text: Audi will premier a new class at NAIAS in Detroit next month. Called A7, it is a CLS rivaling four-door coupe and it will slot between A6 and A8 sizewise. The car is expected to hit the market in late 2009. Also it will spawn a convertible variant, which might come with folding hard top. Since Mercedes started this new form of design with CLS, every manufacturer wanted to try such model but none of them were a match to the original design of CLS and now it’s Audi’s turn and they set a target of delivering 40,000 units of A7 every year, however works on the new generation CLS is very well underway and it has already secured a unique market for itself as the leader of this segment.


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Instagram has TikTok fever
Also on today's edition: Adani drops out, Covishield cleared, and no more tax havens
Good morning! Cricketer Virat Kohli has something to celebrate after a disappointing month. The fintech startup he backed, Digit, has doubled its valuation and is now worth $3.5 billion after raising $200 million from Sequoia Capital. Digit had entered the unicorn club in January.
Anyway, on to the day’s stories.
The global housing market is hot again.
Growth is life for Indian telcos.
Big game hunt.
Insta Pivots To TikTok
We probably knew this, thanks to Reels. But Instagram is now looking to take that leap, by moving beyond its origins in photo-sharing. This move, as articulated by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, means that the app will now start going full video — "full-screen, immersive, entertaining, and mobile-first," everything that describes TikTok perfectly. More broadly, this move would dramatically change the essence of Instagram beyond a social networking platform to a video and entertainment app.
Ringing in the changes: To this effect, the Facebook-owned app is also taking a more creator-friendly approach (one of its four key focus areas besides shopping, video and messaging). Taking a cue from Twitter's "Super Follow" feature (or OnlyFans, really), Instagram is developing "Exclusive Stories," which would presumably involve a subscription model. Besides, it is also looking at an NFT feature called Collectibles.
TikTok goes long: Meanwhile, TikTok is quietly making a pivot of its own, moving beyond "short" videos to something longer, with one eye on user retention, much like YouTube. It will now allow users to publish videos of upto three minutes, which is 3x its current one-minute time limit.
All In The Game
Facebook is doubling down on its gaming ambitions. The company has brought on Ubisoft to make game-streaming free to most parts of the United States. An international rollout is expected in 2022.
A different strategy: The social media giant’s approach is opposite that of rivals Google and Amazon. It has chosen to build the offering into its main social network and Android app, making it both free and a part of the larger Facebook experience. Its competitors, on the other hand, have opted for standalone cloud gaming for a monthly subscription.
Facebook has also chosen to host only Ubisoft's mobile games, highlighting the importance of mobile gaming in the larger ecosystem.
A toast to India: Closer home, Swedish gaming giant Modern Times Group has purchased Indian word game maker PlaySimple for ~$360 million. And WinZO, an online gaming and entertainment platform, has raised a Series C round of $65 million from Griffin Gaming Partners.
Telcos Gasping For Breath
India’s telecom industry is poised for a shakeout, with companies reeling under mounting debt, reducing profitability and competitive pressure. The searing heat of competition was evident when Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said the company would not hesitate to increase tariffs, but not unilaterally. To say the industry was in trouble was an “understatement,” Mittal pointed out. “Ten operators gone out of business, two merged together… gasping for breath right now.”
A mountain of debt: Vodafone Idea (VI), a joint venture of Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone UK, has asked its bankers to bear with it even if some borrowing terms were broken. Its net worth had eroded to a negative INR 382.24 billion in March 2021. The combined borrowing of Bharti Airtel, VI, BSNL, and MTNL reached a record INR 3.85 trillion in FY 21, and together, they racked up a net loss of INR 700 billion.
Runaway hit: While they reeled under debt, billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio clocked revenue of INR 704 billion and net profit of nearly INR 120 billion. Jio now accounts for about 30% of the combined revenue of the five operators and just 3% of their combined debt.
Telecom operators that in the past two decades revolutionised how Indians communicate and showcased a low-cost model to the world, have been crumbling under relentless pricing pressure from disrupter Jio. It now allows its predominantly prepaid plan users to borrow data in a pinch and pay later, a scheme that competitors like Airtel already offer. While cheaper offerings help lure rivals’ users, like a credit card prods spending, it also encourages thrifty Jio customers to be comfortable with carefree data use for video and audio streaming. It’ll also prepare them to upgrade to Jio’s superfast 5G when it launches.
Didi Ordered Out From App Stores
China’s Internet regulator has shut out mobility company Didi Chuxing from app stores, citing violations in the way the company collects and uses personal information.
The move comes days after the company sold shares to US investors, raising $4.4 billion. It debuted on the NYSE last week and notched up a valuation of almost $68 billion on the first day of trading.
Chinese regulators have gone after several domestic big technology companies, including Ant Financial, which was stopped in its tracks a day before its scheduled, potentially record-breaking IPO in Hong Kong and Shanghai last November. The regulator had announced a probe into Didi just a couple of days ago.
Betting High On Homes
Would you name your first-born after a home seller or a decrepit building if you get to own it? Stories like this are part of the deal in today’s housing boom. From the Americas to Asia, real estate prices have soared to the highest level since 2006, according to a report from Knight Frank.
Derelict sales: Home prices are up by double-digits. A Canadian “small box” house saw 192 show bookings within 24 hours of listing. In Sydney, rundown properties are selling like hotcakes where buyers just want a piece of the pie. China’s tech hub, Shenzhen, is becoming almost as expensive as Hong Kong, where apartments now cost as much as 43.5 times a resident’s average salary.
Boom boom: A supply crunch coupled with low mortgage rates is driving the housing surge. Moreover, the need to work from home because of the pandemic is luring people into putting in high bids for more spacious homes. Many experts say they’ve seen nothing like this in the housing market before.
What Else Made The Signal?
Covishield cleared: Twelve EU countries, - Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Latvia, Finland, and Spain - have included India’s Covishield in their approved list of vaccines. There is no word on Covaxin though.
No more tax havens: India has joined 129 other countries to reform the global taxation framework with a minimum 15% corporate tax rate to prevent treaty shopping and ensure that MNCs, including digital giants, equitably pay taxes, irrespective of the market they operate in.
Crypto goes green: Bitcoin mining’s green energy use climbed to ~56% in the quarter ended June 2021, a steep rise from the previous quarter’s 36.8% usage, according to a report by Bitcoin Mining Council.
Billionaire dropout: Gautam Adani is no longer in the top 20 of the Forbes global billionaires’ list. Adani Group shares had slipped after reports that the National Securities Depository had frozen some of its foreign investors’ accounts.
REvil attack: A widespread REvil ransomware attack on US-based IT management company Kaseya disrupted supply chains of more than 1,000 companies.
Let’s go meatless: Nature’s Fynd, an alt-meat company based in Chicago, has received $158 million backing from Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Al Gore, among others.
Mixing it up: The Indian government may ask automakers to manufacture vehicles that can run on petrol and ethanol-blended fuel. The move, likely as early as October, aims to reduce pollution caused by fossil fuels.
Treehouse learning: Poor connectivity is a pressing issue for students and teachers in the online classroom setup. A government teacher in a village in Kodagu, near Bengaluru, spent two months building a classroom atop a tree to get better internet. It worked.
To infinity and beyond: Two women are making their way into space this month. One is Sirisha Bandla, only the second Indian-born astronaut to take off into the skies. She’ll be flying with Richard Branson on a Virgin Galactic craft. The other is Mary Wallace Funk. The 82-year-old is set to launch off with Jeff Bezos.
Atmanirbhar doggos: Thanks to PM Modi, Indian doggo breeds are finding a place in dog squads. Security agencies across the country are training Mudhol hounds, Rajapalayam and Rampur Hounds to join their ranks.

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Panda © Janeanne
Sixty-odd species of bamboo make up 99 per cent of pandas’ diet in the wild. But they will gladly eat meat in captivity, so clearly haven’t completely lost touch with their carnivore ancestry.
Earlier this year it was found that pandas also have a sweet tooth, unlike some other carnivores, such as cats, which have lost their sweet taste receptors. According to one of the scientists involved in that study, Danielle Reed of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, this might “explain why Bao Bao, the giant panda cub at the National Zoo in Washington DC, is apparently relishing sweet potato as a first food during weaning”.


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The Narendra Modi government is ready with its next big move to crack down on shell companies, clean up Corporate India and prevent those in top management from fleeing India fearing prosecution.
The Ministry Of Corporate Affairs is set to launch a mega drive to do a KYC of company directors--that will at the minimum include passport, PAN number and contact details. All of this information will have to be updated annually by the company secretary or chartered accountant at the time of filing annual financial statements.
Besides this, there will be another form for the physical address of the company, which again will have to be updated annually by the company secretary. This is being done to crack down on the creation of new shell companies.
Injeti Srinivas, Secretary, Ministry Of Corporate Affairs, talked about this initiative and said as many as 33 lakh company directors would be registered as part of the mega KYC.
Injeti Srinivas said both these forms--that is the physical address of the company and the other on all requisite information on company directors--would have to be "religiously and diligently" updated by the chartered accountant and/or by the company secretary.


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Neither company is struggling like American Express is though. Both of the companies are posting gains, while credit card companies like AmEx are declining in popularity. Why is this happening? Well, the trends point to one reason and one reason alone. American Express is still clinging to the traditional ways to pay while Visa and PayPal are making strides for people to be able to pay differently.
What is the Value of Visa and PayPal?
Over the past year or so, Visa has shown a total return of 20 percent and PayPal has shown to be up 6 percent since July of last year.
PayPal hasn’t been trading all that long as a separate company, however, it seems that it will continue to climb the ladder where value is concerned. If you only take a simple surface look at the cost of each in the stock market, PayPal is seemingly more expensive. PayPal is earning in multiples of 39 versus the 28 Visa is currently sitting at.
Where returns are concerned, Visa seems more expensive. The credit card company’s shares trade at 24 times the earnings estimates, while PayPal trades at 22 times earnings.
Both Visa and PayPal have benefits when it comes to buying shares of the company on a value basis. However, what are the other factors that come into play when looking at these two “ways to pay.”
Visa and PayPal Dividends
When it comes to comparing dividends of each company, PayPal hasn’t returned much capital to its shareholders. However, there is still room for growth (which is exciting for many who dabble in stock).
Visa, however, has the edge over PayPal when it comes to dividends. The company, which has been traded since 2008, only has an edge over PayPal because its simply been traded longer. In reality, the stock only yield 0.7 percent with a payout ratio of 18 percent. This payout ratio isn’t the greatest when compared to other credit card companies on the stock market.
While the payout is less than most other companies, Visa is still paying out a higher dividend than PayPal (which is currently paying zero). However, PayPal is more likely to see growth in the coming years.
Each Company’s Growth
When it comes to growth, PayPal is making strides. Statistics from the company have shown increases in the 20 to 30 percent range for payment volume and the adjusted net income. These increases show a PayPal that is ready to gain a greater share of the e-commerce market as a whole. It has also been gunning for companies like Visa with in-store payment processing. The company has revealed it hopes to boost earnings per share as much as half during 2016.
Each company is still growing, though one plans to grow much more than the other in the coming year. It is too early to say which company would be a better buy than the other. However, it may depend on people’s preferred way to pay. Will people be switching over to e-commerce and mobile payments versus a plastic credit card?
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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Holland's Akzo Nobel AKZOY, +0.09% AKZA, -0.32% said it's agreed to buy privately held Chemcraft Holdings, a maker of industrial wood coatings. Akzo Nobel said the firm, which had 2006 revenue of $145 million, will fit with its industrial finishes business.
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge is Auctioning Off Her Ralph & Russo Suit in Aid of the Australian Bushfire Relief Efforts
From the red carpet, to your wardrobe.
At the 2020 Golden Globes, there were a few celebrities that caught the eye of just about every one in the FASHION team. One such person, was Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The effortlessly cool British actress looked just that in her tweed suit from Ralph & Russo – so much so that it had us saving it as suiting inspo for when the weather warms up. If, like us, you were enamoured with the look, then you’ll be equally as pleased to know that we all now have an opportunity to bid on the suit. Waller-Bridge has teamed up with eBay to auction off the suit in aid of the Australian bushfire relief efforts.
In a statement, the actress said, “I’m very excited that this stunning, one of a kind, couture tuxedo created by Australian geniuses Ralph & Russo will continue its journey by contributing to this urgent cause. If money raised by its auction can help raise funds to fight the disaster in Australia, the future impact of this suit will be far greater than the luck it brought me and the Fleabag team at the Golden Globes last weekend. To add to its allure… I spent most of the night brushing it past and rubbing it up against all the sparkly people I could find. These threads are laced with legends!”
See her talk about the suit in more detail (and the stars who touched it) below:
The auction comes with the full support of Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo, the Australian design duo behind the UK-base label. “It is with a heavy heart that we watch and hear the news of the terrible fires currently engulfing such large areas of our homeland,” they said in a statement. “With Australia remaining so close to our hearts, we are delighted to stand next to Phoebe to support relief efforts with this special auction.”
The tuxedo is from the brand’s A/W19 collection and is made with Black Chantilly lace tailleur with a silk duchess tuxedo lapel and a geometric black and gold ribbon appliqué. It has been autographed by the Golden Globe winner and the brand has said in a statement that it will offer “additional fabric to the winning bidder if needed.”
The auction is now live – with bidding open to Canadians – and will run until Sunday, January 19. The starting bid is roughly CAD$70,000. Money raised from the auction will be split equally between the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund, WIRES Wildlife Rescue Emergency Fun and Wildlife Victoria.
Register for the auction here.


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European aerospace giant EADS has offered South Korea a huge defense-sector investment. The European competitor said procuring the deal would create tens of thousands of jobs.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said the German government must do more to protect consumers from paying too much of the transition costs to renewables. It urged the larger use of gas plants.
A leading German think tank has found the mood among the country's business executives is getting better again. A confidence barometer showed they were more positive about the future than in the previous months.
A fresh survey has shown that Germans remain in spending mood despite an unresolved euro area debt crisis. The study singled out consumers as a current pillar of economic growth in Europe's biggest economy.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has urged European governments to push on with reforms and banking union plans. Draghi added that the EU is more stable than a year ago, but challenges remain.


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Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced today that Suniva from Norcross, Ga., would invest $250 million to build a silicon solar cell factory in the Saginow County's Thomas Township.
Michigan's Economic Growth Authority has approved a tax credit valued at $15 million over a five-year period for Suniva to build the factory here.
The company already has a 96-megawatt factory in Georgia. The company began producing solar cells about a year ago.
Suniva would get the tax break only if it's able to line up a federal loan guarantee, reported Saginaw News. The report said Suniva plans to build the 400-megawatt factory in phases, starting with 2010.
I've put in a call to Suniva to find out more about the factory project.
Michigan is shaping up to be a magnet for solar companies. It recently attracted Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Clairvoyant Energy to set up a solar panel factory in a closed Ford plant in Wixom. Michigan is offering $25 million in tax credits over two years to Clairvoyant, which plans to buy factory equipment from Oerlikon Solar in Switzerland.
Clairvoyant is teaming up with battery maker Xtreme Power in Kyle, Texas, to redevelop the site. Xtreme is set to get a tax credit of $100 million over four years, according to Granholm's office. Clairvoyant plans to invest $857 million while Xtreme would pony up $475 million to buy and develop the 320-acre site, the governor said in a statement.
The two companies also need to line up federal loan guarantees to develop their plans.
Lining up state incentives doesn't necessary help companies get financial aid from the federal government. Boston-Power, for example, lined up incentives from its home state of Massachusetts but didn't get a federal grant to build a lithium-ion battery factory.
Although Granholm has been aggressive in attracting manufacturers from across the country and even from other nations, the results have been mixed. A story in The Washington Post today said the state has lost far more jobs during her tenure so far than it has gained. Michigan has the country's highest unemployment rate, at 15.2 percent.


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Martin Sorrell fears for the West's slow rebound
The rebound in ad spending in the US and Europe is a symptom of on-going malaise in company boardrooms rather than a sign of rising confidence in economic recovery, according to Sir Martin Sorrell.
The head of advertising giant WPP believes company bosses remain uneasy about the prospects for the developed world and are 'cautious' about making significant investments in future growth.
Instead, Western corporations are diverting big chunks of their estimated £1.2trillion cash mountain into marketing budgets in a bid to give a short-term lift to sales, he said.
Rebounding: The proposed takeover of Sky by News Corp would provide greater competition for the BBC and should lift the UK ad market, Sorrell argued
Sorrell told the Mail: 'People are still worried post (the collapse of) Lehman Brothers about slow growth in the West and are unwilling to add to fixed expenses.'
It will take 'some years' before the scars of recession heal and
firms begin making meaningful investments in the US and Europe again, he
WPP's worldwide turnover rose 7pc to £9.3bn, with America and Britain among the standout performers, with underlying growth rates of 7.6pc and 5.9pc respectively-In the US, new rules on political lobbying 'opened the floodgates' on campaign ad spending in the run-up to the mid-term elections in November, according to Sorrell.
WPP (down 22p to 814.5p) expects underlying growth to slow to 5pc this year before picking up next year.
Companies will ramp up their marketing budgets ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, European football championships and the US presidential election.
The proposed takeover of Sky by News Corp, which was given the green light this week, would provide greater competition for the BBC and should lift the UK ad market, Sorrell argued.
Yet Sorrell believes that Britain remains in 'League One' in the world economic tables, with China and India hogging the top positions in the Premier League and the US and Germany stuck in the 'Championship'.
The UK, though, could gain a much-needed promotion due to the government's austerity drive, which had a good chance of restoring the crippled public finances to full health, according to Sorrell.
Read more on WPP at thisismoney.co.uk/wpp
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The iPhone 7 just got a lot less impressive
Reports from Apple confirmed today iPhone 7 model’s highly-anticipated 24hr lasting battery, has been cancelled due to “immature” technology. It was expected and believed that the Plus-sized variant of the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus to include a battery to last 1 full day to power new features. The 24hr battery would allow the users to not worry about charging their multiple times per day. With that said, now, the iPhone7 will use a standard 12hr battery.
According to insider at the company that manufactures the iPhone: “the 24hr battery has been cancelled due to the complexity of creating a battery that can power non stop 24/7 texting and internet surfing.”
In conclusion, the iPhone 7 may be a “disappointment”. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said the phone will have “no standout features” and the postponing of the holy grail 1 day battery just reinforces it’s mediocrity .
Recommended based on the fact that you’ll buy the Iphone 7


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Designer uniforms for auto drivers during Commonwealth
September 22, 2009 - India
During Commonwealth Games next year, auto drivers in Delhi may appear in new uniforms, designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology, embossed with a logo.
These specially designed uniforms will be provided to the auto drivers after a three-day training program devised by Ministry of Tourism in coordination with the Delhi Traffic Police and Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA).
Around 8,000 auto drivers will be taught manners and etiquettes under a pilot program to be undertaken by Tourism Ministry. It will commence from the first week of October, informed a Senior Ministry Official.
The licensing department of Delhi police will keep the record of all the trained auto drivers with the biometric identification of finger print impression and photograph as a security measure.
ITTA president Mr. Sarabjit Singh said that the association is in talks with the NIFT to design new uniform for the trained auto drivers in order to make them look distinguished.


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Target Hires Dament
Target Corp. announced the appointment of Anne Dament to the role of senior vice-president, merchandising. In this role, she will be responsible for leading the repositioning of Target’s food business. She brings more than 19 years of grocery and consumer packaged goods experience to the role. She started her career in food as a buyer at Supervalu and then at Safeway where she held various category and sales management positions. In her final role at Safeway, she served as group vice-president, perishable strategy. Dament’s background also includes positions at ConAgra Foods’ subsidiary Grist Mill Co. and Otis Spunkmeyer. She joins Target from PetSmart, where she most recently served as vice-president of services.
Target previously announced that it will reposition its approach to food over the next 12–18 months. The reinvention will emphasize six key categories: better-for-you snacks, coffee and tea, premium sauces and oils, specialty candy, wine and craft beer, and yogurt and granola. It will also expand the availability of natural, organic, locally grown, and gluten-free choices. Target says the most significant changes are slated to arrive in stores in 2016.
Hurt Joins Build-A-Bear
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., announced the appointment of Chris Hurt to the position of chief operations officer effective today. Hurt will lead the Build-A-Bear Workshop retail and operations teams to drive sales and profits, while promoting ongoing growth for the business. He will oversee all business operations, including the corporate strategy and structure for stores. He will report to Sharon Price John, CEO.
Hurt is a veteran operations professional with more than 20 years of retail experience in senior leadership roles. He most recently held the position of senior vice-president of North America at American Eagle Outfitters.
Prior to joining American Eagle Outfitters, Hurt spent 10 years with Polo Ralph Lauren where he held many positions including senior director of stores and regional manager.
Neva Joins Fuhu
Fuhu, Inc., the creator of the nabi tablet, has hired Keith Neva as vice-president of sales. He will oversee the company’s development of a comprehensive sales strategy to both maximize the impact for the brand with current retail partners, as well as greatly expand the reach of the company’s diverse and expanding product lines into new sales channels.
He brings more than 20 years of experience managing major sales accounts in the consumer electronics industry. Previous posts include Yamaha, Westinghouse, and Monster. Prior to joining Fuhu, Neva was vice-president of sales at Griffin International Companies, Inc.
ToyService Signed as Rep for Sound of Fun
Sound of Fun, the U.S. distributor of Kiddimoto and Roomii ride-on toys, announced that it has signed ToyService, Inc., as its sales representative group in an eight-state region.
Located at the World Trade Center in Dallas, ToyService carries more than 25 lines of toys. ToyService will be selling Sound of Fun’s complete line of products throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Jacobs Joins ChizComm
ChizComm Ltd. announced that Livy Jacobs is joining the team as communications director effective April 20, 2015. Jacobs brings more than 10 years of experience to ChizComm and has worked alongside and provided strategic counsel to entrepreneurs, senior offices, Fortune500 CEOs and celebrities on national and regional campaigns. Jacob’s expertise includes product launches, reputation management, media/influencer relations, community/corporate partnerships, and sponsorship and events.


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Tesla has released its last three major software overhauls in September and October of 2016, 2018, and 2019 with the V8, V9, and V10 updates. With each of the new software editions, Tesla has added many new features and accessibility options to make for a more well-rounded ownership experience for drivers.
With Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirming several new features to its vehicles on Twitter, some have not yet made their way to V10 updates. This hints that they could be included in Tesla’s V11 Software Update, which was recently discussed in a video with owner-enthusiast and tech YouTuber Ben Sullins.
Police cars revolving light
🚨What's Coming in Tesla V11?? 🚨Here are my thoughts and a possible sneak peek I found from last year. What feature are you most excited about? 👉https://t.co/kMWk5gsqQQ pic.twitter.com/6RmycgAUBg
— Ben Sullins 💪 (@BenSullins) October 20, 2020
Sullins compiled a few examples of features that owners have requested, and Elon Musk has confirmed, but have not yet been added to the company’s vehicles. Because of this, Ben believes they could be added to Tesla’s V11 Software Update based on the timing that the previous three overhauls have been released to the public.
Vector-Space Bird’s Eye View
On October 3rd, Twitter account @TeslaOwnersSV requested that Tesla’s Driving Visualization be capable of a new “Birdseye view” feature that would give owners a perspective above their car. This would essentially give drivers a 360-degree view from above the vehicle, allowing for a full-scale indication of what surrounds their vehicle. Sullins mentions that this feature is available in the Porsche Taycan. Many Tesla owners would likely benefit from the addition of the view, simply because of the benefits of a wide-range perspective.
Enlarged Side Cameras for Backing Up
@ThatT3slaGuy requested that the side cameras could be enlarged while backing up, which could provide drivers with more confidence when in reverse. A single-camera setup, which only provides a view of what is directly behind the vehicle, can prove problematic in tight parking spaces where the driver’s point of view is limited. Musk confirmed that this feature would be “coming soon” on October 1st, but it has yet to be released.
Musk has always been a firm believer in Tesla’s GPS. When owners repeatedly requested the addition of Waypoints, he denied it time and time again. However, on September 21st, Musk finally gave owners who have been seeking the feature a glimpse of hope when he said, “Fine, we’ll do it already,” after @Model3Owners asked one final time. The addition of GPS Waypoints will give owners full customization of which route they would like to take on a trip, making for the perfect road trip.
Blind Spot Warnings/Side Repeater View with Turn Signal
Another use of the Side Repeater Cameras could be used as a Blind Spot Warning feature. @AusTeslaOwners gave Musk the idea to have the Repeater Cameras show full-screen images of what is beside the vehicle when traveling. If the driver were to be on a highway and looking to move into a lane to their left, the left turn signal would be activated, and the left-side camera would also activate and be displayed on the dash screen.
Video Conferencing inside of a Tesla
This request was also made by @TeslaOwnersSV in May. The interior cabin-facing camera that is included in the Model 3 and Model Y would allow owners to set up video conferencing from inside the vehicle. Musk stated, “Yeah, definitely a future feature,” but it has also not been added yet. Sullins believes this could be another addition to V11.
Interior Camera Activation with Sentry Mode during a break-in
@Model3Owners also suggested that the interior camera be activated during a break-in. This feature makes a lot of sense, especially if a thief is successful during their attempt to enter a Tesla. It could make the pursuit of the criminal much easier for law enforcement.


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Power to the people
Exploring the power of engaged colleagues, human interaction and technology to delight customers
Treat your colleagues like customers and complement technology with human interaction to create moments of delight. That’s key to harnessing people’s potential as brilliant brand builders, according to our latest Linney insight event.
The Quarry: Power to the People, held this week at Linney Create, explored the power of internal communications to engage employees to deliver the very best ‘front of house’ experience for customers.
The event welcomed brands we’re working with across Linney to hear from guest speakers in the worlds of retail communications and innovation. Our own insight team also rounded up broader trends in engagement.
Opening the session, Linney Create’s Katie Oliver described how all industries can learn from the hospitality sector, where figures like First Dates star and hospitality guru, Fred Sirieix, treat service as a religion – everywhere and for everyone.
“Employees are also customers 128 hours of the week,” she said. “They need to be treated as such, and that should carry through into other sectors beyond hospitality.
“Great engagement starts with great leadership,” Katie added, “bringing customers to table, visibly championing their experience at every touchpoint, and setting the example for others to follow.”
Engaging customers through colleagues
Hannah Shepherd, Head of Internal Communications at Virgin Media, gave a first-hand account of how staff attitudes are contagious to the customer, especially when senior figures lead the way.
She outlined her own journey from working in one of the brand’s stores to communicating with all of them.
Hannah’s current role involves celebrating and engaging colleagues and customers equally. And she said her front line experience had been invaluable.
“When I got into communications team meetings I realised I had the missing ingredient they didn’t have – the shop floor experience.
“So when they were talking about new products or offers and changes to systems I was able to say ‘guys, that won’t work because…’ and offer alternatives.”
With that perspective, she’s been able to drive much more video content into store communications. They now include a fun monthly TV show that makes store staff the stars and head office figures human and approachable while sharing sales and strategy updates.
It’s a two-way relationship too, with store teams able to get creative and share inventive ‘best practice’ films with the whole store network via an online portal.
These techniques, she said, have directly translated into improvements in key measures customers said were important to them, like staff knowledge on the product offering.
Driving moments of delight
Julian Watson, Principal Consultant at Sketch Insight, described how combining those engaged colleagues with technology can create moments of delight.
Speaking to Linney on Facebook Live, he said: “Those are moments when an experience surpasses expectations and leaves you with a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling about the brand.
“In the current retail environment you blend tactile, emotional people moments with seamless technology moments that make our lives smoother, easier and offer better value for money.”
Julian described three ‘buckets’ of ‘delightful’ interactions.
“There’s combining people with data – arming your staff with smart data that enables them to deliver a more personalised experience.” Among those doing it well, he said, was online men’s styling brand The Chapar.
“Combining people with hardware involves kit in the retail space that enhances the experience. But it can be daunting for customers, so you need trained, skilled people to ease the potential stress.”
The third bucket, he explained, is a total omnichannel experience – something he believes UK brand Oasis is getting right.
“It blends the experience across its app, website and store estate. And customer assistants in-store are armed with a tablet to handle purchases, check or locate stock, and send items direct to customers’ homes if needed – holding onto that conversion.”
Voice of tomorrow’s colleagues – and customers
The final session of the day welcomed a panel of six teenagers from nearby Vision West Notts College for an insight into the world of an audience often deemed tough to engage by marketers.
They were quizzed by the audience on their attitudes towards brands – those they like and dislike, and how they interact with them – along with their hopes and fears about entering the world of work during the age of automation.
We’ll have more on the themes they raised in a future update. And you can hear from three of the panel by watching our Facebook Live interview with them.
Fancy joining us at a future edition of The Quarry?
Or maybe one of our monthly Coffee insight forums.
Email firstname.lastname@example.org to let us know.


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The former creative director of Virgin Money and CEO of Time Out is slated to speak at the International Hotel Investment Forum next month.
The new-build Sonesta Hotel Arequipa has 110 guestrooms, a full-service restaurant, a terrace bar, a business lounge, a gym and a spa.
Creativiva explains how they work with hotel and resort chains to define the perfect experience architecture to empower their brands and stand out on the market
The Paris-based company has signed a portfolio totaling 864 guestrooms under a management agreement with Denmark's Proark.
The 193-room project is a joint venture of Artaş İnşaat, Evyap and Invest İnşaat.
The New Year means a new “to do” list focused on enhancing customer loyalty and boosting profitability – and the questions of how to achieve these goals drive…
After a multimillion-dollar refresh, the hotel unveiled an updated lobby and reception area as well as 253 newly designed guestrooms.
The founder and former chairman of Kerzner International Holdings Ltd. will receive the award during IHIF in March.
Shane Platt most recently served as managing director of development at Best Western International, promoting and selling the SureStay Hotels brand.
Acquiring Two Roads Hospitality boosted Hyatt's room count, but drove down net income for the final quarter of 2018.
The 42-room Chapter Roma hotel is the first property in a newly established portfolio developed by Marco Cilia, formerly of Hotel Americano in New York City.
Located in North Downtown Bangkok, the Vīb Best Western Sanam Pao is surrounded by shopping malls, corporate offices and local attractions.


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Ford has announced that all of its new cars from 2022 will be able to talk and listen to each other and items in the surrounding world.
The auto giant is fully adopting the C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) communications technology, which will power next-generation autonomous and semi-autonomous cars.
The tech, which is underpinned by Qualcomm’s 9150 chipset, is also being demonstrated by Ducati and Audi at the CES 2019 tech show currently ongoing in Las Vegas.
While the tech will be bolstered by the emerging 5G network, the new C-V2X offers peer-to-peer communications with cars, meaning the data won’t need to travel via the cellular tower initially.
Related: CES 2019 Live
In a blog post on Monday, Ford said the tech will make navigating four way stops easier, with vehicles communicating to each other which has the right of way.
Meanwhile, a car involved in an accident can warn those approaching of potential danger. Pedestrians with mobile phones could also send a signal to cars, ensuring their presence is known even when they’re outside of normal line of sight. Ford also says the tech will allow vehicles to communicate with stop lights and road signs.
The post reads: “With C-V2X, a traffic light can send signals alerting drivers about when it will turn green or red, or whether a driver is at risk of running a red light.
“Road signs could provide advance warning of recent accidents or provide more context regarding road construction, giving drivers the opportunity to reroute or more safely move through work zones. Further out, cities could even use this technology to enable smart vehicles to “talk” to smart traffic management systems to create better flowing transportation systems.”
Ford says all of its self-driving vehicles will be able to operate without C-V2X, the tech will compliment camera, LiDAR and radar sensors on board the cars.
“Imagine a person suddenly steps into the street from out of view and your vehicle stops because it was alerted by that person’s smartphone. This is just one example of how C-V2X can connect smart vehicles to a smart world,” said Don Butler, executive director, Ford Connected Vehicle Platform and Product. “We invite other automakers, governments and tech companies to join the significant momentum building for a C-V2X ecosystem.”
Can C-V2X be the key to unlocking the potential of the self-driving vehicles? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.


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Economists are suggesting that the era of permanently high interest rates in the United States may be upon us, with markets already factoring in the possibility that rates may not return to the US central bank’s previous targets.
The Kobeissi Letter, a respected macroeconomics outlet, has highlighted the view that, historically, interest rates have dropped when inflation hits 2%. However, it appears that the markets are taking a different stance, with a belief that interest rates are set to remain elevated.
The publication notes that “Markets are pricing that the Fed funds rate will bottom at 4% in 2025 and then start rising again.” This suggests that higher interest rates are becoming the new norm, marking the end of the era of “free money.”
The Federal Reserve paused its rate hikes in July, but this doesn’t automatically imply a future reduction. Currently, US rates stand at a substantial 5.5%, having been raised 11 times since early 2020.
Rising national debts could pressure the Fed to lower rates more rapidly, especially as interest payments on the national debt continue to mount. The US national debt currently stands at a record high of $33.56 trillion, with additional billions being added daily.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs have noted that rising rates could have adverse effects on GDP growth and could pose risks to financial markets, unprofitable companies, and federal deficits. BlackRock has also predicted that interest rates will remain high.
Moody’s Investors Service has expressed concerns about growing refinancing and default risks for US companies due to anticipated high interest rates and tightening financial conditions for borrowers.
Moreover, consumer sentiment appears to be waning in October, with households anticipating higher inflation in the coming year.
Impact on Crypto and the Economy:
High interest rates can negatively affect the average consumer with debts, resulting in higher payments on mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and bank loans. This reduced disposable income means individuals have less capital available for higher-risk investments, including cryptocurrencies and stocks.
Conversely, high rates can make savings accounts more attractive by offering better returns. This can incentivize people to keep their money in interest-bearing accounts rather than engaging in digital assets or other investments.
Furthermore, sustained high interest rates can slow down economic growth and make the economy more susceptible to recession, especially when combined with other negative factors such as geopolitical tensions.
As these high interest rates have the potential to reshape investment decisions and influence economic dynamics, both the financial and crypto markets are likely to closely monitor the evolving situation.


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Blue-chip stocks ended slightly lower Wednesday, masking a fairly broad pullback spurred by growing anxiety about inflation, interest rates and earnings momentum in the sagging technology sector.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 18.88 to 6,877.68, erasing most of a 70-point deficit over the last hour of trading.
Investors left broader measures with much steeper losses, however, once again punishing the technology-laden Nasdaq market and migrating away from riskier smalland medium-sized companies.
Bonds reacted to a less-than-reassuring report on consumer price inflation by sliding, lifting long-term interest rates back toward 7 percent. The yield on the 30-year treasury bond - a key determinant of corporate and consumer borrowing costs - crossed that unsettling benchmark for the first time since September before pulling back to about 6.96 percent.
Companies whose shares actively traded in U.S. markets. The stock symbol is given in parentheses after the company name.
American List Corp. (AMZ)
Shares rose $3.25 to $25.625 after Snyder Communications (SNC) said it will acquire the database company for $125 million in stock.
Avant! Corp. (AVNT)
Shares rose $2 to $26.75 as the software company said a federal judge denied a motion by Cadence Design Systems Inc. (CDN) seeking to block it from selling certain software products pending resolution of a lawsuit between the companies.
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
Shares fell $1.50 to $137.875 amid reports that growth in some high-technology industries is slowing and demand in Europe is weak, according to analysts and investors. Dell Computer Corp. (DELL) fell $1.875 to $62.875, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) fell $2.875 to $96.75 and Sun Microsystems Inc. (SUNW) fell $1.50 to $26.625.
Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER)
Shares fell $1.75 to $91.625 after futures regulators criticized the company for failing to adequately supervise a former employee who pled guilty to defrauding 110 investors out of $8 million.
Rohm and Haas Co. (ROH)
Shares fell $8.50 to $78.75 as the specialty chemical and plastic maker said exchange rates would hurt its first-quarter earnings, causing them to fall short of the current consensus estimate of $1.70 a share.
Goody's Family Clothing Inc. (GDYS)
The retailer said fourth-quarter earnings rose to 62 cents a share from 32 cents a year earlier, bettering the 55-cent average estimate of three analysts surveyed by IBES International Inc. The company's shares fell 37.5 cents to $19.625.
Monaco Coach Corp. (MCCO)
The maker of motor coaches said it filed to sell 2.1 million shares of common stock. The company's shares rose 25 cents to $20.
Strayer Education Inc. (STRA)
The higher education institution said it filed to sell 1.15 million shares of common stock. Strayer shares fell 75 cents to $24.


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Our beloved Maltese Islands have been ranked among the best holiday islands in Europe, as revealed by a survey conducted by KAYAK, the world’s leading travel website.
Whilst Crete and Greece ranked at the top of this survey, Malta ranked 20th out of the 70 islands in Europe.
In a statement, KAYAK explained that the ranking was drawn up after analyzing 70 islands across Europe based on seven categories – including weather, flight accessibility, hotel-related prices, restaurants, food and transportation, Covid-19 precautions, and things you can do on holiday.
These categories were then evaluated along with many other factors in order to determine which islands offer tourists the best holistic experience as well as those that are considered best suited to the specific needs of travellers, including the best holidays for travellers, families, and value for money destinations.
KAYAK added that above all, this classification aims to help tourists to choose smoother and hassle-free holidays!
The site also explained that as European travel borders reopened, the search for flights to European islands impressively increased by 11% compared to the summer of 2019.


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Chinese internet firm Sohu’s employees duped by email scam that promised ‘allowances’ to those who provide their banking data
- Two dozen employees at Sohu last week lost about US$6,000 after they fell victim to an email scam that used a hacked account in the company
- While online scams are not uncommon in China, cybersecurity breaches in major hi-tech firms have become rare
Sohu founder, chairman and chief executive Charles Zhang Chaoyang said in a post on Weibo that the incident “isn’t as severe as people assume”. He indicated that measures taken by the company’s technology department kept the total financial loss to below 50,000 yuan.
In addition, he said the incident did not affect the email services of all Sohu users.
The email scam at Sohu on Wednesday was trending on top of the search list of Weibo, which is affiliated with Sohu’s competitor Sina.com.
One Weibo user posted a comment that it was a shame for Sohu, once known as one of China’s leading internet portals, to become prey for scams and phishing activities. Other Weibo users said the reported financial loss reflected how destitute Sohu employees have become.
The firm’s announcement came after the US Securities and Exchange Commission added 12 more Chinese companies, including Sohu, to a list of stocks that face a potential delisting for failing to comply with US auditing oversight law. In China’s highly competitive internet market, Sohu has lost relevance over the years and has seen its market value shrink to US$525 million.
Chinese police last year cracked more than 441,000 cases related to telecommunications and cyber fraud, arrested more than 690,000 people and returned 12 billion yuan of defrauded money, according to state-run Legal Daily.


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Green Compass Positioned for Growth with Record First Quarter Revenues, Expanded Operations and Leadership Additions
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WILMINGTON, NC, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — North Carolina-born Green Compass, Inc. (“the Company”) is pleased to announce its financial results and strategic growth plan at the following a record first quarter.
In the first quarter of 2022, Green Compass reported year-over-year revenue growth of 26%, a record figure compared to previous quarters. To continue on this trajectory, growth initiatives for 2022 will focus on improving customer experience, sales support, talent acquisition, streamlining operations, nationwide summer activation and corporate social responsibility initiatives to make quality hemp-based wellness products available to communities in need. them the most. Exciting new product launches are also planned, with innovative hemp-derived formulations, connecting science and nature.
“I’m proud of the Green Compass team for all we’ve achieved so far, but rest assured, we’re just getting started. We are excited to implement these growth strategies in 2022 and look to the future,” said Sterling. Chef, general manager. “This growth continues to solidify our leadership position in the domestic market and potential opportunities for international expansion.”
Additions to strategic leadership
Green Compass also continues to invest in recruiting top management team members with unparalleled experience in direct-to-consumer, omnichannel retail, e-commerce and direct selling. Recent additions include: Robert Finigan, Director of Marketing; Jana Kennedy, vice president of sales; and Colby Waisath, Chief Operating Officer.
Additionally, the company has recently added new members to nearly every aspect of the business, including marketing, sales, operations, technology, customer service, finance, warehouse and service personnel. closes, which has more than doubled its staff in the last 12 months. “With such rapid growth, we are grateful to attract world-class talent to our business. My vision for Green Compass has always been and always will be people-focused,” says Meredith Cook, Founder and Visionary. “We’re not only creating great jobs, but more importantly, changing so many lives, while creating a vibrant, family-friendly culture that celebrates our core values.”
Rebranding initiative and cause platform
To lay the foundation for the future, Green Compass is undergoing a comprehensive rebranding effort, with a central focus on sustainability, traceability and diversity linked to its mission to harness the power of clean hemp. and biological for the good of humanity. The company is creating a refreshed customer-led brand image that reflects values, while creating a renewed advocacy for education, support and inclusive communities where families around the world are inspired to share their personal journey of well-being. be hemp. Additionally, the company announced its new cause platform called “The Compass(ion) Project”, which will allocate dedicated funds to three specific pillars of hope – PEOPLE, PLANT and PLANET – through its “1% for hope”.
During the last quarter, the Company invested significantly in scientific research and product development, with a strong expansion of laboratory operations and product development capacity. In addition to its recent product launches, including Nano-CBG collagen powders, terpene-enhanced digestive health jellies, and CBD/Glucosamine pet treats, the company is gearing up for a launch roadmap of robust products through 2022 and 2023. “Green Compass already has a unique advantage, possessing full control over our supply chain. We grow our own certified organic hemp and never use pesticides or other toxins. We are one of the few CBD producers to use food-grade CO2 extraction – an expensive but essential method for obtaining USDA organic certification – producing a premium, low-toxin product that the typical ethanol extraction,” says Sterling Cook. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made as a team, and grateful for the loyalty of our partners. lawyers and our clients. With rising fears of inflation and recession, we find that our continued growth is a result of the wide range of health benefits our products provide. I am extremely proud of all of our Operations and Agriculture teams.”
About Green Compass
Founded in Wilmington, NC, Green Compass is a mission-based market leader in the hemp-based wellness industry. The company is a social selling brand that harnesses the power of clean, USDA-certified organic hemp to develop and manufacture a wide range of clean, safe and trustworthy products, including CBD, terpenes, flavonoids and other compounds. benefits derived from hemp. . Green Compass hemp is carefully grown and cultivated by its sixth-generation co-founders and farming partners. Green Compass owns all of its R&D, extraction capabilities, formulations and manufacturing, making it one of the only truly vertically integrated brands on the market today. With a focus on quality, the company’s unique philosophy is reinforced by its strong network of more than 16,000 Social Selling Distributors (“Advocates”), who promote the company’s mission to develop clean products , fully traceable and durable that are made safely here. in the United States to distribute to families nationwide.
Sydney Vassal Green Compass 704.953.6392 [email protected]
Source: Green Compass


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To many of us in Europe, the idea of insect farming might sound a little left field. In our daily lives, most insects are tolerated at best – and there’s little more to it. But it might be high time to rethink the role of insects.
The coronavirus pandemic, alongside global food security issues and climate change, has made the need to identify sustainable sources of protein even more pressing than ever. Could insect farming be the answer – and which European startups are already seizing the opportunity to innovate in this area?
Let’s break down what insect farming actually involves. More common in Asia and South America, insect farming includes all processes involved with producing commodities from bugs, including raising and breeding them. They can be farmed for what they produce, but can also be used themselves as food, feed, or even dye. They are treated as livestock, although kept in much larger quantities than on a typical farm.
A sustainable future?
But why the interest in insect farming? One of the greatest benefits is sustainability. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has even advocated insects as a major sustainable food source for the future, since the environmental impact of consuming insects is significantly less than traditional meat products. They also require little food and water to be kept alive.
Insect farming also comes with great socio-economic benefits for people on poorer regions of the planet. They can be gathered in the wild, cultivated and processed in both urban and rural areas, which can provide income through the selling. Plus, insects are a highly nutritious food source, packed with healthy fats, protein, vitamin, fibre and mineral content – practically a full balanced diet for humans!
European startups leading the way
With the range of benefits to both society and the planet itself, it’s little wonder that European startups are already finding ways (and raising some serious cash) to innovate in this new field.
Edible insect startups are leading the pack in France, with Jimini’s continuing to expand its product offering of ready-to-eat insect recipes, including a brand new energy bar range based on cricket flour. Founded in 2012, the startup even sells insect-infused pasta, as well as flavoured meal worms, grasshoppers and crickets to snack on. Their mission? To step by step introduce this new sustainable and healthy source of nutrients into our diet.
Another fast-growing French startup, Paris-based Ÿnsect, was founded in 2011. Last year they raised over €100 million as well as backing of €20 million from the EU to become a world leader in insect-based protein production for animal and fish feed, presenting a more sustainable alternative to the likes of soy.
Antoine Hubert, Ÿnsect’s CEO explained recently: “By offering an insect protein alternative to traditional animal and fish-based feed sources, Ÿnsect can help offset the growing competition for ocean fish stock required to feed two billion more people by 2050, while alleviating fish, water and soil depletion, as well as agriculture’s staggering 25% share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Our goal is simply to give insects back their natural place in the food chain.”
German startup FarmInsect has a similar mission, aiming to revolutionize animal agriculture with insects, having enjoyed a six-figure seed funding round as recently as June 2019. Founded in 2019, this agritech startup from Munich is working on a solution for farmers to produce insect larvae from regional residues. “Every year, billions of tons of food and crop residues are discarded in the EU. We want to tap this potential,” explained FarmInsect founder Thomas Kühn.
Another French player is Innovafeed, a pioneering scaleup producing proteins for animal feed and aquaculture founded in 2016. Innovafeed has so far raised over €55 million in four rounds, with the last being in 2018. The team focuses on animal nutrition, as that’s where they see the largest demand and environmental impact. However, they also see a case for human consumption.
In our recent interview with Aude Guo, co-founder of Innovafeed, told us: “We have no doubt insects will play an important role in tomorrow’s foodchain, including direct human consumption. Insects are a great source of nutriments and energy that we believe will be leveraged for tomorrow’s human nutrition to allow more sustainable eating habits. Insects for human food is actually already culturally adopted in some part of the world, and we can see a clear evolution towards insect in occidental countries as well, with the emergence of new types of insect-based snacks, either using the insect wholly or as an ingredient to the recipe under its protein-powder or oil format”.
Overall, the evidence suggests that these startups are right to begin exploring the alternatives – even if insect farming is not (literally) to everyone’s taste. While it may not be the norm right now, the climate emergency means getting over the “ick” factor” and embracing new and alternative food sources. After all, a carnivorous diet is still the norm in Europe – and what really makes eating a pig any different to an insect, other than our Western “norms”?
With the help of these startups, it looks like insect farming might finally have a chance to break into the mainstream and find a new place in our production systems – and maybe even on our plates.


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- Non-medical face coverings are now mandatory in public spaces
- As these masks are not regulated, they vary in design and fabric
- Some reusable masks have built-in filters, which may put others at risk
With masks mandatory in public spaces, people want to find an option that offers them comfort and maximum protection.
While there are currently no standard regulations for the manufacture of non-medical cloth masks, there are some designs and fabrics that are more effective than others. One study, previously discussed on Health24, has shown that multi-layered, thick materials are better than single-layered face coverings. Another study has shown that the design of a mask also matters. Cone-shaped masks offer better protection than a normal scarf or bandanna.
The golden standard for face masks is the medical-grade N95 filter mask. However, these are specialised and should be reserved for healthcare workers. But as masks crop up from retailers, we see all sorts of material masks – some of them also with filters and valves. We might wonder how effective these filters are – and if the valves ease the breathing of the user, could they still offer protection to the people around us?
Filters vs. valves
Not all masks are created equal. The N95 filter masks are made with a built-in filter to filtrate airborne particles. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are designed to serve as protective devices in certain industries, including healthcare settings. The edges of these masks are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth. They are regulated and tested for fluid resistance, filtration efficiency (particulate and bacterial filtration efficiency), flammability and biocompatibility.
Ideally, these masks should not be reused as the filter gets soiled. Unfortunately, with worldwide PPE shortages, this remains a problem, and researchers are investigating ways to disinfect and reuse N95 masks.
But as the use of masks become compulsory, we see several manufacturers selling masks with built-in valves to increase wearer comfort, and while some of them also have built-in N95 filters, they do not offer the same level of protection as medical-grade PPE.
Valve masks may look sophisticated and offer the benefit of being more comfortable, but the valve design only allows the air you inhale to be filtered – not the air you exhale, which can escape through built-in vents. Medical-grade N95 masks don’t have these vents, which prevents the virus from being carried in exhaled droplets.
That means, if you are a SARS-Cov-2 carrier, those valves will not protect other people against your respiratory droplets.
Public health warning
While many guidelines simply stipulate that one should wear a fabric face covering, the San Francisco Department of Public Health issued a warning via their Twitter account that these non-medical N95-masks with valves will not be permitted, because “they are not safe and might propel your germs further”.
Their original public health order also stated that masks with one-way valves were not permitted. “Valves of that type permit droplet release from the mask, putting others at risk,” the order stated.
Experts agree. According to Dr Ali Raja, executive vice-chair of the department of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, these masks might offer the wearer protection, but not the people around them, unless they're also wearing masks.
“Any mask with a one-way valve is only going to protect the person wearing it. It won’t protect anyone around that person from potential exposure to virus particles they exhale,” he told Healthline. “It may give the people surrounding them a false sense of security.”
Filters need replacement
Another caveat regarding N95 masks with built-in valves, is the fact that the filter needs to be discarded or replaced on a regular basis.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, N95 filters are disposable and cannot be cleaned. It also states that these masks should be discarded after caring for a patient with an illnesses that can spread through the air (such as Covid-19).
Many non-medical masks with built-in filters are sold as reusable. These filters, however, need to be discarded as they become less effective after a while. However, replacements can be purchased and placed inside built-in filter pockets.
It’s vital to understand that wearing a mask or face-covering isn’t only about protecting yourself, but also protecting others when in public. As many cases of Covid-19 are asymptomatic, it’s possible to come into contact with infected people without being aware of it.
If you are concerned about people around you wearing valve masks, protect yourself by wearing a multi-layered covering made of tightly-weaved thick cotton.
I bought one of these masks – should I throw it out?
Money is tight and medical research changes the way we view Covid-19 almost daily, and if you’ve invested in some of these valve masks but are concerned that they don’t offer suitable protection to those around you, keep them, but carefully consider where you wear them.
No mask on its own offers 100% protection, and the infection risk increases when a group of people are inside a badly ventilated indoor area. If you are outdoors in a park, where physical distancing is more feasible than in a shop, these valve masks could be fine if you're able to maintain your distance from other people. But consider wearing a “normal” fabric mask without these air vents when you're indoors where it’s hard to maintain your distance from others.
Bear in mind that although no mask can guarantee 100% protection if it’s not coupled with hand hygiene and physical distancing – but there is sufficient evidence that masks can slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Image credit: Getty Images


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Amplestuff is less ample this year, by choice.
The small cataloger of products for the severely overweight cut the weight of its book in half this year to lower postage costs.
“It has to do with escalating mailing costs and the fact that most of our mailings go out First Class and we were trying to beat the one-ounce barrier,” company president Bill Fabrey said.
The 2003 version, including the order form and envelope, is 0.98 ounces while last year's catalog weighed 1.9 ounces. Amplestuff reduced the pages from 36 to 16 and changed the size from 8 1/2-by-3 7/8 inches to 8 by 5 1/2 inches.
“You live or die by the cost of generating customers and the cost of fulfilling orders since the people who order pay for the expense of finding them,” he said. “The new catalog is almost as comprehensive as last year's. The biggest single difference was the elimination of most of the photos. We also trimmed down on the text and eliminated verbiage that we could do without.”
Excluding postage, last year's per-piece expense of 60 cents plummeted to about 23 cents this year.
The company printed 5,000 copies of the catalog in April, all of which have been mailed. Another 5,000 were printed in early June and contain minor changes including price increases on some items as well as a few new products. The company expects to mail about 40,000 catalogs in 2003. Last year it mailed 30,000 to 40,000.
The catalog is mailed to requesters.
“We tried some experimental lists and rented names last year, and it was a wash, so now we're back to requesters only,” Fabrey said. “It's hard to get mailing lists that would work for us.
“We're not selling shoes or dresses. We're selling stuff that they want, but this would annoy people who would get it who didn't want this stuff. I've had angry husbands call and say, 'This is the last thing she needs. She needs an incentive to lose weight, not things to make her feel better about herself.' A lot of our customers have not spent money on themselves because they've said, 'I'm fat. What's the point till I lose weight?'”
The catalogs are mailed in an envelope because, Fabrey said, “People are sensitive about a postman or a mother-in-law seeing that they're getting this catalog.”
Hot-selling items from the current book include an XL umbrella, heavy-duty scales, airline seatbelt extenders, a 96-inch tape measure and a fanny pack. Prices range from $3.50 for the tape measure up to $299 for a 1,000-pound digital scale.
Large-size models are used in the catalog, which is producing the same average order as last year's version: about $75.
The 5,000 catalogs this year have generated about 300 orders.
“I think in many cases they order the catalog thinking they can place an order, then they get it and realize they're not large enough for our merchandise,” he said. “Our typical customer weighs around 300 pounds, and 85 percent of those who order are women. A few of our customers are 700, 800 or 900 pounds.”
He placed last year's response rate at 7 percent to 8 percent.
“Our catalog generates some of its orders as much as a month or two after they get it, so the April catalog could still produce 500 orders [for a 10 percent response rate],” he said. “I have my fingers crossed that it will. But I could have a lower conversion rate and be happy because of the reduced cost.”


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When you are looking at the Nintendo Switch, your core mindset is the earliest party lineup first obviously, although Vacation lineup is equally good after you realize what amount of titles Nintendo got from various developers. Square Enix has become the most significant supporters of people, including appealing to the Acquire team (the developers behind Bravely Default) to experience a new IP only at the Switch called?Octopath Traveler.
The game was a success above the system, along with team might like to do more to the Switch. And today, when using interview with Famitsu, they’re teasing that, and more. Consider what two dev team said:
So apparently there’s not just for more Octopath?coming, many even Bravely Default 3, but a different RPG franchise which can be almost certainly going to visit the Switch. Thrilling. You should definitely check out our article on Octopath?Traveler should you haven’t played it yet!


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Directors' selling slows over holiday week
Insider share purchases rise yet again but sales show sharp decline compared to previous week
Buying of their own company shares by directors rose for the fourth straight week and selling slowed during the holiday-shortened week of December 23 to 27.
A total of 33 companies reported 130 director purchases worth HK$338 million, versus 11 companies that reported 30 disposals worth HK$89 million. The number of companies and trades on the buying side was not far off the previous week's 5-day totals of 40 firms and 177 purchases, though the value was up from the previous week's acquisitions worth HK$277 million.
Sales, on the other hand, were sharply down from the previous week's 16 companies that reported 77 disposals worth HK$154 million.
Significant insider trades included purchases in Allied Group, L'Occitane International, and Paradise Entertainment. On the selling side, the chairman of Haier Electronics unloaded heavily after the stock surged by 96 per cent.
Chief executive Lee Seng Hui resumed buying shares of financial-services provider Allied Group at higher than his acquisition prices from July 2011 to November this year, with 504,000 shares purchased from December 19 to 20 at HK$30.40 each. The trades increased his holdings to 125.761 million shares or 68.43 per cent of the issued capital.
Non-executive director Pierre Maurice Georges Milet and executive director Emmanuel Laurent Jacques Osti recorded their first trades in natural cosmetics retailer L'Occitane International since the stock was listed in May 2010, with 217,000 shares purchased from December 11 to 18 at an average of HK$16.56 each.
Milet purchased an initial 50,000 shares on December 18 at HK$16.31 each, while Osti acquired 167,000 shares from December 11 to 13 at an average of HK$16.64 each, which increased his holdings by 21 per cent to 949,000 shares or 0.06 per cent.
Buying in gaming stocks picked-up in the past month, with buybacks by MGM China Holdings and most recently in Paradise Entertainment, with chairman Jay Chun picking up one million shares on December 20 at HK$3.20 each. The trade increased his holdings to 629.821 million shares or 61.43 per cent.
The stock closed at HK$3.75 on Friday.
Robert Halili is managing director of Asia Insider


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OH LOOK, A SHINY THING! Fashion Show
I went to the Buffalo Mall and caught about half of the fashion show there on Saturday. It was very refreshing to see ordinary people of various sizes, shapes, genders and ages modeling the clothes! N... Posted on 12/9/13 at 11:19 AM
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The Forum is now uploading all of its staff photos to our new photo service called myCapture.
You can follow this link to see our galleries. Along with topic-generated galleries, we're now uploading ... Posted on 7/23/13 at 1:10 PM
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[By Chinmayee Mishra (CC BY-SA 4.0)]
(With NS Ramnath)
It had all the makings of a dream venture. In 1999, Subroto Bagchi and a team of well-regarded software professionals were contemplating launching a venture of their own. Around the same time, industry stalwart Ashok Soota was also exiting Wipro. An investor suggested the two groups join forces. That was how Mindtree came into being. From the beginning, idealism and a strong sense of purpose anchored in middle class values defined the company, making it one of the best places to work in the software industry.
Almost two decades later, the $846 million enterprise is faced with its biggest existential dilemma. Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T’s) decision to make a hostile bid to take control of Mindtree has sparked off a war of words that refuses to die down.
The founders are understandably keen to preserve Mindtree’s independence and its unique culture. But in a capitalistic world, only money seems to matter. On its part, the L&T top brass led by its CEO & MD SN Subrahmanyan are at pains to assure the Mindtree team he will do nothing to disturb the independent status—at least for the time being. This is a big moment for Subrahmanyan too. Having taken over the reins in July 2017, SNS, as he is known, is emerging out of the shadows of AM Naik. Naik ran L&T with an iron hand since 1999 and left his firm imprint on the conglomerate.
The tussle is poised at an important juncture. Where will this takeover battle—the first of its kind in India’s IT history—end up? Do the founders have enough ammunition to ward off the raider? What’s the best way to resolve this conflict? Before we get there, take a quick whistle-stop tour of the story so far by looking at the interactive graph below.
[Timeline by NS Ramnath]
Q1 So what happens next?
The die is cast. Either on or before Tuesday, March 26, the L&T management will make a detailed public statement of its draft open offer filed with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). L&T will also present a timetable for the open offer. The Mindtree board has convened its next board meeting on March 26. They will discuss the open offer and their original proposed board resolution on a possible share buyback.
And at least two days before the open offer begins, a committee of independent directors at Mindtree will need to evaluate the open offer on its merits and advise shareholders on whether to take the open offer or not.
Q2 What are the options before the Mindtree founders?
The four Mindtree promoters—Krishnakumar Natarajan, Subroto Bagchi, NS Parthasarathy and Rostow Ravanan—will get time to reflect on their next course of action. As things stand, their options are limited. Earlier on Wednesday, March 20, the Mindtree board meeting to discuss a possible share buyback was adjourned. Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) founder VG Siddhartha, who signed a definitive agreement to sell his 20.3% stake in Mindtree to L&T, sent a letter saying that he would not be able to participate in the buyback. And given the open offer might be around the corner, the board may have chosen to press the pause button. It looks highly unlikely that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) rules will allow it to go ahead with the buyback. In any case, a share buyback can only raise the cost of the acquisition for L&T, but not actually prevent it.
Unless the promoters are able to bring in a white knight in the form of a private equity firm. But if that was on the cards, it ought to have happened much earlier. Here’s the upshot: No private equity firm worth its salt would agree to commit billions and then sit on the sidelines. And a buyout is the only way that a private equity player would have agreed to step in, not with a minority stake.
Q3 Did the founders underestimate the pressures on Siddhartha to sell his stake?
Possibly. Especially given that Siddhartha stepped off the board in March 2018, they had almost a year to find a solution. Given Siddhartha’s proximity to the founding team, it would have been well-nigh impossible for them to not know the mounting pressures facing the entrepreneur.
Siddhartha had pledged his entire stake in Mindtree to raise money to fund his business. In 2011, when he additionally bought Ashok Soota’s stake when he exited Mindtree, Siddhartha’s business portfolio was in fine fettle. His Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) and coffee plantation business was throwing up so much cash that he had to look for new opportunities to invest in. A story about the reclusive billionaire published in Forbes India in 2011 talked about his diversification into the furniture business, apart from a foray into logistics, hospitality and financial services.
Siddhartha’s entrepreneurial journey with CCD started on a very strong note, back in 1996. Over the last eight years, however, he faced a series of strategic challenges. Some of it was his own doing. Insiders talk about the three kinds of confusion: Whether they ought to target teenagers or corporate executives. And whether the cafe should have a large food menu or remain a quintessential place to hangout over a cup of coffee where food played an incidental role. And finally, more recently, it had to figure out how to respond to growing competition from home delivery models and new low cost rivals like Chaipoint and Chayoos.
Over the years, this confusion manifested itself in ad-hoc decisions over the look and feel of the stores (the vibrant, purple and red tones giving way to a sober brown, wood panelled look), expanding the food menu without commensurate investments in food kitchens and finally, a clearly sub-scale international operation. Plus, the rapid retail expansion ensured that there was a CCD in virtually every major mall. That took off some of the sheen. But over time, as Starbucks opened up, mall owners chose to give it the better locations, and CCD had to be content with the not-so-good locations. That certainly hit customer walk-ins, and the portfolio of stores that were losing money expanded. The vending machine business, especially inside large enterprises, on the other hand, continued to grow at a fast clip. But coupled with a downcycle in the coffee plantation business, the business eventually turned cash negative.
The result: Siddhartha began to face serious issues in paying back the nearly Rs 3,000 crore loans that he took from banks by pledging his shares in Mindtree. And ran the risk of defaulting and invoking the pledges. Plus, there was an issue with Income Tax authorities attaching a part of Siddhartha’s stake in Mindtree because of a tax raid in 2017 where they claimed to have found Rs 650 crore of undisclosed income.
Nearly seven months ago, KPMG’s Corporate Finance team led by its senior partner Srinivas Balasubramaniam brought the deal to the M&A and strategy team at L&T’s corporate centre for the first time. And that’s how L&T came into the picture.
Q4 So can they go back to the PE firms and renegotiate the deal?
Among the three PE firms that were said to be in the fray, Barings would have been a frontrunner, given its success with Hexaware. And a possible deal with NIIT, where the promoters have decided to step off. Eventually, a merger between Hexaware and NIIT is on the cards. The Mindtree founders apparently asked for a guarantee that Mindtree would not be merged with Hexaware. And insisted that Barings play a passive role, much like Siddhartha.
None of which would work for a typical PE firm.
And it may be too late to turn the clock back. Because any bidder starts with a disadvantage. L&T is already in the driver’s seat having bought Siddhartha’s stake and also announced that it was scooping up additional shares from the market. Picking up shares from the open market for a relatively illiquid stock like Mindtree would send the share price shooting up. And in the end, it would have to persuade L&T to sell its shares as well. If the Mindtree founders had agreed to sell their entire 13.32% stake to a PE firm, the PE firm could have possibly bought an additional 1.7% or a bit more from the open market and then attempted an open offer. But that’s where the founders’ intransigence to sell their stake and move to a managerial role (albeit with generous stock options) would have come in the way.
Q5 So is the takeover likely to proceed without a hitch?
It would seem so. But there is a fly in the ointment. There are unconfirmed reports that some of Mindtree’s top customers could exit, if the deal goes through. And that is a real threat for L&T. In the US and Europe, a committed customer is worth its weight in gold. It takes years to develop a client relationship. And since the Mindtree founders may have played a key role in nurturing these relationships, some turbulence on that front cannot be ruled out.
The issue with talent is less worrisome. IT Jobs are hard to come by. However, rivals could look to capitalise on some of the key skills, especially in digital. That’s why L&T’s Subrahmanyan has taken it upon himself to reach out to Krishnakumar at Mindtree and defuse the tension and invite him for a meal.
Q6 Should the founders look to renegotiate better terms with L&T?
That would seem like the only viable option left. But backing down from their hardened position may prove to be a tad uncomfortable and awkward. Especially after ratcheting up the battle with a strong emotional pitch. If the idea was to send a clear signal internally and to the larger industry that any takeover would be met with stiff resistance, it would have needed much more than emotion. Because, in the end, staving off an attacker with big bucks would invariably demand loads of capital.
On the face of it, it would seem that the Mindtree founders may have underestimated the threat of a hostile takeover and have been caught on the wrong foot. Which is surprising given that the writing on the wall was quite apparent at least a year ago, when Siddhartha stepped out of the board and signalled his intent to sell the 20.3% stake in Mindtree he held himself and two of his allied firms.
If push comes to shove, the chances are that L&T may need to up the offer price by at least 10-15% premium over the all-time high, up from the current offer price of Rs 980 a share to nearly Rs 1,200. That will guarantee that its open offer goes through successfully. Whether it is willing to up the ante remains to be seen and how the market responds to L&T’s moves also remains to be seen.
Q7 Could this deal prove costly for L&T in more ways than one?
It could. The L&T stock price has declined marginally, ever since the news of its bid became public. That is understandable. For one, its return on equity has seldom exceeded a measly 16%. (Its CFO R Shankar Raman has recently indicated that there will be concerted attempts to push up RoE to 18% by 2021.) And over the years, it has faced criticism over its capital allocation model and earned itself a conglomerate discount. In response, L&T has tried to streamline its structure, create independent verticals for each business. Some of them like L&T Infotech and L&T Tech now have their own boards. And L&T has exited non-core businesses like switchgear.
Now, the decision to use the parent company to buy Siddhartha’s stake in Mindtree has rightly come in for criticism. It opens up a Pandora’s Box on whether L&T will go back on its promises to streamline its structure. Experts say that L&T Infotech could have chosen to fund the deal through debt. Whether it has the bandwidth to manage two competing entities within the same conglomerate structure is anybody's guess.
Besides, the moot point is whether this M&A deal moves the needle for L&T Infotech. The two entities together are about a fourth of Wipro’s turnover of $8 billion, and about one-tenth of TCS’s size. And they still wouldn’t be among the top five IT companies in India. If size is now a critical determinant for bagging large global customers, it is unclear if this will make any difference.
But Mindtree’s current price earnings ratio is higher than Infosys and Wipro. And it remains to be seen whether L&T is forced to sweeten the deal further, thereby pushing up the cost of the acquisition.
However, while there may be debate over the means, the end goal is clear. L&T’s long-term positioning is to be a projects and service conglomerate. Unlike the inherent risks involved in the projects business, services tend to be less chunky and earn higher margin as well. And Subrahmanyan’s mandate from the board of directors is to increase the revenues from services through its two tech arms and L&T Finance. Even its real estate business is considered more as a service business. And it helps achieve a more well-balanced portfolio.
Q8 So does Mindtree bring anything distinctive to L&T Infotech?
Indeed, Mindtree is perhaps well ahead in the fast growing digital space. It helped create the tech backbone for Aadhaar. And its work on the cloud platform at Microsoft, and its business transformation projects at Marriott, AIA, Aviva, Ritz Carlton and P&G have been noteworthy.
Back in 2016, L&T’s strategy team at the corporate centre had called out digital transformation as an important driver of growth in the infotech space. By then, Accenture had already gained a huge head start over the rest from 2012 onwards. And by 2017, digital transformation emerged as a priority item because clients, to start with in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) space, began to see their business get disrupted. Even the stock market was willing to offer a premium for software companies that earned a substantial proportion of their revenues from digital.
Under its CEO Sanjay Jalona, L&T Infotech has had some traction in growing its digital revenues. Jalona is based in New Jersey. And his newly hired COO Nachiket Deshpande from Cognizant will hold up delivery from India. Revenues for digital are called out separately at its board meeting. But there’s plenty of ground to be covered. Besides, there is considerable debate over what really constitutes digital. In many cases, lots of basic back-end work tends to get clubbed as digital. Because a higher share of digital revenue in the portfolio tends to fetch a higher premium in the stock market and from analysts like Gartner. (Some like Cognizant, for instance, only consider work that leads to a better customer experience or business transformation under the rubric of digital.)
When the enabling resolution came up for discussion in January this year, the L&T board did spend a few minutes to look at whether there were significant overlaps in the business and whether there was bandwidth available to manage another separate entity. At that stage, neither was there any talk about L&T being a frontrunner nor had the deal been perceived as hostile by the Mindtree founders.
Q9 So is the talk around a lack of a cultural fit significant?
The pedigree of the two software companies to a large extent determines their culture. The overhang of L&T’s manufacturing and engineering projects background has seeped into L&T Infotech. For a long time, L&T’s fledgling software business was single-handedly led from the front by its chairman AM Naik. And the culture was decidedly top down. There were frequent leadership changes at the operating team. And L&T used its clout as a conglomerate to source business for L&T Infotech. For instance, insiders say that Citibank was granted mandates for investment banking. And in return, Citi gave some of its tech work to L&T Infotech. Its manufacturing and its engineering background also meant that L&T made strides in old economy sectors like energy and automotive.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, Mindtree, on the other hand, has a decidedly more open and transparent culture. Each of the founders is well-liked and trusted not just inside but across the industry. And they have always been accessible to people. Despite business setbacks in the early years and again, midway through the billion dollar revenue journey, they’ve maintained their focus on building a culture based on camaraderie and trust. As Subroto Bagchi maintains in his emotionally charged letter to employees, as much as 16.67% of Mindtree’s equity has been given to employees, something that is pretty rare. Besides, their digital strategy has also now begun to deliver significant revenue growth.
One cannot rule out cultural incompatibility. However, if L&T sticks to its stated stance of running Mindtree independent for at least the next two years without disturbing the management team, that could help ease the anxieties of the founders and the wider Mindtree family.


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23 June 2020, 10:10
Fugaku Linpack HPL result of 415petaflops is 2.8x faster than 2nd place IBM Summit.
22 June 2020, 21:01
A12Z Bionic dev system launched today, first consumer systems will roll out before New Year.
26 May 2020, 14:41
First CPU from the Cortex-X Custom Program is up to 30 per cent faster than the A77.
26 May 2020, 14:01
Calls it the most efficient Cortex-A CPU ever designed. It is 20 per cent faster than the A77.
27 April 2020, 12:11
Now Arm silicon partners ship over 6 billion Arm-based chips every quarter.
24 April 2020, 13:21
Apple has 3 Kalamata CPU designs in the pipeline. Will transition at the lower end first.
15 April 2020, 10:11
Firm has already made "significant progress," towards this end, says a new report.
27 March 2020, 12:11
The long-rumoured transition will actually happen next year, reckons KGI analyst.
5 December 2019, 11:11
Claimed to deliver 7x performance, 2x larger caches, and 5x faster memory than first gen.
18 November 2019, 12:11
Firm formed by three former Apple chip execs just raised $53m from Dell Capital.


text:
By Steve Schifferes
Economics reporter, BBC News
UK household income has doubled in real terms over the last fifty years.
And the pattern of family spending has also changed dramatically. Basic necessities including food accounting for a smaller proportion of our family budget, while spending is up on leisure activities, travel and motoring.
Housing also makes up a greater share.
But our greater spending on leisure has not necessarily made us happier.
There are big social divisions in the ownership of some popular consumer goods, and the greater affluence is at least partly a result of more families having two incomes.
The findings have emerged from the Office for National Statistic's publication of the 50th Anniversary of the Family Expenditure Survey, which began in 1957.
'Alcohol and tobacco'
The earlier survey paints a picture of Britain emerging from wartime rationing, when basic spending on food, fuel and rent made up the bulk of the family budget.
In 1957, those three items made up nearly half of all household expenditure. Taken together with clothing and travel, basics made up nearly two-thirds of family spending.
The main luxuries for the ordinary family were tobacco and alcohol, which combined made up just under 10% of spending.
The biggest other luxury item was meals eaten out making up 3% of spending.
Four of the top ten spending items were food or drink, with spending on meat, fruit, vegetables and beer all in the top twenty.
Overall, the average family spent a total of £14.30 per week in 1957, out of a gross income of £16. In today's money, spending was £243 per week.
Spending on alcoholic drinks accounts for the same proportion of spending as it did 50 years ago at 3% - although in absolute terms it is much higher.
But in contrast, the proportion of the average budget spent on tobacco has fallen sharply from 6% in 1957 to just 1% in 2006.
In 2006 the average household spent £456 out of a gross income of £642 before taxes.
In five decades, spending on most basics has declined sharply, with food making up only half as much of the average household budget as it did in 1957.
And half of that food budget now consists of meals and takeaways - a new category introduced in the l970s.
But the cost of housing, including mortgage interest payments or rent, has more than doubled since 1957.
Using a slightly broader measure of housing costs, which includes council tax, insurance and home improvements, UK households spent an average of £143 a week on housing-related costs in 2006 - or 22%.
Cars and leisure
But most striking is the growth of leisure, holiday and motoring activities.
Motoring and travel costs have doubled from 8% of spending in 1957 to 16% in 2006, mostly because of rising car ownership, with three in four households owning at least one car.
Also rising is our spending on leisure activities, including everything from holidays, DVD rentals and sports clubs.
The top ten spending items in 2006 - after mortgages, rent and council tax - included spending on motor vehicles, holidays and meals.
Growing affluence - and division
The survey shows the rapid adoption of new technologies by most UK households.
The proportion of households with a satellite, digital or cable receiver rose from 28% in 1998-9 to 71% in 2006, while the number having mobile phones rose to 80% and home computers reached 67%.
But there are big differences in consumption between rich and poor.
Nearly every household in the richest tenth of the population had a computer and an internet connection.
In contrast, among the poorest tenth, only 31% have computers and 21% have an internet connection.
And 56% of that group have mobile phones, compared to 92% of the richest tenth.
The pattern of car ownership also varies sharply by income, with less than a third of the poorest tenth of households owning a car, compared to 94% of the richest tenth of families.
But while disposable incomes have grown there is no proof this has made us happier.
According to economist Richard Layard of the London School of Economics, once people can afford the basics, happiness does not increase with income when comparing happiness among rich and poor countries.
And looking at surveys of happiness over time, he says levels of happiness have not changed across either the UK - or the US - in the last 30 years, despite the doubling of living standards in both.
Moreover, the availability of new goods can just make people more jealous of what they are unable to afford, especially for the less well-off.
Survey evidence suggests that it is good relationships - such as a good marriage or seeing friends and family - and satisfaction at work that contributes most to happiness.
Other studies show that what we have lost in the last 50 years is time.
Strikingly, most families now talk more in the car than at home.
Paradoxically while we spend more on leisure goods than half a century ago, we have less time to enjoy our free time - increasing numbers of households need two earners and working hours have risen.
About the Family Spending Survey:
The Family Spending survey - now known as the Expenditure and Food Survey - gathers information on household income and spending on a range of goods and services.
This is then analysed according to an internationally-agreed system known as the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (CIOCOP).
It is based on a sample 6,644 households who keep a 2-week diary of spending as well as complete a face-to-face interview on income and spending.
The data feeds into calculations for the Retail Price Index (RPI), and is widely used by government departments, business and academics. Not all categories are comparable over time.