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Intel’s Optane Memory-Storage Combo Aims to Boost PC Performance
Despite incremental enhancements, computer-memory technology hasn’t seen a revolutionary leap forward in at least 25 years. This may change soon, however, if Intel’s Optane system delivers on its promise to dramatically improve PC performance and shorten boot times.
According to CIO, Intel claims Optane could be up to 10 times faster than the conventional solid state drives (SSDs) found in most laptops today, but the verdict is still out until real-world tests are done. The technology could eventually replace SSDs and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), boosting system speed by essentially combining memory and storage while adding smart enhancements to make applications run faster.
How Intel’s Optane Changes Things
Intel and Micron, longtime manufacturing partners, worked together to develop Optane. The system is “a new class of memory and storage” based on 3D Xpoint, a technology in which memory cells sit in a three-dimensional mesh, IDG News reports.
In traditional computers, DRAM is located close to the CPU, enabling speedier access to frequently used data compared to storage-oriented hard disk drives (HDDs) and SSDs. The downside to DRAM is that it deletes its stored data once the computer is turned off.
But Intel’s Optane memory, like an HDD or an SSD, retains data when the PC is turned off. For enterprise and consumer users, the benefits could be substantial: instant booting, faster application launching and better video and gaming experiences, to name a few.
Slow Rollout Expected
Intel’s Optane won’t replace SSDs anytime soon. Instead, the new technology will work in conjunction with very large HDDs to improve performance on high-end PCs.
At CES 2017 in Las Vegas, Intel announced the first Optane hardware — relatively low-capacity 16GB and 32GB memory modules built for caching, not for main storage. These products are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2017 and will allow enterprise and power users to test the technology. Optane products with higher capacities and densities, as well as different form factors, are expected to arrive over the next several years, according to PC manufacturers.
The Future: Optane SSDs
Arguably the biggest payoff of Intel’s breakthrough technology will come when large-capacity Optane SSDs replace conventional SSDs in desktop and laptop computers, although it’s unclear when that day will come.
Optane hardware will be pricey at first — as is the case with new storage technology — but prices should drop over time. According to IDG News, Optane modules are currently being produced in limited quantities in a Dalian, China, factory.
The first batch of Optane-equipped PCs are planned to ship in the first and second quarters of 2017, but PC makers have yet to announce exact pricing. The initial batch of 16GB and 32GB Optane modules will not be backwards-compatible with older processors, including Intel’s Skylake and Broadwell CPUs, or chips from rival AMD. Rather, they’ll work only with PCs running Kaby Lake CPUs, Intel’s seventh-generation Core processors that are starting to appear in higher-end systems, including HP’s Envy Curved All-in-One 34 desktop and Lenovo’s ThinkPad T570 laptop. Dell plans to add Optane to some of its Precision laptops and OptiPlex desktops, as well.
Windows 10 PCs will recognize Optane out of the gate, a benefit of Intel drivers and technologies built to exploit the new memory architecture, according to PC makers. It’s unclear, however, when (or how well) the Mac and Linux operating systems will support Optane.


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China warns US no deal if tariffs go ahead
BEIJING (AP) - China has warned any agreements with Washington in their talks on settling a sprawling trade dispute "will not take effect" if threatened U.S. sanctions including tariff hikes go ahead.
The statement Sunday came shortly after delegations led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and China's top economic official, Vice Premier Liu He, held another round of talks on China's pledge to narrow its trade surplus with the United States by purchasing more American goods.
The Chinese statement said the two sides made "positive and concrete progress," but neither side released details.
The statement said, "If the United States introduces trade sanctions including increasing tariffs, all the economic and trade achievements negotiated by the two parties will not take effect."
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Rivian pulls a Tesla on the R1T price increase for early adopters, says those who cancelled their preorder can come back
Startled by the negative impact on its stock price and customer loyalty, Rivian's CEO walked back the announced drastic price hike of its R1T and R1S electric trucks. As soon as Rivian said it is increasing the price of the R1T even for those who preordered, a number of potential customers said they are giving up and cancelled their reservations, citing a new price of more than US$94,000 with all the options they booked upon preordering. That sent Rivian's stock into a nosedive and it dropped 25% in the two days after the 17% R1T and 20% R1S price hikes were announced. This left the CEO RJ Scaringe scrambling to mitigate the impact, and he announced that Rivian is cancelling the R1T and R1S price hikes for existing customers:
The costs of the components and materials that go into building our vehicles have risen considerably. Everything from semiconductors to sheet metal to seats has become more expensive and with this we have seen average new vehicle pricing across the U.S. rise more than 30% since 2018. Given our build lead up times, we need to plan production costs not only for today, but also for the future...
As we worked to update pricing to reflect these cost increases, we wrongly decided to make these changes apply to all future deliveries, including pre-existing configured preorders. We failed to appreciate how you viewed your configuration as price locked, and we wrongly assumed the announced Dual-Motor and Standard battery pack would provide configurations that would deliver price points similar to your original configuration. While this was the logic, it was wrong and we broke your trust in Rivian.
The apologetic press release says that those who preordered a Rivian truck before March 1 will be able to get it at the original price cited at the time, just like Tesla did a few months back when it had to raise the Model 3 prices. Those who cancelled their reservations after the clumsily handled price hike announcement will be able to walk back the cancellation and restore their order to the original trim and options level they picked at the original price, too.


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Transfer money with UKForex and you’ll automatically be entered into our draw to win the amount you’ve sent up to £10,000 GBP. There’s no limit to how many times you can enter so get sending this season, and give Santa a well-earned break...
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We are pleased to announce that you can now use your debit card to send GBP (£) with UKForex.
Simply log in and book a transfer like you usually would – and a ‘pay by Debit card’ button will appear.
United States Dollar:
We’ve witnessed a classic case of “sell the rumour, buy the fact” in the past few days. The “bad” news, at least as far as financial markets were concerned, had already been priced in ahead of May’s speech on Tuesday, with GBP/USD getting sold off quickly at the very start of the week, even falling below 1.2000. As May delivered the unsurprising news yesterday, GBP/USD quickly rebounded as the PM said the UK did not seek access to the single market but did want a free trade and customs agreement with the EU. As well as buying the fact, investors also took heart from May’s reassuring tone and the intended controlled method of exit that she outlined. GBP/USD jumped two cents, rising above 1.24, the pair also garnering support from expectation-beating UK inflation data released earlier in the day. GBP/USD has settled back a little since to open this morning at 1.2390, but should UK average earnings and employment data come in stronger than forecasts at 9:30 today we could well see cable pop back through 1.24 and onwards. There’s good potential for volatility throughout the day too with US inflation data set for release at 1:30 GMT ... read more
Send money overseas at better rates than the banks.


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As a part of the SL14B celebrations marking Second Life’s anniversary in June 2017, Linden Lab hosted a special in-world shopping event, which proved to be a success among designers and consumers alike.
Given that success, the Lab is now planning a similar event for the Christmas / New Year holiday season, and has put out a call to designers interested in participating.
The announcement, posted by Xiola Linden on Tuesday, November 14th, indicates that the event will run from Friday, December 15th, 2017 through to Monday, January 1st, 2018, and states in part:
This event … is an opportunity to introduce new customers to your brand. We are looking for merchants willing to offer a discount on some of their items (think Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals!) and possibly provide a little non-exclusive gift to holiday shoppers.
Those designers interested in participating in the event are invited to complete the application form (embedded below, and also available here, for those preferring the direct link). Note that submissions must be made no later that 23:59 SLT on Monday, November 27th, as the cut-off for applications will be 00:01 on Tuesday, November 28th.


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Chinese electric car maker Li Auto delivered 2,300 units of the Li ONE, its only model, in February, down 57 percent from January and up 755 percent from a year ago.
As of February 28, Li ONE has accumulated more than 40,000 deliveries, reaching 41,276 units.
It's worth noting that the Chinese auto market is traditionally slow from January to February and that the Chinese New Year holiday during that period can make deliveries fluctuate.
Last year, the Chinese New Year holiday was from February 24 to February 31, and this year it was from February 11 to February 17.
"February sales are somewhat influenced by the seasonality of the Chinese New Year and Covid-19 in China's northern regions," said Yannan Shen, co-founder, and president of Li Auto.
"We believe that Li ONE sales will continue to improve as the sales and service network continues to expand and the outbreak is effectively contained," he stated.
Earlier today Nio released figures showing it delivered 5,578 vehicles in February, down 22.8 percent from January.
That delivery volume included 1,327 ES8s, 2,216 ES6s, and 2,035 EC6s, according to the company's fourth-quarter and 2020 earnings report released today.
From January to February, Nio delivered a total of 12,803 vehicles, up 455 percent from 2,305 vehicles in the same period last year.
Xpeng delivered 2,223 vehicles in February, down 63 percent from January. Xpeng said February is traditionally a slow sales month due to the Chinese New Year holiday and other reasons.
Xpeng's cumulative deliveries from January to February increased by 577 percent compared to the same period last year.
The Xpeng P7 delivered 1,409 units in February, bringing cumulative deliveries to 20,181 units and making it the fastest model from a new carmaker to surpass 20,000 deliveries, the company said.


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There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
Over a decade ago I had an opportunity to create a rough draft for a business plan
to bring high speed broadband internet to Northern Michigan with the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance. It was called the Northern Michigan Broadband Cooperative, and to be honest, it seemed like a pipe dream. Between the logistics and infrastructure costs I could not see it being an economically feasible plan without significant public funding.
Today, however, the rural Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan is already seeing some properties connected to high speed fiber internet, and the network is rapidly growing through a subsidiary of Great Lakes Energy Cooperative called Truestream. For anyone living or thinking of living in an area serviced by Truesteam this is very exciting news, and their plans to expand are huge! Much of the Petoskey area including Alanson are slated to be connected sometime this year, and if all goes well the Harbor Springs, Pellston, and Cross Village areas may soon be next. Check Truestream’s site for planned service areas as well as a 2019 construction update.
Areas lacking high speed internet are often not a relocation consideration for home buyers or businesses despite being an otherwise desirable place to live and work. According to a study published by the Fiber Broadband Association, values of homes with access to fiber increased 3.1%.
High speed internet is becoming an essential requirement in daily life. We rely on it to stay connected to the world, learn, work, play, and even manage our increasingly “smart” homes through devices like WiFi thermostats and video doorbells. As Americans increasingly work from home, and streaming video services also gain popularity the need for fiber only increases.
Undoubtedly, access to reliable and affordable high speed internet will boost the quality of life for many, and open the door for opportunities we would not otherwise have. It will be very interesting to see how fiber impacts our lives and local economy over the next few years.
Are you excited for fiber? How will it impact your life? Post in the comments below!
Author: Jared Hammond, Managing Associate Broker, REALTOR, Association Manager
Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club has had 27 homes and condos sell as of 10/31/2018 this year; a 13% increase over this time last year. Interestingly, properties took longer to sell yet the gap tightened between listing prices and selling prices.
This is promising news for the Birchwood micro-market; a market that has struggled to recover from the last recession. Trouble may be on the horizon, however, as nationwide sales are at a 3-year low. Low inventory, increasing housing costs, and increasing interest rates have all been cited as reasons for the market slow down. In Birchwood, however, values are still very reasonable which may help sales continue at a steady pace. Buyers and sellers can expect, however, that market forces will eventually catch up to the micro-market.
Speaking of affordable pricing, check out one of the best values in Birchwood at only $199,000 for a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom home. Could this be the vacation home you’ve been dreaming of?
According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) existing home sales have fallen to a 3-year low. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun attributes increasing home prices and rising interest rates as the cause for the sales decline. Meanwhile, the nationwide median existing home sales price increased to $264,800; a 4.2% increase from September 2017. Low housing supply has largely been cited as the primary cause for increasing values, but with sales volume at a 3-year low we may begin to see appreciation slow or decrease until equilibrium has been reached. If the local market follows the nationwide trend we can expect to see decreasing sales prices and longer time on the market before selling in the near future.
In the Bay Harbor Community micro-market median home sales (including condos, single family) were $515,000 as of 10/23/18; down 6% from a year ago. Properties that sold were on the market an average of 238 days. Thirty-eight residences in Bay Harbor have sold so far this year.
All data compiled from NMMLS.


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COMMENTARY--You could sense the pistons churning in the collective engine of PC investors the moment Applied Materials called the bottom.
"We think that the PC market may be near a bottom with the inventories approaching normal levels, and therefore expect the PC market to lead the industry recovery in the second half of this year," Executive Vice President David Wang said during Applied Materials' conference call with analysts yesterday.
But how much of that has been anticipated? PC stocks have already gained this year despite industry trends.
Playing Jeremiah to the PC industry's Jerusalem has been one of the technology world's most popular past-times since last fall. More than a few pundits--including this one--don't like what they see on the long-term horizon for PCs. The U.S. market is saturated, there are no compelling reasons to upgrade to newer technology, and there's little to distinguish one box from another, at least among Wintel vendors.
Last fall saw a sharp decline in PC stocks as those factors hit home, and analysts have cut their ratings. The consensus recommendation on Dell Computer (Nasdaq: DELL), for instance, has risen to 2.14 from 1.97 three months ago on the scale of Zack's Investment Research, whose system rates a "strong buy" at one and a "hold" at three. Compaq Computer (NYSE: CPQ) has seen an almost identical move, to 2.15 from 1.97.
Zack's analyst recommendations for Gateway (NYSE: GTW) and Apple Computer (Nasdaq: AAPL) improved slightly over the same period, but their ratings are still relatively lousy at 2.29 and 2.65 respectively.
PC shareholders couldn't care less. Each of the aforementioned stocks, save Compaq, has outperformed the Nasdaq composite index over the last three months. The difference looks even more dramatic if you look at this year-to-date graph from BigCharts.com:
Box makers aren't the only recipients of market goodwill this year. Look at these PC-related stocks:
Some stocks have specific reasons for their climbs. Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) proponents will point to market share against Intel (Nasdaq: INTC). Apple fans would note their company has already paid for last year's missteps involving the Cube; the company could also get an OS X boost as the year progresses and more applications become available for the new operating system.
However, you can also see a general uptick for the PC market this year on Wall Street. The sector that was slaughtered last fall turned into a safe haven from the overall Nasdaq.
That confidence rests on little or no support.
PC makers have burned through their supplies, but it's the other end--demand--that matters most. And there are no signs of a return to rapid expansion for personal computers. Even Applied Materials executives admitted they don't know when demand will pick up again.
No one else can say that things will improve this year. Merrill Lynch analyst Stephen Fortuna this week again cut his forecast for PC growth in 2001.
"We are reducing our worldwide PC unit growth forecast for the current year to 3 percent from 7 percent previously," Fortuna wrote in a research note released yesterday. "All of our checks continue to suggest that PC demand remains weak, especially in the United States. We have had several negative data points since our last reduction of March 26 that have led to this unit growth revision."
Merrill Lynch did raise its 2002 industry growth projection to 17.5 percent from 15.5 percent, which looks strong compared to this year. But it remains lower than the PC sector's glory days.
Many of Fortuna's peers remain skeptical about buying PC stocks. J.P. Morgan H&Q analyst Walter Winnitzki stuck to a "market performer" rating on Dell, even though that stock has actually fallen in the past month.
"The near-term trading range for the shares is likely to extend downward given what is likely a permanent change in the company's profitability and the shares valuation," Winnitzki wrote. "On a realistic earnings per share for next year, the shares carry a price-to-earnings ratio of about 1.9 times our secular growth rate of about 15 percent, which is still somewhat pricey in our opinion."
The PC market is maturing, and adulthood is always permanent. But judging by PC stocks, Wall Street this year has been hoping for a youth potion. 22GO>


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Tag Archives: quantic dream
Mon, Sep 23, 2013 | 14:12 BST
Beyond: Two Souls developer Quantic Dream has reportedly racked up $27 million in bills throughout development of the title.
Mon, Sep 23, 2013 | 13:08 BST
Quantic Dream boss David Cage doesn’t believe in design by metrics and committee, because he’s interested in creative acts, not filling out a checklist of features.
Mon, Sep 16, 2013 | 16:25 BST
Beyond: Two Souls has received a new TV spot, courtesy of Sony and Quantic Dream. Check it out here.
Sat, Sep 14, 2013 | 22:18 BST
With the industry moving into next-gen, Quantic Dream’s David Cage believes that from a technological aspect, the new consoles are “a better tool” to help add subtleties to what creators are already creating.
Wed, Sep 11, 2013 | 08:40 BST
Beyond: Two Souls previews went live today, and we’ve gathered a few of the Internet’s early thoughts on the Quantic Dream title for PS3. In conjunction, Sony has also released a batch of screenshots which we’e posted below.
Wed, Sep 04, 2013 | 06:03 BST
Microsoft has a chance to publish Heavy Rain, but knocked back the eventual PlayStation 3 exclusive over its kidnapping themes.
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 | 15:06 BST
Beyond: Two Souls has received an actor diary that features Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe discussing their roles and the acting process in general. The clip also features snippets of gameplay.
Wed, Aug 28, 2013 | 08:25 BST
Quantic Dream’s latest, Beyond: Two Souls, has surprisingly earned an R18+ rating from the Australian Classification Board.
Fri, Aug 23, 2013 | 08:06 BST
David Cage is not a believer in fail states or game over screens, so even if players let protagonist Jodi die, Beyond: Two Souls won’t load back to the last checkpoint.
Tue, Jul 23, 2013 | 16:20 BST
The second of a four part video series for Beyond: Two Souls has been released.
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 | 20:18 BST
GDC Europe: Cage to discuss using virtual actors in next-gen, to show exclusive The Dark Sorcerer footage
GDC Europe 2013 organizers have announced Quantic Dream’s David Cage will discuss the studio’s actor capturing techniques for next-gen.
Wed, Jul 10, 2013 | 09:01 BST
A video detailing the the origins of Beyond: Two Souls has been posted, and in it the team discusses the vision, the writing, and the development. Clips featuring the actors, Ellen Page being just one, along with David Cage, and other team members are featured. Watch below. Game’s out on PS3 October 8.
Mon, Jul 01, 2013 | 09:42 BST
Quantic Dream director and writer David Cage has discussed the creation of the studio’s PS4 tech demo ‘The Dark Sorcerer’, and has confirmed that the studio will use the tech in its next project.
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 | 20:19 BST
Sony has released some Beyond: Two Souls screenshots to go along with the E3 trailer shown last night, and David Cage has discussed the trailer in a new blog post.
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 | 09:34 BST
Beyond: Two Souls has received a new batch of screens out of Sony’s E3 2013 conference. They show Jodie Holmes serving in the military amid the blazing heat of Somalia.
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 | 05:28 BST
The Beyond: Two Souls footage Quantic Dream sent to Sony’s E3 conference shows off part of Jodie’s life which has only been hinted at before – her time in the military.
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 | 22:55 BST
Quantic Dream made a next-gen appearance at Sony’s E3 conference with a tech demo called Dark Sorcerer. It’s a very impressive bit of rendering, even if we’re not clear if it’s ever going to be an actual game or not. You ought to recognise the elderly gentleman in the video and screens below.
Tue, Jun 11, 2013 | 05:59 BST
Jack Tretton said on stage tonight at E3 during the Sony press conference that the firm has plans to release a robust set of games for PlayStation 3. New trailers for The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Gran Turismo 6 accompanied this announcement – although there’re plenty more games inbound.
Sat, Jun 08, 2013 | 18:01 BST
Because everyone around here seems to like box art, may I present to you the Steelbook Packaging for the Beyond: Two Souls – Special Edition. You can pre-order it now in the UK. Beyond: Two Souls is out October 8.
Mon, Jun 03, 2013 | 12:00 BST
Beyond: Two Souls has been given a solid release date by publisher Sony.


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Mr Green Reports Plans to Launch a Sportsbook Product in 2016
Online gambling operator Mr Green & Co AB has announced its plans to expand its online gambling presence with the launch of a sportsbook product. At the same time, the company announced that their current chief executive will stand down in the summer and will be replaced by Jesper Kärrbrink.
The Mr Green sports betting product will introduce a range of betting options including football, tennis and basketball, plus prop bets and esports. Their innovative betting product is expected to distinguish their brand from competitors in the online industry.
“This is a natural expansion of our offering since a large number of our current casino customers also play some form of sports betting,” chief executive of Mr Green & Co AB, Per Norman announced. “We recognise substantial potential for Mr Green to grow on this market also.”
The sportsbook will be launched before the 2016 UEFA European Championship with Norman explaining that they expect this to boost their revenue going forward.
The company reported full year revenue of SEK792.6 million for the year ending December 2015 which represented a 20.3 percent increase from the same period last year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 1.4 percent to SEK136.8 million. The year ended with strong performance in the fourth quarter with revenue increased by 15 percent to SEK201.1 million.
“The online casino Mr Green increased its game win by 20.3 percent in 2015 and experienced growth at more than double the rate prevailing on the market,” said Norman.
Jesper Kärrbrink will be taking over from Bo Wãnghammar who will continue with other assignments within the Mr Green Group as part of the company’s expansion plans.
“Jesper is a driven leader with extensive experience of online and traditional gaming companies,” announced Norman.
April 16, 2017


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A public information service accessed via NFC tags and QR codes is now available in Strasbourg, France. Strasplus “four leaf clover” stickers in civic buildings, in car parks and at transit stops provide smartphone users with links to real time and location-based transportation and “what’s on” information across the city.
- Next iPhone to get NFC upgrade?
- “Highly interested” Canadians ready for mobile payments
- Ant Financial valued at US$45bn
- ING adds biometrics to mobile banking app payments
- 38% of Americans back biometrics


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Tim Eales of IRI looks at the implications of the massive fall in the number of price promotions in retailers
Increasing pressure on UK retailers to be more transparent in their pricing has seen pure price-based promotional activity drop to its lowest level for around a decade. For the retailers and suppliers involved in managing the fallout of these reduced levels of price promotions, the challenges are great.
For consumers who have become used to taking advantage of the numerous multibuys, BOGOFs and other special offers in store during their regular shop, the fact that there’s been a significant reduction in the number of items on discount in store might come as a bit of shock.
When it comes to price promotions, the most recent change we have seen in the industry is the direction encouraged by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) back in 2012 when it set out its guidelines around the idea of pricing transparency. Since the demise of the OFT, many of its responsibilities have been taken over by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), including issues of pricing and how prices are communicated to consumers.
Back in 2012, the OFT raised concerns about prices being artificially inflated to make later discounts look more attractive, and stated that products should not be on promotion for longer than they are off promotion. This actually led to concerns by some retailers at the time that it would increase incidents of ‘yo-yo pricing’ rather than make it more transparent.
We’ve also seen pressures coming from other quarters, including increased competition from the main discounters, Aldi and Lidl, who have made it their mission to create a much more simplified approach to pricing than the major multiples, offering a limited range but at attractive low prices.
As a result, they have rapidly grown market share in the UK, forcing the supermarkets to rethink their strategy on ‘everyday low prices’, rather than simply relying on discounts and special offers to get shoppers through the doors.
According to a recent study by IRI on Price and Promotion (launched in August 2017), there was a 25% reduction in the number of items on discount since November 2012 (when the OFT guidelines were announced), with the proportion of items on price promotion as a percentage of all items stocked falling from 37% to 29%. The effect, it seems, is more pronounced in food categories.
During 2017, trade promotion levels were lower than they have for almost 10 years, while deal depth has been falling since early 2016. Shoppers effectively lost £3.7bn worth of offers.
This represents an 18% reduction in the overall benefit that price-based promotional offers have previously provided, although it has been offset to some extent by everyday (off-promotion) prices having been held lower than they would have been, or even going down in some cases.
For retailers and manufacturers, we are already seeing them pulling back from trade promotions, preferring to put emphasis on communicating the brand benefits rather than on consumer price promotions.
There is now increased competition for promotional slots and for off-shelf displays in stores, so in this climate of greater price transparency, it’s clear that brand owners need to know which categories are performing well and which aren’t, which deserve the highest levels of promotional support, and, most important, what effect different promotional strategies are having on different products.
The challenge of price promotions is not an easy one. It’s generally accepted that promoting products on price alone can drive short-term sales, but also eat into profit margins. Once the cost of discounts, displays and in-store marketing materials are taken into consideration, the positive effects reduce or even cease altogether.
However, there are other benefits, over and above driving short-term sales, including driving trial and penetration for both the retailer and brand, generating footfall for retailers, maintaining premium value positioning, and also augmenting the benefits of advertising, where this can be proven.
So, when prioritising promotional choices, retailers must look for categories where the effects from price promotions on the products promoted also result in a volume benefit for the category as a whole, delivering a win-win for both retailer and supplier.
Tim Eales is Strategic Insight Director of IRI, is a leading provider of big data, predictive analytics and forward-looking insights for FMCG, OTC health care, retailers and media companies.


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Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting DEVON NEWS to 80360 or email us
John Lewis opens in Exeter
11:11am Saturday 13th October 2012 in News
John Lewis has opened its new store in Exeter.
There were queues as the shop opened its doors yesterday at 9am.
The store opened with £7m of stock and has employed 300 people.
Comments are closed on this article.


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Capcom’s remaster of Resident Evil 0 has sold a respectable 800,000 units since launching in January of this year, the company has announced as part of its latest earning’s report (via GameSpot). Originally released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube, Zero tells the story of Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen as they explore a zombie-infested facility owned by Umbrella in the hours directly preceding the events of the first Resident Evil.
The number of announced sales only account for Capcom’s previous financial year which ended on March 31, so the actual number is likely to be a tad higher than what’s been confirmed. Sales of Resident Evil Origins Collection – a physical release that includes remasters of Zero and Resident Evil HD Remaster – likely haven’t been included either, as the earning’s report specifically mentions digital sales.
Either way, it’s clear that Resi fans still have a soft spot for the vintage stop-and-shoot mechanics of the old games, as well as the pre-rendered landscapes and cheesy acting that have come to personify the series over the years. The 800,000 figure will no doubt ratify Capcom’s decision to develop a Resident Evil 2 Remake, which we know is currently going well.
With Resident Evil 7 potentially on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to love shooting the undead in the face.


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Those boasts came from Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, one of the reasons for allegations of Huawei's cooperation with the Chinese government.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the Huawei chief was quoted as saying "We will never do such a thing".More news: 'We support Sandeep Reddy Vanga' trends after director slammed for justifying violence
More news: Princess Diana's Sisters Join Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for Archie's Christening
More news: Greeks head to polls to elect new government
Those have been the allegations hurled at Huawei even before Trump's administration but it seems that the U.S. government has no direct and irrefutable proof yet of the company's involvement in such activities.
"After that, who would pay the debts we owe?"
This was preceded by the US Department of Commerce blacklisting Huawei Technologies and around 70 of its affiliates, in a move that prompted several US corporations, such as Google and Microsoft as well as major semiconductor makers, including Intel, Qualcomm, Xilinx and Broadcom, to follow suit and sever ties with Huawei. Our employees are all very competent, so they would resign and start their own companies, leaving me alone to pay off our debts. The CEO of the company further said that despite USA softening ban on Huawei, they haven't given up on their Hongmeng OS development. "I would rather die", he was quoted as saying.
"They don't intervene in their business operations". The company's spat with the USA government looks to ultimately make it more self-reliant than ever - if HongMeng can compete with Android, that is.


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On Monday 10th June 2019, Carrefour and Intermarché banned two batches of mussels because of the presence of the paralyzing toxin PSP.
If you bought these mussels, do not eat them and bring them back to the stores. On Monday 10th June 2019, Intermarché and Carrefour stores are recalling a batch of mussels sold on their shelves, due to the presence of the PSP toxin, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning.
Nausea, vertigo …
The latter causes headaches, nausea and vertigo, disruption of motor skills and speech inconsistency. There is a risk of death from paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
As stated in the UFC-Que Choisir , “the first symptoms appear within 5 to 30 minutes after the consumption of contaminated shellfish and the toxin is not destroyed by cooking.”
If you eat these mussels and have these symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible.
The lots concerned:


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Three community improvement districts, including a controversial west-side entertainment plan, will go to September public hearings after the Wichita City Council signed on Tuesday morning.
The council set Sept. 14 hearings on the proposed Bowllagio entertainment development at Kellogg and Maize Road, the Central Park Place retail development around the new Lowe's at 2600 N. Maize Road and a Sav-A-Lot grocery store at Washington and Pawnee in the Planeview district.
The action is the first step for Jay Maxwell's Maize 54 Development to levy an extra 2 percent sales tax to finance infrastructure improvements and land acquisition.
The community improvement district will include the Bowllagio mixed-use entertainment center, a loft hotel and a specialty Mexican restaurant.
The maximum amount of the Bowlaggio CID petition is $75 million, on a pay-as-you-go plan, said Allen Bell, the city's economic development director.
The money collected "at the cash register" will go to the Kansas Department of Revenue, Bell said, which will keep 2 percent for administrative costs before forwarding the balance to the city.
Bell said the city will withhold 5 percent of the sales tax money it gets from the state before passing the balance to the developers to defray project costs.
Tim Austin, the project engineer and spokesman, declined to elaborate on the group's plans in light of the city action, including a specific question whether the CID would make the group's failed application earlier this summer for Kansas STAR bonds moot.
Maize 54 asked council members in June to endorse a $13 million STAR bond ordinance, one funding piece of the proposed $95 million project.
But the council refused under pressure from the city's bowling community and anti-tax groups, leading to the withdrawal of the request.
At the same time, Maize 54 officials indicated to the council that they would request a CID designation for the development.
Austin said he would make Maxwell available for comment, but Maxwell did not return telephone calls Tuesday.
Wichita commercial developer Brad Saville's Central Park Place project would create retail north of the new Lowe's, and would establish pad sites on Maize Road near the Lowe's for restaurant and retail use, the city's Bell said.
Saville is proposing a 1 percent retail sales tax to finance the costs of land acquisition and infrastructure costs.
It, like the Bowlaggio plan, would be pay as you go, with no city bond issue, Bell said.
Developer Rob Snyder's 15,000-square-foot Planeview Sav-A-Lot is a $2 million grocery store designed to provide groceries to the underserved, said former council member Greg Ferris, representing the developer.
The extra sales tax, though, drew some criticism from audience members who said it could unfairly burden low-income customers.


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Upsight Sells PlayHaven Mobile Game Ad Network to Science, Inc.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Science Inc. has acquired the PlayHaven mobile game ad network from Upsight. The PlayHaven Ad Network services more than 18,000 games, 245 million monthly active users, and 5.7 billion monthly sessions.
Science reports that it will immediately merge Chirp Ads, its mobile marketing unit, into PlayHaven. The combined company, which will take the PlayHaven name and will help mobile-focused businesses and developers acquire and monetize users with ads.
Science Inc. creates, invests, acquires and scales digital businesses bringing together ideas, talent, resources and financing through a centralized platform. The platform is leveraged to develop new businesses, provide emerging startups with operational strategy and capital and transform later-stage Internet ventures with new talent and innovation. The company has co-founded and invested in more than 40 companies, including DollarShaveClub, DogVacay, Delicious, PrizeCandle and Hiq among others.
Other assets in Science digital marketing investments (known as Science Growth Labs) include influencer focused companies including HelloSociety, Refame, and Famebit, as well as other marketing tools that cover display, SEM, Facebook, and native advertising.
Read more: http://www.playhaven.com/
Using GitHub in the classroom helps developers feel more included Friday, August 17, 2018
AI social network Hibe launches using Oracle Cloud Friday, August 17, 2018
Mobile publisher Gismart teams up with Appodeal Friday, August 17, 2018
Mobile game developers get another playable ads platform choice Thursday, August 16, 2018
Mobile game developer help is coming to Barcelona Thursday, August 16, 2018
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far the worst ever for the market, according to aviation loss adjuster
The total is more than double that of the
- Majority of cyber policies are 'flawed'
- Aston Lark signals Ireland ambitions with acquisition of Robertson Low
- We Go Look co-founder steps down from CEO role
- Axa-backed Setoo plots UK Q1 launch
- Insurers to implement no-deal plans following Brexit vote
- Insurers issue no-deal Brexit warning over Green Cards
- Blog: Are manufacturers recall ready?


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Published 6:30 am, Saturday, March 11, 2006
Allstate wins right to market repairsAllstate Corp. won a free-speech ruling that allows it to market auto-body shop services to its customers in Texas.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade overturns elements of a 2003 state law, Allstate said Friday. The law had barred Allstate from marketing the "benefits of an insurer-owned auto-repair facility" to clients, said Jim Murray, assistant vice president for claims.
Kinkeade's ruling this week upholds a provision of the law that prevents Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate from adding to its 15 Sterling auto-repair shops in the state. Allstate said it may appeal that part of the ruling.
Latest Business News
- FOX Faceoff - arrests at Pa. Starbucks store Fox 26 Houston
- Camel enjoys a humpday backscratch Fox 13 Tampa
- 8-year-old arrested in St. Mary’s County for bringing loaded gun to elementary school, deputies say Fox5DC
- South Texas couple’s What-a-love story goes viral Fox4
- Facebook Users Deserve a Cut of Ad Money, Ex-Cambridge Analytica Employee Says Cheddar TV
- Woman shot, killed in Walmart parking lot KETV
- The Bull Case for Facebook Ahead of Q1 Earnings Cheddar TV
- WATCH: "Check Your Blind Spots," a bias-education mobile museum at Lehigh University Morning Call
- Training May Not Be Enough to Fix Starbucks's Image Problem Cheddar TV
- Ex-Cambridge Analytica Employee: Facebook's Disclosures "Just the Tip of the Iceberg" Cheddar TV
The law followed complaints from independent shops that Allstate's position as a leading car insurer gave it an unfair advantage in winning auto-repair customers.
Former GE chief to teach at MIT
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - Former General Electric Co. CEO Jack Welch plans to share with students the business advice he offers in his books.
Welch will teach a leadership course this fall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, MIT and Welch said this week.
The eight-session course, Conversations With Jack Welch, will focus on the leadership beliefs and practices described in Welch's recent book Winning. It will be the first time Welch, 70, has taught in the classroom.
Razr sales cut off because of defectCingular Wireless and
T-Mobile USA temporarily stopped selling Motorola's Razr phones this week because of a defect in some of them that causes calls to disconnect.
Motorola said Friday the glitch affects only a limited number of phones and it does not expect any effect on financial results.
Name change ahead for Amerada HessAmerada Hess Corp. intends to seek shareholder approval to change its name to Hess Corp. and increase the shares of common stock it is authorized to issue from 200 million to 600 million.
The board of directors is seeking to declare a stock dividend to effect a 3-for-1 split after a stockholders meeting May 3, the New York-based company said Friday.
Amerada Hess has its roots in Amerada Petroleum, formed in 1919, and Hess Oil and Chemical, which has operated since the 1930s. The Amerada name is an amalgamation of America and Canada, spokesman Jay Wilson said. Hess is named for its founding family.
"The reality is over the past five years we've sold off our Canadian operations," Wilson said. "The Hess brand is more well-known internationally than the Amerada name."


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Despite rumors that little sister Kylie Jenner was going into labor last night, Kim Kardashian and husband Kanye West were spotted stepping out for a friend’s birthday dinner at Craig’s Restaurant in L.A.
Walking hand-in-hand, the couple, who are known to coordinate their ensembles, were dressed casually for the evening out, with the reality star giving subtle early-2000s vibes in a fitted zip-up black hoodie that made her long blond tresses pop.
The Kardashian West — who is expecting a third child via surrogate with the Yeezy designer — pulled her neutral-colored look together with pointy thigh-high boots worn over skin-tight faded-black jeans, paired with a gray T-shirt.
Meanwhile, Kanye West rocked a denim jacket courtesy of streetwear brand Carhartt WIP over a simple black tee with Adidas track pants and Yeezy lace-up combat boots in the colorway “sand.”
During the outing, when asked by a TMZ reporter whether they would attend Paris Hilton’s upcoming nuptials to Chris Zylka, the mom of two replied, “We would love to.”
Earlier this week, the 40-year-old rapper-turned-designer released new winter-ready Adidas Yeezy Calabasas-themed apparel, such as a graphic sweatshirt, a sport parka and more sweatpants. The styles are available now at select retailers, including Labels in the Netherlands.
Kanye West Releases New Winter-Ready Yeezy Calabasas Clothing You Can Buy Now
Kanye West Gives Kim Kardashian $200,000 in Adidas Stock for Christmas
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Pose With Their Kids on Holiday Card


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Some of Gloucestershire's leading businesses are setting off on a major trade mission to Indonesia at the end of the month in a bid to win new export contracts.
The week-long visit will enable companies to explore opportunities and take the Made in Gloucestershire campaign to one of the world's fastest growing economies.
The trade mission has been organised by the overseas trade organisation UKTI South West, and is being led by Gloucester MP Richard Graham, who is the Government's special trade envoy to Indonesia.
Mr Graham briefed county business leaders about the visit at a meeting at the Parliament Rooms at Gloucester Cathedral on Monday.
"It is a market that is rapidly developing in terms of the size of its middle-class interest in consumer goods and desire to have higher and higher living standards," he said.
"To give an example, the Prudential UK now employs 190,000 people in Indonesia – that gives you an idea of the size of the market for insurance and pensions.
"On the manufacturing side, the opportunities are, I think, considerable.
"Finding the right partner and developing a good long-term relationship which works is always difficult in any market, but the results in winning new business could be enormous.
"I think the opportunities are there for companies like Renishaw and Spirax Sarco."
The expanding areas of business included aviation, ports and railways with the Indonesian government seeking private investment.
Taking part in the trade mission will be Renishaw, the Wotton-under-Edge based engineering and science-base technology group; Premiere Products of Cheltenham, which produces sustainable cleaning chemicals and personal care products; Green Fuels, the Stonehouse biofuel company; Nailsworth-based Fluid Transfer International, the refuelling equipment specialist for aviation, marine and ground-based users; Cheltenham-based Spirax Sarco, a world leader in the control and efficient use of steam and peristaltic pumping; Severn Glocon of Quedgeley, which makes control valves for the oil and gas industry; Stroud-based Tudor Rose International, an export market management company supplying British brands and the University of Gloucestershire.
Severn Glocon's group sales director Ron Baker is seeking exposure to senior members of Indonesia's oil companies and contractors, including Pertamina.
"Indonesia is a very important market for us," he said.
"We first entered the market 20 years ago and we are looking to further develop our presence in Indonesia by establishing high-level contacts with the oil companies there," he said.
"Many businesses don't realise the UKTI can very often facilitate introductions to the highest level in overseas markets and are fully supported by the UK government."
Premiere Products' commercial director, Peter Brown, is taking part in the visit with the intention of establishing distribution partnerships with specialist wholesalers and end users.
He said: "The Indonesian market offers tremendous potential to build on our existing success in Malaysia.
"Taking part in UKTI's trade mission provides the perfect opportunity for us to meet potential partners, experience the local culture and showcase our new personal care brand, Freshu, as part of our sustainable product offer."
Our Made in Gloucestershire campaign, aimed at promoting the county's products and services, is being supported by Harrison Clark Rickerbys solicitors.


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Ray Dalio, the Bridgewater Associates founder said on Tuesday that he is not a believer in or of cryptocurrencies.
“Bitcoin today you can’t make much transactions in it. You can’t spend it very easily,” Dalio said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“It’s not an effective store-hold of wealth because it has volatility to it unlike gold … Bitcoin is a highly speculative market. Bitcoin is a bubble.”
He explained that there are two main factors that need to be considered for a currency to be ‘valid’, the first being easeful means for a transaction to take place.
“It’s a shame, it could be a currency. It could work conceptually, but the amount of speculation that is going on and the lack of transactions [hurts it],” he said.
The firm, which Dalio started in 1975 in his two-bedroom apartment currently manages about $160 billion, according to its website.
Dalio’s negative comments follow after JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon also took a shot at bitcoin, saying the cryptocurrency “is a fraud.”
“It’s just not a real thing, eventually it will be closed,” Dimon said at the Delivering Alpha conference presented by CNBC and Institutional Investor.
Image Source: Forbes


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Our next meeting of the Philadelphia Computer Users’ Group for the Blind and visually Impaired will take place this coming Friday, October 24 at 8:00 PM Eastern time via our phone conferencing system. All are welcome to participate, even those outside of the Philadelphia area. Please note that this is a week earlier than we would normally have our meeting. However, the weekend of October 31 coincides with a local ACB convention, is celebrated by some as Halloween and is the vigil of All Saints’ Day for Catholics and some of us, myself included, may be attending Mass that evening. Therefore, our next phone meeting will be on October 24.
A lot has happened during the past month and so we have the potential to discuss a large amount of topics. Here are some things we could talk about.
1. iOS 8.1 is scheduled for release on October 20. For those who will decide to download it, I’d like to know how you like it? Has it improved by correcting many of the bugs plaguing many of us using iOS 8.0.x?
2. The second beta release of JAWS 16 was released toward the end of September and the final version could be out at any time, possibly by the time of our next meeting. Have any of you been using the beta? What do you think of the new features, such as the JAWS commands search feature as well as the ability to read scanned PDF files.
3. Apple has announced a new iPad Air, a new iPad Mini and has reduced the prices of older iPads, such as $249.00 for the first-generation iPad Mini? They’ve also announced an updated Mac Mini starting at $499.00 and an updated 27-inch iMac. Are any of these announcements causing you to consider purchasing a Mac?
4. OSX 10.10 Yosemite, the new operating system for the Mac, was released. It includes easier keyboard navigation within Safari as well as access to iBooks. Have any Mac users installed it? what do you like about it? what issues or bugs have you discovered?
5. Microsoft released their first technical preview build of windows 10, which seems to work with JAWS and NVDA, at least enough to make Windows 10 usable. Have any of you been brave enough to install it? If so, I’m curious to know what you think of the new OS?
6. In addition to a new Nexus 9 tablet and a Nexus 6 phone, Google has announced the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Are there any blind or low vision Android users who will be moving to this OS, assuming that your particular non-Nexus phone will be offering it?
I’d love to hear your questions and comments about these and any other tech-related topics. To participate, call (712) 432-3900
when prompted for your access code, enter
followed by the pound key.
See you on October 24.


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MasterCard has two primary programs to prevent customer-data breaches and credit card fraud related to online transactions. One is a Web site data-protection program that helps merchants and their banks protect against hackers and other electronic compromises by performing vulnerability scans to identify and plug holes in their security infrastructures. The program, which generally costs less than $2,000 a year, is mandatory for merchants and banks and is subject to a number of compliance conditions. The other is MasterCard's SecureCode, a software plug-in that merchants can add to their sites for use by their customers and the card issuer. At checkout, a pop-up box asks a customer to enter a personal identification code that is provided and verified by the card issuer, guaranteeing the transaction for the merchant. MasterCard also requires third-party vendors that might possess merchants' customer data to participate in breach-prevention education, says John Brady, VP of merchant fraud control.
If a breach occurs, MasterCard does everything it can to minimize the fraud and reduce the chances of having to reissue a card by bringing in a remediation contractor to assess the damage, Brady says. "Risk remediation is key for us. We go in with a professional third-party company, we look at the system to see what the vulnerability was and everyone involved goes through the process with the info-security vendor to determine which risk-remediation option makes the most sense," he says.
Brady and Shaughnessy are well aware that breaches will occur despite the most ambitious efforts to prevent them. The key is reacting quickly. "We understand when one of these breaches happens," Brady says. "But if a security hole leads to the breach, the risk needs to be mediated quickly and effectively."
Avivah Litan, VP and research director of financial services at Gartner, says the credit-card industry's own research predicts triple-digit growth in compromises. "It's getting worse," she says. "Crooks are getting much more aggressive and sophisticated, and it's easy to breach the systems. Viruses, Trojan horses -- there are all types of ways to get passwords and get into the system. Everyone is vulnerable." And there isn't an easy answer. Litan estimates that only 10 percent of companies encrypt credit card data, but it's for a reason. "It's hard to encrypt data and then use it in an operational environment -- its very resource-intensive," she says. Some companies use technology to spot fraudulent activity more quickly and stop the damage. It's an approach that accepts that, no matter how much work companies do to secure their systems, identity and customer-data theft is here to stay. "The problem is like a water balloon -- when you squeeze hard in one spot it gets ready to burst somewhere else," says one financial services executive who asked not to be named. Last year, his company installed a service from startup ID Analytics, which spots fraudulent applications submitted to financial, cell-phone and utility companies. ID Analytics claims its service spots fraudulent applications -- up to 40 percent more -- missed by the anti-fraud systems already in place at those companies.
ID Analytics says that last year it studied more that 200 million credit applications -- including 10 million suspected or known fraudulent applications -- collected by credit-account issuers, retail banks and wireless-service firms to spot the similarities among phony applications. It used this database to develop pattern-recognition software to help companies reject or investigate suspect applications. Since utilities, phone companies and credit-card providers that subscribe to the service feed their data into ID Analytics' system, it's possible to spot potentially fraudulent activity that crosses company borders. For instance, a person planning a fraudulent act may set up a phone number and address on one day and then apply for a car loan. ID Analytics' software can analyze the data from those multiple sources and develop what it calls an ID Score. The company says more than 70 variables on credit applications have proven valuable in spotting suspicious activity. "It's been working very well for us," says the financial-services exec. "It's caught fraudulent activity we otherwise might not have identified right away."
The availability of technology that can better spot fraudulent activity and fight identity theft is good news, but it's little comfort to those whose identities and personal information have already been swiped. Lawmakers hope that tougher laws and prison sentences for hackers and identity thieves and tougher security regulations can slow the spiraling growth of identity theft (see story, "New Laws: Identity Thieves Could Face Stiffer Penalties"). And many companies are working to improve their security and do what they can to lock down customer data. "We're always on the lookout for the next threat," says Bob Justus, senior VP of corporate information security and IS/IT contingency at Union Bank of California.
Guilbert, whose bank account was almost breached, is looking out for the next threat, too. She's in the process of placing a fraud alert on her credit files, and she's eyeing her credit reports for any suspicious activity. She's not certain what the future may hold and if the attempt to scam her ATM card is the end to her situation or the beginning of an identity-theft nightmare. For her upcoming birthday, Guilbert has a new gift request: a paper shredder. Says Guilbert, "What else can I do?"


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As a Brit having lived in the US this has always confused this blog writer who for the life of me still wonders what some products named Cheddar have anything to do with Cheddar at all. Whereas US cheese producers would argue that “Cheddar” is a generic term.
The EU wants to start applying rules.
European Union efforts to limit food names based on geography have left U.S. dairy farmers feeling sour.
The EU limits rights in geographic indicators, words that suggest a product was made in a specific location. The bloc is also trying to expand that regime to to other countries through trade agreements.
U.S. cheese-mongers fear they’ll be stripped of their ability to use names that they see as generic, such as feta or Gorgonzola.
“The issue is misuse of intellectual property tools to create barriers to trade,” Shawna Morris of the Consortium for Common Food Names, a U.S. food producers’ group, told Bloomberg Law. “If this were being done for patents or other IP, this would be viewed by other countries as absolutely appalling.”
If cheese is your thing then read on


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The Criminal Investigation Department arrested two African nationals for theft at some stores in the Industrial Area.
Acting on complaints about thefts at some shops in the Industrial Area, a special investigation team was formed for search and investigation, leading to the arrest of two African nationals.
While recording their statement, the accused confessed to the charges against them and several stolen items were seized from them.
The accused and seized items were referred to the judicial authorities to complete the legal procedures followed in this regard.
The Criminal Investigation Department calls on shop owners to install surveillance cameras, secure doors and windows by locking them properly and comply with security requirements to prevent thefts.
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Commander of Joint Special Forces partakes in US industry conference
QRCS performs 43 surgeries in Gaza
QU conducts workshop on membrane-based water treatment
Qatar Museums inaugurates two art exhibitions
Qatar Post online auction for fancy PO box numbers
Qatar participates in Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
Productive families given all support, says official
Milipol Qatar Committee honours exhibitors
MoI showcases 'security museum' at Milipol


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Leading Australian AgTech company, The Yield Technology Solutions,
announced today that it has been selected in the 2020 THRIVE TOP 50 scaling and visionary AgTech companies.
Shortlisted from 3000 global technology companies, the list highlights 50 companies that ‘exemplify the best in agriculture and food technology around the world’.
Selected companies were advised today following months of detailed research and analysis by the THRIVE & SVG Ventures team, and in collaboration with EY, Corteva, Land O’Lakes, Driscoll Berries, Kubota, Taylor Farms, Trimble, Yamaha Motors, and others.
Ros Harvey, Founder and Managing Director of The Yield
Ros Harvey, Founder and Managing Director of The Yield, said that she and the team were ‘delighted to have been included in this prestigious list of companies’ which also featured several Australian agricultural and technology start-ups.
“This is a great honour for us. It is recognition of our efforts in delivering a world-class solution in weather predictions and yield predictions for our customers.”
“Our Sensing+ solution combines sensors and analytics to provide information and predictions in easy-to-use apps that help large commercial growers make important on-farm decisions like when to irrigate, feed, plant, protect and harvest,” she said.
“Leveraging our customers’ data sets, our Sensing+ Enterprise Analytics platform enables us to quickly and efficiently combine microclimate data to create AI models for things like Yield Predictions that drive significant commercial benefit for our customers.”
The Yield node in a Costa Group berry polytunnel. Costa Group is a leading Australian grower, packer and marketer of premium quality fresh fruit and vegetables
The THRIVE Top 50 Report highlights 50 growth stage companies from around the world that are pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology in agriculture. Top 50 start-ups are scouted for exemplary leadership, technology, and traction, and selected based on alignments with specific organisational criteria and industry pain points outlined by corporate partners.
The TOP 50 Report compiles data from SVG Ventures’ start-up network and supplementary industry data to identify 50 companies that have raised a minimum of a Series A funding round, have recently fundraised as well as have a product in market.
The final 50 companies are categorised into six main technology categories: Biotechnology, Connected Devices, Cloud Services/Saas, Robotics & Automation, Next-Gen Farms, and Big Data & Analytics - and seven problem areas: Health & Nutrition, Labour, Farm Management, Environmental Sustainability, Food Safety,
Traceability, and e-Commerce.
The Yield node on site at Cardiness Vineyard, Padthaway Wine Region, South Australia
On 25th March 2020, Ros Harvey, will attend the annual THRIVE Innovation Summit at Santa Clara University, Silicon Valley with an official THRIVE TOP 50 announcement to be delivered by keynote, Stephen Censky, US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
The event convenes top leaders, investors, start-ups, and scale-ups in the AgTech & Foodtech space and will be a great opportunity to engage with leaders of Fortune 500 food and agriculture corporations scouting for the latest disruptive technologies.
Based in Sydney, The Yield is a highly awarded Australian agricultural technology company on a mission to transform food and farming practices with scalable digital technology. The Yield uses Internet of Things (IoT), data science and artificial intelligence (AI) to power its technology to solve real challenges at farm level and throughout the food chain.
For more information


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National Machinery Industry Strengthens Management, Accelerates Transformation and Upgrade Promotion Conference Held
From July 10 to 11, 2016, the National Machinery Industry Strengthening Management, Accelerating Transformation and Upgrading Promotion Conference was held in Maanshan. Chairman Wang Ruixiang of the China Machinery Industry Federation, Zhang Xiaolin, Secretary of the Maanshan Municipal Committee, Miao Changxing, Deputy Director of the Industrial Policy Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Wang Jianyu, Director of the Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Vice Chairman of the China Machinery Industry Federation, and Director of Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd. Chairman of the Bureau Yan Pingping attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Yang Xuetong, executive vice president of China Machinery Industry Federation and Sun Bohuai, chairman of China Machinery Industry Enterprise Management Association.
Su Zimeng, Vice President and Secretary General of China Construction Machinery Industry Association, Du Pengfei, Vice President of Anhui Forklift Group Co., Ltd., Li Ge, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Xugong Group, Yin Zhengfu, Senior President of Zoomlion, and Luo Ming, President of Jingtian Hydraulics More than 200 people including industry professionals and local industry enterprises in Ma'anshan attended the meeting.
The meeting heard Chairman Wang Ruixiang's report on "Innovating Enterprise Management, Promoting Transformation and Upgrading, and Providing Strong Support for Realizing the Bigger and Stronger Machinery Industry." Leaders such as Zhang Xiaolin, Secretary of the Ma'anshan Municipal Party Committee, Miao Changxing, Industrial Policy Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Wang Jianyu, Director of the Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology delivered important speeches. Chairman Zhang Dejin addressed the conference as the chairman of the Anhui Machinery Industry Federation.
Professor Yang Du from the School of Business of Renmin University of China gave a special lecture entitled "Transformation and Growth of Machinery Enterprises in the New Era".
At the meeting, fifteen construction machinery enterprises such as Anhui Forklift Group Co., Ltd., Xugong Group Co., Ltd., Shantui Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. exchanged experiences on the theme of the meeting.
The meeting issued the notice of China Machinery Joint Office  No. 202, "Guiding Opinions on Strengthening Enterprise Management of the Machinery Industry and Promoting Transformation and Upgrade."
This meeting in-depth study and implementation of the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Party and the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee through the summary of work, analysis of problems, exchange of experience, and study and inspection of the entire industry, the implementation of the industry's "12th Five-Year" overall plan, further strengthen management, accelerate Transformation and upgrading is of guiding significance to promote the improvement of the management level of industry enterprises and the realization of the goals of the 12th Five-Year Plan


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By Jessica Mintz
The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft Corp. on Dec. 4 tapped a former Yahoo search executive to lead its online push, adding to the intrigue surrounding a possible search partnership between the two rivals.
Microsoft named Qi Lu president of its Online Services Group, which is responsible for all of the software maker’s Web-based programs and services, including search and online advertising — areas where it ranks a distant No. 3 behind Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc.
The slot was left vacant after Kevin Johnson, a driving force behind Microsoft’s quixotic attempt to buy Yahoo, departed in July. The top internal contender to succeed Johnson, former aQuantive chief Brian McAndrews, is leaving the company, Microsoft said.
Lu spent a decade working for Yahoo. He oversaw a high-profile effort, dubbed “Project Panama,” that has helped Yahoo reap more money from the ads running alongside its search results. But that project took longer than investors had hoped to complete, giving Google more time to widen its advantage over its rival.
More than 100 Yahoo executives have left since January 2007, exasperated with the perceived bungling of the Sunnyvale, Calif., company’s leaders. The Web icon, eclipsed by Google and outmaneuvered by nimble newcomers like MySpace and Facebook, has posted sagging profits for the past three years.
Lu left Yahoo in August, shortly after the company hired Google to show some of the ads next to its search results. The proposed partnership disillusioned some of Yahoo’s search engine specialists who saw the deal as a signal that the company planned to spend less time and money to improve its own technology.
The alliance fell apart last month when Google backed out to avoid an antitrust battle with the Justice Department.
The move to hire Lu is a new twist in Microsoft’s winding pursuit of Google’s online advertising success, which culminated with a $47.5 billion bid to buy Yahoo this spring. After Yahoo spurned the offer, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer — Lu’s new boss — attempted to buy Yahoo’s search operations a la carte for $1 billion. Yahoo again declined, but Ballmer has repeatedly said he remains interested in some kind of tie-up.
Hiring Lu “shows that Microsoft is doubling down on search again,” said Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the independent research group Directions on Microsoft.
The analyst noted that from as far back as 2000, Microsoft’s online leaders have come from sales or marketing backgrounds. Bringing on a highly technical executive means Microsoft is serious about improving its own technology — and then persuade Yahoo to outsource search and advertising to Microsoft, Rosoff said.
“This is the clearest indication we’ve had that Microsoft is not going to buy any part of Yahoo,” said Rosoff.
Prior to joining Yahoo in 1998, Dr. Lu was a research staff member at IBM Almaden Research Center. Before that, Dr. Lu worked at Carnegie Mellon University as a research associate and at Fudan University in China as a faculty member. He holds more than 39 U.S. patents and received his B.S. and M.S. in computer science from Fudan University and his Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University. ♦
AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.


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31 August 2015 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
After GSK, its now Pfizer facing China's corruption crackdown
Singapore: US-based drug major Pfizer has been slapped with a fine of $15,570 for paying "promotion fees" to four major pharmacies to promote Viagra in the country, according to a report from China Industry and Commerce News. The food and drug administration of the Pudong New Area of Shanghai has also confiscated 3 million yuan (US$468,000) from the compnay in illegally obtained earnings.
As per reports, Pfizer had inked two agreements with China National Medicines Corporation Ltd in 2004 to exclusively distribute and sell Viagra in the country. Between 2011 and 2013, Pfizer had signed agreements with the four drugstore chains to have them display the drug in Shanghai to boost sales.
Shanghai authorities said that the agreements required the stores to display Viagra as a recommended product, and ensure the product was given-what the authorities called a centralized, fixed position onprescription-drugs counters, with a certain quantity of display and specific space.
Pfizer said in astatemnet,"We deeply regret that certain conduct may have violated Pfizer's policies and the laws in China. Pfizer regularly reviews our processes and we have already incorporated improvements in our policies and practices related to pharmacies, to ensure that we comply with all laws that apply to our business activities in China and throughout the world."


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Yahoo's arissa Mayer announced via Twitter Thursday that the company has acquired the start-up Stamped.
Mayer tweeted: "Got to visit our new acquisition, Stamped, this morning—happy to be reunited with Robby (rmstein) and his team!"
Stamped is the first acquisition that Mayer has made as CEO. The small company is only a year-and-a-half-old and is built around the idea of sharing users' favorite things, like music, movies and books. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Two of the three founders are also former Googlers . Robby Stein, the CEO and co-founder, and Bart Stein, the co-founder and head of marketing and partnerships both have worked for the search giant. Kevin Palms is the third co-founder and worked at a hedge fund in New York City before starting Stamped.
The start-up posted on its website Thursday though that it would be discontinuing its product by the end of the year and would be launching a new product for Yahoo, but did not reveal what the product would be.
"As for our team's next step, we couldn't be more thrilled to join Yahoo!. As a team of mostly former Googlers, we've all worked with and are big fans of Marissa. So when an opportunity arose to become a part of the team at Yahoo!, we jumped," the founders of Stamped posted on the company website.
Home Depot may be the latest retailer to have suffered a massive credit card breach, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
Here's a roundup of what to expect from Samsung's and Microsoft's new smartphones.
Why Apple's mobile payment system expected on iPhone 6 could be better than Google Wallet.
Chinese Android manufacturer Xiaomi launched its newest product Redmi 1S, reporting that it sold 40,000 units in 4.2 seconds.
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When shopping his comedy special, Jim Jefferies chose Netflix over broadcast and cable television. And he's not the only one.
The sky-high valuations of some tech start-ups have yet to be justified, says investor Roger McNamee.
Though known for his roles on "Psych" and "West Wing," television star Dulé Hill moonlights as co-founder of the Nomino app.


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August 23, 2022
Beans, beans, the magical fruit—the more you eat, the more weight you lose.
That’s according to a new study by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that explored how following a low-fat vegan diet impacted the food groups people choose, nutrient intake and diet quality—and how those changes impacted markers of health, including weight and insulin sensitivity (J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022;S2212-267200235-0).
Vegan diets and other diets that minimize meat consumption, such as vegetarian, flexitarian and plant-based diets, are growing in popularity among consumers, as evidenced by the burgeoning market for plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. In fact, the International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) 2022 Food & Health Survey found 12% of Americans reported they have adopted a plant-based diet.
The present study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, enrolled 219 healthy adults with a body mass index (BMI) between 28 and 40. Participants were asked to either follow a low-fat vegan diet or make no diet changes over a period of 16 weeks. In addition to following a low-fat vegan diet—a diet comprising only about 10% of calories from fat—participants in the intervention group also attended weekly classes that provided dietary instruction, group discussion and education on the health effects of plant-based eating.
Researchers tracked changes in diet, including changes in intake of food groups and macronutrient and micronutrient intake; changes in diet quality; and changes in body weight, body composition and insulin sensitivity. Diet quality was measured using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010).
Researchers found weight loss was most strongly associated with greater consumption of legumes and decreased consumption of meat, fish and poultry.
“Increased legume intake was the best single food group predictor of weight loss,” study authors wrote. The results showed participants following the vegan diet ate about 0.8 additional servings of legumes each day, which was associated with decreases in weight, fat mass and visceral adipose tissue compared to control. Total meat, fish and poultry intake decreased by about 3.5 servings compared to the control group.
Participants who followed the vegan diet intervention also increased the amount of fruit and nonstarchy vegetables they consumed by about 0.7 and 1 servings each day, respectively. Eating more fruit, the study showed, was associated with weight loss. Eating more vegetables was not. In addition, the diet group increased whole grain and meat alternatives (tofu, tempeh and vegies burgers) intake, while decreasing intake of dairy products, eggs, added fats, nuts and seeds.
Diet quality, as measured by the AHEI-2010, increased an average of six points among those who followed a vegan diet, compared to control. Researchers attributed the change in diet quality to an increased score in the fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, red/processed meat, trans fat and whole grains categories. Notably, vegan dieters saw a decreased score for polyunsaturated fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids.
“These data suggest that increasing low-fat plant foods and minimizing high-fat and animal foods is associated with decreased body weight and fat loss, and that a low-fat vegan diet can improve measures of diet quality and metabolic health,” researchers wrote.
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-Security and preventing retail theft by behavior tracking and preventative measures
May 26, 2020
With hundreds of thousands of retail locations closed completely or at least operating under reduced hours since the outbreak of COVID 19, the threat of retail theft is significant. The pandemic has created a sense of uncertainty nationally as well as financial concerns caused by a spike in unemployment and spending slashes across both the populous and businesses. Uncertainty has a tendency to lead to panic, which can lead to risky survival-oriented behavior such as looting and other criminal acts.
1 in 11 people are shoplifters, approximately 27 million Americans – and over 10 Million of these criminals have been caught in the past five years. In normal times (pre coronavirus), a shoplifter is caught every 48 minutes, while only turning over to the police 50% of the time. Of all of these shoplifters, only 3% are considered to be professionals. Of the original 1 in 11, 57% of adults say it is hard for them to stop shoplifting, regardless of whether or not they are caught. Given the size and characteristics of these numbers, it is safe to say the average shoplifter is the average American. In uncertain fearful times, this can be a scary fact.
According to data from the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, there was a significant increase in theft and Organized Retail Crime (or “ORC”) activity in the aftermath of both the September 11th attacks and the economic crash of 2008, which serve as our country’s two most recent examples of swift economic downturn and financial turmoil. It remains to be seen whether the current climate will lead to the same turmoil. There is much debate about this. Before the recent lockdowns, the world’s economy was healthy for the most part, and our country was stronger than ever, headlined by a 50 – Year low unemployment rate of 3.5%. Additionally, Americans had seemed to learn their lesson from the last Great Recession, where household savings was around 3.5%, less than half of the pre – 2020 pandemic numbers of 7.6%. We know that saving cannot last us forever, and neither can the current government bailout programs. The longer the pandemic drags on, the riskier and more realistic the possibility of looting, crime, and other fear-based actions will become. Either way, we must be prepared.
Much of the risk mitigation can be tackled through organization and communication with local law enforcement. As a result of the recent pandemic, many of the day to day activity requirements of law enforcement has changed. For example – with fewer cars on the road, highway patrol is less significant. This schedule clearing has allowed the local official to focus on more preventative measures to assist closed businesses, in particular, retailers who are often completely closed. Major cities like Chicago, Austin Tex. and New York have made this an emphasis. Other cities such as Philadelphia have been criticized for raising the possibility of theft by informing the general populous lower-level crimes will not be pursued or charged during the pandemic. Other smaller cities, suburban communities, and rural areas have varying policies.
In our submarket of Tampa, Florida, temporary policies such as staying at home orders, curfews, and other orders have been effective in holding off the virus and crime. These efforts have actually resulted in a short term large drop in crime rates. Hillsborough County, for example, has seen overall crime down 17%, murders down 15%, and burglaries down 34.5%. Despite the positive portrayal of these statistics, other areas of crime are up, such as domestic disputes, assaults, and thefts. The fear many have is that the continued economic downturn paired with the populous panic action will turn these statistics upside down. Fortunately, technology and the right security systems can keep these criminal acts away.
Security cameras have proven to be a consistently effective item. The simple act of installing cameras causes positive change. Crooked workers may quit, and thieves flee to the next unguarded location once they are aware of the risk of putting their faces on camera. Theft can often be prevented entirely through a review on individuals searching the location, quick, immediate camera review access to catch in – progress thieves, and pairing with other supplemental security support options to stop crimes that are occurring. Beneficial supplemental items such as phone application use, web access, connection to police systems, or other options will greatly assist. At the very least, your insurance companies will be able to recognize thieves and verify the occurrence of theft, permitting the necessary repair reimbursements to keep many businesses from folding without its help.
Additional benefits go beyond theft. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been saved through the installation of security cameras. Cameras do not lie and clear up ambiguity to stories or events. Injuries, or claimed injuries, can be clarified, among other events. When stores reopen, these same cameras can prevent payroll fraud. According to Forbes, payroll fraud happens in 27% of businesses and twice as often in small organizations, which make up a majority of the retail market. Most payroll fraud incidents are also damaging, with the average instance lasting 36 months. The key is catching the fraud and minimizing its effects before they drag out. The tape is clear when it comes to items such as employee hour reporting. Generally, the presence of cameras will lead to lower policy rates, saving thousands of fees annually.
Other ways to prevent theft include predictive analytic tools. While only a small percentage of shoplifters are professionals, a majority of incidents result from professional work. Professionals range from pairs of criminals up through larger networking or even crime rings. These professionals are skilled at blending in, avoiding attention, and sneaking in and out of thieves. Through data analysis, loss prevention tactics can be implemented to stop further action. Risk analyses will help rank and categorize incidents, areas, and other items to determine where and what to spend the budget on to ensure an efficient, affordable solution. Other analyses will vary by the incident; however, the tool options are in the hundreds.
An example being fraud ring analysis. Fraud ring analysis identifies crime rings by identifying higher-risk customers, mapping out these clusters, and analyzing the behavior of these clusters through the use of computer algorithms. The connecting of shoppers with known criminals can assist law enforcement in working with business owners to keep their locations safe.


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The UK is recognised throughout the world as a creative nation. The UK's creative economy employs 2.5 million people - more than financial services, manufacturing or construction - and has grown four times faster than the workforce as a whole in recent years.
However, behind the headline stats lies a picture of considerable disruption and uncertainty, particularly associated with digital technology. Nesta's Hasan Bakhshi and Juan Mateos-Garcia teamed up with Nesta Fellow Ian Hargreaves to review what this means for policy.
In their Manifesto for the Creative Economy, the authors set out 10 recommendations in areas spanning education to R&D, regulation of online markets and arts funding which, if implemented, would leave the UK's creative businesses far better placed to compete in global markets in the coming years.
- Chair: Stian Westlake, Executive Director of Nesta's Policy & Research team.
- Hasan Bakhshi, Director, Creative Industries in Nesta’s Policy & Research team
- Ian Hargreaves, Professor, Digital Economy at Cardiff University and Nesta Research Fellow in 2012/13
- Lord David Puttnam, award-winning producer, policy adviser on education and the creative industries and founding Chair of Nesta
- Diane Coyle, freelance economist and Managing Director of Enlightenment Economics
- Jason Goodman, digital entrepreneur and founder and CEO of digital advertising agency Albion


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Many have been impressed by the incredibly fast and efficient construction on Tesla Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, China. Doubters didn't think Tesla would be able to meet its timeline. In fact, early on, images were appearing on social media showing a few days during which there was a lack of construction on the structure. Shortly thereafter, the builders continued construction at lightning speed.
Just because a building appears mostly complete on the outside — and a handful of interior areas have been shown to be in working order — doesn't mean the structure is ready for business. There are many fine details that can't be seen in the recent images and video footage. In addition, let's not forget about issues related to government approval.
Fortunately for Tesla, just seven months after beginning work on Tesla Gigafactory 3 and 10 months after the original land contract became official, the company has received a critical certificate from the local government.
Essentially, Tesla applied for the inspection, and just three days later it was performed and approved. This is a new record for the local government in Shanghai.
This is a testament to China's support of Tesla and plans for the future. Clearly, no time is being wasted here on either side. Hopefully, all subsequent construction and government approvals continue on a similar path. CEO Elon Musk will be visiting the site soon and is clearly excited.
Do you think Tesla will be manufacturing Model 3 vehicles at Gigafactory 3 prior to the end of 2019? Let us know your thoughts below.


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Food from small-scale family farms is often more expensive than food at chain grocery stores, putting it out of reach for many Adirondack families. It is also more sustainable, ethical, and better for our local economy. We are working towards a future in which Adirondack farmers can feed the region and local families can afford to buy local food by providing a 30% discount on farm fresh products for qualifying families.
Road Salt pollution is threatening Adirondack waters. Studies now show that Adirondack lakes and streams near roads are contaminated and drinking water wells are becoming contaminated at an alarming rate.
The Land Bank Project’s goal is to address the affordable housing shortage for low and middle income families in the Adirondacks by taking a lead role in catalyzing the development of a regional land bank.
The goal of the Adirondack Compost for Good project is to help Adirondack communities turn food and other organic “wastes” into high-quality compost. This process keeps nutrients in the community, which builds local resilience, heals soils, and helps reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
We empower people to take individual and collective action to ensure a future where pollinators thrive, native habitat abounds, and Adirondack residents and visitors are engaged pollinator advocates.
Local food has innumerable benefits, yet not everyone has easy access in our communities. The Farmacy Project works to make local food easier to find, buy, and eat, even when other grocery options are not available. This partnership between AdkAction and Keeseville Pharmacy serves as a model for bringing healthy local food to rural communities. We replicated the model at Mountain Weavers Farm Store in Port Henry in August 2019.


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iWireless Announces Chris Stapleton, And His Beard, October 5th
Chris Stapleton's All-American Road Show will be stopping in the Quad Cities October 5th. Tickets go on sale Friday May 12th, and every day next week we will have a pair of tickets to win before you can buy them!
When a big show comes to town, Dwyer and Michaels love to give away tickets. SO tell your friends--Next week! And to make it easier--here are the giveaway times; Monday, 6AM, Tuesday 7AM, Wednesday, 8AM, Thursday, 9AM, Friday at 10AM!
We can't make it any easier! Good Luck!


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The Consumer Council of Norway (CCN) has accused Apple's iTunes Music Store (ITMS) operation of violating the country's Marketing Control Act, and it has asked Norway's consumer ombudsman to intervene on behalf of digital music buyers.
It also asked the ombudsman to investigate three other download services.
The CCN believes ITMS and other such services fall foul of the law in a number of key areas. It believes many of the terms and conditions the store imposes on buyers are unreasonable in that they strongly favour ITMS over the consumer. For example, ITMS can change the Ts&Cs governing music after it has been purchased. That, the CCN said, is "a violation of basic principles of consumer contract law".
So too, said the CCN, is the way consumers are prevented from claiming damages if iTunes should create a breach of security that that could be exploited by hackers or malware - a problem highlighted by the recent Sony BMG DRM incident.
Consumers are forced to play downloaded music on an iPod - attempts to use other portable players require the removal of a song's DRM protection, a process banned by the Ts&Cs. The CCN believes this runs contrary to copyright law's fair use provision.


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- Yankeemagazines |
VF Corporation said on Friday its Q2 revenue for 2018 increased by 15 percent, while net income increased by 31.3 percent from the same period last year.
The company’s sales in Q2 2018 were 3.9 billion US Dollars, up from 3.3 billion US Dollars a year earlier. Net income rose to 507 million US Dollars. Earnings per share were 1.26 dollars on a reported basis. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share increased 19 percent or 21 percent in constant dollars to 1.43 dollars, including an 0.08 dollar contribution from acquisitions.
Updating its outlook for fiscal year 2019 on an adjusted basis, the company said, revenue is now expected to be at least 13.7 billion US Dollars, reflecting an increase of at least 11 percent, compared to the previous expectation of revenue between 13.6 billion US Dollars and 13.7 billion US Dollars. By segment, revenue for outdoor is now expected to increase 7 percent to 8 percent versus the previous expectation of a 6 percent to 8 percent increase; revenue for active is now expected to increase 14 percent to 15 percent versus the previous expectation of a 13 percent to 14 percent increase; revenue for work is still expected to increase more than 35 percent; and, revenue for jeans is now expected to decline 1 percent to 2 percent versus the previous expectation of revenue in line with the prior year.
International revenue is still expected to increase between 12 percent and 13 percent. Direct-to-consumer revenue is now expected to increase between 12 percent and 14 percent versus the previous expectation of an 11 percent to 13 percent increase. Digital revenue is still expected to increase more than 30 percent. Adjusted Gross margin is still expected to approximate 51 percent and adjusted earnings per share are now expected to be 3.65 US Dollars, an increase of 16 percent compared to the previous expectation of 3.52 US Dollars to 3.57 US Dollars.
VF Corporation was founded in 1899 by John Barbey and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded as the Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company in 1899, VF Corporation today is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies having brands such as Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler and Lee under its portfolio.
Offering apparel, footwear and accessories, the New York-listed company has about 69,000 employees worldwide.
For more recent news on the business, collections and executive changes of VF Corporation, click here.


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Hulu Plus offers free trial to college studentsBy Allie Hulcher | 04/21/2011 9:05am
Students wanting to give their minds a break and enjoy the comedy and drama of their favorite TV shows are in luck, Hulu, the online video service that offers a selection of television shows, clips and movies, is offering a month of its Hulu Plus service to college students for free.
Elisa Schreiber, head of communications at Hulu, said because Hulu Plus is available on Internet-connected devices, it offers a quick study break in busy college students’ schedules.
“Even if you are in the library studying, you can hook up your iPad to your headphones and watch last night’s episode of “Family Guy” without disturbing your neighbor or losing your choice seat in the library,” Schreiber said.
Hulu Plus usually costs $7.99 a month. While regular Hulu is confined to a computer and the last few episodes of a show, Hulu Plus offers current-season episodes from more shows. Hulu Plus offers more than 800 classic films and streams in HD.
Hulu Plus also allows for shows and movies to be streamed to Internet-connected TVs, gaming consoles, iPads, iPhones and other devices.
When told about the Hulu campaign, many UA students questioned Hulu’s timing.
“I’d be very interested, but in all honesty, who can afford to worry about Hulu right now? All college students are tied down with final papers and projects as well as studying for finals,” said Ashley Neuhauser, a freshman majoring in psychology.
Barry Mason, the Dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, said he thinks the timing of this campaign may be beneficial to Hulu.
“The timing is ideal for a campaign to reach graduating seniors who will soon be leaving campus,” Mason said. “They will likely have jobs and be able to pick up the premium access fee after 30 days.”
The promotion began last Thursday and will continue for a limited time. To sign up, college students throughout the U.S. can go to hulu.com/plus and enter their college email addresses. When the one-month trial is over, users can continue their subscription and be automatically billed or cancel their subscription completely and go back to using regular Hulu, or, as Brett Neely said, YouTube.
“Terrible timing. As if we need more distractions. It's not like I'll take advantage of it though. I can find anything necessary on YouTube,” Neely said.
Mason, however, said he feels that students are capable of handling their time wisely.
“To me, the students are adults and can make choices, knowing they will live with the consequences of choices. Realistically, Hulu is likely to get fewer trial subscribers this time of year as opposed to other times because students are more likely to be distracted by the reality of finals,” Mason said.
“I will actually probably be taking advantage of it,” said Joey Gamble, a sophomore majoring in English and French. “There are tons of events across campus during dead week advertising: ‘Take a break from studying!’ Why not just ‘take a break’ right here in my room? Then I can go back to studying at any time—I'm right by my materials.”


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The German Association of Private Banks, which includes more than 200 financial institutions, has published a document calling for the release of a “programmable digital euro.”
The document emphasizes that a digital euro based on cryptography should work on a pan-European payment platform, which will be supported by the monetary policy of European countries.
“The user of the digital euro, whether a person or a machine, must be clearly identified. And this requires the creation of a European, and better global identification standard. When using any form of digital money, users must be identified by this standard. It should be as strict as the standards that banks follow to meet the requirements of regulators, ”the document says.
In order to be competitive, the system must be based on a common standard and currency. A digital currency based on these principles can quickly gain in popularity, but the existing monetary system should not be jeopardized. But private cryptocurrencies, such as Libra, can easily become the cause of economic and political conflicts, the Association of German Banks believes.
Also, the authors of the document called on regulators and legislators to take a balanced approach to the regulation of digital assets.
Note that recently the Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz advocated the creation of a national digital currency, however, according to the country’s parliament, cryptocurrencies will not be able to become money and a means of accumulating capital.