text:
Binance Commits $500M to Elon Musk Acquiring Twitter
Binance, the biggest cryptocurrency exchange worldwide, has committed $500 million to help Elon Musk to buy Twitter. Thus far, Musk has raised over $7.1 billion from third-party investors, including an $800 million investment from venture capital firm, Sequoia Capital.
Musk has raised capital through collateralized debt from global banks, including Morgan Stanley. He also plans to allow existing shareholders an option to contribute their shares to the buyout. This would include billionaire Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the Binance founder, referred to the committee as “a small contribution to the cause” on Twitter after the news emerged. Twitter shares went up by 2% to $50.12, while Binance Coin (BNB) pumped from $399 to $414 following news of Binance’s commitment.
Luna Foundation Buys $1.5B worth of Bitcoin
This week, the Luna Foundation Guard (LFG), a non-profit organization that supports the Terra ecosystem, has acquired $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. The move is to boost the currency reserves for its US Terra (UST), its stablecoin. The LFG currently holds a total of $3.5 billion in Bitcoin. Their target is to accumulate $10 billion in Bitcoin by the end of the year.
“The LFG’s mission to support the stability and adoption of the UST stablecoin continues with the latest deal acquiring BTC from Genesis for the UST Forex Reserve,” said Do Kwon, Co-Founder, and CEO of Terraform Labs (TFL).
Though a Bitcoin-backed stablecoin is considered controversial, the LFG is now the second-largest corporate holder of bitcoin – displacing Tesla.
Gucci to Accept Bitcoin in Selected Stores
Gucci, a luxury fashion brand, will start accepting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as payment in their physical stores. The new payment feature will pilot in five locations in the United States: at Wooster Street in New York, Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, Miami Design District, Phipps Plaza in Atlanta, and The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas.
“Gucci is always looking to embrace new technologies when they can provide an enhanced experience for our customers,” said Marco Bizzarri, the president and CEO of Gucci.
Written by Lindi Miti © Crypto University 2022


text:
The Snapdragon X50 delivers 5Gbits/second downlinks and multiple gigabit uplinks for mobile and fixed-wireless networks.
Qualcomm has announced plans for a 28GHz modem that will be used in separate pre-standard 5G cellular trials by Verizon and Korea Telecom. The news is the latest indication some vendors want to speed up the roll out of elements of 5G, a move one source said comes “at the expense of innovation.”
The Snapdragon X50 delivers 5Gbits/second downlinks and multiple gigabit uplinks for mobile and fixed-wireless networks. It uses a separate LTE connection as an anchor for control signals while the 28GHz link delivers the higher data rates over distances of tens to hundreds of meters.
The X50 uses eight 100MHz channels, a 2×2 MIMO antenna array, adaptive beamforming techniques and 64QAM to achieve a 90dB link budget. It works in conjunction with Qualcomm’s SDR05x mmWave transceiver and PMX50 power management chip. So far, Qualcomm is not revealing more details of modem that will sample next year and be in production before June 2018.
Verizon and Korea Telecom will use the chips in separate trials starting late next year, anticipating commercial services in 2018. The new chips mark a departure from prototypes not intended as products that Qualcomm Research announced in June.
Korea Telecom plans a mobile 5G offering at the February 2018 Winter Olympics. Verizon plans to launch in 2018 a less ambitious fixed-wireless service in the U.S. based on a specification it released in July. KT and Verizon are among a quartet of carriers that formed a group in February to share results of early 5G trials.
For its part, the 3GPP standards group is also stepping up the pace of the 5G standards efforts it officially started earlier this year. It endorsed in September a proposal to consider moving the date for finishing Phase I, an initial version of 5G anchored to LTE, from June 2018 to as early as December 2017, according to a recent Qualcomm blog.
“We are looking to accelerate the [5G] standards effort with key decisions coming in the next quarter or two,” said Peter Carson, a director of product marketing at Qualcomm. “Early trials will help accelerate the learning curve…trying to implement [services] in real commercial form factors now will help accelerate [an understanding of the] trade offs,” he said, noting that 28GHz requires new test techniques to handle insertion and cable losses.
Not everyone agrees.
“There are several powerful operators and vendors who have a primary goal of expediting 5G at the cost of much innovation in Phase I,” said one engineer who attends 3GPP meetings on the 5G radio standard but asked to be unnamed.
“Any real innovation—including new use cases—in my view, will hopefully happen in Phase II which has been delayed a few months to March” including discussions of specs for vehicle-to-vehicle links and support for bands between 40 and 100 GHz, the engineer said.
“There has been no delay in Phase II—3GPP is currently investigating acceleration of the Release 15 Work Item (or Phase I), which Qualcomm is a supporter of,” countered a Qualcomm representative.
The proposal to step up the Phase I deadline would have no impact on the Release 16 aka Phase II work, the representative said. Under the original schedule the Phase 1 spec would be final is early 2018, opening the door to commercial services in 2019 with Phase II following it by a year or two.

domain: news


text:
Spotify is the giant, and it only offers a streaming music option.
Warner Music Group has already signed on, though discussions with juggernauts Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group have been underway for over a year.
YouTube plans to launch a new music subscription service in March, Bloomberg reported Thursday, in what would be Google-parent Alphabet's third attempt to challenge rivals Apple and Spotify. The service is also attached to Google's Play Music, which allows users access to either service, at no extra charge.
Google's worldwide music boss Lyor Cohen has previously spoken of the possibilities of bringing together Google Play Music's paid service with elements of YouTube.
YouTube has always been seen as one of the biggest obstacles for musical artists and labels, seeing as it's a go-to site for streaming free music. Vevo, owned by Universal and Sony, distributes music videos for their acts. Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs predicted in its Music in the Air report that the streaming music market would grow to $28 billion per year by 2030, and Google will certainly want a large slice of that pie. Namely, they have been disappointed in how YouTube Red is not music-centric enough and instead focussed on producing original video content.


text:
11. July 2011 16:42
Legislation and Litigation
- Bill S. 1233 introduced by Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow (D-MI) would provide tax credits of half the cost of certain safety systems for commercial vehicles. Systems include brake-stroke monitoring systems, lane departure warning system, collision warning system and vehicle stability systems. The House has introduced a companion bill, H.R. 1706.
- Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH) has introduced H.R. 2357, referred to as the Fighting Fraud in Transportation Act of 2011 or the "anti-fraud bill." The bill is an attempt to increase the bond required that transportation brokers provide from the present $10,000 to $100,000. Much opposition is anticipated in view of the number of small brokers in operation, some of them with $0 assets.
- Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has called upon the federal government to pass a national plan against the refusal of online businesses to collect state sales taxes. He asked that the provisions passed by some states to force collection of the sales tax be revoked and a nationwide provision be passed by Congress. This was brought to a conclusion when Amazon.com stated that it would not open the facility under construction in Tennessee.
- Bank of America faces a suit by homeowners who claim that mortgage loan modifications were not provided to them, even though they were qualified under a federal program to avoid foreclosure. A US District Judge in Massachusetts refused the bank's motion to dismiss the complaint, stating that the bank "willfully failed" to modify the loans. The lawsuit combines 26 cases in 19 states.
Manufacturing: Rare Earth Minerals
- Constraints on rare earth minerals have resulted in the WTO's agreement with the US stance that such actions by the Chinese were inconsistent with China's WTO obligations to the rest of the world. The restriction that China placed on the rare earth minerals could have a seriously negative impact on prices for production of goods requiring minerals. Rare earth minerals are used in the manufacture of electronics, with Japan using the major portion.
- Japanese scientists have reported the discovery of an enormous amount of rare earth at the bottom of the Pacific. With China controlling 95% of the world's deposits, this could be an important discovery. The latest discovery is in international waters from Tahiti at depths between 3,500 and 6,000 meters. The contents are said to be almost as large as deposits in China, Russia and the US.
Trade and Transport
- Exports have grown to support an estimated 9.2 million jobs in 2010, up from 8.7 million in 2009. Every $1 billion of exports supports over 5,000 jobs.
- Malaysia has joined other Asian countries for high risk of cargo theft. Located along an important trade route, the country has become a major thoroughfare. Because of the congestion at nearby Singapore, one of the world's busiest ports, Malaysia is on routes to Southeast Asia.
- Some companies are said to hire armed guards to protect their trucks in Malaysia. There is reported to be a syndicate in the country, according to the president of the Federation of Malaysia Freight Forwarders. In recent years, there has been a group of bandits that focuses on trucks that haul electronics. Security measures have reduced incidents, but the extent is not known due to the reluctance of companies to release accurate information. As in the US, the theft rings could be receiving information from some company workers.
- APL has purchased a 43-acre plot of land near the BNSF and UP terminals at Joliet IL. When completed by Dec 2011, it will be carrier's largest container terminal in the US. Located near BNSF and UPRR intermodals, it is also near an area of customer warehouses and distribution centers. The advantageously located facilities will replace an existing APL terminal in Chicago.
Images by Michael Hodge and USDAgov


text:
No show and no comment
Published 1:00 am, Sunday, November 1, 2009
After all, CEG officials unveiled a new work force development initiative that was the brainchild of GlobalFoundries, the Sunnyvale, Calif., company building a $4.2 billion computer chip factory in Saratoga County called Fab 2.
F. Michael Tucker, the president of CEG, had recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to listen to Ruiz speak about the Fab 2 project and, among other things, work force development, so it would only be natural that Ruiz would attend the CEG meeting to announce the new initiative.
But Ruiz never appeared, and it was likely a case of bad timing.
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ruiz had been caught up — although he hasn't been charged — in a $20 million insider trading scandal by allegedly providing confidential information about the formation of GlobalFoundries earlier this year to a Wall Street hedge fund trader. Ruiz has declined comment through a spokesman.
Walking wounded brotherhood
So the American auto industry isn't dead yet, and neither is the newspaper industry.
In fact, General Motors apparently can thank the newspaper industry for part of its success in generating buzz about its new cars and programs.
Autoremarketing.com, a Web site that focuses on the used car industry, carried a story earlier this month that notes GM has had great success with its "May the Best Car Win" campaign and that newspapers played an important role.
Actually, nearly 32 percent of those who knew about it learned about the campaign from the newspaper.
Forget the pulled pork
John Stage will be in town Nov. 12, speaking to the local chapter of the American Marketing Association.
Who's John Stage? He's the head of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, the George Soros-owned restaurant chain planning to open next year in Troy. The theme of the talk: the marketing importance of product authenticity.
They'll be served food, too. But not ribs, beef brisket or the other items featured at Dinosaur locations.
Rather, the eats — chicken Parmigiana and eggplant Parmigiana — reflect the venue, the Italian American Community Center.


text:
Helistrat target the Green Apple Awards
Added : 27th April 2011
Helistrat Management Services are proud to announce that their work on waste management programs with Marks and Spencer has been rewarded by the presentation of a Green Apple Trophy at the recent awards ceremony in London. Helistrat collaborated with Marks and Spencer to help them win a coveted Green Apple Award by reducing waste going to landfill to an all time low.
Over the last two years Helistrat Management Services have reduced the percentage of waste taken to landfill by 92%, increased recycling at a steady pace of 90% per month and re-invented the post consumer waste backhauling process across Marks and Spencer ensuring that the aggressive targets on waste reduction and recycling were met.
As part of the driving force behind Marks and Spencer’s Plan A project, Helistrat will ensure that by 2012 waste to landfill will reduce even further, with an ultimate goal of 0%. So far, the commitment to this has resulted in recycled packaging throughout Marks and Spencer being maximised, with a capacity of 91% of Food and 98% of General Merchandise packaging being recycled where possible.
The partnership between Helistrat and Marks and Spencer is bound to develop even further and the team at Helistrat will undoubtedly be trying to repeat the success of this year at next years Green Apple Awards.


text:
Yemi Alade is the cover star for the latest issue of digital platform Ono Bello. The Afrobeats star rocks stylish swimsuits by Nigerian fashion label Andrea Iyamah.
Did you know that back in 2009 the popular singer won a talent show titled Peak Talent Show? Yemi talks all about it plus her success story, her new ‘Mama Africa’ album and more in the issue.
In the meantime, check out the editorial images below:
Don’t forget to follow us on:


text:
Guelph, Ont., September 20, 2018– The Conference Board of Canada, a national, independent research organization, has projected real gross domestic product (GDP) for the Guelph region at 2.3 per cent in 2018. The Guelph region includes the City of Guelph, and Guelph/Eramosa and Puslinch Townships.
The Summer 2018 Outlook report states that Guelph’s economy has performed strongly in recent years and is expected to continue to grow above the provincial pace for both 2018 and 2019. Guelph’s expected real GDP growth in 2018 is the second highest among medium sized cities, trailing only Oshawa (2.6 per cent).
“We expect continued, albeit moderating, economic growth for Guelph over the next two years, with real GDP slated to advance 2.3 per cent in 2018 and a further 2.1 per cent in 2019,” the report states. “This compares with annual increases averaging 3.3 per cent during the previous four years, which included last year’s 3.1 per cent gain.”
“Guelph’s economy continues to outperform its neighbouring municipalities and national peers,” says Helen Loftin, General Manager of Business Development and Enterprise for the City of Guelph. “This growth can be attributed to the diverse nature of our economy, as well as the strength and resilience of our manufacturing sector.”
The Conference Board’s report highlights Guelph’s manufacturing sector as a major contributor to real GDP growth noting, “Guelph’s manufacturing sector has been on a tear in recent years, with industry output rising an average of 4.8 per cent annually since 2014, compared with 3.3 per cent expansion in the city’s total GDP. We expect the industry’s output to rise a more moderate 2.6 per cent in 2018 and 2.1 per cent in 2019.”
“Guelph’s diverse economy and attractive geographical position in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe have kept newcomers arriving which has contributed to the city’s strong economic performance,” says Alan Arcand, associate director for the Centre for Municipal Studies at the Conference Board of Canada. In fact, we estimate that total net migration hit a record high above 2,800 people in 2017. We expect Guelph’s economy to continue to grow over the next two years, albeit at a more moderate pace.”
The report also states that Guelph’s retail sales jumped 7.0 per cent last year as a result of a strong economy and rebounding personal incomes. This was retail sales’ largest increase in Guelph since 2000, and roughly twice the average growth during the 1990s.
The Conference Board report sees solid prospects for Guelph’s economy. The diverse and resilient nature of Guelph’s economy has contributed to the outperforming of provincial and national averages and continues to attract the labour force and businesses needed to ensure future stable growth.
About Invest in Guelph
Invest in Guelph represents the business development outcomes identified in the City of Guelph’s economic development strategy, Prosperity 2020. Its purpose is to position and promote Guelph as an ideal place to do business.
For more information
Tyson McMann, Business Development Analyst
Business Development and Enterprise Services
City of Guelph
519-837-5600 extension 3525


text:
Nanobit is now part of the gaming giant StillFront group-100
17 — 9 — 2020
Nanobit is now part of the gaming giant StillFront group
Nanobit has become part of the Swedish Stillfront Group, one of the largest global gaming groups and market leader in free-to-play online strategy games genre.
We are glad to announce that Nanobit has become part of the Swedish Stillfront group, one of the largest global gaming groups and market leader in the free-to-play online strategy games genre with a diverse portfolio of more than 50 games played by over two billion users. Headquartered in Stockholm, Stillfront is a powerhouse of 14 gaming studios from the US, UK, Germany, France, the MENA region and Asia.
“The mobile gaming industry is growing rapidly and becoming more globalized. If we want to remain number 1, we need to move forward. By joining the Stillfront group, Nanobit is gaining additional momentum, which will allow us to further grow and develop new ambitious plans and projects. We look forward to working with other successful studios as part of Stillfront, which will further accelerate the growth of both Nanobit and the Stillfront Group while our employees will have the opportunity to collaborate with the world’s pioneers”, said Alan Sumina and Zoran Vucinic, CEOs of Nanobit.
“Over the past 12 years, Alan and Zoran, together with their team at Nanobit, have created an impressive gaming Studio with a solid niche market in the exciting genre of lifestyle games. We look forward to working with them to take the company to an even higher level. Over the past year, their games portfolio has recorded an impressive growth, and we also see strong growth potential in the future, including promising new games that are in development”, said Jörgen Larsson, CEO of Stillfront.


text:
In May, a spokesperson for the German carmaker declined to confirm to Automotive Logistics that VW had plans to re-enter the market, despite local news reports to this effect.
The company will be joining the likes of France’s PSA Group and Renault, targeting consumers in the Middle Eastern country. The move follows the lifting of global economic sanctions against Iran last year.
The news came shortly after rival Renault announced it was boosting output in Iran via a joint venture with Iran’s Industrial Development and Renovation Organisation (IDRO).
Mammut Khodro will be the local partner for the import and distribution of Volkswagen brand vehicles. The privately-owned company is already the local partner for the VW Group’s Scania commercial vehicle brand.
Initially, distribution will take place via eight dealerships, focusing on the Tehran region.
VW cars were sold in the country from the 1950s up until the company withdrew from the market in 2000.
In a statement, the company said: “The initial aim of the present import initiative is to gain an insight into current market needs, establish the Volkswagen brand in Iran, and offer Iranians modern technologies ‘made in Germany’.
“The Iranian government estimates there will be some 3m new registrations in the overall passenger car market per year in the medium to long term,” it added.


text:
AEL Advocacy Files False Advertising Complaint Over Sustainability Claims in Canadian Cattle Association Ads
OTTAWA, March 20, 2023 - Animal and environmental law organization AEL Advocacy has filed a false advertising complaint over Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) ads that contain misleading claims regarding the environmental impact of beef.
The CCA ads, which have been running on various social media platforms, state that beef is “sustainable” and claim that beef cattle are “preserving 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon in Canada.” These claims are unsupported by scientific evidence, which clearly demonstrates the profoundly negative impact the beef industry has on the environment and its significant role in furthering the climate crisis.
The complaint was filed with Ad Standards, the advertising industry's self-regulating body responsible for administering the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards. The Code prohibits ads from containing inaccurate, deceptive, or otherwise misleading claims.
In its complaint, AEL Advocacy argues that the CCA's false claims are particularly harmful because they deceive ethically minded consumers into believing that beef is an environmentally friendly choice.
“As Canadians become more environmentally conscious, they are increasingly seeking out products they believe have a positive impact on the environment,” said Kira Berkeley, Co-Director and Legal Counsel at AEL Advocacy. “It is unacceptable for the CCA to capitalize on this trend by promoting beef as sustainable when the scientific evidence clearly shows it is not.”
In response to a similar complaint made by national animal advocacy organization Animal Justice in 2020 regarding a McDonald’s ad campaign claiming that the beef in its Quarter Pounder was “now sustainably sourced”, the Competition Bureau opened an inquiry and met with McDonald’s to facilitate voluntary compliance with consumer protection laws.
AEL Advocacy is calling on Ad Standards to follow suit and ensure the CCA is held accountable for its misleading advertising practices by withdrawing the advertisements. The organization is also urging consumers to be aware of the environmental impact of their food choices and to consider reducing their consumption of beef in favour of more sustainable options.
To read the complaint, click here.
For further information, contact:
Kira Berkeley, Co-Director and Legal Counsel, AEL Advocacy


text:
The family tree for Internet of Things was planted in the trucking industry long before the term was invented.
For more than 20 years, fleets have been using telematics, the granddaddy of IoT, to stay connected with vehicles and drivers. The electronic logging device (ELD) mandate accelerated the use of IoT in the industry, at least for trucks. Now attention has turned to the trailer.
Trailer telematics has become one of the fastest growing branches of IoT, with subscriptions expected to increase by more than 16 percent each year through 2022, according to a recent study from telematics research and consulting firm C.J. Driscoll and Associates.
Every year, shippers spend $800 billion on transportation and logistics for goods worth an estimated $14 trillion. The money is in the cargo, and these five new developments in trailer telematics are poised to give carriers and their shipper customers greater visibility of cargo while improving operating efficiency.
1. A look inside
Phoenix-based Tri-State Motor Transport Co. (TSMT), part of the Roadmaster Group, provides specialized and secure transport of high-value loads with a fleet of more than 400 team drivers and 2,000 van and flatbed trailers.
The company uses the Omnitracs TT210 trailer tracking system for its van trailers and the Spireon Fleet Locate FL Flex system for its flatbed trailer fleet.
The Omnitracs system meets tracking requirements for a large customer, the Department of Defense, says Frank Larance, director of IT and asset utilization.
With the Omnitracs system, TSMT has door sensors that detect open/closed status. TSMT pairs door status with dispatch data to automatically alert fleet managers and customers if doors are opened at unauthorized locations.
The company mainly uses the two systems to improve efficiencies such as notifying customers if trailers are detained while loading or unloading.
“We want to get the assets back in our system for a variety of reasons,” Larance says. “The last thing we want to do is bill you for it.”
Presently, TSTM does not use sensors to detect the presence of cargo. Larance is interested in new cargo sensors that have imaging and laser technology to accurately determine loaded and unloaded status. He also sees value in the technology for taking pictures to share with customers and identify maintenance needs.
“I would love to see inside of a trailer,” he says.
2. The Smart Trailer
Cargo sensors are one of many new developments in trailer telematics that fit a “smart trailer” concept where a hub, or gateway, gathers the status of cargo and trailer components.
Spireon recently announced a new IntelliScan cargo sensor for its Fleet Locate FL Flex platform. The sensor uses optical imaging and laser time of flight to accurately detect cargo.
“It’s like having an eye in the trailer,” says Reza Hemmati, the company’s vice president of product management, fleet and asset intelligence.
Spireon is also developing new dashboards for fleet managers to have maintenance and operational metrics from the integrations it has with tire pressure monitoring and auto-inflation systems and trailer components such as lights and brakes.
“The biggest focus is to get more information off the trailer,” Hemmati says.
SkyBitz, which has anywhere between 35 and 50 percent of the trailer telematics market, will soon be updating its cargo sensor with imaging technology and algorithms that will detect loaded capacity, says Henry Popplewell, president of SkyBitz.
Other smart trailer capabilities from SkyBitz include reporting alerts from PSI, Meritor and Bendix systems on trailers that measure tire pressures, axle temperature and brake wear.
“We ramp up reporting frequencies,” Popplewell explains, to “look at the big picture of the fleet versus being dependent on drivers” for reporting trailer and cargo conditions.
Looking ahead, predictive analytics will be the next evolution of the smart trailer to identify failure points for brakes, axles and lights in advance, he says.
I.D. Systems recently announced a new telematics and analytics product platform, the LV Series, with an optional vision sensor that detects cargo and measures loaded levels. The sensor uses a high-definition camera and image recognition processor.
Door and cargo-area environmental sensors are also available, along with sensors that monitor tire pressure and anti-lock braking system lights.
BlackBerry takes a different approach with its Radar platform. Rather than place wireless sensors in and around a trailer, Radar uses a self-contained device with seven internal sensors that capture location, mileage, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, cargo and door status.
BlackBerry Radar’s infrared cargo sensors and a learning algorithm reports a trailer’s loaded status in increments of 10 percentage points. The unit installs on the inside door of a trailer and the cargo sensor automatically takes a reading when the door closes, explains Kate Rahn, vice president of sales for Blackberry Radar.
The mobile device records location and sensor data in 5-minute increments. The data record is wirelessly transmitted to the cloud-based system in intervals that preserve battery life for up to eight years, she says.
3. Data logging
Monitoring the status of cargo in transit and at exchange points in a supply chains has become critical for high value shipments and perishable cargo.
Since April 2017, shippers and carriers have had to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Shippers and brokers are asking carriers to document compliance with their load instructions. Shipments are more susceptible to cargo claims if temperatures and other records do not measure up.
Digi has a subscription-based IoT platform, SmartSense, that uses wireless Digi Data Logger sensors that are the size of casino chips and can be placed in direct contact with cargo to maintain an accurate record.
The data loggers are certified by the National Institution of Standards and Technology (NIST) as within a half degree of reality. The sensors last between three and five years and are “very affordable,” says Ron Konezny, president and chief executive of Digi.
SmartSense has a wireless Digi gateway device that attaches to a trailer, a warehouse, dock door or other exchange points in supply chains to read sensor data and send it to the cloud-based platform.
SmartSense monitors temperature, shock, humidity and vibration of cargo while giving carriers all of the most common features of trailer telematics such as location tracking and door sensors.
The Digi sensors and gateway allow temperature and other cargo data to be monitored, logged and retrieved independent of the mode of transport, he explains.
During transit, temperature and other cargo data can be interrogated using an app on a smartphone or other device using a Bluetooth connection with the gateway. The data transmission takes place using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
One of Digi’s customers, RaceTrac convenience stores, is installing SmartSense in its stores, trucks and distribution centers to have complete visibility of cargo conditions. Another Digi customer, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, uses Data Loggers to track the condition and chain of custody of its products on trucks, trains, boats and airplanes.
Verizon Connect recently announced a new device for tracking trailers and other powered and non-powered assets. The device provides near real-time location alerts in the event of significant changes to the asset’s temperature, tilt, vibration, shock, humidity, light and pressure.
The ability to monitor cargo conditions is especially useful for high-value trailer loads. With secure wireless data encryption, settings for the device are configured over the air. The device can be recharged via USB and has a low-power processor to extend its battery life.
4. Remote control
Carriers with refrigerated operations no longer have to rely on drivers to check and monitor reefer units to protect against cargo claims.
“It does not take much to lose a load with a missed (temperature) setting,” says Scott Flerl, director of equipment procurement at Covenant Transportation Group (CTG).
For more than a year, CTG has been using a telematics platform from Orbcomm on its reefer trailers. The platform has remote control features with reefer units that allow managers in the office to set temperatures and turn units on and off.
“Before that, we relied on the driver to tell us if something goes wrong,” he says.
Orbcomm offers a portfolio of trailer tracking and monitoring products for all types of equipment — dry van, refrigerated, tanker and intermodal chassis.
By bringing the different systems together, fleets with multiple equipment types across geographies can have all of their data in single dashboard and platform.
CTG uses Spireon for its dry van trailers and decided to build a trailer management system that gives managers “one place to do everything,” he says. The system marries up trailer and dispatch information to alert users if a reefer temperature setting does not match the customer’s requirement on an order.
Users are alerted to other exceptions captured by the Orbcomm platform such as reefer units running low on fuel or not performing correctly.
5. Precision tracking
Modern trailer telematics systems report location and other data in a near real-time frequency without sacrificing battery life.
Heniff Transportation, a liquid bulk hauler based in Oakbrook, Ill., uses the SkyBitz trailer telematics platform to provide its customers with instant shipment visibility.
“It’s a really great product,” says Justin Neal, vice president of performance and analytics. “We love it.”
The SkyBitz units are mounted under the chassis of tank trailers. Tracking data from SkyBitz is integrated with its back-office systems to give shippers visibility through a web-based platform Heniff calls the Freight Portal.
Web-based and mobile-friendly, the portal gives customers ETAs of shipments as well as automatic notifications when detention events occur, he says.
Overall, the use of trailer telematics has made Heniff “a lot more efficient,” Neal says. During the past six months, Heniff has installed SkyBitz in the trailers of two companies it has acquired and plans to have 3,000 trailers equipped.
Covenant Transport Group has seen efficiency gains from managing trailer pools at customer sites. Prior to using modern trailer telematics systems with frequent tracking updates, the company was sending drivers out for yard checks.
“With geofencing, you don’t have to do that. You know when you are short and when have too many (trailers),” Flerl says.
Trailer pool information helps CTG when buying and selling equipment. Management can identify which locations to pull trailers from. On a larger scale, management controls trailer pools to ensure that assets are positioned strategically in its network.
“Now we can attack (network imbalance) before it gets so out of hand,” he says. “We can be far more proactive instead of reactive.”
CTG has a driver mobile app that shows drivers a Google Map of the locations of assigned trailers in drop yards within 30 feet of accuracy. The app saves time and frustration for drivers while boosting trailer utilization.
The app is immediately updated with dispatch information to prevent scenarios where drivers are “driving around looking for something that is not there,” Flerl says.


text:
Ideogram AI—a startup founded by former Google engineers alongside members from prestigious institutions like UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Toronto—has announced the release of the first full version of its eponymous image generator.
“We’re excited to release Ideogram 1.0, our most advanced text-to-image model to date,” Ideogram AI said in an official blog post. “Trained from scratch like all Ideogram models, Ideogram 1.0 offers state-of-the-art text rendering, unprecedented photorealism, and prompt adherence—and a new feature called Magic Prompt that helps you write detailed prompts for beautiful, creative images.”
The release comes alongside news of a $80 million Series A fundraise led by Andreessen Horowitz, along with Redpoint Ventures, Pear VC, and SV Angel.
Happy to share that Ideogram raised $80 million in series A funding to help people become more creative through generative AI! Thanks to @a16z for leading the round and @Redpoint,


text:
SEATTLE, July 12 (Reuters) – Jeff Bezos’ rocket company plans to charge passengers about $200,000 to $300,000 for its first trips into space next year, two people familiar with its plans told Reuters.Potential customers and the aerospace industry have been eager to learn the cost of a ticket on Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle, to find out if it is affordable and whether the company can generate enough demand to make a profit on space tourism.Executives at the company, started by Amazon.com Inc founder Bezos in 2000, told a business conference last month they planned test flights with passengers on the New Shepard soon, and to start selling tickets next year.The company, based about 20 miles (32 km) south of Seattle, has made public the general design of the vehicle – comprising a launch rocket and detachable passenger capsule – but has been tight-lipped on production status and ticket prices.Blue Origin representatives did not respond to requests for comment on its programs and pricing strategy. Bezos said in May ticket prices had not yet been decided. 108 PHOTOS French astronaut Thomas Pesquet’s stunning photos from space See Gallery French astronaut Thomas Pesquet’s stunning photos from space Waves are majestic,… Read full this story
- Here's Everything Jeff Bezos Said to Convince Humanity That Space Colonies Are the Future
- Jeff Bezos Reveals Lunar Lander Designed for 'Sustained Human Presence on the Moon'
- Jeff Bezos wants Blue Origin to go to the moon. Here's why that's a big deal
- Jeff Bezos Outlines Plan to Colonize Space, Interrupted by Chicken Protestor
- Jeff Bezos unveils Blue Moon lander in grand plan to return to lunar surface
- 'He wants Prime service on his own house': Jeff Bezos' $23m Washington DC mega-mansion is near completion after three years of construction, as workers reveal he recently visited the site and urged the project to be finished 'fast, fast, fast!'
- Jeff Bezos ‘has been seeing’ estranged wife of Hollywood mogul
- Jeff Bezos says he wants to fly into space “as soon as possible”
- Jeff Bezos unveils his sweeping vision for humanity’s future in space
- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie announce divorce on Twitter
- Jeff Bezos says NASA should return to the Moon, and he’s ready to help
- Amazon Basics: Branding Advice for Jeff Bezos from 11 Marketing Experts
Sources reveal what Jeff Bezos plans to charge for space rides have 372 words, post on www.aol.com at July 11, 2018. This is cached page on Konitono. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


text:
Laos launches online ticketing service for China-Laos Railway with new App
VIENTIANE, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC) on Wednesday launched its ticketing mobile application, allowing passengers to easily book and manage their journeys on smartphones.
The launch of the LCR Ticket mobile application adds to the comfort and efficiency of the passengers' journey, marking the China-Laos railway's official entry into the era of online ticket sales, according to a press release from the LCRC.
As the number of passengers traveling on the China-Laos Railway is mounting, the LCRC has developed an APP system for ticketing online to further facilitate ticket purchases.
The APP is developed with a mature technology from the Chinese railway system, integrated with the characteristics of the Lao culture, laws and regulations, with a variety of functions to meet the needs of users, according to the LCRC.
The APP supports ticket reservation and cancellation, and provides information on train schedules, stations, and routes.
The Lao section of the China-Laos Railway made a new record on March 4 for carrying 10,197 passengers a day. From January to February this year, the railway carried a total of 417,400 passengers, an increase of 256.2 percent compared to the same period in 2022.


text:
Riverside Theater Raises Money for MADACC
Posted: Nov 30, 2016 7:43 PM CDT
Riverside Theater's historic chair auction brought in $30,000 for Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission.
Approximately $32,000 was raised when the Riverside decided to put up old chairs for auction during renovations instead of throwing them away.
The proceeds go to MADACC which will use that money to bring animals back from the brink.


text:
Mumbai, Aug 8 (ANI/Business Wire India) Launched in September 07 the Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-Si is India's largest selling 125 cc motorcycle. With average sales of 27,000 unit's pm in Quarter 1 of 0809, the Bajaj XCD has overtaken all established 125cc brands.
Launched to upgrade 100 cc customers from overpriced and under-performing 100 cc motorcycles to a superior performing and feature-laden 125cc product, the Bajaj XCD 125 has been instrumental in migrating customers away from the 100 cc segments. The 125 cc + segment today constitute almost 40 per cent of the motorcycle market, up from only 25cper cent two years ago.
Bajaj has a dominant market share of almost 50 per cent in the 125 cc + segment. Bajaj XCD 125 alone contributes 13 per cent of the 125 cc + segment, a feat not achieved by other 125cc products after years of existence.
Amit Nandi, General Manager (Marketing and Probiking) Bajaj Auto, said, " 60 per cent of Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-Si customers were erstwhile 100 cc customers who felt compelled to choose the XCD 125 over other 100 cc products due to its obvious superiority on performance, features and fuel economy on the one hand and the sporty, youthful image of the Bajaj Brand on the other."
In continuation of its strategy to catalyse migration of 100cc customers to superior performing 125cc+ products Bajaj will soon be unveiling 3 more products from the XCD PLATFORM, off which the Bajaj XCD 125 was the first PRODUCT.
This will further accelerate the unabated decline of the 100cc segment from 75 per cent of the market two years ago to only 60 per cent of the market now.


text:
Samsung Smart Interaction: hands-on with voice and gesture control Video
At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, Samsung executives reveal the company's latest strategy, which includes the launch of a new 55-inch OLED TV, as well as smarter interactions with TVs. Users will now be able to control their TVs through voice and gesture controls.
Microsoft's totally overhauled Xbox gaming console boasts all-new hardware with live TV, movies on demand, and new interactive voice- and gesture-controlled features.
The Lenovo Idea TV is powered by Android's Ice Cream Sandwich, and comes equipped with gaming controller and a unique interactive remote control
David Katzmaier demonstrates the latest iteration of Samsung's Smart TV software and the new touch based remote control.
ZDNet's David Coursey talks with Microsoft Research about a new technology that uses simple hand gestures to control a personal computer.
At the E3 gaming show in Los Angeles, the company shows off its new Xbox Kinect, featuring voice recognition and gesture-controlled gaming.
CNET News gets a look at QB1, a new bot that replaces the remote control when you listen to music and could eventually be used as a substitute for a keyboard and mouse. It recognizes the person it's interacting with and reacts to simple human gestures.
Rerouting online maps, Digging up controversy, Webby award winners, extreme express-delivery test, and a good old-fashioned treasure hunt.
Enough with this tablet nonsense. What are the best good, old-fashioned laptops?
The Galaxy Grand looks a lot like the Note 2, but without the pen to control it with.


text:
Rusal to provide Budweiser with ultra-low carbon cans
Rusal has struck a deal with Budweiser to provide the brewer with ‘ultra-low’ carbon beer cans.
The Russian company will provide five million cans that are made from aluminium produced using technology that eliminates carbon dioxide from the smelting process.
“The is the first commercial rollout of a near-zero carbon — or 0.01 per cent — aluminium,” said Greg Barker, executive chair of En+ Group, the parent company of Rusal. “It is the first time it has been done at scale.”
The products are due to go on sale in the UK later this year with the 440ml cans made at the company’s Krasnoyarsk plant in Siberia with hydropower.
The five million cans supplied to Budweiser will then be filled in breweries in Lancashire and South Wales, which are powered by renewable energy.
Mauricio Coindreau, Sustainability Director at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said: “Like our consumers, we care about climate change, and want to make it as easy as possible for people to choose environmentally-friendly options in their day-to-day lives, whether it’s enjoying a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity and locally sourced ingredients, or now in a low-carbon can.
“We’re excited about this pilot, made possible thanks to the collaboration with our partners and this amazing technological breakthrough, and we look forward to being able to roll it out even further.”


text:
Media coverage about BEST (NYSE:BSTI) has trended positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies positive and negative news coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. BEST earned a coverage optimism score of 0.37 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the company an impact score of 45.4023700613641 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near future.
A number of research firms recently commented on BSTI. Zacks Investment Research downgraded BEST from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, December 15th. Oppenheimer began coverage on BEST in a report on Tuesday, December 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $13.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup began coverage on BEST in a report on Tuesday, December 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $13.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on BEST in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank began coverage on BEST in a report on Monday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. BEST currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $14.92.
BEST (NYSE BSTI) traded up $0.08 on Tuesday, hitting $9.23. The stock had a trading volume of 500,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 756,033. BEST has a 12 month low of $8.72 and a 12 month high of $13.25.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Favorable Media Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Impact BEST (BSTI) Stock Price” was published by Dispatch Tribunal and is the property of of Dispatch Tribunal. If you are accessing this story on another website, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of US & international copyright and trademark law. The correct version of this story can be read at https://www.dispatchtribunal.com/2018/01/16/positive-media-coverage-somewhat-unlikely-to-affect-best-bsti-stock-price.html.
BEST Company Profile
BEST Inc is engaged in providing supply chain solutions. The Company offers a cloud based platform, BEST Cloud which is integration of online and offline retail to offer delivery. It provides technology-enabled solutions to its users. The Company’s service offerings include BEST supply chain management, BEST express, BEST freight, BEST store+, BEST global, BEST cargo and BEST Ucargo.
Receive News & Ratings for BEST Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BEST and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
Survey: Three in four retailers plan to identify customers in-store
Boston — Three in four (75%) retailers can or intend to identify customers when they walk in the store, including 3% who already do so and 72% who are planning to do so within five years. According to the new 2014 CRM/Unified Commerce Benchmark Survey of top North American retailers from Boston Retail Partners, 95% of respondents indicated customer experience/ customer engagement is one of their top three current initiatives.
The survey found that with the importance of multiple key marketing initiatives to achieve a seamless shopping experience, retailers need to examine ways to improve the unification of marketing and IT to successfully implement these projects. Many larger retailers have developed a role in the organization that helps bridge this gap, a senior-level role responsible for working with IT to develop a marketing technology strategy and evaluate and implement the technology.
Other key results include:
- 16% of retailers currently have real-time retail from POS (which offers the “Amazon” experience in the store) and another 63% plan to implement within five years.
- 28% of retailers currently use mobile marketing and another 62% plan to implement this within five years (56% plan to implement mobile marketing within two years).
- 81% of retailers have implemented some type of customer database, typically as part of a CRM or loyalty platform.
- 22% of retailers have implemented real-time analytics and 61% plan to implement it within two years.
“To deliver the seamless experience, retailers need to gather, analyze and disseminate customer, product, pricing and inventory data in real-time,” said Ken Morris, principal, Boston Retail Partners. “Leveraging technology, Unified Commerce provides the platform and real-time retail is key to delivering the experience. Retailers that successfully deliver Unified Commerce will understand and adopt a ‘unified’ approach for: strategic customer initiatives, technology, business processes and execution.”
Study: Mobile POS grows rapidly in retail
Franklin, Tenn. — Overall, mobile technology has created a roughly $8 billion industry in retail/hospitality worldwide, with POS a major factor. According to a new study from IHL Research, “Mobile POS: Reaching Escape Velocity – All Systems Go,” tablet POS systems are growing at a more than 300% rate in specialty retailers compared to 2013 levels.
In addition, more than 50% of general merchandise retailers are either piloting or planning to roll out mobile POS during 2014. And 68% of survey respondents expect customer satisfaction levels to increase following a mobile POS rollout.
While most retailers still view mobile POS as an incremental customer touchpoint rather than as a wholesale replacement for fixed POS, retailers expect to purchase 20% fewer traditional POS terminals the next time they upgrade. This is true although IHL data shows that some retailers are reporting decreased customer and employee satisfaction levels once mobile POS is deployed.
Mattress Firm names CFO
Houston — Mattress Firm Holding Corp. announced the promotion of Alex Weiss to executive VP and CFO of the company, effective July 30, 2014, the beginning of the retailer’s third fiscal quarter. He succeeds Jim Black who transitions into the role of senior corporate advisor to Mattress Firm through the end of the current fiscal year.
“I am confident that Alex is well prepared to assume greater responsibility in leading our finance organization as we prepare for our next phase of growth,” said Steve Stagner, Mattress Firm’s president and CEO. “I would also like to thank Jim for his fourteen years of service as our chief financial officer. He has been an excellent partner for me over the years and has been instrumental in driving the growth of this company. We are pleased that he will continue with us through January 2015 to ensure a smooth transition of his duties to Alex.”


text:
Cable rates will be going up in Schuylkill County starting March 1 for Comcast subscribers.
The average increase is 1.8 percent, Bob Grove, director of public relations and community affairs for Comcast's Keystone Region, said Thursday.
"While we've worked hard to hold down price adjustments, the average customer bill will increase by 1.8 percent beginning March 1. We continue making investments in our network and next-generation technology to make enhancements customers want and value, including faster Internet speeds, more multi-platform video, improved customer service and self-help options," he said via email.
The last price increase was May 1, 2012. On average, customers noticed an increase in their bills of 3.8 percent.
Higher programming costs and increased operating expenses were cited as the reason for the increase.
One of those increases to take effect on March 1 is the cost for the digital adapters. A price adjustment sheet from the company says the converter box will cost $1.99 a month. Previously, they were free. Customers with limited basic service are not charged an additional fee for up to the first three adapters they use, he said.
"When we began moving markets to full digital distribution in 2008, we provided up to two digital adapters at no additional charge to customers with Standard/Expanded Basic Cable. In addition to providing customers with additional channels - including History International, Biography, C-SPAN 3, G4, Sprout, Bloomberg News and Hallmark Movie Channel - at no change in price, DTAs also provided customers improved picture quality. The deployment of DTAs allowed us to increase the number of HD channels from about 30 to as many as 100 channels and faster internet speeds. We are also beginning the deployments of HD-DTAs which will provide customers a less expensive way to access HD services on additional outlets, as well as deployments of an interactive guide for the DTAs. Bringing these enhancements to our customers requires significant investment, and we feel the nominal fee now being implemented for DTAs appropriately reflects the additional value of the service," Grove said.
Price increases vary on services.
However, the company did recently add 10 high definition channels to the lineup in Pottsville on Jan. 31.
Comcast services municipalities throughout Schuylkill County including: Branchdale, Cressona, Friedensburg, Hegins, Klingerstown, Llewellyn, Mar Lin, Minersville, Muir, Orwigsburg, Pine Grove, Port Clinton, Pottsville, Sacramento, Schuylkill Haven, Seltzer, Spring Glen, Tower City, Tremont and Valley View.


text:
Amidst the ongoing inflation and surge in taxes, car purchases also increased. Shocking? We think so too. Despite grim foresight from analysts and experts, car companies have observed record-breaking sales in June 2022.
The car sales – as reported by Pakistan Auto Manufacturers Association (PAMA) on Friday – increased to 279,267 units in the fiscal year 2021/2022 as compared with 181,397 units in the preceding year. PAMA has also recorded a sale of 28,493 vehicles in only last month.
The rise in sales of domestically manufactured cars has been attributed to economic recovery and lower interest rate during the year. Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) sold 6,309 cars, reporting a 7 percent Month On Month (MoM) increase in sales. Honda Atlas Cars Limited (HACL) sold 3,903 cars and recorded a 34 percent MoM increase, while Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) sold 16,009 cars with a 31 percent increase in sales.
Hyundai Nishat Motors Private Limited (HNMPL) sold 1,871 units, recording a 9 percent MoM increase, while Kia Lucky Motor Corporation (KLMC) sold over 2,100 vehicles, showing a 43 percent MoM increase in sales.
Experts claim the trend will keep increasing despite the increase in prices and taxes. The reason is that certain parties make good business out of buying cars at ongoing prices and selling them at a higher price after the hike is announced.


text:
Three Australian breweries have come up trumps in the 2015 RateBeer Best Awards.
For the first time, the ACBC and the Craft Beer Awards will head to Brisbane.
Bootleg Brewery has been selected to brew Stone’s Arrogant Bastard Ale in Australia.
Hawthorn Brewery has released its second ‘Brewshed Collection’ beer.
We look at the big trends from the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers.
Coopers sold 80.7m litres in 2015, boosted by its Pale Ale and Mild Ale 3.5%.
Blue Moon has launched its popular seasonal Summer Honey Wheat in Australia.
A new company has expressed interest in buying SABMiller’s Peroni and Grolsch brands.
Asahi Premium Beverages has added Estrella Damm to its portfolio.
A range of Bavarian beers are on offer in Australia, some for the first time.
Boatrocker Brewing Co. is hosting a one-off beer and cheese event this Saturday.
A Melbourne start-up has launched the world’s first crowd sourced and crowd funded brewery.
Tap King has been discontinued, with Lion announcing “sales have not met expectations”.
Lion MD James Brindley has addressed FARE’s Beer The Beautiful Truth threats.
The Winston Brewing Company in North Hobart has opened this week.
The Munich Brauhaus and 10 Bavarian Bier Cafés have launched their own craft beer range.
AB InBev has acquired three more craft breweries including the UK’s Camden Town.
The team at Beer & Brewer would like to wish you a merry Christmas.
Carlsberg Mid 3.5% beer to launch in Australia.
Due to expansion, opportunities are available in all capital cities representing Grand Ridge Brewery, Victoria.
Andrew Larsen and Anthony Browne have taken Brothers to a new level – and location.
The Australian Brewery in N.W. Sydney is looking for a brewer to join its team.
101 beers to try before you die, lagers, homebrew kits, 20 summer ciders & more!
TAFE SA to deliver a number of short programs in brewing.


text:
April 19, 2010
Chinese Microsoft Workers Overworked, Underpaid
Workers in Chinese sweatshops making products for Microsoft and other companies are being mistreated, according to an investigation by a human rights organization.
The DailyMail reports that employees work harsh 15-hour shifts in 86 degree heat earning as little as 83 cents an hour. Most workers fall asleep during their ten-minute breaks. Employees work six or seven days a week making computer mice and webcams for Microsoft.Mostly women, between the ages 18 and 25, work in the shops. Their day starts at 7:45 am and ends at 10:55 pm. Sometimes, as many as 1,000 workers are crammed into a single room just 105 by 105 feet.
Workers are not allowed to socialize or listen to music, and are forced to eat poor quality meals served by the factory cafeterias. They are not allowed any bathroom breaks during the shift and must clean toilets as discipline, according to the National Labor Committee, a human rights organization which campaigns for workers around the world.
The NLC spent three years investigating the sweatshops. Included in the investigation was the KYE Systems factory in Dongguan, China where the current information is taken from.
Workers in the shops also are required to sleep on site in dormitories with 14 workers per room. Workers must buy their own mattress and bedding, or sleep on 28-inch-wide plywood boards. Bathing is allowed, but using only a sponge and bucket.
Many of the workers, because they are young women, are regularly sexually harassed as well, claims the NLC. The human rights organization also said one worker was fined for losing his finger while operating a hole punch press.
Microsoft, although not the only company to outsource manufacturing to KYE, accounts for about 30 percent of the work at the factory, the NLC said. Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Logitech and Acer are among the other companies that use KYE Systems.
Microsoft is taking the claims seriously and claims it has begun its own investigation.
An employee at the KYE Systems factory told NLC that they are like prisoners. They have no life, only work. Many of the workers have very monotonous jobs, doing the same thing hour after hour, day after day, and many are sleep deprived.
Many choose to work overtime, despite exhaustion, to earn enough money to support their families. Those who put in regular hours get by with a mere 770 Yuan ($112 USD) per month.
Charles Kernaghan, executive director of the NLC, said: "It sounded like torture - the frantic pace on the assembly line, same motion over and over for the 12 hours or more of work they did."
Microsoft said it is committed to the "fair treatment and safety of workers". A spokesman for the company acknowledged the NLC report and said the company has commenced an investigation. "We take these claims seriously and we will take appropriate remedial measures in regard to any findings of misconduct," the spokesman said.
Image Caption: Chinese workers making products for Microsoft and other companies are required to work long hours and earn as little as 83 cents an hour.
On the Net:
- National Labor Committee
- Report: China's Youth Meet Microsoft: KYE factory in China produces for Microsoft and other U.S. Companies


text:
* Novartis launches first generic version of Prograf
* Astellas to challenge FDA over Prograf in court
* Astellas shares down 5 pct vs 0.4 pct fall for sector
* Analysts see mild falls in Prograf sales
TOKYO, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG NOVN.VX said on Tuesday it has launched a generic version of Astellas Pharma Inc's 4503.T transplant drug Prograf, its biggest drug by revenue, helping send shares of the Japanese drugmaker 5 percent lower.
Astellas said on Tuesday it would challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in court, after the regulator knocked back its request for higher hurdles for generic rivals to Prograf.
“The stock market probably took the news of the FDA rejection as a sign of an imminent approval by the FDA of a generic version of the Prograf,” Credit Suisse analyst Fumiyoshi Sakai said, pointing to the stock’s drop immediately after Astellas’ announcement.
The stock had fallen to its low for the day by the time Novartis unveiled the launch plan.
Prograf, which helps prevent organ rejection, garnered some $2.1 billion in revenue for the Japanese drugmaker in the last financial year, or 21 percent of its total sales.
Astellas lost U.S. patent protection for Prograf in April 2008 but until now has not faced any generic competition. The generic version was launched by Novartis’ Sandoz division.
The blow comes amid development setbacks for Japan’s second-largest drugmaker which also faces the expiry of the U.S. patent for its Flomax urinary drug in October. Flomax accounts for around 12 percent of Astellas’ sales.
Despite the stock’s dive on the threat of a generic rival to Prograf, analysts generally doubt competition will reduce Prograf’s revenues by much in the near term.
“The debut of a generic rival in the first half of the business year (to March) is as expected. The stock over-reacted to the news, probably because it had risen too high recently,” said Yo Mizuno, an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research.
Citing the likelihood of existing Prograf users avoiding unfamiliar generic products, he projected that the sales of Prograf in the United States would drop only gradually over the long term, and by 5 percent in dollar terms this fiscal year and 6 percent next year.
On the other hand, Mizuno said competition will hamper Flomax severely, with the urination drug’s U.S. sales tanking to one-tenth their level seen this year in the year to March 2011.
Astellas said in a statement that the FDA had “substantially denied” its request that generic versions of Prograf require clinical trials to compare their absorption versus the brand drug.
It also said it will request labelling changes that require doctors to be notified if a pharmacist is considering substituting a generic drug for Prograf.
Astellas’ request took the form of a citizen petition. The FDA receives some 200 such petitions a year. The complaint will be filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
It shares dropped to 3,690 yen, underperforming the Tokyo pharmaceutical sector .IPHAM.T which fell 0.4 percent. (Reporting by Yumiko Nishitani; additional reporting by Emma Thomasson in Zurich; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Joseph Radford)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
From teenagers learning a trade to master plumbers and later national franchise owners, James Riddle and Joe Papiccio are a testament to the possibilities that can come from completing an apprenticeship.
Co-founders of Perth-headquartered Plumbing Bros., the skilled duo has forged an award-winning business that comprises almost 100 personnel Australia wide, and a spin-off company, Electrical Bros.
Having both worked in the industry for many years after completing plumbing apprenticeships as teenagers, and wanting to create something great, Riddle and Papiccio founded Plumbing Bros. from James’ home in February 2017.
By May 2017 they had hired their first full-time fourth-year apprentice and two years later Plumbing Bros. Franchising was founded.
Now the company includes eight franchisees in WA, Queensland, NSW and Victoria, with Electrical Bros. founded in July 2021.
“Apprentices have been a crucial part of our business from the beginning,” says Riddle.
“We pride ourselves on our Plumbing Bros. pathways program in which has helped us oversee several apprentices complete their time with us and evolve into qualified plumbers.”
As of November 2021, the company has nine active apprentices in Perth alone, and they have successfully completed two apprentices — all of which have been placed with the help of Apprenticeship Support Australia WA.
Plumbing Bros. pathway program
Under the pathway program, there is a clear instructional roadmap that provides for:
- Apprentices to become plumbers;
- Plumbers to become master plumbers; and
- Master plumbers to become franchise partners.
“This program not only motivates team members by creating a clear pathway to success, it also assists us to retain good people in the business who we have invested time and money into for training and development,” the Plumbing Bros. website reads.
Riddle says apprentices offer the company’s qualified tradespeople integral support whilst also learning their craft at the same time.
“Due to the recent skilled trade shortage in Australia, we have now invested in training apprentices for the future more than ever before,” he says.
“We hope this will not only pay dividends as a business strategy, but also allow us to oversee the personal growth of many individuals and have a positive impact on their career choice.”
What’s clear is the impact their choices have had on the success of the business.
Award-winning business strategy
In only four years Plumbing Bros. has collected the Stirling Business of the year and Rising Stars Business Award, Business News ‘40Under40’ Award, New National PBHQ and Small Business Champion Award.
Associate Director, Industry Skills, Lena Constantine says Plumbing Bros. is a good news business story that shows with ambition and passion “you can achieve anything and that an apprenticeship can change your world”.
“ASA is proud to be helping businesses like Plumbing Bros., which have made apprenticeships central to growing their operations.”
Constantine says Plumbing Bros. has been one of many businesses to take up the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC) wage subsidy, which provided a 50 per cent rebate on the wage of new apprentices and trainees signed up before March 31, 2022.


text:
HTC has unveiled its first smartphone for 2015, the Desire 320. The HTC Desire 320 is an entry-level device with a decent technical specification profile and is expected to have a budget price tag.
HTC had previously announced that its 2015 portfolio will be among the best the tech company has ever unveiled. The HTC Desire 320 could, therefore, be the start of many more great devices from the Taiwanese Tech Giant.
HTC Desire 320 Technical Specifications
Display: 4.5 inch
Screen Resolution: 480 x 854 pixels
Frame Dimensions: 132 X 67.79 X 10.5 mm
Operating System: Android™ 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense™
CPU: 1.3 GHz Quad-core
RAM: 512 GB
Internal Memory: 4 GB
Micro SD: Yes, up to 32 GB
Rear Camera: 5 MP
Secondary Camera: VGA
LED Flash: No
Battery Capacity: 2100 mAh
The HTC Desire 320 will be available in Black and White.
HTC is yet to reveal info on the price of the Desire 320 but the device will first be available in the UK before rolling out into other select markets.


text:
Following the unveiling of the 2014 Toyota Corolla at the Auto Expo earlier this year, and then the official announcement of the launch date, Toyota Kirloskar Motors have now stopped booking and sales of the outgoing Corolla Altis. The Corolla has been a much appreciated and recognised car, and has sold more than 88,000 units ever since its launch in India. Dealerships have already started accepting booking for this new model for a booking amount of Rs 50,000.
Similar to the Altis, the new Corolla too will be offered in both, petrol as well as diesel. It will continue to be offered with a 1.8-litre VVTi petrol engine that produces 140PS of power and the 1.4-litre D4-D diesel mill that churns out nearly 90 horses. Both the variants will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission while the petrol will also be on sale with a 7-speed CVT gearbox. It will be offered in 15-inch and 16-inch wheel options.
So what’s new in the 2014 Corolla, you ask? Well, keeping in sync with the current generation models, this too will get an updated design on the outside as well as on the inside. The design, swept back headlights and the increase in length gives it a more contemporary and mature disposition. As opposed to the third generation model, this one has a lot of chrome that makes it look more premium.
But for those who still like the outgoing, this might just be the last chance to get your hands on one. Some dealerships still have the outgoing model in their inventory and on sale. And considering that the model is out of the production lines, about to make way for the new one, dealerships are offering heavy discounts as well. Taking into account that the refreshed Corolla is going to have the same underpinnings as the outgoing one, it might just be a deal worth considering.
Read More News on
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
ETPrime stories of the day
11 mins read
9 mins read
21 mins read


text:
Game Digital, the UK retail chain resurrected from the Game Group in 2014, is today preparing for an AGM in which it will likely have to make some difficult announcements, reflecting a continuing shrinkage of UK revenues and difficult market conditions.
The firm's AGM takes place at 10am UK time today, but a pre-meeting statement has revealed that, whilst Christmas showed some improvement to the downward trend for revenues exhibited over the last six months, the gross transactional value for the UK retail arm of the company still dropped by 5.9 per cent over the year's busiest three weeks and 10.5 per cent over the last six months. In the same statement, CEO Martyn Gibbs warned of difficult circumstances and a need for increased margins if that trend is to be reversed.
Nonetheless, Gibbs found some cause for optimism, particularly in the rise of fortunes for the company's Spanish operations, which showed growth of 8.8 per cent in GTV over the last half year.
"Alongside pursuing commercial developments we are focused on driving further operational efficiencies and the Group has already begun to implement a series of initiatives to deliver an improvement in the profitability of our UK business."
"As outlined in our previous trading update, recent trading conditions in the UK video games market have been challenging, impacting GAME UK's peak trading performance," said Gibbs. "However, we have seen a better market and an improved sales trend over the last three weeks. The strong performance in Spain in the first 21 weeks of the year has also continued over our most recent trading period.
"We are committed to taking appropriate actions to respond to the market challenges that we face in the UK market. Alongside pursuing commercial developments we are focused on driving further operational efficiencies and the Group has already begun to implement a series of initiatives to deliver an improvement in the profitability of our UK business."
Game Digital's share price bounced a little today, rising slightly from the all-time low of 96p recorded on January 8 to 107 at the time of writing. Nonetheless, that represents a 63 per cent drop from the price six months ago and a 71 per cent drop from a year ago. The company saw a disastrous plummet of 39 per cent in share prices in December after a sales slump sapped investor confidence.
The company has been in something of a state of flux since rebuilding itself after entering administration in 2012. After an initial surge in share prices, culminating in a high-water mark of 360p at the end of 2014, business has been struggling. The appointment of a new CFO in May doesn't seem to have arrested that decline.
"Looking forward, we see a solid schedule of new games releases planned during the second half of our financial year. We also anticipate that new technology releases this year, in particular the launch of Virtual Reality device"
However, Gibbs sees potential good news on the horizon once more, pointing to a busy release schedule and the potential impact of VR on the business - despite that market's likely digital-only, closed-marketplace focus in the near future. The events firm Multiplay, which Game acquired last year, is also seen as a potential growth area.
"Looking forward, we see a solid schedule of new games releases planned during the second half of our financial year. We also anticipate that new technology releases this year, in particular the launch of Virtual Reality devices, will lead to increased consumer interest which will benefit GAME as customers seek expert advice and specialist service. We believe that these factors, together with the continued move towards high margin new format mint and preowned software and accessories and a growing contribution from the Group's newer categories and businesses, including GAMEtronics and Multiplay, will support margin growth in our second half and beyond."


text:
The big advantage of using any zoom lens is that it allows you to shoot from different focal lengths...
Friday October 4, 2019
What the f/11? Why buy one of Canon’s f/11 lenses?
Canon RF 600mm F11, RF 800mm F11, IS STM lenses announced
Canon debuts RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM lens


text:
Recently, we have covered that Micromax is going to launch a new smartphone in coming days which has been teased poster image on Social media with a tagline of “Stay tuned for pixel perfect life.” named as Micromax Evok Dual Note. Now, again in the news regarding launch a device on August 22nd with a caption of “Let’s put a number to infinity.” As of now, we don’t have any details about model name, but we are expecting it might be the same as Micromax Evok Dual Note Phone.
Many handset makers are planning to launch their devices with 18:9 aspect ratio such as leagoo KIICAA S8, Uhans I8, Zopo new phone, Elephone new phone, LG V30 and Bluboo S8. Also, Samsung is planning on its upcoming smartphone – Note 8, Apple is working on iPhone 8 phone, the LG is developing with its next phone which is LG V30. Few brands have already launched with infinity display phones like LG G6, Q6, Samsung Galaxy S8. Now, the Micromax company is entering the market with an infinity display with minimized bezels.
The company has posted an image to block your date on August 22nd for a press conference to be held in the National Capital New Delhi. It hasn’t revealed any information on specs and other details. It might come with a 5.7-inch FHD AMOLED screen and has a 2.5D curved glass on top of it. Also, we are expecting that it would offer mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 4G of RAM & 32GB of flash memory.
The new device might be backed by a 3,500mAh capacity battery and fingerprint sensor. It would be packed with a dual camera setup phone and will have a full premium metal unibody design. It would offer the smartphone in the mid-range segment around Rs. 15000 to Rs. 20,000. The company has already launched the dual camera phone in the Indian market which is called as Micromax Canvas Dual and is priced at Rs. 24,999. Consumers have not been interested in buying Canvas dual phone, and the reason is it packed with affordable specs considering a high price.


text:
The Wall Street Journal
By John W. Miller
July 29, 2009
Bloc’s Switch to Pre-Emptive Import Tariffs Signals Growing Protectionism
BRUSSELS — European Union trade officials approved pre-emptive penalties on imports of steel pipe from China, a precedent-setting move that suggests the trading bloc is growing more protectionist in the face of the economic downturn.
Tuesday’s vote by trade officials from the EU’s 27 member states is significant, say trade experts, because they accepted an argument from steel producers — including the world’s largest by volume, ArcelorMittal — that punitive tariffs are needed to protect them from the threat of underpriced imports from China. Previously, complainants have had to prove the imports had already hurt their business.
The case also concerns one of the steel sectors’ most important finished products. Seamless steel pipes are key ingredients in housing construction, gas and oil plants and the automotive industry. The vote was close, according to EU officials familiar with the matter, although they declined to reveal the final tally.
The duties, which will range from 17.7% to 39.2%, are expected to take effect in October and last five years, EU officials said. Temporary duties of up to 24.2% have been in place since April.
Chinese officials say they are preparing a case at the WTO against the EU and U.S. over steel tariffs. On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a statement saying it was "gravely concerned" about antidumping duties on Chinese imports in the U.S. and EU.
"If they impose the tax, that means we will lose the EU market," says Tan Ling, a manager for Hengyang Valin Steel Tube Co, which exports to the EU. The EU currently accounts for 5% to 10% of the company’s sales, says Ms. Tan, who has been to Brussels several times to plead her case with EU officials. The company will try to compensate by exporting more to the Middle East and Africa, she says.
European consumers of Chinese steel imports are also upset at the new tariffs. "Consumers have to pay more because the market is protected," says Jan van Meever, the owner and CEO of Jan van Meever BV, a Dutch company that buys steel pipes from China and resells them in Europe. "It’s just the way it is these days."
Chinese exports have flooded the EU ever since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. Total shipments to the EU from China were $357 billion last year, up from $67 billion in 2000.
The EU’s steel sector, a $250 billion-a-year business with 420,000 employees, has been vulnerable to imports because of Europe’s high labor and environmental costs. Eurofer, the lobby group that represents European steelmakers, has lobbied hard for higher tariffs.
In the U.S., the steel industry has also been on the front lines of demanding more protection from Chinese imports.
China came into Europe’s seamless pipe market only recently. In 2005, it exported only 35,000 tons to the EU. Last year, it shipped 552,368 tons. The surge came at the same time as EU imports of steel pipes from Russia and Ukraine were declining, following the imposition of antidumping duties on imports from those countries in 2006.
But in those years the global economy was booming. The German export machine was firing on all cylinders, easily gobbling up the extra imports from China in 2007 and 2008. That made it difficult for European producers, when they filed their complaint in May 2008, to say they had been "injured" by dumped Chinese imports.
An import is considered to have been "dumped" when it is sold in a foreign market at or below cost, in order to gain market share. Under WTO rules, the importing country may retaliate by applying "antidumping" duties. The country must demonstrate that goods have been dumped, and that its companies have lost substantial sales as a direct consequence.
As the slowdown gathered steam last year, Europe’s steel-pipe producers and their lawyers decided to try another tack. They argued that while they couldn’t prove past losses, the threat of future injury, in an economic downturn, was so overwhelming that higher tariffs were essential.
"It is likely that low-priced imports will become even more attractive in a market which is increasingly seeking out cost reductions," the EU trade commission wrote in its final report.
Basing a claim on the threat of injury "is a perfectly legal strategy, but it has simply not, until now, been used as a matter of EU policy," says Nikolay Mizulin, a Brussels-based trade lawyer with Hogan & Hartson LLP. This case "is a sign of growing protectionism and could open the floodgates to many more industries who believe they deserve protection."
Mr. Mizulin and other trade lawyers say they expect a host of industries to ask the EU for protective tariffs in August. The number of overall antidumping duties grew last year to 208 from 164 in 2007. Another increase is expected this year.
—Sue Feng in Beijing and Bai Lin in Shanghai contributed to this article.
Write to John W. Miller at [email protected]
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A1


text:
Top of range Sunglass Producer Maui Jim show how their lenses maximize and enhance your colour perception in the brightest of sunlight . These lenses are ...
This RSS feed URL is deprecated [...]
via Paris Ledger]
Global Polarized Sunglasses Market study 2018- RayBan, Oakley, Maui jim, Persol, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Armani ... The global “Polarized Sunglasses market” report is a meticulous study of the global Polarized Sunglasses market portraying the state-of-the-art details in the market. It also predicts its growth in the next few years. The Polarized Sunglasses report [...]
via PR Newswire (press release)]
Maui Jim, Leading Premium Polarized Eyewear Brand, Launches new Frame and Colorways for National Sunglasses ... LAHAINA, Hawaii, June 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Maui Jim®, the global leader in the premium polarized sunglass market, today introduced a new sunglass frame in honor of National Sunglasses Day, held annually to celebrate the importance of wearing [...]
Jim McMahon clarifies why he always wears sunglasses On a team filled with Hall of Famers, Jim McMahon knew how to be one of the most controversial, and most beloved, members of the 1985 Chicago Bears. He was brash, he stood up to authority and he got it done when on the football field. He also had his [...]
via Bears Wire]
Bears trivia: Former QB Jim McMahon reveals why he always wears sunglasses Jim McMahon is known for his almost iconic look, with sunglasses on even when he's inside. Wednesday was apparently National Sunglasses Day, so the former Chicago Bears quarterback challenged fans on Twitter with a bit of trivia. [...]
Maui Jim is an American-based manufacturer of sunglasses based in Peoria, Illinois and marketed worldwide. All sets of Maui Jim sunglasses feature UV-Ray blocking polarized lenses. Almost all lines are marketed with an oceanic, sporty theme. In addition to their non-prescription sports sunglasses, Maui Jim currently produces prescription lenses for their designs, including bifocal lenses.
Maui Jim was originally launched on the hotel pool decks of Maui, Hawaii. The brand was introduced in the mainland states in 1988 via distributorship by owner Bill Capps, based in Northern California. Dan Moreland, Jim Stroesser, Chuck Ponthier and Kelly Gough pioneered the technical sunglasses company in America. The name "Maui Jim" originates from the name of a pet harlequin macaw belonging to...
Official website: http://www.mauijim.com/
Notable: Business Operation; Manufacturing;
via Walton Sun]
Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center golf and gala big success Even Riley, ECCAC’s AKC registered therapy dog for the kids, was decked out in board shorts, bow tie, Hawaiian lei and sunglasses. David Seering both ... Christal Davis and Jim Pierce gave moving talks about their life experiences in this area. [...]
Competition closes in on Maui Jim OceanFest 2016 “Maui Jim has been enhancing the experience of being in the sun and near water for over 30 years. We once again look forward to hosting friends from around the world to enjoy intense competition and spectacular views on the beaches where our sunglasses ... [...]
How many CAO applications were received last month? It’s the week in numbers 55: The number of stolen designer sunglasses found in the possession of Joseph Magee ... 76: The age of Irish Olympian ‘Gentleman Jim’ McNamara, who died this week. $40 million: The lawsuit facing Donald Trump over the now defunct Trump University. [...]
String of thefts target eye care businesses in Vallejo A fifth case was reported by employees of Redwood Eye Center who claim the store was robbed March 3 of 50 Maui Jim sunglasses. Vallejo police say they responded to the Redwood Eye Center on Redwood Parkway at 12:45 a.m. after the business’ alarm was ... [...]
via Sunday World]
Murderer The General once wanted dead nabbed with €10k of sunglasses Magee, of Marsfield Avenue, Clongriffin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of 55 pairs of stolen Maui Jim sunglasses at his home on April 2, 2015. Magee is a former member of the INLA. He received his first conviction in Northern Ireland when he was 12 ... [...]
Welcome to another edition of Yo, Gear Guy!, an interactive GOLF.com series in which our resident dimplehead (a.k.a., GOLF's deputy editor of equipment, Mike Chwasky) fields your hard-hitting questions about clubs, fittings, gadgets, bounce, lofts, CG, MOI, and a bunch of other scary acronyms. Got a question for Gear Guy? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.leftsharksdancecoach on Reddit: Christmas was awesome this year, but now I'm stuck with a tough decision. My parents bought me the Bushnell...
DALLAS – January 11, 2018 – Kibo, the world’s leading cloud-based omnichannel commerce platform, today announced the topic of their Exhibitor Insights Session at National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail’s Big Show 2018, titled Omnichannel 2.0 for Brands, co-presented by Maui Jim, a leader in sunglass innovation.With all the talk of retailers rapidly deploying omnichannel fulfillment, how do branded manufacturers fit into the mix? Consumers flock to brand websites expecting...
The Echo Press asked readers to send in some of their best photos from the 2017 hunting and fishing seasons for the annual Hunt Down Your Photos contest.More than 20 images were submitted and dwindled down to a top four after judging was done by the staff at the newspaper on a weighted point system. Each first-place vote received four points, second place votes got three points, third place two points and fourth place votes received one point.Here is a look at the top four finishers from this...


text:
|Bid||75.00 x 100|
|Ask||94.35 x 200|
|Day's Range||93.85 - 95.58|
|52 Week Range||54.89 - 95.58|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||57.96|
|Earnings Date||Jul 26, 2018|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||0.88 (0.96%)|
|1y Target Est||90.33|
Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ: COLM ) continues to boast a strong brand portfolio but after strong gains in the stock over the past year the valuation is now "stretched." The Analyst B. ...
Up nearly 30 percent year-to-date, the bullish case for Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ: COLM ) no longer applies, according to DA Davidson. The Analyst DA Davidson's Michael Kawamoto downgraded Columbia ...
This could indicate that investors who seek to profit from falling equity prices are not currently targeting COLM. Over the last one-month, outflows of investor capital in ETFs holding COLM totaled $871 million.
The university is celebrating the philanthropic contributions of the Columbia Sportswear CEO and his wife, as well as a former NFL quarterback's work in shaping youth
Columbia Sportswear Company plans to release second quarter 2018 financial results at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 26, 2018.
UBS analysts downgraded Nike to “neutral” from “buy” on June 21, writing, “Nike looks like a long-term winner, but this is a consensus view.” While they believe that Nike is a strong brand and its inventory and promotions are very much “under control,” they think the company’s current multiple of ~29x reflects that “the market agrees.”
A report by an international watchdog group is alleging that retailers including H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Columbia Sportswear, and Benetton have largely ignored reports of violence and other serious abuses against workers at an Indian factory making their clothes. According to the report (pdf), from late March through mid-April, managers at a Bangalore factory owned…
Under Armour (UAA) is currently the top-performing apparel stock of the S&P 500 Index. The sportswear maker is among the top gainers of the S&P 500 consumer discretionary index. Its Class A and Class C stock have gained ~61% YTD (year-to-date) and trail only Netflix (NFLX) (104%), Trip Advisor (TRIP (69%), and Chipotle (CMG) on the S&P 500 consumer discretionary index. In comparison, the S&P 500 Index (SPY) has surged 3.8% YTD as of June 18.
Columbia Sportswear Company (COLM) and the Oregon Department of Transportation have teamed up to clean up Highways 26 and 405. A new pilot program to supplement litter removal along the Sunset Highway was funded by Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle. “The image of our state is that it is green and clean,” said Tim Boyle.
Under Armour (UAA) is a well-covered stock tracked by 32 Wall Street analysts. Competitors Nike (NKE), Columbia Sportswear (COLM), and Lululemon Athletica (LULU) have better ratings of 2.2, 2.2, and 2.3, respectively. Of the 32 analysts covering UAA, 50% are recommending a “hold” for the stock.
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: G-III Apparel Group, Delta Apparel, Callaway Golf and Columbia Sportswear
Per the latest data from the U.S. Commerce Department, retail sales for the month of May surged to its highest settlement in the last six months. Under such broadly encouraging conditions, investing in consumer discretionary stocks would be prudent. Also, sales at service station were up 2% in May, indicating higher-than-normal gasoline prices.
According to Generali Global Assistance’s Travel Insurance, summer vacationing will shoot up 68% in 2018 from 61% in 2016. Also, millennials are spending like never before on leisure trips that comprise outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, boating and fishing. Given this scenario, it makes for a good time to invest in travel and leisure stocks in June.
lululemon (LULU) agrees to buy back 3.3 million shares from Advent International Corporation. This is likely to be accretive to the company's fiscal 2018 earnings per share by 3 cents.
Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ:COLM), a luxury company based in United States, saw a significant share price rise of over 20% in the past couple of months on the NasdaqGS. AsRead More...
lululemon (LULU) stock witnesses solid growth, following robust first-quarter fiscal 2018 results and raised outlook for fiscal 2018.
lululemon (LULU) reports sales and earnings beat in first-quarter fiscal 2018. The company raises view for fiscal 2018 and issues second-quarter guidance.
An increasing number of Americans, led by millennials are willing to spend more on traveling and outdoor activities, thanks to a bullish economic outlook, higher wages, high consumer spending and consumer confidence.
Columbia Sportswear Company , a leading innovator in the active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment industries, today announced that Andrew Burns has joined the company as Director of Investor Relations and Competitive Intelligence, reporting to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Jim Swanson.


text:
Alissa Fleck takes a look at how brands have been celebrating the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, including KFC's limited-edition Kentucky Fine China buckets and Lime-A-Rita's hashtag, #HarryMakesHisMarkle. Dunkin' Donuts unveiled the Royal Love Donut, and Sodastream revealed 50 Royal Edition bottles with individual wedding hats.
Facebook has invested $22.9 million so far on its apologetic national TV campaign, with 599 broadcasts of its "Here Together" spot from the start of April to May 17, per iSpot.TV. In 2017, the platform invested $12.1 million in national TV ads.
Translation's spot for the NBA Finals showcases the heightened emotions experienced by players when they achieve the ultimate goal. "Finally Mine" features footage of various players' reactions to winning the trophy, including LeBron James, Steph Curry and Michael Jordan.
Droga5's new spot for Sprint, "Time to Go," sees the return of Evelyn -- the smart robot that was introduced during the brand's Super Bowl campaign. Evelyn is joined by a group of robot friends that agree humans who opt for Verizon are illogical and decide to go and work at Sprint to help ensure people make the right choice.
Arby's is the latest brand to unveil its own font, Saucy AF, created by Moxie. The chain revealed the typeface on Twitter and is encouraging users to share their own saucy typeface creations drawn using a packet of Arby's Sauce.
The Supreme Court's decision to legalize sports betting could inject life into linear TV as fans become more invested in watching live broadcasts and betting companies contribute advertising dollars, write Alexandra Bruell and Shalini Ramachandran. Scott Van Pelt of "SportsCenter" says, "The number of revenue streams that come out of this are endless."
If you excelled at your last performance review, achieved your goals and have contributed something significant to the company, you may have a case for a raise, writes Lucas Miller. As an employee's knowledge and skills grow over time, they become worthy of more money, says Due CEO John Rampton.
Denstu Aegis Network's Jerry Buhlmann recently spoke about consultancies in advertising, saying they are carving out a role in "advising clients on how they restructure their businesses in relation to marketing services." He also said that most clients are not seeking integrated solutions from agencies but want "the best services from whomever provides it."
Energy Upgrade California has added new responsibilities to the remit of DDB San Francisco, including creating a communication program to educate California residents about the new Residential Rate design program. The initiative is designed to encourage consumers to use less energy.
Facebook says its Stories feature has 150 million daily active users, and the company is testing ads within Stories in the US, Brazil and Mexico. Additionally, the company has updated its Ads Reporting platform to allow advertisers to edit multiple ads on the same screen and added a "creative reporting" metric.
- Page 1


text:
World of Tanks developer and publisher Wargaming has acquired Day 1 Studios as part of a move to enter console development. It paid $20 milllion for the maker of MechAssault and F.E.A.R. 3, and plans to put the studio, now named Wargaming West, to work on an unannounced console game. Wargaming's speciality is free-to-play MMOs, with World of Warships and World of Warplanes on the way too, so something F2P for consoles looks likely.
"The move into console game development is a huge step for Wargaming, as we begin to expand our presence into new platforms," Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi said in today's announcement. "We are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor soon."
Day 1 was working on a free-to-play stompy mech game for PC, Reign of Thunder. A notice on the official site says Reign of Thunder is "powering down for now" but teases "even bigger battles to come" as part of Wargaming. Whether that's a rebirth or simply a new big war game is a mystery for now.
"Wargaming is a clear leader in the free-to-play space and helps set the standard on which all other games in the genre strive for," new studio head Denny Thorley said. "Our team is extremely excited to start the first console project for Wargaming."
While the free-to-play model on PC has enabled huge high-budget games including World of Tanks, League of Legends, MechWarrior Online, PlanetSide 2 and Dota 2, on consoles the F2P market has looked more like the mobile scene of small games. That is starting to change, though, with games like Dust 514 on the horizon. F2P will undoubtedly become more important in the years to come, and on the next generation of consoles, so Wargaming is wise to get in now.


text:
A few days ago, we informed you about the possibility of Halo 5: Guardians coming to the PC. Microsoft has changed the banner of Halo 5 in Amazon, hinting at a possible PC release. However, and once again, Microsoft has debunked these rumours.
As a Microsoft spokesperson told CNET:
“As we’ve shared previously, we do not have plans to launch Halo 5: Guardians on Windows 10 PC.”
Frank O’Connel also commented on this:
“The only version of Halo 5 for PC, is the free to play “Ausar” multiplayer component (supports custom games, controller and mouse/kb and Forge tools – and we have no further plans to expand on that for the foreseeable future). The Halo 5 team is growing and working at full speed ahead on Halo Infinite. I have no idea why the box art logos changed but I will ask a grown-up in the morning.”
This isn’t the first time that Microsoft has debunked the Halo 5 PC rumours. Back in June, the official Xbox website listed Windows 10 for Halo 5, however Frank O’Connel, development director of Halo, claimed that it was a mere error and nothing more, though he did state that Halo 5 could come to the PC at some point.
343 has also stated that it is aware of the demand for a PC version of Halo: The Masterchief Collection, though it has not revealed whether this collection will ever come to the PC. So yeah, while we’ve seen hints for both Halo 5 and Halo: The Masterchief Collection, none of them are currently scheduled for a PC release.
Now since Halo Infinite has been confirmed for Windows 10, it would make perfect sense to release the previous Halo games on the PC. And while this would be really cool, Microsoft will not bring them. At least for now.