text:
The Trail of Lights is back in Austin, but H.E.B. stores are asking for your help to keep the celebration around.
This weekend, if you shop at H.E.B. stores, you'll be asked if you'd like to add an extra $1, $3, or $5 to your total bill. All of that money will go toward the Trail of Lights fund for this year's celebration and for years to come.
H.E.B. Public Affairs Specialist Leticia Mendoza said it's important to maintain such an important tradition.
"It's about family and it's about tradition, and I think that's what makes it so unique," she said. "I think everyone can go back to a memory of their first Trail of Lights experience, and being able to share it with their parents, their grandparents and now with their children. And with it being dark the last two years, being able to bring that back, it's like being a kid all over again."
This year, children who visit the Trail of Lights between December 16 and 23 will get a free book from H.E.B.


text:
Retiree Victor Goncalves, 67, works in a printing shop at the ...
Feb 14th, 2012
(Reuters) - Retiree Victor Goncalves, 67, works in a printing shop at the Alfama neighborhood in Lisbon February 14, 2012. Goncalves receives a state pension of 400 euros ($525) each month but still needs to run his printing shop to support himself. Three years ago, he used to have 280 customers daily but today, he only sees 30 customers every day. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante (PORTUGAL - Tags: SOCIETY BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) -
NEW YORK (AP) - The Victoria's Secret Angels worked their magic on the catwalk Wednesday, weaving between chart-toppers Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy and some fancy sets and stage tricks, yet somehow kept the spotlight mostly on themselves. (Source: Associated Press)... [Full Article]
Computer scientists have developed an audio malware prototype that's capable of establishing communication between devices that do not have an active network connection, Ars Technica reports. Instead, the lab-created malware uses the built-in microphones and speakers to send out a high-frequency signal from an infected computer to a different sourc... [Full Article]
Gone are the days when a sinewy blacksmith would hammer out a set of horseshoes over a hot anvil. One Australian racehorse is now sporting high-tech horseshoes that some are calling "the Jimmy Choos of horseshoes," referring to the luxury shoe designer. Designed by researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organiz... [Full Article]
Apple's Retina-equipped iPad mini is still in short supply at the start of the holiday shopping season. AppleInsider flags a note from Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore, who surveyed more than 100 retail outlets over the past few days to figure out both supply and demand for a range of Apple products during one of the biggest shopping weekends o... [Full Article]

domain: news


text:
Freephone (9am-9pm) 0800 389 5811
Posted on 27th Oct, 2012 by Jackie Jolliffe
The event, which took place at the former G-MEX centre on 23 – 24 October, is one of the busiest wedding fayres in the UK.
Attracting thousands of visitors every year, the wedding fayre at G-MEX welcomed over 100 exhibits of which Limo-Scene was only one.
The wedding cars on display was a Silver Regal and a Blue Roofed Convertible Beauford.
Co-owner Jacqueline Jolliffe said: “The Manchester Wedding Show is always a unique event. There is no wedding show quite like it – with hundreds of wedding enthusiasts at the fayre.
“Vehicle lovers saw a sample of our beautiful fleet.”
In addition to a range of wedding cars, the fayre included chocolate and champagne fountains, ice sculptures, wedding suits, photography, engagement rings and wedding DVDs.
And the fayre even had an exciting fashion show, which was on a total of six times over the weekend.
There was plenty of food and drink for guests, with glasses of champagne being served throughout the weekend. There was also an on-site bistro and as well as the G-MEX being surrounded by bars and restaurants.
Limo-Scene is also showing off its cars at a wedding fayre at Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium on 14 November. There will be wedding cars such as a Pink Regal on display.
The wedding cars for hire are available for discount if they are used for airport transfers, hen or stag parties or a journey from a wedding reception to a honeymoon suite.
For more information contact firstname.lastname@example.org. Alternatively call Jackie on 0800 511 8668 or 078202051 to hire a vehicle or to arrange a meeting.


text:
The Apple Event in 2021 is expected to be a huge one. Every September, the firm holds a hot-ticket hardware event, albeit no official invites have been sent out yet. The iPhone 13, Apple Watch 7, and AirPods 3 are expected to be unveiled during an event in mid-September, according to most indications.
Apple separated its top launches into a series of virtual keynotes last year, and while we’re still expecting numerous Apple events before the end of the year, the September episode will be the one that most people are interested in.
These activities are likely to be virtual because Apple’s office reopening has been postponed until January. Apple has already held two virtual keynotes this year: the Spring Loaded event in March, which revealed Apple AirTag key finders and the colorful Apple iMac 2021, and WWDC 2021 in June.
Following its September presentation, Apple might announce further speculated items such as the MacBook Pro 14-inch 2021, MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021, and iPad mini 6 in October or November (or both).
Apple fans should expect some exciting times in the coming months as a result of the influx of new products. But, because there’s a lot to remember, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know about the remaining Apple Event 2021 plans below.
What to expect from Apple 2021 event?
Apple’s fall events are usually held on Tuesdays. According to one rumor, Apple will host its iPhone 13 event on September 14, but we’ll have to wait and see whether this is true. If this report is accurate, Apple event invitations might be sent out as early as this Tuesday (September 7).
Between September 15 and November 10, Apple revealed the iPhone 12, Apple Watch 6, and M1 MacBooks in three different online premieres. iPhone manufacturing delays, according to many supply chain sources, may have played a part in Apple’s 2020 event strategy.
According to a DigiTimes story, Apple will do the same thing again, but on a much tighter timeline. According to reports, the firm will have “a series of product launch conferences in September.” However, we don’t know how reliable the DigitTimes information can be!
Apple iPhone 13 series
The next iPhone is Apple’s most anticipated announcement in 2021. We have a very solid idea of what to expect from the iPhone 13 range thanks to various stories and leaks. We anticipate four iPhone 13 variants will be released in identical iPhone 12 sizes.
All four versions are expected to have a smaller notch, a quicker A15 Bionic processor, bigger batteries, and enhanced 5G connectivity. Models of the iPhone 13 Pro might also feature an always-on display, dynamic 120Hz refresh rates, and a better ultrawide lens.
There are a few more dubious rumors going around. While in-screen TouchID is said to be off the table, Apple is said to be testing new Face ID technology that works with masks, making it easier for consumers to unlock their iPhones while part of their face is hidden.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 13 will include satellite communications, which would allow the phone to send messages without using cellular data; this capacity will allegedly be used as part of a new emergency texting function.
For a more in-depth look at probable new iPhone features, see our guide to the 7 biggest iPhone 13 rumors you need to know, as well as our iOS 15 beta review for all the confirmed changes on the way. For those smartphone photography aficionados, we’ve compiled all we know about the iPhone 13 cameras.
Apple AirPods 3
Finally, the AirPods 3 are expected to be released in September. Apple may solidify its claim to the best wireless headphones available with an update of its entry-level earbuds, following the success of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
The AirPods 3 are said to have gone into commercial production in August, while current-generation AirPods are being phased out. However, with the emergence of counterfeit AirPods, it’s impossible to know whether additional leaks are true.
According to some rumors, the AirPods 3 would resemble the AirPods Pro sans the eartips, while others claim the AirPods 3 will include flexible eartips. There are also contradictory reports on whether active noise cancellation is included.
Most of the key aspects of The AirPods 3 are expected to be included in the iOS 15 release. To offer a more dramatic experience, the buds might enable Dolby Atmos and spatial audio. Automatic switching, Headphones Accommodation for enhancing delicate noises and frequency changes, and Hearing Health, which has been upgraded to provide alerts while listening to music that is too loud, are all features we’d anticipate.
Apple Watch Series 7
The Apple Watch 7 is expected to be the most advanced Apple Watch yet. Although there haven’t been as many intriguing Apple Watch 7 leaks as there have been for the iPhone 13, we do know of some potential upgrades.
To begin with, the Apple Watch might be getting its most significant makeover in years. The curved screen chassis will be gone, according to numerous sources, and the Apple Watch 7 will have flat sides to better match the iPhone’s design language. The Apple Watch 7’s display will also be flat, and a “new lamination process” that brings the watch’s display closer to the top cover might help.
Another report from Weibo claims that the Apple Watch 7 will be available in two additional bigger sizes: 41mm and 45mm. This would be larger than the Apple Watch 6 and Apple Watch SE’s 40mm and 44mm sizes. The bigger proportions, along with a new double-sided S7 CPU, may eventually provide an increase in battery life.
Will this be enough to make the Apple Watch 7 the finest smartwatch in the world? Even if these big design changes aren’t seen, the watch will still come with watchOS 8. A new Mindfulness app, precipitation alerts, support for digital keys, multiple timers, and other features are included in the newest wearable software.
The Apple Watch 7 appears to be the most likely of the items indicated here to be pushed back to a later Apple product event. According to a rumor, the Apple Watch 7 might be delayed owing to manufacturing issues, leaving it unclear when the company would reveal and ship its newest wearable.
- Apple secures Arizona and Georgia to digitize State IDs and Driving License
- Apple will let reader apps link users to the web to sign-up
- Amazon to proactively remove inappropriately content from AWS
- Crust Network: Everything you need to know
- NASA’s space mining company to bring Moondust to Earth


text:
Finally here and with the highly touted UltraPixel* camera in tow, HTC’s newest flagship phone is ready to hold its own. Well, on paper, at least. But how does it compare to everyone else’s flagship?
While the newly named UltraPixel* may be its billboard feature, the One also wins the the battery and pixel density breakdowns respectively with a 2300mAh lithium-ion battery and 468ppi screen.
Price is yet to be determined. Obviously, a phone can’t be judged on specs alone. But if what we’re seeing so far holds up, HTC may just have a winner on its hands and in your pockets.
*no such thing.


text:
Innovation increasingly means looking at how best to use, conserve and reuse materials to help protect our environment. The IT industry has been a significant source of environmental damage, but is now transforming itself. It has responded to the need to develop better sustainable IT, from manufacturing to services to decommissioning – and to support the circular economy for devices and equipment.
“It is at the core of what we believe in, how we drive our operations globally and how we build our products,” said Roberta Zouain, sustainability lead for client segments at Intel. The company has been working for decades on improving environmental standards, and is keen to use this experience to play a role in leading the sector into the new circular economy, she explained.
“In our manufacturing process, we have set a target of zero emissions for scope 1 [direct emissions] and scope 2 [energy use] by 2040, as well as upstream scope 3 emissions by 2050,” Zouain said. Intel is already at 93 per cent renewable electricity use across its global operations and is working to raise that in locations where the supply of renewable energy is still limited. Intel has a goal to reach 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
Water is another key component of the manufacturing process and a finite resource that requires conservation. “As of last year, Intel has treated and returned to communities 107 per cent of the water that we use,” Zouain said. “We have also made significant progress on waste. Only 6 per cent of the waste generated by our global operations goes to the landfill; we aim get to zero waste to landfill by 2030.” This reduction has been driven by effective recycling, repurposing of materials and minimising Intel’s impact on the environment.
Sustainable design is critical to ensure products meet the needs of customers and support the company’s own work on sustainability. Intel develops reference designs internally to use with PC manufacturers. “As part of this process, we really try to tinker and find out what are the changes that can help move the needle in driving more sustainable products and reducing the carbon footprint of those reference designs, which then in turn can help influence designs from our partners,” Zouain said.
These design changes can also ensure that PCs are easier to repair, and can even reduce the energy use in internal components such as cooling systems. As a result, Intel has exceeded the US’s Energy Star standard and is committed to further improving the efficiency in each generation of products.
Software, products and services can contribute to environmental conservation, too. “What we do from a business client perspective is really think about how we can provide tools that can help with sustainable IT operations,” Zouain said. One example of this is Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT), part of the Intel vPro platform, which allows problems to be addressed remotely without someone having to be sent out to fix them, even if the operating system is down. “We calculated that a single unplanned round trip to repair a laptop is the equivalent of two years of energy use for that same laptop in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
Remote repair and maintenance can have other benefits too. University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust is moving to Intel vPro-based systems. The trust’s journey started in 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic struck the UK. Intel vPro was a transformational change for healthcare environments where strict infection control had previously meant IT engineers could only access equipment when an area was clear of patients and staff. The impact of the pandemic underlined the value of being able to remotely repair IT systems, ensuring smooth hospital functions and protecting staff and patients. Intel vPro systems have now been installed in over 200 devices across sites including operating theatres and intensive care units.
Decommissioning PCs is the closing of the circle that starts with sustainable design. “We work with our partners to ensure that after a long and repairable life, PCs can be broken down easily into reusable parts and that the data is cleaned to ensure security,” Zouain said. Intel is providing solutions so that customers don’t have to destroy storage drives or the entire device, which has historically been common practice when it comes time to disposing of a PC.
Intel has also just introduced a new technology called Intel Platform Service Record, which takes some lessons from the used car market and applies them to IT. When you buy a used car, you can get a report about how many miles were driven, preventive maintenance, if it was ever in a crash or written off. As a result, the prices for used cars and the used car market changed significantly because people understood what they were buying. The Intel Platform Service Record logs where and when that PC was created, how many times it was restarted or powered on, the repair record and other important information on performance. “This will help customers making decisions around repairing, recycling and repurposing that PC, and hopefully help maximise its residual value,” Zouain explained.
Intel is using these lessons in sustainable design, manufacturing and decommissioning to collaborate with partners and governing bodies in defining industry standards for sustainability. “The key for us is to demonstrate that sustainability and performance can work together, so that repair and reuse become a bigger part of how we work with IT. With the built-for-business Intel vPro platform we can support the long and productive life of IT and provide good customer service, both in the cause of a more sustainable sector,” Zouain said.
Learn more about Intel vPro at www.intel.com/vpro


text:
Insurance carrier Metromile and Ford Motor are teaming up to provide Ford connected vehicle owners with personalized car insurance to be more affordable and fairer.
The agreement with Ford is Metromile’s first with a major manufacturer; Ford’s models are the most popular domestic make among Metromile customers. Since its launch in 2012, Metromile has used telematics across all of its policies; through artificial intelligence, it delivers real-time, sensor-based pricing based on more than 3 billion miles of driving.
Owners of eligible Ford vehicles with built-in connectivity will be able to opt in and connect their vehicle to Metromile. The insurance company will then accurately and securely count any miles driven directly from the vehicle’s odometer without any additional equipment. Currently, Metromile customers who don’t have factory-fitted connectivity in their vehicle, connect the Pulse device, a small wireless device, to their vehicle’s onboard diagnostic port.
Eligible Ford owners can save $741 a year on their car insurance on average because they pay per mile, according to a recent survey of new customers who saved with Metromile. Metromile’s work with Ford aims to go further and bring drivers more value from their connected vehicles beyond lower usage-based insurance rates.
Metromile customers also benefit from Metromile’s claims assistant, AVA. AVA uses artificial intelligence to verify claims within seconds accurately and guide drivers through filing a claim, including collecting damage photos, finding repair shops, or scheduling a rental car when relevant. Metromile can resolve and pay claims faster because it can reconstruct the scene of an accident as a “virtual witness,” helping to remove ambiguity from car accidents, disputes or liability concerns.
Metromile customers can also use Metromile’s app, which includes free smart-driving features to enhance their driving experience. Drivers can avoid parking fines with street-sweeping alerts in select cities and find their lost or stolen car. Metromile boasts a 92% stolen car return rate.


text:
The story took off, and now seems to be crashing, even faster than Herman Cain’s presidential campaign. Pay TV’s three biggest distributors — Comcast, DirecTV, and Dish Network — aren’t interested in carrying Netflix, industry news service SNL Kagan reports. That could dampen some of the excitement about the idea that built up this week after Reuters said that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings “has quietly met with some of the largest U.S. cable companies in recent weeks” to talk about having them offer his video streaming service. It added that by year end at least one cable company could offer Netflix on an experimental basis. The story grabbed everyone’s attention: Hastings recently told an investor group that cable operators would love to become less dependant on HBO — and offering his streaming service “might be very powerful, especially as we have more original content.”
A pay TV alliance with Netflix would have far-reaching ramifications. Analysts speculated that it might lead Time Warner to offer its HBO Go streaming service directly to consumers, instead of requiring them to subscribe first to cable or satellite. If Comcast picked up Netflix, then it would raise questions about the cable giant’s faith in the streaming service it recently launched, Streampix. Similarly, Dish execs would have to explain how Netflix could co-exist with their own Blockbuster rental and streaming service. But if these heavyweights are out of the picture, then it’s hard to see how Netflix could build a meaningful business on pay TV. Comcast, DirecTV, and Dish account for about 56% of the country’s 100M pay TV households. You get up to 60% if you throw in Verizon’s FiOS, which presumably won’t want to help Netflix while it prepares to introduce a rival video service in a joint venture with Redbox.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.


text:
Pinterest has bagged itself an exclusive membership into the billion dollar club, after being the latest company to be valued at over $1 billion (£630 million) after raising $100 million in a financing round.
With the funding led by Japanese e-commerce agency, Rakuten Inc, Pinterest's decision to enlist Rakuten's services paid off, given the company's global presence and its assistance in increasing the awareness of the content-sharing site. Along with participants including Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners and FirstMark Capital, plus a number of other investors, this now puts Pinterest's worth in the billion dollar arena.
"While some may see e-commerce as a straightforward vending machine-like experience, we believe it is a living process where both retailers and consumers can communicate, discover, and curate to make the experience more entertaining," said Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani in a statement today. "We see tremendous synergies between Pinterest's vision and Rakuten's model for e-commerce. Rakuten looks forward to introducing Pinterest to the Japanese market as well as other markets around the world."
When the Financial Times asked what Pinterest would offer Rakuten's stores, Mikitani said: "Search is still the main driver for us. We are always looking to make our site more interesting. Pinterest is a little bit different from Facebook. Pinterest is more targeted. They use beautiful graphics very effectively to create interest circles. They are extremely good at it. Because of that, the traffic coming from Pinterest probably will have a very high conversion rate. That is why I think they are very good at this discovery shopping."


text:
The real-life Rudy made quite a pretty penny off his game-worn gear.
Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger only played in one, famous game for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This weekend, the gear he wore on the field that day netted him more than $200,000.
According to the Associated Press, Ruettiger’s jersey and helmet from that 1975 win over Georgia Tech sold for $241,500 during an auction at the Super Bowl in Houston.
Ruettiger had teamed up with Hunt Auctions through the NFL Auction at the Super Bowl in Houston, joking that the move also got him a trip to the Super Bowl.
His father had been storing the helmet and jersey the former walk-on wore Nov. 8, 1975, in a case. Ruettiger took those items when his father died, and he decided it was time to part with them knowing they would mean something to somebody.
Some of the proceeds from the auction go to charity, but still, not bad work for Ruettiger.
This is the second time Rudy has found himself in the news recently. A couple of weeks ago, it was revealed he converted to Mormonism.


text:
WASHINGTON – U.S. retail gasoline prices increased for the first time in seven weeks, as the recent sharp rise in crude oil costs was passed on to consumers, the government said on Monday.
The national price for regular unleaded gasoline jumped 2.2 cents a gallon over the last week to $1.917, the first rise since May 24, according to the Energy Information Administration's (search) weekly survey of service stations.
The Energy Department's (search) analytical arm said pump prices are 40 cents a gallon higher than a year ago.
The rise at the pump mirrored the increase in crude oil prices, which have shot up about $3 a barrel in the last two weeks.
Oil accounts for almost half the cost of producing gasoline, and the higher prices finally reached consumers at the pump.
Oil for delivery in August hit $40.75 a barrel on Monday at the New York Mercantile Exchange (search), the highest since June 3, until traders took some of their profits and the price settled down 46 cents to $39.50 a barrel.
The EIA's weekly report also showed the retail price for cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline, sold in polluted metropolitan areas, declined 0.3 cent to $2.017 a gallon.
The West Coast had the most expensive regular unleaded gasoline, with the price down 1.2 cents to $2.124 a gallon. San Francisco topped the agency's city survey of gasoline costs, but the price fell 2 cents to $2.22 a gallon.
The U.S. Gulf Coast had the cheapest fuel by region, with the price up 2.1 cents at $1.805 per gallon. Houston had the lowest pump price at $1.748 a gallon, up 0.9 cent.
The weekly report also showed gasoline prices were down 1.3 cents to $2.037 in New York City, down 5.2 cents to $1.992 in Seattle, down 0.2 cent to $1.981 in Miami, up 2.7 cents to $1.945 in Chicago, and up 4.6 cents to $1.862 in Cleveland.
Separately, the EIA survey said the average pump price for diesel fuel increased 2.4 cents to $1.74 a gallon, up 31 cents from a year earlier.
Truckers on the West Coast paid the most for diesel fuel at $2.04 a gallon, up 3 cents from the prior week. The lower Atlantic states had the cheapest diesel at $1.67, up 2.1 cents.


text:
The United Way’s third annual Back-to-School Supply Drive is taking place now through Monday, Aug. 26.
Individuals can purchase and drop off new school supplies at the United Way’s public drop-off location within Target at Sangertown Square. The drop-off zone is set up at the guest service area in the front of the store.
Businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate by setting up an internal drive by emailing AdamL@unitedwaygu.org or calling 733-4691, ext. 224.
Starting Thursday, Aug. 1, text the word “United” to 52000 and $10 will be added to your cell phone bill and donated to United Way’s Back-to-School Supply Drive to purchase supplies for local children in need.


text:
Wargaming is continuing it’s push down under with local servers and full support. But what’s driving the interest in Australia? GamePace spoke with Wargaming’s Jasper Nicolas to find out.
So Wargaming is a pretty big deal. The strategy game developer — which started operating in 1998 but didn’t really start making noise until the 2010 release of World of Tanks — is slowly spreading out of Europe, into North America (where it’s already making a splash), and down into the Asia-Pacific region, which includes Australia.
Tanks? Really? No! Really?
Anyone at PAX Australia this past weekend may have been taken back by the massive Wargaming booth smack-bang in the middle of the main hall, taking up much more space than anyone else showing off their wares.
There’s a reason Wargaming had such a big presence at PAX Australia, just as it did at E3 in Los Angeles a month earlier. Wargaming wants to take its tools of the trade to gamers the world over, and passionate gamer hubs like Australia are high on the Belarus-based developer’s agenda.
“When we came out with World of Tanks and started talking to global publishers about it, they were like, “No way! It’s not going to work. Tanks? Come on!”
Admit it: just as Wargaming.net’s Asia-Pacific GM, Jasper Nicolas, claims, Wargaming games, like World of Tanks, are always going to be a tough sell.
“Nobody could imagine themselves being embodied in a tank.”
Therein lay the challenge for Wargaming founder and CEO Victor Kislyi: make a not-so-appealing concept the most addictive strategy game on the market. When you have someone at the forefront leading the charge, according to Nicolas, it makes all the difference in selling a quality product to a cautious audience.
“Victor would say, ‘I believe the concept of our game and I believe it’s going to be massive,’” explained Nicolas. “And that’s why we rolled it out.”
Tankin’ it in Down Under
Aussie gamers are often complaining about something: prices, censorship, late release dates, slow internet speeds. Rightly so, it’s a community frustrated at the sometimes lacking support from international games companies.
Wargaming, however, acknowledges the passion among the community down here. Nicolas says that the typical Aussie gamer’s ability to stick it out, despite the frustrations, is enough to justify Wargaming’s push south of the equator.
“Australia has always been very open about participating in the beta service in North America, when play conditions were at 400-milliseconds, up to about 800-milliseconds. At that point nobody would play in that condition, would they?”
“Australian gamers have stuck with it [poor internet]. We recognise the fact that Australians deserve better” – Wargaming’s Jasper Nicolas
The online lag — the rage-inducing internet roadblock that’s been frustrating Aussie gamers for years — is a big part of the shifting Wargaming philosophy: it wants to reinvigorate the sentiment towards online competitive gaming.
“Australian gamers have stuck with it,” Nicolas continues. “And two years hence I thought, now is the perfect time to showcase it and give back to the Australian playing audience that World of Tank is here, Wargaming is here, and it’s here in a very clear and fully supported way.”
One of the biggest stories to come out of PAX Australia was the announcement of local servers for Wargaming’s titles. The company plans to have its own servers in Australia — “in whichever state is best suited” — because the current infrastructure isn’t good enough to keep the local (and passionate) gaming community on even footing with other regions.
“We recognise the fact that Australians deserve better,” Nicolas said.
If you’re online, chances are you’re part of a community. You may not even realise it. Even if you play Call of Duty predominantly alone, you’re part of that community of players: you each shape the way the game is played, relative to the skills of the opponent.
The online community philosophy, something we’re seeing both Microsoft and Sony push hard on with their next-gen consoles, has existed far longer in the PC landscape. It’s also why we shouldn’t disregard the importance of community in an online environment because it’s part of the push to get Wargaming down here.
“You guys are a great community, you deserve triple-A content, you deserve full support, you deserve to have all the things we do on a global scale be done here,” Nicolas said.
When you’re working on eight different countries, as Nicolas is, the differences in how gamers approach a game like World of Tanks shine through. Each country behaves differently in the online space, shaped by different cultures and understandings of the world. While Australia is “unique” and “independent”, its isolation makes it especially appealing.
“There’s no limit to what we can do as a community. Because as an independent company, we can do more than what governments are able to do. So I’m really glad about that. I’m glad to showcase Australia as the piece to the rest of the world that, despite its isolation from the rest of the world, it yet can be connected online and into the Asia-Pacific community.
Off to console we go…
Last month at E3, Wargaming announced World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition. While hardly a surprise — war games have helped define the Xbox brand for more than a decade — it seemed like a tough transition for a series so firmly embedded in PC game design.
However, Wargaming has acknowledged the differences in PC and console gaming, according to Nicolas, and they recognise the changes that needed to be made to the wider experience.


text:
In September, California signed into law a bill that, effective 2023, will allow student athletes to profit off their own name, image and likeness. Although student athletes are currently prohibited from such pursuits, the NCAA’s board of governors voted unanimously in October to direct each of its divisions to update bylaws and policies to permit students the opportunity to benefit. This article is from interviews with four senior executives from leading influencer-marketing companies to help student athletes think about how they can start today to build their brand.
- Student Athlete
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation


text:
FDA Talks Tough To Tyco, Cites Baxter For QS Lapses In Warning Letters
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Baxter has implemented 100% leak testing as part of its efforts to respond to a recent FDA warning letter that detailed quality systems infractions
You may also be interested in...
Tyco Healthcare Group subsidiary Radionics should stop shipping certain products that FDA believes pose sterility concerns, the agency suggests in a warning letter dated March 8 and released March 26
The Environmental Working Group and Scientific Analytical Institute say inadequate testing of talc-containing personal-care products is to blame for findings of asbestos in cosmetics, including three of 21 powder-based cosmetics SAI analyzed at EWG’s request. They continue to push for updated testing standards that include electron microscopy as a core component.
Can Atlas Biomed unlock Japan's self-care market with its direct-to-consumer DNA and microbiome tests? HBW Insight catches up with the company's co-founder and CEO to discuss this and also how Atlas has been driving its European expansion plans despite coronavirus.


text:
The Apple iPhone X has the most colour accurate display on a smartphone, says DisplayMate. The OLED display on iPhone X has also been found to offer the highest full-screen brightness of 634 nits, improving the screen visibility in Ambient Light. In comparison, the Galaxy Note8's Super AMOLED display has a full-screen brightness of 423 nits with manual brightness and 560 nits of automatic brightness in high ambient light.
The iPhone X's home screen has a brightness of 726 nits while small portions of the screen area can produce up to 809 nits. The Galaxy Note leads here with a brightness of 1,240 nits for small portions of the screen area. The OLED display on iPhone X also has the lowest screen reflectance among all smartphones, scoring high in areas like screen readability, picture quality and overall colour accuracy in ambient light.
The iPhone X is the first iPhone to feature an OLED display in favour of the LCD display found on all other iPhone models. It sports a 5.8-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. which is taller than the 18.5:9 aspect ratio found on Galaxy Note8's Super AMOLED display. With iPhone X, Apple has adopted diamond sub-pixels for enhanced sharpness and higher peak brightness.
In Super Dim Setting, the OLED display can get as dim as 2 nits using the brightness slider but tends to exhibit a shift in colour when viewed off-angle. Apple has also published a support document detailing the shift in colour, which is natural with OLED displays and the eventual possibility of burn-in and different ways to mitigate it. DisplayMate also notes that Samsung Display needs to be appreciated for developing and manufacturing the best OLED display hardware yet for the iPhone X. However, what set it apart from the display found on Galaxy Note8 is the display calibration done by Apple.
Other observations by DisplayMate include that the iPhone X's OLED display works with polarised sunglasses in both portrait and landscape orientations. It notes that the iPhone X has the best performing smartphone display that DisplayMate has ever tested and gives the display A+ grade, highest ever for a smartphone display. It notes that the display is impressive "with close to Text Book Perfect Calibration and Performance."


text:
World Pork Expo returns
By KRISS NELSON
The World Pork Expo is back after a two year hiatus.
In 2019, the event was cancelled for precautionary reasons to keep African Swine Fever out of the United States, and 2020 the show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the National Pork Producers Council is giving the green light for the three day show to go on and is planned for June 9, 10 and 11 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
“It is great to get back into the event,” said Doug Fricke director of trade show marketing for the National Pork Producers Council’s World Pork Expo. “There is an excitement of producers and exhibitors to get together. It has been a long time since we have been able to do this and everyone seems very excited and we are looking forward to a great event. We are focused on safe and valuable show.”
The World Pork Expo focuses, Fricke said on the production side of things within the pork industry.
“Our focal point is really on producers and their operations and how the industry can help each other,” he said.
In that effort, exhibitors tend to introduce a lot of new products during the show.
“That is kind of the tendency of the World Pork Expo. It is a real great opportunity for producers to see what is the latest and greatest coming out from each of the companies,” he said. “It varies across the board each year.”
Professionals in the pork industry will be the first to have access to the latest production and management strategies at this year’s World Pork Expo. This year’s line-up of PORK Academy and business seminars gives producers the opportunity to learn more about topics such as sustainability, data, industry collaborations, nutrition and more.
“One thing I would suggest is go to worldpork.org and take a look at the seminar listings for each of the days we offer seminars,” said Fricke. “There are opportunities on Wednesday and Thursday to catch various seminars. I would say if you only have one day to come, take a look at that schedule of seminars and see if there is something on one of those particular days you have interests sitting in on.”
The Varied Industries Buildings on the Iowa State Fairgrounds is the main indoor space of the World Pork Expo with hospitality tents and outdoor exhibits located along Grand Avenue as well as along the east and south sides of the Varied Industries building.
“It should be a great event,” said Fricke. “We have a sold out facility.”
The big grill area will be moved this year and will now be located on the west side of the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center.
Fricke said they also encourage people to pre-register at worldpork.org.
“This will help alleviate standing in line when you get to the show,” he said. “You can have your name badge which is good for three days either picked up on site or sent to you by mail.”
Please Enter Your Facebook App ID. Required for FB Comments. Click here for FB Comments Settings page


text:
After finishing up a complete restoration in 2012, LeDomaine is now the first hotel in Europe to offer guests Google Glass during their stay.
A robotic butler (dubbed a Botlr) has started work at the Aloft hotel in Cupertino, California.
TripAdvisor has rolled out its green hotels program across Europe for the growing body of guests who want to travel with a conscience.
High-end luxury meets the Florida theme park crowd at a new Four Seasons Resort Orlando that recently opened within the Walt Disney World Resort.
The hottest new design hotels in town have been identified with the release of this year’s shortlist for the European Hotel Design Awards.
Google has introduced a new feature for smartphones and other devices which will help users get more familiar with the area around their hotel.
Le Bristol Paris’ resident white male Burmese cat welcomes a female friend to the luxury hotel.
Hilton Worldwide is going high tech. Guests will soon be able to use their smartphones to access their hotel rooms.
New York’s famous Plaza Hotel now has its own version of Monopoly, aptly called Plaza-opoly.
Four Seasons Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, the debut property for the luxury hotel brand in the emirate, is taking reservations for stays from December 1.
Luxury hotel The Peninsula Tokyo has launched a PR campaign for their littlest guests by inviting characters from Pokémon to invade their hotel.
A newly released list of the most extravagant 101 hotel suites in the world is a telling look at how the rich and famous travel.
Triple Creek Ranch in Darby has been ranked as the top hotel worldwide by the Travel and Leisure Magazine’s reader survey.
After several months of renovation and construction, the Peninsula Paris will open on August 1.
A luxury floating hotel is set to open in Bahrain this fall and is being seen as a potential test run in advance of the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
LVMH Hotel Management has announced the reopening on October 15 of Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France.
Four Seasons has unveiled its new Vacation Rental website to enable guests to browse and select their urban residence or resort villa of choice.
SIX SENSES HOTELS RESORTS Spas will open its first European location in Portugal. The opening of the resort is scheduled for next year.
A few forward-thinking hoteliers are launching World Cup-themed menus, opening special viewing lounges and broadcasting games live.
Destinia.com has introduced the first hotel booking app for Google Glass.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Bold ideas to redesign Seaholm intake, other public spaces
Send this story to a friend
(Page 2 of 2)
Jack Tisdale, with architecture firm STG Design Inc. — the company leading the larger Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment — said the area is currently a black hole in downtown Austin, isolated from everything around it and largely unused.
"Austin now has a downtown with a lot of critical mass," said Tisdale, citing the city's long-standing, though often challenged, policy of encouraging development downtown.
Whatever the trend, it's certain that large portions of the city and it's public space will soon resemble the artist renderings hanging at city hall and less like the city many recognize today. That has some worried about issues that go along with change, and others excited for what's to come.
"We have a vibrant downtown now, we still have a long way to go," Tisdale said. "But we have a critical mass now. The trend now is for bigger and hopefully better. I only see a bright future for Austin's downtown."
Robert Grattan covers government, courts and economic development for the Austin Business Journal.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- West Austin: The most educated place in Texas
- Food trucks gone; is construction imminent on new office tower?
- Lyft, Uber in Austin may soon be legal
- Wall Street exec discovers her retail muse with new Austin store
- Ulta, HomeGoods set to open in retail center snatched up at auction
- EZCorp to cut undisclosed number of jobs within 60 days
- As Uber, Lyft proposal moves forward, taxis wonder why rush?
- Meet Rina Patel, Wells Fargo
- Uber, Lyft legalization set for council vote
- Summit Hotel acquires first Austin property — and it's a big one
Sign up to receive Austin Business Journal's Morning Edition and Afternoon Edition newsletters and breaking news alerts.
Credit Analyst/Underwriter PeopleFund | Austin, TX
Work For: ChannelAdvisor ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Sales Representative ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Director, Capital Marketing AIC Ventures | Austin, TX
Clinical Neuropsychologist-Per Diem (RWW) ResCare | Austin, TX


text:
In a recent announcement, Ford Motor Company will operate primarily as a truck company. This is because a number of its best selling vehicles are trucks. Over the last several years, Ford has been able to receive high sales figures for all of its pickup trucks and commercial vehicles. As a result, of this scenario, Ford will no longer make sedans such as the Taurus, Fusion, and Fiesta. Instead, it will just make the Focus Crossover. The company believes that due to low sales figures and financial constraints, investing in sedan production for North America is not worth it anymore. However, the Mustang will still be in production. As a result, consumers who enjoy the Mustang will not have to worry about this car being discontinued since it is a bestseller.
The last few years have seen Ford continue producing a number of top vehicles. However, a vast majority of these vehicles have been trucks. Today, Ford produces vehicles such as the F-150 which is arguably the top-selling pickup truck in the United States. All of these trucks have consistently been among the top-selling vehicles for the manufacturer. Due to the trucks being a top-selling vehicle, Ford will continue to produce its trucks and make it the primary vehicle it manufactures and distributes in the coming years.
While a number of Ford’s sedans such as the Fusion and Taurus will be discontinued, cars such as the Mustang will remain in production in the future. This car is one of the most popular vehicles on the market and Ford understands that it will be important to leave this car in production. As a two-door sports coupe, it has been ranked as one of the very best vehicles in its class. It is also the best selling car of the manufacturer’s product line. Therefore, it will remain as one of the primary vehicles that Ford will continue to market and sell to consumers in the coming years.
Over the next few years, Ford will continue to update the car so that it continues to meet the needs and preferences of its customer base. Last year, Ford discontinued the V6 model which served as its base trim level for many years. Today, the car is offered at four trim levels. These trim levels are the base model Ecoboost, the Ecoboost Premium, the GT and the GT Premium. Each of these trim levels offers between 310 and 400 horsepower and manual or automatic transmission. These will be the primary trim levels for the next several years.
Still Available to Purchase
Ford’s recent announcement has assured that consumers who are fond of the two-door sports coupe will be able to purchase it for the upcoming years. This serves as good news for car enthusiasts who are into high-performance vehicles. While the manufacturer will elect to stop producing the traditional sedans, it will keep its sports coupe intact. As a result, anyone looking to get this car will be able to take advantage of the opportunity in the coming years.
During the upcoming years, Ford will continue to look into producing vehicles that will sell and make it profitable. Today, it is looking to develop a new white space vehicle that will combine characteristics of higher ride height, space, and versatility. The company has concluded that trucks, commercial vehicles, and its two-door sports coupe will meet these criteria. With this new approach, Ford hopes to increase its revenues and remain as a highly successful auto manufacturer according to its team of executives.
The executives of Ford have expressed their intention to facilitate steady growth and profitability. They believe that in order to reach this goal, the company will need to focus on producing vehicles that will consistently sell and bring in steady revenue. Over the last few years, it has realized that the trucks have been its top source of revenue and are looking to build on this situation. However, it will still look to produce other vehicles as long as they are bringing in revenue and raising the company’s profitability.
Ford plans on adding new workers to a number of its plants in order to increase the productivity of its top-selling models. There are a number of plants within North America that are looking to hire a number of auto workers to help accelerate and maintain the manufacturing of their vehicles. With this influx of additional workers, Ford will be in a position to reach its production goals and make the vehicles that will make money for the company.
Mustang Still Relevent
While Ford is looking to stop production of some of its models in order to focus on truck production, it will keep the two-door sports coupe in its line. This will help the company continue making money on one of its most popular vehicles. Since the two-door sports coupe is among the top-selling vehicles in the class and for the company, it will remain as a staple of Ford’s vehicle production for the foreseeable future. As a result, both the company and its customers will benefit.


text:
Yang Ming Headlines
News / Yang Ming the latest carrier to see its bottom line sink into the depths
Taiwanese ocean carrier Yang Ming has become the latest container line to report a heavy ...
News / Scrapping may make a comeback as smaller containerships lose their appeal
Non-operating owners of ageing gas-guzzling small containerships are likely to renew their interest in scrapping ...
News / Threat to container charter market as carriers drift towards heavy losses
While container shipping lines face soaring operational costs, recent signs that they are preparing to suspend ...
News / Yang Ming opts for greener containerships as it renews its charter fleet
Taiwanese ocean carrier Yang Ming has signed long-term charter agreements for five 11,000teu and five ...
Recommends / Box ship bound for Sydney loses 86 containers overboard in storm
Residents along Australia’s New South Wales coast woke up to find car parts, clocks and ...
Comment / Market Insight: The potential for another Hanjin is still there, right?
It is no surprise that Maersk CEO Soren Skou recently urged governments to stop subsidising ...
News / Yang Ming sails back into the black with a $500m improvement
Taiwanese carrier Yang Ming returned to the black in 2017, reporting increased revenues and volumes. It ...
News / Carriers start to defer ULCV deliveries in the face of overcapacity and softer demand
Where contracts allow, ocean carriers are starting to postpone deliveries of new ultra-large container vessels ...
News / Global fleet capacity to bulge as more containerships are delivered in 2018
There will be a 5.6% growth in container fleet capacity this year, according to scheduled ...
- 1.ONE container carrier network now predicting loss of $600m in its first year
- 2.DSV takeover bid for CEVA Logistics rebuffed, but CMA CGM eyes bigger stake
- 3.Market Insight Exclusive: Revealed – the AP Møller-Maersk Group reorganisation
- 4.Analysis: APMM vs GE – dinosaurs, but heading for extinction?
- 5.Market Insight: APMM restructure may be a real opportunity for Kuehne
- 1. Brendan Tout on Roll-out of new UK customs declaration system too slow as Brexit looms
- 2. David Maughan on Roll-out of new UK customs declaration system too slow as Brexit looms
- 3. Gavin van Marle on Samskip targets intra-Europe shortsea traffic with new Italy-Netherlands rail service
- 4. Capt.Bill Waldmeier... on Samskip targets intra-Europe shortsea traffic with new Italy-Netherlands rail service
- 5. Akeo on Guest blog: how blockchain can strengthen supply chain links


text:
A national outdoor advertising firm, CBS Outdoor, is expected to financially benefit from the passage of SB 329, a bill that would allow alcohol advertising on New Hampshire billboards, however, seventh graders Hanna Martuscello and Kylan Mastro of Dover Youth to Youth have just as much at stake; they pass three billboards on the bus ride to school every day.
Hannah and Kylan testified against alcohol advertising on NH billboards Wednesday before House Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
“These billboards would be one more way we’re exposed to alcohol advertising,” Hannah said.
The seventh graders mentioned how they’re already “smashed in the face” with alcohol ads in magazines, TV, radio, Pandora, and social media. They brought a visual display of alcohol ads and poked fun at the “Enjoy responsibly” disclaimer lost to vivid imagery of people achieving social acceptance by drinking.
Merrimack High School students Adam Floyd, president of the MHS SADD chapter, and Nick Masella, president of the MHS senior class, also testified in opposition to SB 329 on behalf of their school and community.
“Because we are students at Merrimack High School, we have witnessed firsthand the effect of underage drinking on individuals,” Masella said.
Floyd and Masella raised concerns that alcohol advertisements on billboards in Merrimack will encourage underage alcohol use, present a risk to people in recovery, and deface the New Hampshire image.
According to the Partnership for a Drug Free New Hampshire’s “Check the Stats” Campaign, NH ranked 2nd in the nation for the past month alcohol use among 12-20 year olds.
“Research has established that greater exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to an increase in drinking among underage youth,” Linda Saunders Paquette, executive director of New Futures said afterwards. “Limiting youth exposure to alcohol advertising is an effective preventative measure.”
The sale of alcohol is New Hampshire’s fourth largest revenue source, but it comes with a high cost. A report by economist Brian Gottlob of PolEcon Research found that the cost associated for excessive alcohol consumption in NH is $1.15 billion per year, outpacing the revenue it generates.
An estimated 113,000 residents in New Hampshire need access to substance use disorder treatment.
“You can’t build a business on substances like these unless you get people to use them heavily,” Paquette said. “To do that, you have to start them young.”
The Beer Distributors of NH, the Granite State Brewers Association (representing 31 local brewers), and other NH-based groups also oppose SB 329. Scott Schaier, executive director of the Beer Distributors of NH, mentioned that the beer industry wants to be part of the solution.
“Our beer distributors here in NH are committed to being part of the solution to underage drinking and we take our responsibility to protect our community very seriously,” Schaier said.
“There is no broad based support for this bill from any NH based group associated with the beverage alcohol industry and this proposed repeal offers no tangible economic benefit to the state of New Hampshire. In fact, we see the repeal of this long standing law as a potential threat to our family friendly image and valuable tourist brand which must be protected for the long term economic success of local businesses and our NH economy.”
Peter Egleston, of Smuttynose Brewing and the Portsmouth Brewery, opposes SB 329.
“You may be surprised to hear this coming from the owner of a brewery, but I feel there are more important matters at stake than whether producers of alcoholic beverages are allowed to use our lovely state’s public highways to promote their wares,” Egleston said.
Nicole Carrier, co-founder of Throwback Brewery, also opposes SB 329.
“I would expect that the large, multi-national brewers / spirit makers (with the big budgets) would jump on this new form of advertising in our state, driving up the prices to the detriment of the smaller businesses,” Carrier said.
“We can’t ignore the fact that it really doesn’t make sense to have big billboards on the highways advertising whisky or rum or beer when our society still deals with issues like drunk driving.


text:
Two timeless American classics meet at the return of Roger Dean Stadium’s 5th annual Baseball and Brews event.
The event was created because craft beer has become very popular and stadium officials wanted to join in on the fun, said Jeffrey Draluck, marketing and promotions manager for Roger Dean Stadium.
“Baseball and beer are a perfect combination, so why not hold an event that encompasses both things,” Draluck said.
Local brewers who will be offering samples include Twisted Trunk, Saltwater Brewery and Tequesta Brewing Company. The full list of beers will be announced throughout the week leading up to the event on Roger Dean Stadium’s Facebook page, Draluck said.
Participants must be at least 21 years old and will receive a complimentary souvenir tasting mug. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.
Festivities include a hot dog-eating contest and a keg relay race.
VIP ticket-holders will receive access to the Cassidy Cool Zone (a covered area), early entrance into the festival, a food and beverage package and a chance to sample beer varieties not available to general ticket-holders.
The beer tasting will be 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for general ticket-holders and 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for VIP ticket-holders.
General tickets cost $22 in advance or $27 at the door while VIP tickets cost $42. For those not wishing to drink, designated driver tickets are $12. Admission is capped at 1,500.
Roger Dean Stadium; 4751 Main St., Jupiter


text:
By Niket Nishant and Manya Saini in Bengaluru
(Reuters) -PayPal Holdings Inc said on Monday it will not fine users for misinformation and an earlier policy update that said customers could have to pay $2,500 in damages was sent in error.
“PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy. We’re sorry for the confusion this has caused,” a spokesperson for the company said.
According to several media reports last week, PayPal had published a policy update prohibiting customers from using its services for activities identified by it as “sending, posting, or publication of any messages, content, or materials” promoting misinformation.
The new policy, which said customers could have to pay damages of $2,500 for each violation, was supposed to go into effect on Nov. 3, the reports said.
PayPal’s former president David Marcus slammed the policy in a tweet on Saturday, saying the new policy “goes against everything I believe in”.
“A private company now gets to decide to take your money if you say something they disagree with. Insanity” Marcus tweeted.
Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla Inc chief who co-founded PayPal, tweeted “Agreed”, replying to Marcus’s tweet.
PayPal’s clarification was earlier reported by Bloomberg News.


text:
Who were the Fastest Rising Brands, Retailers & Categories of US Cyber Week 2019?
Cyber Week 2019 was another record setter in the US. Purchases from the top 50 US retailers rose +6% YoY…Learn more >
Black Friday 2019 – Multi Market Review: Who were this year’s retailer and brand winners?
Black Friday 2019 results are in with many claiming that online sales have exceeded expectations. Which markets and retail categories…Learn more >
Which new car buyer persona is best to target?
We are right in the middle of the holiday shopping season. While most consumers are after new kitchen appliances or…Learn more >
How can Hilton win back their online browsers?
How the battle of Airbnb vs. Hotels is influencing conversions The competition for getting travelers to book online is fierce.…Learn more >
Top Dogs in Online Pet Care
Pet care is one of the largest industries within CPG. According to the American Pet Products Association, total expenditure in…Learn more >
Fans Online Gear Up for 2019 Rugby World Cup
With the 2019 Rugby World Cup just around the corner, what are rugby fans across the world searching for? Rugby…Learn more >
Kroger vs. Walmart: Who is winning the online grocery war?
Walmart is the largest grocer in the United States for the third year in a row. Despite doubling-down efforts on…Learn more >
Building Beauty Brand Tactics
Beauty is continuing to expand online. Sephoraand Amazon both expanded skincare offerings by releasing new private-label products this year. Meanwhile,…Learn more >
Vegan Milk Demand Rises in the US
The rise of veganism in the United States is a trend that continues to blossom. In fact, 6% of Americans…Learn more >
Top UK Amazon Stats To Know Before Planning For Black Friday
Not many retailers come close to Amazon's sheer volume on Black Friday. In the UK, the e-tailing giant saw over…Learn more >
2019 Women’s World Cup: Online Analysis
It’s been heralded as the “most anticipated Women’s World Cup” in history. From June 7 to July 7, France will…Learn more >
In the Marvel Universe, is Endgame the greater blockbuster?
The latest installment of Marvel’s Avengers saga has become the studio’s highest earning blockbuster. Avengers: Endgame surpassed Black Panther and…Learn more >


text:
Fueled by back-to-school shopping ads for big-box stores and a constant flood of hot new trends on social media, modern-day shopping habits often feed the flow of fast fashion – the production of low-quality, low-cost clothing.
But as interest in thrifting and consignment shopping grows among young consumers, there’s a new group of influencers: young adults and even school-aged children sharing their finds from local thrift stores and larger chains such as Goodwill and Savers. Smartphone apps to help discover the best secondhand finds are thriving, and local store owners say young people are sparking conversations about sustainability and low-cost alternatives to shopping new.
One of those local merchants, Cathy Dubois, owner of Twice as Nice Designs in Pembroke, said her customer base has gotten younger and younger over the last few years, and her Facebook following continues to grow.
The market for shopping secondhand is expected to keep growing, says a recent report from online used clothing seller ThredUp. The market in the U.S. is predicted to double by 2026, bringing in about $82 billion that year. ThredUp found that 62% of Gen Z and millennial shoppers are searching for items secondhand before buying them new. Those two groups represent an age range of about 10 to 40.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent data from 2018 shows that about 17 million tons of textiles were generated that year and around 66% of ended up in landfills. Only around 15% of the textiles were recycled.
Uniquely local: Driven by recovery, Rockland couple make mocktails for all
Style meet sustainability
Shop owners are


text:
Destination XL Group Friday joined the chorus of retailers tamping down their fourth-quarter guidance based on poor traffic and bad weather.
The Canton, Mass.-based big & tall men’s wear retailer also said that Dennis Hernreich, executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, was leaving the firm. John Kyees, a member of DXL’s board and former cfo of Urban Outfitters Inc., will serve as interim cfo until a permanent successor is named.
Additionally, the company expanded the size of its board to 10 members with the addition of Will Mesdag as a director. Mesdag is managing partner of Red Mountain Capital Partners LLC, a Los Angeles-based investment advisory firm that, with 9.5 percent of the shares outstanding, is DXL’s largest shareholder.
DXL said that its full-year loss, earlier expected to be about 5 cents a diluted share, will come in between 11 and 13 cents, implying a fourth-quarter loss of 1 to 3 cents as opposed to a previously anticipated profit of about 5 cents. Expectations for full-year sales were trimmed $7 million to about $388 million, suggesting fourth-quarter sales of about $108.6 million.
Fourth-quarter comparable sales are expected to increase 3.9 percent, and 2.9 percent for the year. The full-year guidance was previously for a comp rise of 5 percent.
Destination XL has been converting its fleet of Casual Male stores to its larger, more branded DXL format. Stores operating under the DXL concept for more than a year are expected to generate stronger results, with comps for the quarter up 13.9 percent and for the year up 12.4 percent.
“During the key selling weeks between Black Friday and Christmas, store traffic was down approximately 4 percent from the prior year as a result of weather in some geographies as well as continued sluggish consumer buying behavior,” said David Levin, president and chief executive officer of the company. “This decrease in traffic, disproportionately impacted by the fact that the 2013 holiday season was shorter by six days compared with 2012, negatively affected Q4 sales.”
Additionally, a 10 percent increase in traffic during the company’s seven-week fall marketing campaign wasn’t sustained into the peak of the holiday selling period.
Addressing Mesdag’s appointment to DXL’s board, Seymour Holtzman, chairman, said, “Since becoming a shareholder, Will has been a strong supporter of our efforts to roll out the DXL concept. His deep experience in the capital markets and strong financial acumen, as well as his wealth of experience serving as a director for several public companies, will be valuable assets to the company as we execute on our strategy to profitably grow the business and enhance shareholder value.”
Mesdag spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs and was a securities lawyer at Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll.
Hernreich’s future plans aren’t known. He said that, having been involved in the company’s implementation of the Destination XL concept, “I now desire to pursue new challenges and opportunities.”
In midday trading Friday, shares of DXL were down 3.3 percent to $5.26 as the S&P 500 Retailing Industry Group contracted 2.4 percent to 869.29.
Breaking: @cushnieetochs’ co-founders @carlycushnie and @ochsmichelle are parting ways. After a 10-year run, Ochs is leaving the brand. Get the full story on WWD.com – link in bio. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
@maybelline’s Kanako Takase had snow bunnies in mind when creating the beauty look for @philipppleininternational. Playing off of the bedazzled snowboards in the collection, Takase mixed two highlighters together for a luminous sheen. #wwdbeauty #nyfw (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
“There’s a huge gap between the old way of doing things and today. It takes the youth to help evolve that. You have to count on the kids today to help lead you into the future. A lot of these retailers are stuck in the past. Communication is the biggest thing,” said @ronniefieg of @kith on the youth’s role in retail. On Monday night, Jeff Staple moderated a keynote session with Fieg and @syresmith at Assembly - a series of workshops, talks and keynotes addressing topics or issues in the apparel industry. Head to WWD.com to read more advice from Fieg and what Smith thinks of his dad @willsmith’s Instagram account and sustainability (📷: @weston.wells)
@joansmalls closed the @michaelkors fall 2018 show in black sequined pants and a varsity T printed with 19 on the front and 81 on the back. 1981 – the year Kors went into business. #wwdfashion #nfyw (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)
“You think your life is going to be a certain way, and nothing you thought would happen ends up happening. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be designing clothes and working with Mickey Drexler, and building something I’m deeply proud of,” said Jenna Lyons. Nine months after leaving @jcrew, Lyons is exploring the meaning of happiness. Read the interview, where Lyons talks about reinvention and more on WWD.com – link in bio. #wwdfashion (📷: Farrell) #jennalyons #jcrew


text:
Global health & beauty e-commerce store iHerb opened an office in Moscow. Key objectives for the Russian team will be further advancement of customer service and marketing activities.
"Opening office in Russia is an important step for our company. Our customers are the highest priority for us. iHerb’s office in Moscow allows us to get closer to our customers in Russia and be able to serve them at a higher level of quality and speed. " – says iHerb President Emun Zabihi.
The head of the Russian office is Ilya Mikin who has comprehensive experience in marketing and advertising in leading international and Russian companies. Before joining iHerb he was general manager of Maxima agency (part of ADV Group), head of BU Marketing at OZON and media director at Unilever.
"I am glad to join a very professional team of iHerb. Opening an office in Moscow shows the importance and growing perspective of the Russian market for the company. I believe that already in the near future our customers will see positive results of that move" – says the general manager of Russian office Ilya Mikin.
iHerb company was established in 1996. Today this is a global e-commerce store that specializes in health, beauty and also eco-friendly goods.
The assortment of iHerb exceeds 30,000 curated goods from 1,200 producers from the USA, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and France. The assortment includes natural and organic products of vitamins, supplements, grocery, sports, bath and beauty, and pets.
Today orders from iHerb are delivered to 150 countries. And people of 34 nationalities work for iHerb.
Russia is one of the leading countries for iHerb. Russian customers give one of the highest NPS scores to iHerb: about 80% are ready to recommend the store to their friends.


text:
The Royal Bank of Canada has expanded the functionality and availability of its cloud-based RBC Wallet. The service now runs on four additional NFC devices — the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1 and HTC One M7 — and customers can use the NFC wallet to make payments with their MasterCard credit card in addition to the existing Interac debit and Visa payment options.
- iPhone 6 teardown shows NFC chips from NXP — and AMS
- UL white paper explains Apple Pay
- Apple joins NFC secure element standards body
- Panasonic takes NFC to the air
- Tesco pilots QR payments


text:
The Joy-Con drift lawsuit brought against Nintendo has added the Nintendo Switch Lite — barely a week old — to its claims that defective design ruined the thumbsticks for the consoles.
The lawsuit now includes allegations culled from social media, YouTube and Reddit that says the thumbsticks on the Switch Lite are drifting after 20 hours of play. The suit, originally filed in federal court in July, seeks class action status.
“I beat Link’s Awakening over the weekend on my original Switch Lite system, I had only put like 20 something hours on it, and it started to show joy-con drift,” wrote one player cited in the complaint, on Tuesday. “Why is this happening earlier on than with the earlier Switch?”
“I can’t believe it, my Nintendo Switch Lite is already drifting,” said another. “I was playing BOTW and the camera kept moving without touching the analogue stick. I tried to calibrate and update the controllers but it was still the same.”
The firm of Chimicles Shwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith brought the lawsuit, which lists 18 plaintiffs in 16 different states, after a brief investigation this summer. That followed complaints and anecdotes about Joy-Con drift almost since the console’s launch in March 2017.
Joy-Con drift is when a thumbstick for the Switch’s stock controller continues to register input even though it isn’t being moved. This can cause significant gameplay problems. The lawsuit asserts federal claims of fraud and breach of warranty, as well as violations of state consumer protection laws.
Nintendo’s brief public response doesn’t address any specific claims in the lawsuit but does acknowledge the company is aware that “some Joy-Con controllers are not responding correctly.” The company has asked anyone affected by this to get in touch with its support department.
At the end of July, Nintendo was offering free repairs with no questions asked, according to an internal memo obtained and published by Vice.
A full copy of the new complaint is below.


text:
Consumer price inflation fell to 4.6% in July from 4.9% in June after a high of 5.2% in May, according to Statistics South Africa. This is well within the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) inflation target range of between 3% and 6% per annum, and only fractionally above the its preference for a midpoint of the range at 4.5% per annum.
The SARB tries to control South Africa’s inflation rate by setting rates to achieve its target range. The idea behind this is that interest rates are the price of money and the more expensive money is (based on higher interest rates) the less money will be chasing goods and services. When demand – expressed as the amount of money available – falls relative to supply, prices will fall. The opposite is also deemed to be true: lower interest rates makes money cheaper which increases demand relative to supply, pushing prices up.
Amidst high levels of uncertainty, low business confidence and sky high unemployment it appears that inflation is the one thing we don’t need to be concerned about … for now. But for how long will this remain the case?
In South Africa inflation is measured using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which calculates the total costs of a predetermined basket of goods and services used by the average citizen. Inflation is calculated by measuring the price in this basket over a 12 month period.
The three largest items in the CPI are housing and utilities which get a weighting of 25%; food and non-alcoholic beverages which get a weighting of 17%; and transport, which comes in at 17%. Combined, these three items account for 60% of the CPI basket.
According to the July CPI figures, housing and utilities inflation is at a reasonable 3.8%. However, electricity – a sub-component of housing and utilities – has seen a 6.2% year-on-year change which is at the upper limit of the target range. The year-on-year change for June was 13%.
Unfortunately electricity prices are unlikely to see any moderation. Regulations to allow entities to self-generate up to 100MW is likely to see the removal of ‘good payers’ from Eskom’s accounts which will put further pressure on the utility provider. It is only once the excess supply from these sources is fed into the grid that this will have a deflationary effect - and this is still some way off.
There are other factors impacting the cost of electricity. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter anticipates that the recent explosion at Medupi could add an additional R2 billion in costs to the beleaguered power utility. And let’s not forget the growing pushback against coal-generated power by evolving climate change perspectives which is forcing Eskom into earlier stage sustainable power sources than they might otherwise have decided.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation has moderated slightly to 6.7% after a high of 7% in June, the highest rate since June 2017. Food inflation has been rising steadily since the last quarter of 2020 with food inflation the primary driver of higher inflation figures in April, coming in at 5.2%. The rising cost of agricultural inputs such as energy, fertiliser and feed all have an impact on food inflation. The global maize price, in particular, plays a significant role in driving higher food inflation. Rising fuel prices also impact food inflation given that, in South Africa, much of our food is transported by road.
The good news is that global agricultural commodity prices are expected to moderate slightly in the second half of 2021 with South African agricultural commodity prices expected to follow suit. This augers well for local food price inflation.
Transport inflation in July was 8%, again above the upper limit of the Reserve Bank’s inflation target range. A rise in fuel prices results in an increase in transport costs and impacts the cost of any goods and services that rely on transport so it has far reaching impacts. Both food and transport are commodities led inflationary items.
A source with the potential to provide an inflationary surprise is the public sector wage bill. The 1.5% 2021 increase may appear to be a negotiated limited increase but once the monthly gratuity has been factored in, the real increase is more like 4.9%. This is likely to have an impact in terms of increased spending.
South African inflation dynamics, however, do not exist in a vacuum. The global context remains relevant, even if imports are currently lower than normal. The reason for this is that global inflation will find its way into South African inflation through the price of imported goods and services.
Inflation in G7 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, USA and the European Union - is currently running at 3.9%, against a historical average of 3.7%, so there are no alarm bells on this front.
A more useful metric to consider is to consider the countries that make up South Africa’s trade weighted rand. A measure calculated by the SARB, it has the euro at a 31% weight, the Chinese yuan at a 25% weight and the US dollar at a 10% weight. Any imported inflation is likely to come from these three currencies. German inflation – as a proxy for the wider EU – is currently at 3.8% per annum, inflation in China is currently -1.7% while the US is at 5.3%. Again, no major alarm bells.
The good news for South Africa is that inflation has been contained and does not require any traditional policy interventions. A big risk to South African inflation would be if the SARB’s mandate was adjusted to include some form of ‘full employment’ element which would force interest rates lower, inflation higher and would mean the target range would need to be adjusted. Encouragingly, this does not seem to be a likely scenario given recent comments from the SARB that the inflation target may need to be adjusted downwards.
This article, "Outlook on SA Inflation" was written exclusively for Finweek Magazine. It was published in the 24 September 2021 edition. You can access the original print coverage in English here, and in Afrikaans here


text:
New Guidelines Say Screening for Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy Is Not Recommended
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Latest Pregnancy News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
June 20, 2011 -- Routine screening of all pregnant women for vitamin D deficiency is not recommended, according to new guidelines issued by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Although vitamin D deficiency is considered common during pregnancy, the group says there is not enough good evidence to support widespread screening of all pregnant women.
Instead, the group says most pregnant women can ensure they're getting enough vitamin D by taking prenatal vitamins.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps the body absorb the calcium needed for healthy bone development. Most vitamin D is produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight. But people can also get vitamin D in the diet through fortified milk and juice, fish oils, and dietary supplements.
Vitamin D and Pregnancy
Severe vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been linked to abnormal skeletal development, congenital rickets, and bone fractures in newborns.
"Recent data suggests that vitamin D deficiency is common among pregnant women, particularly among high-risk groups such as vegetarians, those who have limited exposure to the sun, and women with darker skin tones," says researcher George A. Macones, MD, chair of ACOG's Committee on Obstetric Practice, in a news release.
The committee recommends that only groups at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency should be tested during pregnancy.
In their report, published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers say the problem is that there is no agreement on what the optimal level or safe upper limit of vitamin D supplementation should be during pregnancy.
Most experts agree that taking 1,000 to 2,000 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D is safe during pregnancy.
"Anything higher than this has not been studied," says Macones.
Until ongoing clinical trials on vitamin D and pregnancy are complete, he says most pregnant women can get enough vitamin D through sun exposure and prenatal vitamins.
SOURCES: Macones, G. Obstetrics & Gynecology, July 2011.News release, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


text:
The discussion about the results of the year for the Russian economy often begins with the question of why it weathered the consequences of the war and sanctions with relative ease. But is it easy? The real decline in economic activity, according to various objective indicators, ranges from 5% to 10% - this is a very serious drop.
Moreover, there are no prospects for any real growth; Putin has failed to create an alternative military economic model. All existing methods of stabilizing the situation - draconian regulation such as the abolition of the free convertibility of the ruble, import substitution, a pivot to Asia, parallel imports, circumvention of sanctions through third countries - are only temporary palliatives and cannot create a sustainable economic system. Apparent stabilization should not create illusions on this score.
First of all, a word or two about the "optical illusion" that accompanies such discussions. If you look at the spring forecasts, most economists did not talk about the complete collapse of the economy, like the collapse of the USSR, but rather about the onset of unprecedented economic difficulties. They have come and are progressing, there is nowhere to hide from them. Further: what is a catastrophe for economists (that very drop in economic activity by 5-10%, few economies in the world fall so strongly, and such a decline usually has far-reaching consequences), for the layman is not something noticeable to the naked eye. People have a different criterion - like food is still available in stores, salaries are being paid, which means that the “collapse” has not happened.
But the economic situation should still be judged by a deep analysis of growing trends, and not by the situation in a neighboring store, otherwise you may encounter an unpleasant surprise, as in the fall of 1991 or in August 1998. Then the trends were clear to everyone and were discussed in detail by economists, but for many Russians who were not immersed in economic subtleties, the complete disappearance of goods in 1991 and the default of 1998 fell like snow on their heads.
What trends are we seeing today?
First. To assess the situation, you should not use a narrow set of macro indicators that economic analysts love, but which in the current situation are manipulated or meaningless - some call them “Potemkin indicators”. First of all, GDP . In peacetime, GDP—consisting of profits, wages, and taxes—gives the economy a further multiplier. Profits are invested, salaries are used to buy goods and services, taxes are used to pay salaries to state employees and some kind of investment in economic projects. In wartime, the composition of GDP takes into account such factors as the production of weapons, ammunition, ammunition for the army, which do not create any multiplier for the economy. A wrecked tank, spent artillery shells, overalls for the military (for example, this year Russia is breaking records for the growth in the production of overalls due to the war) - all this, remaining in Ukrainian soil, does not add anything to the economy.
Therefore, talk that “the decline in GDP was less than expected” is meaningless. Forget about GDP, this is not an indicative indicator today. Economists should consider whether it is necessary to use the indicator of the dynamics of Russian GDP in any serious analysis now.
The same story with unemployment : although nominally it is a record low in the country, if we add hidden unemployment to it (and according to Rosstat, today there are 4.7 million hidden unemployed people in the country (this statistics can be found here on page 229), then it turns out more 8 million people, or more than 10% of the total workforce.The last time we had such a level of unemployment was in 1997-1999.Hidden unemployment is part-time work, layoff or leave without pay.70% of hidden unemployment is just unpaid vacations, which in fact are no different from unemployment.
The last time we had such a level of unemployment was in 1997-1999.
The authorities boast that they have "brought inflation under control." But the methodology of its calculation raises more and more questions. For example, the moderate decline in real disposable income (only 1.5%) announced by Rosstat does not correspond in any way to a stable drop in retail trade turnover of about 10% since April (these volumes do not recover) - it turns out that the Russians earned about the same as last year, but began to make 10% fewer purchases.
Of course, we hear from high rostrums about the “transition of the population to a savings model of behavior,” but it’s hard to believe — especially against the background of VTsIOM data that a third of Russians in 2022 began to save on food and basic services. Most likely, the explanation is that Rosstat discounts real incomes by an underestimated inflation rate - and if you put the real one, then incomes will fall by about the same 10% as retail trade.
The situation is similar with investments : the authorities report their growth (!) by almost 6% over the course of 9 months, although capital is flowing at a record pace since 1994 - the Central Bank predicts a capital outflow of $ 251 billion this year, and it would seem, what kind of investments in such an environment? That's right: if you look at the Rosstat data in detail, then investments are growing in everything that in one way or another can be connected with the war (railway transport, public administration and security, etc.), in construction, the rapid growth in investments in the first months of the year later disappeared to zero, and in such areas as manufacturing, trade, agriculture, telecommunications, there is an investment decline.
Well, the notorious " strengthened ruble ". In fact, the ruble exchange rate has become the main propaganda indicator for the authorities, designed to demonstrate that “everything is fine” and “we are not afraid of sanctions” – both to our own population and in the international PR space. However, firstly, the artificial strengthening of the ruble did not bring any benefit to anyone - only damage to exporters and the budget, which was officially recognized by officials. Secondly, it was achieved by draconian measures that actually destroyed the free convertibility of the ruble. Contrary to numerous praises of the "professionalism of the Central Bank", it is worth noting that the blow to the free convertibility of the national currency of Russia will be remembered for a long time, longer than the default of 1998, more than 30 years of currency liberalization have gone down the drain. And thirdly, there has never been any international demand for the ruble, and the reduction in oil and gas revenues is killing its prospects - since June, the ruble has depreciated by a third, depreciating from 50-odd to more than 70 rubles per dollar, and there is no further way but continued weakening, the Russian currency does not.
More than 30 years of currency liberalization went down the drain
What should be looked at outside the narrow circle of "Potemkin indicators"? For example, Rosstat continues to publish fairly detailed statistics on the state of affairs in the industry. It shows that the collapse occurred in all industries producing more or less complex products - not only in the automotive industry (a drop in production over 10 months is 66% compared to 2021), but also in transport engineering, engine building, household appliances, etc. .d.
All these industries, which have fallen due to the blocking of access to Western technologies and components, are very intensive in terms of jobs (complex assembly plants require a large number of skilled workers), in contrast to, for example, the food industry, which is easier to replace imports, but which has a large number of does not create jobs. The automotive industry alone, according to the government itself, creates about 3.5 million jobs directly and in related industries. And here we see that the manufacturing industry makes the largest contribution to the hidden unemployment already mentioned above: here, more than a million workers are on leave without pay. And in total, more than 25% of the payroll of workers in the manufacturing industry are subject to various forms of hidden unemployment.
More than a million workers are on unpaid leave
The fall began in the raw materials industry: coal production is reduced by 7%, natural gas - by more than 20%. The reason is the break in relations with the European energy market, the situation will worsen dramatically in 2023 due to the entry into force of the European oil embargo. For example, in a recent interview with RBC, the head of Otkritie Bank and ex-Finance Minister Mikhail Zadornov predicted a drop in oil production from 525 million tons this year to 475 million tons next. By the way, the interview is worth reading in its entirety, because Zadornov unexpectedly frankly described all the difficulties that sanctions create for the Russian economy and import substitution - he does not draw any particularly bright prospects.
There are deep problems not only on the supply side, but also on the demand side: retail sales have fallen by about 10% year-on-year since the spring, and the situation has worsened since the start of mobilization - as even Putin was forced to admit . Inflation after the spring peak has slightly rolled back, but now it has gone up again - this is shown not only by Rosstat data, but also, for example, monitoring the prices of fast moving consumer goods, which is conducted by Romir.
At a December press conference, the head of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina , lists almost all current trends as pro-inflationary - both the financing of the budget deficit from the NWF, and the mobilization and growth of costs in the labor market, and the restructuring of supply chains to Asia and the rise in the cost of logistics.
With the FNB, everything is also not very good: there are now so-called “liquid assets” (live money not invested in shares and bonds of state-owned companies) worth 7.5 trillion rubles. This year, the Ministry of Finance raised the estimate of the budget deficit to 2% of GDP, or almost 3 trillion rubles. And ahead - the oil embargo and the collapse of budget revenues. Due to the fall in economic activity, non-oil and gas revenues of the federal budget for 11 months fell by about 5% by 2021. The NWF will obviously be spent faster; and in fact, this method of closing the budget deficit does not differ much from the emission of money, which Nabiullina also recognizes. She also states that the state remains the main driver of investment today, private investment is falling. But the depletion of budgetary possibilities means that this process is finite.
The notorious import substitution is not working very well yet - as the data of the same Rosstat show , for the first 10 months of the year, the growth in food production amounted to 0.3%, drinks - less than 4%, meat, milk and eggs - 1-4%, clothes - 0, 5%, textile - less than 10%. The overall growth in agricultural production happened only due to the high grain harvest - the situation is bad for all other positions of crop production, there is either a decrease in production (sunflower, sugar beets) or stagnation (potatoes, vegetables). But for grain, the beautiful picture of the harvest will not last long - farmers complain about the decrease in the profitability of grain production due to export restrictions and containment of domestic prices, and despite the requests of the government, they are already reducing wheat and rye crops.
Against this background, in circles around the government, early victorious reports that Russia is “coping with sanctions better than expected” are being replaced by more gloomy talk that we have somehow passed 2022, but it’s not clear what’s next. The same Zadornov and Nabiullina speak about this, but, perhaps, the director of the ACRA rating agency Mikhail Sukhov formulated this most harshly of all in an interview with RBC: “The time period for the economy to reach the pre-pandemic level is beyond the five-year forecast. I don’t think it’s such a rosy picture.”
“The timeframe for the economy to reach pre-pandemic levels is beyond the five-year forecast”
Rainbow, of course, is not enough. Beyond the five-year forecast - this is, consider, never. The resolving predictive ability of Russian officials does not allow them to see growth on the horizon. The main result of the year is that, having somehow coped with the first blow, the Russian economy begins to look around and understand that there is no positive prospect. For Russians, this means one thing: they will continue to get poorer, and the quality of life will deteriorate. Forget about new foreign cars or the usual quality of cellular communications or the Internet, as well as many other familiar benefits of civilization.
In general, before the start of the war, calculations of the dynamics of real incomes of Russians showed that since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, our citizens have become poorer by 10-15% in real terms. Taking into account the actual (and not the Rosstat) assessment of the real purchasing power of Russians (if we focus on the landslide drop in retail sales), by the end of 2022, the inhabitants of our country turned out to be 20-25% poorer than in 2013. And there are no prospects for improving the situation (“it is beyond the five-year forecast”).
Such is the price of Putin's imperialism and geopolitical adventurism.


text:
Alabama has proposed a rule requiring out-of-state vendors that have a “substantial economic presence” in the state to collect and remit to the state use tax from Alabama customers. Defining “substantial economic presence” as meaning retail sales of tangible personal property in Alabama that exceed $250,000 per year based on the previous calendar year’s sales, the proposal is a direct challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1992 decision in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, which found that a business had to be physically present in a state before that state could require the business to collect use tax on its behalf.
“I think if this regulation is enacted, it will absolutely result in battles in court,” said Matthew Hedstrom, attorney in Alston & Bird’s State & Local Tax Group. “It’s unclear whether smaller retailers that would be affected by the regulation would want to spend money on litigation.”
Clark Calhoun, partner in the firm’s State & Local Tax Group, added: “The proposed regulation is different from the click-through nexus cases because it explicitly says a physical presence is not required, only a threshold amount of sales and some other activity within Alabama that doesn’t rise to the level of physical presence.”


text:
Lynne Fruth, president of Fruth Pharmacy, tells this week’s Video Forum about how the COVID-19 pandemic has made the drug chain’s contributions to the communities it serves more important than ever. Issues covered include Fruth’s coronavirus testing initiatives, efforts to expand pharmacy’s role in health care, and the threat to the profession posed by
For five of the past six years, Care Pharmacies has earned a place on the National Retail Federation’s Hot 100 list. In this week’s Video Forum, Mike Wysong, the company’s chief executive officer, talks about the reasons behind Care’s robust growth, collaboration among its members, and efforts to bolster sales outside the pharmacy department.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Before being named to her current position as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart Health and Wellness, Lori Flees spent more than two years as senior vice president and general merchandising manager of Health and Wellness at Sam’s Club. In a recent conversation with Mass Market Retailers editor-in-chief Jeffrey
In this week’s installment of our Video Forum, Debbie Weitzman, president of U.S. Pharmaceutical Distribution at Cardinal Health, talks about the company’s commitment to supporting all aspects of the pharmacy profession. Among the subjects covered are Cardinal’s expanding range of capabilities, the health care system’s performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the benefits of allowing
In this week’s Video Forum, Doug Hoey, chief executive officer of the National Community Pharmacists Association, talks about some of the issues confronting independent drug stores and the larger pharmacy sector. Scope of practice, DIR fees, and Rutledge vs. PCMA, which will be taken up by the Supreme Court in October, are among the subjects
On the verge of his retirement from McKesson Corp., Chris Dimos, president of retail solutions, talks about the company’s evolution, how to unlock the full potential of community pharmacy, and his plans for the future.
Jeff Leger, president of Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada’s largest drug chain, discusses recent developments at the company in this week’s Video Forum. The launch of Shoppers’ first freestanding health clinic, the retailer’s innovative home health care and beauty clinic formats, and the medical marijuana business are among the subjects covered.
Ronald Piervincenzi, chief executive officer of the United States Pharmacopeia, discusses the organization’s mission, new modalities of medicine and pharmacy’s role in the health care continuum in this week’s installment of our Video Forum.
In this installment of our Video Forum series, Rick Keyes, president and CEO of Meijer Inc., and current chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, talks about his priorities at NACDS, the response of his company and the industry to COVID-19, and the pivotal role that retail pharmacies will play in administering
This week’s Video Forum examines developments in the supermarket sector with Leslie Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of FMI: The Food Industry Association. Sarasin talks about the FDA’s recent move to improve food safety, the industry response to COVID-19, and the impact of shifts in consumer behavior.
In this edition of our Video Forum, Alex Gourlay, co-chief operating officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance and president of Walgreens, provides an update on the company’s strategic priorities — creating neighborhood health care destinations, accelerating digitalization, transforming the retail offering, and stepping up cost management efforts to free capital for reinvestment in the business.
In this installment of our Video Forum, Mark Griffin, president and chief executive officer of Lewis Drug, talks about the regional drug chain’s groundbreaking partnership with Sanford Health, meeting consumer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Lewis’ innovative guerrilla retailing strategy.