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“Record” first half for Bellway
Bellway has seen “record” volumes in its first half, completing 5,656 new homes, an increase of 6.3% against HY 2020.
Issuing a trading update for the six months to January 31 2021 ahead of its interim results announcement on March 24, the housebuilder said it had achieved an “excellent” first half, with housing revenue rising by more than 12% to around £1,715 million, partly driven by volume growth.
Bellway now expects completions for its full year to rise to around 9,800 homes against 2020’s 7,522. It also anticipates its underlying operating margin to improve by “at least” 200 basis points (July 31 2020: 14.5%).
During the half year, the firm’s private reservation rate rose 3.3% to 156 per week against HY 2020’s 151. The overall reservation rate dipped slightly to 191 per week compared to last year’s 194.
Bellway said its sales rate was “more pronounced” at the start of its financial year, with the first national lockdown generating pent-up demand.
The November lockdown and transition to the new Help to Buy caused reservation rates to slow. But Bellway said that despite the third lockdown sales had since recovered to a “more normalised level” with the Help to Buy transition providing a boost and being “well received by our customers”.
Bellway said it had “deliberately” accelerated the construction and sales completion of higher value homes ahead of the change to Help to Buy. This partly explained the 5.8% rise in its average selling price to around £303,200. This was a “temporary change”, with the full year ASP expected to be similar to 2020 which was £293,054.
It also referred to its “robust” forward sales position – its order book comprises 5,889 homes against 2020’s 4,598 homes at a value of £1,625.3 million (2020 – £1,163.1 million).
Jason Honeyman, Bellway’s ceo, said: “In the context of challenging circumstances, the group has delivered an excellent first half performance, achieving growth in volume to a record level, while maintaining high build standards and a focus on customer service.
“While uncertainty remains in the wider economy, the underlying demand for good quality new homes remains robust and we have therefore made further, disciplined investment in attractive land opportunities.”


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Those pop-up virus warnings on your computer screen could actually be coming from imposters trying to scam you out of your time and money, according to consumer advocates and federal authorities.
The Federal Trade Commission said it has received more than 124,000 complaints about tech support scams with more than $36 million in losses since 2015. The FTC, FBI and Better Business Bureau said anyone who owns or uses a computer is a potential target.
Yona Klem of Naperville said after noticing a strange charge on one of her online accounts, she gave a so-called tech expert remote access to her computer and was told her device needed to be repaired. Turns out, Klem said she and her husband were scammed out of $1,000 in a fake tech support scam.
“We didn't know if this was for honest or for cheating or what,” Klem said. “We're both smart people and we got snookered.”
Steve Bernas of the BBB said a network of thieves can hold your computers, phones and bank accounts hostage.
“Sometimes you just don't realize you're a victim and all of a sudden your bank account might start getting depleted because they have access to your accounts, all of your information,” Bernas said. “They're watching you as you do your keystrokes when they're remotely in.”
Experts say consumers should never allow a stranger remote access to their computer. And if you receive a pop up warning that say your computer is at risk, experts say you should power down and reset your computer.
Consumers are also urged to change their passwords and report their encounters with a potential tech support scam to the FBI’s IC3.gov website and to the BBB’s ScamTracker.
The FTC said it is attacking tech support scams through law enforcement. The FTC has opened 17 cases since 2012 and has recovered millions of dollars for victims.

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GLOBAL: World's largest retailers see revenue grow despite downturn
The revenues of the world's 250 largest retailers grew by 5% to reach US$4trn during the fiscal year ended June 2012, despite the global economic downturn, research has found.
Revenues rose significantly for companies based in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific, according to the 2013 Global Powers of Retailing report from Deloitte and Stores Media.
The report found that emerging markets counted for almost half (24) of the fastest growing 50 companies over the 2006-2011 period. Chinese and Russian retailers were well represented among the fastest growing 50, as well as retailers from Africa/Middle East and Latin America.
"The growth in large emerging markets such as China is projected to add at least 70m new consumers to the global middle class per year, which is an additional 500m new middle-class consumers by 2020," said Vicky Eng, global retail lead, Deloitte US.
"This new wave of consumption represents a huge opportunity for consumer businesses.
"A significant investment by a company is required to successfully expand and operate in emerging markets, including gaining a deep understanding of local consumers' tastes and preferences, forging a strong cultural fit with local partners, and attracting and retaining local talent."
Retail revenue for the fastest-growing 50 retailers rose 22% on a compound annual basis between 2006-2011, more than four times faster than the top 250 as a whole.
However, fashion retail did not fare as well, with revenue growth slowing to 5% in 2011 from 7% in 2010.
The report said fashion retailers were the most global of the product groups, with almost 80% operating outside their home countries, operating an average of 21.3 countries.
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- Inditex renews global trade union agreement


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Mobile e-commerce apps are taking over the market, gaining many users and produce a lot of profits. In 2018, according to Hootsuite, there are 5.135 billions of unique mobile users. It will continue to increase over the years and maybe will outstrip desktops as the main devices for online retail.
These results highlight the fact that mobile shopping applications are becoming an inescapable tool for advertisers. To meet that, Amazon has decided to insert video ads in its shopping app. This will expand the reach of an ad product. Amazon’s key advantage in regard to Facebook or Google is that the ads are based on highly personalized data about the customers. According to Retail Dive, people turn to Amazon when they are most ready to buy unlike when they look through Facebook and YouTube for news or entertainment.
With this new option, as an advertiser, you will be namely able to increase the visibility or reach of your client’s brand, be able to develop a real storytelling and collect information about their customers.
Leveraging the power of Mobile Marketing & the trends of using shopping apps is crucial in our digital world.
Most of product searches starts directly on retailer’s websites & apps.
At blue2purple, we offer the ability to advertise your product on such platforms with advertising solution as Amazon Marketing, Google Shopping, … Alexis Draguet, Search Advertising Expert.
One strength of amazon is that they have lots of data about their clients, meaning that they offer the possibility to granulary target customers. Also, if we usually think that advertising on Amazon is mostly suitable for FMCG, the placement can also efficiently serve other products such as movies or car brands.


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By Mike Purkey
Image courtesy of Golf Pride
The industry leader in making grips for golf clubs is about to swing closer to the people who use its products. Golf Pride broke ground in December on a new headquarters at one of the most well-known courses at Pinehurst Resort.
Golf Pride is relocating its current offices in Southern Pines and nearby Aberdeen a few miles down the road near Pinehurst No. 8, known as Centennial Course. The company, a division of Ireland-based Eaton Corp., is planning a 36,000-square-foot facility that will house corporate offices and the R&D department when it opens later this year. According to Golf Pride’s president, making the short move geographically will improve the company’s visibility.
“The challenge is that we’re a global brand,” Jamie Ledford says. “When we say we’re from Southern Pines, no one knows where that is. Having a Pinehurst address was an important piece of the puzzle for us for the name recognition of that place in the world of golf.”
Having a firm grip is a key part of a golf swing. The new facility will include a first-of-its-kind consumer grip-fitting studio, replicating services available to the pros. Golf Pride has 38 employees in Moore County and will have about 50 in the new facility.
The company has been talking about relocating for a few years but couldn’t find any suitable existing buildings. It became clear that a new structure would be needed. Officials at the resort, which owns nine courses, made land available at the entrance to No. 8.
“This has the opportunity to be the first ripple in a body of water that might become a wave as you think about Pinehurst and golf-equipment companies that are potentially looking to be in unique and innovative places,” Tom Pashley, president of Pinehurst Resort, told the town’s planning and zoning board in November.
Moving to Pinehurst will enable the company to have ready access to more rank-and-file golfers. Most golf equipment manufacturers operate in relative secrecy, test prototypes with players on professional tours and then introduce the equipment to the public.
“We’ve launched more new products in the last four years than Golf Pride has done in the last 20 years,” Ledford says. “We’re doing more consumer testing than we’ve ever done before.”
Golf Pride products range from about $5 to $25. Founder Thomas Fawick started the company in the 1940s and sold it in the late 1960s to Eaton, best-known today as an electrical-equipment maker. Golf Pride controls about 60% of the U.S. business in golf grips with 80% of PGA Tour players using them, according to the Darrell Survey, a Los Angeles-based research company. Most equipment manufacturers ink endorsement deals with professional golfers, though unlike many rivals, Golf Pride doesn’t pay players to use its grips.


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The debut of Apple's new Mac Pro
desktop may have met with considerable demand, as shipping times for the powerful new Mac have slipped to months from now. Apple appears to have sold through its initial allocation of Mac Pro units, as a look at the online Apple Store
shows the devices shipping in February of 2014. It is unclear whether the delay in shipping, which occurred just hours after the devices launched, is due to pent-up demand or lack of supply.
The new Mac is the first Apple product in some time to be assembled in the US
entirely. Apple has the powerful desktop machines built in a facility in Austin, Texas. The devices were shown off earlier this year during the 2013 Worldwide Developer Conference, but they did not launch until today, some six months after their unveiling, possibly indicating difficulties in producing units.
Alternatively, the Mac Pro line has not been updated in years, which may indicate that the professional community that relies on these devices has a high level of demand for a refreshed workstation. Last year, an online petition for a new Mac Pro
grabbed more than 4,100 Likes on Facebook, indicating the degree of support that was still out there for a refresh.
Potential Mac Pro buyers that haven't ordered a model yet are not entirely out of luck. The computers are also available through third-party retailers such as MacMall
and B&H Photo


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European market wheat reaffirmed its competitiveness yesterday, with 60 000 t sold to Egypt, the only offer retained during its call for tender. No doubt a new tender will be programmed very quickly.
The best next offer was Russian, proposed at a price of 219.50 $/CIF (203.50 $/FOB and 16 $ of transport).
Yesterday, the major element was the sharp decline in the stock markets, since the CAC 40 dropped yesterday by -3.12% and the Footsie (London) by -3.23%. The US stock markets also fell with respectively -1.80% and -1.60% for the Dow Jones and NASDAQ. Markets are worried about Brexit and a global economic slowdown.
On the international scene, there will be a new sale of 464 000 t of soybeans to China, which is added to 600,000 tons already contracted at the beginning of the week. Since September 1, China has bought 2.1 Mt of American soybeans.
The corn and rapeseed prices did not change much. Rapeseed remains shared between the news about the difficulties of canola harvests in Canada and yesterday’s profit-taking on soybeans. The palm prices remain slightly depressed, despite a certain revival of the export activity from Malaysia to Asia.
Yesterday the American markets marked a decrease for all products, in a context of great uncertainties on global economic growth. Moreover, the corn prices dropped on chartist considerations after closing a gap.
US wheats are uncompetitive on the international scene, particularly because of the dollar’s strength against other currencies. Soybeans have some support in recent sales to China, thanks to a quota with reduced duties.
In corn, there is a contradiction between US analysts’ product estimates and farmers’ feedback, confirming lower yields than those reported last month by the USDA.
The funds were net sellers yesterday for 11,000 lots of corn, 7,000 lots of soybeans and 5,000 lots of wheat.
Black Sea market
The Russian Grain Quality Control Center has released new figures for the current harvest. As of September 30, 38.9% of the volume of harvested wheat (total 71.3 Mt) has been controlled in 48 regions of Russia. The total share of milling wheat is currently estimated at 78.6% and significantly exceeds the volume of 2018 (69.6%).
The Prime Minister said on October 2 that Russia will be able to fully support the needs of the population. Figures released on October 1 confirm his words. Indeed, 110.6 Mt of cereals were harvested (100.4 Mt in 2018) with an average yield of 2.69 t/ha vs 2.58 t/ha in 2018. Although the harvest is not completed, everything suggests that this year’s harvest will be better than last year.


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25 Jan 2024
Companies utilize cookies, small pieces of data stored on a user’s device by a web browser, to gather information on marketing strategies, including personalized pricing based on consumer behavior, search interests, and location. While some online users do not mind giving out private information, some consider cookies a breach of privacy. Doreen Pick, Professor of Marketing and International Business from Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, gave a talk on the topic “Are Digital Cookies Bytes of Bliss or Bytes of Betrayal?” urging companies to engage in Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) and be transparent on how they extract personal data from consumers. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law went into effect on May 25, 2018, indicating that all companies doing business have to follow the regulation. Article 12 of GDPR identified that anyone who processes personal data should inform the data subject about the facts and present the information in a concise, transparent, intelligible, and easily accessible form. Professor Pick said that in contrast to Europe, some countries lack specific regulations for cookies, leading to varied unethical approaches by online platforms. These are some reasons some countries still lack cookies regulation:
- Some companies may perceive cookie regulations as unnecessary or disadvantageous.
- Governments may not see the benefits of strict regulations, considering potential negative effects on the economy.
- Privacy regulation may be less strict due to consumer apathy or a willingness to trade privacy for convenience or incentives.
- Consumers have no or less interest in their online privacy.
- Consumers have an interest in digital privacy, but they weigh up the costs (times and benefits), convenience individual offers, and financial incentives for data sharing in loyalty programs.
- Consumers believe that they have nothing to hide.


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| Last updated
Just when you thought 2020 couldn't get any worse, a radio station has decided to play Christmas songs every day for the next four months... despite the fact that it's still summer.
Although you might be bah-humbugging at this news, Bauer Media reckons it has good reason for launching its new pop-up station Magic 100% Christmas.
Available online for this year only, the company says its festive services are needed in order to lift the spirits of those amid what is potentially the crappiest year in modern history.
Tony Moorey, Group Content Director, Magic Radio, told Radio Today: "At Magic Radio we are constantly evolving our offerings and launching innovative new shows and stations to ensure that we reflect our audience's needs.
"With listeners seeking cheer and fun during these challenging times and a strong understanding of how music and Christmas are interlinked, we knew that the next expansion of the Magic brand had to be around the joy of Christmas."
Ronan Keating, Magic Radio Breakfast presenter, added: "2020 has been a hard year for us all - what better way to lift our spirits than bringing Christmas forward a few months?
"One of the most fulfilling parts of working at Magic Radio is to be able to connect with our listeners and bring a smile to their faces, so I can't wait to launch Magic 100% Christmas and turn up the Christmas cheer!"
Yeah, it kind of makes sense - theoretically. But will listening to the same old Christmas songs on a loop really make this year any better? As if we need reminding that summer is nearly gone and we've accomplished nothing.
Still, if you're of the Yuletide persuasion and you just can't wait to hear those jingle bells ringing, you know where to tune in.
The news arrives just days after a shopping centre in Sydney left people baffled after putting up a Christmas tree in the middle of August.
Yes, Australia might be experiencing winter weather right now, but that doesn't mean shoppers at the Queen Victoria Building were ready to be greeted with unusually-festive decor.
Taking to social media, one person wrote: "Apparently there's a Christmas tree up in the QVB. It's still August, isn't it?"
Another added: "I hate to be *that person* but it's August 15 and the QVB already has Christmas decorations up."
I suppose it's not the most wonderful time of the year just yet.
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Twitter’s ‘M’ Conversations
By Dr. Iris Mohr, Chief Editor and Founder, Marketing Fashionista
Whether about politics, entertainment, business, fashion, crime, the Royal Wedding, society, or any trend, Twitter drives ‘M’ conversations.
MANY conversations. Twitter’s base of 232 million active users makes it a hotspot for driving online conversations.
Twitter drives MONEY conversations relating to Twitter’s business model questioning whether it can turn into a serious, profitable venture. Twitter has yet to turn a profit, and hasn’t developed a proven advertising model. Twitter reported $317 million in revenue over the past year, a lot less than the $3.7 billion in annual revenue Facebook reported ahead of its IPO last year.
Twitter drives MARKETING conversations. Twitter has invested money into building its loyal fan base, allowing advertisers to pay for promoting messages appearing in user feeds. “People connected based on interest is incredibly valuable to advertisers,” said Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group, a San Mateo, Calif.-research group. But, so far, it’s unclear whether those efforts will be successful.
“What Twitter is selling essentially is a new type of advertising platform, scalable across desktop and mobile,” says Solis. Clearly, advertising plays a huge role in a social media company’s value – and the success of social media stocks.
Does this advertising platform work? As a whole, social media haven’t provided the return on investment that many advertisers want, says Larry Chiagouris, a marketing professor at Pace University in New York. According to Chiagouris, Twitter’s emphasis on real-time conversation about events such as the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards means even the strongest ads don’t have much lasting value.
Worth MENTIONING, advertising on social media can be risky business for brands. Consider all the things that people can post; things you have no control over that can potentially negatively impact brands. While consumer brands go to extreme measures to get attention in social media, excessive social media creates clutter and alienates audiences.
MORE to come from MARKETING Fashionista.Tags: Advertising, Brian Solis, Business Model, Communication, Conversations, Drive Money, larry chiagouris, Mass Relevance, Money Conversation, Online Conversations, pace university, Profitability, Real-time Web, Relate, royal wedding, Text Messaging, Tweet, Twitter, Venture, Websites, World Affairs


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VMRO-DPMNE revealed the "Broilo" affair: Kovacevski gave the godfather businesses that turned over millions of euros
VMRO-DPMNE accused the Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski that together with his godfather in what he called a solar cartel, they embezzled 26 million euros. MP Mile Lefkov accused at a press conference today that the "Broilo" affair means trade in influence, through a criminal association.
- Companies founded by Dimitar Kovacevski and his family connections turn over millions in the energy business, while Macedonia is on its knees, and the impoverished people struggle to survive every day. The "Broilo" affair will show how Kovacevski and a narrow clique joined together in a cartel that cheats and gets personal benefits. Follow closely. "Pixel Group", a company founded by Kovacevski and his godfather Goran Paunov, together with the company "KMG EOL Kvazar", a company only owned by the godfather Paunov, are involved in businesses worth 26 million euros! In the solar cartel, Kovacevski and his godfather Paunov, after founding the "Pixel Group", in 2018 are building a factory for the production of photovoltaic panels in Kočani. Here is proof of that – a photo from the opening of the factory, on which you can see how the godfathers Kovacevski-Paunov celebrate the official opening of the company with a cake. The company becomes central in the business, around which 26 million euros revolve. The "Broilo" affair is a scheme that shows how through "Pixel Group" and "KMG EOL Quasar" they diverted the money. Only from state tenders in the past few years, these companies collected 1,8 million euros. In 2021, when Dimitar Kovacevski is the Deputy Minister of Finance, "KMG EOL Quasar" concludes an agreement with EVN, over which Kovacevski, as prime minister, now has mandated ownership through the state share in EVN, namely a contract for the performance of works and the delivery of photovoltaic panels. worth over 2 million euros - said Lefkov.
The meter affair, he added, takes dimensions of tens of millions of euros, when a month and a half ago, "Pixel Group" announced that it was entering the investment phase in a factory for the production of solar panels in the industrial zone in Tetovo, worth 54 million euros.
– This is a zone where investors have tax and customs exemptions, and according to media articles, they are expected to sign a state aid agreement. The company is registered under the name "AE Solar AD Tetovo", as a joint venture of "Pixel Group" which owns 40% and 60% is owned by a company from Bulgaria. Gorancho Paunov, the godfather of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, has already been appointed as one of the two CEOs of "AE Solar AD Tetovo". The investment of "Pixel Group" should be 21.6 million euros, according to the percentage of participation. With that, Kovacevski as prime minister will sign a contract for state aid to the godfather Gorancho Paunov as executive director of the company, in which 40 percent of the ownership belongs to "Pixel Group", founded together with Kovacevski! And all this is happening in a period after another Bulgarian company announced an investment in FEC Oslomej, where the state is a partner with 18.5 percent. And for which investment the Bulgarian company-partner of "Pixel Group" boasted on their website. So the question arises, will the panels produced in the factory in Tetovo end up in FEC Oslomej, where the state is represented with 18.5%? And what is the role of Kovacevski, who appears as the founder of the company that is in the circle of business interests from this scheme, but now also as prime minister? Will the factory in Tetovo, in which "Pixel Group" founded by Kovacevski is the owner, monopolize the market of production and sale of photovoltaic panels? - asked Lefkov.
All this, he added, is happening in conditions where new increases in electricity prices are constantly being announced for citizens, and businesses in Macedonia pay twice as much electricity as businesses in the region.
The deputy and member of the IC of VMRO-DPMNE announced that in the coming period we will fully reveal how in the "Broilo" affair companies close to Kovacevski managed to turn over 26 million euros. He urged Kovacevski not to wait for the details to be published, but to immediately state his involvement in all the businesses of this so-called solar cartel and to resign immediately.


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting on April 30 to develop a strategy to attract FDI, particularly foreign firms wanting to move out of China, to boost investment. In fact, the Indian government is reportedly in the process of identifying and developing 4.6 lakh hectares of land, including 1.1 lakh hectares of existing land in industrial areas, and planning fiscal incentives in the form of preferential tax rates, tax holidays etc in order to attract foreign firms. Further, a few state governments are also proactively working to capitalise on the opportunity.
The initiatives by the government are timely; they are coming at a time when foreign companies are looking to shift their production base out of China and their home countries are facilitating the move. Japan has announced $2 billion worth of incentives and Korea is encouraging its firms to shift from China too. It is not surprising that approximately one thousand companies are in discussions with the GoI to set up their production base in India. China has been the world’s factory for the last three decades mainly because of its FDI-led manufacturing exports. Almost 50 per cent of China’s growth comes from exports, creating millions of jobs.
Unlike the US, Italy, Spain and a few other countries, the COVID pandemic has, so far, not been severe in India in terms of both positive cases and fatality rate, if we normalise for the population. The initial stimulus package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore in March, followed by liquidity measures by the RBI and now, the stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore may help the Indian economy towards a vertical (V-shape) recovery. Therefore, post Covid, India could be the brightest spot among the emerging economies when it comes to attracting FDI. “Make in India” will become a success provided we prepare the ground and grab the opportunity.
Initially, China attracted foreign investors with decentralised and favourable FDI policy that had a lot of incentives with regard to land, utilities, infrastructure and logistics. Cheap labour, large SEZs, favourable pricing of inputs, and an under-valued currency facilitated and attracted foreign firms. However, these advantages have reached a saturation point. In fact, foreign firms are now dealing with a higher cost of production, higher wages, stricter environmental norms etc. Many foreign firms have consequently moved their production bases to Southeast Asian countries.
The situation for foreign firms in China has become more unfavourable in the last few years. First, the US-China tariff wars happened, which created uncertainty vis-a-vis trade and investment in China. Leading MNCs whose production facilities in China were part of their global value chain became suspicious about business viability and expansion there. The latest reason to now worry foreign firms is the origin of the coronavirus outbreak, and the lack of transparency in handling the pandemic — leading to a lack of trust of the major economies when it comes to China. The coronavirus outbreak in China disrupted the supply chain of the foreign firms, and it is also going to be the point of contention between China and the rest of the world.
Moreover, the fight for supremacy in technology and military, the differences between US-China on trade, intellectual property rights, and geo-political issues, are here to stay. Therefore, foreign companies which heavily depended on China are now looking to diversify the risk to their supply chain by moving out of China. And India offers them the best alternative.
India, the world’s fifth largest economy with an abundant labour force, offers the best alternative in terms of depth and size of the markets. With the median age of 27 and around 900 million “working-age” population, India is a young and aspirational economy. In the past, China used its huge labour force in manufacturing by attracting FDI — it’s time for India to do the same, particularly when foreign firms are looking for an alternative manufacturing base. According to a UNDP report, India will have a working age population of 1.14 billion, with rising urbanisation and a populating middle-class by 2025, creating a huge domestic market. India is also a resource-rich country. Therefore, India has its stage set to attract both market-seeking and resource-seeking FDI.
Starting from the early 1990s, India has progressively opened up sectors with hiked FDI equity to foreign investors under automatic routes. In recent years, there have been many proactive steps to facilitate foreign investors such as 24*7 online service to investors, response-query mechanism, proactive intervention with all the state governments, follow ups with all the GoI departments, reduction in documents for exports-imports from 11 to three, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, and the creation of country specific (such as Japan and Korea) desks among others.
All these reforms resulted in India improving its ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report and also in the world competitive index in the last three years. No wonder, India has been ranked by multiple international bodies as one of the most favoured designations for FDI. Moreover, unlike China, India is a stable democracy where governance and rule-making is much more open and accountable.
However, simply opening of the sectors or the economy, and inviting foreign investors, will not be enough. We need to create a conducive and favourable business environment that enables foreign firms to manufacture at a competitive cost and use abundant resources like manpower. We need market reforms such as rationalising punitive land acquisition clauses and multiple labour laws, both at Centre and state level. It is time to speed up work on the four labour codes on industrial relations at a central level. The government should augment the work on infrastructure, logistics and trade facilitation so that trade and transaction costs, crucial for FDI firms, are reduced.
The need of the hour is also to redesign and revamp SEZs and EPZs policy for better performance. Though the reforms are very progressive at the central government and higher bureaucracy level, things are different at the level of state governments and lower bureaucracy — which actually matters when it comes to the implementation of projects and economic activities. It is time to train and bring about reforms at the lower bureaucracy level, which is not ready to give up their power. FDI will not only augment capital formation, it will also act as a vehicle for technology upgradation, skills development, exports promotion, job creation and the improvement of overall competitiveness of the economy. This is an opportunity for India in the post-Covid era. If we grab this opportunity, the next 30 years would belong to India at the global stage.


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A Melbourne shop owner is asking Kanye West to reimburse her $6,000 after she claimed the crowds lining up for his pop-up store took away from her weekend business.
As reported by 9 News, Charlotte Knightley posted on Kanye West’s Facebook page letting him know that his pop-up store queues in excess of 700 people had intimidated her customers.
Kinghtley runs a paper boutique Zetta Florence on Brunswick St in Melbourne and said that little old ladies who were coming in to “buy an album to protect their war time treasures” were frightened off by pop-up store punters who were “swearing” at her customers.
“Over the last 2 days I’ve lost about $6,000 (probably more) in weekend trading mainly because my customers are too intimidated to come in/don’t want to fight your crowd,” she wrote.
“I just thought I’d drop a note to see if you will send through a Cheque to cover the loss made?”
She further said she understands that Kanye is in a little bit of debt but thought maybe his wife Kim Kardashian could help out.
Unfortunately for Knightley it’s unlikely that he’s going to respond as Kanye doesn’t have an official Facebook page. He’s more of a Twitter man and even then that’s used mostly for big statements like this:
Kanye’s pop-up store in Melbourne was one of 21 stores opened worldwide this weekend to sell city-specific The Life Of Pablo merch. It was so popular that it sold-out of stock before it even opened for its third day of trading today.
Fans were lining up from Thursday night to be their first to get their hands on some Yeezy merch in both Sydney and Melbourne.


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MUMBAI: Mahindra Holidays and Resorts Limited (MHRIL) has witnessed a 12 per cent growth in its July-September net prtofit which stood at Rs 27 crore as against the corresponding period last year.
Company's revenues for the July-September quarter also increased 11 per cent to Rs 165 crore over the same period last year.
MHRIL, a part of the $15.4-billion Mahindra Group, also witnessed a rbust growth in its member base at 150,000 thus taking it into the list of top 10 vacation ownership companies globally.
In the last 10 months, the company added over 780 rooms to its inventory across 43 resorts in India and abroad thus representing a 48 per cent growth in occupancy.
Arun Nanda, chairman, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts, said, “Our growth in inventory and large member base will give a huge positive momentum to the business. Using our unique expertise in the fiel, we will continue to raise the bar on member service and satisfaction.”


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September 1, 2016
Nearly 2,000 new books added to our Library
The Arboretum Library has been busy in the last year acquiring 1,802 books of which 536 were e-books. Arboretum members can check the books out and have access to the e-books from any computer, smart phone or tablet. The books range from scholarly to popular about plants, wild or under cultivation, crafts and stories too.


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Twenty-four companies have signed up as founder members of the Middle East Leisure & Attractions Council, or MELAC. The association was officially launched at DEAL back in April after two years of meetings and will be chaired by Majid Al Hokair of the Al Hokair Group in Saudi Arabia.
The new group replaces a defunct trade association and promises a “more democratic decision-making process,” according to Gerry Robinson, its interim general secretary. “The establishment of MELAC comes at a time when the leisure and attractions industry in the Middle East and Africa seeks to professionalise the way it operates,” he adds. “The association will provide a range of services and benefits for members.”
MELAC hopes to hold its first council meeting in September. A conference and several other events are planned over the next 12 months and the association has also nominated DEAL as its official trade show.


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Stock analysts at BWS Financial started coverage on shares of Acco Brands Corporation (NYSE:ACCO) in a report released on Wednesday. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. BWS Financial’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 41.18% from the company’s current price.
Separately, Zacks Investment Research cut Acco Brands Corporation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 18th.
Shares of Acco Brands Corporation (NYSE:ACCO) traded up 2.35% on Wednesday, reaching $13.05. 123,369 shares of the company traded hands. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $13.07 and a 200-day moving average of $11.20. Acco Brands Corporation has a 52-week low of $5.79 and a 52-week high of $14.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a PE ratio of 11.73 and a beta of 1.55.
Acco Brands Corporation (NYSE:ACCO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 24th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.01. Acco Brands Corporation had a return on equity of 13.86% and a net margin of 7.89%. The company earned $431.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $432.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.28 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Acco Brands Corporation will post $0.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
In related news, VP Neal V. Fenwick sold 12,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total transaction of $157,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 343,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,330,393.45. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in shares of Acco Brands Corporation during the second quarter valued at $3,299,000. ClariVest Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Acco Brands Corporation by 0.6% in the second quarter. ClariVest Asset Management LLC now owns 364,226 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,762,000 after buying an additional 2,148 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its position in shares of Acco Brands Corporation by 13.8% in the second quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 14,875 shares of the company’s stock valued at $154,000 after buying an additional 1,802 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Acco Brands Corporation by 5.9% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,028,339 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,263,000 after buying an additional 504,681 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Acco Brands Corporation by 331.0% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 11,774 shares of the company’s stock valued at $121,000 after buying an additional 9,042 shares in the last quarter. 93.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About Acco Brands Corporation
ACCO Brands Corporation is a manufacturer and marketer of office, school and calendar products, and also computer and electronic accessories. It sells its products to consumers and commercial end users through resellers, including traditional office supply resellers, wholesalers and retailers, including online retailers.


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Panasonic plans to halve cobalt portion in batteries
The Japanese company plans to change up their battery manufacturing recipe within the next two-to-three years to use only half the current cobalt components. Head of the Panasonic passenger car division, Yoshio Ito, stated there are already working prototypes, but a complex evaluation process will take place before serial production.
SGL Carbon preparing to make more batteries
SGL Carbon steels itself for surging demand for EV batteries. The supplier says it “significantly increased” production capacities for synthetic graphite anode material and will conclude the expansion in 2019, while also investing in their battery lab.
BYD and Changan to jointly produce batteries
BYD entered a strategic cooperation agreement with Changan Automobile to jointly manufacture batteries for electric vehicles. Both companies will produce up to 10 GWh of batteries together and sell as well as recycle those through a wide reaching joint venture based in Chongqing.
China: Beijing Electric Vehicle bets on battery-swap
BJEV is launching a battery-swap service to get ahead in China’s competitive market. They will install the first 100 battery changing station in Beijing this year as an add on to their EV300 model. Moreover, this symbolises a comeback of battery swapping only this time with more refined business models.
Voltabox takes over Navitas Systems
The German battery manufacturer Voltabox is continuing their expansion, and has purchased the US battery manufacturer Navitas Systems, a specialist for battery systems in the intralogistic area. The supervisory board still has to confirm the decision, however.
Leclanche & Exide form JV to make batteries for India
India’s largest battery maker, Exide Industries set up a joint venture with Leclanché of Switzerland to make batteries for electric vehicles and stationery energy storage in India. The partnership will focus on electric buses and e-rickshaws first and marks Exide’s transition to Li-ion technology.
BYD to more than double battery production by 2020
BYD’s planned battery factory in Qinghai province is becoming much bigger than previously thought. Bloomberg reports BYD is planning to scale up to full capacity of 24 GWh already next year. Globally BYD aims to churn out 28 GWh this year before doubling their output to 60 GWh in 2020.


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Continuing the list
Among Jim Cramer’s predictions for 2019, he included more brands and investors in the cannabis industry this year. Cramer believes that 2019 “will be all about branding for the pot industry.” According to Cramer, big companies will—within the legal limits—push for brand building campaigns in 2019.
Investors coming in
Cramer also said that more investors will pour money into the sector with medical marijuana becoming more efficient. He stated, “I think more investors will embrace actual medicines that do the same thing as marijuana, but they do it more reliably.”
What we predicted: A comparison
We listed “value-added innovation” and “serious investors” in our list. Value-added innovation will drive differentiated products, which will be branded to help customers identify the product easily. We also stated that “late-stage investors with big wallets waiting for validation may pour their money into the cannabis industry.”
What we missed
Cramer’s fifth prediction, seeing a boost in the CBD market on the back of the newly passed Farm Bill, was something we didn’t consider. Cramer called CBD a “massive opportunity.” It has non-psychoactive properties and can be derived from hemp, which is now legal in the United States.
Read our story on what the US hemp market means for Canadian companies (HMMJ) Canopy Growth (WEED), Cronos Group (CRON), Tilray (TLRY), and HEXO (HEXO) and check out The US Hemp Market: Not So Straightforward for Cannabis Companies.
What we also listed
We also listed “validation,” “earnings,” “global developments,” and “negative events” as other items to watch for in 2019 in the cannabis space. See Top Ten Developments to Watch in the Cannabis Sector in 2019 to learn more.


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Seminole Hard Rock’s $1.5 Billion Expansion Promises to Make the Hotel-Casino a World-Recognized Landmark
A $1.5 billion expansion to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood will open on October 24 and promises to make the location a premiere destination for world-travelers. The centerpiece of the expansion is the Hard Rock’s giant, iconic guitar-shaped hotel. The building is the world’s first of its kind and houses 638 luxury guest rooms. An adjacent 168-room tower will overlook a new pool lagoon and feature Bora Bora-style, swim out rooms. The property will also unveil an expanded gaming floor, a new Rock Spa, 13.5 acres of recreational waterscape, premier meeting and convention space, a entertainment venue, night clubs, retail shops and much more.
The new hotel and casino will hire 4,000 new positions and will host a job fair on June 4. Click HERE for more information.
You can book accommodations for the October 24 grand opening weekend starting July 24.
Take a sneak peak…


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After years of waiting, Nintendo has finally answered all of the Zelda fans’ prayers.
It was recently announced at the recent Nintendo Direct livestream that The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask will getting a remake for the Nintendo 3DS, the same treatment with the Ocarina of Time last 2011. The remake promises improved visuals and sounds.
Aside from the game, European gamers can avail for the special edition of Majora’s Mask, which includes the game, a steel book, two-sided poster and a pin badge. No info if other countries will have a similar or a different special edition package.
Te Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D will be available in Spring of 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS.


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Through a new print and online journal, Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux shows off some of the young talent driving the brand today. Girard-Perregaux, the iconic luxury Swiss watchmaker, is 221 years old, but is far from being past its prime. The brand’s new print and online journal, The New Face of Tradition, Eight Young Watchmakers and the Art of Making Time,is sharing its modern face with the world in an original way.
Offering a glimpse into the passions and adventures of a clutch of young watchmakers, the journal captures them at work, but also delves into what makes them tick in their personal lives and, of course, their favorite Girard-Perregaux pieces. The brand says The New Face of Tradition a first in the luxury watchmaking industry, and signifies a distinctive way to let aficionados into the brand.
In the journal, the talented artists share how they are following in Girard-Perregaux’s proud heritage, but also write their own stories. Their tales are as diverse as the timepieces they create. Outside of his work at the atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Mathieu Bergeon is a budding rock star, while Jean-Luc Borel is an alphorn maestro. Ines Patoz reveals her enthusiasm for horseback riding, Gilles Catella indulges in motorcycle racing and Laetitia Pino loves nothing more than a complicated jigsaw puzzle.
The journal, available online at www.TheNewFaceofTradition.com, was launched at a special event at Cipriani Dolce in New York City, which also marked the first stop of The Girard-Perregaux Young Watchmakers Tour. Guests were given the opportunity to participate in a hands-on, one-on-one workshop with the watchmakers, as well as a look at the brand’s 2012 novelties and museum pieces from its archives. Later this year, the tour will move on to Beijing, Paris and several other cities.
“Too often brands hide their talented watchmakers behind the curtains of their manufactures”, says Michele Sofisti, CEO of Sowind Group, which owns Girard-Perregaux and another Swiss watch marque, JeanRichard.
“We are proud of the young artists we share our passion for watchmaking with and are excited to show to the world who they are. The New Face of Tradition seeks to break away from the current image many people have of the craft. It is not an antique – and certainly not a dead – art; it is young, revitalized and constantly evolving, much like the people behind it.” GA


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Listen to this article here
Norwood, a Stockport based manufacturer and installer of clean room systems, has achieved a 300% growth in turnover in the past five years, and is now on track to increase sales to £5 million by 2023.
The firm, based in Heaton Mersey, supplies industries such as advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, biosciences and healthcare with precision engineered products to ensure environments can be kept free of external contamination. In response to growing demand from these sectors, Norwood has increased turnover to around £2.6 million in the past five years, and is now seeking to invest in its factory, equipment and personnel to achieve further growth.
Thanks to a strong order book, the Stockport manufacturer is on track for growth that will see turnover exceed £5 million by 2023.
Managing Director of Norwood Josh Bannister said:
“Over the past five years, we have transitioned from serving smaller, local projects to supplying multimillion-pound developments of national and international significance.
The firm has already reinvested its strong results in new machinery, and is looking to invest further in its factory and digital presence to support further growth. The firm is also recruiting for three site-based roles, and has further plans to add a trainee position in the coming year.


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Independence Day Car Show Is Huge Success
July 12, 2008 - By Wayne Sheets, Contributing Business Writer
Ed Griesel said it the only way it could be said Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the annual Independence Day weekend car sho....
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There's a good chance you've owned a Logitech webcam
at some point in your life, and if all goes according to plan your company's executives might soon be buying them, too. Logitech has announced intent to acquire LifeSize Communications
, makers of high-end, high-def video-conferencing systems that primarily find themselves installed at one end of long, richly stained tables, flanked by tall leather chairs and positioned such that the CEO can gesture vaguely toward the camera and proudly say how expensive it was without actually knowing how to use it. If approved, the $405 million deal will put Logitech in competition with industry stalwarts like Polycom
, creating a no-holds-barred rumble for boardroom domination that will leave no golden parachute untouched.


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Peloton announced today that they are dropping the price of their original Peloton bike from $1,895 to $1,495, effective immediately. The price drop will apply in other countries as well.
The new price will be $1495 USD / £1350 GBP/ $1895 CAD / €1495 EUR, and $2295 AUD.
They shared the following about the news in their quarterly earnings report:
Since our founding, Peloton’s mission has been to help people be the best version of themselves by making it easier to access world-class fitness and wellness content. Today, we announced our latest step in making Peloton more attainable by lowering the price of our original, award-winning Peloton Bike across all of our markets to $1,495 USD, or $39 per month with our 39-month financing plan. We know price remains a barrier and are pleased to offer our most popular product at an attractive everyday price point.
Peloton previously lowered the price of the original Peloton Bike when they announced the Bike+. At that time the price dropped from $2,245 to $1,895.
Peloton is holding their earnings call today where this will likely be discussed more.
Peloton has also put out a press release that discusses some of their extra financing options as well.
Want to be sure to never miss any Peloton news? Sign up for our newsletter and get all the latest Peloton updates & Peloton rumors sent directly to your inbox.


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Survey: 92% Agree Ad Supported Online Content Is Important To The Overall Value Of The Internet
In a poll commissioned by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), 92 percent of 1,000 Americans surveyed agreed that free news, weather, email, blogs and video content was either somewhat or extremely important to the overall value of the Internet. Less than 10 percent of the people polled would prefer an ad-free Internet where users paid […]
In a poll commissioned by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), 92 percent of 1,000 Americans surveyed agreed that free news, weather, email, blogs and video content was either somewhat or extremely important to the overall value of the Internet.
Less than 10 percent of the people polled would prefer an ad-free Internet where users paid to access blogs, entertainment sites, videos and social media sites, while 75 percent surveyed said they prefer the existing Internet model where most content is free, but includes ads.
Conducted earlier this month, the poll measured attitudes regarding online advertising with a specific focus on Internet-based ads. According to the DAA, the survey results show that Americans value free Internet content and appreciate online advertising that is tailored to interests.
When asked if they would rather see Internet ads for random/generic products and services, or ads for products and services that reflect their interests, nearly 70 percent of the people polled said they prefer, at least, some ads to be directed toward their interests.
The poll also offered insight into how Internet ads affect purchasing decisions with 42 percent of respondents claiming they had purchased a product or service because they saw or clicked on an advertisement. Of the 1,000 participants, 50 percent said that an online advertisement had helped them save money on a purchase or saved time finding it, and 58 percent confirmed that an Internet ad had helped them find an offer or product that they wouldn’t otherwise have known about.
More than 75 percent of people surveyed believe they should be able to choose the types of ads they see and how they are generated.
Only 17 percent of survey respondents trust the government to regulate how Internet advertising is delivered, while 61 percent didn’t trust the government and 20 percent were not sure. More than 45 percent of respondents said they would not support a law that restricted how data is used for Internet advertising if it potentially reduced the availability of free content like blogs and video sites.
Identity theft was the biggest online concern, with more survey respondents worried about their identity being stolen online than viruses and malware, cyber-bullying and stalking, government surveillance of data or behaviorally targeted Internet advertising.
Surveying 1,000 people nationwide, Digital Advertising Alliance commissioned Zogby Analytics to conduct the poll between April 2 and April 3, 2013.
(Image credit: Zogby Analytics)
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.
New on MarTech


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This week’s spooky recalls includes the following:
Yamaha Motor Australia Pty Ltd — SR400 Motorcycle
University Cooperative Bookshop Limited t/as AG Co-op (Australian Geographic) — Compass Lensatic
McLaren Automotive Limited — McLaren P11 Coupe, Spider, Coupe-S, Spider-S, Coupe-R and Spider-R; McLaren P13 Coupe-C, Coupe-S, GT and Spider-S
American Special Vehicles — RAM 1500, 2500 & 3500 Trucks
Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty Ltd — Mercedes-Benz A200 A Class Passenger Cars
Emergo Asia Pacific t/as Emergo Australia — Nokia Blood Pressure Monitor Plus
Permobil Australia Pty Ltd — TiLite Manual Wheelchairs
Jaguar Land Rover Australia — Land Rover Discovery Sport
American Boss Deals — Baby Star Virginia Sleigh 3-in-1 Cot
World Brand Importers — Vegan Dairy-Free Shredded Cheese
Jaguar Land Rover Australia — Jaguar XF X260 and XE X760
John’s Rice Noodle Manufacturing Co — Rice Noodle Banh Pho 1kg
Nissan Motor Co (Australia) Pty Ltd — D23 Navara and F15 Juke
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Ready for the relaunch of the major leagues sports seasons in the US, two of the biggest names in the sports betting industries have extended their partnership.
Scientific Games and Caesars Entertainment already have an existing digital sports betting relationship but now it is expanding. The recent unveiling of sports betting in Pennsylvania and Indiana and with it the opening of the former state to online casinos, has been the catalyst.
Jordan Levin, CEO digital, for SG said: “Caesars has always been a market leader, well known for delivering superior player experiences in the traditional gaming space. Our scalable technology, complemented with a US player-centric experience, enables Caesars to deliver on its service legacy by offering exceptional betting and digital gaming experiences that reach new audiences across key markets.“
Extending the duration of their operating agreement, the two companies are partnering in bringing digital sports betting and igaming to players in Pennsylvania. Caesars has launched The Book at Harrah’s Philadelphia in January last year and has now gone live with a new online offering in the state powered by SG’s OpenSports and OpenGaming product suites.


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With Sony releasing their first 3D HDTV’s and Blu-ray players recently, it is only a matter of time before their PS3 gaming console gets a 3D update, and it looks like this will be coming via a firmware update.
According to Sony all of the existing PS3 games will be compatible with the 3D update, although not all of the existing games will look as good in 3d.
Sony are working on a range of new titles that will be released in the new Sony PS3 3D format, and it looks like the Blu-ray player on the PS3 will also get updated to 3D in the update, so you will be able to watch 3D BD movies on a compatible 3D HDTV.
There are no details as yet on when we are likely to see the new 3D firmware on the PS3 although Sony have said that it will be within the next few months.
via Gadget Venue
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


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If you are interested in Splunk (SPLK) I'd advise you to stay on the sidelines. Why? Let's start with for the year to date, shares, at around $53, are flat. The company reports its third quarter on Tuesday.
Shares of the machine intelligence firm reported a slowdown in license growth and a weak gross margin. Back in August, Splunk reported second-quarter earnings of 5 cents per share, 2 cents better than the consensus estimate. Revenue rose 43.5% to $212.8 million versus the $200.5 million estimate.
Second-quarter license revenue grew 32%, but that was down from 41% in the first quarter. Likewise, billings grew 40% in the second quarter, but that was down from the 48% growth posted in the first quarter.
If that wasn't disappointing enough, the company reported a gross margin of 83.8% below the analyst estimate of 85%.
Management sees third-quarter revenue of $228 million to $230 million versus the $228 million estimate. Operating margin is expected to between 5% and 6%.
For the year, the company is forecasting revenue of $910 million to $914 million versus the $897 million consensus. The company didn't boost guidance and investors found that disappointing as well.
After the second-quarter report, analysts were quick to defend the company. First, analysts said the third-quarter guidance was in line with the consensus estimate -- but the company typically beats the estimate so it is not a big deal the company didn't increase guidance.
Second, the company's cloud computing business is on track to deliver $100 million in revenue and the transition to the cloud is suppressing the company's billings growth. The 40% growth in billings would have been better if customers were buying software licenses instead of the company's cloud offering.


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Excellent article on the Ford mess
MetroWeekly has a comprehensive article on the Ford mess, Roll Over: Ford puts itself at the center of the latest battle over gays and corporate America. It include an interview with John Aravosis, who is slamming Ford hard on AmericaBlog. There are good quotes and coverage on both sides of the issue.
Aravosis sees AFA’s actions as part of an overall strategy to go after the pillars of the GLBT community’s support.
”They want to knock out the foundation of our movement, in this case the financial and cultural support,” he said. ”They’re going after the ones who embrace us, who support their [gay] employees…. They’re going after our strengths and knocking them down.”
Even our leather-loving friend, Peter LaBarbera tossed his two cents in; surprisingly, he’s not so sure that the American Family Association is going to succeed in the long run.
Peter LaBarbera, head of the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) and long-time anti-gay activist, said that the gay community has had a huge amount of success in recruiting corporations to its side. ”I would say the gay side is miles ahead of us,” he said. ”They were smart enough to go at it early, and make their focus not just on politics, which is a clear mistake of my side, which focused more on Washington and not as much on the cultural aspects.”
LaBarbera, who is currently working to have Walgreens and other corporations drop their sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, said that the corporations don’t realize how their pro-gay activities damage their reputation with ”pro-family perspectives.”
IFI is not affiliated with AFA’s effort to boycott Ford. LaBarbera expressed some reservations about the effectiveness of boycotts, particularly if there are too many going on. ”There’s so much stuff that qualifies for [a] boycott that you have to pick and choose,” he said.
The theory that the Ford dealerships in the hinterlands are behind the pressure on Ford HQ is supported by industry insiders.
…AFA’s threatened boycott may have driven some independent Ford dealers to push the corporation to reach an agreement.
”I would say dealers played a big role in this,” said Cliff Banks, a Ward’s Auto editor and one of the reporters on the WardsAuto.com stories. ”A lot of them are in the Bible-belt area, and they were hearing a lot from their customers, saying that they were going to go along with the boycott.”Banks said that the feeling among those dealers is that AFA is a powerful group with their customers. But, he said, ”Ford could have handled the situation better.”
”It’s pretty obvious to me that Ford wanted to avoid one boycott, and avoid stepping into another boycott,” he said.
…Kathleen deBold, executive director of the Mautner Project for Lesbian Health, said the Ford situation shows that the community must constantly be ready for these controversies. ”Corporations exist to make a profit, and the profit motive can make for fair-weather friends,” she said. ”This just shows why we have to be vigilant in watching what’s going on behind this scenes.” Still, she said, Ford’s actions don’t necessarily make sense from the profit perspective.
”It’s a very silly thing for a company to do, because if they want to make money, they should be selling to every consumer,” she said, noting that studies have shown the gays and lesbians are well-educated consumers who remember things for a very long time.
Oh yes, as long as the AFA is Ford’s bed-buddy, my next car won’t be a Ford, thank you very much.


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Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation Unveils New Website
Foundation Launches “Pink Pumpkins on Your Porch – Let’s Unite Against Breast Cancer” Campaign
YUMA, Ariz., July 2012 – The Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation, a Colorado nonprofit corporation, today launched its newly-developed website in preparation for their first fall harvest later this year.
The website, www.PinkPumpkinPatchFoundation.org, is a central location for growers and retailers currently participating in the program or for those simply looking for information.
Additionally, it is also a place for consumers to find out more about these special pumpkins leading up to and during the campaign. Visitors will find vibrant images, decorating ideas, articles and information on applying to receive funds raised. It also features a section where growers can access information on ordering point of sale materials.
The website is a medium to promote the foundation’s overall campaign, “Pink Pumpkins on Your Porch – Let’s Unite Against Breast Cancer.” This fall, the Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation is urging consumers to place pink pumpkins on their porches to show their support in putting an end to the disease that takes away so many loved ones year after year.
“We want to see a pink pumpkin on every porch in America,” noted Don Goodwin, Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation president. “These pumpkins convey a sense of solidarity against a disease that directly and indirectly affects all of us at some point of our lives.”
According to the latest statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women. More than 210,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States in 2008 and more than 40,500 died from the disease in that one single year.
About the Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation
The Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation was created in 2012 to aid in the fight against breast cancer. The foundation is comprised of America’s leading pumpkin growers, who have committed to donating a share of proceeds from every pink pumpkin sold to organizations dedicated to breast cancer research. The foundation will oversee funding and target contributions to organizations with the highest percentage of resources dedicated to research activities


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Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
January 7th, 2010 by John Stephens
Sierra Fitness Expansion Means More Weights, More Spinning Space
Last week we told you about Sierra Madre fitness mogul Sandy Lewis-Duval and her newest business venture, The Shabby Dog. And while Lewis-Duvall is certainly branching out into new business areas with her high-end dog leashes sold online and at her Montecito Ave. boutique, she’s not leaving the fitness business anytime soon. In fact, she’s expanding.
Much like starting The Shabby Dog boutique, Lewis-Duvall’s decision to expand Sierra Fitness during the worst financial downturn since the Great Depression is in keeping with her smiling philosophy of being “crazy” enough to take a risk when the opportunity presents itself.
“My philosophy was that a lot of these other gyms are struggling right now and cutting amenities and trimming their class offerings. So I figured that I would invest in my business and my clients. We’re not going to take away, we’re going to give!”
And give she has. Advertising itself as a place born out of a “hype-free philosophy” and providing a “non-intimidating environment,” since 1994 Sierra Fitness has been a small community gym where everybody knows your name as well as your workout routine. But the space constraints of the gym have provided some limitations to the amount of equipment and types of classes they offer. But after their recent expansion, space limitations are an issue no more.
With their new space, Sierra Fitness now has a larger weight room with more free weights and a larger cardio room as well as a new spinning studio and class studio upstairs.
The response to the expansion has been extremely positive.
“I knew it was a risk at the time, but the mood among our members is just great now,” said Lewis-Duvall.
Sandy told us that, in the past, many of her members have been women and that the lack of amenities such as a larger free-weight area may have been keeping some of the men clinging to their Gold’s Gym memberships.
“With the free weights addition, a lot of our female client’s husbands are now starting to come in and take memberships. I think that’s an aspect that we were kind of missing,” said Lewis-Duvall.
Even more popular than the free weights, however, is the wide variety of workout classes Sierra Fitness offers all of its members, all of which are included with their monthly membership dues. Classes such as Spinning, Yoga, Pilates Mat, Core Fitness, Ballet Barre, Step Aerobics, Toning Plus, Easy Does It are scheduled throughout the week, everyday from open to close. A full schedule is available on the gym’s website, sierrafit.com. And of course, the widely popular Sierra Fitness “Original” Bootcamp class is still offered. The next session starts Monday, January 11 and the eight-week session meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5 and 6 a.m.
All this and more are just a few of the ways Sierra Fitness is celebrating their 15th year in the community. So tie up your pup outside with that brand new Shabby Dog hand-free leash and stop by to see what all the fuss is about. All those fit, smiling faces surely can’t be wrong.
In the words of Tom Gammill, long-time Sierra Fitness member and artist behind the Doozies comic strip, “Without Sierra Fitness, I’d be a fat, pathetic mess. Thanks to them, I’m only a slightly overweight, pathetic mess.”


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BCSO: Woman racks up $1,200 in stolen credit card purchases
Female suspect stole credit cards from elderly woman
SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County sheriff's investigators are asking for the public's help in identifying a woman who stole an elderly woman's wallet then used the victim's credit cards to rack up more than $1,200 worth of illegal purchases.
Investigators said the wallet was stolen from the woman around 1 p.m. July 8 at the Hobby Lobby in the 23000 block of Highway 281 North at TPC Parkway.
The female suspect used the cards at three different locations, spending more than $120 at a Valero, filling up her truck with gasoline and purchasing drinks and cigarettes; more than $800 at an Academy Sports and Outdoors, buying gift cards, clothing and a marine battery, and more than $300 at a Target, buying gift cards and groceries.
The woman is wanted on charges related to credit card fraud/abuse, theft $50-$500 elderly.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office and Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information that leads to the woman's arrest. Call the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at 210-335-5643 or Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP (7867).
Copyright 2014 by KSAT - All rights reserved.


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Galaxy Tab Active 2 surfaces on GFXBench
Less than a week after it was spotted at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the LTE variant of the upcoming Galaxy Tab Active 2 (SM-T395) has surfaced on GFXBench’s database—and the listing reveals a lot about the slate’s internals.
The ruggedized Galaxy Tab Active 2 sports an 8-inch display (1,280 x 800 pixels), an Exynos 7870 octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP selfie shooter, according to its profile on GFXBench.
Unfortunately, we still don’t have any details surrounding availability. All we know is that the Android 7.1.1 Nougat-powered tablet will launch in Europe and Latin America, where it will be priced somewhere in the region of $500 to $600.


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Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.
Set to open on Saturday, November 13, the new store which, like the other two will sell plastic-free groceries and ethical goods, will be located at Moorgarth’s Waverley Market.
It will be the company’s first city centre location, with its two other shops located in Newington Road and St John’s Road, Corstorphine.
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The new store will also be The Refillery’s largest space and will house a delicatessen as well stations offering refillable food and treats and on-tap refills for water and kombucha. Meal solution recipe kits will also be available and a first-of-its-kind in Edinburgh deposit return scheme for coffee cups will be in place.
Kelly Wright, founder of The Refillery, said: “Waverley Market is such a great location for us to continue our mission to make plastic free shopping accessible to more people.
“I’m really looking forward to opening our latest store, working closely with a range of local and independent Scottish suppliers with our very own deli and lots of other exciting plans coming up.
“We as a team continue to be so inspired by all our customers no matter what stage of the plastic free journey they are on. What we do know is that people want this, and we will continue to work hard to deliver the best range, affordable prices, and a great experience here at Waverley Market.”
The Refillery’s first store opened in 2019 after Kelly decided to help people move towards a minimal waste lifestyle. More than 1,300 products are now on offer in-store and online, with customers able to get their hands on everything from wholefoods, herbs and fruit, to bathroom essentials and gifts.
Daryll Bunce, director of innovation at Moorgarth said: “We are delighted to welcome The Refillery to Waverley Market. We feel strongly about what they do and believe that they will help us to encourage more of our customers and visitors to the city to move towards more of a minimal waste lifestyle.
“We continue to work together with local and independent businesses to give them a platform to showcase their offering here at Waverley Market and we look forward to continuing this journey with The Refillery.”


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An another Intex smartphone has just landed in the smartphone market. Intex, an Indian smartphone manufacturing company has recently launched one of the cheapest VoLTE-enabled smartphones, called the Aqua Zenith under the price tag of Rs 3,999.
The smartphone will be available for sale via ShopClues e-commerce website. The entry-level phone will also be available via Amazon and Flipkart for Rs. 4,399. The phone is basically designed for the people living in tier-III and tier-IV cities of India.
Ishita Bansal, Product Head – Mobiles, Intex Technologies, in the recent statement said,“We are very optimistic about our partnership with ShopClues. The Intex Aqua Zenith is one of our efforts to see that a smart phone is within the reach of a larger population of our country. Intex and ShopClues share the focus towards the Tier III – Tier IV Markets. With the right product and the strength of ShopClues in the smartphone category, there can be nothing but growth,” said.
Specifications of Intex Aqua Zenith:
Not only the 4G VoLTE support, but getting Android 7.1 Nougat version under that price is quite appealing. Going with other specifications of the device, it features a 5-inch FWVGA resolution of 854×480 pixels. Under its hood, it is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6592 processor equipped with 1GB RAM and 8GB of default memory space which is further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. For the camera part, it boasts a 5MP main camera at its rear with HDR mode, beauty mode, and self-timer and selfie camera of 2MP sensor for selfies and video calls. The device is powered by a 2000mAh battery.
For the connectivity options, it has dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.The Intex Aqua Zenith comes with dimensions of 14.5x1x7.2cm and weighs around 150 grams.


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The Airboard, for faster proof-of-concept
Categorie(s) : Industry, MINATEC, News
Published : 1 June 2015
Leti engineer Olivier Ménard raised $65,000 from some 1,000 backers in 55 countries during a recent Kickstarter campaign for the Airboard, a personal project of Ménard’s. And just what is the Airboard? A miniature, open-source, communicating (by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sigfox, etc.) computer that can be used to quickly program IoT prototypes to confirm proof-of-concept. A startup recently used the technology to create (in just one day!) a sensor that measures snow cover for snowboarders, later tested for two weeks at local ski resort Chamrousse.
The 1,100 cards that have been ordered on Kickstarter will be manufactured in the Rhône-Alpes region. Ménard is also looking into the possibility of a start-up that would utilize CEA know-how. The idea that ultimately spawned the Airboard dates back to 2010, when Ménard led an exploratory study on the subject at the IDEAs Laboratory®.


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For the Week Ending October 23, 2020
COVID RELIEF PACKAGE NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE WITH LITTLE HEADWAY
Whether there will be another COVID relief package this year continues to be an open question, as efforts this week to come to an agreement remained elusive. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continued to meet this week to find compromise between the White House’s $1.9 trillion and the Democrats’ $2.2 trillion proposals. However, both figures are opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and many Republican lawmakers. Pelosi had previously targeted a Tuesday deadline to reach a compromise with the White House, but on Thursday acknowledged that a deal could slip after the election. Meantime, on Wednesday Senate Democrats blocked a narrow $500 billion Republican COVID proposal, nearly identical to the version Democrats rejected in September. NPPC continues to press for a COVID relief package that includes aid for U.S. pork producers. “The injury [to America’s hog farmers] is huge and we’ve lost producers of all sizes. It’s been a tough year,” said NPPC Vice President and Counsel, Global Government Affairs Nick Giordano, during a Monday interview with “Adams on Agriculture.” A link to the full interview is here.
CALIFORNIA’S PROPOSITION 12 ‘WILL REVERSE DECADES OF PROGRESS’
Litigation continues against California’s Proposition 12, which imposes arbitrary animal housing standards that reach outside of California’s borders to farms across the United States. Last month, NPPC and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) filed their opening brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, asking the court to strike Proposition 12 as invalid. By attempting to regulate businesses outside of its borders, California’s Proposition 12 violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, Proposition 12 prohibits the sale of pork not produced according to California’s highly prescriptive production standards. “Ultimately, Proposition 12 will reverse decades of progress on sow care and welfare, set back efficiency and the resource footprint of farms, undermine the overall global competitiveness of the U.S. pork industry and increase food prices for consumers,” NPPC Assistant Vice President and General Counsel Michael Formica explained to Farm Journal’s PORK this week. Meantime, last month, three separate briefs by the federal government, a bipartisan group of 20 state attorney generals and numerous trade and business groups were filed in support of NPPC and AFBF’s lawsuit. Oral arguments on the case will likely take place in January or February of 2021. To learn more about Proposition 12, click here.
‘THERE ARE STILL IOWA PIG FARMERS IN CRISIS’
To honor and celebrate National Pork Month, NPPC is turning over its Hogs on the Hill blog to guest authors. In NPPC’s third guest submission, Iowa Pork Producers Association President-Elect Dennis Liljedahl discusses challenges Iowa hog farmers continue to endure during the COVID crisis, the urgent need for Congressional relief and other top priorities for pork producers. Read the full blog post here.
U.S., U.K. BEGIN FIFTH ROUND OF TRADE TALKS
The U.S. and the U.K. began this week their fifth round of trade talks in the hopes of soon completing a deal. “We’re intensifying negotiations, so we’re in a good position to move forward after the U.S. election,” British Trade Minister Liz Truss wrote on Twitter. “These things take time…but we are making great headway and we have got 30-some groups negotiating and negotiating bitterly right now,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told the Atlantic Future Forum this week. In October 2018, the Trump administration first announced its intention to negotiate a trade agreement with the U.K. NPPC is supportive of negotiations, provided the agreement eliminates tariff and non-tariff trade barriers on pork, the U.K. acknowledges meat industry standards as equivalent and they agree to import product from all federally inspected facilities.
U.S., KENYA BEGIN SECOND ROUND OF TRADE TALKS
On Wednesday, the United States and Kenya began the second round of trade talks. The virtual negotiations involve U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo. The aim is for a “comprehensive, high standard free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and Kenya that will bring prosperity to the two countries, as well as eastern Africa,” according to the U.S. State Department. The two countries held their first round of virtual negotiations in July. In late April, NPPC submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative on a trade deal between the two countries, noting that an agreement has the potential for a significant increase in the demand for U.S. pork products, but import duties and all non-tariff barriers on U.S. pork need to be fully eliminated. “NPPC will give enthusiastic support to an FTA with Kenya that eliminates all tariffs on U.S. pork and allows for the import of pork using science-based and internationally recognized regulatory standards.”


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11 suspects, including the president of a South Korean Samsung supplier, are accused of stealing sensitive information from Samsung’s OLED division and leaking it to Chinese display makers, according to a report by Nikkei.
Has been leaked to BOE & others
The Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office has indicted 11 suspects from one of Samsung’s South Korean suppliers, Toptec, and an affiliate. The supplier is producing automated equipment for production of display panels.
They are accused of stealing information relating to OLED displays that curve around the edge of a smartphone, and for selling it for 15.5 billion Won to four companies, including China’s BOE, according to one anonymous source. BOE supplies display panels to Huawei and others. TCL’s CSOT is also believed to be one of the buyers.
- "We are shocked to see the announcement of the prosecutors as our rivals are aggressively chasing us in technology," Samsung Display said in a statement.
Samsung Display controls over 90% of the small-to-medium sized OLED display panel market, whereas LG.Display controls the OLED TV panel segment. Chinese display manufacturers have been trying to ramp up production of OLED displays for years.
There is big money in producing OLED displays. The two Korean display makers LG and Samsung have already invested billions of dollars in technology and production, and the market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Besides picture quality, OLED technology offers a set of key advantages over LCD such as the ability to bend or wrap around objects.
As noted by OLED-Info.com, this is not the first case. Earlier this year, several Chinese and Korean researchers were accused of stealing OLED secrets from Samsung. A few months ago, LG.Display said that they feared “critical information” regarding OLED technology had been leaked and that China-based companies are suspected of eavesdropping inside the LG.Display headquarters.


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The price of the Bitcoin has stayed strong despite a high-profile security leak and flash crash at the then-leading Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox. But there’s some indication that demand may not be keeping up with the minting of Bitcoins by enterprising programmers in basements, bedrooms and data centers. For months, Bitcoin enthusiasts were buying up graphics cards, which can be used in mining, on sites like eBay and Newegg. But the price of these components may be going down, an indication that demand for mining rigs is decreasing as the market gets flooded with Bitcoins.
One Bitcoin miner, posting on the Bitcoin Board forum, is bearish on the business of mining. “I looked at eBay — the COMPLETED LISTINGS — and it looks like the going rate at eBay is coming down. Selling for $140 with free shipping — and you can’t ship a 5830 for less than $8,” he said of one of the cards.
Hundreds of other miners will be unloading cards at fire sale prices in a month or two, he said:
You know what scares me the most about Bitcoin?
The fact that every 2016 blocks (about 11 days), 100,800 new BTC are minted. That means that, to maintain the CURRENT price of $13.50, we’d need $1,360,000 of NEW MONEY entering the system every 11 days. Considering that Bitcoin isn’t *that* convenient, popular, or necessary for day-to-day life yet — and the Mainstream Media seems to have declared war on it — I see the market correcting even further until it hits an equilibrium — which unfortunately we be lower.
What does that mean for my rigs? Well, I’ll be making less from them. Hopefully something will happen to increase BTC demand — because that’s the ONLY thing that’s going to raise BTC prices long-term. BTC can’t rise in price from a bunch of speculators buying & selling — if anything, the price would go down from attrition (as Mt. Gox & Tradehill — “the house” if you will — take their cuts)
Just my .02 BTC.
We all know what happens when supply exceeds demand. This also means the BTC market is getting increasingly liquid, as the percentage of BTC being hoarded is decreasing. But as the number of goods that can be bought with BTC continues to increase and the number of apps available for it make it more accessible to the mainstream, demand for the currency as an actual unit of exchange may go up–especially since the price has been pretty stable of late.
The macro trend is that word about Bitcoin continues to spread–the “What Is Bitcoin” video has been translated to the German–and it’s hard to see how that won’t lead to increased demand. It’s just a matter of pacing.


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THE DOGS ARE OUT
European Union antitrust watchdogs are looking into a planned deal between Google and Yahoo to share some ad revenue. Under terms of the deal, announced in June, Google will supply Yahoo with ad services to run alongside Yahoo’s Web search system. Google and Yahoo said the deal would only be in effect in the U.S. and Canada, but the World Association of Newspapers said it would hurt Yahoo’s ability to compete against Google in the future and called on EU antitrust authorities to scrutinize it.
CRAMER in AT REUTERS
Reuters said Monday that it has appointed former CNN International president Chris Cramer to the newly created role of global editor for multimedia. Cramer had spent 20 years at the BBC before joining CNN. At Reuters, he will oversee multimedia projects including Reuters.com and serve as the main liaison between the news organization and media business. He will be based in New York and report to editor in chief David Schlesinger.
Federal regulators are asking mass retailers to sell converter boxes, like the one sold by EchoStar, that allow consumers to convert analog television sets to digital ahead of the Feb. 17 deadline for a nationwide switch. FCC chairman Kevin Martin said EchoStar’s $40 box is only available online and by telephone, adding up to $12 extra to the cost to consumers.
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With aluminum prices falling over the past year, stock prices for companies that smelt the metal such as Alcoa, Inc., and Rio Tinto Group are suffering as a result, but more action will have to be taken on their part if they’d like to return to profitability.
According to a recent article from US News & World Report, aluminum smelters have already started to reduce production of the metal, but they may have to further cut back on output if they want to return to the black as aluminum demand is not expected to rise any time soon.
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“The price in general has gone lower even though we’ve seen industrial demand and some production cuts,” Michael Turek, a senior trader at BGC Partners, a New York-based global financial services firm, told the news source. “The fact that prices continue to go lower suggests the market feels that thus far, it’s been a cosmetic surgery rather than mainstream surgery.”
On the London Metal Exchange, aluminum prices have dropped about 20% over the past year with global demand slowing. China’s economic issues have spearheaded the decline, as has been the case with many commodities.
“In terms of pure fundamentals, (the aluminum industry) doesn’t appear to have a lot going for it,” Turek added. “I don’t have any major grand upside aspirations for the market. We’re going to need more production cuts, and they’re going to have to be sustainable.”
We here at MetalMiner™ agree with this sentiment.
How will base metals fare in 2016? You can find a more in-depth aluminum price forecast and outlook in our brand new Monthly Metal Buying Outlook report. For a short- and long-term buying strategy with specific price thresholds:


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NEW YORK — People feel endless nostalgia when the most wonderful time of the year comes around. A new survey of 2,000 U.S. adults who celebrate a winter holiday found two in three would love to recreate the holiday magic of their favorite childhood memories this season. In fact, 72 percent claim they enjoyed the holidays more when they were young.
Sixty-nine percent of those polled had holiday traditions growing up and 43 percent say their longest-running holiday traditions have been going for 16 years or more.
Some of the most cherished traditions include decorating the Christmas tree (43%), seeing friends and family (40%), decorating the home (29%), watching classic holiday movies (26%), and eating holiday meals (25%).
More than a third (35%) say their fondest memories of the season occurred between the ages of six and 10 — marking the “golden era” for holiday magic.
Conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by the makers of SPAM, respondents also shared what they felt indicates the “true” start of the holiday season. Americans say putting up the Christmas tree (47%), holiday music playing on the radio (47%), putting up holiday decorations (46%), watching holiday movies (44%), and seeing seasonal foods or holiday flavors (42%) top the list.
Additionally, those surveyed think “Jingle Bells” (31%), “White Christmas” (29%), and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” (27%) are the top carols which put them in the holiday spirit.
Kids are growing up and making new holiday memories
Two in three survey respondents were parents, looking to create new holiday memories with their own children now. A large majority of them (91%) want their children to experience the magic of the holidays. Nearly as many (87%) want to give their kids their own fond memories of the holidays.
Seven in 10 (71%) agree that the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to start new traditions. Just as many believe new holiday traditions can last just as long as the established ones from their childhood.
The survey also revealed 52 percent have adapted their childhood holiday traditions to the present-day. This includes collecting new decorations (50%), watching modern remakes of classic holiday movies (43%), and connecting with friends and family virtually (41%).
One in four say their favorite way of modernizing traditions is by recreating old holiday recipes from their youth (28%).
“Now more than ever, people are seeking that warm and comforting feeling from past holiday traditions, and they want to share and evolve these traditions with their families,” says Jennesa Kinscher, senior brand manager for the SPAM Brand, in a statement. “This includes creating new yet simple ways to enjoy holiday activities and foods we love while establishing new interpretations of traditions that can be passed down for years to come.”
Cinnamon is the flavor of the season
The survey found food plays a huge role in holiday traditions for 83 percent of people. Whether creating a new holiday dish or an old family recipe, respondents are motivated to create it because their friends and family enjoy it (56%), they enjoy it themselves (56%), and because of tradition and nostalgia (43%).
Flavors and spices that evoke feelings of holiday nostalgia and comfort the most are cinnamon (58%), pumpkin (54%), peppermint (52%), cocoa (47%), and nutmeg (39%).
Over half (56%) of respondents have tried to re-create something for the holidays from their childhood — including favorite holiday meals (59%), baked goods or treats (59%), and decorations (50%).
“Food is such a big part of holiday traditions because the popular seasonal ingredients and flavors we all love triggers fond and familiar memories,” Kinscher continues. “That’s why we’ve summed up the spirit of the holidays in one SPAM® can, taking consumers back to the nostalgia and comfort we all crave.”
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans who celebrate a winter holiday was commissioned by the makers of the SPAM® Brand between October 21 and October 26, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).


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Consumer and professional projector manufacturer, Christie, has staged a major exhibit at ISE 2013 this week, placing a heavy focus on market education.
The company is one of the founding exhibitors of the long-running annual trade event and has maintained a consistent and impressive presence there over the years. Its display at the 2013 exhibit has included a broad range of its technology, including MicroTiles Interactive zones and a 1-chip DLP® gallery.
One of the flagship devices being displayed at the event, taking place this week, is the Christie Entero™ HB Display Cube – the brightest LED projector for control room use, with the world's first WiFi control capabilities. The projectors offer over 1,000 lumens of brightness thanks to cutting-edge LED technology.
A significant emphasis is being put on Christie’s 3LCD and single chip DLP projectors, which provide premium quality images with a low cost of ownership. The projectors have been given their own gallery at the show, with the new G Series – which is in the running for the prestigious InAVation Award – given a prominent place.
The brand will also be giving demonstrations of 3D video mapping through their J Series projectors.


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Roald Dahls’s book The Twits is being turned into an app as part of a major rebranding of the late author’s work.
The ‘Twit or Miss’ game was developed by Penguin Random House Children’s and the Roald Dahl Literary Estate in conjunction with with Aardman Digital.
Aimed at children aged six to 11 the “food fight” game lets players swipe food away from the sleeping Mrs Twit and into Mr Twit’s beard to score points.
There are an unlimited number of levels, but if players wake Mrs Twit she will hit Mr Twit with her stick, a move that signals the end of the game.
Luke Kelly, Dahl’s grandson and m.d. of the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, said the game echoes the tricks Mr and Mrs Twit play on each other in the book, such as Mrs Twit serving up a plate of “wormy spaghetti” or dropping her glass eye into her husband’s beer.
“In the original story, the fiendish tricks that they play on each other are part of an ever-escalating game,” he said. “Working with Penguin and Aardman, we thought we had a brilliant opportunity to develop that into a digital game filled with disgusting food, beards, Twit quips and general app-enabled monstrosity.”
PRH Children’s will release the app through Apple’s AppStore and Google Play on 23rd July. It is free to download but integrated within the app is material promoting Dahl books, e-books and audiobooks.
This year is the 35th anniversary of The Twits; in May PRH Children’s released a new edition of the book with a “scratch and sniff ” cover that smells like Mr Twit’s beard. Playwright Enda Walsh has also adapted the story into a play, which was staged at the Royal Court in London in April.
PRH and the Roald Dahl Literary Estate currently have a second app based on The Twits in development, and hope to launch it in September. They also hope to release further apps based on Dahl titles in 2016.