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Wednesday, December 16, 2020, Floor Covering Weekly
[Dallas] As part of Daltile’s ongoing digital and social media outreach, Daltile has partnered with well-known celebrity singer, songwriter and dancer Jason Derulo who featured Daltile products as the stage and backdrop for two of his recent music videos. Videos for his hit songs “Savage Love” and “Let Me Take You Dancing” were broadcast on Good Morning America and TikTok, and have been cumulatively viewed by more than 65 million people. Derulo is officially part of Daltile’s new “Style Squad”. Style Squad is Daltile’s most recent influencer campaign, made up of popular personalities who are fans of Daltile and have used various Daltile products in their own projects.
“Today’s consumers are heavily influenced by the opinions and projects of influencers, such as celebrities, designers, bloggers and media personalities,” said Amber Leigh Martinson, senior director of marketing for Dal-Tile Corporation. “As a marketing-savvy brand, Daltile is leading our industry in utilizing key influencers such as Jason Derulo to reach consumers. We prominently feature these influencers’ projects on Daltile’s digital and social spaces, showing the consumer that Daltile is a big player in style and design, offering the fashionable, on-trend products that consumers want. This type of digital/social presence helps further set our Daltile retailers up for success with our products, by reaching and influencing customers before they even enter retailers’ showrooms.”
Derulo filmed both of these music videos in his own backyard entertainment area which was designed utilizing the wrap-around-luxury of Daltile products. Derulo’s outdoor entertainment area includes a 75’ pool, a bridge leading from the pool to a covered entertainment area, a built-in bar, multiple big screen televisions and a spa. Daltile products prominently featured include:
–Daltile’s Panoramic Porcelain Surfaces XL Slabs, Statuario
–Daltile’s Absolute Black Granite, Natural Stone
–Daltile’s Uptown Glass, Mosaic Tiles, Hexagon, Ebony
“Daltile’s stylish product line is luxurious enough to be included in the design of a celebrity home, and also durable and functional enough to create a lasting outdoor paradise for entertaining guests – and shooting some high-profile music videos too!” concluded Martinson.
Click below to view Derulo’s music videos featured on Good Morning America and TikTok:
For additional information on Daltile’s Style Squad, visit: https://www.daltile.com/trend-hub/style-squad.


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(Editor's Note: This story is part of our #TireBiz30 in which we feature one archived story every day of September to celebrate Tire Business' 30th anniversary. Each story represents one of the most relevant news story published in our pages for that year.)
CHICAGO — Goodyear, in a dramatic move to regain lost market share and boost tire sales, will begin distributing several lines of Goodyear-brand tires through Sears, Roebuck and Co. stores April l.
The two American corporate giants announced the distribution plan March 3 at a joint press conference at Sears' headquarters in Chicago.
Sears, which operates more than 850 tire and auto centers in all 50 states, will stock seven lines of Goodyear passenger and light truck tires, including a newly redesigned Arriva all-season radial that will be sold exclusively through the huge retailer. Sears also will market the Corsa GT, Eagle GT + 4, Eagle GA, Eagle VRlZR, Wrangler AT and Wrangler HT lines.
The distribution agreement does not extend to Sears' Western Auto Supply Co. subsidiary and its Tire America and National Tire Wholesale units. Goodyear Chairman Stanley Gault said he expects Sears to sell between 1.5 million and 2.5 million Goodyear-brand tires in the first year.
Sears, the country's largest tire retailer, now sells 9.5 million tires a year, offering its own private label lines, as well as name brands such as Pirelli, Yokohama, B.F. Goodrich and Bridgestone—all of which it plans to retain.
Goodyear's decision to distribute its tires through a mass merchandiser is a radical departure from its longstanding practice.
For decades, the company steadfastly has stuck with its chosen distribution network - independent tire dealers, franchises and company-owned stores- instead of opting for other retail avenues used by competitors, such as warehouse clubs, discount tire chains and mass merchandisers.
Beyond Sears, the company said it has no plan to offer similar arrangements to other distributors.
By adding Sears to its distribution mix, Goodyear hopes to capture sales from customers it claims "rarely" frequent Goodyear stores and whose business will cause little disruption to its current dealer and company-owned retail network.
But in moving outside its traditional distribution channels, the tire maker risks losing the hard-earned loyalty of its 5,000 independent and franchise dealers, most of whom sell only the Goodyear brand.
"This dramatic step was not taken without serious consideration of the consequences for our dealers and company stores," said John Fiedler, Goodyear's executive vice president of North American Tires, who engineered the deal with Sears. "We believe the impact will be small and, in many ways, beneficial to our customers."
Goodyear also believes it had no choice. The tire maker has been unable to recoup a 3.2-percent decline in U.S. replacement market share (4.9 million units total) since 1987, a situation that, if it continued, could have affected Goodyear's ability to maintain its extensive brand advertising and research and development programs, Mr. Fiedler said. He expects the increased sales resulting from the Sears alliance to positively impact such activities.
Goodyear has tried several strategies to recapture the lost sales, including buying distribution and increasing its emphasis on automotive service, but none were successful, Mr. Fiedler said.
The most recent strategy, the addition of two non-Goodyear-branded economy lines-the All American and Concorde-failed to draw new customers and ended up diluting the focus on the Goodyear brand, the company said. The tire maker recently replaced those lines with Goodyear-branded tires at comparable prices.
Additionally, Goodyear said it has not kept pace with shifts in tire distribution that have occurred over the past two decades, including: the rise of warehouse clubs, the growth of discount tire chains; the decline of small independent tire dealerships and service stations offering tires; and the upheaval in mass merchandising.
"The simple answer is that the market is changing and we must change with it or become the victim of change," Mr. Fiedler said. Lining up with Sears made the most sense, he explained.
"This decision was made following extensive study that indicated the Goodyear-Sears combination would be the best in terms of minimal consequences to our current distribution," he said.
When compared with other alternatives, Sears offered a "unique synergistic match of two very loyal customer bases who have minimal overlap."
"Studies have shown that Sears' loyal customers are going to ·shop Sears for tires," said Mr. Fiedler. Sears auto centers reportedly replace about l.7 million Goodyear tires annually with other brands.
"These were sales going to our competitors," said Mr. Gault, "because the remarkable loyalty of Sears customers led them to buy the best tire for their needs from among those offered by Sears."
Mr. Fiedler said Goodyear's agreement with Sears doesn't lessen the importance the company places on its independent dealers.
"Goodyear has always considered the independent dealer as the foundation of its distribution and plans to continue that strategy in the future," he said. While Sears will get the Arriva line exclusively, Goodyear has no current plans to offer the mass merchandiser other lines such as the new Aquatred wet-weather radial or the Invicta all-season tire.
Mr. Fiedler said Sears will set its own prices on the Goodyear tires. "However, (Sears') pricing is very comparable to that of Goodyear dealers and stores," he said, so there should be no price erosion.
Sears will position the Goodyear tires as premium lines, said Forrest R. "Woody" Haselton, president of retail for Sears Merchandise Group. While not providing details, he said the company will promote the Goodyear lines "very aggressively."
The current arrangement is the first linkup between Sears and Goodyear since 1936.

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Bunnies are a popular gift on Easter, but now that the holiday is over one Chicago shelter said it’s preparing to rescue hundreds of unwanted rabbits.
Toni Greetis, vice president of the Red Door Animal Shelter, said people often don’t think through what it means to have a pet rabbit.
“Within a month or so, they become teenager rabbits and they’re full of hormones and they start biting, spraying urine and acting wild,” she said.
That’s when people rethink their decision, she said.
Some would-be owners release them into the wild, but Greetis said pet rabbits can’t survive outdoors.
Domesticated rabbits could eat a poisonous plant, be exposed to a parasite or fall prey to predators like falcons.
Greetis said last year Red Door rescued a little over 200 rabbits.


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Pet food innovation is now, more than ever addressing pet owners’ concerns about natural and nutritional ingredients as well as sustainability. As global population growth continues to stretch the planet’s resources, more consumers are considering the environmental impact of their diets.
These ecological demands are also evident among European pet owners, who are increasingly scrutinising the sustainability credentials of pet food, from methods of production to ingredients and packaging.
In Asia, pet owners are looking for functional benefits to help reduce the risk of their pets developing lifestyle diseases.
Meanwhile, in America, functional claims are helping pet owners take preventative measures to ensure their pets stay healthy and happy.
Discover more about the top regional innovations and the opportunities they present to your business.
In EMEA: Ecoing human food innovation with clean label and naturalness
Pet owners expect products to demonstrate sustainable qualities
Pet food brands are reacting to consumer demand for more sustainable pet food. Packaging is one obvious example.
Sustainable packaging for pet food is a significant purchase driver for pet owners across generations in the UK. It is a particular priority for younger cohorts, with 80% of pet owners aged 16-24 saying they would choose a sustainably packaged pet food over one that isn’t.
Actually, of the major European markets, the UK has recorded the largest share of pet food and pet product launches that feature ethical and environmental claims. For example, 33% of new products launched in the UK claimed to have recyclable packaging, against 12% in Europe (Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Spain and the UK) between February 2020 and January 2021.
Meanwhile, Italy is notable for its focus on launches with ethical-animal claims – as one quarter of the products launched featured an ethical-animal claim over the last year.
France has seen a particular focus on biodegradable packaging innovation that represented 4% of all pet food products launched last year, versus 2% for the rest of Europe.
The following product examples highlight these trends with sustainable packaging, ingredients and production.
Beco recently launched a range of wet dog foods in Tetra Pak cartons, claiming this packaging format has environmental benefits over the traditional metal can.
Cartons remain extremely niche in wet cat and dog food, featuring in just 2% of NPD in Europe in the 12 months to January 2021, and there has been a slight rise in launches over the last couple of years.
Purina Beyond Nature’s Protein Complete Food for Adult Dogs with Insects, Chicken and Broad Beans is made with natural ingredients including 30% insect, 28% vegetable and 42% chicken protein (Switzerland).
Pet Farm Family Complete Dog Food with Wild Boar is made with entirely traceable ingredients, produced using green energy and packaged without plastic (Czech Republic).
Pet owners want assurances about the naturalness of pet food
Over the past few years, consumers have been increasingly prioritising food and drink recipes that claim to be free of unwanted ‘nasties’, such as artificial additives and preservatives.
COVID-19 has elevated food and human safety to the forefront of consumers’ minds, and familiar attributes such as naturalness and minimally processed are building trust.
In Germany, for instance, 37% of pet owners look for products with all-natural ingredients. In parallel, pet food launches with natural-style claims have generally increased in Europe in recent years.
France is notable for seeing a recent growth in launches with all-natural claims to reach 9% of new product launches in 2020, and organic claims to reach 8% (versus respectively 7% and 4% for major European markets).
The UK and Spain are also busy markets for natural pet food launches.
Nestlé Purina recently launched its first organic pet food in select European markets, under its premium Beyond pet food brand: Purina Beyond Bio Organic Complete Adult Dog Food Rich in Chicken and Rice. Among the certified-organic content is rice, dehydrated poultry protein and salmon. The certification will help to engage with pet owners who are concerned about the sustainable and natural credentials of pet food. Purina’s Beyond brand was already positioned as a natural choice, but by adhering to this recognised standard of organic content, the brand has formalised the clean-label promise.
Organic claims in pet food and product NPD have been fairly stable in recent years. However, the arrival of a big brand like Purina in the ‘bio’ sector could prompt a wider surge of organic activity, as it’s a mark of confidence in demand for the standard.
Oak’s Farm Complete Adult Cat Food with White Fish is made with green energy and organic ingredients, including superfoods such as acai berries, green tea and calendula (Lithuania).
Scrumbles Tuna Complete Wet Food for Adult Cats is made with natural ingredients and features a 100% recyclable sleeve and pot. The product bears the Ethical Award and B Corporation Certified logos (UK).
In Asia Pacific: functionality and safety are in demand
Innovation helps owners to manage their pets’ health
The continuing trend in Asia towards pet humanisation, where pets are adored and regarded as companions, friends and members of the family, is driving interest in foods that can help to prevent lifestyle illnesses and diseases.
Pet owners are increasingly looking for pet foods and products that promise to help their pets stay happy and healthy, including through aiding digestion, ensuring a healthy skin and coat, along with preventing teeth and gum issues. The fact that 41% of pet owners in Thailand look for pet food with added benefits illustrate this trend.
On the other hand, the functional pet food innovation landscape recorded a fall in 2020, highlighting the room for innovation. Indeed according to Mintel GNPD, the share of pet food and pet product launches in Asia featuring functional and plus (eg added vitamin) claims has broadly increased in recent years, but many functional claims (eg digestion, joints/bones) saw reduced activity in the year to January 2021.
Of the major markets in Asia, Japan and Thailand have recorded the highest share of functional claims in pet food, with China and South Korea recording the lowest.
In Japan, Unicharm recently launched AllWell cat food products. The recipes feature a patented formula that claims to be the world’s first ‘dietary fibre blending technology’ to reduce the regurgitation of meals. The brand claims that by reducing regurgitation, it is ensuring that cats are able to absorb all of the nutrients present in the cat food, thus avoiding malnutrition.
The Unicharm AllWell range is available in variants that are appropriate to a variety of ages, lifestyles and functional needs. The prevention of regurgitation and consequent loss of vital nutrients is something that could appeal strongly to cat owners who are concerned about the physical wellness and resilience of their cats.
Coté’ Seoul Chi-ka Gum Collagen Stick for Skin & Coat contains flaxseed and collagen to help improve skin and hair, along with vitamins, calcium and iron (South Korea).
Yakult Eats On Pets Petkult Liv Probiotics for Dogs & Cats is formulated with 10 types of live probiotics including Yakult and patented HyPet probiotics (South Korea).
Concerns about the safety of pet food and products inspire innovation
Just as the quality and safety of human food is of a heightened concern to Asian consumers as a result of COVID-19, pet owners have become more anxious about the safety of pet food.
For example, in China 94% of pet owners consider food safety a top priority when purchasing pet food.
They are prioritising pet food and products that reassure them that the product has been manufactured in a clean and safe environment, with quality ingredients.
Pet brands in the region are responding to these kinds of concerns by adopting ‘clean-eating’ trends from human food innovation, such as reducing additives and preservatives; formulating with natural, organic, and GMO-free ingredients; and highlighting toxin-free formulations.
Among all of the pet food and pet product launches in Asia to feature a natural claim, the no additives/preservatives claim is most prolific, especially in the Chinese and Japanese markets.
India has recorded a significant number of all-natural launches, while organic claims have a relatively sizeable presence in South Korea and Thailand – although organic claims represent a relatively small share of overall launch activity.
Woofur Gourmet Chicken Finest Jerky Treats for Dogs is 100% natural and made from hand-picked, human-grade, ethical and safe ingredients that are free of any toxic or unhealthy elements (India).
Juspet Kuang Ye Dried Beef for Dog contains 98% beef and beef organs including heart, lung and liver (China).
In Americas: All about naturalness and preventive health
North America leads the natural pet food space and enhances preventative health focus
While the all-natural claim is an important purchase driver for pet owners, other clean-label ingredient claims have garnered a bigger focus in launch activity over the past year.
For example, brands have ensured that meat is the primary ingredient in recipes, have limited the length of ingredient lists and have also highlighted the absence of animal by-products.
North America leads globally for natural pet food and pet products, just ahead of Europe, and significantly more than is seen in APAC and other regions.
Natural claims are most likely to be found in dog snacks and treats and are notably niche in wet cat food.
The no additives/preservatives claim dominates and has recorded modest growth over the past five years. The GMO-free claim, though very niche, has also witnessed a rise in share of activity.
As most pet owners are committed to ensuring that their pets live a long and healthy life, they look for a variety of functional health and wellness benefits in the pet food and treats they purchase.
With veterinary bills typically high, 88% of US pet owners are saying it is important to take preventative measures to protect a pet’s health. This ‘spend a little to save a lot’ approach is even more appropriate, considering the widespread unemployment and economic instability because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pet food and treat brands are responding to this interest in preventative health by launching products that feature multiple health benefits.
One innovation spotted by Mintel is the Nulo Hydrate Pork Tenderloin Flavor Water Enhancer for Dogs that features electrolytes to support hydration, amino acids to help maintain muscle health and B vitamins to support healthy energy.
Latin America capitalises on superfoods to enrich nutritional profiles
The pet humanisation trend has also influenced pet food in Latin America, which now uses more ingredients that can also be consumed by humans.
Ingredients that are trendy in human food may prove popular in pet food, when complemented with ingredients that are proven to benefit pets. Botanicals and other ingredients that are often promoted for their ‘super food’ or ‘adaptogenic’ properties in human food and drink are transitioning into pet food.
PremieRpet PremieR Nattu Chicken, Cassava, Beetroot, Linseed & Cranberry Flavored Super Premium Food for Puppies is made with super foods, which are natural ingredients that contain high nutritional density (Brazil).
Pet Delícia Assados Super Greens Dog Snack with Spirulina, Alfalfa and Spinach is rich in proteins, calcium, fibre and iron. It contains superfoods and active fibres from flaxseed, chia, oats, spirulina, alfalfa and spinach (Brazil).
Origem Natural Healthy Dog Snack with Vegetables is a natural and grain-free superfood that includes pumpkin, carrot, spinach, ginger, olive oil, peas and MOS prebiotics (Brazil).
With pet owners behaving more like ‘pet parents’, there is exciting innovation in clean label and functional foods, while more sustainable products still have strong potential.
Looking forward, as Millennials forge stronger bonds with their pets, brands will balance nature and science, foster emotional connections and reduce the ecological paw print.
Consumer data source:


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Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 14.000-14.200 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 14.130. The company issued revenue guidance of $10.7 billion-$10.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.9 billion. Lululemon Athletica also updated its FY25 guidance to $14.00-14.20 EPS.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several brokerages have weighed in on LULU. BNP Paribas cut Lululemon Athletica from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $430.00 to $415.00 in a report on Friday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lululemon Athletica from $445.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, December 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Lululemon Athletica from $376.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, December 8th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Lululemon Athletica from $429.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, December 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Lululemon Athletica from $529.00 to $596.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twenty-four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $503.07.
Lululemon Athletica Stock Performance
Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 21st. The apparel retailer reported $5.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.00 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.19 billion. Lululemon Athletica had a return on equity of 44.81% and a net margin of 10.89%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.40 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Lululemon Athletica will post 12.49 EPS for the current year.
Lululemon Athletica declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, December 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the apparel retailer to purchase up to 1.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lululemon Athletica
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SageView Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lululemon Athletica in the 4th quarter worth $888,000. Oarsman Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lululemon Athletica in the fourth quarter worth approximately $473,000. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its position in Lululemon Athletica by 311.5% during the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 107 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. O Dell Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lululemon Athletica in the fourth quarter worth approximately $146,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in Lululemon Athletica by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,565 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,823,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. 91.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Lululemon Athletica
Lululemon Athletica Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, distributes, and retails athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories under the lululemon brand for women and men. It operates in two segments, Company-Operated Stores and Direct to Consumer. The company offers pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for healthy lifestyle, such as yoga, running, training, and other activities.
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Vodacom Group is lining up a deal with South African media and internet company, Naspers, to carry content on its network.
This is according to Bloomberg, citing Vodacom CEO, Shameel Joosub.
The South African operator is exploring an option whereby it would charge a fixed price to download content onto a customer’s mobile device, instead of billing per megabyte, Joosub told Bloomberg.
A deal between Vodacom and Naspers, which offers pay-to-view digital satellite TV service through DStv, first surfaced in 2013.
“That’s where we’ll evolve,” Joosub said on Monday (18 May), after announcing the group’s annual results, which showed a slight decline.
Vodacom Group reported a 2.7% drop in service revenue to R47 billion for its South African operation during the year ended March 2015.
Customers who want to download films or other content from the DStv unit of Naspers would be able to do so through Vodacom’s network, Joosub said.
The bulk of Vodacom’s network is already on fibre or high transmission.
In March, Vodacom announced a partnership with Fibre Connect to launch its new “Broadband Fibre to the Home” service.
The group is also preparing to roll out an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service, offering video streaming to subscribers on a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) trial being conducted at an estate in Pretoria.
Vodacom has already tried a venture into the television sector. In 2007, the operator launched DStv Select. In 2011, however, MultiChoice took over the running of the DStv Select bouquets, previously administered by Vodacom.


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(Recasts, adds background, comments.)
TOKYO (MarketWatch) -- Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437.TO) and Hutchison Essar Ltd. Monday called off a deal to launch mobile Internet services in India using DoCoMo's technology.
NTT DoCoMo spokesman Shinya Yokota said the companies canceled the deal in part due to U.K.-based operator Vodafone Group PLC's
Harit Nagpal, director of marketing and business development at Hutchison Essar, said the deal was called off because the business environment had changed in India.
"What was relevant six months ago is not relevant today," he said.
NTT DoCoMo is Japan's dominant cellular provider but has seen profits fall as it competes with rivals in the saturated domestic market. While the financial hit from Monday's canceled deal will be small, it is symbolic of how the company has generally struggled to establish new sources of income.
"It's fairly minor" from a financial standpoint for DoCoMo, said Nathan Ramler, a Macquarie analyst in Tokyo.
Ramler said DoCoMo would lose only small royalties it would have received from use of its technology. But he said the development was "a bit disappointing" given DoCoMo's efforts to establish the service outside of Japan.
DoCoMo's i-mode service includes technology that lets users send email and view online content via mobile phones. In December, the company and Hutchison Essar had agreed to launch the service in India this year.
Yokota said the company was now considering various options in India, including tie-ups with other Indian carriers.
India is one of the world's fastest growing telecommunications markets, with about 206 million subscribers currently. Japan has more than 100 million users, but growth is largely stagnant.
(Shaleen Agrawal contributed to this article.)
Corrected May 7, 2007 07:11 ET ( 11:11 GMT)
India is one of the world's fastest growing telecommunications markets, with about 206 million subscribers currently. Japan has over 100 million and growth is largely stagnant.
("=UPDATE:NTT DoCoMo,Hutchison Essar Call Off India i-mode Pact," published at 1022 GMT, incorrectly stated the number of cellular subscribers in India.)


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VIENNA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Austrian economy slowed down in the second quarter with GDP growth of 0.3 percent, the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) revealed on Tuesday.
The institute's latest flash report sees GDP growth down slightly from 0.4 percent in the first quarter and 0.5 percent in the final quarter of 2018.
Unadjusted second-quarter GDP growth was 1.7 percent higher than in the previous year. The final quarter of 2018, however, had a much stronger result of 2.4 percent.
The WIFO said the slowing comes on the back of weaker growth in both foreign trade and industry, though consumer demand has continued to be a dependable stabilizing factor for the economy.


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PUBG Mobile has announced that Season 10 update is coming to its popular battle royale game along with new TDM map, a falcon and more. The company has revealed that it will roll out PUBG Mobile 0.15.5 update to its users starting from November 08, 2019.
The biggest highlight of the update is the new Season 10 Royal Pass. This time the theme of the new season is ‘The Fury of the Wasteland’ and the company has revealed that it will bring new weapons, vehicles and new skins as the all-new Royale Pass Season 10 begins. Interestingly, the server will not be taken offline for this update. This update requires approximately 0.21 GB of storage space on Android and 0.24 GB of storage space on iOS.
Furthermore, the company has added a new map to the Team Deathmatch mode. This map is set in a rainforest with dense vegetation and a maze of paths. In this modes, users will respawn at random coordinates, which will further intensify the battles and it will come with a shorter gameplay time as compared to the standard TDM time.
The update also brings new weapon and vehicles exclusive to Vikendi map. These include MP5K portable SMG featuring a rate-of-fire at 900 RPM and anti-recoil capabilities. Then there is a new vehicle Zima, which will be easier to drive on snowy terrain and the company claims that it will not be damaged easily.
The update will also bring back The Falcon companion, which was there in earlier Seasons as well. The update also adds new character Sara that can use her “Vehicle Enhancement” ability in certain mode in EvoGround to reduce damage taken by vehicles while she is driving or riding. The brand claims that the new character will be added soon.
Apart from this, here are features of the 0.15.5 version for PUBG Mobile:
Added Tier Protection for Platinum and Crown Tiers in Season System
Updated 8-day rewards
Revised Arcade Mode availability
Team recruitment channel improvements
Added clan status detail
Team-up recommendations for missions
Additional in-game optimizations


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This year, the closely-watched, much-anticipated September issue of Vogue is breaking precedent. Firstly, all 26 editions of the Condé Nast glossy are united by a singular focus: exploring the theme of hope. Then, instead of putting a photograph of a high-profile celebrity on the cover, Vogue U.S. revealed on Tuesday that it would feature two portraits by contemporary artists — one of Aurora James, the founder of Brother Vellies and the 15 Percent Pledge, by Jordan Casteel, and another of a fictional subject, wearing a dress by Off-White, by Kerry James Marshall.
It's not totally unfathomable for a painting to front the magazine, but it is rare: Vogue has done it only a handful of times in its history, including in September 2017, starring Jennifer Lawrence by John Currin. What's even more rare is for a designer to appear on the cover. In fact, it's only ever happened once — in January 2020, when Stella McCartney appeared alongside Greta Gerwig, Ashley Graham and Cardi B, as part of a four-part series on motherhood.
The decision to feature James on the cover was Casteel's: According to a press release, Vogue gave the painters "complete freedom to decide who would be on their cover... The only requirement was that they choose a dress by one of four Vogue-selected designers for their subject to wear." (James is wearing a Pyer Moss dress and Brother Vellies shoes in her portrait.)
"I believe that what Aurora is doing is hugely important in creating the long-term change that Black people deserve and this country owes us," Casteel told Dodie Kazanjian in the accompanying cover story. "I see her as a light in a lot of darkness, and a potential for hope, a representative of change across all creative industries."
"What’s most exciting to me is being given artistic integrity and being able to choose the person to be my sitter — someone who reflects a portion of my own identity — and then to do that truly in the medium of my choice," Casteel continued. "This is the way that I speak to the world. And this is the way I’ve been speaking to the world and talking about the humanity of our people, talking about humanity in general. It’s a really profound experience. I do think I’m participating and a change is happening."
James has a longstanding relationship with Vogue: She won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2015, with Jonathan Simkhai and Gypsy Sport, and appeared on the Amazon reality series that documented the program. Her CFDA Award-nominated work at Brother Vellies has developed a strong, devoted following. In recent months, she's gotten more attention for her non-profit organization, 15 Percent Pledge, through which she continues to advocate for economic equity for Black-owned businesses.
Historically, Vogue's September issue cover has been reserved for more traditional celebrities. (Taylor Swift got it in 2019, Beyoncé in 2018.) To have that space now dedicated to Black artists, fashion designers and industry thought-leaders sends a powerful message.
Marshall, meanwhile created his own subject for Vogue's September cover ("as he always does in his paintings," the magazine explains). "I'm trying to build into her expression that she's not dependent on the gaze of the spectator," he told Kazanjian. "'I'm here and you can see me, but I'm not here for you.' That’s a critical element. The great word, ultimately, is going to be 'self-possessed.' That's what I’m aiming for."
You can read more about the making of Vogue's September 2020 covers over at Vogue.com.


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Authenticity and unity are two key factors of a Cook Island fashion showcase at a south Auckland arts centre in November.
Bringing together models, designers, and hair and makeup artists, Aku Yanga is a one-day event highlighting the fashion world of the Pacific Island nation.
Now in its second year, while last year’s event combined creatives from just one of the country’s 15 islands, this year the organisers are involving people from the entire country.
Event co-founder Paul Hagai says while it’s hard uniting people from all the islands, it’s worth it in the end.
”It’s good for strengthening our people as a country and allowing us to stand together in unison celebrating our culture,” Hagai says.
”We’re well known for our dancing and our drama and our music but we’re also just as good at fashion and we’re very passionate about it.”
The New Zealand-born fashion designer says it’s up to individuals to take ownership of their identity and embrace their Cook Island heritage – it’s what he did.
”You always hear people talk about the loss of their language but I think there’s no loss, you’ve got to take ownership of that before you say you’re suffering a crisis of identity.”
Aku Yanga is a completely voluntary event, with an aim to uplift emerging and current designers, while showcasing the best the Cook Islands has to offer.
It will feature guests like Miss World Supermodel Trina Tanga and south Auckland designer Tasha Lee.
Along with the larger scale Pacific Fusion Fashion Show, which was held in August, it’s one of the only events of its kind since Westfield Style Pasifika ended in 2011.
While Hagai says Aku Yanga is its own event, he hopes it can be a platform for emerging designers to then go onto Pacific Fusion Fashion, which is a larger-scale operation.
Singer and composer Yasmin Augustine says it’s a great event and is pleased to see people from all the Cook Islands collaborating together on it.
”It’s the start of something, it should have been done a long time ago,” Augustine says.
Augustine has travelled with a dancer from Australia for the fashion show, and she says events like these provide budding creatives with courage to pursue their dreams.
That’s what Hagai’s aim is when it comes to the fashion show and he hopes to open up doors for people starting out in the industry.


text: The Beer Store has launched a new recycling service. In addition to beer, wine and liquor bottles, the new program will also recycle old house paints, batteries and consumer electronics. Recycling Plus is a partnership between The Beer Store, Sims Recycling Solutions and Stewardship Ontario. The first recycling centre was opened this morning in Toronto, near Dupont Street and Lansdowne Avenue. If the pilot project is successful, more centres will open across the province. Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley was on hand to push the first returns down the rollers.


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Saudi Arabian grocery retailer BinDawood Holding Co on Monday announced its intention to list on the Saudi bourse, with plans to sell existing shares and have a free float of 20 percent.
The company has 73 stores including 51 hypermarkets and 22 supermarkets, making it the third-largest operator of hypermarkets and supermarkets in Saudi Arabia by revenue in 2019, it said.
BinDawood Holding, which controls supermarket chains BinDawood and Danube in the kingdom, this year postponed its planned IPO in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Saudi Arabia is encouraging more family-owned companies to list in a bid to deepen its capital markets under a reform push aimed at cutting the kingdom’s reliance on oil.
A slew of companies have listed this year including healthcare firm Suleiman Al Habib and real estate financing firm Amlak International.
“Given the positive direction of the Saudi grocery retail sector, we believe our IPO will give new investors a solid platform for future capital growth,” said BinDawood Holding CEO Ahmad Abdulrazzaq BinDawood in a statement.
He said the company has zero debt and strong cash flow, and has no intention to raise debt for now.
It is looking to attract cornerstone investors who will benefit from such an offering, he said.
The company has been able to overcome the impact from the tripling of value added tax to 15 percent, which took effect on July 1, by increasing its market share in the kingdom, he said.
The company also took measures to reduce the impact, and consumer demand remained strong as people did not travel on holiday during the summer this year because of the pandemic, he said.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are joint financial advisers and bookrunners on the deal.
Other bookrunners are NCB Capital and GIB Capital.
Saudi Arabia’s BinDawood pushes ahead with first Middle East IPO since coronavirusSaudi Arabia’s BinDawood Holding is pushing ahead with the initial public offering of its supermarket business, in what would be the first Middle ... Coronavirus
Saudi retailer BinDawood asks banks to pitch for IPO: SourcesSaudi Arabian retailer BinDawood Group has asked banks to pitch for roles in a potential initial public offering (IPO) of its supermarket business, ... Financial Markets


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The next-generation Honda Jazz will be revealed globally at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show 2019. India launch expected around late 2020 or early 2021.
We are all well aware of the fact that the next-generation Honda Jazz is in the making. The new iteration of this hatchback has already reached its road-testing phase. And hence, so far there have been a number of spy shots of the same under heavy camouflage, snapped in select European countries.
This fourth generation iteration of the Honda Jazz is going to make its global debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show this year. Going by the spy images, it becomes quite apparent that the new iteration of this premium hatchback is going to be completely different than its current iteration.
On the outside, it seems that the fourth-generation of the Honda Jazz takes its inspiration from the second generation iteration. The features are more rounded off. Up-front the car will get chunky headlamps, while the rear is going to get a wraparound unit.
On the inside, the dashboard features a completely new layout. It gets a minimalistic look, something which we have seen on some of the recent Honda cars. Though most of the details are still unknown, it seems that the new iteration of this car is going to get a floating touchscreen unit with circular dials for the air-con control module. These features are likely to be reciprocated on the next-generation iteration of the Honda City and the WR-V.
The new Honda Jazz will use an all-new platform. Going by the spy shots, it seems that it is going to measure under 4-meters in length. The engine specifications are likely to remain the same as before, at least if we talk about the Indian context. The petrol engine is going to be a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder unit. However, the same will be tuned to match the upcoming Bharat Stage VI emission regulations.
So far there is no official confirmation on as to when the next-generation Honda Jazz is going to launch in India. However, it is not going to happen before the end of next year or early 2021.


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Lenovo has moved to cement its place as the top of the PC market food chain, following encouraging industry analyst reports from both IDC Gartner.
As reported by Reseller News, IDC figures claim that Lenovo strengthened its position as the world’s no.1 PC company with 21 percent*market share, a position the company has held for ten consecutive quarters.
Equally, Gartner studies show that the company also secured the top position in worldwide PC shipments according to forecasts, as its market share increased to 20.3 per cent, despite a 4 per cent decline in shipments in the third quarter of 2015.
Sequentially, the company continued to grow its market share lead over its closest rivals, despite a challenging market and fierce competition from new entrants and form factors.
Notably, Lenovo also saw significant momentum gains in the US, where it achieved its highest-ever market share of 13.2 per cent and experienced the largest growth year-over-year of any major vendor at 23.7 per cent.
“We are pleased to see results that reflect our continued focus on our PC business, which remains both a strong growth engine for Lenovo and the core of our business,” says Gianfranco Lanci, President and Chief Operating Officer, Lenovo.
“Our PC business is the solid foundation that launched Lenovo as a global technology leader and its success fuels our growth engines in our server and mobile businesses.
“We have seen increased acceptance of Windows 10 from consumers, and we believe that trend will continue and help drive longer-term demand for new PCs, which perhaps was not the case last quarter as many users opted for the free upgrade rather than buying new.”
While 21 per cent worldwide PC market share is a solid achievement, Lanci says Lenovo is “not satisfied”, and in a market that is clearly consolidating, “are accelerating the drive for further share gains in PCs”.
To achieve this goal, Lanci says Lenovo will aim to deliver “leading technologies, great value, and innovative products to our customers.”


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Boost for holiday makers from West of Ireland as Ryanair adds popular Alicante service to its Shannon summer schedule
21 March 2013
Thursday, 21 March 2013: Options for holiday makers this summer from across the West of Ireland have been significantly strengthened today after Ryanair confirmed it is to operate direct flights to the hugely popular Alicante region from Shannon Airport. In the latest addition to the attractive new services starting at Shannon Airport this summer, Ryanair will operate the Alicante service twice weekly flights, on Wednesdays and Fridays, commencing on June 5th and running through to September 27th. The service, which last operated at Shannon in 2010, will be a real boost for holiday makers from the region with an estimated 40,000 of them travelling to other airports to get to Alicante/Murcia in each of the three years since the service last operated here.
Welcoming the news, Shannon Airport Authority Chairman Rose Hynes said, “This Ryanair announcement is really good news for thousands of holiday makers from this region as Alicante is one of the most popular sun destinations operated from this airport. Thankfully, these people now have the pleasure and convenience again of flying from Shannon and we expect it will be a hugely successful route. “We have had a really good start to life as an independent entity, with a range of new services in place for this year. Alicante was at the top of our list in terms of European sun destinations we wanted to secure and we are delighted now that Ryanair has come on board with the service. There is significant demand for additional services at Shannon and our job is to work as hard and as competitively as we can to ensure we deliver those. “We will work closely with Ryanair with a view to ensuring the success of its existing routes and growing its services out of Shannon.”
In addition to Alicante, Ryanair is this year also increasing the frequency of its flights to Malaga and Palma during the peak summer months, as well as providing flights to Lanzarote, Tenerife, Nantes, Wroclaw, London Stansted, London Gatwick and Liverpool. Shannon Airport Director Mary Considine said that Ryanair’s announcement confirms the significant opportunity there is to grow European services at the airport. “Today’s announcement is another boost for Shannon Airport. We have been working particularly hard to secure the return of the Alicante route as it is one of the services in most demand according to our market research.”
The Alicante service, which will be on sale from 22 March at www.ryanair.com or www.shannonairport.ie, adds to other attractive new services commencing at Shannon over the coming months, including to Chicago, Philadelphia, Glasgow and Faro.
Back to News


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The Wolds way to do business
EVENTS: A series of events have been organised to mark Wolds Business Week, which this year runs from Monday, October 1, to Friday, October 5.
Each day will take a different theme and is aimed at supporting the East Riding economy.
Future renewables careers, encouraging local business networks and realising the area's economic potential are just three themes that will be explored.
The programme has been developed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's economic development service and partners.
ONE DAY ONLY! Free test rides of the latest range of Suzuki motorcycles, from scooters to superbikes! 10am-3pm Saturday 29th June 2013. Call GP Suzuki 01472 266178 to reserve your place.
Terms: Subject to license restrictions. Contact us to check availability.
Contact: 01472 803018
Valid until: Saturday, June 29 2013
The week will culminate with a celebratory theme, and will shine light on successful businesses at the annual Chamber Bridlington and Yorkshire Coast Business Awards at The Spa Bridlington.
For more information, e-mail Liz Philpot at liz.philpot@eastriding. gov.uk or call 01482 395041.
Information about the event can also be found at www. bridlingtonrenaissance. com


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30% of automotive employees don’t check security protocols before trying a new tool, according to Salesforce. This could put their company and customer data at risk. Alarming rise in automotive API attacks Cybersecurity is a growing concern in the automotive industry, particularly as companies store and use exponentially more data to power connected car features. According to Upstream, the number of automotive API attacks increased by 380% last year alone. And, 34% of automotive employees … More
The post Automotive industry employees unaware of data security risks appeared first on Help Net Security.


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April – June 2007
Experts plot strategic plan to raise competitiveness of RP's furniture
THE DOMESTIC FURNITURE INDUSTRY accounts for a very trim 0.8 percent of total Philippine exports, which is roughly 1/5 of 1 percent of total world furniture output.
But Philippine furniture is regarded as among the worlds best, earning a reputation as the “Milan of Asia” for elegance and craftsmanship. It ranks eight among furniture exporters to the United States.
Ninety-eight percent of an estimated 15,000 mostly small and medium scale local furniture companies form the industry and provide direct employment to 481,500 workers and 300,000 sub-contractors. Only two percent of these establishments are considered large companies. SMEs dominate the 2,500 furniture exporters.
The three main centers of furniture production in the country are Metro Manila, Pampanga, and Cebu, while Southern Tagalog, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro City, and Butuan City are catching up.
The competitiveness of RP’s furniture and handicraft industry hinges on the improvement of production process and tools used. Along with the development of affordable processing machines, a government study called Industry Strategic Plan for Furniture and Handicraft showed.
Industry experts put the plan together with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development in cooperation with the National Academy of Science and Technology.
The plan recommends that a collective-based enterprise should be formed among furniture manufacturers to optimize handicraft productivity through common service facilities.
These will be complemented by S&T training program for industry workers and development of furniture designers’ module to raise their capability in design and skill.
Marketing strategy will also be developed with the use of information and communication technology for wider reach and supported by an online “intelligent decision support system”.
The plan’s promotional includes establishment of showrooms/souvenir shops in key cities, and participation in international trade shows among others.
The industry’s sustainability according to the plan will be backed by information and support system for material sourcing to make such activity in the production chain fast and more efficient.
These initiatives are also tied to a system or environment of continuous generation and improvement of technologies to foster the competitiveness of the furniture industry. STP


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The percentage of households that shop via traditional direct sales channels like catalogs and mail-order will decline during the coming decade even as direct sales overall increase substantially, according to a survey released yesterday.
Fueled by rapid increases in e-commerce and in grocery delivery, sales of products and services delivered directly to the home could account for as much as 24 percent of all retail sales by 2010, according to the study, which was released by Peppers and Rogers Group, Stamford, CT, and the Institute for the Future. Products and services delivered directly to the home will total between $438 billion and $1.1 trillion in 2010, vs. $190 billion in 1998, the survey reported.
Although the percentage of households using traditional offline direct channels will drop from 67 percent today to 50 percent in 2010, the percent of households using ordering products online and ordering home delivery of groceries will triple, to 33 percent, from 11 percent. The number of households using e-commerce and grocery delivery services regularly will increase to 29 million, from 6 million today.
The study, which surveyed more than 2,500 households and 500 teenagers, found that about 75 percent of U.S. consumers have used at least one direct-to-consumer channel to order products and services remotely for direct delivery to the home.
The study was sponsored in part by the Direct Marketing Association, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, Federal Express and several consumer-product companies, including Ford and Procter & Gamble.


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Rava is an online news portal providing recent news, editorials, opinions and advice on day to day happenings in Pakistan.
A Buzz-worthy Cricket Super Star Challenge by Tecno is here!!
TECNO, the next big hit smartphone brand in Pakistan has recently launched a cricket challenge trending with the hashtag #cricketsuperstar. The most awaited challenge video in collaboration with the two charming faces from the cricket fraternity is out now on Top TV channels and social media .
This campaign is specifically designed to engage young and energetic youth. They can see their favorite cricket heroes Shoaib Akhtar and Hassan Ali together. This is the first time in the history that a smartphone brand has collaborated with the renowned cricketers at such a major level to curate the finest campaign of the year 2019.
Regarding this cricket superstar campaign, General Manager Tecno Mobile Pakistan, Creek Ma said, “This cricket campaign is going to be the one of its kind in the smartphone world. Linking cricket to Tecno is the most promising experience for the brand itself. It does not only connect the customers to the brand but it also gives the public a chance to loosen up from the regular hectic routine and get tuned into something fun, funky and engaging. We look forward to a great experience along with a prodigious response from the audience.”
To be a part of the TECNO #Cricketsuperstar campaign all you have to do is ‘make a video on TikTok and take a quick magical spin to change from your regular outfit to the classic cricket appearance with a statement style similar to the cricket stars demonstrating the challenge.


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Apple Removes Last Remnants of Intel in M2 MacBook Air
Apple has replaced the last remaining Intel-made component in M2 MacBook Air, which was responsible for controlling the USB and Thunderbolt ports, with a custom-made controller, as confirmed by iFixit (via MacRumors).
A detailed teardown of the newly released M2 MacBook Air showed that the machine has been completely redesigned by Apple. Unlike previous Macs, the latest MacBook Air also introduces custom-made controllers for the USB and Thunderbolt ports.
The teardown experts found a “seemingly Apple-made Thunderbolt 3 driver, instead of the Intel chips we’re familiar with.” The new component was shared on Twitter earlier today as well.
No more Intel Inside!@iFixit reveals Apple finally replaced the last vestige of Intel in their M2 MacBooks. Gone are Intel’s JHL8040R USB4 retimers, replaced by a pair of custom U09PY3 retimers! pic.twitter.com/YwYet9YxDl
— SkyJuice (@SkyJuice60)
Last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was planning to replace the last remaining Intel part with an in-house version, and this could be just that.


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As social networks continue to work out how they can monetise, Facebook is following up on new ad and Page features introduced over the past year with a brand new shopping feature.
Users will be able to look at products listed by businesses on Pages and Groups in a new move that is almost certain to expand in the future.
Facebook users can already find new products in various ways across the platform, with News Feeds, Pages and Groups all playing a part. The new shopping feature will be a single place to share and purchase products.
The new ideas were announced on the Facebook for Business blog, which has been the focus for the announcements of several product-selling features that the company has introduced recently.
The company said: “On Facebook we’ve seen that people are coming to our platform not only to connect with friends and family but also with products and brands.
“In fact, a survey suggested that nearly half of people come to Facebook to actively look for products, with a majority of them discovering new products in News Feed, Pages, and Groups.”
Facebook has already launched the carousel format for ads, which allows a business to display multiple products in a single ad.
The company’s dynamic product ads give the flexibility for uploading a product catalogue and then letting Facebook decide when to show people the most relevant products for them. The functionality works along with the carousel format.
A more recent announcement concerned the testing of Canvas, described as a “new native way to browse from ads”, which will incorporate a new way of giving users a fast-loading, full-screen experience after clicking on an ad. Products can then be browsed before going to a business’s own website to buy items or services.
The blog explained: “This behaviour that’s already happening on Facebook gives us a chance to make people and marketers’ experiences better.
“We want to build native experiences that make it easier for both people to discover products on mobile and businesses to drive more sales. Some of our efforts are fully launched and are already creating value for people and businesses. Others are in early test phases. These tests will evolve as we get more feedback.”


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LITTLEFIELD Karen Claw son thinks more consumers should be concerned about the origin of meat and produce they're buying at the grocery store.
"When they walk into the store, they've just been led blindly that everything is safe," she said. "Just because it's sitting out there doesn't mean it's safe.
Clawson, whose husband farms in Lamb County, was disappointed that only a few dozen people showed up at the Lamb County Community Agricultural Center for a meeting last week to discuss the pending farm bill and the agricultural economy.
Clawson was sure consumers especially homemakers would want to start questioning grocers about the origin of meat and produce if they had the facts about food labeling, inspection and illness.
"Only 1 percent of imported food is inspected before it gets to the grocery store," she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion in Atlanta, Ga., food-borne illnesses sicken an estimated 76 million people and cause 323,914 hospitalizations and 5,194 deaths each year.
The current Senate version of the farm bill would require country-of-origin labeling so consumers will know where their food comes from.
Current labeling practices allow foreign produce to bear labels saying only that it was packaged in the United States, which Clawson contends is misleading.
Lee Barron, farm director of Southwest Ag Network, also is concerned about imported food. He said that following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, imports tainted with biological agents likely would have passed through customs undetected because of the low inspection rate.
"It's just like anthrax," he said. "There's lots of different things you can spray on the food. No one is guarding the spray planes in Mexico."
Barron said Mexican farmers continue to use DDT and other chemicals banned in the United States on their produce and often fertilize fields with human waste.
The farm bill was the main topic of discussion for the 40 men and women who gathered last week in Lamb County.
Brad Heffington, who farms 4,000 acres, said the bill is destined to fail in the long run and he would prefer an open market with less government interference.
"I'd just as soon sell my cotton for 80 cents a pound and them (the government) have nothing to do with it," he said. "But when they tell you what you can plant, how much you can plant, when to plant it and how much you can sell it for, I don't have a choice."
Recent market prices for cotton have stayed below 40 cents a pound.
A cap for farm subsidies is among several sticking points remaining in the farm bill.
Original forecasts had called for cotton to hit 60 cents a pound, but since it hasn't, cotton subsidies could reach $3 billion this year, according to new estimates released by the Congres sional Budget Office.
Barron and Heffington agree it's virtually impossible to bring in a profit based on current high input and production costs and low market prices.
"When you have to make a bumper crop which comes along here, there and yonder just to break even, that just doesn't work," Heffington said.
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Lottery to take look at online sales
Hoosiers could win millions of dollars with the click of a mouse if Indiana follows in the footsteps of its Illinois counterpart, which began offering online lottery ticket sales Sunday morning.
article Hoosier Lottery tracking online games in Illinois
(Indiana) -- Indiana lottery officials are keeping their eye on an Illinois effort to sell lottery tickets online.
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[Ed. – It’s come to this.]
The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police said it was “flabbergasted” after Facebook rejected an ad recognizing its Officer of the Year award recipient, according to the organization.
The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), a nonprofit organization, said it tried to use a Facebook ad when recognizing its Officer of the Year award recipient. The ILACP said in a press release that the platform claimed the ad dealt with social and political issues and that Facebook rejected the ad even after the organization appealed the decision. The organization also said that Facebook claimed: “‘[t]his ad content has been correctly disapproved for violation of Facebook Advertising Policies and Guidelines.’” [Emphasis added.]
East Peoria Patrolman Jeffery Bieber was named ILACP’s “Most Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.” The ILACP praised Bieber for his handling and survival of an attack in February.


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This week see’s the release of the latest James Bond movie, Spectre. With the premier taking place last weekend, the latest story in the bond series has received rave reviews – as has the Smartphone accompanying 007 on his latest assignment, but more on that later…
To mark the launch of Spectre, we thought we’d look back at over 50 years of Bond gadgets, specifically the smarter than smartphones that the MI6 agent has used over the decades.
Modern telephone technology has been used within the franchise dating back to From Russia with Love (1963) where Sean Connery was seen using a wired car phone, which was a revolution at the time! Later films saw satellite phones (The Living Daylights, 1987) and even a trap disguised as a BT phone-box (Goldeneye, 1995)
None of these gadgets quite matched those of Bond's Smartphones, with some of which even predicting the future of smartphones!
1: Ericsson JB988 – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Before teaming up with Sony, the Ericsson JB988 became the first smartphone to make an appearance in the Bond film. Although not realised until 1999, a replica of the mobile phone turned up in the hands of Pierce Brosnan after some high-tech adjustments from Q.
Unlike the actual Ericsson device, 007’s JB988 housed a secret 20,000 vault teaser and even predicted the future with a fingerprint scanner on the screen, now common place on the iPhone 6S, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Sony Xperia Z5. Most memorably however, Bond was able to remotely control his BMW 750IL thanks to a secret flip screen. Obviously the real JB988 couldn’t drive a car, however it could send faxes… Yeah, look impressed.
2: Sony Ericsson K800I - CASINO ROYALE (2006)
In his first outing as James Bond, Daniel Craig may have lost colleagues Q and Moneypenny, however he was partnered with a Sony Ericsson K899I. The device was a hot mobile phone at the time with a 2 MP camera with autofocus, Xenon Flash for lowlight conditions and the classic BestPic feature, which allows the user to take multiple pictures of a moving object simultaneously and choose to keep the best shot. It was also one of the first mobile phones seen in movies to use a sat-nav feature. It’s worth bearing in mind that this was a year before the first iPhone was released worldwide.
3: Sony Xperia T – SKYFALL (2012)
Although not seen much within the film, Sony launched a huge campaign releasing the Sony Xperia T alongside Skyfall, creating a special Bond Edition. The phone has some high-end specs – including a 4.6" HD Reality Display and 13MP fast-capture camera… with the beautiful locations in Skyfall, you would have thought that Bond could have made use of the latter!
4: Sony Ericsson C902 - Quantum of Solace
Using another Ericsson in the second of the Daniel Craig films, the phone, much like the movie was a pretty lacklustre model. The phone had a 5MP camera, however from the pictures that Bond takes spying on supervillain Mathieu Amalric at the opera house you would think it was more 5K than 5MP… some tampering from Q branch again?
5: Sony Xperia Z5 – Spectre (2015)
Released last month and with a Premium varient coming in November, the Sony Xperia Z5 is certainly a good choice for a 00' agent with features that Q Branch could once only dream of including a fingerprint scanner (once an idea restricted to Bond fiction) a 23MP camera and also a body which is water resistant – in case of a sky fall! If you haven’t seen the film yet- spoiler alert! Bond won’t run out of battery at any point because of the new Li-Ion 2900 mAh battery which gives the secret service agent up to two days of battery. In all honestly, we haven’t seen the film here yet, however we’re wondering if Q branch will be making any subtle adjustments. As their latest campaign states, the Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Z5 Premium are #madeforbond... and from recent leaks #alsomissmoneypenny
Unfortunately, we’re currently out of stock on all BMW driving Ericsson JB988’s – however we do have a vast number of pay-monthly deal on the Sony Xperia Z5 and you can view our full range of our Sony Xperia deals here.


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Photo credits: @yassipressman on Instagram
Yassi Pressman posts the trailer for their upcoming launch for their Pet brand.
She and her sister Issa are the owners of Presidential Paws and due to their success are adding a new installment to their business. They’re adding what they call a “Presidential Paws Lounge” which is what most people assume to be a truck, because of the trailer they posted.
Yassi Pressman is a Filipino-British actress, TV host, singer and dancer.


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Challenging winter ahead but positive signs locally
"Despite the challenging outlook, there are some positive signs locally with many of the region’s small firms faring well in the past quarter," says Lee Osborne, Development Manager (Warwickshire and Coventry) at the Federation of Small Businesses.
There are many things that keep small business owners awake at night. However, the cost-of-doing-business crisis, which has come to a crescendo in recent months - from energy costs and inflation to the highest tax burden for years - is the most toxic business environment in recent memory. And it comes on the back of the pandemic when many small business owners’ reserves (and morale) were wiped out.
Without support, the impact was starting to look very bleak; small firms downsizing, or even closing for good as the figures stopped adding up and the scale of price rises needed to offset these soaring costs were simply pie in the sky. Local businesses we heard from included fish & chip shops needing an extra £1,000 a week to pay for energy increases; pubs which would need to pump up prices to £10 a pint; manufacturers facing exorbitant price rises which simply couldn’t be passed on.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has been hard at work for months to succeed in getting this to top the top of the political agenda. We have been clear in advising Government that it is impossible to solve the cost-of-living crisis without tackling the cost-of-doing-business crisis. We have been successful in securing help for small businesses on energy bills with the recent Government announcement to cap wholesale rates for six months, plus other wins on reducing the tax burden including a reversal of the hike in National Insurance.
Despite this progress, small businesses across Warwickshire are still facing significantly higher bills than they were paying a few months ago. FSB’s most recent Small Business Confidence survey in the West Midlands reveals that 89 per cent of small businesses operating costs are up compared to 2021, with 64 per cent seeing a rise in utilities. On energy costs alone, price rises have either doubled or tripled and some businesses are worried about just how high their next energy bill will go.
Alongside this, inflation is still sky-high, especially for business inputs, where it is running at around twice the rate of that felt by consumers. And consumer confidence in October was only slightly above its all-time low in September, which spells worrying news for countless small firms relying on consumer spending in the so-called golden quarter running up to the festive season.
In speaking with small business owners across Warwickshire, there is huge concern about all these factors. For some, all of their focus is on surviving the toughest winter they have ever faced.
Small business entrepreneurs are optimistic, dynamic and innovative, which is why it is all the more stark to see this drop in confidence locally. They want to be driving growth and economic recovery, but the headwinds against them right now are gale-force.
Recent political and economic turmoil hasn’t helped, which is why it is vital that Government focuses on stability to allow small businesses to trade and plan with confidence. Beyond that, we need to see pro-growth measures such as taking more small firms out of business rates, which they’re clobbered with before they’ve earned a penny. This would be a seriously positive, pro-growth step. Action on late payment would also be a godsend for small firms, opening up flows of working capital to keep them able to trade.
Despite the challenging outlook, there are some positive signs locally with many of the region’s small firms faring well in the past quarter.
Across the West Midlands small firm’s revenue performance improved in Q3 of this year, with 6% more small businesses reporting an increase than those reporting a decrease. This is the strongest performance of all UK regions.
The region’s small businesses are also reporting net employment growth – the first time this has happened this year. When looking at investment aspirations, just under half of respondents expected to grow rapidly or moderately over the next year.
Small businesses can also continue to benefit from a strong local business support landscape across the region with grant schemes and webinars available to provide much-needed help and advice. The value of local support was further demonstrated at FSB’s recent inaugural Local Government awards, with Warwickshire County Council winning two regional awards for their help to the local small business community.
Other local authorities including North Warwickshire Borough Council, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and Coventry City Council were all shortlisted for awards for support and projects undertaken to help small businesses overcome current challenges or adapt to being future ready.
While it is still going to be a tough winter for many Warwickshire small businesses and the self-employed, the measures secured and local support available may prove to be a lifeline. At the same time FSB is working with other key partners - locally and nationally – and will continue to campaign to secure an environment in which entrepreneurs can flourish and drive economic recovery.


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Health and fitness are rapidly becoming priorities for executives and professionals in India, and hotels are now beginning to offer wellness packages for daily customers, aside from the usual services for their overnight guests.
JW Marriott in Mumbai recently employed a fitness trainer and provides customized nutrition meals. It has also launched a fitness program that is 70 percent based on right food and 30 percent on right exercise. Costing INR 20,000 (330 USD) a day, the program includes accommodation, a customized training program and nutrition meals, as well as spa therapies.
The ITC Gardenia Hotel in Bangalore goes an extra mile in its wellness approach. It gives corporate guests the option of cycling to meetings, takes them on walks in the nearby Cubbon Park, and has a yoga instructor who teaches surya namaskar and asanas. Guests are taught traditional meditation/breathing techniques and yoga asanas in the midst of the park in the hotel.
Gateway Hotels in Chennai provides a yoga mat and CD with yoga lessons in its rooms. The hotel has also crafted an active menu for its health-conscious millennial guests. With increasing travel and health consciousness, a lot of travelers want to strike a balance between healthy eating and indulgence at the hotel. Sheraton Bangalore has introducing the concept of ‘Fit Meetings’, a unique meeting offering that includes breathing techniques and customizable group workout options in between meetings where a ‘Fit meeting champion’ and a trainer explain basic exercises during short breaks.
The global luxury wellness tourism segment is a 439 billion USD market. That accounts for over one in seven of all tourist dollars spent. The industry is set to grow to 678.5 billion USD by 2017. In India, the wellness industry is expected to touch INR 100,000 crore (17 billion USD) by 2015, growing 15 percent-17 percent every year.
We, at ITFT College Chandigarh offers bachelors in health spa and resort management.
for more information visit health spa management institute


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IBM will expand its recall of certain monitors to include an additional 63,000 units with circuit boards that could overheat, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Thursday.
In March, IBM announced it would voluntarily recall 56,000 G51 and G51t monitors manufactured by Lite-On Technology Corp. of Taiwan that could overheat and produce smoke during use. A total of seven overheating incidents have been reported, CPSC said Thursday.
The original recall involved G51 CRT (cathode ray tube) and G51t Touch Screen monitors assembled between June 1997 and September 1997, but IBM has now extended that time frame to include models manufactured through September 1998. Users should check their IBM G51 or G51t monitors for the following model numbers: 6541-02N, 6541-02E, 6541-02S, 6541-Q0N, 6541-Q0E, and 6541-Q0S.
Any customer with one of those monitors should call +1-866-644-3155 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to see if their monitor should be replaced. Customers outside the U.S. can visit https://www.pc.ibm.com/g51recall/contact.html#numbers for a list of local contacts.
IBM will inspect affected monitors and either repair or replace the units, CPSC said.


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The pre-eminent domestic mobile maker company, Maxx has introduced its new feature phone MX200 in the country. The device has been launched in the firm's Power House phone series, which is decked with a large 5200mAh battery that brags to be used as a power bank to charge other handsets. Overtly, the Chairman and Managing Director of the corporation, Ajjay Agarwal has stated that they have inaugurated it for the customers who live in semi-urban segment and in rustic areas.
As per the reports, the mobile will attract the folks who need phones with good battery life because it is asperous to sustain uneven as well as drastic conditions and boast to deliver the talk time up to 10-11 hours. However, the handset is procurable with a screen size of 2.4-inch and on 130.8mm x 57.3mm x 28.3mm scale. It comes with a 187.5gm of weight. The device incorporates a microSD card through which user can expand the storage up to 8GB.
The MX200 provides support for dual-SIM along with multiple languages such as English, Hindi and Gujarati . The mobile phone will be surely an eye candy among its prospective buyers due to availability of some additional features and specs like Bluetooth, FM radio, multimedia support alongside the GPRS in an affordable price i.e just Rs. 1,848 . In the pursuance of Maxx, it will be showcased on the ledges of the online portals and mobile phone marketplace in two colors: Black and Orange with Black respectively.
Notably, this latest mobile is the successor of the MX100, which was commenced in Indian mobile phone space in December last year that is powered by a 4400mAh battery. Here, it's worth to mention that the firm is not limited to, feature phone segment only because in the previous month, it has released its first Android KiKat based Smartphone, AXD21 MSD7 Smarty with a reasonable price tag.


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Minister for Economic Affair Dr Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut: “As a world-leading high-tech location, Israel can provide important stimuli for the economy of Baden-Württemberg”.
Given its significance as a strategically important target market, Baden-Württemberg will be opening a representative office in Israel in October of this year. The aim is to support small and medium-sized enterprises in particular to enter the market by offering first-hand information, local expertise and high-level solution competence. At the same time, the representative office will boost the marketing of Baden-Württemberg as an important location for businesses and encourage potential candidate companies to set up offices in our state.
“Globally, Israel has taken a leading role with regard to digitisation and the development of advanced technologies. Tel Aviv is considered one of the world’s most innovative start-up regions. As a world-leading high-tech location, Israel can provide important stimuli for the economy of Baden-Württemberg,” the Minister for Economic Affairs and Labour Dr Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut said today (11th August) in Stuttgart. The representative office will therefore not just serve as a point-of-contact for businesses but will also be used for trend and innovation scouting in Israel. The office will promote the transfer of innovative trends to the economy of Baden-Württemberg and to applied research as well as encouraging networking between decision-makers in both countries, the minister explained.
Business and industry from the state of Baden-Württemberg will be represented in the Tel Aviv Chamber of Foreign Commerce by a representative and an innovation scout. Their task will be to identify new business models, look for cooperation partners and establish networks in one of the most innovative technology regions of the world. The representative office will be focusing on the key technologies Digitalisation, Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence. The generated synergies with Israeli start-ups are expected to offer a lot of additional value to medium-sized businesses in Baden-Württemberg.
Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn (Future Fund Heilbronn – ZFHN), which already has a number of established business contacts in the start-up and technology scene in Israel and particular expertise in the key technology areas of Industry 4.0, will be acting as a partner of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and of AHK Israel, the German-Israeli Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
“As Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn, we have been present in Israel for many years and maintain close contacts to entrepreneurs, universities and technology hotspots. With Inspekto, we have an extremely strong technology company in the artificial intelligence/ IOT sector in our portfolio, which already has an office in Heilbronn. I am of the opinion that more and closer links between the unique Israeli start-up system and Baden-Württemberg as a business location of global market leaders offers an enormous synergy potential. I am very pleased that as a partner of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Baden-Württemberg, Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn will be able to significantly contribute to intensifying and strongly professionalising the already existing excellent contacts between our innovative federal state and Israel,” commented Thomas Villinger, managing director of the zfhn Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn.
Michel Weinberg, the representative for Baden-Württemberg at AHK Israel, declared: “AHK Israel is very pleased that with Baden-Württemberg it has been given the privilege to represent the powerhouse of German industry, technology and SMEs in Israel. The innovative capacity of Israel combined with that of Baden-Württemberg together with co-operations between enterprises on the River Jordan and the Neckar River promise a clear win-win situation.”
Photo by Shai Pal on Unsplash


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McLaren F1 star and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will make his 17th consecutive appearance at the world's largest motoring garden party as he pilots Honda's latest NSX supercar up the hillclimb.
MAY 18th 2016
Jenson Button To Drive New Honda NSX At FoS
Button, whose world championship winning car will also return to action at the Festival, will drive the new supercar on the Saturday of the 2016 Festival of Speed as part of Honda's FoS display, which includes the first time a bike will ever attack the rally stage.
Action on the Africa Twin bike at Goodwood will not be confined to the Forest Rally Stage. Showgoers will be able to register to experience it first-hand at the Honda Off-Road Experience, allowing children from 5-11 to enjoy their first taste of motorcycling with Honda My First Licence and those from 15 years old and upwards can sign-up to ride a CRF250L on a specially laid-out grass-track.
As well as Africa Twin, people will be able to get up close and personal with the bulk of the Honda two-wheel range, which will be on display adjacent to the Honda Off-Road Experience.
Alongside the two-wheeled presence at the Festival of Speed, Honda will also showcase its entire range of cars as well. With the entire range refreshed over the course of 2015, the Honda stand at Goodwood for 2016 will feature the Civic, Civic Type R, Civic Tourer, HR-V, Jazz and CR-V.


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Box Demand as Economic Gauge Shows U.S. Output Gains: EcoPulseAnna-Louise Jackson and Anthony Feld
Makers of corrugated boxes will probably see a pick-up in demand for their products as recent gains in manufacturing indicate the U.S. expansion will be sustained in 2013.
Investors can look to companies such as International Paper Co. and Rock Tenn Co. for a gauge on “economic momentum” when they report quarterly earnings later this month and next, according to Alan Gayle, senior strategist at RidgeWorth Capital Management, which oversees about $47 billion. “These industry statistics help to provide really valuable color" to supplement broader economic indicators, he said.
The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index rose to 50.7 in December from a three-year low of 49.5 the prior month, based on figures from the Tempe, Arizona-based group. The index has been above 50 for three of the past four months. Readings below 50 signal a contraction.
This index has a “good relationship” with information on industry box shipments from the Fibre Box Association in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, said Steve Chercover, senior vice president and senior research analyst in Lake Oswego, Oregon, at D.A. Davidson & Co. That’s because the ISM’s “broad” survey is a leading indicator of items that end up in such containers -- including consumer nondurables such as food and paper products.
The strengthening ISM index may signal a reversal in slumping demand for corrugated containers.
Box shipments fell 1.2 percent on an average-week basis in November from a year earlier, following a 2.1 percent decline the prior month, based on data from the association. December numbers will be released later this month.
Norcross, Georgia-based Rock Tenn and Packaging Corp. of America plan to announce earnings Jan. 22, followed by International Paper, in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 29. The consensus estimate for Lake Forest, Illinois-based Packaging Corp. is about 62 cents a share on an adjusted basis, up 54 percent from a year ago.
Fibre Box figures have been “hovering around zero” in its past six reports, while the ISM index has averaged 50.5 -- a reflection of the “sluggish” economy, Chercover said. Still, he’s optimistic that shipments will “pick back up.”
These “barometers of manufacturing activity” began to weaken in June as concern increased about the so-called fiscal cliff: tax increases and federal spending cuts due to take effect early this year, said Malcolm Polley, who manages $1.1 billion as chief investment officer at Stewart Capital Advisors LLC in Indiana, Pennsylvania. As investors look for more clarity about the strength of the U.S. recovery, “data from companies on the ground help to build a mosaic.”
While the most recent ISM survey was encouraging, investors also should pay close attention to comments from executives, “which have often been prescient, or at least very indicative of what’s going on,” Chercover said.
Along with “seasonally softer demand” in International Paper’s corrugated-box business, the company saw “overall slow growth in North America and a lot of the markets we compete in around the world,” John Faraci, chairman and chief executive officer, said on an Oct. 25 conference call. As a result, “our packaging businesses were a little slower.”
“These companies have their fingers on the pulse of manufacturing in the U.S. and abroad” because, as the primary producers of new boxes worldwide, they’re “beneficiaries or victims of an economic recovery or contraction,” said Chercover, who maintains “buy” recommendations on International Paper and Rock Tenn. “They don’t tell you what you want to hear, they tell you what they’re seeing.”
The compromise budget Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law last week may not be enough to engender confidence, Polley said. The deal, which averted income-tax increases on most Americans and delayed automatic spending cuts until March 1, “kicked the expenses down the road,” making it “difficult for businesses to make plans when they don’t know what the rules will be.”
In addition, “broader indicators of factory output, such as the diffusion indexes of new orders from the national and regional manufacturing surveys, continued to be subdued at levels consistent with only small gains in production in the near term,” according to the minutes for the December meeting of the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee released Jan. 3.
Still, there’s potential for “increased industry corrugated-products demand” from general population growth, Internet shopping and a resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, according to a presentation that Packaging Corp. executives made at a Nov. 28 conference hosted by Citigroup Inc.
Rock Tenn implemented a $50 per ton increase in domestic containerboard during the three months ended Sept. 30 and plans to follow with higher box rates, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Rubright said in a Nov. 1 statement. Packaging Corp. and KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. also added $50 a ton to containerboard prices last year.
These companies appeal to investors because “it’s difficult to find a substitute,” so their ability to raise prices “very well could continue,” Gayle said.
As a “first-line monitoring element,” their results also help to shape sentiment about the recovery, he added. “In an economy that’s growing at a sub-par pace, you have to go granular to get the whole story.”


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Report: Digitalisation Could Boost Commonwealth Trade by $1.2trn
Exports from the 54 Commonwealth nations, including Nigeria could increase by as much as $1.2 trillion in the next five years if trade reaches full digitalisation, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
In its Quantitative Analysis of the Move to Paperless Trade, the secretariat stated that if the 54 Commonwealth nations implement policies to facilitate digital trade across borders, exports could increase by around $90 billion, while the reform of laws to support electronic records in trade could unleash a further $1.1 trillion by 2026.
The report also stated that the cost of trade would fall by an average of 75 per cent, therefore making it easier for more exporters to access trade routes.
The report added that digital trade documents would improve access to finance, which has the effect of creating markets, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are largely unable to access traditional forms of financing because of the due diligence costs involved.
The research, produced by Coriolis Technologies, aims to provide a business case in support of the Commonwealth’s Connectivity Cluster Agenda, an initiative that targets digital trade facilitation.
It follows a similar report from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), published in October last year, that found trade across the G7 could increase by $9 trillion in the next five years if the industry reaches full digitalisation.
While the Commonwealth’s potential trade increase in dollar terms is smaller than that of the G7’s, the developmental impact of digital trade facilitation in its countries is markedly more pronounced.
Of the world’s 42 small states, 32 are Commonwealth members, and of these, 25 are small island developing states.
The Commonwealth also comprises some of the world’s poorest countries, with 14 of its members classified as least developed countries by the United Nations.
These countries are especially vulnerable to global shocks, and – as the report points out – could benefit the most from trade digitalisation.
“The most striking finding is that at present, the average costs of international trade for some island economies and some nations in Africa are higher than the average revenues received.
This makes trade untenable in those countries,” the report stated, pointing to four economies for which costs are higher than 100 per cent of the revenues received from trade.
The countries include Vanuatu, Tonga, Gambia and Papua New Guinea.
It added that the gains from digitalisation present, “a compelling background case to the process of legal reform and should be a wake-up call to heads of state.”
Some Commonwealth members have already reformed their laws. Last year saw Singapore implement the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) into domestic legislation and then go on to carry out the first ever MLETR-enabled transaction with Abu Dhabi.
In February this year, Papua New Guinea signed its new electronic transactions act into law, which enacts MLETR along with other UNCITRAL texts on e-commerce.
Meanwhile, the work currently underway in the UK to achieve legal equivalence for electronic versions of trade documents in English law is expected to help pave the way for the rest of the Commonwealth’s jurisdictions.


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Patience is said to be a virtue, but not many of us can grasp it when there are deadlines. Research In Motion has been pretty good at efficiently and quickly responding to developers questions. They want to keep this momentum.
RIM wants to up the anty in their response time by announcing live support during the coming weeks to BlackBerry 10’s launch. Starting November 21st until January 30th, RIM will spend two hours a week, every week, addressing the topics listed below:
Cascades™ – BlackBerry Java porting to BlackBerry 10: 10 AM to 12 PM (GMT-5) in the BlackBerry developer support forums.
PhoneGap: 12 PM to 2 PM (GMT-5) in the BlackBerry developer support forums.
AIR: 12 PM to 2 PM (GMT-5) in the BlackBerry developer support forums.
RIM says to watch for more time slots to be added in the near future to better accommodate the developers in Asia-Pacific.


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In Raleigh, it seems that every other rezoning case has invited controversy, and to many residents, this means the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is not working the way it’s supposed to.
After several meetings this past spring and summer, resident volunteers have proposed three new zoning districts to clearly define limits on development in Raleigh.
The first proposed district limits stores to less than 30,000 square feet, and the entire size of a shopping center would be limited to 65,000 square feet. Neighbors could walk to these stores— which would include coffee shops, restaurants, corner stores, but not gas stations or drive-thrus—and get what they need quickly without having to leave their neighborhood.
The second proposed zoning district would cover drive-to shopping centers, such as the ones that currently house the smaller-scale grocery stores like Harris Teeter and Food Lion. Stores could be larger than 30,000 square feet, but the entire shopping center would be limited to less than 150,000 square feet.
The third zoning district would correspond to Raleigh’s current commercial mixed use district, where malls and big box stores would be allowed.
“Future development in Raleigh should be a predictable process and one that truly protects neighborhoods from excessive commercial development,” wrote David Cox, a North Raleigh resident, founder of Grow Raleigh Great and one of the volunteers working on changes to the UDO, in a Thanksgiving email to neighbors, the council, and city planners.
Currently, commercial development in Raleigh ranges from the size of a Snoopy’s hot dog stand to massive regional malls like Crabtree and Triangle Town Center, Cox noted, but the UDO groups all development together into two zoning districts, neighborhood mixed use (NX) or commercial mixed use (CX).
Both NX and CX allow retail development of unlimited square footage.
“It is clear that our NX and CX districts are not working to protect neighborhoods,” Cox wrote.
At last week’s meeting of the city Planning Commission, more than a dozen neighbors and their attorney showed up to protest a rezoning that would allow for 62 new residential units off of Creedmoor Road.
Neighbors near the entrance to N.C. State’s Centennial Campus are fighting the redevelopment of a parcel of land that would allow for a massive student-oriented housing project. And in North Raleigh, neighbors have been fighting a Publix, planned for the intersection of Falls of Neuse and Dunn roads, with the largest petition in the city’s history.
“With these three zoning districts defined with explicit limits on square footage, we can move away from contentious confrontations of citizens armed with attorneys against their City government,” Cox wrote.
“In its place we can have predictable development allowing citizens to know and understand what will happen on the lot next door and not have to worry what will happen to their quality of life and home values.”
The volunteers who made the new district proposals sent them to the City Council earlier this year; the council passed them along to the city Planning Commission, which heard some discussion on the proposals at its meeting last week.


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Despite continued logistical issues plaguing all industry supply chains globally and the negative consequences from Covid-19 lockdowns in China, the wool market is holding its own.
The AWEX Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) dropped by five cents for the series, closing the week at 1408 cents per kilogram, clean.
The western market indicator (WMI) didn't fare as well dropping by 11c to 1446/kg, clean.
And although better style and low vegetable matter (VM) wools attracted strong buyer interest this week, it wasn't enough to keep the benchmark indicator on an upwards trajectory.
The AWEX weekly market summary reported the EMI has had an up and down run since week 33 (we are now in week 37).
Since that time the EMI has risen on all even numbered weeks, for a gain of seven cents, and fallen on the odd numbered weeks, for a loss of 19c.
In good news the EMI is still 131c higher than the corresponding sale of last season.
Overall, the week for wool generated minimal change, with prices hovering around established levels.
Merino types generally held in eastern markets, but in WA those levels deteriorated by 15 to 20c.
AWEX reported that good style wools carrying less than 1.5 per cent VM were limited in supply and highly sought after.
Strong buyer interest in these lots kept prices up, but in the end with only 40pc of total fleece having less than 1pc VM, the higher VM wools lacked the same support, bringing down the overall series.
The small rally that crossbred wools had shown in the last few weeks came to a halt with prices falling by 20c at the close of the series.
According to market reports, China were dominant with support from India and Europe.
Consistent purchasing of good type, better style Merino fleeces by the European and Indian interests is spearheading that extra demand and helping keep prices at their established levels.
Unfortunately it is the long delivery times to those non-China destinations which some report at being up to four months from the time of booking contracts to delivery processed that is not helping the market.
This is almost double the duration of what the normal supply chain for wool textiles used to operate to just a few years back.
Looking ahead, offerings for the coming three sales are expected to range from 41,250 bales to 48,286 bales.
Next week over 48,000 bales are to be offered over three selling days of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
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