bought from Charlie in 1968.
“Nobody touches my diamonds but Sharon,” Thurman said.
Capital Jewelers has operated in many locations in Carson City that have changed over 50 years.
The first location was downtown on the east side of Carson Street. Then it moved across the street, near where Cactus Jack’s is now. Buchheister then moved his store to Highway 50, to an area now transformed by the Carson City freeway, then to the Eagle Station Shopping Center in South Carson.
The couple moved the store back downtown to 808 N. Curry St. when they had the opportunity to buy their own building. Back in 1991, the 4,800-square-foot building cost only $120,000, according to assessor records.
When the Buchheisters returned downtown, they also gave themselves another day off.
After working six days a week for more than 25 years, the couple decided to also take off Monday. Charlie Buchheister died in 1998, leaving the business to his wife and daughter.
Dawn Smith, bench jeweler/manager, has worked in the family business for nearly 20 years.
“I have a real passion for what I do,” she said. “I’m really lucky that way. I love my work.”
One reason Capital Jewelers survived, despite a market dominated by big-box discount stores and online sales, was by joining a jewelry association that gives the independent jewelers the same purchasing power as any major chain, Smith said.
“We’re very proud of what we represent,” said Buchheister, 66. “I’ve always felt our customers are our friends and neighbors.”
If you go
WHAT: Capital Jewelers; 50th anniversary raffle and reception
WHERE: 808 N. Curry St.
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday
SPECIAL FEATURES: Receive a raffle ticket for every $50 purchase; top prize is a 1.11-carat diamond solitaire ring, priced at $7,000. Customers can also pop a balloon for a chance to find a gemstone. Refreshments will be served.
• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at firstname.lastname@example.org or 881-1212.


text:
Teledyne Bowtech Boosts U.S. Sales Team
Teledyne Bowtech has expanded its sales team with the appointment of a new sales manager for the U.S. territory.
According to the underwater vision systems specialist, Galen Rice is the company’s new U.S. sales manager and will be based at the Teledyne Instruments facility in Houston.
“This addition to our team will allow us to focus on the needs of our important customer base in North America, and to provide enhanced service and support for our comprehensive range of subsea cameras, lights and associated vision systems,” said the company in a statement.


text:
By Laura Kemp •
Published: 05 Nov 2021 • 18:21
Jack Grealish fronts UK's most expensive Christmas ad. Image - Sports Direct
Former Aston Villa Captain Jack Grealish and other sports stars feature in the UK’s most expensive Christmas ad of the year.
The advert, costing £6 million, features 16 famous sports stars including tennis pro Emma Raducanu, Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill as well as England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Sports clothing shop Sports Direct unveiled the new Christmas ad following the release of TK Maxx, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Boots’ adverts.
Following a difficult Christmas in business terms last year due to the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, the sports chain is hoping the advert will encourage people to get back out on the high street.
Beckie Stanion, a spokeswoman at Sports Direct, said: “After the challenges the nation has faced over the past year we’re excited to encourage everyone to Go All Out this Christmas with the help of some of the country’s biggest sporting legends.”
“Whether you’re working on legs like Jack Grealish, sprints like Jessica Ennis-Hill or backhands like Emma Raducanu, it’s time to shrug off the cold, step out and make this season your best one yet.”
Watch the new ad here:
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our
Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features.
Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.


text:
BP and M&S Simply Food open in Stuston
Twenty new jobs have been created with today’s opening of the new BP service station with M&S Simply Food on Old Bury Road.
The joint BP and Marks & Spencer development will offer motorists a wide range of M&S quality food alongside BP’s own Wild Bean Café drinks and hot food.
The store offers motorists the chance to fill up their shopping baskets, fuel, a toilet accessible to disabled people, and a baby changing-room.
Andy Kenney, BP district manager said: “The new store and introduction of the M&S Simply Food range means we have been able to create twenty new jobs for people in the local area.
"It’ll be open 24/7 providing customers with a selected range of Marks & Spencer’s high quality fresh, innovative food alongside the best of BP fuels and our very own Wild Bean Café.”
The first customers at BP on Old Bury Road will also receive a range of discounts and a free ‘bag for life’ to help their future shopping.
More by this authorVictoria Scheer
This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)


text:
Every year, iOS app development companies try their best to find ways to stand out and succeed in a competitive market. As such, many of them always look forward to the trends expected to hog the limelight every year. Businesses and developers know that trends are basically all about technology advancements. All these can significantly help them improve their chances in the mobile app market.
Things may have been a little bit different in 2020, but 2021 is shaping up to be better and more promising. With that said, here are five trends that are expected to stir things up this year and, in the years, to come.
iOS trends to expect
Cloud computing is not necessarily new in the scene, but its benefits continue to help iOS developers. For iOS companies, 2021 is all about cloud integration and using the platform to develop mobile apps that guarantee security and scalability. Building apps through the cloud is also more practical in terms of finances, especially since it allows for faster development. Since everything is on the cloud, the process is more seamless.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
AR and VR are two technologies that will continue to rise in use and popularity. Both will be a $72 billion industry by 2024.
While iOS app development companies are already benefiting from these two technologies, augmented reality and virtual reality integration will contribute more in the next few years. In fact, the number of iOS applications that are currently using these technologies is already starting to grow. IKEA Place, for example, uses augmented reality in allowing users to furnish rooms using 3D models. It’s like getting a firsthand experience in creating an IKEA smart home.
Another iOS app that benefits from AR and VR is Dance Reality. This dance game lets users play and follow footprints on the floor. You’ll be “dancing” following the given pattern. It also features a virtual instructor. Dance Reality combines the brilliance of AR, VR, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Internet of Things and Wearables
The previous year saw an increase in the use of mobile apps and other similar technologies as health and safety restrictions kept everyone at home. This turn of events figure prominently this year as companies and iOS developers will now give more attention to creating IoT-enabled applications. As such, wearables are also expected to become more visible as more and more people and organisations use them for data transfer.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Machine learning (ML), a branch of artificial intelligence, is expected to continue making waves this year and in the next. Many iOS app development companies are continuously trying to find solutions that allow them to build apps efficiently within a shorter time frame. This is where ML comes in. Once AI becomes more mainstream, programmers and developers will have an easier time writing codes and developing apps. There is even a possibility that AI will “write” the code itself.
Additionally, the Core ML framework that Apple introduced and uses for its variety of products (including iOS devices) for real-time and fast predictions, is set to become a standard in the iOS application development process. Developers integrate their apps with the said framework to allow easy customisation.
Mobile Wallet via Apple Pay
Since people are used to ordering and purchasing things online or through cashless transactions, the Mobile Wallet trend is set to make an explosion this year. In the iOS world, virtual and cashless payments are possible through Apple Pay. Many developers are now adapting this technology into their iOS dev projects. It benefits users and consumers in many ways. More importantly, mobile wallet via Apple Pay will ensure secure and smooth transactions.
app development companies


text:
With money becoming scarcer by the day in South Africa, consumers are becoming more and more concerned about price. This is one side of the coin. On the other side, while consumers may have less to spend, they are willing to pay more for quality.
It is with these two contrasting views in mind that the South African Meat Industry Company (Samic) has decided to investigate a new grading system for beef. Its purpose is to ensure consumer satisfaction each time meat is purchased, as well as a willingness to pay a little bit extra for good quality. Producers will therefore be able to increase their profits.
Rudi van der Westhuizen, executive director of Samic, says they plan to have a grading system in place within the next two years, which will give consumers the assurance that the meat they buy is always of the same quality. This system will provide a description of the meat’s quality and will ultimately determine consumers’ preferences. Samic has appointed Dr Philip Strydom to research the system.
Classification and pricing
Rudi emphasises that the new system will not replace the current meat classification system. This classification system is designed to inform the producer, abattoir and retailer about certain quality aspects of the carcass purchased in order to determine the price of the meat. Yet the consumer, who is in fact the price determiner, cannot know whether the meat will meet his or her requirements.
The current classification system, he explains, provides information regarding the carcass’s age, fat distribution, conformation, damage if any, and the mark for AB, B and C classes. The price is determined by the abattoir and retailer, with consumers having no say in the process; they must buy their meat based on visual assessment and trust.
Red meat prices set to increase
With a shrinking disposable income, consumers are becoming increasingly picky about the quality of the meat they buy. According to Rudi, meat prices will come under pressure in the near future due to the drought conditions experienced over the past few years. Producers will be retaining animals to rebuild their herds and supply is expected to be significantly lower than demand.
This trend became visible last year already. “A flattening beef and sheep industry paved the way for pork producers to enter the market with cheaper meat. Pork prices are currently very low, which means more fresh pork is sold over the counter than before. Last year 300 000 more pigs were slaughtered, while 400 000 fewer sheep and 150 000 fewer head of cattle were slaughtered,” says Rudi.
He adds that the South African chicken industry received some good news, with the ad valorem tax on imported chicken products set to be adjusted. As a result, people are likely to purchase less imported chicken as the price difference between domestic and imported chicken will not be as great.
“We need to keep up with market developments. The plan is therefore to put in place a new grading system that can be used in conjunction with the classification system,” explains Rudi.
This new grading system will add value to the meat. Certain measurements will be used to evaluate the meat’s tenderness, taste and juiciness, providing a fair prediction and indication of the quality of a specific meat cut. This way, consumers can weigh up the choice between price and quality.
Samic intends to use the Australian grading system, which Dr Strydom is currently investigating and adapting for the local market.
“It is the most sought-after system in the world. This system allows carcasses to be tested during slaughter, after which they go to the cold room and are retested the following day. This allows carcasses to be ranked according to expected eating quality. This means that B class meat could potentially sell for more than A class meat.
“The pH reading also provides information on how animals were treated while being loaded. Were they chased down which lead to higher stress levels? How were animals transported and handled during offloading? How did the muscle to meat conversion, or rigor mortis, progress during the first 18 hours post slaughter? Here we look at the rate of cooling relative to meat conversion,” explains Dr Strydom.
By using the grading system, the label on the meat packaging will provide consumers with a clear indication of the quality of the meat.
Testing and grading process
Dr Strydom adds that they are planning on using consumer panels to determine how South Africans respond to different production and slaughter scenarios, and ultimately to different eating experiences.
“We will be using the preferences of more than 2 000 consumers to create a prediction model with which the meat needs to comply. We cannot use the Australian grading system in its current form, because South Africans do not necessarily have the same tastes as their Australian counterparts. There are also a few unique production factors and processes that must be added and tested.”
Several factors will be included in this test, such as type of feed, use of growth stimulants, how quickly the animal has grown, whether the carcass has been chilled properly, etc.
Using a star system will be ideal, he says. For example, meat with three stars will be suitable for everyday use, four stars will represent a better cut, and five stars will indicate a prime meat cut that consumers can purchase for select occasions. The meat’s tenderness, juiciness, taste and acceptability will determine the number of stars awarded. For example, meat with fewer than three stars will be used for canning purposes.
Dr Strydom says the process will be long and will need to be adjusted from time to time as new factors emerge. He is very excited about the new grading system and says it creates a generic brand for farmers, abattoirs and retailers to ensure they provide quality meat to the consumer.
Financing the project
Rudi also explained how the project will be financed. As an independent third party acting in the best interest of the South African red meat industry, Samic will use the revenue from audits and inspections to fund the project.
“We will use the funds at our disposal to provide an improved dining experience for consumers and negotiate a better price for farmers.”
The system is expected to become fully operative within the next two or three years. The level of contribution by each participant in the value chain will determine the benefits each party will derive from it.
He advises livestock producers to start paying attention to the way in which animals are handled on-farm. According to their surveys, more than 50% of animals taken to the abattoir appear to have been subjected to unnecessary stress. Stress must be eliminated to optimise meat quality.
For enquiries, contact Rudi van der Westhuizen on 082 900 3005 or Dr Philip Strydom on 012 672 9340. – Koos du Pisanie, Stockfarm


text:
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Takes Charge Without a Salary yes you read that right. GameStop, a popular video game retailer, has a new CEO, Ryan Cohen. He’s a billionaire and a well-known activist investor. What’s interesting is that he’s not going to get paid for his new role. Let’s read the article to find out who is Ryan Choen and the truth behind the news which says -GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Takes Charge Without a Salary.
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen
Ryan Cohen is a Canadian entrepreneur who co-founded a pet food company called Chewy. He’s already GameStop’s executive chairman and owns a big chunk of the company’s shares through his firm, RC Ventures.
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Takes Charge Without a Salary
In a surprising move, GameStop announced that Ryan Cohen won’t receive any salary for being the CEO, chairman, and president of the company. This means he’s taking on these important roles for free. The reasons given by CEO Ryan Cohen for not taking a salary are:
Cohen’s Mission is to Make GameStop Survive
Cohen is serious about turning things around for GameStop. He emailed the company’s staff, emphasizing the need for careful spending and efficiency. He believes that GameStop must stop losing money and focus on survival.
The Three Deadly Sins in Retail
According to Cohen, there are three things that can harm a retail business: buying the wrong inventory, taking on too much debt, and spending too much. He’s determined to avoid these pitfalls.
Ryan Cohen is fully committed to making GameStop successful. He pointed out that he’s not taking a salary, so he’s personally invested in the company’s future. He’s ready to work hard and turn the ship around.
GameStop has faced challenges in recent years, with declining sales of physical game CDs due to the rise of online purchases. The company has closed many stores, and its software sales have dropped significantly.
A New Chapter for GameStop
With Ryan Cohen taking the helm as CEO, GameStop is entering a new chapter. His no-salary approach and commitment to survival show that he’s determined to bring positive change to the struggling retailer.
Who is Ryan Cohen?
Ryan Cohen is a businessman known for co-founding Chewy and being the executive chairman of GameStop.
Why is GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen in the news?
He’s in the news because he became the CEO of GameStop without taking a salary.
What is GameStop’s current situation?
GameStop has been struggling with declining sales of physical games and store closures.
What did Ryan Cohen say in his email to GameStop staff?
He emphasized the need for careful spending and efficiency to ensure the company’s survival.
How did Ryan Cohen become involved with GameStop?
He bought a stake in the company in 2020 and joined its board in 2021 during the meme stock craze.


text:
Switch to electric stalled ‘by stop-start policies’
The motor industry has accused the prime minister and chancellor of indulging in “a game of snakes and ladders” by setting ambitious targets for the electric car revolution but then withdrawing support.
At a summit of leading figures involved in the decarbonisation of the British automotive sector, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the industry body, listed several letdowns by the government and questioned whether it had “a strategy not just a soundbite”.
He questioned why Boris Johnson had declared the end for sales of cars with internal combustion engines by 2030, only for Rishi Sunak in the budget to cut plug-in car incentives. Hawes said that the government had promised support for the installation of rapid electric car


text:
By Publishers Weekly: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, a general-interest store that occupies two substantial storefronts across from a historic farmers’ market in Harrisburg, PA, celebrates its 20th anniversary as a bricks-and-mortar location this year. Owners Lawrence and Papenfuse grew their business from a used-book online portal to 15,000 square feet of retail space with a staff of 50. They’ve helped revitalize their neighborhood, gradually renovating a former post office and an old theater next door, demonstrating a commitment to Harrisburg as a destination for literary culture and political debate.
There is no question that people often overlook the positive impacts of independent, locally-owned (Indie Local) businesses. The local community that an Indie Local serves may understand these impacts, but those located further away may need to be made aware of these success stories. In future posts, with your help, we will feature a few of the top Indie Locals in the nation.


text:
Market Basket drama unfolds
Employees urge customers to boycott
As thousands of frustrated workers, their supportive families and loyal customers made their voices heard at rallies Monday, 43-year Market Basket employee Bill Beaulieu had some words of advice for shoppers.
"The best thing people can do, we hate to say it, is to boycott," advised Beaulieu, assistant store manager of the Market Basket in Seabrook.
The message came as produce vanished from Market Basket shelves and meat and dairy products began to dwindle with the battle over the future leadership of the successful supermarket known for its low prices and quality customer service being waged at all levels.
The precedent-setting movement by non-union workers demands the return of ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. He was fired in June by the company's board and replaced by outsiders, co-CEOs Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch.
As many as eight veterans of Market Basket's management who supported the protest were fired Sunday by courier and more jobs could on the line following a walkout by workers at corporate headquarters in Tewksbury last Friday that put the brakes on food deliveries.
"Their actions continued to harm the company, negatively impacted customers, and inhibited associates' ability to perform their jobs,'' the company said in a statement.
Veteran workers say the leadership change threatens the business model that has made the company a success, but Market Basket's board hadn't budged by Monday afternoon, prompting more rallies and petitions urging calls for Arthur T.'s return.
Stratham store manager Mark Owens stood at one entrance to his store late Monday afternoon carrying a sign that read, "Produce Shut Down Due to Lack of Product."
At the other entrance, another sign warning that dairy was the next to be depleted sat against the side of the building.
He couldn't bring himself to tell customers to shop elsewhere, but with the store now out of produce and none expected to arrive on delivery trucks this week, Owens said, "If I were a shopper I wouldn't shop here."
"There are two choices. We either go down the path they've chosen, which is going to be sell the real estate, raise prices and disperse the money to the shareholders...;or we get Arthur T. Demoulas back in and we go back to our model of low prices, high volume and keep the customers happy and take care of the employees," Owens said.
Bonnie Rodriguez, 57, of Hampton, is a regular at the Market Baskets in Stratham and Seabrook and said she would boycott the stores if that's what workers want.
"I like the employees. I like the product. I like the prices. I don't want it to change. That's why I support the Market Basket workers," she said.
On Monday, Market Basket customers Brooke Conlin and Kerrie Winsor organized their own protest outside the Market Basket on Lafayette Road in Portsmouth because they couldn't attend a rally in Tewksbury, Mass., attended by thousands of workers and other supporters.
About a handful of customers stood in front of the Market Basket beginning around noon, and while it was a small turnout, they made their voices heard.
Many customers who showed up to shop stopped to sign a petition supporting the thousands of workers protesting the ouster of their beloved CEO, affectionately known as "Artie T."
When asked about the inventory and the overall mood at the Lafayette Road store, Michael Desmond, an assistant manager who's worked there for 34 years, responded, "It's not good."
But he was pleased to see so much support from customers.
"This is beautiful. I think it's very nice of the customers to stand up for what they believe in and they're supporting us," he said.


text:
- Ghanaian musician Medikal has been spotted having a good time in Atlanta as he flaunted his luxurious lifestyle
- The rich rapper went shopping at Gucci and drove around town in an expensive Mercedes Benz
- Medikal showed off his Rolex timepiece and the mega apartment he was living in which had a gym in the bedroom
New feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡ find “Recommended for you” block and enjoy!
Ghanaian rapper, Samuel Adu Frimpong, popularly known as Medikal has shown why he is widely regarded as one of the richest rappers in Ghana.
Some videos and photos from the musician's recent trip to Atlanta have popped up and the young man is living large.
Medikal drove around town in an expensive Mercedes Benz, and visited some of the biggest clothing stores in the U.S to get some trendy apparel for himself.
Weekly Wrap: Adinkra Pie CEO not divorced, Nana Ama McBrown confirms liposuction, other trendy stories from the week
His stop at Gucci left his hand full with numerous shopping bags. The rapper climaxed his visit by staying in a grand apartment. His bedroom had a big gym loaded with every possible gym equipment.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!
Some commercial gyms would be left in the dust when compared with the one in Medikal's room. The apartment also had a large compound and a swimming pool. An edifice fit for someone of Medikal's status.
The rapper's agenda in Atlanta was not just fun, he was there for business too as he was booked to perform at the Atlanta Ghana Fest 2022 which took place over the weekend. He rocked the excited fans who attended the show with an energetic performance.
Anita Sefa Boakye Pregnant, Shows Off Baby Bump As Her Husband Adinkra Pie CEO Rubs Hand On Her Tummy (Videos)
In other news, YEN.com.gh previously published an article that, Adinkra Pie CEO Barima Osei Mensah and his wife Anita Sefa Boakye are expecting their first child together.
Anita who is pregnant has been spotted glowing as she showed off a big baby bump while she stepped out with her husband for the birthday of her sister-in-law.
Videos of Anita's baby bump have excited many of the couple's admirers on social media who have showered praises on them.
New feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!


text:
Mobile phones are used to connect to the Internet and have seen phenomenal growth during the last few years. While it was still limited to low-end phones, now we can see smartphones and even some tablets that offer access to the Internet. These mobile devices use different technologies to connect to the Internet, including 4G (LTE) networks.
More people use mobile phones to connect to the internet than use PCs. The number of mobile phone users around the world is growing fast. People are increasingly using their mobile phones to connect to the internet. According to a new report by the Pew Research Center, almost three-quarters of US adults now own smartphones.
Pew has found 71% of American adults now use smartphones, up from just 55% in 2011. This growth is expected to continue, with the latest survey showing that 77% of Americans plan to buy a smartphone within the next year. If you’re interested in finding out how many people worldwide use mobile phones to connect to the internet, check out the infographic below.
Mobile phones are becoming more widely used worldwide to connect to the internet. This includes those phones that use the standard GSM network in Europe, North America, South East Asia, and Australia. In Europe, the number of people with an active GSM connection is rising and has doubled over the last three years. This has led many to assume that mobile phones are the future of internet connectivity and are the most reliable way to connect to the internet.
How to use a mobile phone as a computer
Mobile phones have become an integral part of our lives. As the popularity of smart devices continues to grow, we can expect to see even more people turning to mobile phones as their primary devices to browse the web.
The rise of the smartphone has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for marketers. While some companies embrace this shift and invest in mobile-first marketing strategies, others struggle to keep up.
The problem is that most digital advertising dollars are still spent on desktop devices, so it’s unlikely that the desktop experience will ever become irrelevant.
Mobile phones are used for several purposes.
Smartphones are used for more than just making phone calls and texting. They are also used to access the Internet, watch videos, and play games.
Mobile phone use is also growing. In 2012, a report from the International Data Corporation found that global smartphone users surpassed PC users in 2011.
The rise of smartphones is expected to continue in the coming years. According to a new forecast by Gartner, the number of smartphone users worldwide is set to increase from 4.4 billion in 2016 to 5.3 billion in 2017 and 6.1 billion in 2020.
The increase in smartphone use means more people are using their devices to access the Internet. In 2013, for example, the average person in the United States spent 9 hours and 37 minutes per month accessing the web through their smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center.
Mobile phones are used to access content online.
While you could have guessed this from the title, it’s worth pointing out that mobile phones are used for other things, too. Some are used to watching videos, playing games, checking social media, etc. According to the Pew report, the number of mobile phone owners who use their devices for the internet has increased from 36% in 2009 to 77% in 2017.
Mobile phones can be used for browsing.
You may think that the only thing you can do on a mobile phone is text messages and emails, but it’s possible to browse the web.
Mobile apps can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. The most popular websites offer free versions of their apps.
Use a mobile phone as a computer.
More people use mobile phones to connect to the internet than use PCs. The number of mobile phone users around the world is growing fast.
The trend is expected to continue to grow. According to market research firm Gartner, there will be more than 2.5 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide by 2020.
There are many reasons why people use mobile phones to connect to the internet, but a major reason is a convenience. As a result, more and more people are using their smartphones for basic tasks such as emailing, messaging, browsing the web, and posting on social media.
For businesses, this means that mobile is the most accessible way to reach consumers, so it is a logical step to use mobile-optimized websites as a way to attract more customers.
Frequently Asked Questions Mobile Phones
Q: Why did we start using mobile phones as our main communication devices?
A: Pilots first used mobile phones to talk with the control tower during the Vietnam War.
Q: How is it different from regular cell phones?
A: A mobile phone is smaller than a regular cell phone and can be carried in a pocket or a handbag.
Q: Can we still use regular cell phones without mobile phones?
A: No, we can only use a mobile phone.
Q: How long do you use your mobile phone every day?
A: I use my mobile phone all day, every day, every second.
Top 3 Myths About Mobile Phones
1. People who have a mobile phone do not need to get their telephone number changed or use new services like email.
2. A mobile phone is integral to a person’s life.
3. If the mobile phone is off, it will not be able to connect to the internet.
Today, mobile phones are used to connect to the Internet and are broadly accepted. This is true for both the low-end handsets and the expensive ones. They are now widely used as important devices for communication and information retrieval. Mobile phones are used to connect to the Internet and are broadly accepted. This is true for both the low-end handsets and the expensive ones. They are now widely used as important devices for communication and information retrieval. Mobile phones are useful and versatile devices that are used by many people around the world. In addition, they can be used to access the Internet as well.


text:
Virtual reality is set to start moving into the mainstream of the technology market this year creating the next wave of growth for the industry, says ERNST WITTMANN, Regional Manager for Southern Africa at Alcatel.
Smartphone manufacturers rather than games console makers or VR specialists hold the key to mainstream consumer acceptance of VR devices. Smartphone manufacturers will unlock affordable VR for the average consumer. In much the same way as smartphones have put an affordable camera, GPS and powerful computer in our pockets, they will give most of us our first taste of VR.
According to market researcher IDC, shipments of augmented reality and VR hardware will grow sharply to 9.6 million units this year and to 110 million units by 2020. The VR category has been relatively small until now, but the technology is maturing. We’re starting to see excitement for its potential from businesses and consumers alike.
Premium VR devices will represent most VR revenue in the next few years but only a small portion of the shipments, according to numbers from Strategy Analytics. The research firm projects that more affordable smartphone-powered devices will account for some 87% of VR devices shipped this year.
This makes sense since the premium devices are aimed at an early adopter audience, primarily the gamer, that doesn’t mind spending at least $500 on a new gadget. Smartphone manufacturers will offer a lower entry price and tie their VR offerings to a device that their customers already own.
VR is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment, presented to the user on a screen housed in a helmet or a pair of goggles. The user feels as if he or she is present in a three-dimensional space, able to interact with the virtual world through equipment such as a glove fitted with sensors.
The initial application for VR is creating immersive videogames, where the user feels as he or she really is sitting in the cockpit of a race car, navigating a dungeon filled with monsters, or trying to survive a night in a haunted house. But there are endless other business and entertainment applications for VR as well.
For example, some hospitals already use VR to simulate surgery after getting a 3D image of the brain using an MRI scan. Training applications are also becoming more sophisticated, offering risk-free ways to help people to practice or learn skills as diverse as surgery, flying an airplane, or surviving in a combat zone.
Art students or tourists could wander simulations of the world’s great art galleries without leaving home, offering new experiences to people who cannot travel for financial or health reasons. And films and televised sports events could be made more immersive by making you feel like you’re in a theatre or a stadium rather than your lounge.
For many people, VR still sounds like a fanciful idea. But as smartphones become more powerful and the VR display technologies become cheaper and more mature, VR will become a fixture in our lives.
Many analysts believe that VR is in its growth cycle today where smartphones were in 2007 – so we can expect to see VR really take off by 2020. The technology has great potential to enrich our lives, create new ways to learn, offer exciting entertainment options, and deliver powerful new experiences.
Half of SA mobile phone users avoid data activity
Research shows 87% of South Africans have cellphones, but 50% have data issues and a quarter struggle to find a place to charge them
A Pew Research Center survey of 11 nations has found South Africans second most likely to avoid doing things on their cellphones because of fears of data charges. The 50% of users who report this fear is second only to Lebanon, where 66% avoid data use.
As ownership of mobile phones, especially smartphones, spreads rapidly across the globe, there are still notable numbers of people in emerging economies who do not own – or even use someone else’s – mobile phone, a Pew Research Center survey of 11 nations finds. However, in this department South Africa scores well, with only 13% not having phones – in line with a median of 6% of adults in the countries polled do not use mobile phones at all, and a median of 7% do not own phones but instead borrow them from others.
These mobile divides between have and have-nots are most pronounced in Venezuela, where about a third of adults (32%) do not own or use mobile phones, India (30%) and the Philippines (27%).
At the same time, the new findings show that mobile divides also exist among those who own phones. A median of 46% in these countries say they frequently or occasionally have difficulties getting reliable phone connections, 37% say it can be a challenge to pay for their phones and 33% report finding places to charge their phones is a problem at least occasionally. In addition, a median of 42% report frequently or occasionally avoiding some activities on their phones because they use too much data.
In some countries, mobile owners’ challenges are particularly striking. In Lebanon, for example, 77% of phone owners report having problems getting reliable mobile connections, and about two-thirds (66%) say they avoid doing things with their phones because those activities use too much data. In Jordan, nearly half (48%) report having trouble paying for their phone, while in Tunisia four-in-ten (40%) say it can be a challenge to find places to recharge their phones.
“The spread of mobile phones brings a variety of benefits to users in emerging economies, and they can clearly spell out what appeals to them about the arrival of a phone in their lives,” says Laura Silver, senior researcher at Pew Research Center. “Still, our survey shows that these devices bring new challenges and headaches to users at the same time they open up new divisions in their societies. It turns out that digital divides take several forms in these countries.”
Beyond those concerns, there are other issues that can disrupt life for some phone users and sharers. Around three-quarters or more of mobile phone owners in every country except India report concerns about identity theft, and around nine-in-ten or more in Mexico (95%), Colombia (94%), Tunisia (90%), South Africa (89%) and the Philippines (89%) say they are at least somewhat concerned about the issue.
For mobile sharers, concerns about device security can also play a role in why people choose not to own their own devices. While cost is the primary reason mobile phone sharers give for why they do not personally have a phone (a median of 34% across eight countries reports this), the second most commonly cited reason is that a previous mobile phone was lost, broken or stolen.
Additionally, a median of 29% of mobile owners in these 11 emerging economies report they have frequently or occasionally experienced problems finding information online in their preferred language. This problem ranges from 17% of mobile owners in Jordan to 37% in South Africa – the highest of all countries surveyed.
Other key findings from the survey include:
Nonuse tends to be more common among adults with lower levels of income and education. In the Philippines, for instance, 10% of respondents with more education say they do not use a phone, compared with 38% of those with lower levels of education. This pattern exists in all 11 countries surveyed. Similarly, across most of the nations, older people are more likely than younger people to be non-users.
Non-users are divided over whether they would like to own a mobile phone in the future. Venezuelan non-users stand out for their keen interest in acquiring a mobile phone; 86% of mobile phone non-users in Venezuela say they would like to get a phone in the future. Elsewhere, these numbers vary markedly, from around half or more desiring a mobile phone in South Africa (65%), Colombia (61%) and Tunisia (52%), to fewer than half in Mexico (41%), the Philippines (35%), India (31%) and Lebanon (9%).
In some countries, issues of technological literacy are particularly pronounced. For example, around a quarter of Indians (26%) say the primary reason they share a phone is because it is too complicated to use, followed by Mexicans (11%) and Filipinos (10%).
MUST you buy into Black Friday? The pros and cons
Black Friday, once only a North American marketing frenzy, has become a critical entry in the calendars of South African retail business owners.
Research published by Stats SA says that historically, the most important month of the year for retail trade is December, when many consumers are on holiday and go Christmas shopping. But December 2018 was a tough month for retail in South Africa with the volume of sales falling by 1,4% year-on-year.
The poor performance of retailers in December followed a fruitful November, when Black Friday boosted sales to 2,9% year-on-year.
Dov Girnun, CEO of Merchant Capital, an innovative fintech funder that provides working capital to retail SME’s across the country, says Black Friday presents a moment in time in the sales cycle, and business owners still need to consider whether the concept will make sense for their business’s growth.
“Small business growth is a delicate balance between doing what works and taking advantage of the right opportunities. Retail business owners should carefully weigh up the pros and cons before being swept away by the Black Friday wave,” says Girnun.
Girnun outlines the following pro’s and con’s that retailers should consider before jumping on the Black Friday bandwagon.
Pro: Savvy customers look forward to a good bargain. They actually plan their year-end spending around this one retail event. They believe that they will enjoy savings and great deals which will often prompt larger spending and additional ‘treats’ for themselves.
Con: There was a time when festive season shopping mainly occurred in December. Black Friday has changed this. What was normally a very good festive season trade, can now mean rapidly reduced December turnover. Retailers need to work this new spending habit into their projections and stock flow.
Pro: If you can deliver agile marketing messaging and have a tactical social and email marketing campaign behind you, you may well be able to fight the clutter and up your sales in a meaningful way.
Girnun says: “In our experience, small businesses use the funds we lend them for anything that will be additive to the growth of their business: to hire more employees; buy new equipment; refurbish their store; buy more stock – and even for marketing – they don’t necessarily have to be elaborate plans, but each funding step is crucial to the next.”
Con: As a small business you are up against the big guys: large retailers with huge marketing campaigns behind them. Certain larger retailers will even offer loss-leaders to draw in customers.
Shed old stock for small business growth
Pro: Small business growth is often the difference between sitting with old stock or shedding your load. Black Friday is a great way to encourage take-up of old redundant inventory. Making way for the new.
Con: On this day, over any other, customers are price-sensitive. They expect a good deal otherwise will gladly shop elsewhere. Heavy discounts might be the only way to win that sale over your competitor. But this is often a discount that isn’t worth the sale.
Scaling up for traffic
Pro: Black Friday is a marketing vehicle to assist in scaling up your customer traffic. It is a unique opportunity to attract new customers and satisfy existing ones. Just make sure that your store has the capability to restock quickly and check customers out efficiently.
Con: Sub-par in-store or online service can have a negative knock-on effect on your brand. So make sure you employ more staff and security on the day and upgrade your online systems so that they can carry an abnormal load should it arise.
Realising retailers’ eleventh-hour cash needs and taking the rapid evolution of technology into account, funders like Merchant Capital have the capability of assessing and approving a loan in just 24 – 48 hours, offering retailers an opportunity to scale up if need be at lower risk.
What are your competitors doing?
Pro: If your competitors are in the space, this may mean it’s good for your vertical. Simply being there may be a good way to claim your stake in some way.
Con: If you aren’t in the game, you can almost guarantee it will be a bad sales day. But FOMO alone (Fear Of Missing Out), is a dangerous hill to climb. So think clearly and make decisions that are right for your business!
Girnun says: “The jury is out as to whether Black Friday makes sense for all small businesses. But what is very clear is that retailers need to think long and hard about capacity, strategy, bottom-line, and long-term impact before committing to partake in Black Friday.”


text:
New inflation forecasting model needed: Economic Survey
Indian inflation may have undergone structural changes that calls for a changed view of the country’s future inflation trajectory and different forecasting models that would capture the changed reality, said the survey penned by chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian. It said the Reserve Bank of India’s inflation forecast has been at least 100 basis points above actual in the past 14 quarters. One basis point is 0.01percentage point.
Key components like crude oil and food prices that drive India’s consumer prices have seen a dramatic shift in factors driving them and historical context used to explain them are meaningless, it said.
"If there are structural changes in the oil market and in domestic agriculture, inflationary process could also experience structural shifts," Subramanian wrote. "There are reasons to believe both changes are underway."
The chief economic adviser and the Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates, have been at loggerheads regarding the state of inflationary pressures in the economy. Subramanian has been arguing the time has come for concluding inflation is not a threat anymore in India.
Without directly referring to the need to reduce rates, Subramanian in the survey said inflation has been below the 4 per cent target for eight months.
"The current low level of inflation provides a historic moment in inflation scenario, instilling confidence in price stability," it said.


text:
New York Times is thinking of charging a whopping $19.99 a month
for online paywall access. Sorry, but that's way too
New York Times is thinking of charging a...
5 innovations in radiology that could impact everything from the Zika virus to dermatology
More "Digital Industry Insider" »
We just created the best Google Chrome extension on the market for latest news headlines
More "BI Innovations" »
Available on iOS or Android


text:
Doogee might not necessarily be a smartphone brand that you think of when you are looking for a new phone, but for those who need a phone whose battery won’t die after a day (or two), then Doogee is no stranger to packing massive batteries inside of its handsets, like the Doogee S86 in 2021 which came with an 8,500mAh battery.
It seems that Doogee has outdone themselves this time because the company has since announced two new handsets, the S89 Pro which comes with a crazy 12,000mAh battery, and the S61, a rugged Android smartphone with an affordable price tag.
Doogee S89 Pro
Starting with the S89 Pro, like we said, one of the standout features of the phone is its 12,000mAh battery. The company does not mention how long this battery could last, but seeing as how the S86’s 8,500mAh battery was good for four days, we imagine the use of a 12,000mAh battery could allow the S89 Pro to last much longer, maybe by an extra day or so.
The handset will come with a MediaTek P90 chipset under the hood and will be accompanied by 8GB of RAM, along with 256GB of internal storage. The phone has also been built to be quite durable and features IP68 and IP69K certifications, along with MIL-STD-810H which ensures that it is drop-resistant.
The S89 Pro will also sport a triple camera setup on the consisting of a 64MP Sony main shooter, a 20MP night vision camera, and an 8MP wide-angle camera, along with a 6.3-inch LCD FHD+ display with NFC, global frequency support, and will run Android 12 out of the box.
It will be available from the 25-29th of July where it will have a special price of $269, after which it will be priced at $319. It will be available for purchase from either AliExpress or Doogeemall.
Now to be fair, the S89 Pro isn’t exactly very expensive, but in case you need a rugged handset that costs even less, then the Doogee S61 series might be of interest to you.
The handset will be powered by MediaTek’s Helio G35 chipset and comes with 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of storage.
It features a 6-inch display and will sport a 48MP main camera, a 20MP night vision camera, and a 16MP front-facing shooter. There is support for dual SIM and global band coverage, and similar to the S89 Pro, there is IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H certification for water, dust, and drop resistance.
The battery of the phone is no slouch either at 6,180mAh, so while it isn’t as big as the S89 Pro’s 12,000mAh battery, it should be more than sufficient to get you through the day and then some.


text:
Restaurant mogul Zhang Yong is poised to soar up the rankings of China's wealthiest people as his popular chain of hotpot eateries prepares to sell shares through an initial public offering in Hong Kong. Forbes estimates that the cofounder of Haidilao International Holding will have a fortune of at least $7 billion, and possibly up to $8.3 billion, following the company's listing, which would make him the country's wealthiest restaurant operator.
Haidilao, which is renowned for its spicy dishes and attentive customer service, is aiming for a market valuation of between $10 billion and $12 billion through the offering. The Beijing-based company has set an indicative price of between HK$14.80 and HK$17.80 ($1.89 and $2.27) that would see it raise up to $963 million. The funds are slated to help finance the chain's rapid expansion and implement new technology to automate its supply chain.
In an interview with Forbes, Zhang says that Haidilao has been opening a new restaurant every three days. To help explain the company's breakneck pace of growth, he says foreigners have a huge curiosity for Chinese culture. "Much of our history and customs can be learned through food," he says.
Using a mashup of two Chinese idioms, he expresses his ambitions as "It's better to scale fast and be everywhere instead of having a single towering presence." The popular eatery with 360 locations so far is targeting 400 restaurants by the end of this year, with roughly 20 of them opening doors overseas.
Already present in coastal cities in the U.S., Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore, Haidilao plans to forge ahead into new markets where clusters of Chinese immigrants live. New locations will include but are not limited to London, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. Haidilao says it's developing an artificial intelligence platform with Alibaba Cloud to survey and recommend new sites and conduct analysis of the chain's operational efficiency.
An essential part of entering those new markets will require Haidilao to localize its menus and its core product—the flavorful broth. The food operator exclusively sources its hotpot base from its own Yihai International, in which Zhang also holds a controlling stake. The longer term goal is to fully customize the soup based on the personal preferences of its customers that would be stored in a database and called up whenever patrons return to the restaurant.
For a restaurant that doesn't rely on seasoned chefs to prepare any dishes, Haidilao's claim to fame is exceptional service and creative entertainment to keep customers lining up. Free manicures while waiting, photo booths to print pictures, freshly made hand-pulled noodles at the tables, mobile phone charges, and even baby cots for their youngest diners. The list goes on.
Zhang opened his first restaurant in 1994, when he was working in a factory in his hometown of Jianyang in Sichuan Province. Having never finished high school, the budding entrepreneur admitted that he didn't even know how to prepare the typical Sichuan hotpot when he started out.
Today, Zhang is the chairman of a company that has grown to become China’s leading hotpot chain. Haidilao generated 10.6 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in revenue in 2017, up 36% from a year earlier. The chain's net profit increased 22% to 1.2 billion yuan.
He credits Haidilao's program of empowering its restaurant managers with an equity-like incentive scheme as one of the factors contributing to the chain's success. The company is said to reward managers with 3% of the restaurants’ profits, a motivational bottoms-up approach that led to its operating model being featured in a Harvard Business School case study.
Institutional investors are taking note. The chain has already managed to secure $375 million from cornerstone investors Hillhouse Capital, Greenwoods Asset Management, Morgan Stanley, Snow Lake, and Ward Ferry. The stock will begin trading on September 26.


text:
|Day Low/High||38.74 / 39.35|
|52 Wk Low/High||26.01 / 42.00|
Jim Cramer says Morgan Stanley's latest research report on EBay should be a warning sign to investors.
TheStreet’s Jim Cramer said you want to aggressively buy shares of 3M, which had an ‘unbelievable’ quarter.
U.S. futures are up slightly following the Fed's decision to hold interest rates at their current levels.
Is it Friday yet? A day full of sound and fury but perhaps signifying nothing. As I expected, the Fed acknowledged tightening financial conditions in the credit markets. Spreads have widened and the cost of debt and capital has risen. Here's my Fed ...
Not time to panic yet, but keep a close watch on events.
Early sales numbers for Thanksgiving eve and the holiday itself shows a clear trend toward electronic shopping, particularly mobile.
Goldman Sachs removes eBay (EBAY) from its Conviction Buy list, but keeps the stock's Buy rating, with a $33 price target. As Goldman puts it: "Since being added to the Americas Conviction List on 12/14/11, EBAY is up 128% vs. the S&P up 72% and we ...
Technicals makes the chart look toppy.
It was an earnings-driven day and markets rallied Thursday on the back of quarterly surprises from McDonald's (MCD) and Texas Instruments (TXN).
In Thursday's Analysts' Actions, analysts are out with negative comments on Kinder Morgan (KMI) and VMware (VMW) while eBay (EBAY) gets its price target boosted.
Internet search engines and social media sites are increasingly driving global online shopping trends, according to a new survey conducted by Pitney Bowes.
For Wednesday October 21, TheStreet awaits quarterly results from Coca Cola (KO), Boeing (BA), General Motors (GM), Biogen (BIIB), American Express (AXP), Kinder Morgan (KMI), eBay (EBAY) and more.
Investors will focus on potential growth opportunities for eBay (EBAY) when reviewing the company's first quarterly earnings report since its spin-off of PayPal (PYPL), according to one analyst.
Peter Boockvar looks at China, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan this morning: "According to the Chinese, their economy grew 6.9% y/o/y in the third quarter vs. 7% in the second quarter and vs. a 6.8% estimate. While we'll take that wi...
For the week of October 19, TheStreet awaits quarterly results McDonald’s (MCD), IBM (IBM), Morgan Stanley (MS), Verizon (VZ), General Motors (GM), Boeing (BA), Chipotle (CMG) and more.
Jim Cramer answered viewers' social media questions from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday and said now is the time to buy airline stocks.
Shares of eBay (EBAY) are down 6.5% following September same-store sales that came in at +1.1%. That's a decrease from August's +3.4%, and well below the 15% e-commerce growth rate predicted by comScore. From Goldman Sachs: "This is the lowest rate ...
In Thursday's Analysts' Actions, Wall Street analysts are bearish on eBay (EBAY), but give CBS (CBS) a thumbs up. Meanwhile, another firm starts coverage of Coach (COH).
In Thursday's Analysts' Actions, one Wall Street firm is optimistic on eBay (EBAY) and others drop Five Below (FIVE) and Twitter (TWTR)'s price targets.


text:
Guinea Pig of East Coast, Massachusetts Adult-Use Sales Hogging Up Market
Massachusetts is one of four states where voters passed adult-use cannabis legalization measures five years ago today, providing the most populated market in New England a head start on its neighbors.
While it took Massachusetts two years before launching adult-use sales in November 2018, it was the first state east of Colorado to serve adult-use consumers.
Also passing adult-use ballot measures in the 2016 election, Nevada voters approved Question 2 with a 54.5% majority, California voters passed Proposition 64 with a 57.1% majority, and Maine voters squeezed through Question 1 with a 50.3% majority
Launching adult-use sales July 1, 2017, Nevada was the quickest among the four states to roll out a retail program. In its fourth fiscal year (from July 2020 through June 2021), Nevada became a billion-dollar market, averaging $83.6 million in sales each month, according to data from the Nevada Department of Taxation.
Representing the largest cannabis market in the world, California launched adult-use sales Jan. 1, 2018. The retail behemoth averaged $430 million in monthly sales through the first half of 2021, according to data from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Maine took the longest, launching adult-use sales on Oct. 9, 2020. Still finding its footing, Maine has averaged $6.4 million per month in sales this calendar year, according to data from the state’s Office of Marijuana Policy.
Meanwhile, the guinea pig of the East Coast, Massachusetts took two years following the passage of Question 4 (by a 53.7% majority) before launching adult-use sales three years ago this month.
Since that launch, sales figures remain on an upward trajectory. Massachusetts eclipsed $1.1 billion in the first 10 months of 2021 for a monthly average of more than $110 million, according to data from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission.
Massachusetts currently has the fourth largest adult-use retail market in the U.S., behind California (averaging $430 million per month in 2021), Colorado (averaging $156.9 million) and Illinois (averaging $112 million).
Cumulatively, Massachusetts has sold more than 2.2 billion in adult-use cannabis since launching its retail market three years ago.
When Massachusetts eclipsed the $2-billion benchmark in August, Cannabis Control Commission Executive Director Shawn Collins said in a press release, “This milestone speaks to the success of licensees that have interacted with the commission from the application stage, maintained compliance with our strict regulations, and contribute every day to communities across the commonwealth.”
That adult-use retail revenue is driven by 165 operating dispensaries and three delivery services currently available in Massachusetts. During its first year, from November 2018 to November 2019, Massachusetts had 33 operating adult-use dispensaries that sold $393.7 million of cannabis.
According to Massachusetts’ previous week adult-use product distribution stats from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, cannabis flower made up 30% of the market, while raw pre-rolls accounted for 27%, infused edibles accounted for 20%, vape products accounted for 14% and concentrates accounted for 5%.
But with Maine’s adult-use market coming online last year, and with Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Vermont gearing to launch adult-use sales in 2022 (and Virginia aiming for 2024), Massachusetts will no longer be the lone player on the East Coast.
With the forthcoming retail boom appearing inevitable up and down the Atlantic, brands and operators can prepare now to meet additional consumer demand in those expanding markets.
Lessons learned from Massachusetts could prove key as momentum picks up.


text:
OAK BROOK Ill. A POS system in test at 200 McDonald’s units in the United States has improved order accuracy by replacing the keyboard's product labels with pictures, according to Matthew Paull, chief financial officer for franchisor McDonald's Corp. The registers are already in place at 10,000 stores worldwide, according to the chain.
McDonald’s would not reveal the costs of replacing older cash registers. However, the company told analysts that test stores using the system were able to serve 12 more cars per hour via the drive-thru, where McDonald’s conducts 65 percent of its business.
The devices feature colored pictures of each menu item, and replace systems that used small buttons labeled with product abbreviations. Mystery shopper scores on accuracy around the world are higher than before the registers were changed, Paull said.
“We are confident it’s making crews’ jobs easier,” he recently told analysts.
Atechnology consultant speculated that the new system works for crewmembers for whom English is not their primary language.


text:
Spotify has announced its latest acquisition: UK-based startup Sonantic, which has developed text-to-speech technology capable of generating (in its words) “compelling, lifelike performances with fully expressive AI-generated voices”.
The countdown to Joe Rogan being replaced by a sentient AI begins here! Or perhaps not.
Spotify says it has some other ideas for deploying the technology. “We believe that over the long term, high-quality voice will be important to growing our share of listening,” said the company in a blog post.
“For example, this voice technology could allow us to give context to users about upcoming recommendations when they aren’t looking at their screens.”
TechCrunch pointed out that Sonantic had a burgeoning business working with games developers, but that it’s unclear whether that will continue under its new owner.
Music Ally’s next Learn Live webinar will help you build the strategies for artists to thrive in new international markets!


text:
Among those changes are saving money on travel expenses by using teleconferencing platforms that let employees who work in offices on opposite sides of the world closely collaborate on projects. Or allowing people to spend more time with family members because technology lets them automate or complete work tasks more quickly.
The first three campaign messages--"New Collaboration Effect," "Break Down Barriers Effect;" and "Save More, Travel Less Effect"--launch today, with "Power When You Need It Effect," "Launch Products Faster Effect," "Save the Planet Effect," and Knowledge is Power Effect" following throughout the next 18 months.
The biggest challenge in launching "Human Network Effect" has been to design a global campaign that Cisco could take to eight countries simultaneously, according to Diane Dudeck, senior director of worldwide media, entertainment and partnership marketing communications at Cisco. "I can't deny we had some late nights, given the aggressive deadlines we set for ourselves," she says.
Cisco's global agency of record--Ogilvy & Mather in Los Angeles-- created the campaign, which includes TV, print, out-of-home and digital. It targets 25- to-54-year-old males, influencers and early adopters of technology. The first television spot in the United States broke without fanfare on Sunday. Others are scheduled to follow on CNN, Discovery and History channels, as well as Fox's "House" and CBS's "The Unit," and in November on CNBC.
Digital ads will appear on WSJ.com, NYTimes.com, and WashingtonPost.com, as well as sports networks ESPN, Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Basketball Association (NBA).
The first series of TV and digital ads, "Baggage Claim" and "Executive Rally," highlights some of the more challenging aspects of business travel. These spots, along with "Shortest Commute," tell a story based on the "Save More, Travel Less Effect."
Print ads are scheduled to appear in Canada, China, India, and other countries outside the United States.
Along with the campaign, Cisco will also launch a new line of unified communications platforms to tie in its products, such as WebEx, and the virtual conferencing application TelePresence.
During the past two years, many of Cisco's more than 65,000 employees have used the 269 TelePresence units deployed worldwide in 37 countries to conduct about 27,000 meetings. They have avoided costly business travel, and managed to get the jobs done. For example, a recent meeting in San Francisco took place to shore up the marketing message for the latest advertising campaign. It involved teams from eight countries. Although everyone had worked together virtually for months, this meeting was the first time many of the employees met in person.
Cisco.com has been redesigned to highlight Web 2.0 technologies, such as video, to showcase the "Human Network Effect" through stories. Other clips on the site will focus on TelePresence and how the technology lets people travel less, yet get the job done.
Visitors to the site can find personalized information based on previous visits. Integrated collaborative tools such as WebEx and video allow them to interact and share information and ideas with business partners and Cisco employees.
Cisco-branded merchandise, such as t-shirts, coffee mugs and flash drives, also begin selling in Cisco stores this week to promote the "Human Network Effect."


text:
Café Cafe, the cozy crepes and coffee shop at 2339 West 44th Avenue, is getting a new owner and a new name: La Crema Cafeteria.
The cafe, a community gathering spot in the Sunnyside neighborhood that happens to offer some of the finest lox around, has been purchased by Ulises Santiago, chef at the Red Tango, the popular Latin American restaurant in Wheat Ridge.
While the changeover is scheduled to occur Monday, Santiago says regulars shouldn't expect a radical departure from what they've known. For the time being, the decor as well as the crepe- and sandwich-heavy menu will remain largely the same, though in a month or so new items will be added to the roster, such as Argentinean roast pork and fresh fish sandwiches.
"I'll be bringing in some new stuff," says Santiago. "But first I want to see what people really like."
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to Westword's mission. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling Denver's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
Darlene Bochert, the café's previous owner, says business had been going pretty well, but when Santiago approached her about buying the establishment, she decided it was time for a change. "It sounded like he had some great ideas for the menu," she says. "I hope people keep coming in to support it."


text:
Another new public life for Physio-Control Inc.
Medtronic will spin off Redmond medical firm
Published 10:00 pm, Monday, December 4, 2006
Physio-Control Inc. in Redmond is going public again, for the third time in its 51-year life.
Medtronic Inc., which bought Physio-Control in 1998, said Monday that it will spin off what it turned into its 1,200-person emergency response systems division, which makes defibrillators and data-management software, and reform it into an independent company.
Minneapolis-based Medtronic said it's doing the spinoff, assisted by Goldman Sachs, to better focus on its other products, which are used for pain control, cardiac and vascular surgery, and managing cardiac rhythm diseases.
- Amazon’s New Cashier-Free Grocery Store Fortune
- Amazon Announces Price Increase For Prime Memberships GeoBeats
- Video: Bill to give more women, minorities marijuana businesses WBAL
- New technology: destroyer or creator of jobs? Euronews
- Giving Vets A Business Boost Fox4
- Tips for Retailers Diving Into Crypto Cheddar TV
- Facebook Shares Dip After News Feed Announcement Wibbitz
- Walmart Boosts Minimum Wage to $11, Gives Out Bonuses to Employees Wibbitz
- Sprint Launches Robot "Pepper" to Boost In-Store Experience Cheddar TV
- Salesforce+Tower+opens+for+business SFChronicle
- America's Top 10 Boomtowns Are Where The Jobs Are Buzz 60
- How Spotify's Listing Could Differ From High-Profile IPOs Cheddar TV
- Watch How This CEO Is Taking a 123-Year Old Company in a New Direction Fortune
- SpaceX Shares Stunning Video Of Falcon Heavy Rocket GeoBeats
- California looks to Colorado as sale of adult-use pot becomes legal KCRA
- Trump: US Post Office Is Becoming 'Dumber And Poorer' While Amazon Is Geting 'Richer' GeoBeats
- Bitcoin's Price Drops Again After South Korea Banned Anonymous Trading Wibbitz
- FOX Business Report - 12/27 Fox7
- Facebook Scraps Old Way of Fighting Fake News Wibbitz
- The Wage Gap FoxLA
The resurrected Physio-Control will be based in Redmond, where Medtronic's emergency response systems division has remained since its purchase. Between 700 and 800 of Physio-Control's 1,200 to 1,300 employees will be based in Redmond.
The company will have its own independent board of directors that won't overlap with that of Medtronic, and no leadership will be shared between the two companies, officials said.
Each Medtronic shareholder will get an as-yet-undetermined number of Physio-Control shares tax-free.
The spinoff is slated for completion on or before Oct. 31. The new company is expected to have revenue of about $450 million in its fiscal 2007, which begins May 1. It will have offices in more than 100 locations, with about 35 percent of sales coming from outside the U.S., Medtronic said.
The new Physio-Control will be led by Brian Webster, a 15-year veteran of Medtronic's emergency response systems division.
Medtronic said the connection between Physio-Control's products and its others doesn't offer "enough tangible operating synergies to make long-term business sense for either company."
Michael Weinstein, an analyst with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. in New York, wrote in a note Monday, "We view today's announcement as a first step in a broader effort by Medtronic management to prune its business portfolio."
Physio-Control likely will be a leader in the $1 billion external defibrillator market, which includes units that are often found in schools, airports and other public areas to shock hearts back into rhythm, as well as manual defibrillators used by hospitals and emergency response workers.
This spinoff marks the third time Physio-Control has gone public. The company was founded in 1955 by Dr. Karl William Edmark, a Seattle cardiovascular surgeon and ham radio operator who invented the defibrillator in his free time when he started experimenting with electronic means to halt death during cardiac arrest.
In 1965, Edmark recruited Hunter Simpson, a district sales manager for IBM. A colorful man who rallied his "team members" with a marching band, Simpson became CEO and led the Redmond-based company from $42,000 in annual sales in 1966 to $41.5 million in 1979.
The company went public for the first time in 1971, becoming one of the Northwest's hottest stocks during the 1970s.
It was bought by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co. for $126 million in 1980.
In 1994, Lilly sold the company for $48 million to investors' groups led by Bain Capital Inc. of Boston. The low price reflected tough times: In May 1992, the company shut down its manufacturing, sales and marketing in recognition of alleged violations of good manufacturing practices identified by the Food and Drug Administration.
Bain, a private equity firm, took the company public in December 1995. When Medtronic bought it in September 1998 for $548 million, its annualized revenue for 1998 was $178 million.
The symbol under which Physio-Control will trade on the New York Stock Exchange hasn't been determined; in the past, it has traded under the symbol PHYS, which is not in use.


text:
Garth Brooks took to Facebook Live Monday to debut his new single from his upcoming untitled album.
Billboard reported that the musician spoke about his new song, "All Day Long," on his weekly show, "Inside Studio G."
"From the very first lick, this song is a party," Brooks said in a statement. "Country radio, uptempo honky-tonk and summer go so good together."
The Tennessean reported that the single features a fiddle, steel guitar and electric guitar.
“The new music feels good,” Brooks said. “And the new music feels very old school. It sounds brand new, but it’s very old school. It’s going to be upbeat. It’s fun. It’s a little summer, man. Let’s turn it up, and have some fun.”
In addition to the new song, Brooks' new album is available for preorder for a limited-time price of $10 on Amazon.com. Fans who preorder the album will get a download of the exclusive track "The Road I'm On."
"All Day Long" can be streamed or downloaded on Amazon Music. A clip can be heard on Brooks' Facebook page.
About the Author


text:
A new tracking device will let parents know when their children run away from a caregiver at the playground, where they’ve been during the day, if they’ve had enough sleep or activity at daycare , or if they have temperature , among other useful information.
How will they know? Little bird will tell them.
It’s the clever inspiration for the name of a new Seattle-based startup founded by Monique Platha University of Washington alum whose own experiences as a mother of two toddlers inspired her to seek out a wearable device for her children, which gave her reassurance when she left them with a baby -sitter.
She couldn’t find one that suited her needs, so she started a company to make one.
“I was just trying to feel like my kids were safe,” Plath explained. “I wanted to know that they were happy. Just the really basic needs that any parent has when trying to juggle two lives. You want to be a really good mother. You have to provide for your family and feel good about the care choices you make.
The result is the Littlebird Toddler Care Tracker wristband for kids, with an accompanying app for caregivers and parents. Pre-orders started on Tuesday. List price is $300, which includes a year of free cellular connectivity, with a $15/month charge thereafter. The delivery of the first pre-orders is scheduled for this fall.
A author of children’s books and former commercial realtor, Plath grew up in the Snoqualmie Valley and lives in Yakima, Washington. This is his first tech startup. She assembled a team of hardware, software and technology industry veterans to help bring Littlebird to life.
The CTO of the company is Gadi Amit from New agreement design, an industrial designer and former vice president of Frog Design who brings a wealth of experience in apparel and other hardware products. Littlebird works with a distributed team of engineers in San Francisco and Ukraine.
Littlebird’s advisers, assisting the company in a personal capacity, are Sarah Gabinsenior vice president of global communications for Expedia Group; Brian Hall, vice president of product and industry marketing at Google Cloud; and Braxton Carterformer CFO of T-Mobile.
The company raised $2 million from friends, family and angel investors.
Plath heard the common advice against pursuing a hardware project: prototyping and iterating are hard; Seattle is not a city of hardware, etc. But after trying to hack and customize existing devices to suit her needs as a parent, she realized that building a device was going to be the best path.
The Littlebird Toddler CareTracker Wristband is designed to be worn passively by children, with no lights or other features to distract them. It comes with a detachable adjustable waist strap, designed for ages 1-5.
The band tracks the toddler’s location, activity level, sleep, heart rate and temperature. The accompanying app prompts caregivers to update a timeline with photos, quick status reports and an assessment of the child’s mood, choosing from the app’s preset options.
Parents can quickly recognize a message from a caregiver with an emoji in the style of a typical social media interaction, though everything is private inside the Littlebird app.
Littlebird uses Bluetooth to establish a connection with the caregiver’s device, which creates additional capabilities. If a toddler strays too far from a nanny or educator in the playground, for example, the device will alert the parent so they can make sure everything is okay.
Bluetooth functionality also enables transfers between licensed caregivers, so parents know who is in charge of a child at any given time. Individual caregivers can be connected to up to seven children at a time via the app, creating the possibility of using the device with multiple children in a daycare centre, for example.
This multi-child tracking capability was one of the features Plath couldn’t find in standard devices, which inspired her to create Littlebird.
As a mother, she said, “I couldn’t wait for someone else to fix it for me.”


text:
Cape Town - By far the biggest impact announced in Budget 2017 is the fuel levy, which has a huge knock on effect, according to Karl Westvig, CEO of Retail Capital, a company providing working capital to businesses.
“It represents a double whammy for the retail and small business sector, as it results in cost inflation for the business owner and takes money out of the pockets of customers of that business,” said Westvig.
“We saw in our December statistics that retail sales are at their lowest level in the last six or seven years. Over 40% of the population has a negative credit record, indicating they are not meeting their monthly payments.”
Westvig said since the introduction of the new credit regulations he has seen credit sales fall below those of cash sales. Furniture and clothing retailers, to some extent, have been affected and many are already in weakened positions.
With slow gross domestic product (GDP) growth of only 1.3%, the overall retail sector will remain under pressure, with spend shifting around but the pie will not be growing.


text:
CONCORD, N.H.—New Hampshire will have a new tobacco purchasing age come January 1, 2020, NHPR/Associated Press reports. The Granite State has raised the legal purchase age for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to 19.
A bill to bump the tobacco buying age from 18 to 21 fizzled in the Senate, but supporters squeezed in similar language into the state budget. However, this summer, Gov. Chris Sununu refused to sign the budget.
In a compromise reached this fall, the governor approved a budget with a provision that increased the tobacco purchase age to 19. Several localities in the state, such as Newmarket, Dover and Keene, already have the tobacco buying age set at 21.
We Card’s training will cover the new law 30 days in advance of the January 1 effective date, and retailers can get a summary of the law’s requirements at We Card’s website. Currently, more than 12 states have set 21 as the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products.


text:
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has unveiled a set of measures designed to ensure the safe reopening of adventures tourism.
The body, which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, is behind the Safe Travels stamp for destinations.
It has now turned its attention to the adventure sector, for which it hopes to rebuild global consumer confidence and reduce risk in the restart of operations with the new measures (below).
Partners including the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and tour operators such as Abercrombie & Kent, Eurotur, Intrepid and The Travel Corporation (TTC) helped form the basis of the protocols, which cover cycling, rafting, trekking, skiing, snowboarding, wildlife safaris and culinary tours.
The WTTC predicted an increase in popularity in adventure tourism as it believes travellers will seek more unique experiences post Covid-19. It says that with most adventure activities being outdoors, there is less risk of spread of the virus, and that group sizes can be managed to allow for physical distancing.
Backed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the protocols take into account guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and chief executive, said: “Adventure tourism is becoming increasingly popular amongst travellers and will represent a key component to travel in the new normal.
“According to our recently launched Covid-19 Travel Demand Recovery Dashboard, it is also one of the fastest growing segments, which is why it is vital to establish measures allowing safe travels for adventure travellers.
“Consumer confidence is crucial for travel and tourism to resume. We know travellers will want to explore the world around them once more, so long as they are confident in their safety. The return of travel and tourism will help power the world’s much-needed economic recovery, which is why these protocols are so important”
The WTTC says the tourism sector should avoid the emergence of multiple standards, which it believes would only confuse the consumer and delay the sector’s recovery.
- Reduced capacity limits for activities to allow for physical distancing
- Ensured difficulty levels do not exceed guest ability and skill, decreasing the need for rescue
- Clear, consistent, and up-to-date communication on health and hygiene protocols
- Promote contact tracing apps if required by local legislation
- Inform guests about support available if questions or concerns arise
- Share guest guidelines ahead of trip or activity digitally and in person upon arrival.
- Encourage guests to purchase tickets online if possible
- Keep the same households, families, or members of group bookings together for all activities
- Ensure, where possible, that each guest can handle their own equipment and gear for the duration of the trip – or bring their own where possible.
- Limited physical contact and queuing where possible.
This is a community-moderated forum.
All post are the individual views of the respective commenter and are not the expressed views of Travel Weekly.
By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms & Conditions.


text:
In his 31 years advertising lake residences in the space 92 miles northwest of the Loop, “this is with no a question the busiest,” Kroupa reported, with 26 product sales so far in 2020 in contrast to about 18 at the exact same level in 2019. The income contain a document-priced transaction: In September, prospective buyers compensated $3.2 million for a 6-bed room, 6,900-sq.-foot house on the northern shore of Inexperienced Lake in the Lauderdale cluster. Kroupa mentioned the purchasers “have ties to Chicago,” but declined to be extra unique.
The Lauderdale cluster is one particular of seven lake-home regions in southeast Wisconsin where household sales surged in the 3rd quarter of 2020, in accordance to a new report from Keefe Authentic Estate. Total, income of lakefront households practically doubled, from 32 income among June and September 2019 to 60 in the exact same timeframe this year, according to Keefe.
On the lookout at all sales in the lake towns, not just lakefront house, Keefe discovered that home product sales in the 3rd quarter were up by 84 percent in Fontana compared to the exact time final 12 months, with sales also mounting 41 percent in Lake Geneva and 33 p.c in Delavan, amid some others. In Williams Bay, product sales were down to 36, from 43 in 2019.
The all round improve in lakefront income is the major on file, explained Tom Keefe, third-generation head of the household business. The closest comparison he can think of is the early 1870s, when the arrival of Chicago-to-Lake Geneva educate provider shortly in advance of the Great Chicago Fire despatched affluent men and women looking for refuge.
“The train was the technological adjust guiding it then,” Keefe explained. “Now it’s the skill to work remotely.”
Inventory sector gains have prompted higher-web-worthy of households to spend major on Wisconsin houses, Keefe explained. For men and women with lesser implies, “low curiosity rates have for guaranteed been valuable.”
The lake with the major improve in revenue is Geneva Lake, 82 miles northwest of the Loop and traditionally the most sought-immediately after part of the location. Lakefront profits additional than doubled to 16 amongst June and September 2020, when compared to five in the exact same period of time a 12 months back.
The report covers income by all true estate companies, not only by Keefe.
Kroupa and other brokers claimed they imagine most of the enhance is coming from Chicago-place households buying 2nd homes or investing up from their previous next homes. The city of Lake Geneva is 50 miles from Arlington Heights, an easy travel for suburban homes.
“They’re buying second households, not planning to move up to Wisconsin total time,” stated Stephanie Dad or mum, an @attributes agent in Lake Geneva. When purchasing 2nd houses in lake nation absolutely is not a new phenomenon, she reported, “what we’re looking at is they’re no for a longer period hunting for just a tiny location for weekends. They want to buy substantial adequate for their loved ones to appear up and function and do college (remotely).”
It’s not only multimillion-dollar consumers. Parent represented two suburban Chicago people who went in collectively on obtaining a 5-bedroom, 3,800-sq.-foot home on West Conclusion Road, throughout the avenue from Lake Como in Lake Geneva, for $588,000 in October. “They desired the overall flexibility of getting an quick getaway close by,” Mother or father reported.
Joel Royenga, an EXP Realty agent, mentioned the attract of having a Wisconsin haven was notably strong this calendar year. “With COVID and protests, the metropolis shut down,” Royenga explained, “and you couldn’t go absent to journey in Europe.” He reported some of his consumers this 12 months ended up snowbirds who winter in Arizona or Florida and ordinarily devote the summer season in or in close proximity to Chicago but were being “not interested in being in Chicago this year.”
A heated-up sector has lifted Lake Geneva’s homebuilders as effectively, in accordance to Gary Dunham, a Keefe agent who represents quite a few of them. At a subdivision termed Sugar Creek Protect, 20 plenty have bought this yr, when compared to 1 in the seven or eight decades prior. At Geneva Countrywide, the region’s greatest subdivision, income ended up managing at “two or three a year,” Dunham mentioned, till the earlier 12 months, when there have been 25 sales.


text:
- This event has passed.
LA Auto Show
November 22, 2019 • 9:00 am - December 1, 2019 PST
If it’s Thanksgiving it must be time for the LA Auto Show, which opens its doors Friday at the LA Convention Center and runs through December 1. There’ll be hundreds of prototypes and new releases, but expect eyes to be on the cars that are trying to fuse the vroom of gas-guzzlers with the virtue of e-cars: Porsche’s all-electric Taycan and Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.