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An alliance has been struck between two groups of mobile operators which aims to make cross-network roaming cheaper and easier to manage for businesses with globetrotting employees.
Between them, FreeMove and Bridge will cover 38 countries and 400 million users. With Forrester Research estimating that 32 per cent of corporate networking and communications budgets currently go on mobile services, reducing mobility costs and improving management have become key business concerns.
But analyst Rob Bamforth of consultancy Quocirca believes the deal will still leave businesses wanting more.
"This latest alliance, unlike some, is aimed squarely at the business user not the individual consumer," he says. "But we've been down this track before without as much impact as one might have expected."
What organisations want, he says, is the ability for employees to roam across different borders without the need for a different tariff deal in every territory, but still getting all the coverage they need. Multi-country roaming has always been complex and costly, he says.
"The big question is whether this alliance can meet these demands," says Bamforth. "Past efforts have usually resulted in a framework agreement, which control some of the complexity and cost, with detail handled locally. What doesn't usually happen is one contract that gives you the same deal all over the world - and I don't think it ever will."
Paolo Murri, chairman of the FreeMove Management Board, claims the alliance has achieved at least one important first by spanning Asia and Europe: "Business between Europe and Asia keeps growing and so does the demand for mobile services from companies," he says. "We assume that this trend will continue, with FreeMove and Bridge Mobile Alliance the first to offer a global approach to those customers with a presence in both continents."
Mobile users can expect better quality of service, as well as cheaper and simpler tariffs as a result of the alliance, says Lim Chuan Poh, chairman of Bridge: "Enterprises with global offices could also benefit from joint offerings from the alliances," he says.
But Bamforth told IT PRO that he is sceptical not only about what the alliance can achieve, but how long it will last: "There's something about the word 'alliance' that always makes me a bit suspicious," he says. "It always smacks of a temporary arrangement that might well dissolve if market conditions change."
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July 16, 2019
ThreatMetrix Predicts Mobile Will Represent More Than Half of Transactions in 2015 and Cybercrime Threats Will Continue to Evolve
Posted December 18, 2014
ThreatMetrix Outlines Cybercrime Predictions for the New Year to Help Companies Protect Against Growing Threats
San Jose, CA – December 18, 2014 – ThreatMetrix®, the fastest-growing provider of context-based security and advanced fraud prevention solutions, today announced its cybercrime predictions for the New Year. From the good, such as increased information sharing, to the bad including the difficulties protecting the Internet of Things (IoT), and the ugly – data breaches in 2015 will be larger and more sophisticated than ever before – ThreatMetrix predicts the coming year will see cybercrime evolving in new ways.
The breadth and depth of the data breaches seen by the world in 2014 was shocking – spanning major banks, e-commerce giants, healthcare giants, casinos and others, exposing hundreds of millions of usernames, passwords and credit card details. The coming year will be no different, and businesses and consumers need to be prepared for continued changes in the cybercrime landscape.
To help businesses avoid falling victim to 2015 data breaches and other attacks and to educate consumers about growing cybercrime threats, ThreatMetrix has outlined several predictions for the New Year:
Mobile Will Represent More Than Half of Transactions During the 2015 Holiday Season
During this year’s Cyber Week, from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, mobile accounted for 39 percent of all transactions across the ThreatMetrix Global Trust Intelligence Network (The Network). By next year, ThreatMetrix predicts this number will surpass 50 percent. Additionally, as retailers make the looming switch to Europay-Mastercard-Visa (EMV) payments systems by the October 2015 deadline, those systems also accept mobile capabilities such as Apple Pay, which will also contribute to increased mobile payments.
“Consumers are far more comfortable shopping on mobile devices than they were even a year ago, and that trust is going to continue to grow,” said Alisdair Faulkner, chief products officer at ThreatMetrix. “Unfortunately, many businesses face difficulties determining the authenticity of mobile transactions through hidden cookies and geo-location data. Leveraging a global network of trust intelligence enables businesses to differentiate between previously authenticated users and potential fraudsters and will be the best way to protect sensitive information and customers against cybercrime in 2015.”
Information Sharing Will Continue to Rise
While cybercrime threats will grow in sophistication during the coming year, information sharing about those threats within and across industries will also grow to combat those cybercriminals. For example, the financial services industry is already paving the way for growth of information sharing with the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), and retailers are beginning to see the benefits of information sharing, establishing their own group this past year. The Network, which analyzes more than 850 million monthly transactions across 3,000 customers, also provides a shared view of cybercriminals’ activity, enabling companies within The Network to protect their business by accurately identifying fraudsters, as well as good customers.
“Businesses in many industries are seeing the benefit of information sharing, and that will continue to increase in the coming year,” said Andreas Baumhof, chief technology officer at ThreatMetrix. “Unfortunately, while information sharing is common practice in some industries, businesses in other industries, such as retail, are often wary of sharing too much information with competitors. However, with today’s highly organized cybercriminals, it takes a network to fight a network. The balance is between businesses sharing good data, not just big data, and maintaining a certain level of trust to stay competitive with one another.”
Cybercriminals Will Identify New Opportunities to Compromise Personal Information
In 2014, there were many high profile data breaches that were deemed “unprecedented” Hundreds of millions of user accounts have been compromised, including the Home Depot breach and the Russian cybercrime ring exposing 1.2 billion passwords. Most recently, the Sony breach has been a sign of cybercriminals shifting their focus to cyber sabotage. In 2015, there will be more unprecedented attacks as cybercriminals continue to become more sophisticated.
“There is no end in sight,” said Reed Taussig, president and CEO at ThreatMetrix. “Last year, ThreatMetrix predicted the password apocalypse for 2014 – and the number of major data breaches over the past year targeting user login information shows that prediction was true. There are endless opportunities for hackers to steal personal information, and that’s not going to stop in the coming year – it’s going to get worse. I would venture to guess that in 2015, one of the world’s major stock exchanges may very well be compromised, which has the potential to result in severe economic damage on a global basis.”
The Internet of Things Will Continue to Be a Security Nightmare
One of the first major hacks to the Internet of Things came in early. It can be near impossible to know when one of the many connected devices used day-to-day is compromised – from smart phones to washing machines and refrigerators – and as more devices are added to the Internet of Things in the next year, protecting these devices will become even more difficult.
“We can’t even protect our most critical assets, so how can we be expected to protect a smart fridge?,” said Baumhof. “One of the biggest problems is that many of these tools have a long lifespan and current security systems rely heavily on the ability to patch systems on a regular basis. For most of the devices within the Internet of Things, that practice is not implemented, nor feasible.”
Health Systems Will Become a Major Target for Cybercriminals
This year, U.S. healthcare spending hit $3.8 trillion. Unfortunately, almost one-third of that is wasted to fraud. As more money is dedicated to the healthcare market, cybercriminals will follow the trail to cash in on the market.
“In major data breaches, cybercriminals target credit cards and login credentials, but there are other sources where money is flowing, and it’s only a matter of time before cybercriminals ramp up their attention toward those industries,” said Faulkner. “In the New Year, insurance, healthcare and pharmacies will be new focuses for fraudsters. As healthcare information makes the shift electronically via the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), fraudsters will find ways through its security holes to commit healthcare fraud and steal personal information.”
ThreatMetrix enables businesses across a wide range of industries – including e-commerce, enterprise and financial services – to securely share information about devices and personas connecting to their sites without sharing any personally identifiable information about customers or visitors. The approach ThreatMetrix takes through anonymizing and encrypting information in The Network offers a model for cybersecurity collaboration that will be essential for companies to protect their businesses in 2015 and beyond.
- Press Release: ThreatMetrix Announces its ThreatMetrix Global Trust Intelligence Network Has Reached 850 Million Monthly Transactions
- Press Release: 2013: The Year of the Password Apocalypse
- eBook: ThreatMetrix Cybercrime Report: Q4 2014
- Whitepaper: Combatting Cybercrime – A Collective Global Approach
ThreatMetrix builds trust on the Internet by offering market-leading advanced fraud prevention and frictionless context-based security solutions. These solutions authenticate consumer and workforce access to mission critical applications using real-time identity and access analytics that leverage the world’s largest trusted identity network.
ThreatMetrix secures enterprise applications against account takeover, payment fraud, fraudulent account registrations, malware, and data breaches. Underpinning the solution is the ThreatMetrix® Global Trust Intelligence Network, which analyzes over 850 million monthly transactions and protects more than 210 million active user accounts across 3,000 customers and 15,000 websites.
The ThreatMetrix solution is deployed across a variety of industries, including financial services, enterprise, e-commerce, payments, social networks, government and insurance.
For more information, visit www.threatmetrix.com or call 1-408-200-5755.
© 2014 ThreatMetrix. All rights reserved. ThreatMetrix, TrustDefender ID, TrustDefender Cloud, TrustDefender Mobile, TrustDefender Client, the TrustDefender Cybercrime Protection Platform, ThreatMetrix Labs, and the ThreatMetrix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ThreatMetrix in the United States and other countries. All other brand, service or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or owners.
Walker Sands Communications

domain: news


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Sastaticket.pk, an online travel agency (OTA) based in Karachi, Pakistan, announced today that it has secured US$1.5 M for its Series A, led by regional venture capital firm Gobi Partners.
The investment marks Gobi’s first venture into the Pakistani market and adds another pioneering company to its growing TaqwaTech portfolio.
Founded in September 2016 by brothers Shazil and Bilal Mehkri, Sastaticket.pk offers domestic travellers a way to book and pay for flights and hotels online.
Ever since its launch in 2016, the platform has experienced significant growth in GMV at 125% YoY, and number of orders at 155% YoY, and has over one million flight searches per month, indicating a clear market demand for the platform.
Sastaticket.pk claims that it is Pakistan’s largest OTA in terms of flight booking volume.
Currently, Pakistan is one of Asia’s fastest growing Internet markets, with over one million people going online via their Mobile Phones every month.
The e-commerce market has similarly witnessed phenomenal growth recently, driven by the country’s large population, rising middle class, and strong digital adoption rates; it is growing at a CAGR of over 100%, and as per Google’s analysis, will surpass the US$1 billion revenue mark by 2020.
In addition, the country’s travel market is showing great potential; it stood at US$8.8 billion in 2017, contributing 2.9% of the total GDP, and is forecasted to grow to US$16.4 billion by 2028, representing a CAGR of 5.8%.
Overall, Pakistani travellers face traditional challenges when it comes to booking their trips, due to the high fragmentation of offline travel suppliers as well as high fees being charged by “mom-and-pop” agencies.
As the online market in Pakistan matures, there is a growing need for users to be able to purchase their flights, hotels, packages, and other travel products via an online platform at a competitive price. Sastaticket.pk is offering these customers a better solution — democratizing access to travel suppliers and commoditizing travel transactions.


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AMD gives new Epyc processors a big launch with help from partners
AMD has officially launched the fourth-generation of its Epyc server processors for high performance computing (HPC) in the data center, and all the top OEMs showed up for the party.
Officially named the Epyc 9004 but commonly referred to by its codename “Genoa,” the new chip is based on the fourth generation of AMD’s Zen microarchitecture and built on a 5nm manufacturing process by TSMC.
Thanks to its chiplet design, which breaks the monolithic CPU into smaller “chiplets” that are tied together with a high speed interconnect, Genoa has up to 96 cores (double Intel’s best at the moment). The chiplets, with 16 cores each, are easier to manufacture than a single 96-core CPU. Genoa includes the latest I/O technology, such as PCI Express 5.0, 12 channels of DDR5 memory, and CXL 1.1.
Remember to like our facebook and our twitter @WindowsMode for a chance to win a free Surface Pro every month!


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When LG reveals its new high-end G8 ThinQ smartphone, the design probably won’t be a surprise — because noted phone leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) has just revealed clear images that show the handset from practically every angle, weeks ahead of its likely debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month.
That’s on top of some near-identical images at XDA-developers last month.
While LG hasn’t confirmed that this is what the phone will look like, nor provided many details, the company has technically already announced this phone — last week, LG confirmed that it would sell a handset called the LG G8 ThinQ, complete with a time-of-flight 3D depth camera so you can unlock it with your face. That probably explains the unusual three-lens front facing camera module you can see in the above images — and why it’s still got a notch in the new era of snazzier hole-punch displays that don’t take up so much real estate.
And yes, it looks like there’s still a headphone jack
Blass has a reliable track record for leaked phone pics, but what gives these ones even more credibility is that they line up with two others, including the renders shared by @onleaks and @91mobiles last month — who, unlike Blass, are known for producing their own renders based on leaked CAD blueprints for the phones.
At the time, LG Electronics’ global comms head Ken Hong tweeted that the Onleaks images were “only a speculative rendering,” which is technically true. But unless LG’s been planting fakes, it looks like the speculation might have been pretty spot-on about the G8. And that doesn’t entirely hurt LG, considering it needs to build up a head of steam to compete with Samsung’s extensively leaked Galaxy S10 lineup, which is slated to be announced on February 20th. (We’ll be there.)
Other rumored LG G8 tidbits: Onleaks also suggested that the G8’s screen might vibrate to produce sound, and CNET recently reported that the G8 will come with a special case attachment that gives it a second screen. There’s also a rumor that LG might launch a new flagship, the LG V50, alongside the G8 next month.
Because LG’s V-series phones are its true flagships, after all. Here’s our review of the three-camera V40, which gives you some idea where the G8 and the V50 are starting from.
Update, 9:05 PM ET: Clarified that XDA-developers also shared what appears to be a near-identical picture of the phone, minus top and bottom angles, last month.


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Alert: GMO oranges right now under development Unknown to many.
Biotechnology to the rescue Kress and others in the orange industry decided that the just possible response to this outbreak lied in biotechnology. Since 2008, millions have been spent on creating a genetically built orange that may withstand citrus greening. The orange growing industry is well aware that the public won’t willingly or easily accept the thought of genetically modifying among the healthiest and most popular foods on the planet. Kress’ boss, uneasy about ruining the healthy picture of the fruit, mentioned in a 2008 conference, Do we actually want to do that? Mr.Industry experts from ACR Image Metrix offered high caliber research on methods and specialized issues related to clinical trials. Chief scientific officer, Bruce Hillman, M.D., FACR, of ACR Image Metrix, presented the topic, ‘Methodologic Considerations in Designing Pharmaceutical Trials Using Novel Imaging Methods.’ Scientific director of ACR Picture Metrix’ imaging core laboratory, Mehdi Adineh, Ph.D., presented ‘Raising the Effectiveness of Novel Imaging in Clinical Trials: The Part of the Imaging Core Laboartory.’ Greg Sorenson, M.D., professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, presented his topic also, ‘Mechanistic Imaging in Malignancy Trials: Lessons from Glioblastoma.’ ‘We [ACR Image Metrix] will be the industry leader in global imaging trials,’ mentioned Dr.


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With Amazon having revealed its Q4 earnings, there is at least one very notable number worth diving into. The number being referred to here is just how many Amazon Prime memberships the company has sold. As of now, Amazon has surpassed the 150 million member mark, highlighting an increase of 50 million subscriptions in the last two years. Perhaps the juiciest bit of information here is that this last quarter offered the strongest level of growth that Amazon has seen to date. New and upgraded services bundled with the subscriptions are at least partially to thank for this boost.
Amazon Prime memberships surge to 150 million
With constant service enhancements to Amazon Prime, it’s no wonder why the subscription service is seeing continued growth. What started as fast, 2-day shipping has propelled into a streaming music and video platform, cloud storage, and much more.
As with many other services offered in Prime, Amazon has upgraded customer shipping times. Not only is same-day shipping a thing, next-day deliveries have become standard for tons of products. We began to see this improvement take form in the second quarter of 2019, and it’s great to see next-day shipping become readily available on an ever-increasing number of items.
“Prime membership continues to get better for customers year after year. And customers are responding — more people joined Prime this quarter than ever before, and we now have over 150 million paid Prime members around the world,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO.
Another way that Amazon Prime memberships have been bolstered is thanks to the recent, free addition of Amazon Fresh. This add-on paves the way for subscribers have groceries delivered free of charge, so long as they live in one of the roughly 2,000 U.S. cities that have to the two-hour grocery delivery offering. If you’re unfamiliar, Amazon Fresh used to cost an additional $14.99 per month, providing considerable savings to Prime members.
While I am not afraid to give most subscription services a shot, there are few that I end up sticking with. Unsurprisingly, an Amazon Prime membership happens to be one that I continue to happily pay for. This is because it significantly alters and changes my life for the better, something that many other subscriptions can rarely pull off.
Just like any subscription, paying members are needed to keep it afloat and to ensure that new services are added. For this reason I am thrilled to see the success of Amazon Prime continue. Especially since Amazon has an arguably outstanding track record for passing those earnings right back to its customers.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Level-5, the developer and publisher behind many popular franchises such as Professor Layton, Yo-Kai Watch, and Inazuma Eleven, has apparently been grinding to a standstill in the US.
Classic Professor Layton puzzles might be returning to the hands of Nintendo fans soon.
Good Smile Company has shared a few photos of the final version of Nendoroid Professor Layton.
Kotobukiya and Good Smile have released photos of their official upcoming Pokemon, Professor Layton, and Kirby figurines in Japan this week.
Today, Level-5 (the developer behind Professor Layton and Yo-kai Watch) turns 20!
The next issue of the Weekly Famitsu, scheduled to be out on November 8, will feature a lengthy interview with Level-5 CEO Akihino Hiro.
You can now relive a Nintendo DS masterpiece on your mobile devices.
During Wonder Festival 2018 Summer, Good Smile Company and Kotobukiya revealed several new figurines to the Japanese public for the first time.
A new anime series featuring Katrielle called Layton Mystery Agency ~Katrielle’s Mystery Files~ has been announced in Japan.


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A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa has set a car auction record after selling for $14.9million (£9million) in Monterey County, California.
The Ferrari sold during a show at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which was organised by rare car auction specialists Gooding & Company.
After the premium from the buyer had been added, the cost of the car increased to $16.4million – comfortably a world record.
The Ferrari was built as a prototype for the Testa Rossa series and is a rarity, with only 40 cars of the same model being made.
McKeel Hagerty, president of the collector car insurance company Hagerty Insurance, told CNN: ‘The $16.4million sale of the prototype at Gooding goes to show that the market for great racing Ferraris is very competitive.
‘Collectors want to have the most significant example as the centerpiece for their collection.’
This type of Ferrari has proved popular with high bidders, with the previous record holder also being a Testa Rossa – selling for $12.4million.
Other eye-watering sales at the Pebble Beach auction house have included a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster ($9.7million) and a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Coupe ($1.3million).


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Last week, we shared a reader’s story of encountering a cool spider just hanging out on a cart in the middle of the store while shopping at Petco. Yes, Petco does sell tarantulas, but they live in habitats. Are spiders really supposed to just hang out on the cleaning cart while their habitats are cleaned? [More]
David and his daughter took a trip to Petco this week to buy a fish for her aquarium. After choosing a nice one, they took a lap around the store to look at the other animals. That’s when they ran into the cleanup cart… and the tarantula chillaxing on the corner. At least, that’s what it looked like. (Please note: this post contains pictures of a spider. Proceed with caution if you do not like spiders.) [More]
Petco and PetSmart are the two largest pet retailers in the United States: about 50% of all money spent in pet stores nationwide goes to one of the two chains. The two companies have given each other a good sniff and considered merging in the past, but after some changes of ownership are considering it again. [More]
Are you in the market for a new pet, one that doesn’t require much maintenance or care? Or perhaps, one that requires absolutely nothing from you? You’re in luck: One Petco appears to have a long tailed grass lizard skeleton available in its store tank, for the low price of just $9.99.
Last week, a woman in Virginia left her healthy 2-year-old golden retriever at a Petco store for a routine bath and grooming. The store called her and asked to meet at a nearby veterinary clinic, where she learned that her dog was dead. Petco has now taken full responsibility for this incident, and says that the grooming salon workers involved have been fired. [More]
Otherwise healthy two-year-old dogs generally don’t drop dead with elevated body temperatures, and that’s what happened to the beloved Golden Retriever of a woman in Virginia while the animal was at Petco for a routine bath and grooming. The dog’s owner claims that a store employee left her pet for too long in a heated dryer cage, but Petco now says that they don’t heat dryer cages for safety reasons. [More]
It’s been seven months since Petco and PetSmart announced they’d both be removing cat and dog treats made in China over pet sickness fears, and this week the former says it’s ready to pull all the products from its stores and online.
If you’re getting an email from Petco trumpeting a “Black Friday In July!” promo that’s only serving to tick you off, you’re not alone. Consumerist readers Matthew and Kelso both forwarded their sighs along with a Petco email that is very, very excited about a not-so-great deal that just serves to make people cranky. Because it’s not Black Friday. It’s just Friday, in July. [More]
In the past two days, Petco and PetSmart, two of the country’s biggest names in pet supplies, have said they will stop selling pet treats made in China over concerns about the safety of those products. [More]
When a California woman picked up her daughter’s dog from his grooming appointment, it was obvious that something was wrong. The Shih Tzu was walking on three legs, not putting his right rear paw down on the ground. While the groomer admitted that she had pulled on that leg to get the animal into position to be groomed, nothing else seemed amiss. Or so the store claims. [More]
Following a lawsuit earlier this year accusing Petco of selling an infected rat that led to a boy’s death, a Maine man is now suing the chain claiming he got rat-bite fever from a rat he bought at the store. [More]
A family in San Diego has filed a lawsuit against Petco, claiming that the pet store is to blame for selling an infected rat that passed a bacterial infection on to their 10-year-old son that killed him. The family is seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering they’ve endured as a result of his loss. [More]
This weekend, two readers sent us very similar “holiday creep” photos from two different kinds of retailers. Secret Consumerist synchronicity? Maybe. Or maybe the week before Christmas is now the universal time to put Valentine’s Day stuff out. [More]
At first, Consumerist reader Steven was pleasantly surprised to get a 10% coupon from the folks at Petco to celebrate the opening of a new store. Then when he saw the address of that particular store he just had to laugh. [More]
Petco had a really fun promotion this past Saturday. Customers printed out a coupon from the retailer’s site, and scanned it at the checkout. Customers wouldn’t know the total value of their coupon until it was scanned. This sounds really fun, doesn’t it? Only there was a flaw. Only four barcodes for the coupons existed, and customers who clicked on the “mystery” coupon link would receive one of the four. It didn’t take long for customers to figure out which of the codes was for a 50% off coupon and head to Petco to stock up on essentials for their critters. Thus began a very, very bad day to be a Petco employee.
It’s not just airlines that fail at keeping a handle on customers’ pets. Just ask the Texas man who took his retriever in to his local Petco for some grooming and is now looking for help trying to find the lost pooch.
As my grandpa always said, there’s nothing a little glue can’t fix! Well, a puppy’s ear, actually. Glue can’t fix a puppy’s ear when you cut a piece of it off and return it to the owner, hoping they won’t notice. One woman in Hawaii claims that’s exactly what happened to her pooch during a grooming at Petco.


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World of Tanks PC Developer Diaries – Sandbox: Improved Graphics
The World of Tanks PC team announces that new graphics will soon be available to test on the Sandbox server.
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AP govt issue G.O on TTD lands auction - AP24x7
Mon, May 25, 2020, 09:11 PM
AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh government issued G.O's withdrawing the auction notice of Tirumal Tirupati Devasthnam lands in Tamil Nadu. According to the sources, the TTD officials said that earlier the decision was taken in the year 2016 on January 30. TTD officials stated that the withdrawing the auction after considering the faith of the devotees.
It is mentioned in the orders that the government asked the TTD officials to consider the construction of temples and used for spiritual preachings. Earlier, TTD issued an auction notice to sale the lands of TTD in Tamil Nadu and created ripples across the Telugu states.


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Retail sales rose more than expected in October as strong receipts from motor vehicle and building material dealers offset the drag from service stations, suggesting the economy started the fourth quarter with some vigor.
A gauge of manufacturing in New York state rose in November, ending five straight months of contraction, while the outlook for coming months strengthened, the New York Federal Reserve said in a report on Tuesday.
U.S. producer prices fell for the first time in four months during October on lower prices for gasoline and consumer goods like passenger cars and men's clothing, a government report showed on Tuesday.
ALEX HODER, ECONOMIC ANALYST, FTN FINANCIAL, NEW YORK
For PPI, it looks like the monthly index finally posted a significant decline, which we've been looking for the last few months. Hopefully that will filter into the core over the coming months.
Empire was the first positive reading since May, and it bodes well for the November ISM report which we'll get the first week of December.
Retail sales beat expectations. At first glance it looks like autos and gas were really strong.
We did see a couple of months of auto sales growth, which is encouraging.
I'm not really sure you can draw the conclusion that Operation Twist is working. It was targeted squarely on housing and it will take more than a month to filter through to the rest of the economy. We're going to look for mortgage rates to stay low and encourage refinancing activity, which should then encourage more consumption.
DAVID SLOAN, ECONOMIST, IFR ECONOMICS, A UNIT OF THOMSON REUTERS
October retail sales with a 0.5% increase exceeded expectations for a 0.3% gain while the ex auto rise of 0.6% was well above a 0.1% consensus, sustaining a recent picture of surprising consumer resilience. The ex auto gain contrasts weaker than expected chain store sales data in the month and comes despite a negative contribution from price-sensitive gasoline. Sales ex autos and gasoline rose by 0.7% in October, the strongest rise since March. Back month revisions were minimal (neutral overall, -0.1% ex autos) leaving the focus on the surprisingly firm October data...A mixed breakdown means the upside surprise in October retail sales is not entirely convincing, and there must still be doubts over how long consumer spending can maintain its recent pattern of outperforming disposable income, which seems likely to be the case again in October unless income data also surprises on the upside. Still, Q4 consumer spending is off to a positive start and it looks like both consumer spending and GDP will be able to match or even exceed their improved Q3 paces in the final quarter of the year.


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A coffee shop in the Old Quarter of Paris that dates back to the 18th century is being dubbed the “world’s oldest” in the history of coffee, with a team of researchers claiming to have found evidence of its existence in the city’s ancient city centre.
The cafe, named The Coffeehouse, is situated on the edge of the old French Quarter, and has been a favourite spot for the locals for centuries.
However, despite the name and its unique location, it is the oldest coffee bar in the world.
The Coffee House is said to have been established in 1794 by the American, John Taylor.
A year later, the American entrepreneur was granted a patent for a device to brew coffee by the French-American entrepreneur, Jean Baptiste Cresson, who had a reputation for innovation.
The device had two cups of coffee with a lid, which he then added to the bottom of the cup to make the liquid more dense.
It was only in 1896 that Mr Taylor’s invention was patented.
However he passed away before the patent was finally granted.
The team behind the coffee shop has used a team from the University of Oxford to make a digital reconstruction of the cafe.
The reconstruction of The Coffee of Paris was made using images from the original plans drawn up by Mr Taylor.
The replica, which is a digital model, is a combination of digital images and a digital map of the city centre taken by the team.
The map has been digitally enhanced to match the original original plan and has also been digitally scanned and re-created to recreate the coffee bar.
The coffee shop was a favourite for many generations of the French people, according to the team, who say the café’s owners were well aware of the fact that it was considered to be one of the most historic places in the French Quarter.
The original owners, who were French, were well versed in the art of brewing coffee and the process of making coffee and were known to have great knowledge of their surroundings, the team said.
“So it was only natural that they would make a coffee bar that was in the area where the old coffee shop once stood.” “
The team say they have managed to create a digital replica of the original plan that has been carefully crafted to match all of the historic details. “
So it was only natural that they would make a coffee bar that was in the area where the old coffee shop once stood.”
The team say they have managed to create a digital replica of the original plan that has been carefully crafted to match all of the historic details.
“We’ve got all the information we need, and we’ve been able to create the digital replica to recreate that historic and very authentic location in a way that it’s not only recognisable to the public, but it’s also a real and authentic part of Paris.”
The project is part of a series of projects that will be launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to commemorate the centenary of the establishment of The French Quarter in the year 2045.
The department is set to unveil the National Museum of French History at the centre of the Old Port of Paris on June 18.
The Department for Cultural, Media, and Sport said: “The department is delighted to partner with the University, which has produced a digital version of the plan for The Coffeebar, on the centennial of its establishment in the quarter.”
The digital reconstruction has been painstakingly crafted to create an authentic and lifelike recreation of the location in the original, original plan.
“This is a unique and rare piece of information about a building that has survived to this day and, indeed, the entire history of the Quarter has been preserved in this way.”
It is a testament to the history and the legacy of The Old Quarter that this information has survived, even as the city continues to grow and change.
“This project will be one part of the DCMS centenary celebrations, celebrating the legacy and the history that is left behind in the new Quarter, a new place for people to come and spend time, which will hopefully inspire new visitors to revisit this historic and unique part of France.”
The coffee bar is one of four in the Paris area that have been chosen by the city for the centenaries.
They are The Coffee Bar of the Royal, the Coffee Bar de la Bastille, the Café de la Chapelle, and the Café du Ville.
“Paris is very much a hub for cultural activity and, of course, it’s the centre for the French nation and the world,” said Stephen Breen, Director of DCMS.
We want to bring to life the history, the beauty and the spirit of the area and the people who live here, and celebrate the importance”
For the first time in 20 years we will have a National Museum in Paris.
We want to bring to life the history, the beauty and the spirit of the area and the people who live here, and celebrate the importance


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Ramsey County Judge John Guthmann asked 19-year-old Shaimee Robinson-Love at her sentencing Tuesday why she thought it was OK to take part in the mass grab-and-run theft of more than $7,300 worth of electronics from a Best Buy store in Maplewood on last year’s Black Friday.
Robinson-Love, who was one of six suspects charged with felony aiding and abetting theft, told the judge she had surrounded herself around the “wrong people” and “fell into a hole.”
“The way you can get out of the hole … it’s a saying that I sometimes use: new faces, new places,” Guthmann responded to Robinson-Love, of St. Paul. “You go back to the same places, hanging out with the same faces, you end up back here in court.”
Guthmann then accepted a plea agreement that Robinson-Love made with prosecutors in June, staying any imposition of prison time, and instead sentencing her to supervised probation for three years and 36 days to serve in the county workhouse with credit for 36 days.
Guthmann noted how he could have disregarded the plea deal and sent Robinson-Love to prison because she violated her pre-sentence obligations by being charged with gross misdemeanor theft at the Mall of America Macy’s on Aug. 8.
“You blew the plea deal by picking up a new charge,” Guthmann told her. “So I have a right to send you to prison right now for a year.”
Instead, Guthmann added an order that she complete 80 hours of community work service.
According to the criminal complaint, around 6 p.m., Nov. 26, the group went to the Best Buy at 1795 E. County Road D in Maplewood. They grabbed TVs, tablets, hoverboards and other electronic devices valued at $7,356 and left the store without paying for them.
The group also hit Best Buy stores in Burnsville and Blaine the same day. The total value of the items stolen from the three stores was $26,138. They also struck a Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Richfield.
Police were able to identify the suspects from surveillance video compared with Facebook posts by the same individuals.
Prosecutors in Ramsey, Dakota and Anoka counties also charged Raymone Wright, 23, of Minneapolis; Nathaniel Spears, 28, of Albany, Minn.; and Na’ Touri Ross, 19, of Minneapolis. Two juveniles were also charged in Ramsey and Anoka counties.
Also charged in Anoka County were Rolanda Lott, 36, of Roseville; Iyahanna Turner, 19, Minneapolis; Myeisha Hall, 20, Brooklyn Park, and Mijuanna Mapp, 19, of Winona, Minn.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evanstold told reporters in December that in recent years the agency has seen an increase in the number of organized crime rings that commit large thefts at retail stores. The stolen merchandise ends up for sale on online marketplaces, he said.
An anonymous tipster told police that Wright was involved, and that Wright, listed as male in court documents, said he identified as a transgender woman who went by the name of Ra’Lasia Wright. Wright was associated with a Facebook page named “Run Outs by Ralai” that bragged of organized retail thefts.
The tipster said Wright had been on Facebook Live showing merchandise stolen from the stores, charges say.
When officers went to Wright’s home, they found a Ford Edge with Florida license plates that was involved in the thefts, according to prosecutors. A search of the vehicle revealed an anti-theft device used by Best Buy stores.
Wright admitted to being at the stores but denied stealing anything, according to charges.
In Ramsey County, Wright’s case went out as a sealed complaint warrant and he has yet to be arrested. Spears is wanted on a bench warrant after failing to appear at a July 6 hearing. Ross is wanted on a bench warrant after skipping a June 30 hearing.
In April, Robinson-Love was sentenced on the Dakota County aiding and abetting charge. There, she also received a stay of imposition of prison time, supervised probation for five years and 35 days to serve in the county workhouse with credit for 35 days.


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Leading video conferencing software company Zoom Video Communications reported worse than expected fiscal third-quarter revenue Tuesday. $ZM also lowered guidance which sent the shares sharply lower by more than 10% in after-hours trading. For perspective prior to Monday’s earning’s report, Zoom shares had lost about 90% of their value since peaking in October 2020. The stock has fallen since the stay-at-home market reverted, the aborted Five9 transaction and the collapse of the manic tech bubble.
Zoom Video Communications Inc NASDAQ: ZM Reported Earnings After Close Tuesday
Fiscal Third-Quarter Earnings
- Earnings: Net income of $48.4 million, or 16 cents a share. After adjusting for stock compensation and other effects, earnings of $1.07 a share, down from $1.11 a share last year but easily topping analysts’ expectations. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had on average expected adjusted net income of 83 cents a share.
- Revenue: $1.1 billion, up from $1.05 billion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had on average expected revenue of $1.094 billion. Rose just 4.9% yr/yr to $1.1 bln in Q3, marking ZM’s lightest quarter since going public over three years ago.
- The enterprise customer base rose 14% yr/yr to around 209K in Q3, comprising roughly 56% of total revs. ZM anticipates that its enterprise customers will encompass an increasingly higher percentage of total revenue over time. The company also guided to enterprise growth in the mid-20s for Q4.
- Zoom reported operating expenses surged 56% in the third quarter as it spent more on product development and marketing. Its adjusted operating margin shrank to 34.6% from 39.1% a year earlier.
ZM Stock Market Reaction
- 77.15 ▼ -3.11 (-3.87%) Close November 22 Low $71.90
- 77.15 ▼ -129.49 (-62.66%) past year
- 77.15 ▲ +15.15 (+24.44%) past 4 years (lifetime)
ZM also has been strengthening its new capabilities, such as Zoom Phone, Zoom Rooms, and Zoom Contact Center. These capabilities moderately extended their success in Q3, with Zoom Phone adding 9 customers that purchased over 10,000 seats, bringing the total to 64. ZM did not dive much into details surrounding Rooms and Contact Center, only noting that Rooms contributed growth in the quarter and that both will likely be future revenue drivers.
Zoom had five straight quarters of triple-digit revenue growth during the pandemic, Zoom is now reckoning with dramatically slower expansion and a market correction that’s hammered stay-at-home stocks the most.
Zoom Video Communications Inc NASDAQ: ZM
For the fourth quarter, Zoom expect 75 cents to 78 cents a share on revenue of roughly $1.1 billion, while analysts on average are projecting 81 cents a share on sales of $1.1 billion,
Zoom executives said they now expect full-year adjusted earnings of $3.91 to $3.94 a share on revenue of $4.37 billion to $4.38 billion, after previously targeting adjusted earnings of $3.66 to $3.69 a share on revenue of $4.39 to $4.4 billion.
“Enterprise is growing and the online business is contracting: The question is when does online stabilize?” Zoom Chief Financial Officer Kelly Steckelberg told MarketWatch. She said Zoom based its tepid fourth-quarter EPS guidance Monday on “challenging economic times,” “[foreign-exchange] pressure,” longer enterprise sales cycles and a decline in Zoom’s higher-margin online business. She expects the online business to stabilize in the second quarter, with at least one analyst on a conference call late Monday anticipating low- to mid-single-digit growth for Zoom in its next fiscal year.
Zoom has a “frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises alike.”
Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ: ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.
From The TradersCommunity News Desk


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Franchises on this class can also provide companies that embody rehabilitation in the areas of speech, neurology and sports activities-associated help. Gyms that offer age-primarily based providers also are gaining recognition and earnings. A May 2016 report by IBISWorld reported annual revenue of $550 million for U.S. kids’s fitness heart franchises. Children’s fitness middle franchises reached annual progress of 2 percent between 2011 and 2016, based Health on the report. These franchises offer actions such as sports activities leagues, martial arts and swimming for kids. Rising per capita revenue and declining unemployment charges have helped this business grow, in accordance with analyses by the research firm IBISWORLD. In a November 2015 trade evaluate, IBISWORLD reported that the U.S. gym and fitness franchise business had annual revenue of $three billion.
Looking for an interesting posistion?
The Department of Public Health is looking for a Clinical Professor in General Practice.
Feel free to share in your network – thank you.#job #PublicHealth https://t.co/e3jcn6AjM2 https://t.co/e3jcn6AjM2
— Dept. of Public Health, SDU (@PublicHealthSDU) May 6, 2021
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Help The Gyms Act
You have an education or expertise in enterprise administration or advertising. If you are an absentee proprietor, you will be higher outfitted to watch from afar if you understand what to look for. Industry data present economic advantages to proudly owning a fitness club that is a part of a sequence.
What is the importance of fitness?
Regular exercise and physical activity promotes strong muscles and bones. It improves respiratory, cardiovascular health, and overall health. Staying active can also help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and reduce your risk for some cancers.
From March 23 by way of June 30, 2020, HopeSpoke offered 3,685 telehealth providers across all of its packages. In this episode, personal trainer and fitness skilled Keeon Taylor joins us to provide some nice tips on tips on how to navigate health and fitness in a pandemic. Despite what many assume, the pandemic is not over as a result of we are over it. In truth, many nations are going through an uptick in COVID-19 cases because of the surge of recent variants. Because of this many are still trying to find ways to prioritize their health while staying house and safe. Health and fitness routines are now required to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Munson Medical Heart
You’ll be lead by a licensed private trainer by way of workouts which might be practical and are assured to make you stronger and more healthy. You’ll work hard, but also enjoy a fun and social atmosphere. We have a welcoming and supportive employees, contact-free check-in and sanitation and safety policies that keep our members and staff safe. We even have an expansive selection of strength and cardio equipment Fitness, unlimited in-person and virtual group fitness classes, and award-profitable personal trainers. Fitness Conferences & Events For over 38 years, IDEA has set the standard for the trade by offering the world’s best practical fitness schooling, latest packages, developments and research. Get a fantastic standard rowing experience or switch things up with varied upper physique exercises all on the Multifunction Rowing Machine.
And Tonal, the wall-mounted, power-coaching house health club, reported a staggering seven-hundred percent yr-over-year improve in gross sales in 2020. The keep-at-residence economic system despatched Peloton stock hovering more than 400 percent in 2020 and helped catapult it into profitability. Perhaps no fitness company higher illustrates the explosive sales development brought on by the pandemic as a lot as Peloton.
Ohio To Allow Transgender People To Change Birth Certificate Gender
This share signifies the profitability of a business, relating the enterprise income to the quantity of funding dedicated to earning that earnings. This proportion is also called “return on investment” or “return on fairness.” The larger the share, the relatively better profitability is. It indicates the profitability of a business, relating the entire business income Health & Fitness to the amount of investment dedicated to incomes that revenue. This ratio supplies an indication of the financial productivity of capital. This is a solvency ratio indicating a agency’s capability to pay its long-time period money owed, the quantity of debt excellent in relation to the quantity of capital. This is a solvency ratio, which indicates a firm’s ability to pay its long-time period debts.
Rob is a Marine Corps Veteran with over 20 years of helping people achieve greater ranges of health, fitness and mindset. The SuperPHIT slogan “Achieve Your Personal Best” says a lot about his personal mindset. Reese says he wants occasions like Friday to happen month-to-month to help join native fitness communities and show how the fitness industry is expounded to the community. Reese says SCHFA wants to resource and join the fitness trade in South Carolina to allow them to do a better job at reaching the group. In basic, it’s hard to foretell how someone will reply to the vaccine.


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With Glass Explorers getting their Google Glass units in the mail starting this week you’re bound to see a unit or two find its way onto online marketplace eBay. One listing was found earlier with an asking price of £100,000, though it was promptly removed. Whoever posted it may not have removed it because they set the initial price too high — it may be because of the terms of sale tied to the product that have come to light.
According to Google’s terms, users are not allowed to resell, loan, transfer, or give their Glass unit to any other individual without Google’s authorization. Should a user get caught breaking that rule Google reserves the rights to permanently deactivate the device and refuse to support it and service it under warranty. That’s a pretty extreme condition to adhere to, though it’s not entirely surprising.
The Google Glass Explorers program isn’t your typical consumer launch. It’s a costly beta, of sorts, and Google’s intention was to give developers and enthusiasts a chance to own one to start “exploring” with it ahead of launch. It’s not exactly a prototype anymore, but it’s also not supposed to be in the hands of anyone but those who Google decided can have one. Thus, such after-market regulation isn’t as taboo as it might be for any other product.
I highly doubt these terms will hold up for the consumer retail launch later this year, but the possibility exists. We’ll be reaching out to Google for a statement on the clause and to see if they plan to stick with it after the general launch, but I wouldn’t let this ruin the excitement that comes along with ushering in the next era of wearable computing.


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Starbucks Opened a Location in Milan, and It Embraces Italian Design
There is undeniable mixed feelings about Starbucks opening its first store in Italy, where cafes serve their espresso much differently than the American coffee company. But it is obvious that the new Roastery in Milan—which opened last week—is different from its sibling stores in the U.S. All you have to do is look at the design.
Upon entering the 25,000-square-foot space that was once a central post office, customers glide across Palladian-style terrazzo floors set with multihued marble chunks. While the style might be widely recognized, the origin of the pink-hued Candoglia marble has a local meaning—it’s the same marble used in the city’s Duomo di Milano, according to Architectural Digest.
Speaking of marble, most Starbucks locations tend to avoid using marble counters because of its cold feel. However, the Milan Roastery embraces marble because of its valued reputation and use within Italian cafes across the country. But the Calacatta marble used in the new location has a hidden radiant heating system installed inside of it, raising the surface temperate a few degrees to physically project a warm, welcoming feel. And below the marble surfaces are the bars’ front wooden panels, fluted like classical Corinthian columns.
And there are other thoughtful touches that pay ode to Italian design, too, like the front wooden panels of the bars that is inspired by classic Corinthian columns. And the color palette of the Milan Roastery differs slightly than its American counterpart, steering away from the typical earth tones by incorporating pops of green and robin’s-egg blue.
This isn’t the first time Starbucks has adopted to another culture through design. The chain opened its first international Roastery in Shanghai this past December, which was “crafted as a veritable shrine to coffee” and immerses visitors through “sights, sounds, and aromas,” according to Starbucks. And with a plan to launch four other Roasteries around the world, this unique portfolio will most likely continue to grow.
However, while the design of the Milan Roastery is catering to Italian aesthetic, there are many elements that differ from its espresso-driven neighbors. For example, the espresso itself is being priced at double its Italian café counterparts that usually charges a little over $1, according to Forbes. Italians also tend to down their drink of choice quickly at a bar, but the Starbucks Roastery has set up a significant amount of tables where tourists can sit and drink their beverage instead.
Only time will tell if and how Starbucks will influence the coffee scene in Milan. But for now, at least we have its design to celebrate.


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The United Auto Workers union reached a tentative
four-year contract agreement with Chrysler LLC on Wednesday after a
brief strike that sent thousands of workers to the picket lines.
Details of the agreement ...
all-new 2008 Saturn Vue crossover SUV and the 2008 Saturn Sky roadster,
which have helped lead Saturn’s aggressive product renaissance, have
won their respective segments in the 2008 Auto Pacific Vehicle
Satisfaction Awards ...
BERLIN (AP) _ DaimlerChrysler AG said Monday its Smart compact
car unit has signed an agreement aimed at allowing a British
consortium to produce its discontinued roadster models under a
A memorandum ...
Local union leaders voted overwhelmingly Monday to
recommend approval of a tentative four-year agreement between the
United Auto Workers and Chrysler LLC, paving the way for a vote by
members, UAW president Ron ...
A caravan of Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrids departs today
from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit bound for
the upcoming presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
The caravan’s theme ...


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Sirius radio will be introducing the Stiletto portable player later this summer. The Stiletto is the first Sirius portable with an integrated antenna to allow listening to live Sirius programming while mobile. The S50 that Sirius currently sells can only provide listening to live programming while docked to a PC. The Stiletto is currently in beta testing with a launch imminent and no pricing information has been divulged.
"Our personal live satellite radio product, Stiletto, is great," Mel Karamazin, chief executive officer of Sirius, said on a conference call. "We have been beta testing it for a few weeks and we will have it available to consumers by the end of the summer."


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It turns out that coffee also accelerates the operation of semiconductors
An ingredient naturally found in coffee could make semiconductors work faster tests (opens in a new tab) from the Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan.
The researchers formed a thin layer of caffeic acid on a gold electrode in an organic semiconductor in a process known as vacuum deposition.
This was reportedly able to increase the current flow in the semiconductor by up to 100-fold, as measured by a process called the Kelvin probe method.
How was the process?
According to research, after creating a thin layer of caffeic acid on the surface of the electrode, caffeic acid molecules spontaneously align themselves on the surface of the electrode, allowing the current to flow faster.
While that doesn’t mean you can pour coffee on a mobile workstation to speed up render times, Japanese researchers believe this breakthrough could have practical applications.
These include the development of fully sustainable organic semiconductor devices, which could potentially be made entirely from biomass-derived materials.
While organic semiconductors already exist, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic solar cells (OPVs), scientists have drawn attention to the environmental impact of disposing of these technologies.
The researchers noted the current deployment of electrode modification layers that are used to accelerate the flow of electric charges in semiconductors, highlighting how the use of these materials ‘may adversely affect aquatic organisms’.
Using caffeic acid, which can only be derived from plants, could reduce the need for unsustainable chemicals in semiconductor manufacturing, according to the researcher.
- Want to get your work done faster without another coffee? Check out our guide to the best workstations


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Business bankruptcy filings for the Northern District of Alabama fell 23 percent in the first quarter of 2012, following the national trend of returning to more normal levels after filings surged leading to and following the recession.
The number of business bankruptcies in the Northern District, including the Birmingham metro area, dropped to 78 filings in the first quarter of 2012 from 101 filings in 2011’s first quarter, according to data compiled by the American Bankruptcy Institute, based in Alexandria, Va. Business bankruptcy filings nationwide fell to 15,833 in the first three months of 2012, down 19 percent from the same period in 2011.
“Bankruptcies surged nationwide in the period from 2007 to 2009, but the cycle has been correcting itself over the last year,” said Eric Pruitt, shareholder at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC. “Business bankruptcies were part of the significant increase in filings that continued from 2007 until 2011, when the filings started to decrease. The financial environment, while still in flux, has started to stabilize, which is likely impacting the filings.”
Business filings for northern Alabama climbed in the first years of the Great Recession, from 11 in the first quarter of 2007 to 71 and 114 during the same periods in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Pruitt said many lenders were proactive in addressing defaulted business loans during the 2007 to 2009 economic downturn, which impacted the increased bankruptcy filing rate. He expects the number of filings in the Northern District of Alabama to decrease from peak levels since lenders have dealt with many of the problem loans on their books over the last few years.
C. Ellis Brazeal III, a partner at Jones Walker LLP, agreed that the banks’ substantial progress in working through the defaulted loans has led to fewer bankruptcies. But he worried that bankruptcy filings could increase again with another serious downturn in the economy.
Ahmad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at the University of Alabama’s Center of Business and Economic Research, said the economy is improving, but not at a desired pace, and businesses are still cautious about hiring. Despite the economic uncertainty, Ijaz, like other experts, forecasts a continued decline in business bankruptcies this year.
“For one thing, business conditions are improving,” he said. “And secondly, even though credit markets are still relatively tight, most banks are now a little more willing to lend to small businesses than they were a year ago.”
Chapter 7 filings made up the bulk of northern Alabama’s business bankruptcy filings with 64 filings in the first quarter, a 6 percent dip from the 68 Chapter 7 filings in the first quarter of 2011. There were nine Chapter 11 reorganizations, which allow a business to file for bankruptcy protection while it restructures debt and continues operating, in the first quarter. That was a 59 percent decline from the 22 Chapter 11 filings in the first quarter of 2011.
Ijaz noted that some of the bankruptcies may not necessarily be because of sluggish economy but a natural phenomenon.
“There is a very high probability that a new business will go bankrupt,” he said. “Therefore, we have to distinguish between how many of the firms filing for bankruptcies are new startups or existing or established firms.”
Antrenise Cole covers banking, finance, small business lending, venture capital, accounting and law for the Birmingham Business Journal. Click here to follow her on Twitter.


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Imports to Canada were down 1.4 percent month-over-month to CAD 51.7 billion in April 2019, from an upwardly revised CAD 52.4 billion in March. Purchases decreased for aircraft and other transportation equipment (-23.6 percent), consumer goods (-3.0 percent) and pharmaceutical products (-7.8 percent). Imports fell from China (-7.0 percent), Mexico (-8.0 percent) and Germany (-1.4 percent) while those from the US rose 1.9 percent. Imports in Canada averaged 20909.51 CAD Million from 1971 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 52380 CAD Million in March of 2019 and a record low of 1112 CAD Million in January of 1971.
Imports in Canada is expected to be 50800.00 CAD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Imports in Canada to stand at 54300.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Canada Imports is projected to trend around 49800.00 CAD Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.


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BMW announced that it will make an important "product announcement" on the 28th. Without giving too many details, the brand has just confirmed that the event will be held at the Spartanburg plant, in southern California, in the United States.
Already known performance division of Fiat Group, Abarth also showed a novelty at this Geneva Motor Show: the 695 Biposto. According to the company itself, it is the fastest model Abarth has produced, at least among those legalized for the street.
Chevrolet announced on Thursday (27) the recall of 16,706 copies and Classic Cobalt sedans, pickup of Montana minivan and Spin in the Brazilian market. All of them are 2014 model, manufactured between 19 November 2013 and 07 February 2014.


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Hundreds of battery packs at Tesla in Texas: 4680 productions in new Gigafactory started now?
Aug 31,2022 | Chloe Lacour
The local observer Joe Tegtmeyer has been flying his drone around the new Tesla factory in the US state of Texas for more than two years and reports about it, but he cannot know everything either. On Monday, he reported on Twitter that he had seen "2170 packages" on the third floor of the huge building, i.e. batteries that were probably prepared for the Model Y produced there. In fact, hundreds of open boxes can be seen in his YouTube video, their Contents and labeling look like batteries, but more like the structural package of Tesla's own 4680 batteries. This error by Tegtmeyer was quickly clarified - and his observation could mean that their production started in Texas.
Tesla in Texas back to 4680 batteries?
After the official opening of the latest Tesla Gigafactory this April, some Model Ys were delivered in the new design that was actually intended in Germany from the start: with large castings from Giga presses as the rear and front parts of the supporting frame and in between a pack of 4680 format batteries. Probably because there are not enough of them yet, the German Gigafactory in Grünheide near Berlin instead started with 2170 batteries and only rear casting for the Model Y as in Fremont and China.
Tesla soon switched to 2170 batteries in Texas as well, and Tegtmeyer registered increasing Model Y production there. According to CEO Elon Musk, the temporary change would have happened even earlier if there hadn't been tools in the corona lockdown in China. Now, however, Tesla may be returning to what he calls revolutionary construction and has begun planned 4680 productions at the Texas factory.
It should actually have reached 10-gigawatt hours a year in a pilot plant near the main plant in Fremont at the end of last year, but Tesla was unable to keep to this ambitious announcement from Battery Day in September 2020. By the end of 2022 it should be 100-gigawatt hours. CEO Musk did not explicitly repeat this goal at the Annual General Meeting in early August, but only spoke of a desired high volume. However, the Tesla boss also said that production of the 4680 batteries in Texas should start this quarter.
Hundreds of boxes of batteries in the Gigafactory
Tegtmeyer could not observe this directly, but at least signs of it. As it flew along the west side of the Texas factory early Monday, lighting conditions allowed glimpses of the interior through the third-level windows. And there appear to be rows and rows of structural packs of 4680 batteries for the Model Y, as the drone aviator explains in his video description. Over a good part of the long side of the building and sometimes in several rows, three wooden frames stacked on top of each other can be seen along the windows, each of which could actually contain a 4680 battery. This is supported by the seat carriers mounted on it, as in a video by Tesla dismantler Sandy Munro and the imprint YSB on the boxes (see photo above), which Tegtmeyer understood to be short for "Model Y Structural Battery".
Both are plausible, but this leaves the question open as to whether the batteries in them were produced in California or in Texas. At least the modules may have been created on-site, it was speculated in the YouTube comments. Because if the 4680 packages came entirely from another location, Tesla would not be allowed to have them lifted to the third floor to later bring them down for installation in Model Y. And whether Texas actually produced its own batteries in the third quarter, as last planned, will be revealed by CEO Musk at the latest in the next telephone conference for analysts towards the end of October.


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‘Awesome dynamic’: Influencer marketing gets a boost with Facebook changes
As Facebook decides to favor content from friends and family over posts from (certain) publishers, agency buyers are telling clients to focus more on influencer content.
“By prioritizing [user-generated content], Facebook is giving brands an opportunity to double down on influencers that maintain authentic relationships with their audiences,” said Corey Martin, who heads influencer marketing at 360i.
Martin said he takes Facebook’s explanation of the news-feed change at face value — that it wants to clean up a cluttered news feed and potentially cut down on fake news. Facebook is telling agencies they won’t see any major changes for paid promotion, although ad rates might increase.
But influencer marketing seems poised to benefit the most from the change: When done on its own, influencer content essentially mimics content from friends and family.
“I would tell clients to do more influencer content,” said Martin. “Facebook has more control over influencers and they have less control over media partners. I don’t think it’ll negatively impact buying ads within the Facebook environment.”
Marco Hansell, CEO at Speakr, said his company found that influencer content performs between five and 10 times better in terms of engagement when an influencer rather than a brand posts it. And if Facebook is already removing brands from the feed, it increases engagement among accounts with organic engagement.
“It’s now this awesome dynamic where brands show up less in the feed,” said Hansell, “and what’s showing up is content coming from public-figure pages, friends and family.”
The “handshakes” — how Facebook shows customers that content was created by influencers for brands — in this case wouldn’t punish the brands. Instead, brands might get some overflow likes from people clicking through to the brand page, too.
Boosting influencer content could be great for Facebook, which has long asked brands and agencies to create a paid strategy for influencer content. By doing that, it can get more ad dollars while getting credit for “cleaning up the feed.”
Noah Mallin, managing partner and head of experience, content and sponsorship at Wavemaker, said he expects Facebook to explore ways to make influencers a bigger part of the platform. While Facebook has plenty of influencer activity, it’s not as popular with influencers as Instagram or YouTube. But Mallin said that the same brand-safety issues that have impacted news also exist around influencers. “What are the safeguards around that?”
Organically speaking, influencers rank better than brands in the news feed, and deprioritizing news can be favorable for influencers. And the new algorithm is expected to mostly punish clickbait-style language, which means brands will need to make meaningful and “authentic” content, which creates room for more influencer partnerships.
In a note sent to its clients this week, agency RPA said as much: “With this new directive at the platform level of making Facebook a place for facilitating and rewarding meaningful social connections, brands who haven’t already made that a fundamental filter for their creative will absolutely need to do so — not only to appease the algorithms, but to ensure that they have a natural, authentic role in what could be the newly characterized Facebook experience.”
Justin Moore, founder at Trending Family, sees one potential glitch, though. Facebook last year pushed many influencers on both Facebook and Instagram to convert to “business” pages. (Most were previously categorized as “public figures.”) There wasn’t any access to full analytics on Instagram without being a business profile, and for larger influencers, brand campaigns required whitelisting and paid media access to an influencer handle. And under the new algorithm, business pages would be punished.
“At at first blush, it does not seem like good news,” said blogger Grace Atwood, who has a business profile.
How agencies are taking client pitches virtual
Due to the new work from home reality across the globe, agencies, brands and consultants are all adapting to pitching over Zoom.
‘We’re not in advertising mode’: Anheuser-Busch CMO Marcel Marcondes on staying relevant
Last month, Anheuser-Busch announced that it would use its production lines to produce hand sanitizer to help consumers amid the coronavirus pandemic. But that’s only one way the world’s largest beer company is changing the way it operates during this crisis. As the situation has evolved, the company has developed initiatives aimed at helping consumers […]
It took a global pandemic, but Facebook Live is back in favor
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Bengals season-ticket holders can get discounts on food, beverage and merchandiseGETTY IMAGES
The Bengals are offering new options to "improve season ticket holder perks in an effort to bring back fans in full force" next season -- if the "pandemic complies," according to Steve Watkins of the CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER. Club Lux membership is an "upgraded premium membership option for any club seat season ticket holder." For an extra $400 per ticket, fans can get a "parking pass for every four people and a $50 credit per game for each ticket holder for food and beverages." All club members, even "without the upgrade, already get a 15% discount at the team pro shop (up from 10% previously), an enhanced season ticket member gift, pregame events in the club lounges and access to exclusive offseason events." Paul Brown Stadium has 7,500 club seats. Reserve seat membership will give season-ticket holders in the 100 and 200 levels a "15% discount on all food and non-alcoholic beverage items and an exclusive season ticket member gift for the first time." They also get the "expanded 15% discount to the team pro shop and invitations to exclusive offseason events." The Canopy Party Pass is for season-ticket holders in the "top-deck 300 level," and the Bengals are offering a Canopy Crazies T-shirt to "reflect its new name for fans in those seats." The team also is offering a $10 food and beverage credit and 10% discount in the team’s pro shop "for each season ticket holder" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/18).


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The week’s news included; SEC awards whistleblower record $279m, Ed Sheeran wins copyright lawsuit, Boohoo settles fake discount lawsuit for $197m, Adidas sued by shareholders over Ye debacle.
Below are our top 10 stories that you need to know about. Be sure to check our twitter page, Facebook page and Instagram Page, for regular posts of important headlines. Get all the important stories and insights straight into your inbox by subscribing to our mailing list here.
Opinion articles of the week:
- City A.M. – Are housing targets good or bad?
- BBC News – AI: Which jobs are most at risk from technology?
- FT – Three failed US banks had one thing in common: KPMG
- City A.M. – We might not be able to control ChatGPT, but we can control the data it consumes
1. LARGEST SEC WHISTLEBLOWING AWARD
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given its largest whistleblower award in history, a staggering $279 million. An unnamed whistleblower provided critical information and aid that led to a successful enforcement action carried out by the SEC. Over $4 billion of ill-gotten gains and interest was seized as a result. The SEC did not specify which action it was or who it was against. This dwarves the previous largest award of $114 million awarded in October 2020.
The SEC’s whistleblower program rewards those who bring information that is used in the regulator’s enforcement actions. On the contrary, the UK Financial Conduct Authority does not offer monetary awards for whistleblowing. Many analysts have criticised the UK’s approach over failures to award or properly protect whistleblowers who bring forth information on illegal or unethical practices.
2. COLD CALLING BAN
The sale of financial products through cold calling is to be banned in the UK. Consumers have been getting scammed by sham cryptocurrency schemes and insurance products. Cold calling has been an effective means by which scammers have been reaching victims. It is hoped that banning the method altogether will help consumers easily identify illegitimate salespeople and prevent fraud. Anyone who receives a cold call offering financial products such as insurance or cryptocurrency schemes will know it is a scam. Over 41 million people were targeted by fraud last year and it is now the most common crime in the UK. The full list of financial products under scope of the new ban will be confirmed after a consultation period.
3. ARM PICKS US FOR LISTING
British tech firm Arm is taking its $10 billion stock market listing to the US, shunning the UK. The microchip designer has been dubbed as the “crown jewel” of British tech. It produces semiconductor chips that are essential parts of all modern technology such as phones, computers and cars. Arm had previously announced its plans not to list in London. Last week, Arm’s owner SoftBank revealed that a draft registration statement had been submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Some reports claim the listing could raise up to $10 billion.
This comes after SoftBank’s planned $40 billion sale of Arm to tech giant Nvidia collapsed last year. The deal faced backlash from regulators across the world who threatened to block the deal.
4. UK SHARE LISTING SHAKE UP
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced plans to make the UK more attractive for companies looking to list on stock exchanges. Rules requiring shareholder votes on transactions could be revoked under the plans. Two listing categories, standard and premium, could be replaced by a single category to help streamline the listing process. This move follows the decision by British tech firm Arm to list in the US Stock Exchange instead of London, as discussed above. The FCA has said it is keen to make the UK more competitive for companies seeking to float their shares. Listings in the UK have fallen by 40% since 2008. The move has been widely welcomed across the financial industry but there are concerns about the potential erosion of shareholder rights.
5. US & EU INTEREST RATES RISE
The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates again although there are signs this could be the last hike. The target interest rate range rose to 5% to 5.25%. This marks the highest interest rates in the US since 2009. Interest rates in the US were near 0% barely a year ago but the Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates 10 times in the last 14 months. Rapidly rising interest rates have been partly blamed for the woes in the US banking sector. Increased borrowing costs and a consequent slowdown in the wider economy has taken its toll on mid-sized banks. Fortunately the Fed has signalled that this raise may be the last for a while.
In Europe, the European Central Bank also raised rates by 0.25%. Like its counterparts, the ECB is aiming to stem inflation. The benchmark rate in the EU will now sit at 3.25%.
6. ED SHEERAN WINS COPYRIGHT LAWSUIT
Ed Sheeran has won his copyright lawsuit against the heirs of Marvin Gaye. The heirs claimed Sheeran copied Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in composing his 2014 song “Thinking Out Loud”. A court ruled that Sheeran had independently created his song and did not infringe on the copyright of Marvin Gaye. Sheeran had always stated that he had written the song independently in his house and he took inspiration from his grandparents and his love life. Sheeran had also said that if he lost this case he would quit music. Ed Sheeran is no stranger to copyright lawsuits after he won a UK case in 2022 over his 2017 song “Shape of You”.
7. UK PAY DISPUTES
After months of dispute, the government has struck a pay deal with NHS staff in England. Over 1 million staff will receive a 5% pay rise and a one-off sum of £1655 or more. The deal was hashed out between the government and 14 health unions. There are still some three unions who have rejected the deal and could take further strike action. A deal with junior doctors is yet to be agreed. They fall under a different contracts so do not fall under the recently agreed pay deal. The British Medical Association, who represent junior doctors, is seeking a 35% pay rise to compensate workers of 15 years of below-inflation pay increases.
On the railways however, RMT union members have voted for further strikes. 90% of members who voted backed further strikes, covering 14 train operating companies. The dispute is over pay and working conditions and has been ongoing since May 2022. In schools, teachers in England were on strike last week after rejecting the government’s most recent offer, describing it as “insulting”. The National Education Union (NEU) is considering further strikes in the coming months.
8. JP MORGAN BUYS FIRST REPUBLIC
JP Morgan Chase has bought collapsed US bank First Republic in a $10.6 billion deal. The bank was shut down by US regulators in April and became the second largest consumer bank collapse in US history. JP Morgan will pay the sum to Federal Insurance Deposit Corp (FIDC), the regulator overseeing First Republic.
First Republic was a consumer bank specialising in home loans. The bank was rocked by the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March. Over $100 billion in deposits were withdrawn as consumers feared about the bank’s stability. Despite a $30 billion cash injection from America’s largest banks, this was not enough to help First Republic weather the storm and it collapsed. All 84 of First Republic’s offices now operate as JP Morgan Chase banks. As part of the deal the FIDC will share some of the losses and issue the bank with $50 billion in financing. Check out our article exploring the recent banking crisis.
9. BOOHOO SETTLES FAKE DISCOUNT LAWSUIT
Boohoo has settled a lawsuit over fake discounts for $197 million. The fashion company was sued by customers alleging that Boohoo issued fake discounts. Boohoo reportedly artificially raised prices then offered discounts to dupe customers into thinking savings were greater than they were. A class action lawsuit was filed in the US seeking damages for customers. Boohoo denied all allegations but settled the matter to avoid the cost and effort of further litigation. The $197 million sum will see affected customers receive a $10 gift card and free shipping. Boohoo also owns brands PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal.
10. ADIDAS SUED OVER KANYE WEST LOSSES
Shareholders of Adidas have sued the sportswear retailer over the heavy losses incurred due to their relationship with Kanye West. The shareholders claim Adidas knew of West’s problematic behaviour well before the relationship ultimately collapsed. Adidas cut ties with West after he made a series of controversial rants. Shareholders claim Adidas failed to take precautionary measures to reduce their exposure to West’s actions despite their awareness of his behaviour. Adidas has reported that the company could lose €1.2 billion of unsold Yeezy products if they are not sold. The shareholders claim that Adidas management ignored the risks of an oversupply of Yeezy products if demand fell due to West’s behaviour. In 2018, employees had reportedly raised concerns about their partnership with Kanye West but management brushed this off. Despite this, Adidas rejects the shareholders’ claims and will defend itself “vigorously”.


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Campbell debuts Chunky Soup ads with Chargers’ star, unveils new foods at trade show
CAMDEN, N.J. Campbell Soup Co. has been busily planning several launches for 2008. The newest in its ad campaign for Campbell’s Chunky Soup is a spot featuring LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers’ running back, the company announced today.
Campbell said it selected Tomlinson as a spokesman because he is known as one of the NFL’s most hard-working, generous and humble players. The Campbell ads featuring for the 2008 campaign are titled, “Working Day.” They went into production earlier this week in Los Angeles.
Campbell’s Chunky soups brand manager, Doug Brand, said, “As we enter our 11th consecutive season with the NFL, we are excited to introduce a new and different approach for this year’s advertising campaign S We are delighted to have LaDainian Tomlinson back for a second season and believe he is the foundation for the outstanding evolution of this new campaign. LaDainian is a stand-out athlete who truly represents all of the qualities of the Chunky soup brand—big-hearted, hardworking and fun—making him a natural fit as our spokesperson.”
Campbell also unveiled yesterday its new product line for the 2008-09 fiscal year at this year’s Food Marketing Institute meeting. The new group of foods is health- and vegetable-oriented and includes updates to some of Campbell’s soup lines, new Swanson cooking stocks and new flavors of Pace salsas.
Campbell’s said it has added two soups to its Healthy Request line; chicken corn chowder and sirloin burger with country vegetables. Both selections are lower sodium than traditional Campbell soups.
The company has also announced in February is has plans to revamps its whole line of Campbell’s Kids soups to bring them up to par with the government’s standard for “healthy” foods.
San Francisco drug stores face possible ban on tobacco sales
SAN FRANCISCO A proposed ordinance to ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco items from San Francisco drug stores could be in place by the end of this week.
The law, proposed by Mayor Gavin Newsom last Tuesday, would put a ban on tobacco sales at any stores with pharmacies, but would not include big box chain stores, like Costco, or grocery stores. A spokesperson for the mayor said that this ordinance is part of a series of actions supported by Mayor Newsom to promote independent healthy living.
“The spirit of this is that pharmacies are places people go to get better,” spokeswoman Giselle Barry said. “They shouldn’t be selling products that cause cancer.”
The new law would go into effect on Oct. 1. The San Francisco Department of Public Health [the regulator of tobacco sales in San Francisco] would be responsible for enforcement of the law and those in violation would have to pay fines of $100 to $1,000.
The proposed ordinance must have the approval of the Board of Supervisors. The topic is on the agenda for the Board’s City and County of San Francisco City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee special meeting on Thursday.
General Mills names chief executive officer as chairman
MINNEAPOLIS General Mills said yesterday that it will appoint Kendall J. Powell to cover the job of chairman. Powell is already chief executive officer of the company.
Powell was voted by the board to take over duties as chairman on May 23, when Stephen Sanger, a 34-year veteran of the company, retires.
Sanger served as chairman and chief executive since he was elected to the seat, about 13 years ago. Powell, 54, joined the company in 1979 and was promoted to chief executive in September 2007.
Wall Street today reported that General Mills shares rose 16 cents to $61.83 during afternoon trading.


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Breakfast chain Yolk is adding a sixth Chicago location, in the Marina City complex, as it plans an ambitious national expansion to as many as 40 restaurants within the next five years.
Yolk, which began as a single South Loop restaurant in late 2006, has leased 3,781 square feet in the recently landmarked Marina City complex, said owner Taki Kastanis and his broker, Spero Adamis of Cornerstone Commercial Partners II.
Kastanis said he hopes to open by July 1.
“You always dream about growing, but I never would have thought it would be realistic to be at this level after nine years,” Kastanis said. “We've been very fortunate.”
This month, Yolk is set to open its second restaurant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It plans further expansion there, as well as in such other Texas cities as Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Kastanis said. This summer, Yolk will also open a second Indianapolis site.
Yolk is looking at a number of other potential cities as well, including Minneapolis, St. Louis, Nashville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., he said. Within five years, Yolk could have as many as 40 U.S. restaurants, Kastanis said. “We're looking at a lot of cities and talking to a lot of people,” Adamis said. “Breakfast has become a place to go for meetings with clients. It's a segment of the restaurant industry that is really picking up.”
Kastanis has talked with private equity firms to help fund continued expansion, but so far he remains the chain's sole owner. “I haven't found the right fit yet,” he said. “I don't want to lose control of what we're trying to do.”
Yolk stores bring in an average of about $2.5 million a year in revenue, Kastanis said.
Yolk has found a niche in the middle ground between inexpensive national chains such as IHOP and Denny's and local, upscale concepts, he said. Yolk's menu is heavy on egg-based breakfast dishes, but includes lunch items such as sandwiches, wraps and salads.
The Marina City outpost, at 340 N. State St., will be the first addition in Yolk's hometown in two years. Unlike all other Yolk locations, which close at 3 p.m., Marina City will have a liquor license and likely will stay open until 8 p.m., serving small plates and drinks, Kastanis said.
Bethesda, Md.-based LaSalle Hotel Properties, which owns the Hotel Sax and retail space in Marina City, recently added outdoor seating just above street level in the space Yolk will lease, formerly a JPMorgan Chase bank branch. The indoor and outdoor areas will seat about 155, Kastanis said.
It is Yolk's second River North location. Less than a mile north, Yolk's Wells Street restaurant is known for dealmaking in the technology and venture capital sectors.
The company is seeking potential locations in Hyde Park, Lincoln Park, Andersonville, Wicker Park, Bucktown and Lakeview, Kastanis said. The chain is likely to double its store count in Chicago to about 12 within the next five years, he said.


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KATHMANDU:- Ninety one percent of the country’s population has access to internet service in the country, Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) said in a report. The NTA report is based on the population projection (2021-2030).
The Authority has taken total population 29.876 million as the basis for its report. As per the data of the Authority, 27.76 million people have access to internet service till June 14, 2021. A total of 331,422 more internet users have been added from mid-April to mid-May as compared to mid-March to mid-April. There were more than 27.375 million internet users till mid-May.
As per the statistics, the biggest contributor is mobile internet. Mobile internet users comprise 65.68 percent of the total internet user population till mid-June. More than 12.052 million people have access to 3G internet service. Of them, 9.590 million people are using 3G internet service of Nepal Telecom, which is the largest number, and 2.462 million people are using internet service of Ncell.
A total of 11.956 million people have been using 3G internet service till mid-May while around 96,000 more 3G internet have been added from mid-May to mid-June. Fix Broadband has 25.27 percent space. Of it, there are 785,000 are ADSL internet service users and 556,000 FTTH internet users.
The report shows that the number of 4G customers is decreasing in the country of late. The 4G customers whose number had increased notably for some months has been dwindling in recent time.
As per the statistics of the last 10 months released by NTA, the number of 4G users is found decreased in mid-May to mid-June compared to the previous month (mid-April to mid- May). The statistics shows that there were 7 million 697 thousand 863 4G customers until mid-May. This decreased to 7 million 664 thousand 449 until mid-June.
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KASKI:- Preparations are going on to resume paragliding in Pokhara after five months of the closure of services. According to
By Purna Prasad Mishra, KATHMANDU:- Indra Jatra, one of the most celebrated of Kathmandu, has begun with the erection of
KATHMANDU:- The government has operated the fair price shops from today in view of the upcoming Dashain, Tihar and Chhath
By Ashok Ghimire, KATHMANDU:- More than two-thirds Nepalis migrant workers abroad will not choose the same recruiting agency if they


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When someone starts a sentence with “Did you see that ad from . . . ” you’re probably expecting to hear names like Nike or Coca-Cola rather than, say, an provider of marketing technology. According to a study of buyers from a B2B ad agency, however, one of the best ways corporate brands could help their customers is by telling their stories in a more engaging way.
Based on a survey conducted by Propeller Insights, the study from Oakland, Calif.-based WHM showed nearly half of respondents described B2B advertising as “boring.” While that may sound subjective, the fallout from uninspired ad creative can be quantified. Only 22 per cent of buyers for instance, said B2B ads tend to move them any further through the sales cycle towards an actual purchase, whether it was reaching out the company or signing off on a deal.
“We understand why tech companies get excited about pushing the features of their product — and there’s a time and a place for that,” the study said. “But the truth is, the vast majority of buying decisions are emotional.”
They’re also intellectual. In fact, the study’s participants suggested that B2B ads may not be providing them the quality of information they need, or at least not getting their attention to focus on it. The vast majority, or 81 per cent, said more creative advertising would help them in making purchasing decisions.
WHM obviously has a vested interest in promoting more creative approaches, but some suggest B2B brands shouldn’t depend on high production values. In a recent blog post, Gary Vaynerchuk suggested firms selling to enterprises to run ads at low cost and to think about recording simple video ads with a webcam.
“The reason I’m such a big fan of ‘raw’ content is that people can tell that you’re being ‘you,'” he writes. “This is super important on a platform like Facebook where your content does both branding and sales (so you don’t hurt your brand while you’re trying to convert).”
Whether creative or more guerilla-style, there’s no question that B2B advertising will remain a key tactic for brands. A recent report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and eMarketer, for example, showed spending on B2B digital ads alone will exceed $6 billion in 2019, up +18.7% vs. YAG, though some suggested the market still lacks maturity in this area.
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Jun 07, 2018 | By Samuel Trotman
Get more Denim insights as a WGSN subscriber
A couple of weeks ago we reported on the launch of a unique new product by the denim aficionados at Kapital called Century Denim. To read all about this jean and the amazing fabric technique, check out our earlier post. We’re a bit obsessed with this new denim technique not just for the sashiko weave fabric but also the unusual Kakishibu coating. So we were excited to see that just last week they released a new ‘Thesumi‘ (Charcoal Ink) version named the 7-S and with it, Jonathan over at the Bandanna Almanac blogged some new videos from a launch event detailing the jean and the painted wash treatment in all its glory.
The 7-S., Nicknamed “The Black Rose” uses a muted shade of the sumi color, and the indigo sashiko threads create the perfect compliment. The deep grey is a perfect example of sumizome or ink-dyeing that is practiced to create the jean.
A Kakishibu coating is hand-applied to give the garment a brownish, sepia hue; multiple layers create a deep brown “tea stain”.
You can see that on Jonathan’s own pair (lower right image) he coated the right-side back pocket with kakishibu, which demonstrates this tea-stained look perfectly and shows off the contrast between the 7-S shade and the sepia Kakishibu coating.
For the release event at the Kapital Kobe store, customers could get a real silver rivet added to their Century denim purchase – VIP’s got a gold one.
We’ve got to hand it to the guys at Kapital, not only do they know how to release a great and innovative product, but they know how to do it in style!
Know what’s next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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By Artak Khulian
STEPANAKERT (Azatutyun) — Almost one month after Azerbaijan blocked the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, the authorities in Stepanakert decided on Monday, January 9, to limit the sale of some basic foodstuffs and other items that are increasingly in short supply.
Karabakh food stores largely ran out of stock already in December. Most of them now sell only locally produced dairy, bread and alcohol.
The authorities last week tapped their strategic reserves to start supplying retailers with imported staples such as sunflower oil, sugar, rice and salt. There have since been complaints by Stepanakert residents that not all shops are receiving such emergency supplies and that some are hoarding them.
The Karabakh government responded by announcing the mandatory rationing of products supplied by it. Officials said the new distribution system will take effect later this week through ration coupons that will be distributed to all Karabakh residents.
“The idea is to evenly distribute to the population the small amounts of food from the state reserves,” said Narine Aghabalyan, a government spokeswoman.