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NEW YORK — Bed Bath & Beyond will launch a slew of new store brands to lure younger customers in a bid to energize sales the home retail chain.
The chain will begin selling eight new store brands this year, six of them in the first half of 2021.
The new brands were announced today by CEO Mark Tritton, who was hired in late 2019 from Target where he did much the same thing as chief merchandising officer. The more than 30 new brands introduced under Tritton were key in Target’s revitalization.
Bed Bath & Beyond, based in Union, N.J., also will begin selling thousands of exclusive products as it seeks a bigger share of the $180 billion home market.
Store brands are expected to increase from roughly 10% of the retailer’s overall sales to approximately 30% within the first three years.
Bed Bath & Beyond recognized that stores had become cluttered and that it had lost customers to Target, Macy’s and Walmart.
“We were over-assorted. It was a bit of a jumble,” Tritton told The Associated Press Tuesday.
Tritton said that customers now want to see more “curation” in stores.
Bed Bath & Beyond under Tritton has attempted a reset, remodeling approximately 450 stores. The chain is also eliminating thousands of poor performing labels, brands and products.
Net sales fell 5% in the most recent quarter from a year ago as the company permanently closed some stores. Losses widened. But online sales, a focus of Bed Bath & Beyond, were strong.
The chain will initiate its new-brand push with Nestwell, a bed and bath goods collection, later this month. It also plans in April to relaunch its Haven bath brand, a spa-inspired assortment of organic cotton products. Bed Bath & Beyond will also launch Simply Essential, more than 1,000 household item essentials.


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War on cigarettes is never-ending and now we have a new battlefield and two competitive camps: e-cigarettes and classic cigs. Vaping an electronic cigarette once in a while is believed to be much less harmful than the classic habit of holding that elegant stick in your hand and carelessly pumping nicotine and tar into your lungs.
To see how people perceive the shift from classic smoking to electronic vaping, a group of researchers asked more than 1.400 subjects over twenty what they thought about the new alternative to the old habit. Results showed that more than 10% of study subjects thought e-cigs are less harmful than tobacco ones, while 4,6% thought electronic smoking is pretty much as harmful as retrieving tar and other chemicals from classic tobacco. At the same time, 10% of the tested public thought e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking while 5, 4% of them thought that it’s just an easy replacement for an old habit that dies hard.
There are presently 2.6 million e-cigarette smokers in UK only, according to a report released by Darlington Times. In 2014, figures looked slightly different, with only 2, 1 million e-cig smokers all across the UK. It’s quite a jump in the numbers for a single year, as it seems classic smokers slowly shift towards the friendliest smoking alternative.
Electronic cigarette usage has increased among ex-smokers from 4, 5% to 6, 7%, slowly but surely taking over the tobacco markets. At the same time, non-smokers pick-up an e-cigarette 0,2% of the time.
Even if electronic cigarettes popularity is on constant increase, making us believe that it will help us quit smoking for good, there’s still a serious lack of research when it comes to the downsides of it. We are not yet sure that this is considerably less harmful than classic tobacco, even if it appears to be so.
However, some people started raising their voices and asking if e-cigs are indeed a good alternative. In 2014, 15% of UK population believed that electronic smoking is as harmful as the bad old habit and the numbers increased this year to 22%. Quite a jump, we would say, and this calls for some serious studies in this matter.
Classic smokers are most skeptical about electronic cigarettes. That strange looking fluid that makes nicotine vapors and throws them into our lungs is pretty much awkward, what else is there than a harmless substance that kicks the addiction out of our lungs?
Image Source: nbcnews.com

domain: news


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There will be some sweet opportunities around the area the next two weekends at many maple producers.
The New York State Maple Producers Association invites people to learn about the production of maple syrup and related products during Maple Weekend activities that take place March 22 to 23, and 29 to 30. This includes demonstrations and a chance to sample the product. Times may vary so check with local producers. Admission, not including any pancake breakfasts, is free, according to event website.
At Shaver-Hill Farm on 310 Shaver Road in Harpersfield, business partner Dwayne Hill said he was hopeful that the days would be warmer and the nights stay cold so the sap will start flowing better later this week.
“It’s up to mother nature,” he said.
But either way he is ready for activities the next two weekends. This includes pancake breakfasts that run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the past they have drawn 500 to 600 people. He hoped attendance will match that. The charge for adults is $6, children 6 to 13 $3 and all others are free. Free activities run from 10 to 4 p.m. each day. This includes tree tapping and boiling demonstrations and a chance to sample maple products. Visitors can also take horse-drawn wagon rides to one of the sugar bushes, where they can see a tubing system in operation.
Hill has been in the business for 45 years. He is also president of the state maple association. There are 146 producers participating, which is an increase over last year. As more people turn to natural ingredients, they are increasingly using the product.
With so many untapped maple trees in the state, it has a “bright future,” he said.
Baker’s Maple in Bainbridge is hosting events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the next two weekends. This includes an open house at the Sap House and store on Freiot Avenue. It provides an opportunity to watch the syrup making process, ask questions, and taste samples, owner Reed Baker said. His business has been regularly holding open houses at this time of year.


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Cynthia Glover was among about 1,000 souvenir vendors from across the country who paid $700 each to set up stands Tuesday.
The first test of the Obama Administration's economic stimulus potential ended with mixed results for a Toledo woman.
Souvenir vendors had hoped to rack up big profits hawking everything from T-shirts to towels to 1 million people who descended on the streets of Washington on Tuesday for the inauguration of the nation's first African-American president.
"It was slow in the morning because everybody went right to the inauguration," said Cynthia Glover, who drove from Toledo to Washington on Sunday with her brother, a friend, and several thousand shirts, caps, and buttons.
The former Chrysler Corp. worker expects to turn a profit, but was left with much unsold merchandise - even after dropping prices by half late in the afternoon.
She was among about 1,000 souvenir vendors from across the country who paid $700 each to set up stands Tuesday.
"Some people did pretty good," said Michael Rupert, a spokesman for Washington's Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs. "Some spots weren't as trafficked as others. But in terms of traffic, you're not going to get a busier day in Washington, D.C."
The only complaints received by the city were about unlicensed vendors trying to muscle in on the action. But officials quickly shut down those operations, Mr. Rupert said.
Ms. Glover sold more than half of her inventory, but declined to talk about how much she took in. Had she sold everything at full price, she would have had about $70,000 in gross revenue.
The Toledo woman, who had originally planned to attend the inauguration as a spectator, wasn't pleased with the city's oversight of souvenir sales. "It was very disorganized," she said.
Souvenir stands at K Street near 15th Street were much more concentrated than Ms. Glover had expected.
By noon, when the new president was scheduled to take the oath of office, Ms. Glover had been awake for 24 hours.
All along, she was more interested in witnessing history than engaging in commerce.
So, cold and tired, she left her brother to tend the booth and ducked inside a nearby hotel to watch Mr. Obama's inaugural address.
While waiting, she briefly dozed off on a couch in the lobby. "Do you have a room?" a security guard inquired as he awakened her.
Reacting to her startled look, he told her where she was. She explained her situation and asked, "Did he do his speech yet?"
The security guard brought her a cup of hot chocolate and pointed her to a television in the hotel lounge.
As patrons listened to the talk from inside the crowded bar, Ms. Glover watched through glass from the lobby.
"I couldn't hear very well," she admitted.
Sales and traffic picked up at her souvenir stand after the inauguration.
The most popular item was a $5 button - later reduced to $1 - with Mr. Obama's photo and the words "I was there."
Also popular were T-shirts bearing images of Mr. Obama, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King as well as shirts showing pictures of the new president and his predecessors.
Ms. Glover hopes to sell her remaining merchandise in the Toledo area when she returns. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Contact Gary Pakulski at:


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EU Investigates Possible Illegal Imports Of Russian Plywood
The European Commission is investigating potential illegal imports of Russian birch plywood products into the European Union. There has been a significant increase in imports of Russian birch plywood into Turkey and possibly Kazakhstan, and an increase in exports of birch plywood from both countries to the EU—although neither has been a significant producer of birch plywood in the past. The EU banned Russian wood after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Photo © Gogian 123rf.com


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Atlassian (TEAM) Tops Q1 EPS by 3c, Revenues Beat; Offers 2Q EPS/Revenue Guidance Below Consensus
Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM) reported Q1 EPS of $0.30, $0.03 better than the analyst estimate of $0.27. Revenue for the quarter came in at $459.5 million versus the consensus estimate of $440.41 million.
“We drove strong results in Q1, generating $460 million in revenue, growth of 26% from the prior year,” said Scott Farquhar, Atlassian’s co-founder and co-CEO. “We also added more than 8,600 net new customers during the quarter, and now serve over 182,000 customers, including more than 160,000 using our cloud products, as we take the next step in our journey to transform Atlassian into a cloud-first global software leader.”
“We continued to build momentum in the cloud, and delivered increased value to our customers,” said Mike Cannon-Brookes, Atlassian’s co-founder and co-CEO. “We are laser focused on delivering the best experience to customers in the cloud by building powerful new editions like Cloud Premium and Cloud Enterprise, scaling products like Atlassian Access, and cementing partnerships with best-of-breed SaaS providers such as Slack.”
Atlassian sees Q2 2021 EPS of $0.30-$0.32, versus the consensus of $0.33. Atlassian sees Q2 2021 revenue of $460-475 million, versus the consensus of $479.68 million.
Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2021:
- Total revenue is expected to be in the range of $460 million to $475 million.
- Gross margin is expected to be approximately 83% on an IFRS basis and approximately 86% on a non-IFRS basis.
- Operating margin is expected to be approximately 1% on an IFRS basis and approximately 24% on a non-IFRS basis.
- Net income (loss) per diluted share is expected to be in the range of ($0.01) to $0.01 on an IFRS basis, and net income per diluted share is expected to be in the range of $0.30 to $0.32 on a non-IFRS basis.
- Weighted average share count is expected to be in the range of 249 million to 251 million shares when calculating diluted IFRS net loss per share and in the range of 254 million to 256 million shares when calculating diluted IFRS and non-IFRS net income per share.
For additional commentary regarding financial targets, please see Atlassian’s first quarter fiscal year 2021 shareholder letter dated October 29, 2020.
For earnings history and earnings-related data on Atlassian (TEAM) click here.


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Lee-Smith Inc. has added Isuzu and GMC commercial trucks to its repertoire.
The company, located at 2600 8th Avenue in Chattanooga, Tenn., serves southeast Tennessee, north Georgia and northeast Alabama.
It continues to offer Ford and International trucks.
“We have increased our truck and parts inventory to support this new growth in business,” said Walt Conners, vice president of sales.
He said its service department also has ramped up its efforts.
“Customers today cannot afford the downtime,” Conners said.
It stocks vehicles from Class 2 to Class 8.
Lee-Smith represents GMC’s medium-duty line of Topkick models 4500 to 8500 and T-series cab over. They are available with manual or automatic transmissions and with diesel or gasoline. The trucks can have regular cab, commercial cutaway or crew cab.
The Isuzu trucks, which Lee-Smith said have been the No. 1 selling low-cab forward truck since 1986, are available in diesel or gas powered and with automatic or manual transmissions. Primary uses for Isuzu trucks involve commercial applications, such as van, flatbed, dump, utility, lawn and landscape.
Lee-Smith’s president is Bryan Leskosky. It employs approximately 120 people, including several new technicians and parts department workers to handle the additional business.
Lee-Smith is one of three companies owned and operated by the Lee family in Chattanooga. Lesco Inc. is a full-service truck lease and rental company. It is a member of Nationalease and Idealease. Lesco Logistics LLC provides transportation services such as dedicated contract carriage and just-in-time delivery.
For more information, visit www.lee-smith.com.
Today's top stories


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Why Facebook Ads Are Uniquely Positioned To Deliver Results for Healthcare Marketers
Last year, we spoke with Michael Sengbusch, then Chief Technology Officer at Brightwhistle, about Facebook advertising trends like custom audiences and lookalike audiences. We asked Sengbusch, now General Manager, Digital Marketing Cloud at InfluenceHealth, to give us an update on paid advertising on Facebook for hospitals and health systems.
He continues to be very bullish on Facebook, and believes the platform has unique properties that make it a valuable and affordable for hospital and health system advertisers. “The two reasons we like Facebook for healthcare are: (1) it combines three types of media—earned, owned, and paid, and (2) it works great for the side of healthcare that is around prevention and wellness,” he says.
“Facebook is the only medium that combines all three [media types],” Sengbusch says. “It’s earned because people can like, or comment, or share that piece of content, so it’s instantly validated. What gives it more credibility is that it’s also owned. It’s coming directly from your Facebook page. Consumers can see how many fans you have, and how many are their friends. And last, you can pay to promote it.
For more about how this works, why Facebook is the best venue for marketers seeking to grow a mobile audience, and how a new Facebook ad unit is generating “amazing results,” read the full interview now: What Are the Latest Trends in Facebook Advertising for Hospitals?


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Southwest Airlines revealed updates to its loyalty program, Rapid Rewards, on January 6, including removing blackout dates and seat restrictions for reward redemptions.The upgrade to the airline’s 24-year-old rewards program is set to launch March 1.
Calling it the “All-New Rapid Rewards,” Southwest said the update is a response to customer feedback the airline received about its current rewards program. Customers are currently limited to which seats they can redeem points for and when they are allowed to redeem — two restrictions that may have limited the number of business and long-haul travelers joining the program.
“We think the new program will appeal to our [current] customers, and we feel we’ve addressed issues for the business traveler and long-haul travelers,” said Chris Mainz, a senior specialist in the communications department at Southwest. “We [currently] have an award-winning program but it was launched in 1987 and for the most part we haven’t changed its basic components.”
New program upgrades include: no blackout dates, no seat restrictions or capacity controls, points that don’t expire as long as members earn by flying or using one of the airline’s partners once every 24 months, and points are based on the purchased fare and fare product.
Wunderman’s work with Southwest is limited to the Rewards Program.
“[The program upgrades] are about winning more customers and enhancing the customer experience,” Mainz said. “We feel these are positive enhancements.”
The program will launch March 1 in order to give current and new members adequate time to familiarize themselves with the upgrades, according to Mainz.
The Rapid Rewards credit card member program currently allows participants to redeem points for flights to 800 destinations, stays at 70,000 hotels and gift cards at about 45 major retailers.


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Prescription compliance is the name of the game for pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies. Now McKesson Corp.‘s (NYSE: MCK) UK subsidiary, McKesson UK, has entered the arena with its recent acquisition of Echo, an online prescription fulfillment business based there.
Echo’s medicines management app already has an installed customer base, who can order their repeat prescriptions through the app and have them delivered for free. Think Amazon‘s (NASDAQ: AMZN) PillPack, which performs a similar service in the United States.
Echo is also one of three National Health Service (NHS)-approved repeat prescription apps. It was also part of the 2018 NHS Innovation Accelerator program, which fast-tracks new treatments and technologies into the health service.
The company launched in 2016 and employs around 85 people at its headquarters in Acton. CEO Roger Hassan, former COO of Hello Fresh International, was appointed in August 2018 after founding CEO Sai Lakshmi stepped down. Echo’s backers include White Star Capital, MMC Ventures, Rocket Internet’s GFC, Hambro Perks, Public.io and LocalGlobe, according to TechCrunch. No financial terms were disclosed.
McKesson UK also owns LloydsPharmacy, which has more than 1,500 brick-and-mortar pharmacies in the country, as well as an online presence. It has around 17,000 employees and dispenses more than 150 million prescription items annually.
Real deal hounds will recall that McKesson Corp. acquired Lloyds’ parent company, the German drug wholesaler Celesio AG, in October 2013 for approximately $8.4 billion.
For McKesson UK, the Echo acquisition is part of its new digital healthcare strategy, aimed at providing more simple, convenient ways for customers to manage their health online. There are an estimated 29 million people in the UK who need repeat prescriptions, and a growing number of those customers are managing their meds online.


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Chassin secures Volta Trucks CCO role
- Posted by: Alan Feldberg
- Category: News
Volta Trucks has appointed Adam Chassin as its chief commercial officer to spearhead commercial growth across Europe after receiving more than £300m of investment funding.
Chassin is the former head of business for Uber in Europe where he had responsibility for driving Uber’s growth through partnerships across Europe. He also worked as head of strategic business development for Amazon.
In his role with Volta Trucks, he will report to chief executive officer Essa Al-Saleh, and oversee the company’s sales and business development functions, as well as marketing, public policy and communications.
Al-Saleh, said: “Adam’s leadership experience in executive roles at leading technology companies will be invaluable for Volta Trucks as we look to scale our commercial efforts across Europe and eventually come to the United States. I am looking forward to working closely with Adam to build on our already strong foundation to decarbonize urban delivery in cities around the world.”
Chassin said: “Truck deliveries are currently one of the most polluting activities that occur in cities around the world. I am thrilled to be joining Volta Trucks at this critical time to help advance its vital mission to decarbonize last mile delivery in cities. With a revolutionary full-electric truck designed and built from the ground up to optimise last-mile delivery, and with a highly innovative business model which incentivises fleet owners to begin the transition from a dirty diesel past to a clean future, Volta Trucks is well positioned to deliver a much cleaner, cheaper, and safer last mile logistics solution than currently exists in the market.”


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If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time writing about computers, it’s that people love to complain about notebooks and tablets with unusually large bezels around the screen. On some systems, such as the Asus Eee PC 701, the bezel makes sense, since the only way to provide a reasonably large keyboard with a 7 inch screen is to pad the space on the sides of the display. But on other models, there’s no good excuse for the black bars that border the display.
DigiTimes reports that a number of Taiwanese PC makers have heard your complaints, and they’re working on slim notebooks with “frameless” screens. The report says Foxconn, Compal, and Quanta are all working on frameless screens.
The article isn’t 100% clear on what constitutes a frameless screen. While I’d like to think we’re talking about displays with no bezels at all, it’s also possible that these ODMs are simply working on displays that feature edge-to-edge glass that sits over a bezel. You know, kind of like the screens HP has been using on some of its mini-laptops for the past year or so.


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At age 82, Masako Wakamiya is one of the world’s oldest iPhone app developers, a trailblazer in making smartphones accessible for the elderly.
According to Yahoo Tech, she became interested in computers in the 1990s when she retired from her job as a bank clerk and it took her months to set up her first system, beginning with BBS messaging, a precursor to the internet, before building her skills on a Microsoft PC, and then Apple’s Mac and iPhones.
Frustrated by the lack of interest from the tech industry in engaging older people, she said she taught herself to code.
Wakamiya learned the basics of coding and developed ‘Hinadan’ one of Japan’s first dedicated app games for the over 60s. She was also the oldest app creator at Apple’s prestigious Worldwide Developers Conference.
“As you age, you lose many things: your husband, your job, your hair, your eyesight. The minuses are quite numerous. But when you learn something new, whether it be programming or the piano, it is a plus, it’s motivating,” she says.
Her app ‘Hinadan’, which has been downloaded 42,000 times with hundreds of positive comments from users was inspired by the Hina Matsuri, a doll festival which takes place every March, where ornamental dolls representing the emperor, his family and their guests are displayed in a specific arrangement.
And while these figures are relatively small compared to Japan’s big-hitting apps which are downloaded in their millions, ‘Hinadan’ which is currently only available in Japan has proved popular enough that Wakamiya plans to release English, Chinese and possibly French versions of the app before next year’s festival.
Its success has propelled her on to the tech world stage, despite the industry’s reputation for being notoriously ageist
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Wakamiya concedes that she finds writing lines of code difficult but has a voracious appetite to learn more.
“I want to really understand the fundamentals of programming, because at the moment I only learned the elements necessary for creating Hinadan” She explained.
More than a quarter of Japan’s population is aged 65 and above, and this is projected to rise to 40 percent by 2055. The government is struggling to ensure its population remains active and healthy and so also see the dynamic octogenarian as an inspiration.
Wakamiya says her ultimate goal is to come up with other apps that can entertain older people and help transmit to young people the culture and traditions the old people possess.
Most old people have abandoned the idea of learning, but the fact that some are starting again is not only good for them but for the country’s economy.
Once you’ve achieved your professional life, you should return to school. In the era of the internet, if you stop learning, it has consequences for your daily life,”said Wakamiya, who took up the piano at age 75.
She said that her good health is down to an active mind and busy life.


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The EU commercial vehicles market posted an increase of 4.6% during the first 9 months of 2019, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) announced on Thursday.
The ACEA reported that the number of new commercial vehicle registrations in the nine-month period totaled 1.93 million.
Germany led this growth with an increase of 10.9%, followed by France (6.1%), the U.K. (5.1%), Italy (4.9%) and Spain (1.5%), the association said.
The EU’s demand for vans — light commercial vehicles — soared 4.4% in the Jan.-Sept. period to 1.6 million units.
“EU demand for heavy‐duty trucks went up by 5.3%, despite the slowdown over the last three months.” it said.
On the medium/heavy commercial vehicles side, demand for new trucks across the EU saw a growth of up 5.7% over the same period, even though the third quarter’s figures were negative.
“Nine months into 2019, demand for new buses and coaches remained positive (2.9%),” the ACEA added.
Last year, the number of new commercial vehicle registrations totaled 2.5 million in the 28-member bloc.
Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.


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The “pastabilities” are endless: Spaghetti with meatballs, baked ziti, lasagna, fettuccini Alfredo, linguine with clam sauce, tuna casserole, macaroni salad…. The number of dishes that can be made with a dollar box of pasta goes on and on. Astute retailers are promoting pasta as a great value that can drive traffic to higher-margin areas of the store.
“A pasta meal is a great value for families during these recessionary times,” says Kirk Trofholz, president of Bannockburn, Ill.-based Barilla America, manufacturer of the nation’s leading pasta brand. “When you think about a pasta and sauce, and if you want to have a salad with that, you can have a complete meal for a family of four for under $6. That is why we expect to see the pasta category performing well in the coming years.”
“An interesting thing about pasta is if you sell a dollar in pasta you are going to sell $10 in related items,” says Jack Hasper, vice president of sales and marketing in the St. Louis Park, Minn., office of Carrington, N.D.-based Dakota Growers. “That’s why pasta is a very good marketing tool. You have the pasta, sauce, hamburger, bread, wine, olives,” he says.
Hasper suggests retailers build end caps featuring pasta and ingredients to make a complete meal. And think outside of the box a little. “Elbow macaroni and tuna to make a hot tuna casserole is a great idea,” he says.
According to Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Co., manufacturer of Prego brand pasta sauce, research shows 52% of Americans are eating out less often. Retailers can capitalize on that trend with better merchandising strategies, says Jeff Davis, brand manager, Prego Italian Sauces. “We encourage retailers to take the opportunity to display Prego with companion foods, like chicken and bread, to suggest that shoppers prepare an even more substantial simple meal,” he says.
Pasta prices have been going up, but are still perceived as a great value, manufacturers say.
While this past year’s dismal crop in Europe caused more wheat and pasta to be exported, resulting in skyrocketing domestic pasta prices, Hasper sees things leveling off. “The price has come down and we expect the price to continue to come down for durum wheat,” as well as a key ingredient in pasta, he says.
“We are seeing durum wheat prices come down a little bit, but they are still 60% higher than they were at the end of 2006,” notes Trofholz.
Farmer-owned cooperative Dakota Growers is a major supplier of private label, counting Wakefern, Safeway and Kroger among its clients. Its main private label competition is Kansas City-based American Italian Pasta Co. The two companies basically split the private label supermarket business, with AIPC counting A&P and Pathmark among its labels, along with Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.
“The real trend in dry pasta continues to be the growth of healthy pasta alternaives, such as whole wheat and all grain,” says Pat Regan, senior vice president-marketing and sales strategy for AIPC. “We have conducted a custom research project that shows that a successful retailer with this category needs to emphasize store brands, maximize shelf space with store-brand SKUs and offer multiple store-brand sizes on key volume drivers.”
Regan adds that the research also shows that retailers should feature store brands with multiple tiers, including premium private label brands and maintain a price gap between national brands and store brands.
Fairlawn, N.J.-based Vitelli Foods, LLC, imports a line of pasta from Italy and Mexico that is distributed primarily in the Northeast, with a concentration on the greater New York market. “We’ve been here since 1885, so this is our home market, but we do have outside distributors and sell in Los Angeles, New Orleans and parts of Florida,” says Roy Taormina, vice president, sales.
Another key Italian brand is Rienzi & Sons, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009. The Astoria, N.Y.-based firm imports a host of products, including pasta, juices, mineral water, wine and extra virgin olive oil.
The pastas distributed by New York-based Rao’s Specialty Foods are artisan, made by hand in Puglia, Italy, using bronze cuts and air dried on screens for up to 30 hours before packaging, giving them a very detailed exterior and dense interior. All of that painstaking workmanship and quality comes at a price, making Rao’s a premium player in the category.
Still, Rao’s is a good value, says Deb Crisan, senior vice president, sales and marketing. “I feel the economy has not yet forced shoppers to compromise their palates and preference in taste,” she says. “If your customer is going to spend $8.99 on a jar of pasta sauce, I think they would serve it over their favorite pasta and not compromise it to serve over a 99-cent box of pasta. I suggest retailers create a ‘meal solution’ display using a premium/super premium pasta, pasta sauce, wine, parmesan cheese, and San Pellegrino or similar imported sparkling and flat bottled water.”


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Key findings about client retention revealed in AAHA State of the Industry 2015
Explain things in an understandable way, and you’ll keep a client. Communicate poorly and offer poor customer service, and they’ll likely walk out your doors. Those were two of the key findings of data from the AAHA 2015 State of the Industry in Tampa, Fla.
Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (C/F), AAHA chief executive officer, presented the data during a special session at the AAHA conference March 13.
For the last three years, AAHA has worked with IDEXX Laboratories on an in-depth data and survey analysis to identify the drivers of consistent growth for veterinary hospitals.
In 2014, a report was released showing 16 key factors that differentiated top-growers in the veterinary industry from the rest.
This year’s study builds on those findings—identifying essential themes that strengthen the client/practice bonds and keep practices growing.
The research showed that successful practices that experience practice growth do five big things to strengthen the bonds with their clients:
- Explain things to pet owners so that they understand and appreciate the value
- Make the value of routine bloodwork clear, and always share test results
- Empower the pet owner as a full partner in providing the best care
- Engage in discussions around prevention, and deploy strategies like forward booking and preventive care plans to drive routine checkup visits
- Minimize stress during routine checkup visits
The data also revealed an opportunity for veterinary professionals to capitalize on forward booking and preventive care plans. Roughly 6 of 10 pet owners said they would forward book their next appointment before leaving the practice if asked to, with nearly half of all respondents saying they prefer to as long as a reminder is given.
Pet owners are also overwhelmingly interested in preventive care plans, with 8 out of 10 indicating that they were interested in a plan for preventive care.
Other findings include:
- When asked why clients stay with their current practice, "explaining things in an understandable way" was selected more frequently than many other factors, including reputation, cost and level of medical advancement.
- When asked why clients have left practices in the past, communication and customer service issues were selected more often than any other reasons under the practices’ control. (Roughly 3 of 10 defections vs. 1 of 10 for cost of services.)
- Roughly 6 in 10 pet owners are researching their pet’s health online before or after visits, but only 3 in 10 currently receive recommendations for trusted online resources.
- Pet owners are 30% less likely to use search engines to research their pet’s health when a trusted resource is recommended, according to a separate study by IDEXX Laboratories. ,
- Roughly 9 in 10 view preventive care discussions as important to their pet’s health, but only 6 in 10 recall having these discussions at their pet’s last checkup.
- The number-one preferred reminder method for upcoming appointments was postcards or receiving something in the mail.
Additionally, AAHA-accredited hospitals exhibited more active clients, more new clients in a year, higher average transaction value and higher income per veterinarian.
In pet owner research presented at the 2014 AAHA conference, 81% of pet owners said they would choose an AAHA hospital over a non-accredited hospital, with 44% saying they would be willing to pay more, and 51% willing to drive further.
The 2015 State of the Industry presentation and Fact Sheet are now available.
The AAHA State of the Industry address is presented annually at the AAHA conference in March. The 2016 State of the Industry address will be presented at the AAHA Austin 2016 Yearly Conference in March 2016.


text: VERNON HILLS AND AURORA, ILL. — Centennial has unveiled new green space concepts at two malls in Illinois — Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and Fox Valley Mall in Aurora. Centennial will transform the malls’ center courts into a multi-use environment in efforts to enhance consumer experience. Centennial will invest $12 million in the courtyards, which total 31,115 square feet. The new courtyards will be surrounded by dining and entertainment options. The design team includes architect Stantec and general contractor Graycor Construction Co. A timeline for construction was not released.


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At Travel Weekly, we bloody love change-making women.
Love to support them, listen to them and to be them.
So we were particularly excited to hear Tourism Industry expert, Tammy Marshall, encouraging guests at the Women in Tourism International Women’s Day lunch to change the conversation around gender equality in the workplace and future-proof their personal brand.
Marshall, former Executive at Carnival Cruises, TFE Hotels and The Travel Corporation, now leads her own business transformation consultancy – The B Hive – solely focused on future-proofing travel and tourism businesses to ensure continued success in the changing business environment.
“For a long time we’ve been saying it is ‘important’ to have a good balance of women at work but what I believe is now the case is that it is ‘urgent’ that females have an equal seat at the table,” Marshall said.
“Business is changing at such a rapid pace that it’s no longer about just being ‘fair’ to have women in leadership roles, it is a must if we’re going to compete in global business and continue to see Australia thrive.”
“The countries that are doing well clearly show the gender equality played out across all aspects of their nation.”
She encouraged the audience of tourism professionals to focus on three key areas to future-proof their personal brand using the ‘think, feel, do’ framework to consciously change the habitual way you think about women’s roles in the workplace.
She emphasised emotional intelligence as one of the strongest assets you can have.
“Embrace it and be empowered by it; be supportive, not divisive – both to other women and across the board.”


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According to the 2015 OECD Digital Economy Outlook published on 15 July 2015, the share of ICT goods and services on total value added in the Czech Republic increased by 1.2 percentage points between 2001 and 2013 (Estonia and Slovenia +0.9 percentage points; other OECD countries faced a decrease, due to the financial crisis or following the dot-com bubble)...In 2013, the share of ICT value added produced by foreign affiliates (i.e. local firms owned or controlled by a foreign company) was as high as 80% in Estonia, above 75% in Hungary, 65% in the Slovak Republic and about 60% in the Czech Republic and Poland...Lower ICT R&D expenditures reflect specialisation in activities with low technological intensity (e.g. Italy and Spain) or at the lower end of the value chain (e.g. Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary).
In a 2014 OECD survey, 26 out of 29 countries rated building broadband infrastructure as their top priority and 19 of 28 countries put digital privacy and security second and third. Asked about the future, countries placed skills development as their top objective, followed by public service improvements and digital content creation...
Over 2001-2013, the employment weight of ICT decreased in countries with a large ICT sector and increased in countries with a smaller ICT sector. One likely explanation is that the crisis fostered rationalisation in large national ICT sectors and favoured ICT firms in countries with lower labour costs...“
14th April 2023
2nd October 2023
21st September 2023


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Automatic Alternative Text describes images in detail, allowing blind people to ‘see’ photos, according to Facebook Software Engineers SHAOMEI WU and HERMES PIQUE, and Head of Accessibility JEFFREY WIELAND.
Every day, people share more than 2-billion photos across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.
While visual content provides a fun and expressive way for people to communicate online, consuming and creating it poses challenges for people who are blind or severely visually impaired. With more than 39 million people who are blind, and over 246 million who have a severe visual impairment, many people may feel excluded from the conversation around photos on Facebook. We want to build technology that helps the blind community experience Facebook the same way others enjoy it.
That’s why today we’re introducing automatic alternative text.
Automatic alternative text, or automatic alt text, is a new development that generates a description of a photo using advancements in object recognition technology. People using screen readers on iOS devices will hear a list of items a photo may contain as they swipe past photos on Facebook. Before today, people using screen readers would only hear the name of the person who shared the photo, followed by the term “photo” when they came upon an image in News Feed. Now we can offer a richer description of what’s in a photo thanks to automatic alt text. For instance, someone could now hear, “Image may contain three people, smiling, outdoors.”
This is possible because of Facebook’s object recognition technology, which is based on a neural network that has billions of parameters and is trained with millions of examples. Each advancement in object recognition technology means that the Facebook Accessibility team will be able to make technology even more accessible for more people. When people are connected, they can achieve extraordinary things as individuals and as a community — and when everyone is connected, we all benefit.
We are launching automatic alt text first on iOS screen readers set to English, but we plan to add this functionality for other languages and platforms soon. While this technology is still nascent, tapping its current capabilities to describe photos is an important step toward providing our visually impaired community the same benefits and enjoyment that everyone else gets from photos.
CES: So long, and thanks for all the beer!
Last week, the Las Vegas expo showed off its fun side with state-of-the-art technologies for enjoying beer, writes BRYAN TURNER
From craft beer-making machines to robots that pour beer, CES had more beer than usual in Las Vegas last week. And even free beer if you found the right stand. Stampede’s saloon-style booth offered beer to visitors who tried out its latest drones, virtual reality, and other gaming products. No beer tech, though.
Here are some of the beer technologies that stood out:
LG HomeBrew – Craft beer made at home
LG’s HomeBrew craft beer-making machine, debuted at CES 2019, brings the brewing process home thanks to single-use capsules, a self-cleaning feature, and an algorithm optimised for fermentation.
Like a Nespresso coffee machine, the beer maker uses capsules, which contain malt, yeast, hop oil and flavouring. At the press of a button, LG HomeBrew automates the whole procedure from fermentation and carbonation to ageing. A companion app lets users check HomeBrew’s status at any time during the process, from their handsets.
The beer machine not only offers a simple way to make craft
Designed with discerning beer lovers in mind, HomeBrew allows for in-home production of batches of more than 4 litres of beer in a variety of styles. The following five distinctive, flavoured beers are available now:
- Hoppy American IPA
- Golden American Pale Ale
- Full-bodied English Stout
- Zesty Belgian-style Witbier
- Dry Czech Pilsner
The only catch? It takes about two weeks to make, depending on the beer type.
“LG HomeBrew is the culmination of years of home appliance and water purification technologies that we’ve developed over the decades,” said Dan Song, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solutions Company. “Homebrewing has grown at an explosive pace, but there are still many beer lovers who haven’t taken the jump because of the barriers to entry, like complexity, and these are the consumers we think will be attracted to LG HomeBrew.”
Click here to read about the party speaker that holds beer and robots that pour beer.
CES: Alienware gets Legend-ary
At CES in Las Vegas last week, Dell’s Alienware released a family of high-end, thin, light, and affordable machines for both amateur and professional gamers – and a new identity.
Alienware marked CES 2019 as a brand milestone with the debut of a new design identity, Alienware Legend. It aims to set a new bar of excellence for what gamers want most – performance and function. Alienware says it evaluated multiple concepts and chose one that was the biggest and boldest departure from its current look.
Alienware Legend, says the company, stays true to the brand’s core design tenets, taking cues from its deep roots in sci-fi culture and its early industrial designs, to distinguish the brand from the rest of the industry. The new Legend design is optimised with cutting-edge thermal cooling technology to achieve and sustain overclocking power, improved AlienFX lighting, and ultra-thin screen borders. It also unveiled a new “three-knuckle hinge” design that reduces the overall dimension while creating a stronger assembly, all combining to yield a better gaming experience.
“We’re excited to come to this year’s CES with some truly groundbreaking products, next-gen software and strategic partnerships that will bring more people to experience PC gaming and advance the industry,” said Frank Azor, vice president and general manager of Alienware. “The legend design answers the call for more and better from our gaming community, and the new G Series laptops will make PC gaming even more accessible to those looking for high-performance gaming at a cost they can appreciate.”
Click here to read about Alienware Legend in action with the Area-51m and m-series laptops


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Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is now a billionaire – here’s why that matters
Really surprised it took this long.
Almost a decade after Tim Cook was appointed as the CEO of Apple, he has entered the popular “three comma club.” For those unfamiliar with this popular pop culture reference, the three comma club is a synonym for a person whose net worth is over a billion dollars.
Recently, Apple’s shares increased a massive 54% and are inching close to $451 per share. Based on the data, Apple’s market cap is set at about $1.9 billion. That speaks volumes about Cook’s leadership and the fact that they have outperformed the S&P 500 Tech Sector and the broader market.
Now and then, the tech world pops out a new billionaire. There is nothing strange about that as the world’s richest man, the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, belongs to the billionaire club. Another prime example is Facebook’s co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose net worth is considered to be a bit north of 100 billion.
What makes Tim Cook’s status unique is the fact that he is not the founder of Apple.
One way to understand Cook’s unique situation is through the instance of Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google
Many assume that Sundar is a billionaire considering the value of Google, but he is not among the richest players in the valley. Simultaneously, Google’s co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who are no longer executives in the company, are worth about $70 billion each. That’s $150 billion between Larry and Page.
Currently, Cook owns around 0.02% of Apple shares that are worth approximately $375 million. According to Bloomberg Billionaires, Cook’s leadership has been rewarded with considerable stock awards and other means of compensation throughout the years. Then, his annual base salary was set at $3 million and the revenue that he earned for sitting on the board of directors at Nike. That’s pretty much how Tim Cook accumulated his wealth.
- Google Maps is finally making its way back to the Apple Watch after a 3-year hiatus
- Apple’s lame App Store policies are why xCloud and Stadia are not available on iOS
- Sorry, the iPhone 12 won’t be arriving in September
- Tim Cook thinks “Friends” reruns on Apple TV would be lame


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The new Originations video gift boxes from Netflix are going to be awesome.
You’ll get a new version of your favorite Netflix show, a brand-new Originals-branded item, and a few other cool goodies.
The boxes are going on sale this Thursday and are available to pre-order now.
If you’re new to Netflix, you can subscribe to the Originals channel, watch all your favorite movies and TV shows in original video and subscribe to Netflix Originals.
If you’re a regular Netflix subscriber, you’ll be able to watch the Origins videos on the Origination channel, and you can even watch Originals on a Netflix Original TV app.
Check out the video gift below. Read more


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On July 10th, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee said that they have collected and refined 5,000 pieces of recycled metals needed for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic medals.
This collection project is called “Urban Mine Production! Everyone’s Medal!” “Urban Mine” refers to the metal contained in the waste electronic equipment, which is recycled in a planned manner, from which available resources can be obtained. The Japanese government has called on the people to participate extensively and donate old mobile phones and home appliances that are not used.
The collection activities began in April 2017. By March of this year, local governments had received nearly 80,000 tons of donated goods. In addition, Japanese telecommunications operator NTT Como stores collected 6.2 million mobile phones. A total of 32 kg of gold, 3,500 kg of silver and 2,200 kg of copper were extracted from all the collected household appliances.
It is the first attempt in the history of the Olympics to produce medals using metals extracted from small electronic devices such as used mobile phones.
The Tokyo Olympic medal design is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2019, and the Paralympic medal design is expected to be released on August 2019.


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The balance of trade between the two countries remains heavily weighted in Japan’s favour, with French exports covering around 67% of imports.
Japan is France’s second largest trading partner in Asia after China (since 2003), its 11th biggest supplier, its 13th biggest customer and its 12th largest trade deficit in 2011. French exports to Japan have been declining since 2008 due to the slowdown in the world economy, but so, too, have French imports from Japan, reducing our trade deficit to €2.8 billion in 2011 (down from €7.3 billion in 2000). Pharmaceutical products are now our biggest single export item, ahead of garments, leather goods and footwear, and then wine.
The Japanese archipelago is the principal destination for French investment in Asia, and this success does much to make up for the persistent trade deficit. The stock of French direct investment in Japan at the end of 2011 stood at US$19 billion, making France the third largest investor in Japan behind the USA and the Netherlands (ahead of the UK and Germany), with a strong industrial and financial component.
The success of the alliance between Renault and Nissan, initially something of a gamble, has made a significant impression on Japanese public opinion. Renault is still one of the leading French investors in Japan, along with AXA and BNP Paribas. The number of Frenc businesses in Japan levelled off at around 480 in 2011 (compared to just 200 in 2000).
Japan is the biggest Asian investor in France. France attracts 2% of Japan’s foreign direct investment (FDI), and ranks third in Europe behind the Netherlands and the UK. Japan has a substantial presence in France, with close on 440 businesses employing some 70,000 employees. Japanese investment in France is much appreciated for its quality and compliance with social and environmental standards.
In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March, France responded by despatching technical and humanitarian aid (blankets, drinking water, radiation protection and detection equipment) on a large scale, as well as offering Japan further aid during the rteconstruction phase.
Updated on : 31.01.13


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Internet radio service Songza has teamed with concert data site Songkick to create playlists featuring music from artists on tour. Songza will have a rolling playlist that will be updated based on a combination of touring data and editorial decisions. Songkick, the 6-year-old London-based company, has compiled more than 3 million upcoming and past concerts and has more than 100,000 set lists in its database. Its concert data has also been integrated into such platforms as YouTube, Vevo, Bandcamp, the Hype Machine, SoundCloud and Spotify. Songkick has reached more than 8.5 million unique fans each month through its mobile apps and website.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a tax on digital goods like music files and such subscription services as Spotify, e-books and video-on-demand services like Netflix. The proposal is part of a report from the New York State Tax Reform and Fairness Commission, which Cuomo formed last year. According to the commission’s report, which lists the proposal under Option 1b, New York forgoes $35 million per year by not taxing digital products. Option 1a of the report suggests applying sales tax to clothing and footwear costing less than $110. Such states as Wisconsin, Vermont and New Jersey tax digital goods as any other product in its category, meaning that an album bought on iTunes is treated the same as an album purchased as a CD. The fees are applied as necessary according to the consumer’s postal code, as the iTunes store’s terms of service make plain from the outset. Meanwhile, some states, like North Dakota, explicitly prohibit taxation on digital goods.
BMG Chrysalis U.S. has announced a joint venture with music industry veteran Darrell Franklin called Franklin Publishing & Writer Management. A former head of BMG Nashville, Franklin is no stranger to the publishing world, serving at BMG Nashville after the purchase of Crosstown Songs, which was a partnership with business partner Dann Huff. Franklin Publishing & Writer Management’s first signing is slated to be Nashville songwriter Chris Wallin, who has worked with Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Chesney, Trace Adkins and Brad Paisley.
Round Hill Music has announced an exclusive synch deal with Wild Party, adding the group to its growing licensing roster that includes indie acts American Authors, Sleepy Kitty, Isaac Delusion and Ghosty, as well as a back catalog of iconic artists from the Beatles to Frank Sinatra. Wild Party first gained notice after supporting the Wombats on a 2010 U.K. tour, with the band’s single “Take My Advice” getting radio airplay on U.K. station Xfm. After independently releasing the LP “Phantom Pop” in 2013, the group eventually pulled the album from iTunes and is expected to rerelease it in May 2014 on Old Friends.


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Baselworld24 Mar 2014, Posted by Blog in
In two days, the world’s most important event in the watch and jewellery industry will open its doors for Baselworld 2014 in Basel, Switzerland.
At no other event in the sector are products and brand worlds showcased at such a sophisticated level and in such an exclusive atmosphere as at Baselworld. Make sure you will be part of this great event! www.baselworld.com


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Apple did hire company co-founder Michael Kim, and the Wi-Gear company has ceased operations, but Apple didn’t buy the company or its IP. It wasn’t a bad guess, but alas, 9to5 Mac’s Seth Weintraub didn’t report it as a guess — he reported it as a fact:
A source tells 9to5Mac that Apple scooped up a small Bluetooth
wireless headphone designer in San Francisco two months ago. […]
Apple plans to build its own stereo Bluetooth headphones for
future iOS devices and MacBooks with technology and expertise from
Weintraub has corrected the story, and published an apology for the mistake.
★ Wednesday, 10 November 2010


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Dealerships Experiencing Fallout from Fourth Week of Chicago Technician Strike
Aug. 22, 2017—As a Chicago-area technician strike heads into its fourth week, dealerships whose technicians are still on the job have been left sorting out mounting customer confusion, the Chicago Tribune reports.
"Everybody thinks we're going to be closed," said Jeff Dowell, service manager at Grossinger Honda in the West Rogers Park neighborhood.
Though some customers from striking dealerships have turned to the still-open shops, managers said there hasn't been a huge business boom. Some customers with warranty or recall issues have found new dealers to fix them, but the biggest effect those dealers have seen is confusion.
Grossinger is seeing some customers who have warranty issues seeking alternatives to their dealerships on strike, Dowell said.


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TOKYO – Sales of Toyota and Honda vehicles nosedived in China during September as anti-Japanese sentiment flared over a territorial dispute that threatens to hobble what was a booming business relationship between Japan and its biggest export market.
Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday that sales of new vehicles in China dropped 48.9 per cent in September from a year earlier to 44,100 vehicles. Honda Motor Co. said September sales plunged 40.5 per cent to 33,931 vehicles. China sales for Nissan Motor Co. slid 35.3 per cent last month to 76,100 vehicles.
The stunning plunge in sales comes after Japan last month nationalized tiny islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which had already been controlled by Tokyo but also claimed by Beijing.
The move set off violent protests in China, and a widespread call to boycott Japanese goods. Toyota and Honda dealerships were burned down in one city, and crowds shouting anti-Japanese slogans have gathered and smashed Japanese cars.
Although the flare-ups have calmed in recent weeks, it would still require courage to be seen in a Japanese car in some Chinese cities.
Japanese automakers temporarily closed some of their China factories. Production is back up this week — but reduced to lower levels as demand has collapsed.
Last week, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. reported that China sales dived 63 per cent to 2,340 vehicles in September. Mazda Motor Corp. said its sales in China sank 36 per cent to 13,258 vehicles for the month.
A study by J.P. Morgan, released Tuesday, projected Japanese auto exports to China to crash 70 per cent during the October-December period. It said that the export of auto parts will slip by 40 per cent — about the same drop estimated for exports of other consumer products such as electronics.
Combined, the aftermath of the territorial spat with China will shave 0.8 percentage point off Japan gross domestic product growth for the fourth quarter, sending Japan’s overall economy slightly downward, instead of the initial forecast for flat growth, according to J.P. Morgan.
China, with its growing middle class, had been one of the emerging markets that Japanese automakers were counting on to boost sales amid a long stagnation in the domestic auto market.
Toyota, Japan’s No. 1 auto company, which makes the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, had planned to sell 1 million vehicles in China this calendar year.
“But that may be very difficult to achieve,” company spokesman Dion Corbett said.
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First off, the next version of Apple Watch will feature its own cellular modem chip, and therefore it will support LTE. Apple has yet to sign off on the new device’s design and solve some battery life issues, but the company does intend to incorporate AirPod support for making and receiving calls on the Apple Watch. VoIP support and data across a CAT-M1 connection could also be implemented for superior battery life.
Secondly, the analyst gathered even more details about the smartphones that Apple intends to announce this year. The Cupertino company is said to release three iPhone versions, a 4.7-inch iPhone 7s, 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus, and a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone 8.
Previous rumors said that only the anniversary OLED iPhone 8 would have wireless charging, but the analyst suggests that all iPhones to be announced this year will offer the technology developed by Pegatron and Foxconn. However, Apple is facing some issues regarding charging efficiency, as it may take 3 hours to receive a full charge.
This isn’t the only element that Apple has been having some problems with, the elimination of the home button resulted in some technical issues regarding technology validation. Because of this, Apple has yet to fully sign off on this move.
Apple is developing a hybrid port for the 2018 iPhone
Apple is also planning on creating an interoperable hybrid of a Lightning and USB Type-C port, but it won’t be featured on the iPhone 8. Apparently, the new hybrid port will arrive in 2018, while the iPhone 8 will retain its Lightning port.
Moreover, the iPhone 8 will feature “an unusual L-shaped battery”, for greater flexibility in design, thus allowing for an edge-to-edge OLED display on the new phone.
Manufacturing of the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus is set to start in June, while iPhone 8 will be built two months later. Production of A11 chips for the phones is set to start in April. The analyst also revealed that all three phones would be announced during Apple’s presentation in September, but he didn’t say anything about the iPhone 8 being offered in limited supply, as it was previously mentioned.


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Winnebago Industries, Inc. (WGO) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $430.69 Million
Equities research analysts expect Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WGO) to report sales of $430.69 million for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Four analysts have provided estimates for Winnebago Industries’ earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $482.60 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $401.57 million. Winnebago Industries posted sales of $370.51 million in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year over year growth rate of 16.2%. The firm is scheduled to report its next earnings report on Wednesday, March 28th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Winnebago Industries will report full year sales of $430.69 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $1.86 billion to $1.99 billion. For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the business will report sales of $2.05 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $1.92 billion to $2.17 billion. Zacks’ sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that that provide coverage for Winnebago Industries.
Winnebago Industries (NYSE:WGO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, December 20th. The construction company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $450.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $387.12 million. Winnebago Industries had a return on equity of 21.47% and a net margin of 4.43%. Winnebago Industries’s revenue for the quarter was up 83.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.42 earnings per share.
Shares of Winnebago Industries (WGO) opened at $55.25 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1,760.00, a P/E ratio of 22.64 and a beta of 2.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.03. Winnebago Industries has a 52 week low of $24.15 and a 52 week high of $58.65.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 9th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Winnebago Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.39%.
Winnebago Industries declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 19th that allows the company to buyback $70.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WGO. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Winnebago Industries in the second quarter worth $107,000. Pinebridge Investments L.P. raised its holdings in Winnebago Industries by 1.0% in the second quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 3,496 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. NEXT Financial Group Inc bought a new position in Winnebago Industries in the third quarter worth $124,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Winnebago Industries by 17.6% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,582 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Piedmont Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Winnebago Industries in the second quarter worth $201,000. Institutional investors own 83.25% of the company’s stock.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: This piece was posted by American Banking News and is owned by of American Banking News. If you are reading this piece on another website, it was copied illegally and reposted in violation of United States & international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this piece can be read at https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2018/01/10/winnebago-industries-inc-wgo-expected-to-post-quarterly-sales-of-430-69-million.html.
About Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries, Inc is a manufacturer of recreation vehicles (RVs) used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets motorized and towable recreation products along with supporting products and services. Its other products manufactured by the Company consist of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, including extruded aluminum and other component products for other manufacturers and commercial vehicles.
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With the two new hubs- a distribution centre in the north-western city of Novara and a fulfilment centre close to the city of Modena – Amazon will create 1,100 new jobs in the coming three years.
“Amazon continues to expand its logistics network in order to satisfy the growing demand of clients, widen product selections and support those small and medium enterprises that have decided to sell their products using Amazon logistics,” the group said in a statement.
Amazon has already invested 5.8 billion euros in Italy, since first starting operations 10 years ago. It employs 8,500 people in the country.
($1 = 0.8282 euros)
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina. Writing by Giulia Segreti. Editing by Mark Potter)


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Dallas RevPAR Projections Are Half The National Average
Though national revenue per available room is projected to increase by 3% nationally in 2017, new data from CBRE Hotels shows that increase to be around 1.4% in Dallas. Though the local growth is only half of the national average, Dallas hotel experts think the market looks healthy.
Q1 2017 saw a dip in Dallas hotel occupancy, but CBRE Hotels Consulting Director Jeff Binford said that is the result of new development investments. There is more supply online or in the pipeline than there is demand, Binford said.
CBRE Hotels expects this trend to continue in the area for the next few years before returning to long-term increases in supply and demand.
The DFW hotel market is extremely healthy, Dowdle Real Estate President Lynn Dowdle said. RevPAR and average daily room rate are high, occupancy is solid and new product is getting saturated, she said.
Hotel supply in the U.S. is expected to grow by 2% in 2017, compared to a 2016 gain of 1.6%, according to Hotel Horizons. Lodging demand is expected to increase by 2.1% this year.
“We’re seeing that DFW is a top market; hoteliers are flocking here,” Dowdle said.
Over the seven years since Dowdle founded her firm, she has seen growth in a few ways. The 13.6B Marriott-Starwood merger in 2016 has put the new conglomerate in growth mode. “They are strategizing growth plans,” Dowdle said.
Another recent growth trend has been the rise of hotels within mixed-use developments.
Dowdle said she used to have to convince mixed-use developers to explore hotel options, but it is becoming more commonplace.
“The hotel component [in mixed-use developments] is gaining ground in terms of demand. It only makes sense to include a hotel if you’re offering any kind of office setting, and now developers know it’s important,” she said.
CORRECTION June 8 at 5:40 p.m. ET: Inaccurate data on RevPAR forecasts in Dallas in an earlier version of this story have been updated.


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Sebi bans Pawan Bansal from acting as market intermediary
Pawan Bansal headed and held 100 per cent stake in Altius Finserv, which is into merchant banking and related activities.
Nothing new in Rail Budget 2016: Pawan Bansal
Former railway minister Pawan Bansal said that he found nothing new in the Rail Budget 2016, ex...
Markdown theoretical exercise, not worried: Sachin Bansal
"If we do not need to raise funds, it is not important what others think. I think i...
Buy Tata Motors DVR with a target at Rs 323: Rakesh Bansal
The DVR had been seeing good demand in trade after the after the automaker reported almost double-digit growth in sales for April on a year-on-year (YoY) basis on the back of newly-launched Tiago
Buy Hindustan Zinc with a target at Rs 189: Rakesh Bansal
Bansal has advised traders to buy the stock with a stop loss placed at Rs 167.50. The stock has fallen about 5 per cent in the past one month.
Sell Wockhardt with a target of Rs 946: Rakesh Bansal
Sell Wockhardt target of Rs 946 and a stop loss of Rs 1045
Buy Eicher Motors with a target of Rs 20850: Rakesh Bansal
Buy Eicher Motors with a Rs 20850 and a stop loss of Rs 19850
Buy Bharti Airtel with a target of Rs 420: Rakesh Bansal
Buy Bharti Airtel with a Rs 420 and a stop loss of Rs 350
Sachin Bansal turns delivery boy again for personal interaction
With an e-commerce business, that opportunity for personal interaction with the end consumer is practically non-existent.
Pawan Verma raises voice in Rajya Sabha over India Inc’s Rs 5 lakh crore debt
The JD(U) member particularly referred to the Adani Group, alleging that the company got “unimaginable” favours and its debt stands atRs 72,000 crore.
Buy Aurobindo Pharma with a target of Rs 817: Rakesh Bansal
Buy Aurobindo Pharma with a target of Rs 817 and a stop loss of Rs 758
Buy L&T with a target of Rs 1302: Rakesh Bansal
Buy L&T with a target of Rs 1302 and a stop loss of Rs 1240
Buy SBI with a target of Rs 216: Rakesh Bansal
Buy SBI with a target of Rs 216 and a stop loss of Rs 190
Pawan Munjal, Rajan Anandan invest in bike taxi operator Rapido
The company has raised pre-series A round of funding led by Munjal, AdvantEdge Partners, Astarc Ventures and Tesellate Ventures, among others, Rapido said.
Mahindra Agri Solutions appoints Pawan Goenka as Chairman
Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd announced appointment of Pawan Goenka, as Chairman and Ashok Sharma MD and CEO of the company's reconstituted board.
Buy Jet Airways with a target of Rs 656: Rakesh Bansal
Buy Jet Airways with a target of Rs 656 and a stop loss of Rs 608
Buy ICICI Bank with a target of Rs 233: Rakesh Bansal
Buy ICICI Bank with a target of Rs 233 and a stop loss of Rs 219
Buy J&K Bank with a target of Rs 79: Rakesh Bansal
Buy J&K Bank with a target of Rs 79 and a stop loss of Rs 68.50
Pawan Hans in talks with Airbus for MRO facility
"It (discussion) is almost at final stages. There is some nitty-gritty which is to be sorted out," Pawan Hans Chairman and MD B P Sharma said.
Buy Glenmark Pharma with a target of Rs 760: Rakesh Bansal
Buy Glenmark Pharma Ltd with a target of Rs 760 and a stop loss of Rs 804.
Buy IOC with a target of Rs 433: Rakesh Bansal
Buy IOC Ltd with a target of Rs 433 and a stop loss of Rs 390
If rains don’t disappoint, D-Street can outperform global peers: Kunj Bansal
The domestic equity market will be on a stronger wicket by the end of FY17 compared with what it was at the end of FY16, says Kunj Bansal of Centrum Wealth.
IRCTC to sell tickets for Pawan Hans helicopter service
The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to implement the 'heli project' by making joint use of their capabilities and facilities.
Former Flipkart executive Mukesh Bansal invests in fitness startup Cult
The investment in Cult comes within days of Bansal announcing a new venture in the healthcare and fitness space along with former Flipkart colleague Ankit Nagori.
Binny Bansal's email hacked, $80k sought
E-commerce major Flipkart has lodged a police complaint that its CEO Binny Bansal's official email account was hacked and two mails.
Sell Granules India with a target of Rs 109: Rakesh Bansal
Sell Granules India Ltd with a target of Rs 109 and a stop loss of Rs 123.2
Buy Eicher Motors with a target of Rs 19300: Rakesh Bansal
Buy Eicher Motors Ltd is a 'BUY' call with a target of Rs 19300 and a stop loss of Rs 18180
Two-wheelers, consumer goods companies and tractors are clear winners: Kunj Bansal, Centrum Wealth Management
How the monsoons behave will set the trend
Pawan Hans to have complete control of aerodrome's operations?
Pawan Hans, the PSU helicopter service company, has been operating out of the Juhu aerodrome for many years.
We are bullish on the Latin American market: Devesh Bansal, Skipper
Skipper will venture into the international space also and almost 50 per cent of revenues this year in the T&D space is expected to come from Latin America, parts of Europe as well as Africa
CEO Binny Bansal's email account spoofed, not hacked: Flipkart
A spoofed email does not originate from the real source but from a different source falsifying the name and address with an ulterior motive.
Buy ITC with a target of Rs 340: Rakesh Bansal
Buy ITC Ltd with a target of Rs 340 and a stop loss of Rs 312.70
Sell DHFL with a target of Rs 161: Rakesh Bansal
Sell DHFL with a target of Rs 161 and a stop loss of Rs 184.25
Notification on manufacturing norms aimed to bring relief to nutraceutical companies: Pawan Agarwal, CEO, NSSAI
"The intent of this notification was to give relief to those companies who were in the market before 2011 and who were facing problems with enforcement officials," Agarwal said.
Must focus on rural development: Pawan Munjal
Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and CEO of HeroMotoCorp says that the budget should focus on rural development and boosting demand.
Our association with Oxigen Services will go beyond IPL: Keshav Bansal, Intex Technologies
'Sachin Tendulkar is a mentor to Mumbai Indians IPL team and he has a certain role to honour with that team. Hence, there are no expectations.'
Team and Dhoni helped me to calm my nerves, says Pawan Negi
Pawan Negi said emotions were getting the better of him before senior players such as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped in with their calming words.
Buy Tata Global Beverages with a target of Rs 123: Rakesh Bansal
"Tata Global Beverages is a 'BUY' call with a target of Rs 123 and a stop loss of Rs 107.90."
Buy SKS Microfinance with a target of Rs 558: Rakesh Bansal
"SKS Microfinance Ltd is a 'BUY' call with a target of Rs 558 and a stop loss of Rs 512."
Budget 2016: Diesel tax will not dent overall margins, says Pawan Goenka
Pawan Goenka said that he does not expect tax on diesel vehicles to have a significant impact on M&M’s overall volumes or margins.
Diesel tax will not dent overall sales: Pawan Goenka, ED, Mahindra & Mahindra
"Tinkering is again being done with excise duty rate and that is a concern for the industry"
Mukesh Bansal and Flipkart to gain from exit
Divorced from Flipkart, Mukesh would now be an eligible investor in one or more new ventures that he might run as entrepreneur or as venture funder and mentor.
When Snapdeal founder Kunal Bahl was mistaken for 'Mr Bansal'!
In a parallel universe, Bahl’s known by the Bansal company he keeps and competes with.
Mukesh Bansal, Ankit Nagori team up to launch a health and fitness startup
The move comes barely six weeks after Bansal, former head honcho at Flipkart, and Nagori resigned from the country’s largest online retailer.
Delhi Daredevils stuns with Pawan Negi bid
Indian medium-pacer Mohit Sharma went for Rs.6.5 crore to Kings XI Punjab, while Hyderabad splurged Rs.5.5 crore for veteran left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra.
Flipkart to continue funding discounts: Sachin Bansal
Flipkart will continue to fund discounts to win customers and stay ahead of the competition while investing in back-end operations, Sachin Bansal said.
Pawan Hans IPO likely next fiscal
To raise funds for its expansion plans, helicopter operator Pawan Hans expects to come out with initial share sale next fiscal, according to a top company official.
HAL, Pawan Hans ink MoU for joint venture on maintenance work of choppers
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Pawan Hans Ltd (PHL) today signed an MoU to establish a joint venture firm to carry-out maintenance work
After cofounder Mukesh Bansal, Myntra's finance head Prabhakar Sunder quits
Sunder's exit comes soon after Mukesh Bansal, head of commerce at Flipkart and cofounder of Myntra, announced his plans to leave the firm.


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MEXICAN-inspired eatery Taco Bell will open a restaurant in Poole High Street next month.
The new restaurant, located in the former London Menswear site, is due to open its doors from 10am on Wednesday, May 10.
It will serve Mexican-style food on the premises and offer a takeaway service.
The 44-seat restaurant will launch with the ‘Cheesy Double Melt Burrito’ - a new restaurant exclusive, alongside its already-popular menu of tacos, burritos, crunch wraps, loaded fries, Quesadillas and nachos.
On opening day, the first 100 customers will receive a free Taco Bell t-shirt exclusive to Poole. There will also be a chance to win a year’s supply of Taco Bell, simply by finding one of two Golden Tacos hidden across the town centre. Clues will be revealed on the Taco Bell UK social media channels.
The restaurant will bring an additional 20 jobs to the area and customers will have the option to buy beer with their food.
Free WiFi and charging stations for portable devices will also be available.
Ellen Gault, marketing manager for Taco Bell UK and Europe, said: “Since the launch of Taco Bell in Southampton, we’ve noticed a real hunger for quick Mexican-inspired food in the South of England and are really pleased to be opening our second restaurant in Poole.
“There is such a strong demand for Taco Bell across the UK, so it’s a great feeling to be able to open in new locations like Poole.”


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Total ended the year with a turnover of N238.16 billion compared with N217.84 billion achieved in the corresponding period of 2012.
Profit before tax grew by 14 per cent to N8.12 billion against N7.09 billion declared in 2012, while profit after tax stood at N5.33 billion in contrast with N4.67 billion in 2012.
The directors recommended a dividend of N3.06 billion, translating into N9 per share. The dividend was approved by the shareholders at the 36th annual general meeting (AGM) held in
According to the company, the shareholders will begin to receive the dividend as from today.
Speaking at the AGM, the Chairman of Total, Mr.
He explained that the company's solar investment were focused on the provision of energy to lower income segment with the solar lamps, as well as providing solar solution to individuals through home systems.
However, Nguer decried the company's huge financial expenses, which he attributed partly to the delay in the payment of subsidies by the federal government.
He said the company was owed N12 billion as subsidies in 2013 financial year, noting that the financial expenses of the debt represented 10 per cent of its net operating income.
The chairman disclosed that Total was not getting fair share of fuel allocations to serve its numerous customers, saying the company with 12 per cent market share gets about three per cent of the import allocations.
Nguer added that the marketing margin, which is generating the cash flows, has not been reviewed since 2007.
He therefore called for the need for review of the rules and criteria of the import allocations and the marketing margin to ensure transparency, as well as cater for the cost of doing business in the country.
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NEW YORK: For its summer campaign to promote its new emoji-emblazoned bottles, PepsiCo is breaking from convention by limiting its video ads to just five seconds.
The soda brand, which is grappling with increased competition from bottled water, will kick off its campaign in mid-May with more than 100 online and TV ads that will be aimed largely at younger consumers.
As reported by USA Today, more than 200 original emojis – those globally popular visual characters – will feature in the ads as well as appearing on 20-ounce bottles of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max.
With shorter ads, Pepsi is betting on promoting a less disruptive campaign that carries the twin benefits of reducing annoyance among viewers while making the ads less likely to be skipped.
Pre-roll ads of 15 or 30 seconds length can be irritating, acknowledged Chad Stubbs, Pepsi's vice-president of marketing, who said: "We already know consumers can take short-form entertainment. That's where the entertainment journey is headed."
In addition to its shortened ads, Pepsi aims to target consumers more effectively by mining search terms on Google. For example, someone searching for sunscreen might then be served an ad that features sunbathing emojis.
Another idea could involve the US Open in August and September when tennis fans may see a five-second clip of emoji heads bobbing back and forth as they follow the arc of a tennis ball during a game.
Turner Broadcasting is also working with Pepsi on the campaign, USA Today reported, but the unusually short ads will require its system to be updated manually when it starts running bundles of the ads next month on TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and Tru TV.
Commenting on Turner's collaboration, Donna Speciale, president of Turner ad sales, said: "This lends itself perfectly to the consumer experience and trying to make the messaging resonate better. The emoji is a symbol and it's so global. You don't need a lot of time for it to represent anything."
Data sourced from USA Today; additional content by Warc staff


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KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad (Mydin) managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin urged Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to stop leveraging the “Allah” socks issue for political mileage at the expense of livelihoods.
Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported Ameer Ali saying that Akmal’s call for a public boycott of KK Mart, despite the convenience store chain having apologised, would affect investor confidence and the livelihoods of the workers — the majority who are Malay Muslims.
He questioned the Merlimau assemblyman’s rationale for his continued calls to denounce and protest against KK Mart.
“Political parties should distance themselves from 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues and we should not pour oil on the flames.
“Both KK Mart and the vendor have apologised. What else do you expect them to do?” Ameer Ali was quoted saying.
The country’s foremost halal hypermarket wholesaler and retailer was responding to Akmal who had previously dismissed an apology made by KK Mart after photographs of the offending socks, sold at an outlet, appeared on social media last week.
Ameer Ali said he acknowledged that the issue, which has since triggered a nationwide controversy, was a serious matter.
However, the 68-year-old Bumiputera Retailers Association president reportedly said that there was no need for the issue to be escalated further, especially by those who were seeking political mileage out of it.
Last night, former Umno Wanita chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz criticised Akmal over his handling of the “Allah” socks row, calling him a rabble-rouser that the ruling government can do without.
It was also reported that Akmal, during an Umno breaking fast event here, continued his condemnation of KK Mart with further calls for a boycott against the convenience store chain.
Earlier, Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party agreed strict action should be taken against those who belittle the word “Allah,” as decreed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim.
The offending socks were reportedly discovered for sale at the KK Mart outlets last week and were later traced to a distributor in Batu Pahat, Johor that said they were imported from China.
In response, KK Mart and the Johor-based distributor apologised for the incident. Sales of the socks, that were from China, were also immediately recalled.
The incident has caused a major controversy in Malaysia, with Sultan Ibrahim expressing his displeasure over the matter and decreeing that authorities must act sternly in response.


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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Elliot Schrage, VP of Communications and Public Policy, Facebook.
FACEBOOK CHANGES NEWS FEED TO FOCUS ON MORE MEANINGFUL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
Overhaul of the News Feed Algorithm will favor content created by family and friends and deprioritize business and media, says Zuckerberg.
MENLO PARK, CA., January 11, 2018, Facebook Inc. is making significant changes on how content is presented on the platform in an attempt to address the backlash from users about the quality of the shared content and how it affects the society.
According to Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, the News Feed Algorithm’s overhaul will give more priority to friends and posts that spark conversations between them at the expense of news outlets, public content, and ads that appear on the social network.
“The sweeping changes are designed to encourage users to engage in more meaningful social interactions. The premise is that one is more likely to leave comments and discuss posts shared by family members or friends than those shared by businesses or media,” Zuckerberg explained in a Facebook post.
Zuckerberg further explained that the company has considered the feedback from the users regarding public content from media, brands, and businesses crowding out their personal moments that engender more connection which remains the ‘core’ Facebook experience.
The Facebook’s News Feed overhaul is the most significant in years and users will start viewing fewer news articles and viral videos shared by media companies or brands. Instead, Facebook will prioritize content from friends, for example, a status or photo that many have liked or left a comment.
According to Zuckerberg, Facebook has analyzed the types of posts that have harmed or stressed users. The social network is keen on minimizing ‘passive content’ which includes the articles and videos that ask the user for more than just sitting back and reading or watching- so that the time spent on the site by the user is meaningful.
It is important for the company to refocus the system and ensure that it not only provides fun, but also good content. Facebook acknowledges that the amount of publishers’ distribution will plummet because most of their content is just consumed passively and does not trigger conversations.
The modifications appeared to be designed to silence some Facebook critics who have taken the company to task regarding exploiting human psychology for profit, allowing foreign intrusion in national elections, facilitating the spread of misinformation, and cloistering users in filter bubbles.
Initially, Zuckerberg notoriously termed those concerns ‘pretty crazy’ and dismissed the impression that fake news and propaganda influenced the late 2016’s presidential elections in the United States. However, in 2017, the company admitted to the purchase of $100,000 worth of ads by a Russian influence operation to promote politically divisive content.
The changes on the Facebook News Feed will certainly create far-reaching repercussions especially to small businesses, nonprofits, publishers and many other group that depend on the social network to reach to the public.
There is also a possibility that the modifications may work against the company’s direct commercial interests. Facebook has successfully gotten people to spend significant amounts of time on the platform but with the changing dynamics regarding less viral content appearing more often, users would easily spend their time somewhere else.
About FACEBOOK, INC.
Facebook, Inc., based in Menlo Park, California, is an American online social networking service and social media company. Facebook, Inc. provides several products including Facebook mobile application and website to allow people to communicate, discover, share, and connect with one another around the world.
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Razer is a company best known for making gaming accessories and computers, but it seems that the company could be planning on dipping their toes in the smartphone market. This is thanks to a recent announcement in which Razer and carrier “3” have revealed a partnership, which marks the first time Razer has ever collaborated with a carrier.
According to the press release, “Together they will focus on co-branding to reach out to the gaming community and youth audience, mobile devices and tariff plans specifically designed for the gaming community, as well as the distribution of Razer’s virtual currency, zGold. Razer will distribute their award-winning gaming products, leveraging on 3’s leading mobile data networks, for the gamers to enjoy a spectacular experience.”
This has led to speculation that Razer could be planning on making a smartphone of their own. Razer’s CEO Min-Liang Tan has since responded to the speculation by saying, “I’ve been reading a lot of speculation about a Razer phone (especially after the announcement of our partnership with Three) – and while I’m not going to confirm or deny it – what I can say that our focus is always on designing and/or engineering the best possible products for gamers and whatever we announce – it’ll be ready when it’s ready.”
That being said, Razer entering the smartphone market shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Earlier this year the company acquired smartphone maker Nextbit, so clearly there are plans, but exactly what this will result in is anyone’s guess and we’ll just have to wait and see.
Filed in Razer.. Read more about


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Authorities say a Maryland letter carrier stole Netflix DVDs, along with medicine and other items, including Mother's Day cards. The haul was stockpiled in his house, they say.
Contradictory letters from an insurer spur a health reporter to explore why the implementation of this key health law protection turns out to be more complicated than she thought.
The EPA is aiming to cut carbon emmissions from power plants by 30% by the year 2030. Part of the strategy will be to allow states flexibility in how they meet the demand, hopefully sparking innovation amidst competition. Also, Seattle is set to approve the highest minimum wage for a city of its size: $15. Hear why business leaders are actually advocating for the pay raise. Finally, why HELOCs -- a form of second mortage -- are on the rise again.
From the Marketplace Datebook, here's a look at what's coming up Tuesday, June 3:
In Washington, the Commerce Department reports on factory orders for April.
A Senate subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy discusses "Farming, Fishing, Forestry, and Hunting in an Era of Changing Climate."
Have you been up to some spring cleaning? Maybe cleaning out the garage to make room for a new car? Automakers are slated to report sales for May.
Read some poetry in honor of Allen Ginsberg. He was born on June 3rd, 1926.
And pet proof your place. June is Adopt-a-Cat Month. That's pretty self-explanatory.
The title of Jowita Bydlowska's memoir Drunk Mom pulls no punches. She tells Michel Martin about her struggles with motherhood and addiction.
The documentary Harvest of Shame was revolutionary in its raw portrayal of poverty amongst migrant farm workers. NPR's Elizabeth Blair discusses the film's legacy and the state of migrant work today.


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We’ve heard tons of leaks about the iPhone 6, but this time, the leaks come directly from one of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s carriers—China Telecom. The company unwittingly let the cat out of the bag on some of the smartphone’s features, while also saying that it will be selling unlocked iPhone 6 handsets that will be able to work on all major Chinese carriers through a SIM card.
China Telecom confirms iPhone 6
Most are generally expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone 6 on Sept. 9. That date hasn’t officially been confirmed by Apple, but it seems like the best guess so far although a recent report from Reuters indicated that the date could end up being pushed back.
So what kinds of features can we expect the smartphone to have? Just ask China Telecom, apparently. Sina Mobile News reported this week that the carrier confirmed the iPhone 6 launch on a post on Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo. The website states that the next iPhone will be compatible with numerous different wireless networks, including: TDD-LTE, WCDMA, GSM, FDD-LTE, CDMA2000 and CDMA1X.
China Telecom also said that the iPhone 6 model it will sell will be unlocked so that it can work on more than one Chinese carrier network.
Spoke too soon?
Apple is known to be very strict about the news its partners and carriers release before a product is officially announced. China Telecom apparently deleted the Weibo post about the iPhone 6, suggesting that either Apple clamped down on the carrier or the post just wasn’t even true to begin with. However, the information about the handset being compatible with all Chinese wireless networks seems to make sense, as 9to5 Mac suggests.
The website suggests that Apple could be simplifying its inventory while also making it possible for China Telecom to begin offering LTE data. Also if China Telecom does sell an unlocked model, then it could get some iPhone 6 sales even if it doesn’t get subscribers out of the deal. The carrier has been bleeding subscribers since the iPhone was launched on the China Mobile network, so it will do just about anything to attract more business, apparently.