text: The rate of food inflation in India has once again reached into double digits. It stood at 10.60 percent for the week ending October 8, up from 9.32 percent in the previous week, said official figures released by the country\'s Commerce Ministry.This is the second time when the rate of food inflation has reached double-digits in the country in one-and-a-half months. Food inflation had previously crossed the double-digit mark in the week ended August 20.Food inflation has been giving a tough time for the government of the day. Yesterday, the country\'s Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had exuded confidence that inflation will moderate to around seven percent by March, 2012.The increase in food inflation is mainly attributed to rise in prices of vegetables, fruits, milk and protein-based items. The rate of price rise of food items stood at 15.72 percent in the corresponding week of the last year.As for official figures, compared to last year, vegetables became 17.59 percent more expensive during the said, fruits grew dearer by 12.39 percent, milk by 10.80 percent and eggs, meat and fish by 14.10 percent. Likewise, pulses also became dearer by 7.42 percent and cereal prices were up 4.73 percent, as compared to last year.Meanwhile, according to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report, the upsurge in food prices is likely to exert further pressure on the government and the country\'s central bank - \"Reserve Bank of India \"(RBI) to tackle the situation expeditiously. The RBI has already hiked interest rates 12 times, by a total of 350 basis points, since March, 2010, to tame demand and curb inflation, it added. The RBI is scheduled to announce its second quarterly review of the monetary policy on October 25, and it is believed that another rate hike is expected, despite the slowdown in industrial growth.


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The following message is an excerpt of an email originally shared with employees from CEO Chip Bergh following today’s Q2 Earnings results. Read the full press release here.
Today we announced our Q2 results, as well as our plan to reduce our corporate (non-retail and non-manufacturing) headcount by about 700 positions, or roughly 15% globally. The Q2 results highlight the difficult external environment we’ve been navigating the last several months. The majority of our owned-and-operated and franchise stores, as well as our wholesale partners’ stores, were closed for roughly 10 out of the 13 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although our online sales accelerated, it was not nearly enough to offset the revenue impact of closed doors. And, while about 90% of our stores have now reopened around the world, as well as most of our franchise and wholesale partner doors, traffic and revenues continue to lag behind prior year. We expect that a full recovery to pre-COVID levels of revenue will likely take some time and, as a result, we must aggressively cut costs in some areas so we can continue to invest in building our brands and driving growth.
Specifically in Q2, revenues declined 62% overall as well as in every region (-59% in LSA, -68% in LSE and -61% in AMA) — all on a reported basis and versus prior year. Even more dramatic declines in brick and mortar, franchise and wholesale were partially offset by strong ecommerce growth of 25% in the quarter, which grew progressively stronger each month, finishing with May up 79% versus prior year. As a result of dramatically lower revenues, we also recorded a quarterly Adjusted EBIT loss of $206 million — the first time we’ve reported negative EBIT in over 16 years — despite cutting almost $150 million in SG&A in the quarter (roughly a 25% decline versus plan).
Although we are starting to see some green shoots, we need to continue to be cautious. We still face many unknowns. We continue to see COVID-19 infection rates increasing in many states here in the U.S. and in hotspots around the world. We also know there could be a second wave, wholesale partners could be further impacted or supply channels may be challenged, just to name a few possibilities. The depth and breadth of a global recession is a big unknown. And the entire industry continues to be challenged by consumer fears about the pandemic, individual financial security and the economy overall. We must do what I always advocate for: (1) focus on what’s within our own control; and (2) plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Taking Care of Our Employees
Workforce reductions are hard no matter what, but I am particularly aware of the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 crisis. So, consistent with our values, we are taking steps to take care of our people as best as we can and enhance our benefits available to impacted employees in countries where it is possible. As always, we will follow all local laws, regulations and practices as we implement these proposed workforce actions, including informing and consulting works councils as necessary.
The specifics will vary by country, but most departing employees will receive severance packages and notice periods (including paid nonworking time, in some cases). They can retain their company-issued computers and phones, and in many locations will receive enhanced outplacement and transition assistance. They will also be eligible for Red Tab Foundation support for an additional year, as well as access to our Employee Assistance Program. In addition, we will make sure they have access to basic healthcare, either through social, government-mandated or company-sponsored programs, understanding that these kinds of programs are different in each market. Knowing that the cost of health insurance can be especially burdensome in the U.S., we will be subsidizing continuation coverage (often called COBRA) for a year.
As with all the actions we are taking, our intent is to treat our employees with empathy and respect, and to support everyone who is being impacted during this difficult time.
I would also like to announce that [Asia] President David Love will be retiring. David has been with LS&Co. for nearly 40 years in a variety of roles, he started as a planner and rose to top roles in the company, including chief supply chain officer and chief transformation officer.
He has always embodied “Company First” and been willing to step up and serve where he’s most needed. His legacy includes spearheading the creation of the Eureka Innovation Lab, being a tireless champion for sustainability — including helping to launch our Terms of Engagement in 1991 — and earning the respect and trust of his team and partners around the world and across LS&Co.
David’s last day will be January 31, 2021. He will be greatly missed, but I know he is looking forward to being able to spend more time with his beloved wife, Jayne; daughter, Nicole; and son, Connor. But for now, he will be focused on leading our Asia business during what has been one of the most challenging years in business. We’ll continue to rely on his steady hand, his advocacy for his team and his deep knowledge of every aspect of the business through his last day.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge how difficult these last few months have been… To our colleagues who are staying, and for those who will be leaving, I thank you all for your hard work and commitment during this particularly challenging time.
In our 167-year history, we’ve weathered many storms. I believe this will be no different. Although these layoffs are painful, they are necessary and will provide us with a path forward so we can be the strongest possible business — and employer — for the next 167 years.

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Today, we received inflation data from the European Union. The data showed that inflation grew less than what analysts were expecting. The data from Eurostat showed that inflation grew by 1.1%. This was down from the analysts’ forecast of 1.3%. A year ago, this inflation data was at 2.0%.
The Year on Year core inflation remained unchanged at 1.0%, while the MoM core inflation was in line with the analysts’ forecast of 0.2%.
Among the EU countries, the lowest inflation rate was in Cyprus which had an inflation rate of -0.4%, Greece which had 0.4%, and Denmark which had inflation of 0.5%. The highest inflation rate was in Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, which had an inflation rate of 3.8% and 3.2% respectively. The chart below shows the contribution of each country to the overall region’s inflation rate.
In the month, the biggest contributor to the inflation was from services which contributed 0.57 percentage point. This was followed by food, alcohol & tobacco, and energy which contributed 0.21% each. Non-energy industrial goods contributed 0.14%.
The general CPI went down to 1.1% from last month’s 1.2%. The decline was caused by low unprocessed food products which fell by 0.3% MoM and at an annualized rate of 0.9%. At the same time, energy prices declined by 0.3% on the month. On an annualized basis, the prices of energy products rose by 2.1%. Year to date, the benchmark Brent crude is up by about 3%.
The ECB watches closely the inflation numbers because its key mandate is to ensure price stability. An increase in inflation rate may lead the ECB to intervene by raising interest rates in a bid to limit the purchasing power. However, as seen above, the overall inflation for the region has remained comfortably below 2%, which is the target for the ECB.
Officials believe that the inflation will remain stable this year, partly because of a stronger euro. This will partly be due to higher energy prices and a stronger euro. Year to date, the euro has gained by more than 3% against the dollar.


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After confirming the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset for the upcoming Lenovo Z6 smartphone, the company has now confirmed the battery specifications of the upcoming device.
As per a post on Weibo by the company, the Lenovo Z6 will be powered by a 4000 mAh battery and it will have support for fast charging technology through Quick Charge 3.0.
Further, it has also been revealed in the post that the battery will offer talk time of 38 hours, video playback of 26 hours and gameplay for 16 hours. It also adds that the high-density lithium battery consumes less than 3 percent electricity at night.
Lenovo Z6 smartphone will be positioned between theflagship Z6 Pro andLenovo Z6 Youth Edition smartphones. The former is powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor while the latter is powered by the Snapdragon 710 chipset.
Lenovo had already confirmed that the phone will feature a triple camera setup on the back panel with support for AI-based features. The official teaser images of the phone have already confirmed that smartphone will come in two colour options, Brown and Blue. It is likely to be equipped with a 6.3 -inch waterdrop-like notch display.
The smartphone earlier appeared on Geekbench as per which the phone will be powered by 1.8GHz octa-core processor which will be coupled with 8GB of RAM. For the software, the Lenovo Z6 will run Android Pie out of the box. The phone scored 2556 points in the single-core and 6763 points in the multi-core test in the listing.


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HMD Global, the company which holds the license to manufacture Nokia branded smartphones launched the affordable Nokia 1.4 smartphone in February this year. However, it took two months for the company to make the smartphone available for purchase.
The company has now announced that the Nokia 1.4 smartphone is up for grabs in the US. The company has priced the smartphone at $199.99. Customers can purchase the smartphone from Nokia.com and it comes in two colour options — Charcoal and Fjord.
Successor to the Nokia 1.3, the smartphone comes with Android 10 (Go Edition). It sports an HD+ display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Nokia 1.4 comes with a dedicated Google Assistant button and is backed by a 4,000 mAh battery.
Nokia 1.4 specifications
Nokia 1.4 comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ display with 720×1600 pixel resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 251 processor.
Nokia 1.4 packs 2GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. Users can further expand the storage by adding a microSD card. The handset runs Android 10 (Go Edition) and the company has already confirmed that it will receive Android 11 (Go Edition)update as well.
Nokia 1.4 sports a dual rear camera setup with an 8MP main sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor.
The front is home to a 5MP selfie shooter. The smartphone comes equipped with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Nokia 1.4 is backed by a 4000mAh battery with 5W charging support.
I can’t find any reason to buy this phone if it cost $200. I can get a moto G power with the same price, which is far better than this phone.
Originally Appeared Here


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As auctions in the region continue to modify their businesses in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Black Book shared an estimation on Thursday morning that 500,000 to 1 million damaged vehicles will have to be replaced in the city of Houston and surrounding regions.
The National Weather Service said on Wednesday that the storm dumped 51.88 inches of rain in Cedar Bayou, Texas, establishing a new record within the continental U.S.
“Black Book expects the impact of the hurricane to have far-reaching effects, not only on Houston-area automotive businesses such as dealerships and wholesale auctions, but also throughout the South and Midwest,” the company said in a message to Auto Remarketing.
“In fact, the storm continues to actively affect parts of Louisiana, moving northeast toward Tennessee,” Black Book continued.
According to an announcement posted on LinkedIn by Casey Allison, who is operations manager at America’s Auto Auction Houston, both of the company’s facilities in the Bayou City cancelled their weekly sales.
“Taking into consideration the safety of our America’s Auto Auction employees and dealers, we have decided to cancel this week’s sales,” the announcement said. “Both North Houston and South Houston America’s Auto Auction locations will resume next week.
“Our main priority is to focus on the well-being of those effected by the hurricane,” the announcement added.
Earlier this week, Cox Automotive officials explained how its Manheim facilities in the region initially would be handling challenges presented by Harvey.
According to an updated message sent to Auto Remarketing late on Thursday afternoon, the company said no sales will be held at Manheim Houston, Manheim Texas Hobby and Manheim South Houston during the week of Sept. 4.
In Louisiana, the team at Lake Charles Auto Auction sustained the impact when Harvey circled back into the Gulf of Mexico and struck near the three-lane facility this week.
“We have experienced tremendous volumes of rain and experienced some flooding,” Lake Charles Auto Auction owner Matt Pedersen said in a release sent to Auto Remarketing, “but nothing like our neighbors in Texas.”
Lake Charles AA delayed its usual Wednesday sale with plans to host it on Friday. The auction serves dealers from Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, and because of its proximity to southeast Texas, regularly welcomes dealers from Port Arthur, Beaumont and Houston, as well.
“This delay has given us time to begin the logistic preparations that will occur in coming weeks,” Pedersen said. “Vehicles will be moved across the country to begin replacing the thousands of vehicles flooded and destroyed throughout southeastern Texas and in pockets of Louisiana.”
As auctions and dealers look to reorganize, Black Book projected that the rental industry will be impacted first with the supply challenge as thousands of residents will need to find immediate replacement of personal transportation.
“This entails not only a large quantity, but also the right mix of vehicles. Work trucks and service vehicles will be in extremely high demand immediately,” Black Book said.
Black Book recapped that early estimates say more than 500 dealerships have been impacted in the greater Houston area alone.
“We believe there is enough new inventory in the U.S. to supply the consumers’ needs, and the timing may actually be good with new-car stores looking to deplete the 2017 models at model-year changeover,” Black Book said.
“New-vehicle SAAR that has been on a decline this year will see a lift in the coming months as residents start replacing their damaged vehicles,” editors continued.
Pedersen noted how commercial consignors likely will be steering volume toward the region to meet upcoming demand. He added that his operation in Lake Charles could be a prime place for dealers to find the inventory they need. The auction recently broke ground on a new 6,500 square-foot office facility, which will open in next fall.
“We have heard from consignors around the tri-state area who want to be able to market their vehicles to dealers who must fill this important need quickly and efficiently,” Pedersen said. “The transportation companies like the logistics of our location to facilitate the movement of vehicles from around the state.
“Given the extent of this disaster,” Pedersen said, “we expect the need for slightly older and late-model used cars, trucks and SUVs to last for months. We will be doing all we can to help facilitate this recovery. The first thing people will need to begin the process of their homes and businesses back in order is a vehicle.”


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Have iPhone? Get this new WhatsApp feature now; here’s how to enable it
A new WhatsApp feature has just been rolled out. WhatsApp has begun offering users on iOS, the ability to pair multiple devices with their iPhone, even if they are not part of the WhatsApp beta for iOS, which suggests the company has begun expanding the feature to non-beta users too.
WhatsApp multi-device support has reportedly begun rolling out to iPhone users, marking the first time that the company has begun allowing iOS users to link multiple computers to their WhatsApp number, without being part of the company's beta test. While the company is still beta testing the WhatsApp multi-device support, users on the stable channel can now try out the feature as well. Here's everything you need to know about the WhatsApp multi-device support now rolling out to iPhone users.
A few months ago, WhatsApp had revealed that it was working on the ability to use your WhatsApp account from multiple devices, and without requiring an internet connection on your phone. What this meant was users would be able to use WhatsApp on their computers or web browsers, even when their phone battery was drained or they had no internet connectivity on their smartphone. After weeks of beta testing, a WhatsApp update has now added support for iOS users to try out the feature on the stable version of the app.
Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here.
According to XDA, users who have updated to WhatsApp version 18.104.22.168 on their iPhone from the App Store, should be able to see the new option to use WhatsApp multiple devices support, via the “Multi-Device Beta” setting in the Linked Devices page which can be joined and left at any time. Users can also tap on any linked device to log out of that device. If you have updated your WhatsApp app on iOS to the latest version mentioned above, you can follow these steps to enable the feature on your device.
Step 1) Check your WhatsApp version to verify you have version 22.214.171.124 or newer.
Step 2) Go to the Settings tab at the bottom of your screen and look for a setting called Linked Devices.
Step 3) Look for a setting on the Linked Devices section called ‘Multi-Device Beta” and then join the beta test. This will not enrol you for the WhatsApp beta, only the multi-device beta will be enabled.
Step 4) You will be forced out of your existing WhatsApp session so the app can set up the new multi-device functionality. Once you log in again, you can use the app even when your phone is switched off.
Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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Cycling Weekly went along to Eurobike, the world’s biggest cycle trade show, to bring you news of what’s hot for 2012 and beyond…
FSA’s groupset project is getting closer, each year for the last couple they’ve added or updated something.
This year saw a lightweight, aluminium-carrier cassette, a chain, new TT aerobar shifters and some rear mech tweaks.
Known as Metron, it’ll see first light as a TT/Tri gruppo under the Vision brand.
Metron rear mech
Time trial aero bar shifters
FSA delivers the aluminium-carrier cassette


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Holiday Coat Drive begins
The second annual Classic Cleaners winter coat drive is being held through December.
Classic Cleaners will collect, clean, repair and distribute winter coats to children in Santa Cruz County. Last year more than 5,000 coats were distributed.
There are three drop-off locations: 609 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz is open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays; 2220 Soquel Ave., Live Oak is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. everyday; and 809-C Bay Ave. in Capitola is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 9-4 p.m. Saturdays.
For details, call 423-2630.
Valley charity”s stores help needy
The Valley Churches United Missions will sponsor the 27th annual Valley Christmas Project. Their holiday boutique and Santa”s workshop runs through Christmas.
Donate food, cards, money, other gifts or volunteer time.
Last year”s donations reached 10,077 seniors, homeless, low-income families, disabled, disadvantaged children and more.
There are donation drop-offs in Ben Lomond and Scotts Valley. For times and more information, call 336-8258 or visit www.vcum.org.
Autumn Artisans Faire is Saturday
Dozens of local artisans will participate in the sixth annual Autumn Artisans Faire from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
The event promises art and handicrafts to suit every taste and budget. Saturday will also include live music and food from a gourmet bistro. The fair will be held at the Aptos United Methodist Church, 221 Thunderbird Drive. Call 688-2210 or visit www.aptosumc.org/art08.html.
Holiday sale benefits seniors
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Sunday, the Scotts Valley Senior Center will hold its annual Holiday Craft and Gift Faire. Organizers stress this is not a "senior crafts fair," and instead features an assortment of gifts from many different-aged crafters.
It will take place at 360 and 370 Kings Village Road in Scotts Valley. Admission is free. Proceeds benefit the center”s programs.
For more information, call the senior center at 438-8666.
Gift Faire helpsLa Selva Beach
The 28th annual La Selva Beach Holiday Gift Faire will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 15 at 314 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.
There will be arts and crafts, gourmet food, face painting, a book sale and drawing prizes. Admission and parking are free. Proceeds benefit the La Selva Beach Improvement Association for community projects. For more information, call 648-0215.
Market offers unique products
The third annual Alternative Gift Market will be Nov. 22 and 23 at the First Congregational-United Church of Christ at 900 High St. in Santa Cruz.
The market will offer fair trade, locally made, sustainable and ecologically mindful products.
The market will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 22 and noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 23. For more information, call 426-2010.
Gift-filled shoe boxes donated
Operation Christmas Child will be collecting gift-filled shoe boxes Nov. 17-24 at the Santa Cruz Bible Church on 440 Frederick St., Santa Cruz.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan”s Purse, hand-delivers gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 100 countries.
For information on how to fill, label and deliver boxes, visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call 800-353-5949.
Totes sale benefits WomenCARE
Women of all ages and skill level gathered at The Crafter”s Studio on Oct. 18 to sew grocery totes to benefit WomenCARE. The totes are $10 and all proceeds go directly to WomenCARE. WomenCARE provides cancer advocacy, resources, education and support to women with all types of cancer, to their families and friends, and to healthcare practitioners working in the field. Totes are for sale at The Crafter”s Studio at 504 Front St., Santa Cruz.
Shelter hosts fundraiser
On Nov. 15, the Rebele Family Shelter will host a holiday benefit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature area crafters as well as "one-of-a-kind" tote bags for $15, designed and painted by low-income seniors to benefit the shelter. There will also be a raffle as well as food and beverage for sale to benefit the shelter.
The Rebele Family Shelter provides emergency housing for up to 28 families for up to six months, in addition to providing these families three meals a day, counseling, health care, job assistance and more. The shelter is a part of the Homeless Services Center in Santa Cruz.
Admission is free. The event will be at 1635 Tremont Drive, Santa Cruz. Contact 476-5709 or 462-2400.
Shop offers holiday opportunity
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 15, the All Saints” Episcopal Church”s Antique Shop, will offer unique and affordable items to holiday shoppers. There will also be hand-crafted gift items and homemade goodies.
The event will be held at 437 Rogers Ave., Watsonville. For more information, call 724-5338.


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Stahls’ reported it acquired Fulfill Engine, a software tech company specializing in decorated apparel order fulfillment, supply chain management and e-commerce store integration. The company said the strategic move would elevate operational efficiencies for sellers and custom garment production centers of all sizes, from demand generation to delivery.
“This acquisition marks a significant milestone for both Stahls’ and Fulfill Engine, as it paves the way for the development of a comprehensive platform that vertically integrates key facets of the apparel customization industry,” the company said in a release. “This integration spans from the management of e-commerce stores to the precise control of supply chains and inventories, culminating in state-of-the-art automated production solutions.”
The outcome is expected to be a globally connected network catering to automated heat print on demand and third-party logistics, bridging the gap from demand generation to delivery for global garment decorators.
Carleen Gray, CEO of Stahls’, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Fulfill Engine into the Stahls’ family. This acquisition aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions to the apparel customization industry. Together, we are poised to simplify and optimize every step of the process, delivering unprecedented efficiency and scalability to our valued customers.”
Jayson Tompkins, CEO and co-founder of Fulfill Engine with Jon Bell and Adam Hickey and other key company members, will remain with the company.
Said Tompkins, “We couldn’t be more excited about teaming up with Stahls. This partnership is a perfect match as we blend our software expertise with Stahls’ heat print-on-demand capabilities. Efficiency is our shared goal, and we’re looking forward to the journey ahead!”


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Tim Zeilman, global owner of products, cyber at HSB, part of Munich Re, talked to Canadian Underwriter recently about the shifting trends of cybercrime — and the types of businesses in need of cyber protection.
Gone are the days when smaller organizations could say they don’t need a cyber insurance policy because they didn’t store a lot of client data, as Zeilman noted. Cybercrime has evolved from a simple data breach to more of a direct effort to scam money from selected targets. Increasingly, for example, cybercriminals are resorting to ransomware attacks and financial scams that involve impersonating business owners and executives to gain access to the organization’s funds.
And while smaller organizations may think that larger organizations are more vulnerable because they move larger amounts of money, smaller organizations are less likely to have sophisticated systems and controls in place to prevent this kind of fraud from occurring. A typical scam involves finding out on Facebook that the company’s CEO is away from the office on vacation, then using the CEO’s email address to order a financial department head to wire money to a false account controlled by the cybercriminal.
“You might find that large organizations are more likely to put in place processes that will, if not eliminate, at least minimize your chance of falling victim to something like this by requiring an in-person check or a phone call or some sort of second touchpoint in addition to moving money just based on an email,” said Zeilman. “Whereas smaller organizations may not have those sorts of processes.”
These financial frauds are driven by the average, per-transaction value, added Zeilman. And cybercriminals will adjust the value of their scams to the amount of funds handled by the organization. Ideal targets, then, would be smaller Canadian businesses with few cyber controls in place that move large amounts of money.
“When you are trying to scam people into sending a payment to the wrong address, you are obviously limited by the average payment that that company makes,” Zeilman said. “You can’t ask for $2 million if what [the target companies] are doing all day is sending out $5,000. That’s obviously going to attract attention.
“So, criminals tend to target businesses that send or receive large amounts of money,” he said, citing the examples of “car dealers [and] people involved in real estate.”
Zeilman noted that he gave a talk at a livestock management association in the United States. Members of the association may have a livestock auction and people regularly send hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions of dollars after such an event, he said. “They are not big businesses, but they move large amounts of money at a time. So, if you are a cybercriminal, you are looking at those less sophisticated businesses that move large amounts of money.”


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YOUNGSTERS demonstrated recycling is the height of fashion in a special catwalk show.
For the past couple of months, a group of teenage students from schools across the south of the city have been designing unique clothes to celebrate Liverpool’s Year of the Environment in the Head Above the Rest fashion show.
On Thursday (22 October), models hit the runway wearing clothes made of recycled material, including ball gowns made from bin bags, papier maché corsets and skirts made from old carrier bags.
The children were also heavily involved in hairstyling and make up, and showed off their achievements at the red carpet fashion show held at Parklands City Learning Centre (CLC) Theatre, Speke.
Liverpool city council’s executive member for the environment, Councillor Berni Turner, said: “It’s fantastic that young people are getting creative about the environment.
“They thought really carefully about the garments they made and how they can make them ‘green’ and fashionable at the same time.
“I’m so impressed at how young people across the city have got behind Year of the Environment, and events like this are the perfect way for youngsters to show off their creativity and environmental awareness.”
Jo Garster from Parklands CLC, who is co-ordinating the event, said: ““Head Above the Rest is a brilliant creative project giving our students the opportunity to work in partnership with professionals from creative industries such as hairdressers, make-up artists and costume designers.
“The theme of Year of the Environment has encouraged them to get really imaginative, using every day items to achieve a stunning finished look and I’m sure the audience will be amazed on the night!
“The students have worked extremely hard since it started in September. They really have put their heart and soul into making it a success and this was reflected in their final catwalk designs. Working first hand with professionals from the creative industries, the students have gained lots of new skills and practical advice to help them further their careers.”
Schools taking part were New Hayes Community Comprehensive, Shorefields Technology College, Parklands High School, Gateacre Community School, St. Julie’s Catholic High School and St. Benedict’s Catholic College.
The project is a partnership between Liverpool City Council, Mode Training, Liverpool Community College and The Sunflower Centre.
This is the third year Parklands CLC has delivered the fashion show and last year’s theme was James Bond


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- MediaCom TMB has picked up the planning and buying account for the frozen seafood brand, Young's Bluecrest.
The media account was previously held by StarCom Motive while creative was handled by Grey. The business was put up for review following the merger of the Young's business with Bluecrest.
Commenting on MediaCom's appointment, Jim Cane, the commercial director of Young's Bluecrest, said: "MediaCom have really opened our eyes to what can be achieved through creative media planning."
Young's Bluecrest claims that it will spend £2.5 mllion in promoting the brand between now and March next year, with a branding campaign for Young's Seafood as well as advertising supporting new product launches.


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Lebanon, Pa.—Recycled rubber flooring producer Regupol America has announced plans to expand its domestic headquarters here. When the new plant is completed in 2015, it will increase the company’s campus at the business park to 26 acres.
The expansion plans include an 11.7-acre addition adjoining the rear of Regupol’s existing plant that adds room for a 120,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility. The buildings will be separate but attached by a ramp, and there will be additional room for further expansion.
“In 2008, the goal was to get the business off the ground, and I’m happy to say we’ve grown to the point where we have to expand,” said George Soukas, president of Regupol America. “The growth will create a substantial number of new, well-paying jobs.”
Regupol America manufactures recycled rubber products for acoustical control, sports and fitness surfaces and load securement.


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Gas price update and outlook – 11.15.11
Posted: Thursday, November 17, 2011 10:27 am
Average retail gasoline prices in Tennessee have risen 1 cent per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.23 per gallon Sunday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 1.1 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.43 per gallon, according to gasoline price website TennesseeGasPrices.com.
Including the change in gas prices in Tennessee during the past week, prices Sunday were 52.0 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 3.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 4.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 54.4 cents per gallon higher than Monday one year ago.
“We certainly have some shifts going on in the market as diesel production is favored over gasoline, meaning refiners will boost production of distillate at the cost of gasoline production.
“Diesel and middle distillate demand remains strong while gasoline demand is somewhat weak, causing gasoline to seemingly disconnect from the upward trend of the crude oil and distillate market,” Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst, said.


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The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona has begun this week, and already, two companies, HTC and Huawei, have unveiled new fitness tracker devices.
HTC's new device, called the HTC Grip is the company's first activity tracking wristworn wearable. The tracker is powered by Under Armour's newly launched app, UA Record, which integrates data from other health apps and devices.
At an investor day focused on Under Armour's digital fitness strategy, CEO Kevin Plank explained that his company's partnership with HTC would include UA putting its “stamp” of approval on HTC's wearables, but also that Under Armour’s Record app will be the app that the HTC wearable feeds its data into. There will be no official companion app from HTC for it, Plank said.
HTC and Under Armour first announced their partnership at CES earlier this year. At the time, HTC said Under Armour designers, sports scientists, and athletes were working closely with HTC’s Connected Products business unit, as well as its design and engineering teams to create products for both professional and amateur athletes.
The Grip, which is waterproof, tracks speed, distance, calories burned for runs, bike rides, and gym workouts, and sleep activity. The device also features a GPS radio so it can track speed, distance, and pace during a user's workout even when the wearer does not bring their phone along, and the tracker will sync this data to the user's smartphone when they get back. The device also receives call notifications and allows the user to view and respond to messages.
HTC said the device will be available in spring 2015.
Huawei has launched a smartwatch as well, called Huawei Watch, that senses steps, calories burned, altitude, and heart rate. Huawei Watch will automatically detect and track if a user is walking, running, biking, hiking, or sleeping. The watch is similar to Withings' Activite in that it is designed to look and feel like a high end watch while still offering smartwatch capabilities. Users can choose from over 40 analog-style watch faces, receive call notifications, track their health, and check email.
The company also announced that it partnered with Jawbone. Just like HTC-UA, Huawei said it will make Jawbone's UP app the preferred health and fitness tracking system for several Huawei wearable devices, including the company's Talkband activity tracker. The UP by Jawbone app will also be pre-loaded on certain Huawei smartphones in the future, beginning with users in the US.
And while companies like Huawei are creating smartwatches that resemble luxury Swiss watches, at least one actual Swiss watchmaker is planning to release its own smartwatch. Santa Cruz-based Fullpower Technologies, maker of a smartwatch platform called MotionX, partnered with Union Horlogere Holdings to form a Swiss joint venture, called MMT (Manufacture Modules Technologies). The venture aims to bring Fullpower's MotionX platform to the Swiss watch industry. Fullpower’s MotionX Technology powers Nike+GPS and the Jawbone UP's motion sensing features, among others.
The smartwatch, called the Swiss Horological Smartwatch, will not have a screen. Instead, it will be an analog watch that can sense sleep and activity and will send this data to a companion app.


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De Blasio used his state of the city address to speak broadly about New Yorkers' struggles to pay rent and make ends meet and discussed recent proposals, rather than lay out many new proposals. De Blasio, a Democrat who took office in January 2014, is up for reelection in November. Held at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, home to numerous American musical legends including Billie Holiday, the program featured at least 45 minutes of introductory remarks that were a mostly a love story to the city's diversity. "So many people in this city are afraid they cannot stay in the city that they love," because of high costs, de Blasio said. De Blasio cited a long list of what he considers some of his biggest accomplishments, including the implementation of neighborhood policing and the highest ever four-year high-school graduation rate of 72.6 percent in 2016. He said residents would hear in coming weeks more details of forthcoming proposals about homelessness, opioid addiction and the creation of more higher paying jobs, which he called the "next frontline." He said the city would strive to create 100,000 more permanent good jobs that pay at least $50,000 a year. Last week, de Blasio released information about other proposals that he touched on in his speech, including ways to help seniors and low-income people afford housing by adding new units and providing more rental assistance. He said previously that he would seek to add 10,000 apartments for households earning less than $40,000 a year, half of which would be reserved for seniors, while another
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Welcome to the official blog of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals! We hope you will enjoy insightful and informative posts by our team of expert bloggers on a wide range of topics, including individual, small business and corporate insolvencies, budgeting, financial planning, credit rebuilding and other money management tips for anyone looking to live a debt free life.
January 24, 2023 Want to feel lucky with your money but do not want to buy lotto tickets? It’s the Year of the Rabbit, the luckiest of all animals in the Chinese culture. If you want 2023 to be a year with luck, you...Learn More
January 5, 2023 TORONTO – January 5, 2023 – Consumer insolvency filings in Canada have increased 9.5% over the last 12 months, according to the latest statistics released by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy,...Learn More


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Xbox Game Studios' Mojang has announced that they have canceled the MinecraftSuper Duper Graphics Pack. The graphics update has since been in development for the past two years and has provided extremely challenging for the developers, as numerous delays have had to go underway. According to the folks at Minecraft - the official crew - there's only one more "final update" on the Super Duper pack.
It's a odd capitulation from the company, with the Super Duper Graphics Pack only ever meant to target the Xbox One X and high-end PCs.
During the development of the Super Duper Graphics Pack, Mojang said that it wasn't happy with the performance of the game across devices.
Nike rolls out a subscription service for kids’ sneakers Nike said there are more than 100 varieties of shoes to choose from on the Adventure Club website , including Converse sneakers. This new adventure club removes the hassle of shopping for parents and invites kids to start an adventure.
"Unfortunately", they write in a blog post, "the pack proved too technically demanding to implement as planned". Minecraft developer Mojang has confirmed that it has now stopped its development.
While we may not ever know the full reason why this pack was pulled, it may have been a project that simply took too long to develop for low-end consoles. The upcoming launch of a new console generation and the inevitable upgrade treadmill for mobile devices should have provided a more robust hardware platform for the game relative to 2017. But yesterday those hopes were dashed on the jagged, aliased edge of a square of stone, as it was announced the pack is wack. When you look at what the features the update would have provided, it's not hard to see that the original Xbox would have likely struggled to run the update and if the pack wouldn't work on all Xbox versions, the risk of splitting the Xbox userbase likely played a key role into the decision. The ambitious plan was to make a downloadable add-on that all but did away with the basic, blocky look of the massively popular game.


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The Internet went into rumour overdrive Thursday after a web report that American streetwear designer Virgil Abloh was to be named creative director of Versace. The house, however, has denied any plans of the sort.
La Moda Italiana has sued Versace USA and Gianni Versace, S.p.A. in the New York federal court as a preemptive lawsuit, in a long term trademark battle between the companies and the Versace 1969 label.
At New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art -- and amid fur protests -- the American designer stepped into the hot seat to be interviewed by the former CNN host and answer questions that his followers tweeted in advance.
The house of Versace has opened its first flagship in Lisbon, in the latest expansion by the Italian luxury brand. Located at 238 Avenida da Liberdade, the store is a substantial 440 square meters, designed as a meeti...
Milan fashion week winds up Monday with Italian veteran designer Giorgio Armani showing his autumn-winter 2017 collection before the international circus of critics, buyers and top models decamps to Paris.


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Ten Alps climbs on profit boost
Media production firm Ten Alps yesterday reported a 38.5% rise in pretax profits to £1.8m for the six months to September 30, due to cost cutting and better margins.
Revenues fell 4.6% to £35.4m, but trading is currently in line with internal forecasts.
Ten Alps has a cash balance of £7.2m, which is not a large warchest for acquisitions. 'Our experience in the past is that if an acquisition truly makes sense then it can be funded - whether through warchest or debt,' said boss Alex Connock, who cofounded the company in 1999.
The shares rose 1.5p to 27.5p.
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Mercedes-Benz, the German car giant, is immediately recalling almost one million older vehicles globally because of potential problems with their braking system.
Over the weekend, the company said it will contact owners of the vehicles as their brakes may be affected by “advanced corrosion”.
“We have found that in some of those vehicles, the function of the brake booster could be affected by advanced corrosion in the joint area of the housing,” Mercedes said in a statement on Saturday.
“It might be possible for a particularly strong or hard braking maneuver to cause mechanical damage to the brake booster,” it said.
“In such a very rare case, it would not be possible to decelerate the vehicle via the service brake, thus the risk of a crash or injury would be increased,” it added.
The models affected were built between 2004 and 2015 from the models of ML, GL(BR164) SUVs and R-Class luxury minivans.
This recall affects a total of 993,407 vehicles worldwide, including about 70,000 in Germany.
Mercedes-Benz technicians will inspect the area for corrosion and replace parts as necessary.
The owners affected have been urged not to drive their cars until an inspection is carried out.
Last February, the company also recalled over 1 million cars because of a defect in its “eCall” feature, which alerts emergency services of an accident and relays the vehicle’s location.
The defect meant it was possible that a wrong location could be sent. Being software-related, the fix was mostly done “over the air”, via a wireless download using the car’s existing mobile data connection.


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This one is ad hoc, but it’s no less destructive of consumer well-being. That’s especially ironic here, given who this group is: a collection of pharmacy employees at chains like CVS and Walgreens, and soon-to-be-defunct for a variety of other reasons, Rite Aid.
From Monday through Wednesday workers at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid have pledged to call in sick[.]
A fake-sick move that they’re calling, in their manufactured angst, “pharmageddon.” Never mind that the employees’ lying about the reason for their absence should itself be a firing offense.
One pharmacist, who organized a prior, smaller walkout, and who now is cowering behind anonymity, exposed the cynicism of the current move:
Our stores are still thousands of prescriptions behind. Our patients are still going days, weeks, or even months without their needed medicine. And they’re pretending that there’s not a problem. Until they acknowledge that there’s an actual problem and work to address the actual problem…we have to keep pushing.
So: the way to solve the problem of patients going with their meds for extended periods of time—a supply chain problem as much as anything—is to deliberately deny patients access to their meds for extended periods of time by simply not showing up for work. And absenting themselves with their own false claims.


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Major funding for Ontario greenhouse sector
March 23, 2017 By OMAFRA
March 23, 2017, Bowmanville, Ont. – Ontario is enhancing the competitiveness of its greenhouse sector by supporting the development of innovative new technologies, encouraging investments in greenhouse agriculture and boosting productivity.
The announcement was made by Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal during a tour of Link Greenhouses in Bowmanville. New provincial support will help Ontario’s greenhouse sector maintain its leadership position in Canada while also growing its export markets. (Click on images for more information.)
The Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative will help the sector create, adopt and invest in innovative new technologies to reduce production costs, increase productivity and improve produce quality, enabling operations to expand their businesses, attract new investment and create good jobs. Ontario will also continue to provide the greenhouse sector with supports to foster jobs and economic prosperity in the province.
GREENHOUSE COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION INITIATIVE
The province is providing $19 million to support the Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative.
“Ontario’s greenhouse sector is a vital part of our province’s growing agri-food sector, and a national leader in greenhouse production, technology and exports,” said Leal.
“Our government recognizes that innovation is key to encouraging continued investment, fostering competiveness, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities across Ontario. This important investment will allow Ontario’s greenhouse sector to continue to expand, enhancing economic growth and creating good jobs right here in Ontario.”
Supporting growth and competitiveness in Ontario’s agri-food industry is part of the province’s plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives, said Leal.
“Ontario’s greenhouse sector is a major contributor to the provincial economy,” said Jan VanderHout, chair of The Ontario Greenhouse Alliance (TOGA).
“We appreciate the Government of Ontario’s support and recognition of the need to invest in our future as well as work with our members on challenges facing Ontario’s greenhouse sector. This funding will support the continued growth of our sector and its capacity to create jobs, drive exports and provide a reliable supply of locally grown greenhouse products for Ontario consumers.”
Ontario’s greenhouse sector is growing by about 150 acres per year. There are 2,876 acres of greenhouses across the province, representing almost half the Canadian total.
The greenhouse sector is an important part of the provincial economy, contributing nearly 10 per cent of the province’s agri-food sector jobs and GDP.
Last year Ontario’s greenhouse sector and related value chain supported over 81,000 jobs and $3.2 billion in GDP.
“We are very optimistic with the prospects of continuing our work with the Government of Ontario to determine how we ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for our province’s greenhouse sector,” said George Gilvesy, chair of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
GREENHOUSES THE FOCUS OF 2016 INTER-MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE
Ontario’s agri-food sector contributes more than $36.4 billion towards the province’s GDP and supports nearly 800,000 jobs. In March 2016, the Ontario government hosted an Ontario Greenhouse Sector Inter-Ministerial Roundtable on Competitiveness with government and industry to collectively discuss opportunities that support greenhouse sector growth.
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COOPER IS DELIA’S FINANCE CHIEF
NEW YORK — R. James Cooper has joined Delia’s in the new post of executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Cooper has been with Sara Lee Corp., most recently as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Coach Leatherware division. Prior to that, he held the same position at Sara Lee’s Playtex subsidiary prior to that.
Responsibility for finance was previously handled by Evan Guillemin, president of Delia’s, to whom Cooper reports.
Delia’s markets apparel and accessories to Generation Y through catalogs, Web sites and stores.


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Whoever said winning isn’t everything sure got it right — for the American Music Awards, at least. At Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, host Jimmy Kimmel and stars who perform or present at the Nov. 16 AMA broadcast (airing live on ABC, 8 p.m. EST) will take home a duffel bag of swag worth $31,000 (in honor of the awards’ 31st anniversary), courtesy of celeb promotion company Hollywood Connection.
And that’s if they’re not even NOMINATED for an award! So, at the end of the night celebs like Britney Spears, Clay Aiken, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Timberlake, and Jessica Alba will be carrying home a heavy load — of complimentary goodies.
Dick Clark, executive producer of the show, says ”I understand it’s going to take at least two oversized bags for each of them to carry away the loot.” In addition to the preassembled bags, performers and presenters will have access to a tent backstage where they can pick out additional items.
Some of the things stars can carry off, either in their premade bags or from the extra-bonus tent, are:
? Baja Fresh VIP Pass, which lets celeb and 5 friends eat free for a year from the nationwide Mexican restaurant chain (worth up to $20,000)
? Lasik eye surgery ($5,200)
? Vacation getaway to Jamaica ($2,100)
? Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for a year ($2,000)
? Tempur-Pedic mattress ($2,000)
? American Airlines roundtrip first-class flight (Value varies depending on destination)
? One-year membership to 24 Hour Fitness, a national health-club chain ($1,000)
? A Vialta Beamer video phone ($400)
? Hot-air balloon ride, courtesy of Soaring Adventures, available nationwide ($395)
? Samsonite luggage ($200)
? Weber Q Grill ($200)
? Home microbrewery system ($40)
? CASAMODA S’mores Maker ($35)
? Godiva chocolates ($30)
But, hey, it’s not a totally free ride. Britney et. al WILL need to provide the limos to cart the stuff away. And who says stars have it easy?


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NEW YORK — Retailers who stick with proven characters should see the strongest sell-through in the toy category. Charles Riotto, president of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, said that, in addition to value, consumers want evergreen licenses to carry the assurance of quality that consumers desire in this economy.
Disney Princesses remained strong and got a boost from the recent release of “Tangled.”
“Toy Story 3,” “Cars” and “Thomas the Tank Engine”
are still huge.


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Every year, Jing Daily interviews key authors, CEOs, bloggers, and experts on their experiences with China’s luxury industry. As part of our year-end coverage, we’ve rounded up the top 10 most-clicked interviews of the year:
With a best-selling novel and a movie deal in the works, writing about the massive rise of wealth in Asia has made this a great year for Kwan.
Li’s independent Chinese-language reality show following the lives of four wealthy young Chinese women living in Vancouver has caught the attention of millions of Chinese viewers and several Chinese online video sites.
From fashionistas strolling West Nanjing Road to Anna Dello Russo, Zhang discusses his years of experience capturing the looks of top trendsetters in Shanghai.
Sipping on 60,000-RMB bottles of wine with China’s new rich is all in a day’s work for this Shanghai writer who recorded her wild experiences in a recent short story compilation.
In an interview with Jing Daily, Hsiao discusses why we might see more Chinese VIPs filling box seats at upcoming Super Bowls.
The author of a comprehensive new guide to China’s luxury industry talks about why the global reign of China’s shoppers has only begun.
With a list of high-profile luxury clients, Mauron discusses how Chinese consumer trends are shaping brands’ social marketing strategies.
As the publisher of several Chinese-language luxury travel magazines, Gervois discusses Chinese travelers’ growing interest in unique experiences when they head abroad.
The watch expert behind what is arguably the best watch magazine in the world talks about what lies ahead for the luxury watch industry in China in the midst of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign.
The producer who helped globalize Psy’s massive hit “Gangnam Style” discusses why Korean pop music is such a hit in China and what his company is doing to target the Chinese market.


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The Hoffman Estates, Ill. company named Rob Riecker finance chief effective immediately. Mr. Riecker was previously controller and head of capital markets activities. He succeeds Jason Hollar who took on the role in October.
The turnover in the finance role comes at a troubling time for the retailer. Sears has posted a loss for six years. Last year, Sears said it was exploring opportunities for key brands, such as DieHard, as well as possible real-estate sales.
On Friday, as it updated investors, Sears said it expected to post a profit for the first three months of the year, largely tied to sales of real estate and the Craftsman brand.
“In these situations it’s not uncommon to see turnover in the finance staff,” said Robert Schulz, managing director at S&P Global Ratings. “Given the person appointed today has been there and knows the company well, we view that as a form of continuity,” he said.
Sears Holdings’ new CFO, Mr. Riecker, joined the company in 2005 and has held various roles in the finance department, most recently serving as controller and head of capital market activities.
Mr. Hollar resigned to pursue another career opportunity, the company said. Mr. Hollar landed the CFO role in October, after finance chief Robert Schriesheim in May announced plans to depart. Mr. Schriesheim held that role since 2011.
Mr. Hollar’s decision to resign was “not due to any disagreement with the company or matters relating to the company’s operations,” a Sears spokesman said in an email.
On Friday, Sears said it expects to reduce costs by $1.25 billion for the year, up from a previously announced $1 billion. The retailer also said it has already delivered on $700 million in cost savings on the year.
Sears last year said it was exploring opportunities for its Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands, as well as its real-estate assets.
The retailer has a good record of borrowing against or selling its assets to raise the cash it needs to keep going, said Mr. Schulz said.
“The big challenge has been and remains reducing the losses from the retail business,” Mr. Schulz said. “They have a substantial debt burden, but the source of the cash burn is the retail business, the lack of the retail turnaround is the problem.”
The company on Friday said it was reviewing nonoverlapping bids in excess of $700 million for more than 60 of its properties. It also plans to close 50 Sears Auto Center locations and 92 pharmacies at Kmart stores, on top of the 150 Kmart and Sears stores already shuttered. More store closings could follow, the company said. The additional closings and related staff cuts account for the bulk of the estimated $250 million in additional savings, bringing the total target to $1.25 billion for the year.
Sales proceeds will be used to reduce debt and strengthen the balance sheet, the company said. Sears Holdings said it is in discussions to refinance a $500 million loan facility that comes due in July.
—Maria Armental contributed to this article.
Write to Tatyana Shumsky at email@example.com


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Apple refreshed the iPad series twice last year that received some mixed reviews and comments from the tech community and the consumers. Some people were glad to see the new generation of iPad with better performance while some weren’t happy at all to see the newer iPad in less than seven months time of its predecessor’s launch, and those were mostly the iPad 3 owners. And now yet again, reports are claiming that Apple is again getting ready to refresh the iPad range in less than a year’s time and even earlier, in March. Reports also claim that both the original iPad and iPad mini will receive some improvements where iPad 5 to get a bit larger display while iPad mini to receive the retina display.
The report came from Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets that suppose to have communicated with the industry sources during the Consumer Electronic Show 2013 last week. According to him, the fifth generation of the iPad and the second generation iPad mini will be revealed by Apple in March. This means that only about two or maybe less than two months to go before actually witnessing the newer iPads from Apple, provided that this rumor prove to be true.
However there is nothing known yet about the specs of both the devices however, this is for sure that both devices will get some serious upgrades. As it is pretty much expected that the fifth gen iPad will receive a better processor and on the other hand iPad mini is expected to get the retina display, which was lacking in the first generation of the iPad mini.
Source: Apple Insider
The Kickstarter project was originally closed down after receiving the $10 million in funding and promised that the company will ship 85,000 units to people who funded the project. Pebble announced at the CES Press Conference that they will start shipping the first batch smart watch on January 23. The people who funded the project at the beginning will get the watch first followed by the people who funded after them. So people who come in the category of early birds should expect their orders to be delivered soon. However, if you weren’t among the people who backed the project at all then you can order the Pebble watch on their website. Those who will order the watch from the website will have to pay $150 unlike the people who trusted and funded the project and paid in between $100 to $125. Not just that but they will also have to wait for the backers to receive their watches first and then expect theirs.
The Pebble Watch connects with Bluetooth 4.0 with your Android or iOS device, has an accelerometer with an e-paper display of resolution 144 by 168. The watch is well designed and fully customizable. The smart watch is yet to hit the market but it has a lot of potential to exploit, a place where developers are surely going to try out themselves. You can get text messages, emails, and missed call notifications on your Pebble smart watch. You can customize the face of the watch and there are many different faces to choose from that won’t let you bore from the only conventional look that most watches have. The watch is water resistant and comes with a magnetic charging cable to charge your Pebble watch. Concluding, Pebble Smart Watch showed some really promising and exciting stuff at CES and only time will tell how good of a device it turns out to be.
Samsung was previously rumored to be working on a flexible screen for smartphones and at CES 2013 Samsung just put an end to those rumors by finally by taking off the curtains from some of its prototypes that give a clear idea what Samsung is planning for the future. Among the prototypes was the new line of flexible OLED displays and those curved displays are named as Youm from Samsung. The OLED technology allowed the Korean electronics manufacturer to come up with thinner and lighter displays that can even provide the image better than HD Television.
Samsung’s Senior Vice President said that they can make ultra thin displays with unbreakable plastic. He said, “It won’t break even if it’s dropped, and we can actually bend the screen,” He goes on to demonstrate the screen by grabbing the edge of it and start bending in downwards and upwards without anything happening to the screen or its display quality, which was quite surprising.
Samsung’s Senior VP then covered the phone with a solid case leaving the curved part of the screen visible to the eye and showed how he can still go on to read the stuff written on the curved display. He said, “This kind of display is going to allow our partners to create a whole new ecosystem of devices, devices with bended, foldable and rollable screens.”
After that a video was played where two guys are using the Youm displays or the flexible displays. One was first shown with a tablet then he folds it up and comes with a rather smaller screen that can be used in smartphones while the other man presses the button and the screen slides out of the box. Senior VP Samsung added, “Imagine the products you could design with this,” However Samsung hasn’t told about the availability of their Smartphones with Youm display, so it’s rather too early to anticipate when we will get to see the devices with Youm displays.
Source: LA Times
A week ago, all the Jailbreak fans and the developing community including Pod2G were raising voice on Twitter for an open iOS in the future because of the hardships that the developer has been facing in jailbreak is 6. But now seems like Pod2G has something to cheer for the jailbreak fans and lovers after the developer planetbeing posted that he has finally jailbreak his iPhone 5 running on iOS 6.0.2.
Pod2G urged the jailbreak fans and developing community to not to lose hope after one of its developer ‘planetbeing’ posted that he has finally achieved the jailbreak on his iPhone 5 running on iOS 6, however it is not available for public to test out yet. Planetbeing pointed out two reasons that why it is not released for the public. He said “Releasing it would burn an exploit we want to save for ourselves so we can always get in to look at new firmware and help JB in the future.” This means that Pod2G is prepping up for a newer version of the jailbreak which they will eventually release in the future. “iOS 6.1 is coming very soon and will likely break a small part of it anyway, there’s no point in sacrificing the many bugs it won’t break.” He added. This indicates that a newer version of the iOS 6.1 jailbreak is already on the cards and might soon be available for the public to test out soon after iOS 6.1 is released.
This news is quite welcoming for the jailbreak fans that couldn’t wait to jailbreak their idevices running on iOS 6. However now both jailbreak fans and the developing community have something to cheer. So now the people will soon have the method to install Cydia on their iPhone 5, looks like the long wait is finally paying off for them.
Consumer Electronic Show 2013 started this week in Las Vegas where electronic companies from all over the world showcased their new and yet to be launched gadgets. Just like every CES, this year’s event also witnessed some of the real eye catching gadgets and new technologies. Meanwhile here are some of the gadgets that impressed everybody present at the CES:
Ultra HD TV: Looks like the rumors were correct about the 4K TV to feature at the CES 2013. However, practically there is hardly any 4K content available that you can enjoy on the TV right now but cinemas and theaters have been showing the movies from quite some time in 4K. The major manufacturers of the Ultra HD TV were Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp and LG. These are some of the companies that recently invented the idea of higher resolution TV. Sharp in particular was previously linked with the bigger HD TVs than before and looks like those reports were found to be true. The Ultra HD TV is now a lot bigger with about 85 to 95 inches and the pictures and videos are almost about 8 times clearer than it was before and above all Televisions are getting smarter day by day.
Touch Screen PCs: Recently PCs got a refreshment of Microsoft’s new operating system named as Windows 8. Windows 8 is a hybrid operating system, which means that it is designed for both PCs, and touch screen devices like smartphones and tablet PCs. After hearing that, a touch screen laptop becomes quite an obvious need keeping the thing in mind that newer PCs have the built in support for touch screen, thanks to Windows 8. And due to the very reason, we have witnessed all in one PCs with touch screens, Convertible Ultrabook that can be converted into a tablet PC and laptops with touch screens. The touch screens are not lesser than any other touch screen out there with 1080p video and HD display.
Next Generation Mobile Chipset: This year will bring a whole lot of revolution to mobile processors courtesy Qualcomm, Nvidia and Intel which is launching their next generation SoCs (system-on-a-chips) that promises better performance and longer battery timing for the devices. Well now specs don’t have that much importance as they used to have and now it’s more about additional features. Like the Qualcomm’s quad core Snapdragon 800 will be able to run 4K videos which is like 4 times the pixel density of 1080p. Nvidia’s Tegra 4 will let users to add the HDR to live video with moving things. While Intel’s AtomZ2760 will support the Windows 8 powered devices and tablets.
Non-Traditional Gaming Handhelds: When it comes to gaming and handheld gaming especially, the first thing that comes to our mind is either a Nintendo Gameboy or Sony PSP. These are the ones that kids mostly remember of because these are the ones that are quite famous in handheld gaming or traditional handheld gaming. Though at this year’s CES, we have witnessed some un traditional gaming handhelds such as Nvidia’s Project Shield that is powered by the Tegra 4 processor, a 5-inch touch screen, D-pad, analog sticks and other buttons and bumpers. This is just another revolutionary step towards handheld gaming.
Wireless Cameras: Camera is another thing that evolved into something really different and meaningful at the CES 2013. It was old school where you used to sync photos from your camera and then share it on social websites like Facebook, Twitter etc. However now with the wireless cameras, you can now share your images via 3G or Wi-Fi to any favorite social website or even Instagram. With cameras equipped in smartphone showing signs of some wear and tear, this seems to be a more perfect gadget for people who look for a camera while buying a smartphone.
Source: PC World
Facebook rolled out an update to its iOS and Android Facebook Messenger app yesterday night. The update adds a new feature that allows the users to record messages and send down to their Facebook friends. Users who have already updated to the latest version of Facebook Messenger app on either their iOS or Android powered device should now see a ‘Record’ option inside the ‘+’ button that is just next to the box where you type your text. To send a voice message, all you need to do is to tap the ‘Record’ button first and then hold down the button to record your message.
If you are driving and want to reply to something important, then this particular feature can be a life saver because all you need to do is to hold the record button and say while you are driving. It is also useful when you want to avoid typing those lengthy and messy instructions when they can be more expressive vocally. Facebook said, “When you’re ready to send [the voice recording], just release the button.” Apart from making your own life easier via this new feature, this voice messaging feature has a lot to cheer and can be used for many purposes. Although the voicemail service is quite old technology but still the service is pretty useful and effective at times. Facebook added, “This feature is perfect for when you’ve got more to say.” So definitely this feature is going to improve user experience, for sure.
The voice messaging update reaches out to everywhere in the world while Canada gets a special update that along with the voice messaging service, which is ‘Free Calling service’ to Facebook users using Facebook Messenger app. After updating the app, Canadian Facebook Messenger users can make free calls by tapping the ‘i’ button on the top right hand corner and then the ‘Free Call’ button inside.
Facebook looks pretty determined to establish Facebook Messenger as not only just a Messaging service but something more. The update is just another step towards expanding the Facebook Messenger app and pull users from other rival services like hugely popular Whatsapp.
Apple is looking to buy Waze, a company behind a relatively popular social-navigation app with the same name i.e. Waze, according to a report. According to the report, Waze is eyeing a net $750 million worth deal while on the other side Apple is not willing to pay more than $400 million cash with an additional $100 million depending on the performance after the buyout.
Waze is quite popular social navigation app that has over 30 million users. The Waze service is used to share the routes and real time traffic information with their family and friends and this service basically helps suggesting better driving direction using the shared information. The app also allows you to share about the roadblocks, accidents and police car locations yet everything that you come across while driving. The app uses all that information and then suggests the alternative driving options to the users that eventually save their time.
Apple’s apparent interest in Waze is because of the poor performance of their own 3D Map app in iOS 6. Apple couldn’t live up to the expectations of the Apple fans and to make it up for that Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to them and promised that a new and better version of the app will soon be available. And looks like the proposed acquisition of Waze is just another step to improve its own Map app.
A report appeared on the first day of 2013 that Samsung is planning to release a Tizen based smartphone in the running year. Though it was all rumors up till today when Samsung confirmed the report and put an end to the rumor. Samsung confirmed that they are planning to release Tizen based smartphones this year and will continue to release some more devices depending on the market’s condition. Samsung spokesperson said, “We plan to release new, competitive Tizen devices within this year and will keep expanding the lineup depending on market conditions.”
However, no specific number of devices mentioned by the spokesperson that will make its way to the market this year but at least one thing is confirmed that the world’s largest mobile phone making company is planning on something new and something different. It is still unclear what features will the new Tizen powered smartphones will offer to its users. Tizen is basically a Linux based mobile operating system that arose out of the demise of Nokia’s MeeGo platform. After Nokia giving up on MeeGo, Samsung and Intel took over the development and later joined by the Linux team to give it a complete new look.
Many experts and analysts are considering Tizen a potential threat to Google’s Android and Apple iOS powered devices and Samsung too seems to be agreed on that. Samsung is believed to have some long term plan of making Tizen the leading mobile operating system, though it looks pretty hard target to get when Android is growing at a rapid pace but nothing is impossible. Tizen is coming into the market in a similar situation when Android emerged and Blackberry, Symbian and iOS were enjoying the success whereas now the situation is completely different with Android leading the war. So this could be anybody’s game, though it’s too early to say but Tizen undoubtedly has the potential to become the alternative but we’d have to wait till the release of the first Tizen based smartphone to find out.
Looks like the rumors proved to be right; Apple iOS 6 doesn’t allow to jailbreak, meaning that Apple fans and developers won’t have the freedom to customize their iPhone to their liking. This particular reason has apparently forced the jailbreak app store, Installous to shut down. Though Hackulous, the development team behind the Installous app didn’t point out the similar reason but instead gave the reason of being lack of activity on the app which doesn’t seem to satisfy anybody because Installous have a large number of users and admirers as well.
Apple certainly ties down the devs by not allowing them to jailbreak the latest mobile operating system and as a result there won’t be no tweaks and mods for the new iOS 6. Now after a couple of months, both fans and developers have decided to raise voice and request the Apple to give them something to cheer, requesting Apple to develop an open mobie operating system in the future and allow them to jailbreak in order to make their iPhone completely theirs. In order to make them heard, a new Twitter trend just appeared #weWantAnOpeniOS from the Apple fans from all over the world and one of the major development team @Pod2g is also supporting the cause. So it is about time, if you too are an Apple fan and support the cause then make your voice heard on Twitter #weWantAnOpeniOS.
Yesterday Sony send out the invitation for its upcoming event next month that hints to the most expected launch of PlayStation 4 console. While today Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson posted an even teasing countdown clock that counts down to the number of days and hours until the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo kicks off in Los Angeles. 159 more days to go, says the countdown clock put up by all excited Nelson on his blog that says “And it’s on…”
Now that little thing from Nelson makes us all wonder the reason behind Nelson’s excitement and points towards the next big thing from Microsoft is none other than the next generation Xbox Console, which is often named as Xbox 720. Since Microsoft has already revealed Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Surface tablet and now the next generation gaming console from Microsoft is the only thing that everyone is expecting from them.
There’s one more thing that is interesting and hints towards the next generation console Xbox console which is why would Microsoft post the event’s countdown so early unless they are planning something big and increase the curiosity among the people to make them wait eagerly for the countdown to finish and attract as much audience as they can.


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- Green Growth
- Your Consultant
Following the success of the last two years, Taiwan Excellence 2012 with the theme entitled “Creating an Excellent Home with an Excellent Lifestyle” introduces 30 ‘reliable’, ‘innovative’ and ‘worthy’ Home Living and ICT brands to Vietnamese consumers.
If last year campaign focused on promoting high-quality consumer technology products, Taiwan Excellence 2012 witnesses the participation of a much more diverse range of participants. 30 brands spread over different fields including technology, communications, automobile and home appliances.
Taiwan Excellence 2012 offers Vietnamese consumers opportunities to experience leading brands through exciting and interactive activities. Apart from the important annual event - the Vietnam Consumer Digital World Expo (VCW) in August, this year campaign will especially feature a series of mall events held at major shopping centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. At these events, participating consumers will find a chance to explore and engage with an array of most excellent products from Taiwan as well as to enjoy many on-site games with attractive prizes.
Huang Chih-Peng, representative, Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Hanoi, Vietnam said: “Taiwan Excellence has been making a tremendous contribution to the development of a more collaborative and intimate relationship between Taiwan and Vietnam. In 2012, the participation of new excellent brands together with the interest and support of Vietnamese consumers give us a strong belief in a more comprehensive and sustainable cooperation between us two.”
“This has marked the third year of Taiwan Excellence in Vietnam with the mission to promote the advancement and innovation of Taiwan's international brands, offering Vietnamese consumers more choices,” said Tso Wei Dar, director of Taiwan Trade Center, TAITRA’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City. “We are very proud to contribute to bring Taiwan brands closer to consumers in Vietnam as well as let Vietnamese access the world leading products originated in Taiwan”.
Taiwan Excellence 2012 also introduces supermodel Thanh Hang with her second year on the role of Taiwan Excellence Vietnam’s celebrity endorser.
Joining Taiwan Excellence 2012, consumers will be able to experience some top technology products and home appliances such as AverMedia game capture HD which allows recording Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii HD game play in real-time, medical measurement devices by Microlife – a combination of Swiss innovation & precision and Taiwan high technology & engineering, air purifier and humidifier by Yen Sun – the leading electronics cooling provider and many other Taiwan’s worldwide products.


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NEW YORK — Dunkin’ Donuts confirmed Wednesday that it struck a deal to open more than 1,400 locations in China over the next 20 years.
The chain said in an email there are 16 Dunkin’ Donuts locations in the country.
Parent company Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., which is based in Canton, Massachusetts and also owns Baskin Robbins, said it entered into a master franchise agreement with Golden Cup Pte. Ltd. The group is a joint venture between Jollibee Worldwide Pte Ltd., based in the Philippines, and Jasmine Asset Holding Ltd, a unit of RRJ Capital Master Fund II, L.P., according to Dunkin’.
The deal was noted Wednesday by Janney analyst Mark Kalinowski, who cited an overseas report about it in the Nikkei Asian Review. Kalinowski said the deal would significantly expand Dunkin’ Donuts’ international presence; the chain ended the most recent quarter with about 3,200 international locations.
In the U.S., Dunkin’ Donuts had about 8,000 locations at the end of the quarter. The company has been expanding domestically as well, and recently opened its first traditional location in Southern California.


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Basically, after Apple releases the new OS X to the public this fall, using a Mac should remind you more and more of using an iPhone or iPad.
But it's not just a facelift. Some of the most exciting updates involve adding features your iPhone already has. OS X is the most phone-savvy desktop operating system today: Macs can now make and answer calls and send text messages straight from the computer with any of your contacts -- even if they're using devices running Android, Windows or Blackberry.
A new Notification Center -- yep, just like the one on your iPhone or iPad -- lets you take a quick look what's happening in all your programs.
Apple's presentation also gave us our first look at a new Dropbox-like system for storing files online called iCloud Drive, which lets people organize documents by folders and tags and synchronize them across iOS and Windows devices.
Source: huffingtonpost.com By Taylor Casti


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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. As 2020 draws to a close, we take the opportunity to thank all of our readers, contributors, and advertisers for your fantastic support during the year.
Throughout the printing, signage, and packaging industries, we will look back at the year with mixed emotions and opinions. Some will feel angry at what 2020 threw at them and how forces outside their control cost them part or all of their livelihoods. Others will feel gratitude that they have made it through the year alive, their businesses and jobs intact, and in better shape than they feared.
We take pride in the fact that we could produce 11 issues of New Zealand Printer Magazine this year. We also feel grateful to PrintNZ for collaborating with New Zealand Printer to host the year’s only physical event: The People in Print and Rising Stars of Print Awards, which took place on December 1 at Sorrento in the Park at Maungakiekie in Auckland.
Despite the successful development of vaccines, the future remains uncertain. The economy has moved out of recession and we hope it will continue to recover and provide a vibrant business environment. Meanwhile, our industry professionals continue to do what they do best: create awesome printed products.
We will return with more online news on January 14 and a busy edition of New Zealand Printer Magazine in early February.
From the team at New Zealand Printer Magazine, we wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year


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The Los Angeles School Board of Education has announced a new program that will see 640,000 school kids given free iPads. 31,000 of those will be given out this year, while the other 609,000 will be issued by the end of 2014. The program comes after a $31 million deal with Apple.
All items tagged with "Program"
Apple has announced that a “very small number” of 1TB Seagate hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail under certain conditions. The problem only applies to systems that were sold between May 2011 and July 2011. My own 27-inch iMac purchased in June 2011 is affected by this recall.
For complete information about the recall click the read link.


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The Scottish Government is being urged to suspend its support for increased production in the salmon farming sector. It comes as a new report claims the impact the industry has on employment and the economy has been hugely overestimated.
Exports of Scotch whisky hit a record high last year, according to new figures. Analysis of HMRC data by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) found exports grew 7.8% by value to £4.7bn. The number of bottles exported also reached record levels, growing by 3.6% to 1.28 billion.
The Scottish government has confirmed a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) on a farm in Aberdeenshire. Movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm, while further investigations are carried out, the government said in a statement.
A study into employment patterns of non-UK workers showed that 58% of Scottish seafood processing business employees come from other countries of the European Economic Area (EEA).
Oil firms BP and GDF Suez have announced the discovery of a new field in the UK Central North Sea. The find, which spans adjacent blocks operated separately by the two companies, has been flow-tested at a maximum rate of 5,350 barrels per day.


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Kohl's President Sona Chawla to Leave in October
By Colin Kellaher
Kohl's Friday said Sona Chawla will step down as president in mid-October to pursue other opportunities.
Ms. Chawla, who joined Kohl's in 2015 as chief operating officer, has been president of the Menomonee Falls, Wis., department-store operator since May 2018.
Kohl's also Friday said Paul Gaffney will join the company in mid-September as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer.
Mr. Gaffney was most recently chief technology officer of Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS).
Write to Colin Kellaher at firstname.lastname@example.org


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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Thursday (Aug. 30) that it will allow manufacturers to sell diesel engines that don’t meet federal emission standards.
As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the ruling will allow Navistar International Corp. to sell its non-compliant engines by paying a maximum fine of $3,800 each — double what it has been paying.
“We can now provide our dealers and customers with clarity and certainty as we transition to our clean engine technology and look forward to utilizing the Final Rule as needed,” Troy Clarke, Navistar president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
The fines will not be retroactive, so Navistar will not have to pay extra for the non-compliant engines it has already sold.
The company’s heavy-duty engines are used in school buses, commercial trucks and other vehicles over 33,000 pounds. The company is also parent to RV manufacturer Navistar RV.
Navistar has non-compliant engines because technology it developed failed to meet 2010 emission standards to reduce smog-causing nitrogen oxide.
That technology cost it approximately $700 million since 2001. Navistar changed its course after reporting a second-quarter loss of $172 million. This month, the Lisle-based company said it would combine its technology with the approach used by its competitors to further lower emissions and get its engines certified. Navistar is also buying a competitor’s engines to meet the standards.
The EPA issued an interim rule in January that allowed manufacturers to sell non-compliant engines as long as they paid a fine of $1,919 per engine. Navistar competitors, including Mack Trucks Inc. and units of Daimler AG and Cummins Inc., successfully sued federal regulators, claiming that the agency was giving Navistar preferential treatment.
So, the EPA increased the fine Thursday.
In a statement about its final rule, the EPA said: “This flexibility allows manufacturers to continue producing and selling engines that come close to air pollution standards as they work toward full compliance.”


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Can Anyone Beat Netflix? One Bollywood Studio is Going to Try
One of Bollywood’s biggest studios is betting it can win the online streaming race.
Movie-crazy Indians see Bollywood hits any way they can: crowding around family TVs, piling into dusty village cinemas and swank New Delhi multiplexes, borrowing bootlegged versions friends stash in mobile-phone memory cards. They’re just not in the habit of paying to watch online.
Kishore Lulla plans to change that before Netflix does.
Encouraged by an activist investor, the executive chairman of Eros International Plc is making its Eros Now streaming service a priority — shelving a plan to create an old-fashioned television network to focus on video-on-demand optimized for mobile devices and priced for widespread adoption. The idea is to use the Mumbai studio’s bulging catalog of more than 2,000 films and new, exclusive series to build a critical mass of devoted users before Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. plant their flags in the world’s second-most populous country.
“We thought, ‘We have the market share, we have the movies,”’ Lulla, 53, said in his London office on the city’s Georgian-era Manchester Square, looking every bit the mogul in a crisp, open-necked white shirt and slip-on shoes. “Why don’t we create our own platform?”
Thanks to a production machine built by his father Arjan, who founded Eros in 1977, it releases upwards of 70 movies a year — more than any U.S. rival. Eros is “exactly where Netflix wants to be in the next three to five years,” Lulla said. “I’m already there.”
Since a largely marketing-free soft launch about a year ago, Eros Now has attracted more than 26 million users. The official hard-sell unveiling was in July, with promises that movies will be available to stream immediately after they hit theaters. Promotions tease new digital series including “Khel,” a drama about “the twisted characters that populate the world of cricket,” and “Ponniyin Selvan,” based on a 2,000-plus-page novel about an ancient Tamil kingdom.
A basic, ad-supported tier is free, while premium services cost from 50 rupees (about 80 U.S. cents) to 100 rupees monthly. Prices are higher outside India, where there’s opportunity in diaspora communities. In the U.S. it’s $7.99 — which happens to be Netflix’s base cost.
But Eros Now can’t be a straight-up Netflix clone. For one thing, there’s the music. Songs from Bollywood films, set to elaborate dance routines, usually dominate the top of the Indian charts, so the app has sections for listening to tracks and watching music videos. …
… read on at bloomberg.com


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Earlier today we noted that two different Web metrics showed MySpace losing ground, and remarked that the News Corp. (NWS) unit, which normally works hard to promote growth statistics, hadn’t squawked in protest. Two hours later came this press release: “MYSPACE MARKET SHARE GROWS IN TYPICALLY INACTIVE PERIOD”.
We’re running the full release at the end of the story, but we’ll sum it up here: The headline isn’t accurate — there’s no data showing MySpace’s market share increasing. But Nielsen does show MySpace’s unique traffic up in December (we believe this means Nov.07/Dec.07). And MySpace remains far ahead of Facebook in uniques and page views; it remains the biggest social networking site in the world.
But our story didn’t doubt that MySpace was a big, popular site. It did worry that MySpace’s growth curve was over, and that the site may be losing ground to competitors. And here’s what the release doesn’t say: The numbers showing a y/y drop in page view growth*, or a drop in our market share, are wrong. And our growth rate is increasing.
The release also doesn’t talk about MySpace’s revenue growth, but it should, because that has increased, and not just because of the $900 million Google deal. During News Corp.’s Q1 earnings call in November, the company said display ads at the site were up 32% y/y. If it can keep that pace up, then investors will be less worried about page views and market share.
* We did talk to a MySpace exec who pointed out a number of changes the site had in the last two months to its design — basically, a series of Facebook-like “feed” features — that made it easier to interact with other users without leaving your homepage. Unspoken but clear message — those changes are good for the site’s usability, but will cut down page views.
MySpace release follows:
**MYSPACE PROGRAMMING NOTE**
MYSPACE MARKET SHARE GROWS IN TYPICALLY INACTIVE PERIOD
December Figures Show Increased Market Share, Greater User Engagement and 95% User Return
New data shows MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, increased traffic by approximately 3 million unique users to 60.2 million in December 2007 (Nielsen Netratings)—typically a slow period for social networks. Hitwise data, also released this week, shows MySpace remains the dominate online social destination, commanding more than 75% of the market share in 2007.
Data from Nielsen Netratings (December 07) shows:
MySpace leads in the “Loyalty Matrix” (time spent per person combined with visits per person). During the month of December the average user spent over two hours and fifteen minutes on MySpace.
MySpace’s closest competitor is behind by nearly 40 million unique visitors, +7 billion minutes spent on the site and +24 billion page views.
MySpace is up 9% in unique visitors compared with December 2006.
Data from Hitwise (published 1/16) shows:
MySpace averaged +76% per cent of all U.S. visits in 2007 to social networks.
95% of MySpace traffic is from returning visitors—the highest of any social network in the +50 Hitwise monitors.
See Also: MySpace’s Growth Curve: Over?
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