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Samsung may be rushing the Galaxy S5 along due to weaker than expected S4 sales
Citing Samsung insiders, South KoreanJoseilbo reports that Sammy may be rushing the release of the Galaxy S5along due to weaker sales than the company was hoping for internally.That's despite the fact that the tech giant is said to have sold morethan 20 million units of its now aging flagship phone. In allfairness, though, signals of a slowdown in the higher-end have beenmany and common lately, so its not exactly surprising to hear thatthe Korean manufacturer is hurrying things along – the reportclaims that the Galaxy S5 may be formally announced in January 2014.
The above, and what's to follow areby no means confirmed, though there's a degree of plausibility in theclaims. Those include one of the few scarce details we have on thepossible specs of the Galaxy S5, like an alleged 64-bitocta-core Exynos 5430. You read that right, 5430 and not thestill minty fresh 5420, meaning that, if true, Samsung will be releasing aneven more advanced version of its in-house silicon. The reportfurther touches on a previous rumor – that of an 16MP camera unitwith OIS and improved low-light performance, though that one originally referred to apossible new Galaxy F line, said to also feature a metal chassis.
As always, folks, don't jump the gunjust yet – these could be wildly inaccurate. That being said, thereport does make sense (too much, perhaps, which is alwaysa thing to look out for) – the state of the smartphone space has changeddrastically, even in the last few months. Competition is coming fromeverywhere, and the traditional update cycles are bound to getshorter and shorter, as the situation intensifies, so it certainlymakes sense that Samsung gives up the now inadequate 1-year updatecycle.


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If Apple is not ready to re-imagine the tablet yet, all credit to Sony for trying to do so with its wedge-shaped Tablet S, favourably reviewed last year, and now the clam-styled Tablet P, which was launched in the UK (£500) in December but has only been available in the US, with AT&T ($550, plan not required), since this month.
The P is petite enough to slip into a jacket pocket when folded and seems a more natural accessory than the smaller slates that can do so – it’s like taking a wallet or diary out when opening it. Read more
As he celebrated Sony’s sweep of Grammy awards at a star-draped after-party in West Hollywood on February 12, Sir Howard Stringer looked like a man relieved.
Adele, the Sony-signed British singer, had won six trophies, capping a year of music successes for the Japanese group and its Welsh-American chief executive, who had lured industry veteran Doug Morris to run his record labels, and pulled off a bid for EMI Music Publishing without committing much capital. Read more
If you think the 5.3in-screen Samsung Galaxy Note is a little too large to fit in a pocket, then you will have a real problem with the 10.1in version just unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Samsung has yet to make an official announcement about the phone, but a gargantuan poster to match the giant-sized device has appeared, and at this size, there seems no argument about whether it is a smartphone or a tablet this time. Read more
Nintendo was demonstrating its forthcoming Wii U next-generation console and Sony its PlayStation Vita handheld at CES in Vegas this week and they cannot come soon enough for the video game industry.
Cowen and Company analysts, mulling December’s NPD-collated US sales figures on Friday, described them as a Wii-saster, with a 42 per cent fall in Wii software dollar-sales year-on-year contributing to a 21 per cent overall industry decline in hardware, packaged software and accessory sales. Read more
Tech news from around the web:
Google is profiting from illegal advertisements on its search engine, even though it takes them down, alleged a report published on the BBC website on Tuesday. Read more
While Cisco infamously abandoned in April its Flip unit, which popularised value-priced and easy-to-use camcorders for consumers, Sony has stuck it out with the Bloggie brand that tried to imitate the Flip’s success.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, two new models are being introduced, although the Bloggie 3D, which I liked when I reviewed it last year, is being phased out. Read more

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Watch This Space
31 March 2009 Clive Punter
Despite the downturn, advances in technology are opening up new channels for advertising. Clive Punter, CEO of CBS Outdoor, tells Jamie Oliver about how the company is sending out a positive message of progress.
"No one saw this recession coming," says Clive Punter, CEO of CBS Outdoor International, "even the banks, staffed by supposedly bright people. We have been caught out by its speed and severity. In the middle of last year, once we started to notice the economic shift, we looked back at previous downturns for guidance. In the past, the advertising industry is usually hit before the consumer. But looking on the bright side, it usually recovers early. This is because companies look to promote their products or services as the economy improves. However, the reality is that, at the moment, clients are cutting back and holding on to their cash."
CBS Outdoor is the outdoor advertising division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation. It operates in 14 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and Uruguay. Punter became CEO in March 2007 after previously heading up the company's Asia division.
The firm provides advertising space for city bus fleets, mass transit authorities and multinational bus companies, totalling more than 100,000 vehicles worldwide. Its innovations include LED bus sides, illuminated panels, environmentally friendly recyclable billboards and 3D mouldings.
The company recently expanded into China where it sells advertising on 5,700 buses in Beijing. CBS Outdoor’s digital capacity comes to around 1,000 sites worldwide. These generate $30m in revenue, equating to 1.5% of CBS Corporation's overall revenue. The firm sees digital as the future for advertising and estimates it will contribute 5% to overall revenues in three years and 10% in five years.
However, the current state of the market may prove less than accommodating for such projections. According to figures from the World Advertising Research Center (WARC), UK spending on outdoor and transport advertising will fall by 3.9% in 2008 and by 4.6% in 2009. This is compared to a 3% decline in total UK ad spend at current prices in 2008 and a 4.3% fall in 2009. The research organisation points out that the growth of internet advertising is boosting the overall figure for ad spend and masking the decline in some of the larger media, such as newspapers.
Over the past ten years, in terms of the percentage share of total ad spend, TV advertising has increased by 8%, according to WARC research. Internet advertising has seen an increase of 7%. These rises have come at the expense of advertising in print, which has seen a declining market share from 49% to 34%.
Relative to other traditional media, WARC says UK outdoor spend is doing quite well; it was the second-best performing traditional advertising medium in the UK during 2008, with revenues of £227m, according to figures from the Outdoor Advertising Association, and is forecast to be the best in 2009. Globally, the outdoor advertising market is estimated to be $25bn, with CBS Outdoor claiming a 10% market share.
A clear signal
For Punter, his role of CEO comes under even greater scrutiny in difficult times, but he is up for the challenge. "As CEO, I’ve got to be completely honest and open with my people about what’s going on in terms of their jobs," he says. "It’s my responsibility to manage expectations and be realistic about our position and the knock-on effects of the economic crisis."
Part of that honesty is his view on the downturn. "We’re overweight at the moment, having eaten too much for too long, and we’re in heart-attack territory and need to go to the gym. The smart companies recognise consumer’s changing habits and the knock-on effects of the downturn. For example, Cadbury’s is doing well as they’re an affordable treat. Rather than carry on regardless you need to be flexible to survive," he says.
CBS Outdoor recognised that staying flexible meant making adjustments in terms of staff numbers in mid-2008. "We were dignified and managed the situation. We were upfront with people, especially those we had to let go, and we worked to help them through the process," he adds.
Punter says his job as CEO is to be a communicator and be visible. "In difficult times the tendency is to concentrate on the operational aspect of running a business but sticking to our strategy is vital," he adds.
The worsening advertising market could not have come at a worse time for CBS Outdoor, having just invested £72m in digital advertising technology for transport systems. But Punter is sanguine, choosing to keep his focus on the long term.
"The number of channels open to potential advertisers has risen exponentially," he says. "Look at how many newspapers and magazines are moving to have an online presence. This means an increase in advertising potential."
Punter also spots another digital trend. "The behaviour of consumers has changed as a result of technology," he says. "We worked out people in London and Beijing spend something like eight days each year commuting. While people used to read the paper or a book, they are increasingly using that time to go online, email people, phone people. It’s become active time. And that’s where we come in, advertising to people in that ‘third space’ between home and work. Handheld devices are now an interface between the internet and outdoor advertising."
Digital advertising space gives CBS the ability to recognise, through their unique mobile phone signal, individual consumers. "We have digital advertising on buses in London that is controlled by GPS. That means the ads change depending on what area of London the bus is travelling in. That means more targeted and effective advertising," Punter says.
Beyond the UK, Punter reckons South America is in the ascendancy. "The internal wealth of the region is rising and it is starting to become truly globalised," he says. "They have a great attitude, and that is carried over into business life."
As a former head of the Asian aspect of the business, Punter has a long history of visiting China and he concludes our meeting with some advice for CEOs travelling east. "The most important person sits furthest from the door. And when you get to the airport or go to meetings, always get picked up and dropped off in a black car. If a car is black, the person in it is considered more important."


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STARZ Becomes Latest Streamer to Pull Content, Removing Three Shows
Winter may be less than a month old, but some streaming services have already begun their spring cleaning. STARZ has become the latest streamer to start pulling content from its service, removing episodes of three series: “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Becoming Elizabeth,” and “Step Up.”
Each series had already been canceled by STARZ — though “Dangerous Liaisons” had originally been greenlit for a second season before getting the axe in December. The removals were not accompanied by any statement from STARZ.
The removal of these series from STARZ could be an indication that parent company Lionsgate is gearing up to finally spin off its movie studio from the Starz brand. That move was first announced in an SEC filing in September, and if more show removals follow on STARZ, it could be the first step in the separation process.
It was originally thought that Lionsgate would keep its movie studio and spin off the Starz cable network and streaming service instead, but those plans never materialized. Lionsgate plans to rebrand the streaming arm of Starz into “Lionsgate+” in 35 countries globally, though the STARZ name will remain in the United States.
It will bear watching to see if the three canceled series end up on an ad-supported streamer. Free streaming services are known for resurrecting discontinued shows on free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels because acquiring the rights to them costs a fraction of the amount it takes to create a new series from scratch.
The removals from STARZ are reminiscent of recent moves at HBO Max, where the CEO of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav has been pulling content for months. Most recently, that service lost more than 15 seasons of “Looney Tunes” shorts after the licensing contract ended, and in December, the service dumped “Westworld,” “The Nevers,” “Raised by Wolves,” and more from its servers as well. Those series could be part of a potential future FAST service from WBD, or they could end up on another company’s ad-supported streaming platform.
This year could see many more cancelations and removals of series from streaming services. Facing an increasingly crowded marketplace, some streamers will have to take drastic measures in an attempt to make their services profitable. The market no longer rewards streamers for simply having lots of customers, and 2023 could be the year that some dominoes start to fall in regards to services shutting down.
STARZ offers a subscription video streaming service that gives access to content on the STARZ channel without the need of a cable subscription. With your subscription, you’ll get access to 7,500+ films and episodes, including all of their current originals like “Outlander,” The Serpent Queen,” “BMF,” and “Power.”
The service also offers a large rotating library of older films like “Die Hard, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, 12 Monkeys,” and “A Beautiful Mind.”
You can subscribe for $8.99 a month either directly from STARZ, or through Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, or Roku Premium Subscriptions.


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Bitcoin, the headline-grabbing crypto currency, has courted genuine controversy, what with its fluctuating worth and mismanaged banking firms. It's also regularly been linked to black market trading, given the relative anonymity it affords its traders. But can one in 20 Bitcoin owners really be using it to get their drug fixes?
That's what new research from price comparison website PriceSpy.co.uk would have us believe. Surveying the site's users to find those familiar with the currency, it found that five percent of those with Bitcoin had apparently used it to buy illegal drugs.
It's a headline-grabbing stat that's already being picked up on by newspapers. The likes of the Silk Road, Utopia and the Tor browser have certainly made it easier to make illegal purchases under the radar of the law, but the stats still seem high to me. You're hardly going to start singing it from the rooftops after going through the effort to make the purchase on the down-low in the first place. The majority of respondents (29 per cent) claimed to own only between £50 and £100 worth of the currency too, which would suggest only small deals were being made, if at all. It's hardly Pacino-in-Scarface whacking out a Bitcoin wallet.
Bitcoin is struggling to be considered a viable alternative to local currencies at the moment, and this sort of focus on its shadowy side won't help it develop. It makes you wonder who exactly benefits from such research, and whether the currency will ever have a chance to evolve naturally when so many have a vested interest in its downfall.


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MNsure officials say they consumers are showing strong interest in buying non-group health plans for next year, despite the end of the federal mandate to have coverage.
MNsure CEO Nate Clark said through Wednesday, the agency's website had nearly 190,000 visits and that its comparison shopping tool has logged more than 33,00 sessions since open enrollment began November first.
Clark said people who need telephone assistance are getting it almost immediately.
"We're really happy with the improvements we've made and it's been a busy year. Calls have been coming in at a steady pace, but we've only had wait times that are about averaging one second," Clark said.
Congress eliminated the federal mandate to have health insurance, effective next year, but Clark predicts people will continue to enroll in coverage.
"We've actually done quite a bit of analysis on the impact of the repeal of the individual mandate and our sense is simply that consumers are in the market because they want to be and because they need to be," Clark said.
Clark said average premium decreases for next year's plans that range from 7 to 27 percent could boost enrollment.
Most people who buy individual-market health plans qualify for thousands of dollars in federal tax credits to help pay premiums. Those credits for Minnesotans are only available through MNsure.


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Update: 08:44 | 09/08/2020
Large batches of Vietnamese fresh longan, tens of tonnes in size, have been shipped to Australia and entered regions in the south and west of the country over the past few weeks.
Recently, about 7.5 tonnes of longan originating from Mekong Delta provinces arrived in Australia on August 6 while 9 tonnes of longan grown in Hai Duong province are being packed to be sent to Australia to participate in a longan promotion programme held by the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia.
Vietnamese longan has characteristic aroma, small seeds and sweetness.
All batches of longan are imported and distributed by 4 Ways Fresh, a company based in Australia specialising in the production and trading of agricultural products.
Director of 4 Ways Fresh Ly Hoang Duy said that Vietnamese fresh longan has created a good impression on Australian consumers and has become one of the popular products in this market.
In addition, Vietnamese longan has a lower price than longan grown in Australia but its quality is somewhat more special thanks to its characteristic aroma, small seeds and sweetness.
Vietnamese longan can also be harvested all year round, helping importers utilise its market advantage.
Duy said that his company has imported approximately 30 tonnes of Vietnamese longan mainly from Mekong Delta provinces since early this year. It is also expected to increase its longan imports to 10 tonnes of longan per week from Northern provinces to meet the consumer demand.
Vietnamese fresh longan was officially allowed to enter Australia in August 2019, becoming the fourth Vietnamese fresh fruit to be present in one of the most demanding markets in the world.


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These days, just about every public decision becomes a political statement. That’s why the news that Uber’s CEO left President Trump’s business advisory group raised eyebrows across the United States and Europe.
As the names of the members of Trump’s business advisory group trickled out in the media, activists and even employees of the companies these people run began to exert pressure on the leaders to stand up to Trump … or, in the case of Uber, to disassociate completely. Last Thursday, CEO Travis Kalanick did exactly that, announcing that he would be leaving the group Trump formed to advise him on business matters — eyes on the ground of American industry.
Bowing to this pressure may not totally absolve Kalanick of what activists and his — mostly young — employees think about his agreement to join Trump’s team in the first place, but it does put the CEO in a better position to address both his staff and his primary market base, both of which are heavily slanted against President Trump ideologically. The Uber CEO is already being praised in those circles while being roundly lampooned by people who will probably never use his service. For him, at least in the short term, that’s a net Public Relations win.
For Trump, losing Kalanick means losing a leading voice in the exploding mobile business market. Like Airbnb, Uber and its chief competition, Lyft, represent a new way to do business as well as a new way for people to make a living. Work that is becoming increasingly popular with young people, especially Millennials who take to mobile tech more naturally than their older colleagues. Millennials use Uber more, and younger drivers tend to make more money than their older colleagues. That makes this cohort the most important PR market for Kalanick.
After announcing his departure, Kalanick was not shy about divulging the reasons for his decision to quit the group:
“Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda, but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that…”
In this statement, as reported by Reuters, Kalanick reveals that he understands one of the cardinal rules of communication. Perception is reality. What people understand something to mean is what it means, unless and until you can convince them otherwise. “Misinterpreted” is a kind way to put the response from Uber’s customer base. From almost the moment it was learned Kalanick was a part of the advisory board, calls went out online asking users to delete their accounts in protest, to switch over to rival Lyft and to jump on Uber’s social media pages to express their displeasure.
Kalanick had to do something to stop the bleeding. Being a member of a group that may or may not actually have the president’s ear is a lot less pressing than losing a large portion of your customer base.
Ronn Torossian is one of America’s foremost Public Relations executives as founder/CEO of 5WPR, a leading independent PR Agency. The firm was honored as PR Firm of the Year by The American Business Awards, and has been named to the Inc. 500 List. Torossian is author of the best-selling "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations." For more of Ronn Torossian's reports, Go Here Now.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Ms. Gupta has 13 years of experience in research, operations, client relations and sales throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S. Most recently, she served as business development manager for Covance, where she was responsible for all sales initiatives in India with a focus on expanding the company's presence throughout the region. She also worked as an operations manager and research scientist with Covance.
"As the preclinical research market continues to establish roots and grow outside of North America and Europe, now is the perfect time to expand our already talented business development group," said Stuart Frith, global vice president of business development at Harlan Laboratories. "We're excited to add Urvashi to our team, and her wealth of international experience in the CRO and pharmaceutical industries will be an asset to Harlan as we continue to expand in Asia."


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Asia Bizz: After the launch of the cheapest tablet ‘Aakash’ in the Indian market, Fly Mobile has launched its tablet for the Indian market as the second cheapest one. The new Tab is called the Fly Vision and is a budget Android-based tablet that was launched on October 18, 2011.
The new Fly Vision weighs 50 gms and has a 7-inch TFT LCD touchscreen with a pixel resolution of 800 X 480. The tablet computer is powered by a 600 MHz Rockchip and runs on the Android 2.2 Froyo Operating System.
The Vision also comes packed with a 256 MB RAM, along with a 1.3 megapixel camera. With regards to the battery, the company said that it has six hours of battery life and also has a external memory slot that has the capacity to hold up to 16 GB micro SD cards.
The connectivity features of the tablet include USB 2.0, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi along with a standard 3.5 mm audio jack. Moreover, the Vision will also come powered with applications like Microsoft Office Suite as well as some of the Google applications like Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps and YouTube.
The new Fly Vision has been priced at Rs. 7,299 in the Indian market and also has a SIM card slot to make voice calls.


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Will it reach a million? That’s the question to be answered very soon. Here is the exact post from slots.com
Recently Poker.org Sold for $1 Million
Recently the domain name poker.org was sold on behalf of National A-1 Advertising to Poker Company. The deal was brokered by Sedo, which is a domain market place. The price was $1 million. Prior to this the highest price fetched for a .org domain was $198,000 for engineering.org. Domain names with .com have fetched considerably higher prices. Sex.com was sold for $14 million, fund.com was sold for $10 million, toys.com was sold for $5.1 million and candy.com was sold for $3 million. This explains why Slots.com is being tight lipped about the expected price and why no expert is willing to hazard a guess on the outcome.
In Web, Shorter is Better
Single word domain names of this nature are in demand because they are easily crawled by the search engines and usually land on top of the search results, especially if they are active. A single world is easy to communicate and has a higher recall rate among potential customers. This is what a gambling operator wants, especially after shelling out big bucks for TV and traditional advertising.
Both land based and online operators are expected to bid for the name. Slots.com would immediately be a crown jewel in their intellectual property portfolio and could tie multiple brands together into a single online destination.
The questions uppermost in everyone’s minds today are who will be the buyer and how much will they pay. After all, an industry is up for grabs.
Owning Slots.com presents a unique opportunity to both land based and online gambling companies to create a viable international brand. The name Slots.com implies trust, ensures instantaneous name recognition and obtains a higher user recall rate.
How to participate:
Interested parties are being asked to email contact information to [email protected] Please include your company name, contact name, email, fax, phone number, and market capitalization.
Contact: Slots.com Auction [email protected] www.slots.com ###
Looks like they don’t have a date set and that it will be a RSVP type auction. I’ve read a lot of press releases and descriptions of domain names and for the first time I agree with everything the owners actually said. This is a rare gem and I see no reason why it won’t top a million. It’s one of the top gambling domains to go up for sale in a while. What do you think?


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â€œWashington is not doing enough,â€ so businesses have to â€œstep up,â€ Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz said yesterday in a telephone interview. Customers of the Seattle- based company have given about $2 million to Create Jobs for USA since it was created last year. The Starbucks Foundation seeded the fund with $5 million to finance loans to small businesses.
â€œThese are like-minded companies who recognize that we all must do our part and canâ€™t wait for Washington,â€ he said, declining to name the specific companies, which will be announced later this year.
Since Nov. 1, Starbucks has collected money at its U.S. cafes to help fund small-business loans. It teamed up with Opportunity Finance Network, which represents institutions that provide credit to community businesses, to form â€œCreate Jobs for USA.â€ Through December, the fund has made 278 loans to businesses in the U.S.
Photo by Shinsuke Ikegame


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ZTE sets sights on growth markets as third quarter sales miss analysts estimates
ZTE, China’s largest listed telecommunications equipment manufacturer, is betting on its core carrier network and smartphone businesses to drive growth for the rest of the year after posting third-quarter revenue that missed analysts’ estimates.
The Shenzhen-based company reported on Thursday a 10.5 per cent year on year increase in net profit to 1.09 billion yuan (HK$1.25 billion) for the third quarter ended September 30, driven by Chinese telecommunications network operators’ investments in 4G mobile and fixed-line broadband infrastructure.
Total revenue for the third quarter advanced 5.23 per cent to 23.8 billion yuan, which was below the market analysts’ consensus estimate of 26.27 billion yuan for that period.
ZTE’s share price fell 1.26 per cent to close at HK$10.96 in trading on Thursday.
In its filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange after the market closed, ZTE said that pressures from a weak global macroeconomy impacted the telecommunications industry in the past three quarters.
Nomura analyst Huang Leping said in a report that “ZTE’s long-term growth story remains intact”, despite the anticipated gradual decline of 4G-related capital expenditure by the “big three” domestic carriers – China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom.
ZTE chairman Zhao Xianming said in the company’s filing that the company will stay focused on its
three mainstream markets of “carriers, government and corporate business, and consumers”.
“The group will actively develop smart pipes in association with telecommunication operators and help them to evolve into information operators,” Zhao said.
With the 4G capital expenditure cycle expected to eventually wind down, both ZTE and crosstown rival Huawei Technologies have been vocal about their desire to roll out extensive information and communications technology infrastructure to support more advanced services.
Both ZTE and Huawei are already helping spearhead the deployment of advanced 5G-ready mobile infrastructure in Japan.
Equipment from ZTE and Huawei is exclusively involved in the world’s first commercial roll-out of Massive Mimo technology in Japan, sources told the South China Morning Post in a report published last month.
Massive Mimo, also known as large-scale antenna systems, represent one of the key technologies behind future 5G networks. Industry standards for 5G remain under development.
SoftBank Corp, the domestic telecommunications subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp, and affiliate Wireless City Planning, last month started their so-called 5G Project that will see Massive Mimo deployed as part of plans for a full 5G mobile services launch in 2020.
ZTE also reported that its chip shipments doubled compared to the same time last year, and expects core wireless solutions encompassing 5G technology chips to achieve “strong momentum in the future”.
The company said its smartphone business has also improved, reaching top-five positions in terms of shipments in markets that include Spain, Russia, Australia and Mexico.
In a separate filing on Thursday, ZTE said it will set up a 5 billion yuan investment fund with a unit of GF Securities. This initiative will focusing on smart cities, underground pipe networks and data centre projects that are relevant to its business.
Nomura’s Huang said there has so far been limited impact on ZTE’s business from United States export restrictions. The US slapped ZTE with restrictions on sourcing components from American suppliers in March for its alleged violation of export controls on Iran.
In August, the US granted ZTE its third three-month reprieve since March from those restrictions.


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55% of Canadians would prefer to pay contractors cash: surveyCanadian Contractor home improvement contractors home renovation companies home renovation contractors
So, in effect, more than half of your customers are very likely to prefer to do business with a "Mattress Bank of Canada" competitor, instead of you, if you insist on being above-board with them. Thanks, taxman!
Slightly more than half of all Canadians (55%) would do under-the-table deals with home renovation contractors, according to a survey conducted for H&R Block.
“When presented with two quotes from a contractor – a cheque payment or a lower cash payment with no tax – 55 per cent of Canadians said they would opt for the cash option because there was no sales tax,” H&R Block reports. The online survey of 1,500 adults was done by Leger Marketing, a polling firm, from July 30 to Aug. 1.
And that 55% statistic is probably going to increase, if some of the other numbers reported by H&R continue to hold up in the years ahead. For example, only 17 per cent of people aged 18 to 34 said it was wrong to pay cash to avoid paying sales tax. Across all age groups, only 30 per cent of Canadians thinking paying cash to avoid sales tax is wrong.
Statistics Canada reported last year that the underground economy in Canada reached $36 billion in 2008.


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Worcester Business Journal
Zachary Comeau reached out to Garden Remedies regarding our ground-breaking Catalyst Program, meant to mentor budding cannabis entrepreneurs and give them skills and knowledge to succeed in the increasingly competitive cannabis market.
From the article :
“‘We are a mission-driven organization; it's core to our culture, and important to all of our employees,’ CEO Karen Munkacy said in a statement. ‘We're excited to play a role in helping this industry grow responsibly.’
The Garden Remedies program includes in-person and virtual learning experiences and mentoring sessions to address unique challenges in the industry.”


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Overshadowed by the pandemonium of Christmas spending, another seasonal buying spree has been building to a climax. This one doesn`t involve crowds of giddy shoppers or midnight gift deliveries by Santa Claus but rather businesses using vanishing tax laws to buy one last present for themselves.
Sometime after Dec. 31, the investment tax credit and depreciation schedules as we know them will become history. Although President Reagan and Congress have yet to agree on, let alone enact, a tax reform package for 1986, it appears likely that the investment tax credit will be eliminated or curtailed and that depreciation timetables for tangible property will be lengthened.
In various forms, the so-called ITC has been around since 1963, encouraging businesses and businesspeople to buy new equipment or replace the old. The latest version, the one on the brink of extinction, gave business a 10 percent tax discount for qualified purchases of equipment or cars. In 1982, ITC claims totaled $17.3 billion.
``I don`t think there`s any doubt that many companies have looked at the ITC as a reduction in purchase price. To the extent that it has made equipment purchases less costly, the ITC has to be considered a factor,`` said Ed Mahoney, tax partner at Price Waterhouse`s West Palm Beach office.
In the same stroke that would eliminate or curtail the ITC, the White House and Congress are seeking somewhat stricter rules on depreciation of vehicles, equipment and buildings. The current program, called the Accelerated Cost Recovery System, enables business to recover the cost of vehicles in three calendar years and equipment and machinery in five. Proposals by Reagan and the House Ways and Means Committee would lengthen the depreciation period, although they would increase the depreciation amount for the first year.
Not knowing what will finally be enacted, companies and individuals have been enjoying one final fling with the ITC and the accelerated depreciation rate, rushing to put their new machinery into service before the stroke of midnight Tuesday. If they aren`t sure that buying a new car or X-ray machine would be a rational act, they are being coaxed into it by their accountants and prodded by salespeople.
Asserted Bob Bolen, tax partner for Laventhol & Horwath in Fort Lauderdale: ``Obviously both the president`s proposal and the Ways and Means Committee bill say it (the ITC) is going to be done away with, and if somebody wants to get the investment tax credit, they`d better do it by Dec. 31.``
James W. Bryan, head of KMG Main Hurdman`s tax department in Fort Lauderdale, said one of his clients, a doctor, recently bought $92,000 worth of medical equipment on his recommendation to buy in 1985. They had been talking about tax considerations for six months, and Bryan had been mailing him tax advisories all along that explained the possible outcomes of the tax bill.
``It`s very unusual because you`re put in a situation of having to advise a client, but because of the uncertainty of the law, you have to hedge your bets,`` Bryan said.
A survey of local retailers unearthed no consensus that the impending demise of the ITC and accelerated recovery depreciation is having any effect on year- end sales.
``Surprisingly we`ve heard very little back from the customer on that issue,`` said Chuck Gibson, South Florida sales manager for Digital Equipment Corp., a computer maker. ``I don`t know if that`s because we`re talking to engineers, manufacturers and people in research laboratories. The company controller (who would be most aware of the ITC) is acting as an after-the-fact rubber stamp of a purchase already approved and budgeted.``
Fred Kraft, general sales manager at the Autohaus Mercedes dealership in Pompano Beach, said he had no selling spree triggered by the ITC obituary. But Burt Lear, Kraft`s counterpart at Bill Wallace Ford and Subaru in Delray Beach, said he has sold four trucks on the strength of the ITC and expects to sell several more by Wednesday.
For the most part, prudent companies are buying now because they need the equipment, not the tax break. Many firms don`t need the ITC because they are carrying forward previous-year net operating losses that offset taxable income dollar for dollar. Many firms don`t think the economy will be strong enough in 1986 to warrant capital spending for the sake of tax savings.
``Everybody`s anxious about what`s going to happen,`` said Richard Hitchins, a West Palm Beach accountant. ``If you operate in a climate of uncertainty and you make a wrong decision, you could lose a lot of money.``
COMPARING TAX SYSTEMS


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Chuck Rozanski Archives - Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources
After announcing over the weekend that Mile High Comics may not return to Comic-Con International because of the “detrimental effects” of publisher exclusives, CEO Chuck Rozanski has had a change of heart.
“… I want you to know that I ultimately did heed the outpouring of requests that I received from fans and professionals at the show, and renewed our booth for next year,” he writes in his latest newsletter. “In all honesty, however, I have to admit that my decision to renew at SDCC for one more year was driven more by an emotional response to all the kind words of support that we received, rather than any kind of good business sense. Simply put, I do not have any faith or belief that the circumstances that devastated our sales at this year’s convention will be in any way mitigated at next year’s show. Our comics publishers will all express sympathy with the plight of participating retailers at conventions, but will then continue engaging in behaviors that solely benefit them. Such is life.”
Pointing to “seismic changes” in the number of convention-exclusive variants offered by publishers and toymakers, Mile High Comics President Chuck Rozanski has announced that after more than four decades, this may be his last year at Comic-Con International.
While he acknowledges in an installment of his Mile High newsletter that “the detrimental effects of exclusives at San Diego is not a new phenomena,” he asserts “the breadth and the scale” of those products have changed.
“No longer are exclusives limited to just a few booths, or only to Wednesday evening,” Rozanski writes. “We are now seeing all of the major comics publishers, and every single toy and game company, creating limited edition products that they deny us. This aversion to helping comics retailers has become so agregious [sic] and pernicious that I heard from my fellow dealers that some publisher and manufacturer booths were refusing to even allow anyone wearing a dealer’s badge to stand in line. That is beyond ridiculous.”
Conventions | A reported 86,500 people attended the third annual Denver Comic Con over the weekend, up from 61,000 in 2013. The event is undergoing some growing pains, however, with organizers quickly rescinding an announced cart-service fee for next year’s convention following complaints from vendors. Even without that additional charge, some exhibitors remain unhappy about the proposed increase in booth fees. [The Denver Post]


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HP Continues to Expand Its Android Arsenal
As if there was any doubt left that Hewlett-Packard is sick of Wintel, the top PC vendor in the world has just announced a new device that further diversifies HP away from Microsoft and Intel.
The Slate 21 is an all-in-one desktop that runs Google Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and sports an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor inside instead of the usual Wintel combination. The PC is a 21.5-inch touchscreen device that can even be used as an enormous tablet if one is so inclined. The news comes on the heels of HP unveiling its Slatebook x2 last month, an Android/Tegra-powered convertible laptop.
The new all-in-one, whose pricing and availability are yet to be announced, marks the third Android device that HP has introduced in just a few short months. Two of these are powered by Tegra 4 processors, as NVIDIA begins to score design wins with its newest mobile chip and expand into PCs. The first was the Slate 7, which carries a more generic processor in order to hit a lower price point. HP appears to be repurposing its Slate brand into an Android offering.
Much to Google's glee, Android is starting to infiltrate PCs. The search giant may also be pleased that HP is going with a relatively stock version of Android, adding minor tweaks. That's in stark contrast to how smartphone and tablet OEMs approach Android, who tend to overlay as much software modification as possible. Using stock Android saves on development resources, but also increases the speed of commoditization.
Rival Acer is similarly betting big on Android PCs, recently showing off a prototype Android all-in-one desktop as well at the Computex trade show. Windows 8 has driven PC OEMs to desperation, because the new platform hasn't resonated with consumers thus far. The upcoming Windows 8.1 may address some important shortfalls, but significant damage has already been done to the PC market.
HP's turnaround is being built on a multiplatform strategy. Investors can expect the PC giant to continue expanding its Android arsenal.
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.
The article HP Continues to Expand Its Android Arsenal originally appeared on Fool.com.
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- Kristopher Fraser |
Nike Inc. has been sued for sexual discrimination by former female employees who said that women were "devalued and demeaned" at the company, passed over for promotions, paid less than their male counterparts, and ignored when they complain. The news was first reported by Bloomberg.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Portland, Oregon, seeks class-action status for the footwear makers violation of the Federal Equal Pay Act and similar state laws. The plaintiffs in the case are Sara Johnston and Kelly Cahill.
"The ultimate arbiters of these policies or practices are a small group of high-level executives who are majority male," the former employees said in the complaint.
The negative press could do potential damage to Nike's booming business. In the past year their shares have risen 37 percent, with stocks hitting record highs in June. In an era where sexism certainly won't sell, Nike better start doing right by women and fast. It probably won't be long before this turns into a #MeToo moment.
"Nike opposes discrimination of any type and has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are committed to competitive pay and benefits for our employees", a Nike spokesperson said by e-mail to FashionUnited. " The vast majority of Nike employees live by our values of dignity and respect for others."
The case is Cahill v. Nike Inc., 18-cv-1477, U.S. District Court, District of Oregon (Portland).photo: via Nike News


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- The major averages backpedaled Thursday, with financial stocks leading on the downside in the aftermath of a profit warning from merger partners Chase Manhattan and J.P. Morgan. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 119.45 to 10674.99. Nasdaq's Composite Index was off 94.26 to 2728.51 and the S&P 500 fell 19.06 to 1340.93.
Microsoft warns of lower earnings.
Microsoft trimmed its second-quarter and second-half, 2001, financial expectations by 5 percent due to weakness in PC sales and corporate spending, as well as consumer online services and advertising. The software giant said it expects second-quarter earnings of 46 cents to 47 cents a share on revenue of $6.4 billion to $6.5 billion. Analysts currently expect earnings of 49 cents a share on revenue of $6.77 billion.
Oracle beats estimates on earnings, application sales
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Software linchpin Oracle Corp. on Thursday came out with fiscal-second-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, while reporting its all-important application business is getting stronger. The database software maker's earnings increased 62 percent to $623 million, or 11 cents a share, compared with $384 million and a split-adjusted 6 cents a diluted share in the year-ago quarter.
FTC approves AOL, Time Warner
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- After almost a year of negotiations, the Federal Trade Commission voted 5-0 to approve America Online's proposed $111 billion acquisition of media giant Time Warner.
Time Warner competitors' fear
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Approval of the AOL Time Warner deal has other cable television system operators around the country worrying that the FCC will force them to open their lines to Internet service providers, just like terms that the merged media firms had to offer.
Bush calls for unity
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- George W. Bush, in his first speech as President-elect, called for national reconciliation after a bitter presidential race and promised to work with Democrats on issues of Social Security, Medicare, foreign policy and tax relief.
J.P. Morgan, Chase warn and detail job cuts
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Hit by rising costs as the market's decline eats into trading revenue and private investments, merger partners Chase Manhattan Corp. and J.P. Morgan on Thursday warned profits for the fourth quarter will be "substantially lower" than estimates.
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- The wholesale sector of the U.S. economy remains largely free of inflation, government statistics released Thursday showed. The producer price index rose 0.1 percent, while the core rate, which eliminates the volatile effects of food and energy, was flat in November.
Nortel reiterates it's on track
TORONTO (CBS.MW) -- Nortel Networks shares surged after the company reaffirmed that it's on course to meet its previous earnings and revenue estimates for this year and next. North America's largest supplier of optical equipment released the statement in a bid to revive its languishing share price. The company last reiterated its profit and revenue targets on Nov. 22.
FundWatch: What the Wizards have in common
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- There are some traits, and some basic rules of investing that are common to the world's best fund managers. Author Kirk Kazanjian has captured them in his new book, "Wizards of Wall Street."
Repealing the gender tax
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Women are protected from discrimination in employment and housing, but not in everyday purchases. Women often are charged more than men in hair salons, clothing stores, dry cleaning and auto repair shops for similar goods and services, according to studies on the so-called gender tax. And it's not just the extra cost on small staples that adds up. Women also pay more for big-ticket items such as cars, experts say.
Social dues: Amy Domini speaks
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Amy Domini seeks to profit from companies beholden to more than the bottom line. We focus on the investor, and not the company," she said. "We are building an ownership class that transmits a message that it is not good enough to make money just for my wallet."
Mortgage-rate action heats up
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Mortgage refinance activity is picking up across the United States and lenders are gearing up for a potential boom if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates as some analysts expect.


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PolyCentric has launched a mobile version of its news website designed with iPhones, Droids and Blackberrys in mind. The mobile site, at http://m.polycentric.cpp.edu, is the product of a collaborative effort between I&IT Web Development and the Office of Public Affairs.
“Everybody’s excited about this because everybody wants it,” says Curtis Clark, director of I&IT Web Development. “Our testing by users indicates this should be a real plus for the university.”
According to some estimates by industry researchers, smart phone sales are expected to triple within the next few years and overtake desktop and laptop computers as the preferred method to surf the Internet.
“We’re trying to reach our readers where they are. More people are using their phones to check their email and surf the web,” says Esther Chou, PolyCentric editor. “It makes sense to create a mobile version of PolyCentric, allowing our readers to keep current on campus news and events while they’re on the go.”
To pare down the size of the main PolyCentric home page to fit on mobile screens, the design team identified the most popular features of the university’s news website. News stories, events and announcements get top billing on the mobile site, and the Picture of the Day displays the latest photo. The mobile PolyCentric also links to Cal Poly Pomona’s accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
PolyCentric is the first of the university’s web pages that is going mobile. The university home page is being re-designed and its mobile version is expected to debut in about a year, according to Clark.
PolyCentric readers can access the mobile site by clicking on the “Mobile PolyCentric” link in the lower right portion of the home page. In the future, the design team hopes to add an auto-detect feature that automatically sends mobile browsers to the mobile site.
One of the challenges of the project is making the mobile PolyCentric readable on a variety of smart phone browsers.
“We’re hoping that in the next few years the mobile browser market will settle down to just a few popular browsers,” Clark explains. “This happened for desktops. For the near future, we are aiming at supporting mobile browsing in Internet Explorer, Safari, the Google Android browser and Opera. The overhead associated with writing and verifying code for all possible mobile phone browsers is high.”
Michelle Magcalas, online support specialist for Public Affairs, adds: “We’re excited that the partnership between Public Affairs and I&IT Web Development has been so successful in creating something that benefits the entire campus community.”
The design team includes Clark and Justin Kemerer, Magcalas, Uyen Mai, Chou, Tim Lynch, Ani Makarian and Ron Fremont. Mauricio Calderon and Susan Reese in I&IT provided important feedback while testing the beta version of mobile PolyCentric on iPhones.


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If you haven’t heard, Google is lifting its longstanding ban on advertisements for fantasy sports services. The change will allow media buyers to advertise across Google Ads. But that also opens up opportunities for competitors and affiliates to bid on your brand and trademarks.
How can advertisers protect their brand in this highly competitive market?
Download this infographic to learn more:


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BetMGM, a leading sports betting and gaming company, may soon compete with PokerStars in Michigan's regulated online market.
BetMGM to launch online poker in Michigan
A market leading bookmaking and gambling company, BetMGM, may soon compete with PokerStars in Michigan's regulated online market . According to Pokerfuse , Entain and MGM Resorts will launch an online poker game in the Wolverine State. Premiere is expected within the next 3 weeks and will be operated under the BetMGM brand.
Last month, the company launched in this state, sports betting and online casino services . Any player who has already registered and verified their BetMGM account in Michigan, will also be able to access BetMGM Poker after the platform is launched.
Before the launch in Michigan BetMGM raises net gaming revenue forecast (NGR) . Initially, in October, the company announced NGR expectations of $150-160 million. However, in January, BetMGM increased that number by more than 10%, expecting an NGR between $175 and $180 million .
The long-awaited sports betting launch ended on January 22 . Both tribal and commercial operators have shown interest in getting started and have obtained licenses. Although not yet a month old, there are already high hopes with the Michigan market.
Except for Michigan, BetMGM also plans to in the near future launch its online poker service in Pennsylvania . In October last year, the operator received approval for online gaming from Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). As a result, BetMGM launched BetMGM Casino for Keystone State residents in early December. Then, in mid-December, BetMGM has released its mobile sports betting app .
Currently BetMGM offers its services in regulated markets in 10 US states . These include Indiana, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, Nevada, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. The operator offers sports betting on NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and other sports.


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Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart and the other online marketplace can ask the government to make the recent changes in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules for e-commerce have not been implemented since February 1. People familiar with the matter told that these companies say that changing business models in such a short time is not easy, so deadlines will be moved.
Source said, “Companies must study the latest provisions in detail. According to them, there may be major changes at the operational level. ‘ He said that a month’s time will not be enough for this. Amazon and FlipKart did not respond to media questions in this regard. Many of these changes were announced on December 26.
People said that there are two clauses in particular, which will cause major changes. Firstly, in any vendor the marketplace or its group companies can not have equity stake. The second clause is that if the vendor purchases more than 25 percent of the marketplace with the unit of the wholesale unit, it will be assumed that the marketplace control is on the vendor’s inventory. According to FDI rules, marketplace entity or its group companies can not control inventory.
Amazon and Flipkart hold direct or indirect control over inventory. They make bulk purchases through their wholesale units ie Amazon wholesale and Flipkart India Pvt Ltd at cheap rates and they sell the goods on their marketplaces through Preferred Sellers. There are also companies in these sellers, which may be the steak of the e-commerce company or its group entity.
For example, Cloudtail is fully owned by Prion Business Services. Prion Business Services is actually the founder of Amazon and Infosys’s N. R. Narayana Murthy’s Catamaran India is a 49% joint venture with 51% stake. There are also many other companies. Flipkart has five big sellers, who buy all the products from its wholesale unit. About 70-80 percent of the total sales in these marketplaces are from these preferred sellers.
Flipkart had repeated that he would follow Indian rules. The company said, “We are committed to the Indian market. It is important to make a market-based framework through discussions. We hope that we will be able to work together with the government to promote such policy for fair and growth-enhancing policies, which will continue to grow this new sector and India will become a competitive economy. ”
Amazon has also said that he will continue to follow the rules of India. Both companies are making their own strategies and they can keep their issues separate to the government soon.


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Harrods is known for their over-the-top, ostentatious Christmas celebrations, but there’s some sad news for those looking to meet Santa.
Although we’re expecting to have a more normal Christmas this year after the Covid-19 pandemic sent last year’s festivities down the drain, there's some bad news for Christmas lovers
MyLondon reached out to Harrods to see if they would be hosting their famous Grotto, which attracted some controversial attention back in 2019.
READ MORE:Carnaby Street Christmas Party: Freebies and discounts at the huge central London Christmas festival
But sadly, the Grotto will not be returning for 2021 - with Father Christmas social distancing for the foreseeable future.
A Harrods spokesperson said: “Due to the ongoing need to maintain a safe social distance from each other, and with the wellbeing of our customers and colleagues in mind, we are unable to give visitors the traditional Grotto experience that Harrods is renowned for and therefore will not be bringing our Christmas Grotto to store this year.
“However, our promise to bring the spirit of Christmas to our customers both in-store and at home remains the same and over the coming weeks we will be sharing plans for the festive season.”
In 2019, the department store was slated by customers who accused them of “behaving like the Grinch who stole Christmas,” The Guardian reported - after putting restrictions in place which meant that customers who spent at least £2,000 in the shop would be able to enter the Grotto.
People who made pilgrimages to Harrods to visit the iconic Grotto were furious at the shop’s policy change.
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Following the backlash, Harrods agreed to change its policy in 2019 and allow some children whose parents spent enough in store to qualify for the Green tier 2 (or above) Harrods Reward Card into the Grotto.
But we’ll have to wait until 2022 to see if Father Christmas is out of isolation by then and returning to the iconic store.
Is there a story you think we should be covering? If so, please email firstname.lastname@example.org


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California-based Superior Grocers has opened a new store in Las Vegas — the company’s first outside of California.
Last week, the Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based grocer held a grand opening for a new store on the eastern side of the Las Vegas Valley, according to a LinkedIn post from the grocer.
The Las Vegas location is Superior Grocers’ first store outside of California, according to its website. According to a post from the retailer’s Facebook page, the store carried 99 cent boba tea, as well as sushi.
The independently-owned Superior Grocers opened its first location in Covina, California, in 1981 and has over 47 locations.


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Anders signs a three year deal with the City of Helsinki
Anders has signed an agreement for open source based agile software development services for the City of Helsinki.
Heikki Saari is Shoop’s new Product Owner at Anders
Heikki Saari is the new Product Owner of Anders’ open source ecommerce platform Shoop. Here’s what Heikki had to say about himself and the challenge his new position brings.
A tech industry survey proves that agility leads to success
Yesterday The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries published a survey on the software industry. According to the survey the turnover of the Finnish software and tech service industry grew by...
Sami Haltia started as marketing coordinator at Anders
I started at Anders as Marketing Coordinator in the middle of June. My main responsibilities include planning and implementing online marketing and creating web content. The main tools I will be us...
Anders Innovations from Finland targets to be the number one e-commerce company in the world
The company was awarded with Kauppalehti’s Kasvajat award (Growth company of the year) and intends to be the biggest e-commerce platform provider in the world. ”Our goal is to create world’s most ...


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Last year was a pretty good one for manufacturers, according to Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), which reported shipments of HVAC equipment increased in 2014. Year-to-date combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps increased 11.1 percent, and U.S. shipments of gas warm air furnaces increased 5.1 percent over the same period in 2013 (oil warm air furnaces increased 8 percent).
While it's good news sales are in positive territory, there is still concern the economy is not growing at a particularly brisk rate. “This has not been a robust recovery, and it will not be a robust recovery,” said Ed Purvis, COO of Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. and chairman of AHRI. “We’re in our third or fourth year now of seeing mid-single-digit growth, and I think that’s going to continue. I don’t think we’ll see double-digit growth in this marketplace — it’s going to be strong single-digit growth for the foreseeable future.”
Returning to Normal
Even though growth remains modest, manufacturers are beginning to see signs the market may be returning to prerecession conditions. “We believe the industry will exhibit more normal growth patterns in 2015,” said Shawn Laskoski, vice president of product management — residential HVAC, Ingersoll Rand. “Residential new construction still lags by historical measures of production and should continue to recover. On the flip side, multi-family new construction production is now slightly above average, but is supported by favorable conditions.”
One reason why the multi-family new construction market is growing is due to the fact that even with strong new construction and ultra-low interest rates, it’s still difficult for new, first-time home buyers to purchase a home, said Kelly Hearnsberger, vice president of marketing, Daikin North America LLC. “We are cautiously optimistic about 2015, though. New housing starts dropped from their high in 2005, but have been on the rise ever since, which is great for the HVAC new construction sales.”
Commercial construction has also been healthy over the last two years, and there are expectations of continued growth in 2015 and 2016, said Hearnsberger. “Office and retail are expected to lead the growth, but the revival of the institutional sector will also play a big role, due to growing demand for new health care and educational facilities. The commercial rooftop replacement market also continues to be strong and new opportunities, primarily in new construction, have provided significant growth for VRF/VRV [variable refrigerant flow/variable refrigerant volume] products in 2014.”
In fact, according to at least one recent report, VRF systems and ductless mini splits and multi splits are the fastest-growing segments in the HVAC market today, said Allan Dziwoki, senior vice president of sales, marketing, and operations, Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. Cooling & Heating Division. For these segments, growth has been strong across all applications.
Geothermal sales are also increasing across all sectors, said Tom Huntington, president and CEO, WaterFurnace Intl. Inc., with the residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors all experiencing significant growth in 2014. “We expect residential single-family installations to be particularly strong in 2015, although we will keep a cautious eye on those states that rely on the oil and gas industries. When people experience growth in wages and see a rebounding economy, it increases their confidence levels. Those increases in consumer confidence help fuel growth in the HVAC market.”
Purvis believes as the economy continues to improve, the recovery will become even more broad-based than it has been to date. “But, so far, this continues to be a market where consumers only buy a new unit when the old one breaks, and they’re typically buying lower efficiency equipment, which will continue to be a challenge for the OEMs. I think we’re going to continue to see people who’ve deferred repairs come back into the marketplace, but it’s not going to be a wave. It will happen slowly, over time, as wages increase and unemployment drops, but we’re not going to see the market jump 10 or 15 percent.”
One issue that could hinder growth this year is the Department of Energy’s (DOE) new regional efficiency standard that went into effect Jan. 1. The standards increased the minimum cooling efficiency requirements for split-system central air conditioners and heat pumps in the South and the Southwest as of the New Year, but it is too early to tell what effect they might have on the market.
“Regional efficiency standards are a good idea, but the problem we see is the enforcement of those standards,” said Dziwoki. “While an 18-month grace period has been granted, the underlying problem is that the implementation is based on the date of installation instead of the traditional date of manufacture. This may cause the inventories of old models to be stranded instead of allowing that inventory to be used up during the first few months of the new standards’ implementation.”
The new efficiency standard has clearly created some short-term complexity for dealers, said Laskoski, in that homeowners will be offered both the newer efficiency units and the previous minimum efficiency units for much of the cooling season. “But, moving to a higher efficiency is definitely a benefit for the building occupant. While the initial cost will be higher than the previous lower-efficiency units available, the gap has closed enough to make the energy savings return attractive in almost every instance.”
There are complexities involved for manufacturers, as well, in that they had to make changes to the Energy Guide labels. “We added a secondary label to help identify products subject to the regional standards, and we provided training to employees, distributors, and dealers, said Hearnsberger. “But changing from 13 SEER to 14 SEER is not as significant as the 10- to 13-SEER change was in 2006, and, overall, it will be good for the U.S., as it will further reduce energy consumption.”
Along with the new regional efficiency standards, the DOE is also implementing new energy-efficiency standards for reach-in/walk-in equipment and ice machines, which are very problematic, said Purvis. “They are demanding dramatic efficiency improvements that will ultimately mean products will become more expensive, causing end users to make different decisions about what they buy, which will have negative impacts on the industry. We’re disappointed in the position DOE is taking in implementing these new standards.”
Other legislative matters that manufacturers are watching closely include the 30 percent federal tax credit for geothermal installations, which is set to expire in 2016. Huntington expects the tax credit to be extended, “However, we see utilities and states being much more active and, in our estimation, they can help offset the negative impact of a tax credit expiration, if it were to happen.”
He is also watching the Shaheen-Portman Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, which is a bill whose goal is to increase the adoption of off-the-shelf efficiency technologies in order to save businesses and consumers money, make America more energy independent, and reduce emissions. “It has favorable language for geothermal, and, thanks to bipartisan support, we hope to see it become law by summer.”
Another issue that could impact the market this year is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-22 by 2020, which includes a drastic cut this year. Should there be a resulting shortage of R-22, the primary challenge will be the potentially high cost to replace refrigerant in older equipment that is just reaching the age where it may need to be repaired, said Jeff Staub, application engineering manager, Danfoss.
“For homeowners, that added expense could not only shift the balance of when to service and when to replace equipment, but also could have implications associated with the improper use of non-virgin or non-reclaimed R-22 to save costs,” noted Staub.
The issue becomes more complex when the decision is made to replace R-22 equipment, since — with a lot of regulatory movement to phase down or de-list certain commercial refrigerants that have high global warming potential (GWP) — it will also be necessary to choose, or even predict, which refrigerant will be the best long-term option, said Mark Menzer, director of public affairs, Danfoss. “We expect the EPA will issue a rule on this through its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program by midyear.”
Purvis hopes the EPA will let the industry help decide which refrigerants can be used to meet their targets, but he doubts that will happen. “The EPA is pushing back hard, basically mandating which refrigerants we have to use, and that is a mistake. The industry has always supported phasing out high-GWP refrigerants, but when they start telling us how to do it, and which refrigerants can be used in which applications, the ultimate goal of reducing global warming or increasing energy efficiency becomes less achievable. We want to work with them on setting proper targets and standards, but then we’d like them to get out of the way and let the industry do what it does best — which is find the right solution.”
Publication date: 3/16/2015


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Prestons of Potto was back in the black in 2013, according to its recently published accounts. The MT Top 100 company, which is registered at Companies House as Richard Preston & Sons, recorded a pre-tax profit of £9,873 for the year to 31 December 2013. In 2012 the company made a loss of £237,965. Turnover at the Northallerton, North Yorkshire-based haulier slipped 3.3% to £18.9m compared with £19.5m a year earlier. In a statement Prestons said: “We are delighted that […]
The Nightfreight name will disappear from UK roads as its parent company, DX Group, revealed its fleet will be re-liveried as it strengthens the acquisition it made last year.
Ceva Logistics, which recently saw its long-running relationship with Crown Paints extended, has seen group profit fall after its contract logistics businesses was affected by Europe’s economic malaise. While revenue in the first half of the year was up 5.5% at €3.5bn (2011: €3.4bn), EBITDA slipped 10.5% to €136m (2011: €152) as a consequence, despite growth in the group’s ocean freight business. John Pattullo, chief executive of Ceva, says: “Transpacific volume and weakness in Southern Europe remain a concern. As […]
DX Group has issued a profit warning due to continuing challenges in the courier market and margin pressure within its freight business.


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The St Regis Dubai, The Palm
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced the signing of The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, which is slated to open in 2018. Owned by Dubai master developer Nakheel, the hotel will be part of The Palm Tower, a 52-story mixed-use luxury development and the centerpiece of Dubai’s world-famous, award-winning Palm Jumeirah island. This landmark signing marks the fifth St. Regis hotel to open in the United Arab Emirates.
“We look forward to building a long-term relationship with Nakheel as we introduce the St. Regis brand and its exceptional bespoke hospitality to this landmark destination in Dubai,” said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “This signing underlines the strong demand for high-end hotel accommodation in the UAE and makes Dubai the first city in the world to boast three St. Regis hotels.”
Nakheel Chairman, Ali Rashid Lootah said: “Palm Jumeirah is a global destination offering the ultimate in luxury living and leisure. Working with Starwood to open a St. Regis on The Palm reinforces what the island is all about: unrivalled, world-class facilities that set new standards for residents and tourists. The Palm Tower will be the jewel in the crown of this world-famous island and a new architectural wonder for Dubai. We are delighted that St Regis, another name synonymous with luxury, is to manage our flagship hotel, which is set to become one of the most sought-after establishments in the region.”
The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm will offer 289 guestrooms and suites, spanning the first 18 floors of Palm Tower, while the upper floors will comprise 504 luxury apartments. The hotel will feature two swimming pools, including one of the world’s highest infinity pools which will be located on the 50th floor, some 210 metres above ground and bordering all four sides of the building for a 360-degree view of the Palm Jumeirah, Arabian Gulf and Dubai skyline. Set to become one of the most desirable addresses on The Palm, the hotel will also offer distinct dining experiences, including a signature restaurant with sweeping city views on the 51st floor and an all-day restaurant.


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CFO Doris Milne assured the directors that Project Fulcrum had moved decisively into its implementation phase after a year of analysis and planning. Doris indicated, the move to shut down Yorkshire is a relatively small step in what has been a long-term trend toward offshore production.But things got complex that it will have consequences for workers and communities,and not all of them will be welcomed.On the other hand, Castlebridge is no longer be British. Castlebridge,like many luxury fashion brand today is that business executives and bankers who know nothing about it or its merchandising often own, run, or sit on the boards.In order to get high profits,luxury brands start to aim at the middle market-a new broad socioeconomic demographic.They ramped up the design and production, which were easy-entrance products with which to hook customers.
They rolled out hundreds of stores around the world in middle-market tourist destinations.By targeting the middle market, luxury brands have made themselves vulnerable.So brands need to look for other ways to make profits,and the most logical way is to cut production costs which means shifting offshore. The steps they are taking to rationalize the supply chain and shift more manufacturing to lower-cost regions, particularly China, will support margins in this range. But it may couse workers lose job, and the British economy was losing as many as 30 million working days annually to labor disputes. Castlebridge might lost its “Britishness” when it decided to go global and hired a savvy American CEO and foreign designer.
Today, Castlebridge’s owners are from everywhere, and Britishness isn’t their priority; profits are. In a global marketplace, the company must figure out what it means to be British. It is not only a matter of geography, but also of high quality and a certain kind of design.The company now must re-discover, and redefine for the present, exactly what that is. More important, it must connect its values with the behavior required to live them out. In so doing, an organization proves that it can have both principles and profits. Mary Crane has an excellent strategic plan: The company will be headquartered in London, production based in low-cost regions of China and eastern Europe, and goods sold through a network of retail outlets around the world.
A revamped brand, plus higher margins and a global reach, should ensure that Castlebridge remains competitive in the cutthroat luxury goods market.But one thing should be considered: the staff. The directors need to figure out a strategy is enough to take Castlebridge successfully into the future. Firstly, communicate with staff clearly, move the fears and rumors about further job losses. Secondly, ensure Mary as CEO becomes a major factor in reshaping Castlebridge’s culture and organizational climate. Thirdly, take the pulse of employees’ trust and morale, the extent of their commitment to Castlebridge, and the likelihood of their helping or hindering corporate objectives. Finally, help rebuild employees’ confidence in hopes of motivating them again. Castlebridge reminds me of Burberry that plans to close its factory in Wales “British Classic ” product line all transferred to China.
This large migration means that Burberry since its inception, for the first time by leaving the local capital transfers . If the production processes will be completed in China , but also means that the world’s top fashion brands in the future will be realized by industry around the world.If it just considered about the cost, India should be a better choice which once is a colony of England that workers can speak english fluently and are more familiar with british’s culture. It is obvious that shifting to china is not only about cost.
The supply chain of raw material in China is easy to get with high quality.But the most important thing is that Burberry aims at Chinese market. Production in China makes the distance between brand and consumer closer. It might be full of risks but also a new break which leads Burberry to a new level. But workers in Wales against this shift firstly. Nearly three hundred british workers tried to stop it happening for the reason of unemployed. Whether it shift to China, it would be hard for Burberry to give up since the huge purchasing power has more attraction.


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The EU imposed additional retaliatory sanctions worth US$9.1 million against the US yesterday in response to antidumping measures meant to protect US companies, which were ruled illegal by the WTO.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson's office said the new measures were justified because US government payments to US companies were planned to continue for two more years despite the disputed trade law being repealed in February.
The new US$9.1 million in EU sanctions, brings the total amount of penalties levied against the US in response to the disputed trade law to US$36.9 million, the European Commission said in a statement.
Since May last year, Europeans have had to pay more for US clothing, textiles, machinery, paper products and sweet corn as part of the EU trade sanctions, which have hurt sales for many US-based companies.
The EU executive said the measures would counter US government payments to US companies estimated to be worth more than US$2 billion over the next two budget years, ending in 2008. The US payments are part of a law known as the Byrd amendment, which allows US companies to receive proceeds from antidumping duties levied on foreign rivals.
"As long as the distributions continue, the United States will not be in compliance with WTO rules," the commission said.
Eight new items have been added to the list of US products covered by the punitive 15 percent additional import duty, the commission said.
"These products are different types of blankets, paper products, photocopying apparatus and drills," it said.
The Geneva-based WTO ruled the US legislation illegal in 2002 and gave the US until the end of 2003 to conform. When it didn't, eight complainants, including the EU were given the option in 2004 to impose sanctions.
The other complainants were Canada, Brazil, Chile, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico.
The Byrd amendment was approved in 2000 and billions of dollars in payments have been distributed to producers of metals, food and other household items.
The EU said despite the long-running feud over the Byrd Amendment, "the huge bulk of EU-US trade is trouble free."
The two sides continue to spar in world trade talks and have slammed each other's recent proposals over opening up trade in their agricultural sectors.
The EU and US have also come to blows over subsidies and aid it gives rival aircraft builders Boeing Co and Airbus SAS, a dispute which is currently before a panel at the WTO.


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Ruiz speaking at a dinner in San Francisco, and reported by bloomberg.net, told the audience that Apple wouldn't want to be a hostage to Intel, like other firms had been.
He also berated Intel for slowing growth in the PC industry by making customers battle on price alone.
More info at The Inq.
Apple to use AMD chips?
Posted on Thursday, September 21 2006 @ 16:52 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck


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Intel launched its 10th gen processors and enabled hyperthreading, meaning every core, gets 2 threads. This closed the gap even more with AMD's Ryzen chips on production workloads, something that Ryzen took pride on.
Intel in recent years faced fierce competition by its market rival AMD at entry level, mid level and upper tier level. Now with its new generation refresh, the 10th series processors that launched in May has Intel done enough to overcome peopl
Grand Theft Auto or as many know it GTA, has been a game that offered thrilling experience and excitement to its players since its initial launch back in 1997. Today, Epic Games announced that for about a week, users will be able to download its fift
Intel yesterday announced its highly anticipated Rocket Lake family of processors, also known as 10th generation cpus. Intel holds the crown as the Gaming King but have they done enough to be also considered a multi-threaded workstation as well.
AMD announced today that next month it will launch its new entry level Ryzen 3300X, with 4 Cores and 8 Threads at $120. Furthermore and keeping the pace, they will launch its much anticipated B550 motheboard, successor of B450, in June.
PC gaming in Cyprus has a very broad spectrum, ranging from entry level amateur gamers to high end professional PC gamers. Today we will be going through the most popular graphics cards for PC builders in Cyprus and worldwide.
For the past couple of decades Intel and AMD have been competing for the #1 spot in the industry. To prove who's the better company in designing and building microprocessors for PC, laptops and servers.
Intel was the dominant one, but recently AMD h
In less than a month, it is rumored that Intel may announced its upcoming series of new Intel microprocessors for desktops that is expected to challenge AMD's Ryzen series.
Last month, CoolerMaster released two new PC cases that can accommodate gamers nicely with their PC builds all around the world.
In 2018, most gamers used a 1080p resolution with the hope of eventually going to 4k gaming. But 4k gaming is still expensive. 1440p started in 2019 and going in 2020 be considered the sweet spot of gaming.
What is a powerful pc build in Cyprus, without a strong, attractive 4k gaming monitor?
NZXT today released its H1 mini ITX case, for the most demanding, compact PC users.
The $400 graphics card battle between NVIDIA RTX 2060S and AMD's RX 5700 XT
The best free Antivirus for your PC system according to PcWorld's research for 2020.
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Apple iCloud is coming. Existing online storage and data syncing services like Box.net, Dropbox, and SugarSync may have cause for concern because iCloud encroaches on their territory, and could threaten to make smaller rivals obsolete.
Earlier this week at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple finally offered up a look at iOS 5, the planned update to the company's mobile OS. Although it wont be out until this fall -- Apple isn't yet saying exactly when -- iOS 5 promises...
It looks increasingly like Android will be the major challenger to both Apple's iPhone and iPad.
Nearly 1 billion smartphones will be shipped globally in 2015, almost double the amount for all of 2011, as millions of people seek out the more powerful mobile phones that are dropping in price, market research firm IDC said.
Tablet makers who want to compete with Apple have to cut the prices of their products, Richard Windsor, global technology specialist at Nomura Securities, said during a presentation at the Open Mobile Summit in London on Thursday.
One of the biggest announcements from Apple at this week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was the unveiling of iCloud. One crucial element was missing from the Apple magic show, though -- will the data be secure?
More than 5,000 iOS developers are in San Francisco for Apple's big party at the Worldwide Developers Conference, but a new report says the hippest place to be is the Android Market. The study, from Bluevia and Vision Mobile, found that 67 per cent o...
Apple's iPad and other tablets are causing consumers to delay laptop purchases, Gartner said Wednesday as it downgraded PC shipment projections.
Apple's strategy isn't about making money with iCloud, analysts said today. Instead, it's all about using the free service to keep customers and battle Google for smartphone and tablet supremacy.
Verizon Wireless Wednesday confirmed that it plans to start selling the Samsung Galaxy S II "superphone" sometime in July, making it one of several U.S. carriers that are expected to sell the device.
Apple and Google now dominate the world's smartphone and mobile device markets and both are now pushing quickly into the cloud. While Apple this week finally acknowledged the cloud as the future of computing -- and will finally allow iPads and iPhone...
Shipments of inexpensive tablets from little-known vendors are growing as customers avoid the price of premium tablets such as Apple's iPad, DisplaySearch said in research released on Tuesday.
Apple plans to build a new campus with a circular building that looks a spaceship, big enough to house 12,000 employees. The campus, near Apple's existing headquarters in Cupertino, California, will generate its own energy.
On Monday, Apple said it would ship Mac OS X 0.7, aka "Lion," next month, and sell it exclusively through its own Mac App Store for US$29.99.
Apple is letting customers try out one feature of its upcoming iCloud months before the service is set to debut. Late Monday, Apple made a beta of iTunes 10.3 available for downloading, and switched on "iTunes in the Cloud" for that application as we...
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A smarter way to print for busy small business owners, combining speedy printing with scanning and copying, making it easier to produce high quality documents and images at a touch of a button.
I've had a multifunction printer in the office going on 10 years now. It was a neat bit of kit back in the day -- print, copy, scan, fax -- when printing over WiFi felt a bit like magic. It’s seen better days though and an upgrade’s well overdue. This HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 looks like it ticks all the same boxes: print, copy, scan, and fax. (Really? Does anyone fax anything any more? I guess it's good to know the facility’s there, just in case.) Printing over WiFi is more-or- less standard these days.
As a freelance writer who is always on the go, I like my technology to be both efficient and effective so I can do my job well. The HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 Inkjet Printer ticks all the boxes in terms of form factor, performance and user interface.
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NIGERIAN ONLINE AUTO PLATFORM “CARS45”
By Paul Ndiho
A Nigeria-based online auto platform, Cars45, is competing with traditional car dealers as it grows its platform, which buys, sells, prices, and rates the condition of per-owned vehicles.
Auto Trader’s 2020 Car Industry report, released in earlier this year, says global interest in Pre-owned vehicles is at an all-time high. There are over 400 million online searches between mid-2019 to 2020, reflecting a massive 40 percent increase in used car searches. Lagos-based Cars45, an online auto platform that is positioning itself as the go-to website for used car sales in the region. Olajide Adamolekun, Chief Finance officer, cars45.
“We looked at the industry and realized that there was a lack of transparency in the used car automotive space. How do we know the real value of the car, how do we know what the car’s condition is and whoever is buying, how would they know what they are buying? So that lack of transparency – Saw the opportunity to create value where people who want to sell their car, people who want to buy cars, can meet in a very transparent manner.
The used-car market in Nigeria is a big hassle. There’s so much mistrust, no vehicle history, and not much of a structured dealer network. These are just some of the challenges Cars45 is trying to solve.
“Whoever wants to sell their car, first, you go online to get a sense of evaluation. Posts the vehicle’s model, year of the vehicle, and once it’s posted online – our website, it gets a range of prices of which the car could fall depending on the grade, and I think we are the first in Nigeria to do that.”
Started in 2016, Cars45 has since expanded to more than 60 locations where sellers or owners enter their vehicle information for a free quote. They can then schedule an appointment at one of the inspection centers.
“We currently have over 63 inspection centers across Nigeria and these retail footprints where people that want to sell their cars go to or drive too, and it’s 200-point inspection. It’s like if a patient goes to a Doctor and says they want to do a blood checkup, that’s what we do.”
In much of sub-Saharan Africa, the imports satisfy the demand for mobility. Simultaneously, many public transport systems are undeveloped and newer models are not affordable to many in the growing middle class.
“Individuals import over 500,000 (used cars) vehicles per year. And because of that fragmentation, there are many other value chain services and possibilities that are not available– so the question is how can we do this in the most transparent manner where the customer knows what they are buying.”
Like many technology companies in Nigeria, Cars45’s continues to attract venture capitalists and has raised millions of dollars in funding. The company is setting its sights on pursuing Nigeria-first growth strategies before expanding to other markets. However, analysts say that pre-owned cars present environmental challenges. They contribute to the pollution burden on a continent that contributes far less than other regions to the emissions that may contribute to global warming.


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Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Stewart's Ice Cream Eating Contest
(All Day Event)
Racing fans will compete in the ultimate in chilly contests at the annual Stewart’s Ice Cream Eating Contest. Contestants will be divided into three age groups – kids, teens and adults – as they battle to see who can eat a pint of ice cream the fastest.
International Heritage Series
(11:00 AM - 04:00 PM)
The inaugural International Heritage Series is a weekly celebration of global culture and heritage featuring ethnic music, dance, entertainment, crafts and food each Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Saratoga Pavilion.