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Their willingness to simply go without pay television could be a sign that Internet TV services such as Netflix and Hulu are finally starting to entice people to cancel cable, though company executives say the weak economy and housing market are to blame.
Third-quarter results reported this week by major cable and satellite TV companies show major losses, but don't settle the question of what's causing them.
If "cord-cutting" in favor of Internet video is finally taking hold, that has wide-ranging implications. Consumers who use the Internet to get their movies and TV shows bypass not just the cable companies, but the cable networks that produce the content. The move could have the same disruptive effect on the TV and movie industries as digital downloads have already had on music.
A few weeks ago, the CEO of phone company Verizon Communications Inc. likened cord-cutting to what started happening to the local-phone companies five or six years ago, when people started giving up their landlines in favor of relying solely on their cell phones.
"The first thing when that happens is you deny it," Ivan Seidenberg said. "I know the drill. I have been there."
On Thursday, Time Warner Cable Inc.'s chief operating officer, Landel Hobbs, said the company doesn't see evidence of people dropping cable in favor of the Internet. He said the biggest subscriber losses have been among people who don't have cable broadband services; high-speed Internet - from cable or a competitor - is key to watching video online. These people seem to be going to satellite or giving up on pay TV entirely.
On the theory that college students might be among the first to drop cable TV, the company looked at changes in subscriber figures in college towns such as Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio. They weren't out of line with previous years, and they corresponded to the level of student enrollment, he said.
"We'll continue to monitor cord-cutting, but haven't found evidence where you might expect to see it," Hobbs told analysts on a conference call.
Time Warner Cable lost 155,000 video subscribers in the July-September quarter, compared with 64,000 a year ago.
The only larger cable company, Comcast Corp., reported last week that its subscriber loss more than doubled in the third quarter, to 275,000. Comcast said many of those leaving had taken advantage of low introductory rates that the company offered last year when the analog TV broadcast network was shut down.
The country's eight largest publicly traded pay-TV companies, representing about 85 percent of the subscriber total, had reported their results for the third quarter by Friday. These cable, phone and satellite companies showed a combined gain of 66,700 video subscribers, or a 0.3 percent increase at an annualized rate, about a third the growth of the population.
The figure was a slight recovery from the seasonally weak second quarter, when they gained just 12,400 subscribers. But it's far short of the 401,300 subscribers gained a year ago.
Missing from the tally is the third-largest cable company, Cox Communications, which is privately held and doesn't report subscriber counts publicly. If it lost cable subscribers at the same rate as Comcast and Time Warner Cable, the nine largest pay-TV companies had zero net gain for the latest quarter and lost subscribers in the second.
Cable companies have been losing video subscribers for some time, but they have been compensating by upgrading basic subscribers to more expensive digital tiers, as well as adding broadband and phone subscribers.
However, both Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems Corp. lost digital video subscribers in the third quarter. Both added record-low number of phone subscribers, as years of growth are coming to an end.
Meanwhile, Netflix Inc.'s streaming service has become so popular that it is now the largest source of U.S. Internet traffic during peak evening hours, according to Sandvine Inc., a Canadian company that supplies traffic-management equipment to Internet service providers.
A variety of gadgets can send Netflix's streams to the living room TV, including game consoles and the $99 Apple TV box. Many high-end TVs now come with the built-in ability to play Internet content.
Thomas Clancy Jr., 35, in Long Beach, N.Y., canceled the family's Cablevision subscription this spring. He said he has been happy with Netflix and other Internet video services since then, even though there isn't a lot of live sports to be had online.
"The amount of sports that I watched certainly didn't justify a hundred-dollar-a-month expense for all this stuff. I mean, that's twelve hundred dollars a year," Clancy said. "Twelve hundred dollars is ... near a vacation."
But Clancy - who has no relation to the thriller writer - is also an example of the hurdles cord cutters face. He uses an Internet-connected Blu-ray player to get Netflix movies to the TV. And he pulls a cable from his computer to the TV for Internet content Netflix doesn't have. Clancy owns a computer consulting firm and is tech-savvy enough to do all that. Most people wouldn't know how.
Cablevision wanted to raise Clancy's Internet bill when he canceled TV service. That would have made cord-cutting less attractive, but he happens to live in an area where Verizon provides Internet service at speeds that are comparable with the best cable has to offer. He got a better deal from Verizon and switched to that provider.
Most people who have the technological skills to take advantage of Internet video find that the selection of movies and shows isn't broad enough to make the jump worth it, Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said.
On the other hand, poor people have an excellent motive to cut cable and simply replace it with an antenna or nothing at all, he said.
"The price of cable TV has risen to the point where it's simply not affordable to lots of lower-income homes. And right now there are an awful lot of lower-income homes," Moffett said. "The evidence suggests that what we're seeing is a poverty problem rather than a technology phenomenon."
In addition, high unemployment means fewer new households, as kids are probably delaying moving out of their parents' houses, or people move in with roommates. That can reduce the number of households that pay for TV.
Cable companies would like to get low-income customers back with cheaper cable packages, but their hands are tied. Content providers such as The Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. won't license their channels one by one, so subscribers have to take big, expensive channel packages, or very basic ones, which offer little beyond what's available with an antenna.
Content providers now get billions of dollars in fees from cable service providers, and they want to make sure that whatever new industry model comes along, they'll get paid. It's not obvious yet that Internet video will let them sustain their profit levels.
Six companies create the content that consumes 85 percent of U.S. viewing hours, Moffett said. "Until they get on board, the train's not leaving the station."


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As we enter 2022 and think about the past year, investors may have mixed emotions. The year 2021 was exciting as many hot stocks flew by and many fell back to earth. Some who fell in addition to other stocks with hypergrowth may not have noticed the corrections that were justified. For those looking for relative value in a rather overpriced market, buying a fall of such stocks can be a fruitful long-term strategy.
The question is: how do investors differentiate between wheat and chaff? It’s not as easy as it seems.
There are a few places to start. The basics are always important. Competitive positioning of companies must also be taken into account. In addition, the outlook for these shares is significant in the medium to long term.
Looking at these factors above, the next seven stocks certainly look interesting. Each of these companies has impressive growth profiles, a strong market position and attractive medium- to long-term prospects. However, each of these companies was sold out to some extent late.
Let’s delve into why these hot stocks might be worth buying at this recent fall:
- Modern (NASDAQ:MRNA)
- Target (NYSE:TGT)
- Home Depot (NYSE:HD)
- Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
- International business machines (NYSE:IBM)
- Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)
- Spotify (NYSE:SPOT)
Hot Stocks: Modern (MRNA)
As the world faces the effects of another version of Covid-19, economic growth, which many may have taken for granted in 2021, is under siege. However, there are some companies that benefit directly from the continuation of the pandemic. From this point of view, these shares can be viewed positively as a kind of protection of the coronavirus portfolio.
As one of the leading manufacturers of Covid-19 virus vaccines, Moderna’s positioning in the market remains impressive. One of the few vaccines accepted in the US, Modern’s MRNA-based vaccine is generally considered to be one of the best vaccines against Covid.
This company has gained an impressive market share not only at home but also abroad. It has been sent since 4 January 800 million doses its vaccine in more than 60 countries. This tripled Modern’s cash and cash equivalents and reached $ 17 billion by the end of 2021.
The last two months have not been good for Moderna’s shareholders. This is a stock that has been under pressure for some time, despite the bull news accelerating shots approved for adults 18 years of age and older. Additional approvals for Covid-19 for young people – and the likelihood that we will constantly need more reinforcement – improve the medium-term outlook for this stock.
For investors looking to buy for growth with proven potential for incredible returns, part of MRNA is something you should think about in the face of this downturn.
Target is a retail giant that has done incredibly well overall. This is a share that is only 15% lower than its highest value reached at the end of last year. However, there is reason to believe that Target has more room to operate if the economy continues to gain power.
This is because his business model is deeply rooted in American life. Three out of every four people living in the U.S. reside within 10 miles target locations. As far as companies that have a ditch around their core business are concerned, Target is definitely worth considering in the US retail bulls in the coming years.
It is also a company that is generally resilient to rising interest rates. With impressive cash flows and rising margins, TGT shares are looking much more attractive. According to their own report for the third quarter, digital sales increased by 29% compared to the same period last year. Revenue in the third quarter was up 13% to $ 25.3 billion.
Overall, Target is moving in the right direction. Although it is currently hot, it is a stock that would be worth buying in the event of any prolonged fall compared to current levels.
Hot Stocks: Home Depot (HD)
Another best retail stock, I’ve been in favor of Home Depot for a while now. The biggest retailer for home improvements in the U.S. has also been in impressive traffic lately.
Many now attribute this incredible success to the pandemic. As we got stuck at home, many of us noticed those annoying chores around the house that we never got to while we spent most of the day outside of our homes. Forced home time has proven to be a good thing for home improvement retailers – who would have thought?
Nevertheless, there are many who believe that the recent appearance of the Home Depot was not a one-off. The activity of buying housing remains elevated, as many millennia have been looking for their first home. Given that general economic activity is strengthening, the prospect of a Home Depot likes a lot from here.
This company is recent quarterly profit they talk about the value these short-term winds had for this business. The company’s nearly 10 percent sales growth and total revenue of $ 36.8 billion is amazing.
Even more impressive is that net profit increased by 20%. In other words, Home Depot has found a way to become extremely profitable at a time when goods have risen. For long-term investors, this is a business model worth liking.
Now, we come to the part where we talk about the middle ground The biggest – and perhaps the best – a company in the world. Apple is a technology stock that every investor wants to buy 10 years ago. In the past, it has been observed that high-profile investors like Warren Buffett have stepped in to buy as many shares as possible – and with good reason.
Apple has what could be considered a “perfect” feature set. It is a (partly) luxury brand with a loyal consumer base and absolutely amazing margins. Over time, it has found a way to expand into services and increase the margins of its existing product lines. This led to Apple becoming the absolute king of cash flow.
Apple is a leader in many ways and recently exceeded a market capitalization level of $ 3 trillion – the first company to do so. Investors can avoid these stocks at these levels during such a run.
The thing is, Apple isn’t extravagantly overpriced at its current price. Instead, considering the money in the company’s balance sheet and its projected growth rate, the valuation of AAPL shares looks fair given the growth it provides.
Long-term investors looking for hot stocks on which to hang their hats can’t go wrong if they own Apple in the long run.
Hot Stocks: International Business Machines (IBM)
It may be difficult to qualify International Business Machines (IBM) as a “hot stock” in any conversation. This is because this stock has been relatively obedient over the last decade and has actually lost value to shareholders.
However, with strong dividends and long-term prospects for impressive growth among computer giants, there is a reasonable thesis about IBM’s share ownership. From a fundamentals perspective, investors should like a 24-fold price-to-earnings ratio (P / E) and a 4.9% dividend yield. This type of value is very difficult to find in the technology sector today.
If I increase the chart a little, things look much better for IBM. Shares have risen more than 8% in the last month alone and have become more attractive to investors with value.
Accordingly, IBM is an interesting stock to consider for those who expect further value rotation from growth. The company he estimated it will bring in $ 35 billion of free cash flow over the next three years. This is largely due to his success in the cloud computing sector.
So there may be little room for hope about this company’s growth potential. For now, IBM remains an interesting stock for investors to keep on its watch list.
One of the hottest stocks on the market in decades should be Amazon. This e-commerce giant has absolutely dominated the online retail market and has become one of America’s biggest players in this regard. However, AMZN shares have fallen 14% from a recent high in history, an interesting entry point for investors at these levels.
Much of this success is related to Amazon’s dominance in the cloud computing segment. He is currently one of the top global players in this space with an enviable market position.
Among the largest stocks with mega-capitals, Amazon continued to increase its top line in an amazing way. In fact, many investors have not seen this, so stocks have progressed since the start of the pandemic.
Like some of the other names on this list, Amazon has benefited from Covid-19. However, the secular growth trends on which AMZN shares are based remain strong. This is a company that I look at very bullishly in the long run.
I would consider buying at any significant drop below $ 3,000 per share. Given the recent barriers posed by interest rates, anything is possible in this regard.
Hot Stocks: Spotify (SPOT)
We finally have Spotify. Shares of SPOT, one of the hottest shares of the pandemic, absolutely jumped at the end of 2020 as investors searched for games to stay at home.
However, in the last year, Spotify has given up most of these profits caused by the pandemic. Currently, SPOT shares have fallen more than 40% from their 52-week high.
For those looking for growth stocks at an impressive price, it may be worth considering Spotify. Many still believe that this stock is overvalued due to rising interest rates and technological sell-offs. However, those who would like to buy some blue chips may want to consider this mid-range player. With a market capitalization of just under $ 45 billion, Spotify is a company that can grow into its valuation.
Now, the fact that this company has brought $ 2.5 billion in revenue in the third quarter hints that Spotify trades about four times its annual revenue. It’s not incredibly cheap, but it’s also not incredibly expensive. So a shift in market sentiment could put Spotify up and running this year. It all depends on which direction the wind is blowing.
At the time of publication, Chris MacDonald did not hold (directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are the subject of InvestorPlace.com Guidelines for publication.
Chris MacDonald’s love of investing has led him to pursue an MBA in finance over the past 15 years and to take on a number of leadership roles in corporate finance and venture capital. His past experience as a financial analyst, along with his zeal in finding undervalued growth opportunities, contribute to his conservative, long-term investment perspective.

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While most consumers are familiar with organic farming, at least by name, far fewer consumers are familiar with other regenerative practices, including no-till, according to a recent survey.
Among those surveyed, 59% said they had heard of organic farming, 55% said they had heard of crop rotation, and 52% said they were familiar with sustainable farming.
However, other practices and terms were much less familiar. Soil restoration was known to 37% of respondents, soil health to 33% of respondents, and cover crops to 25% of respondents. Slightly more people had heard of no-till farming, at 19%, than had not heard of any of any of nine terms used to describe various environmentally aware practices.
The survey also broke down respondents by various demographics. College-educated consumers were the most likely to report they had heard of no-till farming at 23%. About 24% of surveyed male consumers said they were aware of no-till farming, as opposed to just 14% of women.
About 40% of respondents said "choosing foods that are produced with environmentally sustainable farming" had the most beneficial impact on farmland. Respondents labeled crops grown without pesticides the second most beneficial impact at 34%.
That might discourage farmers who have toiled for years to identify and refine best practices related to tilling in the United States. However, the survey results contained some good news.
About 85% of respondents said they were interested in learning about the connection between food production and regenerative agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture refers to set of connected soil and crop management practices, typically including no-till or other alternative tillage methods, like strip-till, vertical till or minimum till.
The survey also put forward a hypothetical scenario in which consumers were offered two identical cereal products. One option cost $4, but contained a log indicating it was "Grown Using Regenerative Agriculture." The other cost $3, but had no banding.
About two thirds — 66% — said they were at least somewhat likely to purchase the cheaper unbranded product rather than the more expensive branded product.


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The 31st annual Miami Yacht Show leaves its Miami Beach venue after 30 years. The new location, downtown Miami, may have been a pragmatic decision on the part of Informa Exhibitions. However, many of us will miss historic accommodations at iconic properties that lined the waterway, with in-water displays just steps away. It was a romantic setting with an enchanting intimacy.
The New Miami Yacht Show
Once again, the 2019 Miami Yacht Show will take place over Presidents Day/Valentines weekend, February 14-18. The new downtown location, One Herald Plaza on Biscayne Bay, offers some excellent advantages. The site has expanded in-water and on-land space. Show displays will spread between the MacArthur and Venetian causeways and include Sea Isle Marina. The location is also closer to Super Yacht Miami at Island Gardens on Watson Island. However, none of these distances are easily walkable.
The 2019 Miami Yacht Show promises to be spectacular. The 60-acre display includes a massive 67,000-square-foot exhibition space and nearly 500 stunning yachts from the world’s foremost yacht and superyacht manufacturers and brokers. The yachting event draws a global audience of over 29,000 visitors. It generates an estimated $486 million in economic output.
“The Miami Yacht Show is thrilled to expand to the heart of downtown Miami. We look forward to sharing our newly enhanced experience with our exhibitors and attendees,” said Andrew Doole, GM and VP of Informa Global Exhibitions, U.S. Boat Shows. “Our key focus continues to be the improvement of the customer experience. With closer proximity to Super Yacht Miami at Island Gardens, this new location creates a more cohesive experience.”
Watch for new attractions in the on-land exhibit space. Enjoy pop-up luxury retail, guest lounges and bars, exotic cars, private aircraft, and special events. The exclusive VIP offering, the Windward VIP Experience, is an upscale option. Ticket purchase includes a premium open bar, gourmet food and exclusive events in a unique indoor/outdoor environment. Tickets are $200 per person per day and include valet parking and water taxi service. Water taxis access to Super Yacht Miami and the Miami International Boat Show on Virginia Key.
The weekend also coincides with Art Wynwood, a contemporary and modern art fair produced by Art Miami and held adjacent to the Miami Yacht Show. Visitors will be able to cross each site easily, introducing more art lovers to the world of yachting. Art Wynwood showcases a dynamic array of works, featuring emerging talent from the contemporary market, mid-career artists, blue chip contemporary, post-war and modern masters.
At Watches & Wonders, visitors will be able to experience Miami Concours. This is an exclusive presentation of incredible rare vintage, sports and exotic cars from major U.S. collectors. A shuttle service to and from the Miami Yacht Show and the Miami Design District encourages show-goer participation.
Miami Yacht Show New Location
The new Miami Yacht Show site is located at One Herald Plaza, between the MacArthur and Venetian causeways on Biscayne Bay, next to the Adrienne Arscht Center for the Performing Arts and including Sea Isle Marina. The show is just minutes from major interstates and renowned shopping districts.
Offering more than 3,500 parking spaces within walking distance of the show and easy access from Brightline and the Metromover, the new venue makes getting to the show more convenient than ever before.
Water taxi service will connect the mainland location to Super Yacht Miami. This satellite superyacht display at Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island caters to brokers and their clients. The water taxi also stops at the Miami International Boat Show on Virginia Key.
Miami Boating Week
The Miami Yacht Show runs concurrently with the Miami International Boat Show, which is owned and operated by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Collectively featuring over 2,000 boats, the two shows together create the largest marine event in the world. Visitors can purchase a joint ticket for admission to both shows and choose several modes of convenient transportation between the two events.
General admission tickets to the Miami Yacht Show are $28 per day. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets for Thursday, February 14th, considered Prime Time Preview, are $43 per person. The combo Miami Yacht Show and Miami International Boat Show Premier Day admission is $83; general admission combo tickets are $53 per day. For more information on ticket pricing, show hours, transportation options, activities and more, visit MiamiYachtShow.com


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DETROIT – Creative entrepreneurs including fine artists, authors, poets, comics, storytellers, dancers, production experts, musicians and others across Detroit are struggling because business help that is bailing out many small companies does not always help those who work alone.
The Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship is hosting a forum to help creative entrepreneurs become sole proprietors and handle their businesses.
This virtual forum is at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16 and co-sponsored by The Community Reinvestment Fund with help from the Opportunity Resource Fund, First Independence Bank and the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project.
The forum is open to artists in all genres. Register at detroitartsandculture.com.
Read more: Detroit headlines


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Crystal Cruises has announced that its 2014 preview itineraries are now open for booking.
A total of 17 voyages visiting 74 ports in 34 countries are available for January to April 2014 on Crystal Serenity and January through to May on Crystal Symphony. “Book Now” fares offer savings of up to £1,200 per couple until June 30.
Destinations that are less-cruised and less-easily-accessible such as Ghana, Mauritius, Brunei, Burma, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Sao Tome, Senegal, Namibia and Angola are featured alongside favourites such as the Cayman Islands, Panama Canal, Thailand and Hawaii. The company will make maiden calls in Luanda, Angola; Lombok, Indonesia; and Malacca, Malaysia and is also returning to several destinations not visited in years, such as the Andaman Islands, India; Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan; the UK’s Pitcairn Islands; and Jakarta, Surabay and Ujung Pandang, Indonesia.
All voyages but one offer overnights in local ports-of-call, including “double overnights” in Yangon (Myanmar/Burma), Yokohama, Ho Chi Minh City, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Winter/spring voyages range from 12 to 26 nights, in addition to a five-segment, 89-night World Cruise
Fares lead in at £2,047 per person cruise-only, based on a 12-night 'Southern Seas Soliloquy' from Valparaiso to Papeete departing on January 8, when booked by June 30.
For more information call 020-7287 9040 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk


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Clean drinking water can never be taken for granted. As we cope with a changing climate, aging infrastructure, and global political uncertainty; essential, life-supporting water becomes a scarce resource. Pro One believes that although life is complicated, clean drinking water shouldn’t be. CEO Steve Steinway, a water filtration innovator is committed to providing the highest quality water filtration systems to ensure his customers always have access to clean drinking water.
Pro One believes transparency is key to understanding how their filters perform and opted to conduct extensive testing in accordance with NSF/ANSI standards done by an independent certified The ProOne® G2.0 gravity series filter carries the distinguished NSF/ANSI-42 component certification not found with other brands.
Pro One recently completed a replatforming of their webstore, finalized rebranding efforts, and set out to significantly increase their audience while improving SEO and marketing capabilities. Although already a significant and performing eCommerce business, Mr. Steinway knew there was a massive untapped market for the highest quality water filtration solutions beyond his current customer base.
Consumers spent $861.12 billion online with U.S. merchants in 2020, up an incredible 44.0% year over year, according to Digital Commerce 360 estimates. That’s the highest annual U.S. ecommerce growth in at least two decades. It’s also nearly triple the 15.1% jump in 2019.
Online sales accounted for 101% of all gains in retail in 2020. This means sales through all other channels—stores, catalogs and call centers—declined. This is the first time in history that ecommerce sales accounted for all retail sales gains. The previous high was in 2008, when ecommerce accounted for 63.8% of all retail sales growth.


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We are now just hours away from the exciting reveal of FIFA 16 TOTY. We have been counting down to this event with various information leading up to the schedule and now it looks like EA has already chosen their captain for the event.
You may have seen the TOTY promo video that EA has been touting all week, featuring ‘Lloyd’s Team’ which offered fans an insight into early FIFA 16 TOTY predictions.
Now EA has reshared a segment of that clip in relation to the TOTY 16 captain and it looks like the overwhelming favorite is Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) January 10, 2016
EA has asked Twitter followers who you would pick as TOTY captain but it looks like they have already made their choice with Messi.
Don’t forget to check out the TOTY schedule if you missed it last week and want to know what time the FIFA 16 TOTY goalkeeper and defenders are out on Monday.
Are you excited about TOTY – how many coins / packs do you have saved up?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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“Despite the fact that 5G has not been launched commercially, there may be already a great basis for 5G uptake in India,” Ericsson stated in its biannual Mobility Report launched on Tuesday.
Fourth-generation (4G) know-how, which is at present driving connectivity in India, will see its contribution drop to 55% by 2027, from 68% now, the report stated, including that 4G subscriptions are forecast to say no yearly to an estimated 700 million subscriptions in 2027 as subscribers migrate to 5G.
“Whole cellular knowledge visitors within the India area is estimated to develop by an element of 4 between 2021 and 2027. That is pushed by excessive development within the variety of smartphone customers and a rise in common utilization per smartphone,” stated Thiaw Seng Ng, head of Community Evolution, SEA, Oceania and India, Ericsson.
The common knowledge visitors per smartphone in India is projected to develop to round 50GB per 30 days in 2027 from 20GB in 2021, rising at 16%, compounded yearly. Round 56% of all knowledge visitors is prone to be carried by 5G networks in India by 2027, as per the report.
Fifth-generation know-how may even assist Indian telecom corporations generate $17 billion in incremental income from enterprises by 2030, as per the report, which cited a joint Ericsson-Arthur D Little examine.
The projections come amid a authorities choice to permit direct spectrum allotments to personal companies for organising captive personal wi-fi networks (CPWNs), which has triggered a fierce competitors between telcos and know-how corporations in India.


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As it moves closer to launching its own ticketing operation, Live Nation today announced it was promoting its ticketing division President Nathan Hubbard to CEO of the unit, and will fold LiveNation.com under the management of the division.
The move comes on the heels of the unrelated, but distracting, ouster of Michael Cohl as Chairman of Live Nation, as the company looks to reassure Wall Street that its ticketing operation is successfully moving forward. Hubbard’s responsibilities have been expanded and he is charged with turning the division into a dominant concert ticketing company.
Live Nation, which is severing most of its ties to rival Ticketmaster to create the improved ticketing division, already enjoys the number two position among ticket companies behind Ticketmaster, according to TicketNews’s exclusive industry rankings, but the distance behind Ticketmaster is sizable. Once Live Nation gets its ticketing operation fully up to speed in 2009, it expects to handle in excess of 20 million tickets for Live Nation events annually.
Hubbard came to Live Nation in 2006 when Live Nation acquired Musictoday for which Hubbard was already CEO, and he used that experience to help create the backbone of Live Nation’s ticketing efforts. Currently, Live Nation sells more than 2 million tickets annually, primarily through its venues and to fan club members.
“We have assembled a ticketing team consisting of some of the most creative, effective and seasoned leaders in the arena,” Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Nation, said in a statement. “With his proven track record of building ticketing, online and ecommerce businesses from the ground up, Nathan is perfectly positioned to expand his role to lead our ticketing unit as we integrate our ticketing platform with a redesigned, ecommerce focused gateway at LiveNation.com.”
Joining Hubbard in the division are:
— Joe Manna, Chief Information Officer, who brings 25 year of experience in technology, operations and IT, and most recently worked as served as Chief Technology Officer of Tickets.com.
— Greg Bettinelli, EVP Business Development and Strategy, who joined the company earlier this year from StubHub/eBay, where he spearheaded the company’s landmark relationship with Major League Baseball. Bettinelli will be one of the featured speakers at Ticket Summit 2008, July 23-25 at the Venetian/Palazzo Hotel Resort Casino in Las Vegas.
— Noah Maffitt, EVP/GM of LiveNation.com, who recently joined the company from Office Depot where he was instrumental in driving growth to nearly $5 billion in total ecommerce revenue.
“Joe, Greg and Noah are absolute superstars in their fields and I’m very pleased to continue my work with them in this expanded role,” Hubbard said in a statement. “This is an exciting time for Live Nation’s ticketing initiatives, and I’m looking forward to spearheading our growth as we prepare to launch our major ticketing operation in 2009.”
Last Updated on June 30,2008 byBy Alfred Branch Jr.


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SMYRNA, Ga., Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — a360media, a leading multi-platform media company, today announced Andy Wilson will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, effective today. The newly created position comes as a360media continues to invest heavily in brand development, content, digital transformation, and senior leadership.
“Andy is a true pioneer in the digital space and we look forward to adding his extraordinary leadership experience to our growing management team that’s focused on developing new and innovative platforms for our growing brands,” said a360media President & Chief Media Officer Doug Olson. “His astute track record of digital brand transformations along with his trusted, innovative insights make him a valued contributor for colleagues and business collaborators alike.”
Wilson will oversee digital strategy, products, technology, eCommerce, data analytics, and operations and will report to Olson. He joins a360media from Dotdash Meredith where he served in several executive roles including Chief Digital Officer, Senior Vice President of Consumer Revenue, and Senior Vice President of Commerce, Marketing & Innovation.
a360media, the media arm of accelerate360, has restructured its brand portfolio over the past year while also significantly growing its special interest publishing business.
“Through Doug’s leadership as President & Chief Media Officer, the a360media team has re-focused on venerable media brands and rapid growth across digital channels,” said accelerate360 CEO and President David Parry. “Andy’s appointment supports this ambitious transformation and ensures our multichannel platforms and expertise connecting culture, content, and commerce remains innovative and digitally focused.”
To download photography and additional multimedia, click here.
accelerate360’s media group, a360media, includes well-known Celebrity & Entertainment and Women’s Lifestyle brands, engaging millions of consumers monthly across multichannel platforms including digital, magazine, and social media channels.
Originally published at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a360media-names-andy-wilson-executive-vice-president-and-chief-digital-officer-301756147.html
Images courtesy of https://pixabay.com


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Eating highly-processed foods could raise the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
People who eat a lot of ‘ultra-processed’ foods, including some ready meals, sugary cereals and fizzy drinks, have been found more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.
Consuming more than four servings a day could raise the risk of an early death by almost two-thirds.
Ultra-processed foods are usually sold ‘ready to eat’ and could not be made in a normal kitchen, as they are packed with industrial substances like preservatives and sweeteners. They make up half of all food bought in the UK.
A French study found every 10 per cent increase in the proportion of ultra-processed food within someone’s diet raised their risk of cardiovascular problems, like a heart attack or stroke, by 12 per cent.
Separate Spanish research shows people eating more than four daily servings of ultra-processed food had a 62 per cent higher chance of dying.
This was the increased risk over the next 10 years on average, compared to eating less than two servings a day.
Experts believe ultra-processed foods may make people less full and more hungry, raising their risk of obesity, which is linked to heart problems and premature death.
Industrial ready meals tend to be high in salt and saturated fat, but there is also growing evidence some of the chemicals they contain could be harmful for the body and harden arteries.
The findings have prompted calls for governments to consider more taxes on processed foods to help people cut down.
In a commentary on the studies, published in the BMJ, researchers at Deakin University in Australia wrote: ‘These findings add to growing evidence of an association between ultra-processed food and adverse health outcomes that has important implications for dietary advice and food policies.
‘The dietary advice is relatively straightforward – eat less ultra-processed food and more unprocessed or minimally processed food.’
Ultra-processed foods, which contain few whole foods and bear little resemblance to home-cooked meals, have previously been linked to high blood pressure, depression and cancer.
There had been no investigation into cardiovascular disease, which causes a third of deaths worldwide – around half of these in Europe linked to an unhealthy diet.
The French study, led by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research and the University of Paris, looked at 105,519 adults who filled out an average of five questionnaires on their weekday and weekend diets, taking in 3,300 separate items of food.
When these people were tracked for up to a decade, every 10 per cent rise in the proportion of ultra-processed food they ate was linked to a 12 per cent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a 13 per cent increased risk of coronary heart disease and an 11 per cent higher risk of problems with blood supply to the brain.
Salty snacks, fizzy drinks and sugary foods were most linked to cardiovascular disease.
The Spanish study, led by the University of Navarra, looked at almost 20,000 people whose ultra-processed foods of choice mainly included processed meats, sugary drinks and dairy products.
For every additional serving of these foods they admitted eating in questionnaires, people’s risk of dying was found to rise by 18 per cent, with cancer the main cause of death.
Besides their lack of nutrients, processed foods and their packaging contain certain chemicals believed to have an effect on health.
But some experts say it is hard to avoid processed foods and not all carry the same risk.
However the Spanish study concludes that ‘targeting products, taxation, and marketing restrictions on ultra-processed products, and promotion of fresh or minimally processed foods, should be considered part of important health policy to improve global public health’.
Dr Gunter Kuhnle, associate professor in nutrition and health at the University of Reading, who was not involved in either study, said: ‘These studies are important, as they show that there is an association between the consumption of ‘ultra-processed’ foods and health which warrants further investigation.’
Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘It’s important to remember that observational studies like these can only show an association. They cannot tell us what is behind this.
‘The classification of ultra-processed foods used by the researchers is very broad and so there could be a number of reasons why these foods are being linked to increased risk to our health, for example nutritional content, additives in food or other factors in a person’s life.’


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SMART CITIES & 5G
By 2050, more than two-thirds of the planet’s population will live in cities. Investments in smart cities to support community resilience is one of the most important outcomes of the crisis.
How are City Authorities addressing the ongoing challenges, the economic repercussions and the long-term implications for planning in a post-pandemic world? How AI, 5G, IoT, Quantum and other tech advances being harnessed in areas such as smart urban design, sustainable transport and logistics, clean energy and utilities, urban health and resilience, among others?
As the world has changed in 2020 the dependence on network speed, capacity and security has never been greater. Network vendors, mobile operators, and governments are working together to best meet the needs from nations, industries, and consumers with 5G. The expectations on 5G are huge, from consumer electronics and entertainment with VR gaming to powering Industry 4.0 applications enhancing businesses, public services and infrastructure.
Hear how 5G is being leveraged across sectors to boost competitiveness and how to secure real first mover advantage.


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‘Paw Patrol’ box office shows why some studios are selling to streamers
Excerpt from “Paw Patrol: The Movie”.
“Paw Patrol: The Movie” won just $ 13 million in domestic box office sales on its opening weekend, signaling that families are not ready to return to theaters, especially whether the movies are available on streaming platforms at the same time.
Based on one of the most popular children’s television franchises, the animated film Paramount debuted this weekend in theaters and via the streaming service Paramount +. With children under the age of 12 currently unable to get vaccinated against Covid-19, it’s no surprise that the film did not attract a large audience in theaters.
âFamily audiences have a different set of priorities when it comes to how they want to watch movies,â said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Parents determine where to see a movie based on a lot of variables, including those that have to do with the movie itself of course, but also other factors related to the pandemic and that makes the situation quite complicated.”
While âPaw Patrolâ has exceeded the box office expectations of some analysts, it is part of a larger trend of lukewarm ticket sales for family-oriented films.
Sony’s âPeter Rabbit 2: The Runawayâ has grossed $ 40.5 million in ticket sales nationally and just over $ 100 million internationally since its release in June, according to data from Comscore. For comparison, the first film “Peter Rabbit” grossed $ 115 million at the domestic box office and $ 231.4 million in sales in overseas markets.
in the same way, Universal’s âThe Boss Baby: Family Businessâ has grossed less than $ 100 million in worldwide sales since its release in July, while its debut film has earned $ 527.9 million worldwide.
These more modest box office results explain why a studio like Universal has postponed its movie “Minions: The Rise of Gru” until 2022 and why Sony is said to be in talks with Amazon Prime Video to sell “Hotel Transylvania 4” for 100 million. of dollars.
After all, Universal Despicable Me’s three films have generated more than $ 2.5 billion in global box office sales, and its debut film âMinionsâ grossed $ 1.15 billion. Even with its Peacock streaming service available, Universal anticipates a bigger advantage by postponing the sequel until next year.
As for Sony, the Hotel Transylvania franchise has raised more than $ 1.3 billion in box office revenue worldwide since 2012. Each sequel has generated about $ 100 million more than the last. Sony does not have a dedicated streaming service, so it could benefit from a theatrical release only of its movie. However, with the Delta variant raging in the United States, there is no guarantee that families with unvaccinated children will be venturing into theaters en masse.
Sony can get a guaranteed payment from Amazon that it doesn’t have to share with movie theater operators.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal has released “The Boss Baby: Family Business” and will distribute “Minions: The Rise of Gru”.


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Our view: Duluth can seize a chance to shineWhen you figure that about 3.5 million visitors a year roll through Duluth, accounting for $780 million of annual economic impact, a gathering of 340 Minnesotans over two days, dropping about $262,000, might seem rather insignificant.
When you figure that about 3.5 million visitors a year roll through Duluth, accounting for $780 million of annual economic impact, a gathering of 340 Minnesotans over two days, dropping about $262,000, might seem rather insignificant.
But consider that the group meeting and greeting today and tomorrow at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center — and staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants and soaking up our sights — is made up of many of our state’s top tourism officials. And keep in mind that this is midweek and in February, a notoriously slow time for convention traffic.
The group is here for the annual Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference. The “future’s so bright” is the convention’s theme, a sentiment that can be applied specifically to Duluth for being picked after not playing host for about 15 years.
“It’s a great way to showcase Duluth to some pretty influential people,” Explore Minnesota Tourism’s Alyssa Ebel told the News Tribune Opinion page on Monday. “And this is our chance to highlight the state of the tourism industry in Minnesota, (which is) going good. Minnesota’s tourism industry generates approximately $12.5 billion in sales annually. … It’s big business.”
And the convention this week in Duluth is a big deal, Visit Duluth’s Gene Shaw told the Opinion page.
“It’s a good deal for us,” he said. “It’s a chance to bring all the tourism folks here. That can only be good for us. … It’s great networking. We’re all on the same boat. It’s all about, ‘How can we work together?’ ”
Despite nearly a quarter century of year-to-year growth (with the exception of recession-rattled 2009), and despite its 18,000 family-supporting local jobs, tourism too often is overlooked in Duluth. It’s certainly taken for granted.
That’s true statewide, too, even though tourism grew 54 percent between 2000 and 2012 as measured in leisure and hospitality gross sales, which increased from $8.1 billion to $12.5 billion. Travel and tourism in Minnesota generates more than $34 million a day and is responsible for more than 245,000 jobs, accounting for 11 percent of the state’s private-sector employment.
So there’s plenty to talk about at the DECC — and when attendees return home, assuming they like what they see of Duluth, and of all of us, while they’re here.


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New construction to drive Houston HVAC majors’ growth
The national economy is finally starting to pull out of the recession, and there is once again a significant number of homes and buildings under construction. With new construction comes new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
This is welcome news for two Houston HVAC majors — Comfort Systems USA Inc. (NYSE: FIX), which installs, maintains and repairs industrial and commercial HVAC systems, and Goodman Global Group Inc., which manufactures HVAC systems.
Comfort Systems reported third quarter earnings Oct. 30 that were more than double its earnings from the same quarter of 2012. The company had earnings of $11.4 million, or 30 cents per share, compared to $5.7 million, or 15 cents per share, in the third quarter of 2012.
Although Comfort Systems hasn’t seen a huge surge in profits because of new construction — service work and price stabilization were two main factors contributing to its earnings — the company believes it could be a driving factor in the future.
“We believe that we are positioned to take advantage if construction demand improves in the coming quarters,” Brian Lane, Comfort Systems’ CEO and president, said in a conference call recorded by Seeking Alpha. "And our assessment of the underlying conditions in our markets give us optimism that activity levels are susceptible to growth over the next few years."
On the HVAC products manufacturing side, David Swift, Goodman Global’s CEO, recently told the Houston Business Journal that new home construction has historically only counted for about 15 percent to 20 percent of his company’s sales. However, new construction is now the company’s fastest-growing sales segment, and this could change up the company’s sales percentage breakdown in the near future, he said.
Molly Ryan covers manufacturing, technology, the Port and logistics for the Houston Business Journal. For her breaking stories and industry insights, follow her on Twitter.
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The most-awaited BlackBerry KEYone has finally made it to the UK. The device is up for grabs via Selfridges for £499 (Rs 41,436). BlackBerry will also sell the phone via Carphone Warehouse starting May 5th. To recall, it was first announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. The key attraction, it comes with one of its kind smart keyboard, retaining the company’s QWERTY standard.
Specs-wise, the KEYone has a relatively smaller 4.5-inch 1080p IPS display with 443 ppi pixel density and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Powering the device is an octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor and Adreno 506 GPU for graphics. It equips 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage that is expandable.
It runs Android Nougat out of the box and packs a 3,505mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. It houses a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera. There’s also a fingerprint sensor. The set of connectivity options includes 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB Type-C port. It weighs 180g.
The KEYone was found listed on an online retailer in March with a price tag of Rs 39,999. BlackBerry has confirmed that will it start selling the KEYone in the US and Canada from May 31st.
Specifications of the BlackBerry KEYone
|Display||4.5-inch Full HD|
|Processor||Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-Core|
|Camera||12MP Rear / 8MP Front|
|Internal storage||32GB (Expandable Up To 2TB)|
|Operating system||Android Nougat|


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Even as farmers agitating in opposition to farm legal guidelines have been demanding confirmed Least Assistance Price tag (MSP), the the greater part of agricultural households in India are not even conscious of the MSP strategy, and the percentage of output bought by households under the MSP assortment among to 24.7 for every cent (apart from sugarcane). Paddy and wheat rising households dominate the charts of MSP recognition and output bought under the MSP.
Apparently, not even 50 for every cent of households rising numerous crops for sale are conscious of procurement businesses.
Circumstance Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Holdings of Households in Rural India – 2019 (National Sample Survey – NSS 77th spherical) disclosed the MSP recognition info. About 40.7 % of paddy rising households are conscious of MSP (July- December 2018) and fifty two.8 for every cent paddy rising households claimed recognition about MSP among January- June 2019. About 39.8 for every cent sugarcane rising households, followed by 31.7 for every cent bajra rising households, 30.7 for every cent cotton grower households and 28.three for every cent soybean rising households claimed recognition about MSP (July –December 2018).
Involving January 2019-June 2019 more than 50 for every cent of sugarcane rising households claimed recognition about MSP. About 41.2 for every cent of arhar rising households, 39.2 rapeseed grower households and 37.one for every cent of wheat grower households claimed recognition about MSP.
The percentage of households that claimed recognition about procurement businesses under MSP assortment among three.one to 40.three for every cent (apart from sugarcane). Paddy rising households top rated the chart when it comes to the optimum percentage of output bought under MSP.
The Shanta Kumar Committee report, introduced in 2015 asserted that only six for every cent of all farmers benefited from MSP by means of the sale of meals grains to an formal procurement company, according to info of the NSS seventieth spherical.
The governing administration of India announces Least Assistance Prices (MSP) for 22 significant agricultural commodities of Good Normal Excellent (FAQ) each yr in equally the crop seasons soon after using into account the suggestions of the Commission for Agricultural Expenses and Prices (CACP). The procurement at MSP is accomplished by the Union and State Companies under numerous strategies of the governing administration.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar informed the Lok Sabha in July this thirty day period that MSP policy has practically nothing to do with new farm legal guidelines. Farmers are totally free to offer their create to the governing administration procurement businesses at MSP or Agricultural Generate Sector Committee (APMC) markets or by means of agreement farming or in the open up current market, whichever is beneficial to them.


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Six automakers, including Toyota, Honda and Nissan, are recalling nearly 3.4 million older-model vehicles worldwide because of defective air bags that can send shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment.
“My only criteria was that fake wood paneling. I absolutely love that in cars.” – Sal and his Toyota Venza
“Give me the cheapest car you have. That’s all I care about. “ – Mike and his Toyota Matrix
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 550,000 vehicles worldwide — mostly in the United States — for possible problems related to the crankshaft pulley.
Toyota is setting up a social networking service with the help of a U.S. Internet company and Microsoft so drivers can interact with their cars in a way that’s similar to posting on Facebook or Twitter.
Salem, NH police say a driver lost control of her car and crashed into the unoccupied store front.
High gas prices have all of us thinking about what kind of vehicle we drive, and what we pay to fill it up.
The earthquake in Japan will mean a shortage of cars and that could drive up prices.
Toyota recalled 2.17 million vehicles Thursday to address accelerator pedals that could become entrapped in floor mats or jammed in driver’s side carpeting.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognized 66 vehicles on Wednesday with its “top safety pick award” for the 2011 model year, the most-ever awarded.


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Tag - Waze
Google's cloud storage platform app has been updated for iOS today, now offering the ability to upload files from other sources. As reported last week, Apple has reversed its course on a policy that disallowed an app to upload content to iCloud Drive unless a file was created within the app itself. Google Drive for iOS v3.4.0 includes bug fixes and performance improvements, and file uploading to Drive from other apps and sources (such as iCloud Drive) can be executed on devices running iOS 8. Google Drive for iOS requires iOS 7.0 or later to run.
Waze is expanding its data reach today, launching the Connective Citizens program to bring the crowdsourced navigation platform together with 10 governments across the globe. The initiative is expected to improve the amount of information available in Waze, while granting municipalities and other government bodies information on road incidents and traffic conditions.
Satechi has released the F1 Smart Monitor Stand, available now for purchase. Featuring a slim design, the F1 Smart Monitor Stand includes four USB ports and two integrated audio ports to simplify a user's desk layout. The USB 2.0 ports allow for data transfer rates up to 470Mbps, and its integrated audio ports feature use for microphone and headphones. The stand can support up to 22 pounds, and can be adjusted to two different preset heights for optimal ergonomic positioning. Available for the introductory price of $30, the F1 Smart Monitor Stand can be purchased through Satechi and Amazon.
The BBC's iPlayer (UK only) received an update on Tuesday, reaching Version 2.2. The app offers users the opportunity to download and stream BBC programming, and now provides the ability to watch downloaded programming on one's TV using AirPlay (on iOS 5 or later). Version 2.2 also includes an improved search function, providing one-tap access to previous searches, results grouped by series, and a dedicated search section on iPad with image-led results. Accessibility features have been improved as well, with better VoiceOver support added prior to and after favorites have been added to the Favorites screen. BBC iPlayer is available for download from iTunes, free of charge.
Google has updated its iOS and Android Maps apps with real-time incident reports culled from Waze. The alerts, submitted by Waze users, can include things like accidents, construction, road closures, and other factors affecting traffic. Only some countries have access to the data in Maps though, namely Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, the UK and the US.
Google and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have both confirmed that the search engine's acquisition of map tool developer Waze will be examined by the federal agency. The investigation is the latest in a range of actions being taken against Google worldwide for suspected anti-competitive behavior.
Google has confirmed it has closed a deal to purchase the social mapping startup Waze. The acquisition, for an undisclosed amount that is speculated to be around $1.3 billion in cash, will allow Waze to enhance Google Maps with traffic updates and route adjustments, using information provided by the startup's 50 million users.
Search and mapping giant Google will reportedly scoop up Israeli social mapping startup Waze for roughly $1.3 billion, according to new reports. Google, according to Haaretz, is very close to sealing the Waze deal, which would keep competitors like Facebook and Apple from improving their standing in the burgeoning location services market. Critical to Google's progress in the negotiations, according to reports, was the search company's willingness to bend on the location of Waze.
Social-based navigation service Waze has released an updated iOS app, v3.7. The focus of the upgrade is on Facebook events integration; signing into Facebook will now automatically populates the navigation list with addresses for event RSVPs, saving the need to enter them manually. Along similar lines, the app can now also display friends headed to the same event or destination. A bar with friends will appear on the right side of the screen, in the order of their expected arrival. Tapping the bar presents more detailed ETA information.
Reports have surfaced that Google is considering a competitive bid for map software developer Waze. The move comes after sources indicated that Facebook had held talks to buy Waze. Reportedly, no one company is close to closing the deal, and Waze itself may choose to use venture backing to expand its services rather than seek a buyout.
Now AAPL Stock: 93.4 ( -2.7 )
WhatsApp now handles over 100M calls daily
WhatsApp is celebrating that it is being used for over 100 million calls every day. In a brief notice, the Facebook-owned messaging platform advises the voice-calling feature it rolled out to its users last year now deals with an average of over 1,100 calls initiated per second. Earlier this year, it increased the security of its calls and other messages, by introducing end-to-end encryption on all platforms. http://bit.ly/292HqCX
Adele's '25' album now streaming
Recording artist Adele has "pulled a Kanye" after saying that her current album "25" would not be available for streaming. The seven-month-old record, which has yielded a number of hit singles, is now available for streaming on all the major streaming services, such as Apple Music and Spotify, as of today in most major markets, with worldwide distribution to come. Reportedly, the singer had demanded streaming be limited to paid subscribers -- a condition that has hurt some streamers with artists, who aren't paid royalties for free or trial listens . Apple pays performers its normal royalty rates during its free trial, avoiding the issue -- and having repeated success in both signing up exclusives and placing those exclusives into the top of the charts. http://ti.me/28U7NOu
SanDisk iXpand case has battery, storage
A new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s case from SanDisk appears to be the "holy grail" of accessories: a stylish and protective case that offers both extra storage as well as the option of extra battery power as well. The iXpand Memory case offers either 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of additional storage incorporated into the case, and an optional add-on battery pack (sold separately) adds up to an extra day or more of charge. Through the associated iXpand app, camera photos and videos can be automatically stored on the extra storage, optionally password-protected, The cost for the case is (in order of storage capacity) $60, $100, and $130. The battery pack's release data has not yet been announced, but the add-on should retail for an additional $30. http://bit.ly/291epHu
Fifth Hong Kong store to open June 30
The 46th official Apple store in what the company calls the "Greater China" region will open at 10AM local time in Hong Kong's New Town Plaza in the Sha Tin district on Thursday, June 30, according to a new page on Apple's retail website. Despite slowing growth due to economic turmoil in China, the country is still Apple's fastest-growing market. The new story will be the fifth for Hong Kong, a lucrative market for Apple thanks to the high concentration of wealth there and a thriving "gray" market. Normal store hours for the new store will be 10AM to 10PM every day. http://apple.co/291diaT
Apple Music bug bites very short songs
There appears to be a reproducible bug in the current version of iTunes -- version 12.4.1, running on OS X 10.11.5, both the current non-beta versions of the respective software -- that causes a streamed song to become "stuck" in endless buffering if the streamed item just before this happened was 60 seconds or less in length. The problem appears to stem from code in iTunes that signals the next track to start downloading one minute before the currently-playing track is done, and thus songs shorter than one minute don't trigger the download. Locally-stored music is unaffected by the bug, and the problem does not appear to exist in either the macOS Sierra developer beta or versions of iTunes earlier than 12.4, and does not affect the iOS Music app at all. http://bit.ly/291cN0l
Walmart Pay expands to 15 states
Walmart, one of the key progenitors of the failed CurrentC mobile payment system that was distinguished from Apple Pay by its ability to collect and share customer financial and buying data among its participants, has expanded the soft rollout of its alternative solution "Walmart Pay" to an additional 15 US states following a pilot program in Arkansas and Texas last month. Walmart continues to resist adding Apple Pay. The system, built into the Walmart app for iOS and Android, works with a complicated system of the camera scanning a purchase code at the register, then generating a QR code which is then scanned by the register. The system is available now in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, DC. http://apple.co/28SqZfu
Amazon refreshes entry-level Kindle
Amazon has added a new Kindle to its ebook reader range, one that is thinner and lighter than the previous entry-level model. Offering a six-inch 167-dpi touchscreen display, a doubled 4GB of storage, and an option for a white casing, the new model also adds in the ability to export highlights and notes to an email account as a PDF. Two versions of the all-new Kindle are available, priced at $80 including "Special Offers" and $100 without. http://amzn.to/28Q4c3R


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YouTube‘s user experience is changing with its dramatic aesthetic overhaul that was rolled out recently. This, in turn, could mean big things for companies and brands.
As YouTube makes room to grow in the social media space — to become a place for more than just unbridled user commentary — brands can think about how to settle into the YouTube space more strategically.
And make no mistake about it, YouTube is a giant forum for video content — but also for advertising. YouTube streams 4 billion videos every single day. This is a 25 percent increase over the past eight months, largely due to Google making YouTube versions available on their Android phones and on Internet-enabled televisions. 3 billion videos a week are monetized. Display ads that play alongside or within streamed videos generates $5 billion a year.
YouTube Adds “Channels”
The biggest component of the new YouTube layout is the use of “channels.” The new homepage features a left-hand sidebar, dominated by channels. It makes it easier for users to subscribe to channels — once they subscribe to the channels and brands they like, they will see the latest activity on that channel in a stream view. Users can also “pin” 10 channels to their own YouTube home page.
What Brands Need to Do
1. Publish regularly.
With this constant barrage of content greeting YouTube users, brands will need to update their content regularly to stay in users’ minds. YouTube is emphasizing that there are more channel-based changes on the way. If YouTube is focusing on channels, brands need to focus on channels.
2. Tighten management of your brand’s YouTube channel.
Channels are making it easier for people to engage with the content, especially with newer content. This is great news for brands — but it also means brands need to keep a closer eye on what’s being said about them.
3. Be share-worthy.
The redesign is making it easier than ever for people to share their YouTube activity on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and other social networks. At the same time, videos that are shared to these social media networks will be featured on YouTube’s homepage feed. With it being so easy, what’s left for brands to do is to give users something they want to share.
4. Stay active on Google+
YouTube is a Google revenue machine, after all. Video by brands on Google+ that get shared means more exposure to anyone using YouTube. And, with Google+ integrated seamlessly with YouTube, users can search, view, and share YouTube videos from Google+.
The Main Idea
Any redesign that seeks to increase users’ time on the site means one thing. There is an increase in advertising just around the corner.
YouTube has already announced 100 new original video programming deals with big names in media, including superstars like Madonna and Jay-Z. YouTube Insights have been replaced by YouTube Analytics, giving brands more control over their channels and more insight into what drives subscriptions and what retains audiences.
YouTube is going to become a busier place. This may amount to a bigger time commitment on the part of companies and brands.
If you don’t have the time, know-how, or passion, we do. Call us and/or come visit us in our awesome downtown Orlando office.


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Unity Technologies believes that the increasing feature-set of 3D engines, such as its own Unity, means developers are less reliant on middleware solutions than in the past.
Unity now supports multithread rendering and advanced lighting techniques, allowing its developers to export to Flash, and Epic Games' Unreal Engine also supports Flash 11 and its Stage 3D APIs. Crytek, meanwhile, built its own in-house physics engine for CryEngine rather than use a thirdparty solution. In an interview, Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason tells us it all adds up to trouble for the middleware industry.
"I'm good friends with many of these people, and they're great technologists," he tells us," but developers are less willing to [use middleware], I think, now that 3D engines offer more and more features.
"My sense is that these businesses – not all of them, necessarily, but as a category, for sure – are in trouble. It's kind of sad, because there's some really good stuff coming out of there."
Helgason, of course, would say that – and as we reported yesterday, the likes of Bungie and Remedy are making use of Umbra's rendering optimisation technology in their games, with Bungie's Hao Chen talking up the merits of middleware as the former Halo developer builds its next-gen engine. But Helgason believes in-house engines supported by middleware are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
"Fewer and fewer people are making their own in-house engines," he says. "The concept never goes away – there's always someone with an in-house engine, and many of them are really good. But they're really expensive to maintain and the smaller the team and the more nimble the project has to be, the harder these are to justify.
"A lot of people are coming to us with really good in-house engines but wanting to replace them with something outside which will be maintained by somebody else. They can still get source code if they need it, so it's actually the best of both worlds."
Helgason's comments come from a feature on the current state of 3D engines, with input from Epic's Mark Rein, Carl Jones from Crytek and David Coghlan of Havok. It's in our new issue, E236, which should be with subscribers in the coming days and will be on shelves next Tuesday, December 20.


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Here is our pick of the best
The Kadjar finally fills the SUV-sized gap in Renault's line-up, tapping into a vital part of the car market
The new Navara moves the pick-up sector to another level
As an emerging brand on the world stage, SsangYong is acutely conscious of its status compared with the more established players. Yet there seems little reason for the brand to have an inferiority complex
Manufacturer says upgraded all-electric car now boasts 155 miles between charges
Ecotricity has joined forces with the carmaker to kickstart a national discussion on EV refuelling
International Cricket 'delighted to welcome such a strong brand to our growing commercial portfolio'
The X-Trail is a better vehicle than this particular model allows it to be
Former UK ambassador to Japan says talk of ‘drawbridge Britain’ is deterring growing economies from investing here
Speaking at the launch of Nissan's new Qashqai model, Carlos Ghosn said the possible EU referendum is "going to be a major factor"
Reports following $258m investment in taxi-hailing app Uber by the search giant
Marc Osborn recorded footage using pinhole camera hidden inside alarm clock
New system promises to stop adverts appearing next to controversial or offensive material
The Japanese midfielder is entitled to be on holiday during United's time in his home country
Fiat moving its global headquarters to Britain is just one sign of a renaissance
Nissan has been forced to recall 841,000 vehicles across the globe – including 133,869 models of the Micra in the UK – after discovering a glitch in the steering wheel of one of its models.


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Ferrari 275 GTB/4 prototype heads to auction
From 1966-68, Ferrari built just 330 examples of the 275 GTB/4. The very first one will cross the block at the Coys London auction on May 18. Unveiled at the 1966 Paris Motor Show, Chassis 08769 showed off significant updates to Ferrari’s road-going grand tourer, including longnose Pininfarina bodywork and four overhead camshafts for the 3.3-liter V-12, which when fed by six Weber carburetors raised power from 280 to 300hp over the earlier two-cam car.
Combining race-bred performance and technology, the 275 GTB was already a home run for Ferrari because it combined a 5-speed transaxle with long-distance comfort and voluptuous bodywork, but this car was both better looking and faster.
After being shown in Paris, the car was sold to an American buyer and has since been in private collections in Switzerland and the UK. Coys actually sold it in Monaco in 2004 for a little over $420,000, but while the Ferrari market has obviously moved a lot since then, the actual car hasn’t. It has reportedly spent much of its time sitting still, and Coys recommends a “light recommissioning” before use.
The high estimate for this GTB/4 is $3.2M. It’s on the high-end even for a four-cam car, but it’s still a reasonable amount considering this is the prototype. In general, though, GTBs haven’t fared as well lately. As one of the seminal classic Ferraris, 275 GTBs were helped lead the charge in soaring Ferrari prices that started at the beginning of the decade. By 2014, good examples could routinely fetch well over $3M, and at Monterey three years ago Steve McQueen’s ’67 example sold for a record $10.18M. Things have since softened in the Ferrari market, with Hagerty Price Guide values for the 275 GTB/4 falling since their peak early last year.
So far in 2017, three 275 GTBs have sold at auction and all of them were slightly less valuable two-cam cars. Two sold in Scottsdale for $2.12M and $1.73M, and one sold in Amelia Island for $1.84M. Despite the staggering sums paid, they were considered inexpensive. If the four-cam prototype meets reserve in London and sells for anywhere close to the high estimates it will be strong money. But much of that will be because it’s a prototype and likely won’t be a trend-setting transaction.


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Pay-at-pump market leader Gilbarco Veeder-Root is to demonstrate fuel pumps that accept payments via contactless cards and NFC phones at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Chicago in October.
- SumUp and Payleven merge
- Payback to add NFC payments to mobile app
- PayPal CEO announces NFC payments expansion
- Deutsche Bank to launch NFC payments in Q3
- Gemalto named as leading mobile ticketing vendor


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The Market Institute President Charles Sauer has a new piece in the Washington Examiner looking at anti-trust enforcement.
“While the political and policy divide between the Biden administration and the Trump administration is vast, there are also some policies that unite them. These areas of agreement could spell disaster for innovation.
For example, the two administrations agree on the populist idea that big companies are evil and need to be reined in by the government. The messaging from former President Donald Trump was clear, and Biden’s team might be even more direct. They are going after Big Tech, Big Pharma, and even Big Beer.
One of the primary tools that both the Trump and Biden administrations looked to employ is the use of antitrust laws. But antitrust attacks were a bad idea under the Trump administration, and they are a bad idea under the Biden administration. It isn’t that big companies are necessarily good. But attacking them doesn’t solve the problem, and using antitrust laws can actually make the problem worse.
Antitrust enforcement is more harmful to the economy than good, and it has a chilling effect on innovation and new business creation.
Antitrust advocates claim that big businesses are bad for consumers and restrict competition. Interestingly, they seem to be serious about this, or at least can keep a straight face while making these claims. But their justifications are lacking, and their results have been comical.
For instance, when the European Union went after the fact that Google was the default search engine on the Android operating system (Google’s own operating system), the EU prevailed in the case but failed in its goals. The result was that users are now presented with a choice, but manufacturers have to pay to license the operating system. And Google’s share of search traffic hasn’t changed.
The reason is simple: Google has a good product. There are plenty of other choices available for search engines, including big players such as Bing and Yahoo and smaller search engines such as DuckDuckGo. But, Google’s search results are just better. The reason that big companies are big is that they can reliably provide quality products that people want — and at good prices. Regulations don’t change that.
This isn’t just about Google, though. It is just one of the companies that have been targeted, and even companies that aren’t currently under the magnifying glass are already starting to act based on the fear of being next, instead of continuing to innovate at the same rate.
When a big company is broken up, or the oversight of its acquisitions is changed — Amazon, Google, Facebook, and a myriad of others have been mentioned — it does more than just hurt that company. It hurts all of the small companies that were looking to be bought by the larger company. It reduces the possible exits that start-ups have and therefore makes them less valuable. Less value means less investment. Less investment means less likelihood of success and fewer people taking risks.
Antitrust expansion and enforcement have a dramatic chilling effect on the small guys.”


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Looking at the total number of beef cows that have been slaughtered in 2021, the data clearly points to a liquation cycle. With the onset of higher feed prices, drought plaguing many of the Northern states, the never-ending problem of finding labor and the continued uncertainty in the fed cattle arena, producers are culling extensively on their existing cow herds. The market currently has too many balls in the air for producers to juggle and profitability is becoming harder to attain.
The week ending May 1, 2021 processed right at 1,164,700 head of beef cows. Thus far, there’s only been four weeks when 2020’s slaughter levels have outpaced those of 2021, and the industry has seen a stark increase in the number of beef cows processed in the last four weeks. As with all things, looking at the market’s behavior in years past is vital, and when you compared the nature of 2021’s market to those of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, it becomes quite clear that the industry is liquidating. Looking at the year-to-date figures of 2021 compared to the five-year average of 1,043,060 head of beef cows being processed by the first week of May, 2021 has surpassed the five-year average by a staggering 121,640 head.
In the short term, cow liquation can make it difficult to find a good time to market cull cows and the fed cattle market could see weaker prices as packers have cows to buy. Looking long term, fewer cows means that the market will also have fewer feeder cattle to sell and will hopefully mean that producers can demand higher prices for their calves when it comes time to market.
To hear more about last week’s cattle market, tune into the latest Cattle Market News update by heading to the DTN/Progressive Farmer Facebook page or by clicking the link below: https://fb.watch/…
(c) Copyright 2021 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.


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Samsung is known for its beautifully designed, innovation and technology advancements but for a year, the Korean Giant had to experience some sales drop due to the Chinese companies. These are new Chinese companies but they managed to win hearts of many users by providing budget friendly smartphones with premium features. So far, Samsung was relying on Galaxy J series and its vast distribution network. Despite, the devices were relatively just an iterative models, sale was good till Xiaomi and other Chinese companies came to the surface.
Xiaomi has been India’s leading smartphone for six continuous quarters, and it achieved this growth by focusing on the budget conscious users. Xiaomi managed to sell over 41 million smartphones in India in 2018 alone. Samsung decided to come up with a new strategy for 2019 to get what is lost. Samsung started off the year with the launch of Galaxy M20, the first in a new series aimed at youngsters. The Galaxy M20 has a fresh design with robust specifications including a fast processor Exynos 7904 – but the coolest thing about the phone was its price. Samsung is known for pricey smart phones but Galaxy M20 has changed that.
With the Galaxy A50, Samsung is all set to rule the tech industry in the country again. There are three models in the Galaxy A series – Galaxy A10, A30, and A50. The A10 is an entry-level segment, A30 offers similar hardware to the M20 but A50 is the real deal. The 4GB/64GB version of the Galaxy A50 retails for just $285 which is staggering when you look at its features. The Galaxy A50 has an in-screen fingerprint sensor, making it one of the very few devices with a price tag less than $300.


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Sept. 29, 2004 -- Small business has always found it difficult to work with big government. But a new piece of legislation now under review in Congress seeks to make life easier for companies traditionally tripped up by red tape in Washington.
The Small Business Compliance Assistance Enhancement Act, introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), moved to committee on Thursday. Supporters say the bill, S. 2834, would place new emphasis on compliance guides that federal agencies are required to write, ultimately making rules and regulations more user-friendly.
According to the Small Business Administration, the smallest businesses spend almost $7,000 per employee each year to comply with OSHA, EPA, and other federal regulations -- a cost burden estimated to be 60% greater than that of large corporations.
"Senator Snowe's bill goes a long way to ensure that federal agencies issue compliance guides that are helpful for the small business community," Thomas M. Sullivan, chief counsel for the SBA's Office of Advocacy, said in a statement. "The bill also recognizes that small businesses often need compliance help before the new rules go into effect."


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Home Authors Posts by Hamed Jafari
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Although the Middle East has a small share in the global advertising spend, the region has become a rich destination for marketers. In this article we’ll cover the state of digital ad spend in this region.
Rasa Talks Episode 10 is out! The aim of Rasa Talks is to bring you the latest on Iran’s tech and startup news.
Karamaan, an Iranian non-profit is trying to tap into the high potential of internships in Iran. The application for Karamaan’s summer internship program is open until the first of July.
In the recent years, a big proportion of Iranians have proved to be strong adopters of new technologies. In a series of articles we will shed light on the state of Internet usage and the major social media platforms used by Iranians.
To take part in a new market you have to study its players. That’s why In this article we go through the top 5 most popular Iranian Android apps on Cafe Bazaar in the month of June 2017.
You might have heard a lot about the Iranian tech & startup scene, but you probably still have many unanswered questions about this unknown market. Here are four tips that could help you find your answers.


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Since its launch back in March, Nintendo has promised new dream friends would be periodically added to Kirby Star Allies. Of course, it's kept to schtum on exactly who those characters were going to be. Well, a recent datamine has revealed exactly who these additions are going to be. Of course, consider these spoilers if you want to keep said allies a surprise until Nintendo is ready to officially unveil them.
Ready? Okay. So Adeleine, Daroach, and Dark Meta Knight will be included in the second wave. While the third wave should feature Magolor, Taranza, Susie, and the Jambastion Mages. If you're a big Kirby nerd all of these will be welcome (if slightly unexpected in some cases) additions to the roster. No data was recovered suggesting exactly when they'll arrive, so we'll all have to be patient for the time being.
Are these the additions you expected when it came to dream friends? Or are there any surprises in among their number? Share your thoughts below...


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Hewlett-Packard reports Q3 profit of $297 million (4:25 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Hewlett-Packard HPQ, -1.66% posted a 2003 third-quarter net profit of $297 million, to turn around from a loss of $2.02 billion it reported during the same period a year ago. On a per-share basis, H-P reported net earnings of 10 cents a share, compared to a loss of 67 cents a share last year. Revenue totaled $17.35 billion, up from $16.5 billion last year, but short of the $17.5 billion forecasted by analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. On a pro forma basis, H-P earned 23 cents a share compared to 14 cents a share in the year-ago period. Analysts estimated H-P would earn 26 cents a share.
Network Appliance reports Q1 profit of $27.1 million (4:17 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Storage-technology company Network Appliance NTAP, -2.18% reported a 2004 first-quarter net profit of $27.1 million, up 67 percent from the $16.2 million it earned in the year-ago quarter. Revenue totaled $260.5 million, a 26 percent increase over the $206.8 it earned a year ago. The company topped revenue estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call who forecasted sales of $250.5 million. On a pro forma basis, Network Appliance earned 8 cents a share to top the 7-cents-a-share estimate of Wall Street analysts.
Sycamore cuts loss; sales stable (4:11 PM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Sycamore Networks SCMR on Tuesday said it narrowed its fourth quarter loss to $9.7 million, or 4 cents a share, from $73.5 million, or 28 cents, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $10.9 million from $8.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002, and it was up from $10.6 million in the prior quarter. Excluding onetime items, the company posted a loss of $10.9 million, or 4 cents a share, down from a loss of $20.3 million, or 8 cents, a year ago. The company was projected to lose 5 cents a share, according to the consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call.
Staples lead retail sector, analyst ups rating (12:16 PM ET) CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of office-supplier Staples tapped a new 52-week high of $22.90 before easing off after reporting an eye-popping profit that was 47 percent above last year's results. The company also reported a 6 percent increase in same-store sales at North American stores. Sales to small-business owners were strong and back-to-school sales are doing well, the company said. U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray raised its recommendation on the stock to a "strong buy." Analyst Reed Anderson noted that the results "mark an important inflection point" because it provides "further solid evidence that the company's operational and strategic initiatives are positively impacting sales and profitability." Staples SPLS shares were trading higher by $1.94 to $22.33.
Craftmade slips 10% on revenue decline (10:52 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Craftmade CRFT slumped $2.11, or 10 percent, to $18.69 after the ceiling fan and lighting distributor posted a fourth-quarter revenue decline of 6.6 percent to $18.96 million due mainly to weakness in the overall retail market. Earnings came in at 36 cents a share, up a penny from a year ago and in line with expectations.
Broadcom hikes up on sales outlook, upgrade (9:41 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Shares of Broadcom BRCM hiked up $2.14, or 9.4 percent, to $24.99 after the communications chip maker said late Monday that it expects current quarter sales to rise 10 percent sequentially, and reiterated its fiscal 2004 forecasts. CIBC World Markets followed by upgrading the stock to "sector outperformer" from "sector performer," saying that all the negative sentiment overhanging the company's ServerWorks division seem to be finally "baked in" to 2004 estimates.
PG&E's Q2 earns, revenue exceed analyst expectations (9:21 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - PG&E Corp. PCG, +0.66% reported second-quarter consolidated net income of $227 million, or 56 cents a share, versus income of $218 million, or 59 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Total operating revenue dipped 0.3 percent to $2.93 billion. The results were well above the average analyst forecasts of earnings of 42 cents and revenue of $2.58 billion, according to Reuters Research. The absence of a general rate case revenue increase to offset higher expenses, lower gas transmission revenue, inflation and an increase in shares outstanding contributed to the decline in earnings per share and revenue. The San Francisco-based utility expects to earn $1.90 to $2.00 a share in 2003, versus current analyst projections of $1.86. The stock closed Monday up 12 cents at $21.47.
BJ's Wholesale's Q2 earns declines, but revenue rises (8:00 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - BJ's Wholesale Club BJ, +1.76% reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $22 million, or 32 cents a share, down from 50 cents a share in the same period a year ago. The results included a non-recurring gain of slightly less than a penny a share resulting from the reduction of reserves for lease obligations. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had been expecting earnings of 32 cents a share, on average. Net sales rose 14 percent to $1.64 billion, matching analyst forecasts, with comparable-store sales increased 6.6 percent. Membership fees increased 6.7 percent. The stock closed Monday up 41 cents at $20.15.
Shoe Carnival Q2 shr 12 cts vs 27 cts (7:24 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shoe Carnival SCVL, -2.71% said second quarter earnings slid to $1.5 million, or 12 cents a share, from $3.6 million, or 27 cents a share a year ago, as declining customer traffic forced it to bump up promotional spending. The Thomson First Call consensus called for EPS of 12 cents. Sales rose 7.9 percent to $134.5 million, but same-store sales fell 3 percent. "While the first half results were disappointing, it appears that the U.S. economy and retail environment are beginning to show signs of a recovery," CEO Mark Lemond said. Shoe Carnival is expecting an improvement in second half earnings if a pickup in back-to-school sales continues. Shares closed yesterday unchanged at $15.25.
Staples' Q2 earns, revenue rise above expectations (6:43 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Staples SPLS reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $87.8 million, or 18 cents a share, up from 13 cents a share in the year-earlier period, and above the average analyst forecast compiled by Reuters Research of 16 cents a share. Total sales increased 18 percent to $2.87 billion, vs. analyst estimates of $2.73 billion, while comparable-store sales rose 6 percent. The office supply retailer said its results were driven by the benefits resulting from its focus on small business customers, its initiative to improve margins and asset productivity, and a focus on customer satisfaction. Looking ahead, the company raised its full-year earnings forecast to $1.09 a share, which is above current analyst estimates of $1.05 a share. The stock closed Monday up 49 cents at $20.38.
Home Depot Q2 tops forecasts, sales up 10% (6:13 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Home improvement retailer Home Depot HD, +0.30% on Tuesday topped the consensus estimate for its second quarter by 2 cents a share. HD said second quarter net earnings rose to $1.3 billion or 56 cents per share vs. $1.2 billion or 50 cents a year ago. Sales rose 10.5 percent to $18 billion and same-store sales increased 2.2 percent. HD affirmed its fiscal 2003 guidance for sales growth between 9 and 12 percent and earnings per diluted share growth between 9 and 14 percent.
Celltech upbeat on new drugs despite loss (5:24 AM ET) Goran Ando, Celltech's(UK:CCH)new chief executive, put the spotlight on the UK's largest biotechnology company's pipeline of inflammation and cancer experimental drugs on Tuesday, after it said pre-tax losses after exceptional charges for the first half had widened to £44.7m. Celltech's chief highlighted four new drugs which were scheduled to enter clinical trials this year including two cancer treatments that had already begun testing. Losses for the six months to June 30 were affected by charges of £18.8m and goodwill amortisation of £46.8m, up from a loss of £34.9m a year ago. However, analysts said that results were ahead of expectations. "Overall they were a decent set of results with some encouraging signs. Exceptionals and write-offs were bigger than expected, but that is not a big surprise," said Max Herrmann of ING. In mid-morning trading, Celltech shares were down 3 per cent at 356.8p.
Siemens, ABB to bid for U.S. power work - report (3:00 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- German engineering giant Siemens SI, +0.00% (DE:723610)and Swedish-Swiss rival ABB ABB, -0.37% each are gearing up to bid for contracts to update the U.S. power grid, the Financial Times is reporting. "We expect this week to put together a package we can offer the utility companies to repair and upgrade their transmission systems," Tom Garrity of Siemens' Power Transmission and Distribution Group, told the FT. Siemens estimates it could supply about half of the volume required to renew the grid, the report said.
Mlp Q2 profits down 59.6%, sticks to FY forecast (2:32 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- German financial planning group Mlp(DE:656990), which is in danger of being kicked out of the German DAX Xetra 30 index(DE:1876534)as early as today, on Tuesday said second quarter profits declined 59.6 percent to 7 million euros, with revenues easing 6.1 percent to 246.4 million euros. Pre-tax income slumped to 11.7 million euros from 28.6 million. The results were considered largely in-line with analyst estimates. It said it would stick to its forecast of full-year pre-tax profits of 65 million.
U.K. fund, banking Singer & Friedlander H1 earns down (2:25 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- U.K. asset management and banking group Singer & Friedlander(UK:SFL)said pre-tax and exceptional items profit to June 30 declined to £14.6 million from £18.7 million in the first six months of last year. The board set an interim dividend of 9p per share, bolstered by a tax refund. Operating profit in asset management business for the six months dropped 57 percent to £1.6 million. "That reduction is obviously disappointing, but should be viewed in the context of the levels of the major markets, particularly those in the U.K.," the group said. Funds under management at June 30 declined to £2.6 billion compared with £3.2 billion at the end of June 2002. Banking and finance operating profit rose 9 percent to £11.7 million in the period.
Celltech to close Santa Ana unit, 1H sales, earns rise (2:13 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- European biotech group Celltech(UK:CCH) CLL, +0.00% said pre-tax profit in the first half of the year, excluding exceptional items and goodwill, rose 76 percent to £20.9 million. The company said it took charges of £18.8 million in the first half of 2003 to streamline its pharmaceuticals business and strengthen its R&D capabilities. Part of restructuring includes closing its satellite manufacturing facility in Santa Ana, Calif. during the second half of 2003, with residual manufacturing operations being transferred to its Rochester facility. Sales rose 8 percent to £158.1 million. Celltech said it plans to start Phase III development of CDP 870, its anti-TNF-alpha therapy for inflammatory diseases, during the second half of 2003.