text:
Vicious selling has pushed global shares into a bear market, wiping trillions of dollars in value from blue chips as worries mount that aggressive central bank policy tightening would tip the world into recession.
A firestorm that began on Friday after US inflation data showed consumer prices rising at the quickest pace in four decades spread across Asian and European markets on Monday and further accelerated on Tuesday.
Australian shares shed 3.5 per cent on Tuesday, taking the decline for the S&P/ASX 200 index from the peak last August to 12.4 per cent in one of the worst days for the market since the pandemic began.
The pain was felt across the region as Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and China’s CSI 300 blue-chip benchmark fell close to 1 per cent and New Zealand’s sharemarket fell 2.6 per cent to slump into a bear market.
The declines followed a 3.9 per cent fall for the US S&P 500 index on Monday to bring the benchmark 21.8 per cent below its high in early January.
The bad news abated slightly towards the end of the day. Australian shares closed at the highest level of the trading session, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index edged into positive territory. Futures contracts based on the S&P 500 index traded more than 1 per cent higher, indicating a slight rebound when trading resumes in New York.
The drop for the world’s largest sharemarket pushed the MSCI All Country World Index – one of the broadest measures of the global sharemarket, which tracks more than $70 trillion in blue chips across 47 countries – down 21 per cent from a peak in early January.
No region has evaded the pressure. European shares fell 2.4 per cent on Monday to drag the Euro Stoxx 600 benchmark 16.6 per cent below its January peak. A FTSE index of Asian markets excluding Japan fell 1 per cent, to bring its decline from the top in February last year to 26.4 per cent.
Driving equities lower
“Risk assets have plummeted with recession risk rising, given the surge in yields,” said Tapas Strickland, director of economist and markets for NAB. “All eyes are on retail investors and whether they capitulate, which could drive equities lower.”
The pain sweeping global equity markets reflects the prospects of a hasty series of interest rate increases by central banks around the world, including the US Federal Reserve, which is fighting to temper the hottest inflation in four decades.
The Fed is tipped to raise its benchmark cash rate by half a percentage point to a range of between 1.25 per cent and 1.5 per cent when it concludes its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday afternoon in Washington (about 4am AEST on Thursday).
Investors have placed a greater chance the Fed will increase rates by a jumbo 75 basis points this week, with market pricing indicating a one-in-three chance of such a move, compared with a one-in-five chance at the weekend. A three-quarters of a percentage point move would be the largest Fed increase since 1994.
Higher consumer prices
The Fed is the world’s most influential central bank and has faced criticism for maintaining its ultra-easy policy footing alongside record fiscal spending, a sharp rebound from the pandemic recession and roaring sharemarkets.
Jan Hatzius, chief economist for Goldman Sachs, said the investment bank now anticipates a series of three consecutive monthly 50 basis point interest rate increases from the Fed beginning this week, with a further quarter-point tightening in December.
The Fed “is likely to respond to the firmer inflation print and the rise in long-term inflation expectations with a resolutely hawkish message at the June meeting,” Mr Hatzius said.
Analysts and investors have also grown wary about plummeting consumer sentiment as inflation pushes consumer prices higher, threatening the world’s largest economy.
More than two thirds of the US economy is tied to consumer spending and last week the monthly University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey fell to its lowest level on record.
“The low-income consumer is already facing challenges,” said Michael Wilson, chief US equity analyst for Morgan Stanley.
The “collapse in consumer sentiment has also been present among higher-end households, indicating the pervasive reach of rising inflation”, Mr Wilson said.
The turn in sentiment hit cryptocurrency markets hard on Tuesday, extending a dire stretch that has prompted some trading firms to block client redemptions.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest digital token, shed as much as 10.3 per cent to reach $US20,824, the lowest level since December 2020. A range of other tokens from ether to avalanche were also nursing losses.
The pressure facing cryptocurrencies prompted Celsius, which offers trading and loans based on digital tokens, and Binance, a popular trading platform, to halt redemptions, sending a shockwave across the industry.
Bond markets also reacted sharply to the growing likelihood of a swift central bank tightening and the increased likelihood it could push the global economy into a contraction.
US two-year Treasury yields, which are highly sensitive to shifting expectations of interest rates, shot up to 3.42 per cent, the highest levels in more than a decade. The increase pushed the yield above that of its 10-year counterpart briefly, inverting the yield curve, which is one popular measure investors have used in the past to identify an impending recession.
“The Fed will keep hiking until inflation moderates in a convincing way,” said Nick Ferres, chief investment officer of Vantage Point Asset Management in Singapore.
“The Fed will now be forced to increase the policy rate much faster and take the terminal rate much higher,” he added.
“The change in financial conditions is now the most rapid since the 2008 crisis,” Mr Ferres said. ’The big picture, forward-looking question is when the correction is deep enough to warrant a sustainable rally.”
Fetching latest articles


text:
Vodafone has been found guilty of false advertising breaching the Fair Trading Act, less than two months after receiving a $400,000 fine for the same charge.
The latest case relates to offences committed between July and November 2008; the previous charges were for events that took place around the same period, although Vodafone faces a smaller fine of up to $200,000 this time.
The charge relates to a Commerce Commission complaint over Vodafone’s ‘$1 a day’ mobile internet plan. At the time, Vodafone stated that customers could pay $1 for 10MB of data, and that the company would only charge for what was used.
Customers were still charged $1 per day, even if they used only a small amount of data.
Vodafone said it did not deliberately set out to mislead customers, arguing that the plan was similar to an all-day parking scheme, where customers pay for a full day but don’t expect a refund if they leave at 11am.
The company now accepts its communication was not as clear as it should have been.
Sentencing will take place on November 10.

domain: news


text:
A unionizing effort by workers at a Target store in New York failed in a lopsided 118-39 vote over the weekend.
It had been an unusual effort by about 200 front-line workers at a store on Long Island, who were considering whether to join the Food and Commercial Workers union Local 1500.
If successful, it would have been the only Target store in the nation where employees could undergo collective bargaining for wages, scheduling and other working conditions.
"This weekend's outcome confirms Target's long-standing belief that a culture of mutual respect, in which we listen to our team and resolve issues directly, will always be better for our team members than relying on a union intermediary," Target Corp. spokeswoman Jenna Reck said in an e-mailed statement. "We deeply value our store team in Huntington Station and want to thank them for their confidence in Target."
A previous unionizing attempt by hourly workers at another Long Island store, in Valley Stream, failed in June 2011 by a 137-85 vote. Target's pharmacy workers at a store in Brooklyn briefly succeeded in forming a micro union in 2015, but it came as the retailer had already sold its pharmacies to CVS.
A representative with the union said that while the vote didn't turn in its favor, the organizing effort had merit.
"The workers win no matter what happens," said Aly Waddy, a vice president with the UFCW Local 1500.
"If there's attention being drawn to the treatment they're experiencing, it'll make Target pay attention," Waddy said. "If we're part of changing the way they're being treated, as far as we're concerned we won."
Election results still must be certified by the National Labor Relations Board.


text:
Brazilian startups attracted record levels of investment as the ecosystem matures with international funds rushing to seize opportunities in the Latin American country, according to research.
During the first six months of 2021, a total of $5.2 billion was invested in startups based in Brazil, according to numbers released by open innovation network Distrito. By comparison, the total invested in the whole of 2020 - which was considered to be the best year on record for the ecosystem until recently - reached $3.5 billion.
During the first half of 2021, the study noted Brazil saw the emergence of four new unicorns, companies valued at $1 billion or over: digital products firm Hotmart, crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin, and online retailer MadeiraMadeira. In addition, digital bank C6Bank, which had a 40% stake purchased by JP Morgan Chase, was added to the pool of Brazilian unicorns.
"The success stories and constant unicorn announcements in Brazil are attracting the attention of foreign investors and that feeds back into the market," says Gustavo Gierun, co-founder at Distrito. While 64% of the deals were concentrated in early-stage rounds, with 234 such investments announced in the first half of 2021, later-stage deals represented the bulk of the invested volume in the first six months of the year.
The report lists the 11 mega rounds that surpassed US$ 100 million in the first six months of 2021, raised by digital banking firm Nubank across two rounds ($ 1.15 billion), real estate company Loft ($525 million), cross-border payments company Ebanx ($400 million), real estate firm Quinto Andar ($ 300 million), corporate wellness operator Gympass ($220 million), logistics company Loggi ($212 million), Mercado Bitcoin ($200 million), MadeiraMadeira ($190 million), payments company Cloudwalk ($190 million), bus charter firm Buser ($138.9 million) and Hotmart ($126.5 million).
According to the report, fintech is the most active segment of the Brazilian startup ecosystem. Startups focused on financial services provision attracted around half of the volume invested in the country, with $2.4 billion spread across 72 deals.


text:
Honda Motor Co. will recall its 603,000 Accord vehicles due to a
problem with the power steering hoses, which could leak and
possibly catch fire.
According to the company, the recall affects 2003-2007 Accord V6
models sold in the US and Canada, Xinhua reported Monday.
Although Honda said no crashes or injuries had been reported so
far, the automaker said the power steering hose in the Accord
could wear over time to develop a fluid leak.
Leaking fluid could possibly lead to a loss of power steering
capability, or cause smoke or fire if released onto a catalytic
Honda said that in a study of six vehicle hoses, the hoses showed
signs of heat damage, with a June engine fire also reported in a
According to Honda, new power steering hoses used to repair the
problem will not be available until early 2013 due to a new change
in rubber hose material.
Until then, Accord owners should monitor power steering
performance and, if there is an issue, take their vehicles to a
Honda dealer for temporary repair.
Monday's recall is an expansion of a Honda May recall concerning
52,615 Acura TL 2007-2008 sedans, which faced a similar power
steering hose leak problem.


text:
Brisbane-based data centre owner and operator NextDC will launch the first Australian Real Estate Investment Trust to invest in its niche area, the Asia Pacific Data Centre Trust.
The fund would buy the Sydney, Melbourne and Perth sites owned by NextDC, on a sale and leaseback arrangement, the company said. The Melbourne centre came onstream in early July and the Perth and Sydney sites will follow early next year.
The announcement comes after the listed landlord’s international sales campaign for the assets.
NextDC chief Craig Scroggie said the company had explored its options and a spin-off listed trust was the best model to recycle capital into higher yielding parts of the business. It would also help the company’s expansion within Australia and offshore.
The company would now embark on a roadshow, where further details of the float would be revealed.
The fund would have a similar structure to the BWP Trust, which has Wesfarmers-owned Bunnings as its core tenant, and
NextDC shares gained 0.75 per cent, in a negative market, to close yesterday at $2.01. The company said it would initially hold between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the fund but the vehicle would operate independently.
A product disclosure statement is expected to be ready in early October. Demand for data centres has surged as cloud computing has gained greater acceptance.
Though it would be Australia’s first listed data centre owner, several other trusts are listed abroad.
The Australian Financial Review


text:
updated 08:40 pm EST, Thu March 3, 2011
Conflict centers around Google's free V8 codec
The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating antitrust allegations against codec licensing firm MPEG-LA and its members, which include tech heavyweights Apple and Microsoft. The probe is said to be focusing on possible anticompetitive actions aimed at Google and the search giant's V8 codec, which serves as a free alternative to MPEG LA's standards.
The DoJ is considering wether MPEG-LA may be using legal threats to discourage companies from using V8, unnamed sources have told the Wall Street Journal (sub. required). The possibility of becoming entangled in a patent infringement suit is said to be driving some companies to avoid V8 and opt for a licensing agreement through MPEG-LA for a competing standard such as H.264.
MPEG-LA manages a patent pool that includes intellectual property held by a long list of companies, including Microsoft, Apple, LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Toshiba, among others. The firm has called on its members to help pinpoint patents that they view as potentially infringed by Google's V8 standard, which is available through an open license without charging royalties.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs last year echoed MPEG-LA's stance, mentioning that open-source does not necessarily guarantee that a standard does not infringe on existing patents. Google product manager Mike Jazayeri suggests the claims are unfounded, as the search giant finished a "thorough investigation" of related patents.
The DoJ has yet to officially confirm the investigation. It remains unclear if the agency will find evidence of anticompetitive behavior and what, if any, action will be taken.


text:
Local Entrepreneurial Family Set to Open a New RONA Store in Weyburn, Saskatchewan
Lowe’s Canada, one of Canada’s leading home improvement retailers, is proud to welcome Jeff Chessall and his family into its RONA affiliate dealer network. Early this fall, the local entrepreneur and his family, who own New Age Home Furnishing & Electronics and New Age Storage in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, will open a new RONA building centre in the same community. Located at 300 Railway Avenue, the building, which will welcome the store, will undergo major remodeling and design work to reflect today’s home improvement trends and make way for the offering of 7,500 products.
“In Weyburn, we pride ourselves on having great local businesses to meet the needs of the community. However, people have often looked outside the city to get some products for their home improvement projects. When our building next door to our appliances and electronics store became available, we saw an opportunity to expand our offering and better serve our customers by partnering with RONA,” said Mr. Chessall. “This new venture will give Weyburn residents more options and will create a destination centre for our surrounding communities to shop. With our locally owned and operated RONA store and e-commerce capabilities, all the major brands, decor items, and finishing products will be available right here in the city.”
To cater to the needs of DIY customers and contractors, the store will feature more than 10,000 sq. ft. of retail area, a lumber yard, and a garden centre. It will offer a wide selection of appliances, flooring, lighting, and seasonal products, as well as paint, fashion plumbing, and building materials. To give their customers access to even more options, RONA Weyburn will also offer online shopping. Residents from the area will be able to browse through thousands of products on rona.ca, order online at their convenience, and pick up their orders in store or have them delivered to their door.
“Jeff and his family are passionate and dedicated entrepreneurs who are truly invested in their community. We are happy to welcome them into our RONA family,” said Philippe Element, Vice-President, Sales and Affiliated Dealer Support at Lowe’s Canada. “We look forward to working with Jeff and his team to develop their new business as they bring their decades of retail experience into the home improvement industry to better meet the needs of the Weyburn community.”
The remodeling work for RONA Weyburn is expected to be completed in the fall. The new store will allow for the creation of about 18 jobs. Individuals who wish to apply for open positions can send their resume to firstname.lastname@example.org.
To share this news on social media, please use @Lowe’s Canada (LinkedIn) and @LowesCanadaCorp (Twitter).
Created in 1939, RONA is a banner of Lowe’s Canada, one of Canada’s leading home improvement companies headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec. Spanning the entire country, its vast network of more than 370 stores includes both corporate stores and independent affiliated dealer stores. Known for its large in-store and online product selection as well as for its installation services, RONA also provides expert support and advice to its retail and pro customers for their building and renovation projects. For more information, visit rona.ca or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Lowe’s Canada
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 18 million customers a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2019 sales of $72.1 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ approximately 300,000 associates. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services more than 470 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt and Dick’s Lumber. In Canada, the companies have more than 26,000 associates, in addition to approximately 5,000 employees in the stores of independent affiliate dealers operating under the RONA banner. For more information, visit lowescanada.ca.
Source: Lowe’s Companies Canada ULC


text:
“Welcome to Crumbls!” This is the greeting customers will experience when walking into Crumbl Cookies, opening this Thursday in Shoreview.
The business, located at 3833 Lexington Ave. in Shoreview (across from SuperTarget), will hold a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 6.
Sarah Craig and her husband, Bryce, will run the Shoreview store. Her parents, Grant and Wendy Stucki, and her siblings decided to get into the Crumbl Cookies franchise when they were living in Utah.
“We are originally from Utah, and that's where Crumbl originated. We became quick fans and decided we wanted to be part of the franchise,” Sarah said. “We asked, and they said there were opportunities in Minnesota, and that was exciting.”
The Crumbl Cookies in Shoreview is the fourth store in Minnesota. Sarah said they are going to open more in the future. Her brother, Jordan Stucki, runs the Apple Valley and Woodbury stores, and her sister runs the Maple Grove store.
Crumbl Cookies offer six different kinds of cookies each week. The original milk chocolate chip cookies and chilled sugar cookies are always on hand.
Chocolate potato chip, dulce de leche, mango frozen yogurt and Kentucky butter cake cookies are the first batch of cookies offered on the menu.
“We have a rotating menu every week, which is exciting because every week is something different,” Sarah said.
Some of the unique flavors of Crumbl cookies include — mango frozen yogurt, ultimate peanut butter, Nutella, sea salt caramel and pina colada cookies.
Crumbl’s cookies wouldn’t be complete without their signature pink packaging. Crumbl’s boxes are designed to perfectly fit each Crumbl cookie side-by-side, whether in a four-pack, six-pack or 12-pack box.
Crumbl Cookies offers catering for special events like weddings, bridal and baby showers, office events or any special occasion. They also have gift cards.
Need some milk with your cookies? Crumbl Cookies offers white and chocolate milk and bottled water for their customers. Sarah said they will eventually offer ice cream.
When you walk into Crumbl Cookies, you get to see the baking process from the front counter and smell the delicious cookies baking in the oven. Customers can also order online; the store delivers within 5 miles of the Shoreview location. Sarah said they also use Door Dash and have curbside pickup. Crumble Cookies in Shoreview is actively hiring.
Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
Sarah and Jordan said Crumbl Cookies has taken off nationally and is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the world.
“Social media platforms like TikTok have helped Crumbl Cookies’ popularity, and we (Crumbl Cookies) were featured in a Justin Bieber music video,” Jordan said. “After that video came out, we had 40 people lined up to get into one of our stores.”
For more information on Crumbl Cookies, go to www.crumblcookies.com.
Noelle Olson is a staff writer for Press Publication. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 651-407-1229.


text:
ericjones12398 writes "The ITU recently gathered tech heavyweights together to address the surge in litigation involving standards-essential patents (SEPs), and fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms placed upon SEPs to ensure rapid adoption of industry standards like 3G or H.264 video codec format. Royalties and injunctive relief dominated the ITU’s agenda." Link to Original Source
"'Tis true, 'tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tis true."
-- Poloniouius, in Willie the Shake's _Hamlet, Prince of Darkness_


text:
New Delhi, August 22 (IANS) Keeping in view the strong demand for sugar during the upcoming festival season, an additional quota of 2 lakh metric tonnes (over and above 23.5 LMT already allocated for this month) is being allocated for August by the government.
The additional sugar in domestic market will ensure reasonable prices all over the country, official sources said.
Despite 25 per cent increase in international sugar prices in the last one year, the average retail price of sugar in the country is about Rs 43.30 per kg and is likely to remain in range bound only.
There has been less than 2 per cent annual inflation in the country in sugar prices in last 10 years, sources added.
During the current sugar season (October-September) 2022-23, India is estimated to have a production of 330 LMT sugar after diversion of about 43 LMT for ethanol production. Domestic consumption is expected to be around 275 LMT.
At present stage, India has sufficient sugar stock to meet its domestic demand for remaining months of current SS 2022-23 and optimum closing stock of 60 LMT (sufficient to meet sugar consumption for two and a half months) will be available at the end of this season i.e. September 30.
Recent increase in sugar prices will cool down soon as each year during July-September, just before next season, prices increase and then come down on start of cane crushing.
Thus, price rise in sugar is very nominal and for short duration, official sources said.


text:
Baseball star Bryce Harper answered a bad question in a way that would soon become extremely famous and overused. But no one ever expected it to reach the game show Jeopardy. Having politicians using your catchphrase "That's a clown question, bro" is one thing. But having that statement as a category on Jeopardy is a totally different, surprising fact.
The category involved clowns rather than the media or budding MLB stars. Harper seems to be in good spirits for the whole thing, trademarking the phrase and even dressing up as a clown for Halloween.


text:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At a time when customers are relying on delivery more than ever, Amazon workers say they are uncertain about their own health.
After an employee who worked at the fulfillment center near the Jacksonville International Airport tested positive earlier this week, more concerns are being raised by some anxious workers there.
Amazon says no other employees have tested positive at the airport center, but workers describe uncertainty amongst employees over whether they had contact with the sick employee.
Workers say they’ve been asked to keep six feet away from each other and additional breaks have been added so people are not congregating in large groups. But some say they don’t have the protective equipment they need.
The worry comes as Amazon confirmed 10 facilities across the country have employees who tested positive for novel coronavirus.
“They don’t give us masks to protect our face. They don’t provide us that. They don’t give us sanitary gloves or anything,” one local worker told News4Jax.
“We haven’t received any masks. You get masks, you have to pay for them on your own. It’s just wipes at certain stations, they are available, and hand sanitizers and they tell you to stay six feet away from each other," another worker said.
In a message from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Saturday, he told employees they’ve “placed purchase orders for millions of face masks” to give workers who can’t work from home but said, “few of those orders have been filled."
A spokesperson for Amazon told News4Jax on Friday:
- “We will alert any associate who had close contact with this person at our building and will ask them to not return to the site and to self-quarantine for 14-days, and we will pay them for their time at home.
- All Amazon employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine will receive up to two weeks of pay.
- We are consulting with health authorities and medical experts on how to handle building closures for deep cleaning, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19."
“They’re not thinking about us, I think, or about our families or what we can give to them. They’re not thinking about anything and I really feel like this building needs to be shut down and get sanitized,” a worker said.
Amazon has temporarily closed down some sites, like their Queens location, but has not closed any Jacksonville facilities.
A spokesperson told News4Jax it is taking “extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at their site."


text:
XPeng Delivers 15,295 Smart EVs in June, Up 133% Year-Over-Year
July 4, 2022
XPeng Motors($NYSE:XPEV), a leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, announced that its June deliveries grew 133% year-over-year (YOY) to 15,295 smart EVs and 51% month-over-month (M/M). June deliveries consisted of 8,045 P7s, the company’s smart sports sedan, 5,598 P5 smart family sedans, and 1,652 G3i and G3 smart compact SUVs. In mid-May, the company accelerated deliveries with resumed double-shift production at its Zhaoqing plant and in June it reached the milestone of 200,000 cumulative deliveries. The strong growth in XPeng’s deliveries is due to the continued increase in demand for EVs in China, the world’s largest EV market. The Chinese government’s continued support for the EV industry, including subsidies and policies that favor EVs over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, is expected to maintain strong growth in the Chinese EV market in the long term. XPeng’s strong delivery growth is also due to the company’s expanding sales network and product lineup. This will likely result in continued strong growth in XPeng’s market share and earnings.
News sentiment has been mostly negative so far. This could be due to the current global situation with the pandemic, or it could be unrelated.
The company’s fundamentals reflect its long term potential. The VI app makes it easy to see how XPENG is doing in terms of its financials, business model, and competitive landscape. The intrinsic value of XPENG shares is around $67.6, as calculated by the VI Line. XPENG stock is currently traded at $30.3, which represents a discount of 55%.
This may have been due to negative news surrounding the company, such as investigations into its accounting practices. However, XPeng remains a strong company, and its stock price may rebound in the future.
Leave a Comment


text:
Jan 25, 2016 ... It cost Microsoft millions of dollars, but its Surface Pro tablet is the official
scapegoat of the NFL's New England Patriots. It's unfair to lay the ...
Aug 23, 2013 ... Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's top 9 flops, from Tablet PC to Xbox One ...
However, Google had already become an official dictionary word by ...
Jan 26, 2016 ... The company's corporate vice president of Windows and devices group claims
Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver had a network ...
Mar 27, 2015 ... Microsoft will resuscitate its Surface tablet with a new model powered by
Windows 8.1, ditching the flop that was Windows RT for a lower-priced device, ...
"The Windows RT experiment is officially a failed experiment.".
Mar 18, 2013 ... ... for the early sales numbers for Microsoft's Surface tablet line don't paint a very
pretty picture. ... Microsoft's Surface Tablets 'Officially a Flop'.
Jan 25, 2016 ... Microsoft Surface, NFL marketing flop. ... that Microsoft lost because of the highly-
televised report of the "Official Tablet of the NFL" not working.
Jul 26, 2013 ... It's no secret that Microsoft's would-be iPad-killer has been a complete ... Dear
Steve Ballmer: The problem isn't the Surface tablet. .... site for desktop and mobile
Friday afternoon, using its official Twitter account to call it out.
Sep 10, 2014 ... Eli Manning reviews plays on a Microsoft Tablet ... of the major components
being that the Microsoft Surface would become "the official tablet of ...
Oct 16, 2014 ... The Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler called the Surface Pro tablets "knockoff iPads. ...
Microsoft is also the league's official technology sponsor, which means ....
Windows 8 may have been a flop as Win ME was, but it doesn't mean ...
Jan 27, 2015 ... Microsoft's Surface tablets, initially a commercial flop, are now raking in $1 billion
a ... Want to download the official Starbucks app, for instance?


text:
Double Fine takes it to the streets of Kickstarter
So here I was Tuesday night writing an article about Notch and Tim Schafer possibly teaming up for a Psychonauts remake. It turned into a rant about why Schaffer’s brand of games don’t get made because they aren’t publisher friendly and why teaming up with Notch would possibly be the best idea ever. Then this comes along. Turns out Schafer and company were two steps ahead of everyone this whole time.
The adventure game scene has been experiencing a resurgence from long-time fans of the genre. We got a slick remake of The Secret of Monkey Island not too long ago and we also got a developer/publisher completely based off of making adventure-style games. Seems like the fans haven’t gone anywhere since the genre ended in 1998, the year Grim Fandango released, was met with huge critical praise and failed big-time on the market.
Double Fine wants to return to its roots and create a classic adventure game, but since publishers don’t see the money in it, they’ve decided to completely side-step them and fund their next project through Kickstarter. I feel like this is the first step in the next generation of video games, ones that are not only developed independently, but also funded on the outset from the fans.
Whether or not you are a fan of adventure games, you should really take a look at the page. A proposed $400,000 is needed to fund the game and after a day they are already well over this number (and word has really only begun to spread). By the time mid-March rolls around, the time when the project is set to take in its funding, this thing could have well over a couple million in its pocket. That’s a pretty big number for a Kickstarter project and I’m very impressed by the outlook of this.
Check them out here, you can reserve a copy of the game and help fund them with $15, plus get beta access to the game.


text:
AFE Group is the Ali Group-owned trading business that operates a collection of foodservice, catering and bakery equipment brands, namely Falcon, Williams, Mono, Miller’s Vanguard and Serviceline.
As individual accounts are not published for these companies, we have to take the group sales figure, which reached £118.2m for the year to 31 August 2016, a 0.7% decline on the previous period.
UK manufacturing has come in for a pounding in recent years, but both Falcon, which produces heavy duty cooking equipment at its plant in Stirling, and Williams, which builds refrigeration systems at its factory in King’s Lynn, continue to demonstrate that the UK model can be a recipe for growth if properly executed.
In its strategic report of the business, AFE management said that the company’s financial goal is to improve the operating profit before amortisation and return on sales to a 15% target, led by strategic product development and through cost-effective and efficiency improvements realised across the five brands, each of which is resourced with its autonomous management and leadership teams.
Note that two-thirds of AFE Group’s business (£84m) comes from the sale of equipment, while the rendering of services, driven by Miller’s Vanguard and Serviceline makes up the rest.
2016 Vital Statistics
Turnover: £118.27m (-1%)
Operating profit: £15m (Flat)
Ownership: The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ali S.p.A
Financial year end: 31 August


text:
Sony Ericsson's Xperia PLAY is set to arrive on Verizon's shelves sometime this spring, but don't think that that'll be the only time we see an SE-branded device launching on a CDMA carrier. Speaking with PCMag, Sony Ericsson product marketing manager Stephen Sneeden explained that his company is recommitting to CDMA after a stint of releasing only GSM products.
SE is also going all-Android all the time here in the U.S., which could include some lower-end, more affordable devices alongside high-end handsets. Stock Android fans should be happy to hear that Sony Ericsson has "learned a few lessons on what's important" when it comes to Android, which is making the latest version of the OS available to users as quickly as possible and without any unnecessary skins or bloatware. Finally, Sneeden revealed that Sony Ericsson will be bringing LTE-capable smartphones to market, but he wouldn't give up any further details.
Earlier this year, we heard one Sony Ericsson exec claim that his company was going to take what it had learned in 2010 to make 2011 better, and so far it certainly seems like that's the case. The Xperia PLAY looks like a device that'll appeal to a wide range of users, and its stock Gingerbread look and feel should make Android purists smile from ear-to-ear. What do you all think of this news? Could Sony Ericsson become a major Android player here in the U.S.?


text:
No more bluelight specials: Maui Kmart to close
Manager: Target took a bite out of the sales from Maui’s first big-box store
KAHULUI — Kmart — the first big-box store to open on Maui over two decades ago — will close June 11 after sales have been cut in half since the opening of Target, a store manager said Tuesday.
A liquidation sale is set to begin March 30 for the store located next to Costco on Dairy Road, a company official said. The 125 workers may apply for open positions at Sears or other Kmart stores in Hawaii, and those eligible will receive severance pay.
Most of the store’s employees are part-time hourly workers, officials said.
“We can confirm that we are making the difficult, but necessary decision to close the Kmart store,” Howard Riefs, spokesman for Sears Holding Co., said via email. Sears Holding Co. is the parent company of Kmart. “We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity, and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores.”
Many longtime workers gathered near the back of the store consoling one another Tuesday morning. A manager who declined to be identified said that officials from Oahu held a meeting before the store opened Tuesday morning to tell employees of the closing.
“I’m trying to cheer them up,” the manager said of her co-workers.
A female employee who also declined to be identified said that she has been working for the company since before the Maui store opened in April 1993. She said workers are known for their friendliness, helpfulness and customer service.
“It’s just a bummer when you hear something like that,” she said.
Kmart’s opening on Maui preceded many of the giants that have opened across Kahului. Wal-Mart originally planned to open next to Kmart in the mid-1990s, but pulled out, according to the Honolulu Advertiser. Costco took its place and opened in May 1995.
Wal-Mart opened in the fall of 2001 at the Maui Business Park. Target opened across the street on March 4, 2015.
The Kmart manager said that she has been at the store for over a decade and that sales were in the “triple digits” per day, even with competition from Wal-Mart. When Target opened, though, sales dropped to about $40,000 per day.
“We tried to renovate it to bring people in, but it still didn’t work I guess,” she said.
The manager said that she did not think the store was going to close after the company recently signed a 10-year lease for the 7.3-acre property. She also said that the Kmart near Aloha Stadium, which is set to close next week, transferred a lot of its supplies, a dough maker for Little Caesars Pizza and other materials to the Maui store.
The listed owner of the property is 424 Dairy Road LLC and the lessee is KM Maui LLC, according to property tax records. The 107,000-square-foot building is valued at $7.8 million and the land at $14.3 million.
“I couldn’t believe all the relatives and friends saying we’re going to close,” the manager said. “It’s unbelievable it’s closing.”
On Tuesday, shoppers were also surprised to hear of the store’s closure, and some hoped that the company would change its mind.
“It was nice to come here and get away from the crowd at Wal-Mart,” said Timothy Gass of Kihei. “The crowd at Wal-Mart is going to get worse now. That was the main reason for coming here.”
Gass and his wife, Michelle, regularly visit the store with their 14-month-old son, Ezekiel. They said they would buy “anything and everything” from the store, and it was convenient for visitors to be close to the airport.
“I come all the time so it’s kind of sad to see another store gone,” Michelle Gass said. “When they started the food, oh that was great. I was excited.”
Cyrus Del Rosario of Kahului recalled coming to the store as a child with his grandma. He said he still comes once a week, and on Tuesday was enjoying a slice of pizza at the store with his 7-month-old son, Ryder.
“I used to play around over here,” Rosario said pointing to clothing racks. “I would hide in the clothes with me and my cousins. We’d play hide-and-seek. Sometimes we’d be in the store for hours.”
Shelley Swenson of Lahaina had clothes, toiletries, a birthday card and other items in her shopping cart Tuesday. She said she comes to the store once in a while and it was “nice to have an alternative” to Wal-Mart and Target.
“I’m so sad,” Swenson said. “I came from Utah and they’re closing Kmart stores all over there so I thought this one over here was never going to leave.”
Dave Hummel of Kihei said he enjoyed the store’s “Bluelight Specials” and found a big jug of apple juice the other day on sale for a quarter.
“It sucks,” Hummel said. “I’m sad to see any place close. It feels like every time you turn around some other place is closing. I mean the Savers just closed.”
While shoppers enjoyed Kmart’s slow pace and uncrowded aisles on Tuesday, they realized it spelled the downfall of the store. Many of them identified Target as the biggest hit.
“It’s not as busy as it used to be and traffic has dwindled,” Timothy Gass said. “It got really bad when Target opened. Once Target opened, you got Wal-Mart and Target right there, there’s no need to go to Kmart. Once something new comes up, everybody goes there.”
Many of the workers did not have any immediate plans for after the store closes, but the longtime employee said that she will be there until the end.
“We have to because we started it,” she said. “It’s not nice to just bail out when this kind of time is coming. I feel that. It’s only fair to just go down with the ship. We all made a pact that we would do that.
“We’re going to stay to the end and we’re going to have fun.”
The closure follows January’s announced shutdown of 64 Kmart stores in 28 states. Maui’s only Kmart location was not listed in the original announcement.
* Chris Sugidono can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
PDSA celebrates most successful social media campaign with #vetyourclothes
Pet charity PDSA has named Vet Your Clothes as its most successful social media campaign to date, as the #vetyourclothes hashtag got more than 1,800 mentions on Twitter in the first six days, receiving a potential 35 million impressions.
Pet charity PDSA has named its Vet Your Clothes social media campaign its most successful to date, as the #vetyourclothes hashtag got more than 1,800 mentions on Twitter in the first six days, receiving a potential 35 million impressions.
The charity added that the campaign led to an additional £49,000 worth of stock donations.
The Vet Your Clothes campaign, which launched on July 2, sought to boost donations to PDSA charity shops across the country following findings that donations to its stores had fallen by 13 per cent in the last four years.
More than 30 famous names supported the campaign, with comedian Ricky Gervais, stylist Gok Wan and TV personality Alesha Dixon tweeting about it with the hashtag #vetyourclothes to their combined following of nearly 12 million.
Footballer Michael Owen tweeted a picture of himself loading his car boot with donations with the caption: “I’m supporting @PDSA_HQ #vetyourclothes campaign to save poorly pets. Click here to help: pdsa.org.uk/vetyourclothes”.
Gervais also raised awareness of the campaign by posting on Facebook.
A survey commission by PDSA found that 56% of Brits own clothes they never wear, and that a quarter of people had thrown their unwanted clothes away, rather than donating or recycling them.


text:
John Varvatos | New York Fashion Week
The designer has revealed that after showing his men’s collection in Milan for seven years, he will show his Spring 2016 range in New York as part of the city’s inaugural Men’s Fashion Week.
“From the time I started my brand in 2000, the timing between NYFW and the menswear calendar was never truly aligned,” Varvatos said in a release. “I am very excited about coming home to help launch the first ever NYC menswear week!”
Read the full article here.
John Varvatos and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb; Photo courtesy of John Varvatos


text:
Apple already revolutionised the music industry with the iPod, the smartphone industry with the iPhone, and it’s working on publishing with the iPad as well.Add another to the list: retail catalogues.
Joaquin Ruiz is the CEO of catalogue Spree, a catalogue app for the iPad. He noticed that today Apple added one new category to the App Store for the iPad: catalogues.
The category is still empty, but Ruiz expects that to change tomorrow when the next iPad launches. Right now, catalogue apps are listed under “Lifestyle.”
Ruiz says that the iPad is shaking up the catalogue space just like the Web did in 1995. catalogue Spree, which is currently the top selling catalogue app, has seen 50% growth every month since November. Ruiz expected the growth to taper off after the holiday season, but it’s kept right on cranking.
Ruiz said that catalogue shopping on the iPad is particularly popular in rural areas where stores are scarce: the average catalogue Spree user spends about 30 minutes per session shopping. In Montana, the average is 50 minutes.
Here’s a screenshot of the new catalogues category:
NOW WATCH: Tech Insider videos
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.


text:
DES MOINES, Iowa (November 14, 2017) – Kemin Industries, a family owned and operated global nutritional ingredient company headquartered in Des Moines, has reached its vision of touching 3.8 billion lives and recently hosted an employee event to celebrate the vision of ‘improving the quality of life by touching half the world’s population every day with its products and services’.
“When the vision was first introduced in 1998, the size and magnitude seemed incredibly audacious,” said Dr. Chris Nelson, President and CEO of Kemin Industries. “In less than 20 years, we’ve achieved our vision and have become a global leader in providing innovative solutions for improving the quality, safety and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products.”
Last week a celebration was held at the Science Center of Iowa with more than 500 North America-based employees and their families in attendance for a ceremonial unveiling of 3.8 billion, representing the number of lives Kemin touches every day. Kemin measures the daily calculation by the amount of product consumed by pets, humans and animals; per person or animal, per day. The measurement occurs when humans and pets consume food or protein, produced with Kemin molecules for optimum nutrition.
“We made this vision a reality through each team member’s commitment to living company values, placing customers at the heart of every decision and creating and selling scientific innovations at the molecular level,” said Nelson.
Similar employee celebrations are being held at Kemin locations around the globe during the month of November.
About Kemin Industries
Kemin (www.kemin.com) has been dedicated to using applied science to improve the quality of life for over half a century. As a global company touching 3.8 billion people every day with its products, Kemin is committed to improving the quality, safety and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products to feed a growing population and be a resource for others in need.
Committed to feed and food safety, Kemin maintains top-of-the-line manufacturing facilities where over 500 specialty ingredients are made for humans and animals in the global feed and food industries, as well as the health, nutrition and beauty markets. The company provides product solutions and options to customers in more than 120 countries.
A privately held, family-owned and operated company, Kemin has more than 2,500 global employees and operates in 90 countries including manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.
Lauren M.G. Burt, Worldwide Communications Manager, firstname.lastname@example.org, (515) 559-5589


text:
EDINBURGH, Scotland—Michelin has acquired Blackcircles.com, a leading Internet tire sales company in the United Kingdom, its second acquisition of an Internet-based tire sales company in a month.
Michelin is paying $75.5 million for Edinburgh-based Black Circles Ltd., owner of Blackcircles.com, which generated $31 million in revenue in 2013.
Micheling spent $64 million in mid-April to buy a 40-percent share of Allopneus S.A.S. of Aix-en-Provence, France.
Run by its founder and CEO Mike Welch, Blackcircles.com has grown about 20 percent per year since 2008, in particular thanks to its “click & fit” formula, which includes the sale of the product and related services.
“Our strategy illustrates our ambition to be ever more innovative, efficient and proactive for our customers by offering them products and services suited to individual needs,” said Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard in a statement, “and by simplifying the entire purchase process, from choosing their tires to having them fitted by professionals."
Welch said he was “delighted” to have found partner that “shares our passion for customer service, innovation and technology.
“The strength of the Michelin Group will allow us to underpin the multi-brand offering that we deploy in each garage, on every street corner. I am convinced that our teams, our customers, our garages and our suppliers will rapidly start to see the benefits of this partnership.”
Michelin said its acquisition of Blackcircles.com will allow it to improve the performance of its mix of distribution channels in the United Kingdom, and in particular to develop synergies with its traditional distributor, ATS Euromaster, which sells about 10 million car and van tires and 2 million truck tires annually through its outlets and a network of mobile tire fitting vans.


text:
The Future of Email tour is where industry players come together and guide each other for how to compete for attention in the inbox, increase email engagement, and raise it's profile as a valuable marketing channel.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (PRWEB) March 28, 2018
Liveclicker, global provider of real-time email personalization solutions, is proud to announce the kick-off of the 2018 Future of Email tour.
Now in its fourth year, this international 23-city tour will host hundreds of top consumer brands, thousands of marketers, and numerous industry innovators as Liveclicker and its partners work to both celebrate and advance the value of email marketing. The theme of this year’s tour, “Email All-Stars,” will provide a platform for trailblazers to share cutting-edge ideas, strategies, and technologies that comprise successful email marketing playbooks.
“The Future of Email tour is a forum for industry players to come together and guide each other on how to compete for attention in the inbox, increase email engagement, and raise its profile as a valuable marketing channel,” said Jean Borgman, Director of Marketing at Liveclicker. “This meeting of the minds enables attendees to come away with actionable advice that they can take back to their offices and implement quickly.”
Building off of previous years’ tour momentum, Liveclicker has expanded the 2018 tour to include 7 additional locations:
- Austin, Texas - April 18, 2018
- Dallas, Texas - April 19, 2018
- Los Angeles, California - May 2, 2018
- San Diego, California - May 3, 2018
- Seattle, Washington - June 5, 2018
- San Francisco, California - June 7, 2018
- Indianapolis, Indiana - June 20, 2018
- Columbus, Ohio - June 21, 2018
- Washington, D.C. - June 26, 2018
- Boston, Massachusetts - June 27, 2018
- New York City, New York - June 28, 2018
- Amsterdam, Netherlands - July 10, 2018
- London, United Kingdom - July 12, 2018
- Toronto, Canada - July 23, 2018
- Atlanta, Georgia - August 7, 2018
- Nashville, Tennessee - August 9, 2018
- Chicago, Illinois - August 14, 2018
- Minneapolis, Minnesota - August 16, 2018
- Detroit, Michigan - August 23, 2018
- Miami, Florida - September 11, 2018
- Orlando, Florida - September 12, 2018
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - September 26, 2018
- Salt Lake City, Utah - September 27, 2018
Leading technology firms and industry thought leaders such as Adobe, Briteverify, BrightWave, Bronto, Cordial, Email Aptitude, Fluent, Merkle, MessageGears, Oracle, Return Path, SendGrid, Shaw + Scott, SmarterHQ, stensul, Trendline and Webbula will partner with Liveclicker this year to help drive the event along the multi-city tour.
For more information regarding the Future of Email tour or to register for an event, please visit the new website: http://www.thefutureofemail.com.
Founded in 2008, Liveclicker is a global provider of real-time email personalization solutions for B2C marketers. Since the release of its VideoEmail platform in 2009, marketers have used Liveclicker to captivate consumers and drive program performance. Today, top brands such as 1-800-FLOWERS, AT&T, Best Buy, MasterCard, Lowe's, Nintendo and Samsung rely on the company’s market-leading RealTime Email solution to deliver engaging, personalized messages, simply and at scale. For more information, visit: http://www.liveclicker.com, phone: 888-727-8130 or email: firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Dutch go for ‘partial lockdown’; Employers seek compensation
Dutch pubs, bars and restaurants have been told to close for a month and France has imposed a 9pm to 6am curfew in major cities. From Britain to Greece, from Scandinavia to Spain, governments are ramping up the fight against coronavirus that’s on a second lap through Europe in 2020…
You must be a subscriber and signed-in to access this content.
Want to read some premium content, but don’t need unlimited IBI Plus access?
Then go for the IBI Upgrade package which, for the cost of a couple of coffees a week:
Get access to IBI Plus Premium content Subscribe Today
Alternatively REGISTER to receive IBI Daily News & Breaking News alerts for free.


text:
California effectively bans Tesla from advertising as 'fully automated driving'
close to 'Level 2', which requires constant monitoring by the driver , even though it claims to be fully automated driving. In order to prevent this discrepancy, a law will be enforced in California from 2023 to prevent vehicles that cannot be fully automated from being sold as if they were fully automated or with a confusing name. .
Tesla has been developing a beta version of ``Full Self-Driving (FSD)'' since 2020, and in November 2022, it will also be available in North America. However, it is pointed out that it is
Bill Text - SB-1398 Vehicles: consumer notices.
New California law effectively bans Tesla from advertising its cars as Full Self-Driving
Current California law restricts the sale of vehicles with self-driving features that the driver does not have to actively control and monitor. Collision avoidance systems such as automatic emergency braking systems, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and lane departure warning are excluded from the scope of functions that can be called 'autonomous driving functions'.
Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez said that when selling vehicles with 'partially automated driving' features that require a human driver to monitor the driving system, they should notify manufacturers and dealers of the features and limitations. called for a ban on mislabeling or marketing these 'partially autonomous' features as 'self-driving cars.'
Senator Gonzalez's Senate Bill 1398 will pass Congress on August 23, 2022. It was also signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 13th, and it has been decided that it will come into force from 2023.
According to Gonzales, although it was possible to crack down on false advertising even under the current law, there was a lack of enforcement by the Vehicle Management Bureau, so he promoted a bill specifying the rules with a state legislator.
In addition, Tesla opposed this bill, saying that purchasers were informed of the restrictions on fully automatic driving software.
in Ride, Posted by logc_nt


text:
Shoppers have vented their anger after Solihull became the latest Midland shopping area to see its Marks & Spencer close.
Retail giant M&S announced plans to close its Mell Square store yesterday - following in the footsteps of others, like Sutton Coldfield.
It comes among tough times for the beleaguered retail sector, which has struggled to fight against more people shopping online.
However, despite it being a regular issue, people were no less angry on social media about the latest cut.
Solihull residents said the decision to close the store, in 2021, will leave a gaping hole in the town centre.
Solihull residents bombarded BirminghamLive's Facebook page with comments after it was revealed the store would close.
Diane Stanyard posted on social media: "No way that has been there years... my mom left me at the tills here wen I was 4 and forgot about me but she did come back for me.
"I’m 47 now so they have been in that spot for at least 43 years ... such an icon and a shame!"
Amanda Harris wrote: "Why can't they open food halls with online collection points in smaller empty spaces?"
Colin Ensell asked: "Blimey what next? Birmingham New Street?"
Marks and Spencer has committed to expanding the Shirley store, at Sears Retail Park, as a result of the closure.
Matthew Bardsley wrote: "Very bad! At least open food hall and cafe in Solihull as they are always busy."


text:
What does Jennifer Aniston eat and drink?
“Eat as [many] organic fruits and veggies as you can, keep sugar [intake] low, drink tons of water, and get good sleep,” Aniston told Yahoo Food. Read below to learn more about what the actress eats in a day, and if her diet is actually healthy.22 мая 2019 г.
How did Jennifer Aniston lose weight?
In fact, Aniston said she gave up white bread and mayo altogether back then, along with butter and any pre or post-meal snacking. She also joined a popular diet plan and ended up losing those 30 pounds.
What does Jennifer Aniston eat for lunch?
Lunch. For her midday meal, Jen reaches for “some form of vegetables or salad with protein,” according to Elle. She’ll also have a chicken burger wrapped in protein, she revealed in a 2016 Harper’s Bazaar interview.
Does Jennifer Aniston use living proof?
But from 2012 to 2016, Aniston served as a spokesperson and co-owner of hair care brand Living Proof, whose products seemingly inspired her to wash less often, especially on breaks from filming.
Does Jennifer Aniston have pets?
Aniston is the owner of several dogs and after her split with actor Justin Theroux, it is believed a terrier called Clyde also lives with her alongside Sophie. She also previously owned a white German Shepherd called Dolly, who passed away last year and who she honoured with Theroux in a spiritual ceremony.
What does Jennifer Aniston eat for breakfast?
No. What Jennifer Aniston eats for breakfast is this: a slice of brown bread, an egg, two slices of tomato and a quarter of an avocado, topped with what looked to be a leaf of coriander and the world’s smallest sprinkle of pepper. “BUT WHAT ABOUT LUNCH,” we hear you cry! Well for lunch she enjoys a “perfect” salad.
How much does Kim Kardashian weigh?
Kim is candid when it comes to sharing her weight. The star revealed that she weighed 116 pounds back in 2018, although whacking on the 18 pounds Kim claims to have gained, this would put the mother of four at 134 pounds.
How Much Does Jennifer Aniston worth?
The magazine estimated her net worth at $19.5 million in 2018, $200 million in 2017, $150 million in 2014 and $110 million in 2007. Recently, Aniston was said to have a net worth of between $220-$300 million.
What does Jennifer Aniston use on her hair?
Unite 7 Seconds Condition Leave-In Detangler
This is a new favorite — I can just let my hair air-dry, and it will eliminate any frizz,” Aniston told the magazine. While we haven’t used it ourselves, the brand says It’s formulated with light proteins and moisturizers to weightlessly condition, strengthen and repair.
Does Jennifer Aniston drink coffee?
Immediately after waking up, Aniston says she drinks a glass of celery juice. … Aniston also brews some coffee — but doesn’t drink it right away. “I don’t drink coffee that early,” Aniston tells the site. Instead, she typically feeds her dogs, mediates and does a morning workout, then has her coffee.
Does Jennifer Aniston have tattoos?
Jennifer has two tattoos. One is her late dog’s name ‘Norman’ on her foot and the other is an ’11 11′ tattoo on her wrist.
Does Jennifer Aniston wear extensions?
Yes, Jennifer Aniston used to wear hair extensions for years. She stopped wearing them when she realized they were damaging her real hair, and other than a couple of minor relapses, she has stopped wearing them completely now.
How often does Jennifer Aniston wash her hair?


text:
Jumanji: The Next Level has already grossed over $300 million in cinemas worldwide.
The issue has been determined to be a software one, and Apple has stated that a future update will fix it.
The analyst said that Apple will bring its mini LED screen panels to the iPad and MacBook next year which will offer better contrast ratios and conserve power.
The new campus will initially house 5,000 employees, with the capacity to grow to 15,000, and is expected to open in 2022.
This is not the first time when apple has used an AR tool to introduce a product. The same feature was also used for the announcement of the Mac Pro back in June.
Apart from a larger screen, the new MacBook Pro 16-inch comes with better cooling, a bigger battery, more power inside and even better audio.
IBM says they now have 200,000 macOS devices deployed in the organization, and these are supported by just seven engineers.
Apple's latest macOS Catalina 10.15 Golden Master offers standalone apps for Music, TV as well as Podcasts as Apple retires iTunes.
A faulty Google Chrome update caused data corruption on Mac Pros at several Hollywood studios, including the editing team at ABC's famous comedy show, Modern Family.
Apple's Mac Pro will be produced in Austin, Texas, said CEO Tim Cook after US President Donald Trump's administration waived tariffs on necessary Chinese components.
A round-up of all the big stories from the world of technology during the week.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned the MacBook Pro models after Apple issued a recall because of them running a battery fire threat.
Apart from th MacBook Pro 16-inch, it is also said that Apple could update its existing lineup of 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models around the same time.
The US President made these comments to White House reporters just hours after tweeting that his administration would not grant Apple any tariff relief for Chinese-made parts for its Mac Pro computer.
According to a report by Apple Insider, the LCD model will be running at 3072x1920 pixels and assembly duties are said to be performed by Quanta and Foxconn.
Gone are the 12-inch MacBook, the previous generation MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro variants without the Touch Bar.
The entire MacBook Pro lineup is now equipped with Touch Bar and Touch ID, while the MacBook Air gets True Tone mode in its Retina Display.
The issue on the faulty logic boards has been reported nearly two weeks after Apple issued a public recall for older 15-inch MacBook Pros over a potential fire risk.
Customers can get an affected 15-inch MacBook Pro battery replaced free of charge, Apple said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the new listings, Apple on Thursday registered seven unreleased Mac models including A2141, A2147, A2158, A2159, A2179, A2182, and A2251.


text:
iPads Used For Play, Not Work: Citigroup Survey - Peter Kafka - Media. So, yes.
You could, theoretically, use your iPad to replace the PC you used to use for work. But you’re probably not: You’re probably using it as a recreational device, to surf the Web and entertain yourself. So says a new Citigroup survey of 1,800 consumers in the U.S., the U.K. and China. The research offers lots of interesting data points about tablet adoption in general (summary: Still an iPad market, not a tablet market) and we might come back to some of those later on. For now, a few things that will interest people who pay attention to the media business. A Look at iPad Users: Apple Still Trouncing Android - Digits. Connected Devices: How We Use Tablets in the U.S. App Tracking & Analytics Made Easy.
iPad 3 could make Apple the world's top PC vendor next year. Apple is likely to outshine Hewlett-Packard as the world's top PC maker before the second half of next year, says research firm Canalys, but it'll need some help from the iPad 3.
Currently the world's second-leading PC vendor, Apple has seen its share of the market jump to 15 percent from 9 percent over just the past year. That growth is largely due to heavy demand for the iPad, which Canalys considers a personal computer. Apple cult mocked by Samsung in Galaxy S II ad. "I could never get a Samsung," says a self-consciously cool-looking, whiny dude, seated on the sidewalk.
"I'm creative. " "You're a barista," says the man standing next to him in line. This is perhaps the most touching line in what is a very creditable attempt at mocking the Church of Science-ology that is Apple. The mockery is part of a new ad for the Samsung Galaxy S II, which is a phone of which many might not have heard. The people standing in line in various cities--outside places that look remarkably like Apple stores--are Apple's dedicated followers.


text:
A major campaign was unleashed Friday against Woolworths and Coles, two major Australian chains that operate gambling machines in their pubs.
Activists charge that Woolworths is using its marketing muscle to attract the next generation of pokie addicts by making its pubs family-friendly.
Central to the attack is the attractive children's playgrounds that are being incorporated in pubs, with one in Queensland featuring a $200,000 carousel.
Former corporate lawyer Paul Bendat, who launched the campaign in Adelaide, visited 180 Woolworths pubs around Australia documenting the playgrounds in a new book to be sent to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
"They have signs that say kids eat free, there are free movies, there is clown's face painting," he said.
"Here we have Woolworths saying we're a responsible organisation - well, act like one."
Mr Bendat wants laws changed which would end children being targeted by the venues.
No Pokies Senator Nick Xenophon said the corporate food giant should show a greater social responsibility. He has long campaigned against gambling machines in South Australia's state parliament and is now in the Australian Senate.
"With 11,000 poker machines, there's something rotten behind 'the fresh food people' (Woolworth's retail slogan.)
"The irony is, there are thousands of Australians who can't afford to buy fresh food because of their addiction to a Woolworths' poker machines.
"Independent research says if you expose kids to the sights and sounds of poker machines and the gambling promotions, then that is a bad sign of things to come," he said.
World Vision chief executive officer Reverend Tim Costello was also at the launch.
"This is a cynical money grab that's not consistent with what Australians expect from a loved and trusted brand.
"Addictive products that destroy families and communities, like pokies, are a distortion of this household name," he said and wanted Woolworths to sell off its machines. He also endorsed a shoppers' boycott.
In a statement Woolworths said that the majority of ALH hotels were designed to be family-friendly venues," media relations Manager, Luke Schepen said, "A local place for families to enjoy a meal together in a pleasant environment.
"However, we are very conscious of our responsibilities as a gaming operator and do not allow minors into the gaming areas."


text:
Apple announced the upcoming releases of several new technologies at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2020, including:
Apple announced the release of its new iPhone SE smartphone on April 24th 2020, starting at a lower price of $399. The iPhone SE is water resistant and features 4K video, Dual SIM with eSIM, wireless charging, and one Lightning connector port.
iTunes has been replaced by Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Books, and Apple Podcasts on iOS and MacOS devices. Prior iTunes media library content can now be found in these new apps. Instructions on how to manage Apple Music and other subscriptions are available.
Apple released a statement that some iPhone 6 smartphones cannot be turned on due to a failed internal component. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users can see if their phone may be affected by entering the phone serial number at this link.
Apple iPhone 5 users will also have to do an iOS update or they may experience issues in several major iPhone apps starting on November 3rd 2019.
Apple announced the upcoming release of several new products at its September 10th 2019 event, including:
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max with new camera features such as Night Mode
- iPad with 10.2 inch display and iPadOS
- Watch Series 5 and WatchOS 6 with built-in compass and international emergency calling, Noise app decibel detector and Calculator app
- iOS 13 with Dark Mode and Silence Unknown Callers call blocking feature
- Sign in with Apple secure app authentication for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS using Apple ID
- Apple TV+ (Apple TV Plus) streaming video service that starts at $4.99 per month, but is free for one year if customers buy an Apple device after September 10th 2019.
Microsoft Office apps such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are available as free downloads for iOS , Android and Windows smartphones and tablets that have a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller. Users can view, edit and create new Office format files with these free apps once they login with a Microsoft user account, but they must subscribe to Office 365 to unlock all app functionality. Free web brower versions of Office apps are also available for users logged into OneDrive.
Students and teachers with a valid school email address are also eligible for the free Office 365 Education version.
Apple device users can run the iWork productivity apps, which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
Office Apps for Windows 10 Mobile will no longer be supported by Microsoft as of January 12, 2021.
Apple made several major announcements at its Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2019, including:
- The upcoming release of iOS 13 for iPhone 6s and later versions with Dark Mode and Sign in with Apple authentication
- iPadOS – a dedicated operating system for iPad
- watchOS 6
- macOS Catalina
- Mac Pro – a high end desktop computer
- SwiftUI – a development framework that can create apps across Apple platforms
Samsung has announced the upcoming release of its new series of Galaxy S10 smartphones, the Galaxy S10e, S10 and S10+ models. New features include Dynamic AMOLED display, improved wireless charging speeds and ultrasonic on-screen fingerprint sensor for Galaxy S10 and S10+ models.
Samsung will also release Galaxy Fold, its first smartphone with a folding screen. This smartphone has a 7.3 inch Infinity Flex Display that unfolds to form a tablet interface.
New wearable fitness devices Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Fit that can monitor your heart rate will also be available soon. Samsung’s Wireless PowerShare technology can charge wirelessly between smartphones and accessories.


text:
Crisis on Wall Street: Article Resources
The future of businesses large and small has suddenly become uncertain. And while most economists, according to CNNMoney.com, don’t believe another depression is likely, this doesn’t change the fact that the financial impact on businesses has already proven to be significant. Everyone’s purse is getting lighter.
In light of our current economic situation, what is a company to do? We want to direct you to articles from business experts who offer advice on surviving the current, dire state of the economy. Follow the links to read about the solutions that could save organizations.
Financial Crisis Survival Kit
October 6, 2008
BMighty.com’s “Financial Crisis Survival Kit” provides a collection of valuable articles, including “10 Tips for Keeping Cash Flowing”, “10 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Website”, and “5 Ways the Meltdown Will Change Digital Marketing”.
Small Business Owners Deal with the Financial Crisis
September 19, 2008
In this Business Week article, experts advise small business owners on issues relating to the current financial crisis, including business loans, labor, pricing, insurance. The bottom line? “Entrepreneurs should be mentally and financially prepared to hunker down in this economy for a couple of years,” Sam Thacker, finance and credit expert for AllBusiness.com, says.
The Financial Crisis: A Survival Guide for Startups
September 20, 2008
From Gigaom.com: Ryan Janssen, COO of Angelsoft.net, a web platform that connects investors and entrepreneurs, offers three tips for startups in order to survive the financial crisis: 1. Communicate with your team and investors. 2. Focus on finding revenues. 3. Do less.
[Photo courtesy of boston.]


text:
In the week’s briefing:
- Fashion brands targeting Gen Z are paying to dress Netflix characters
- Luxury brands are dodging inflation’s effects
Actors are style influencers, obviously. Everyone knows that what Hollywood celebrities wear to awards shows and in social media posts has an impact on the fashion industry. But recently, there’s been just as much style influencing happening on screen as there is on the red carpet.
In June, the California surf brand Quiksilver designed a full collection of nostalgic ’80s apparel, created in collaboration with the costume design team of the Netflix show “Stranger Things.” Not only are the designs inspired by the show, but the recently-released fourth season includes several characters wearing the pieces on screen.
A beachy yellow button-down shirt worn by Finn Wolfhard’s character, Mike, in a roller rink scene, along with a pair of yellow-tipped shorts, is available, for example. A denim jacket worn by the character Nancy and blue-cuffed pants worn by the character Steve Harrington are also represented.
“Stranger Things” has become particularly known for the ’80s styles its characters wear. For Quiksilver, the chance to be the main provider of those styles and make them available for purchase online simultaneously with the season’s release was too good to pass up.
“We’ve been able to revive classic styles from the 1986 and 1987 Quik archives to align with ‘Stranger Things’ [season] 4, creating specific apparel for cast members and consumers alike,” said Quiksilver product developer Andrew Henry. “Nineteen eighty-six was a quintessential period for surfing and Quiksilver, with the Echo Beach era identifying California as the epicenter of surf culture. Close collaboration with the ‘Stranger Things’ costume designer, Amy [Parris], allowed us to create apparel for the characters of Season 4 that are so true to the ’80s period, reinforcing Quiksilver’s fashion influence during that era in a way that fits so naturally into the ‘Stranger Things’ plot.”
“Stranger Things” has a massive audience, particularly among Gen Z. The fourth season has been in Netflix’s top-10 most-watched list for 11 straight weeks since its release, with 930 million hours viewed in June alone.
Sperry, the New England boat shoe brand, has also been tapping into movies and television. While Sperry had previously worked with Netflix via a licensing deal for a collection inspired by the teen mystery show “Outer Banks,” those products were never actually worn in the show. But beginning next year, Sperry will have a number of its products worn in the upcoming second season of the Amazon Prime show “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
“[The show] is another coastal young adult show [like ‘Outer Banks’] that fits really well with our aesthetic,” said Elizabeth Drori, CMO of Sperry. “That’s helping us generate excitement, especially with younger customers.”
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is another show with a large Gen Z-following. The hashtag for the show, #thesummeriturnedpretty, has been viewed more than a billion times on TikTok.
Product placement on TV is a $23-billion-and-growing industry, especially in the age of streaming TV. Both Amazon and Peacock have recently unveiled tools that would even let brands digitally insert their products into a show after the fact, further expanding the possibilities of product placement, although neither Sperry nor Quiksilver used similar tools.
But getting product onto a show isn’t always easy. Courtney Wheeler and Cristina Spiridakis, the costume designers behind the Hulu show “The Bear,” which has received widespread attention for the meticulously dressed characters, said they typically don’t pick clothes for the characters they dress based on what brands want.
“It’s possible. It’s more likely to happen on larger movies and TV shows where the art department is working directly with a brand and a deal is worked out,” Wheeler said. “But that’s not our thing.”
Instead, she said the only thing they take into consideration is whether the clothes fit the character and are right for the story. Sometimes, brands might send them free clothes in the hopes that they end up using them in the show, but often those clothes are clearance items and just end up on background characters.
Spiridakis said brands also need to take seasonality into account, another obstacle in the way of getting their clothes on the small screen.
“We work on a show sometimes up to a year before it actually comes out,” Spiridakis said. “It’s not like a magazine or a music video, which will be out sooner and the brands can get their current season stuff in it. There’s not as much of an editorial payoff for something that won’t be out for a year.”
Quiksilver got around that issue by working with “Stranger Things” well in advance, spending three years planning out the costumes and designing them to be released simultaneously with the show. More impromptu partnerships are a lot harder to make happen, Spiridakis said.
Luxury brands are insulated from the worst of inflation
Earnings calls for luxury brands throughout the week didn’t show much impact from inflation at all, thanks to their higher price points and more affluent consumers.
Ralph Lauren and Capri Holdings both saw revenue increase last quarter by 8-9%, and inventory investments were up 66% and 47%, respectively.
At Canada Goose, revenue rose 24% last quarter, with DTC revenue performing particularly well, growing almost 20%.
These brands, each with customers who tend to be in higher income brackets, don’t base their value on the bargains they offer. Their customers are accustomed to high prices and pay for quality and brand name. Small increases in price don’t affect them quite as much as a brand like H&M, where low price is a selling point.
“We have a long history of taking price in excess of cost inflation, and that is grounded in the quality and functional value that our products provide,” said Jonathan Sinclair, evp and CFO of Canada Goose, on the brand’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday. “Our differentiated operating level as a vertically integrated manufacturer and with most products made or purchased in Canada and higher average unit prices also help mitigate some of the inflationary pressures.”


text:
Most recently, at the beginning of the year, the company pushed ahead with its growth strategy in the sun protection sector with the new "Sun Shading Solutions" business unit under the leadership of elero's managing director Enzo Viola.
The new "Smart Home" business unit is pursuing the goal of integrating Nice and elero solutions in order to network entire houses and focus on the residents and their individual requirements. The team is led by Adam Krużyński, CEO of Nice Poland and FIBARO, the specialist smart home company under the umbrella of Nice. "Our goal is to create a solution that is tailored to people's lifestyles and makes it possible to create individual scenarios for a smart, cosy and comfortable living space - for the whole family from morning to night," says Krużyński.
He also sees the smart home market as a strategic challenge and opportunity: "Everyone will be able to change the way they live and interact with their homes, making everyday life easier and more functional. This makes it all the more important for us to provide solutions that are increasingly connected, easy to implement and user friendly."
Juan Pablo Boz, who has recently joined Nice as Head of Marketing and has many years of experience in the smart home sector, cites the Yubii Home all-in-one gateway as an example. The big advantage of the new hub is its versatility. It is not only a hub for Nice, Fibaro and elero technologies, but can also integrate devices from other manufacturers thanks to its compatibility with Z-Wave® and WiFi™ protocols. Yubii Home is compatible with more than 3,000 devices from other brands and allows end users to manage their entire smart home with the voice assistants Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. In addition, the gateway can support an IP camera and up to five devices by means of app plug-ins. In Germany, Yubii Home will be distributed by elero at the beginning of the year 2022.


text:
Many car accidents are caused by a negligent driver; someone who is distracted, drunk or overly aggressive. Driver negligence is not the only kind of negligence that can lead to serious injury or the wrongful death of a motorist.
Vehicles that have defective parts either through design or manufacturing pose a very serious danger for an unsuspecting motorist. Even some of the most trained automotive specialists cannot see an auto defect such as the one that a group of consumers complained about this week in a class-action lawsuit in a Los Angeles federal court.
The class-action lawsuit named the car manufacturing giant Honda as the defendant in the suit. The complaint stated that several Honda models produced during the years 1994 to 2007 contained a defect that caused windows to spontaneously drop into the door frame. The windows either broke in the door or became stuck. The vehicles that contain the defect are the Honda Odyssey, Pilot, Element, Accord, CR-V, Civic and MDX.
Consumers who complained of the defect said that not only was there a defect that caused expensive repairs, but they stated that Honda failed to fix the problem. Many said that they were offered a repair that did not fix the problematic piece, but instead knowingly replaced it with another defective plastic piece. Honda was not only accused of knowingly providing a repair part that would later fail, but also that the company failed to reimburse owners for repeated repairs.
Although this class action was filed much in part for repair damages, defects such as this can cause accidents when a piece fails during a driving trip. Other defects may cause further or unnecessary injuries when they fail to work properly during a crash.
If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by a defective car part or suffered an injury that resulted from the negligence of a manufacturer, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for the damages caused.


text:
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Blame it on the weather -- or maybe the season.
Whatever the cause, it's been a rough month for ad-supported Web operations. As TheStreet.com (TSCM) announced on Tuesday that it won't live up to analysts' revenue projections, it joined a string of sponsor-dependent sites that have been overflowing with bad news. On the same day, ad-server specialist Mediaplex Inc. (MPLX) cautioned that it wouldn't match Wall Street's estimates, and the month kicked off with a warning from rival Avenue A Inc. (AVEA).
Although Engage Inc. (ENGA) surpassed analyst expectations on Wednesday, it may take some time yet for the gloom to lift from the segment.
On paper, at least, there is little cause for concern. Estimates of online ad spending for 2000 and the next few years can vary by billions of dollars, depending on the source. One thing almost everyone agrees on, however, is that it's growing, and growing fast.
Rich LeFurgy, chairman of the Internet Advertising Bureau and General Partner of Walden VC, was upbeat about what lies ahead.
"The Web has grown faster than any other ad-supported medium," including radio and cable and network TV," LeFurgy said in an interview with CBS.MarketWatch.com. He said the flow of ad dollars seems to be "taking a bit of a breather, and that's a healthy thing. Some of the dumb money is gone."
Trouble for small fry
LeFurgy also sees "a flight to quality," with advertisers putting their money into "the sites that work" -- a trend that may be bad news for the small fry. The Top 50 sites are getting the lion's share of the cash, and although the concentration isn't as lopsided as it is in some other media, "if you are number 51 through 3051, you are really not in the money," he said.
For Rich Petersen, an analyst with CS First Boston in San Francisco, the future growth of online advertising will be tied to how quickly the big marketers shift spending on ads and other forms of promotion to the medium.
"The percentage will grow as more and more people spend more and more time on the Net [and as advertisers] can better measure the effectiveness of their ads," he said.
"Clearly, the rate of growth is slowing," said Ira Carlin, chairman of Universal McCann, the media-buying arm of Interpublic Group's McCann Erickson ad unit. But the slowdown could also be "simply part and parcel of an overall softening of the ad market."
"Instead of going up 40 percent per quarter, it's at least half that or maybe even less. I'm not surprised," Carlin added. "We are still in a very early stage" with the medium and are "still working out what our definitions of what successful ads are."
One other possibility: The industry may have entered a period of "anti-hype" following the widely publicized dot-com crash of the spring and that has given many advertisers pause, according to Carlin.
He also echoed LeFurgy's assessment of grim tidings for the smaller players. "The Top 50 Web sites account for 75 percent of the all online ad spending," Carlin said. "If I had one that wasn't in it, I'd be worried."


text:
Happy Cybertron Monday! With today’s exciting new character stills and online release of the Transformers 4 Age of Extinction toys, we’ve got another piece of news that might intrigue movie fans.
Official Swedish Transformers Facebook page just posted an update that, a new trailer will debut on Friday, May 16th. It is also the release date of Godzilla, and according to Cyberton Monday’s website, we’re supposed to get a sneak peak via official Transformers 4 app today.
We’ll keep you updated as we get more news on the subject.


text:
MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu here last week lost one of its top executives when Duncan Mac Naughton resigned to accept a job as chief merchandising officer with Wal-Mart Canada.
Although several other top leaders had recently left the company after the hiring in May of Chief Executive Officer Craig Herkert — who himself came from the international division of Wal-Mart Stores — Mac Naughton's departure surprised some observers because Herkert had recently given him additional responsibility overseeing the company's pharmacy operations.
“He was prepared to see things through under Craig Herkert, but he has a good reputation and was probably highly sought after,” said one industry source, who asked not to be identified.
Mac Naughton, whose title at Supervalu was executive vice president, merchandising and marketing, had been working on the process of centralizing those functions among the company's disparate banners and brands.
In a letter to employees obtained by SN, Herkert said Supervalu was conducting a search for both internal and external candidates to fill the position. In the meantime, he said, merchandising and pharmacy will report to Ed Hanson, and marketing will continue to report to Steve Michaelson, both of whom report directly to Herkert.
“All current business initiatives will continue as planned,” he said in the letter. “While Duncan has been an integral member of Supervalu's leadership team, our success will ultimately be determined by the collective talents in the company. For that reason I remain as optimistic as ever about our future.
“We have powerful merchandising and marketing teams that have transformed Supervalu's ability to balance national scale with the flexibility to serve local market preferences.”
He cited several examples of progress the company has made, including the renegotiation of key contracts to provide “multi-million-dollar savings”; the reduction of warehouse inventory, which has also saved millions; and improving overall customer satisfaction scores at the majority of the company's businesses.
Mac Naughton had spent 13 years with Kraft Foods before joining H.E. Butt Grocery Co., San Antonio, where he held several different positions during a six-year stint. He joined Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons in 2003, and was tapped to lead Supervalu's overall merchandising and marketing functions when that company acquired most of the Albertsons assets in 2006.
Jose Tamez, managing partner of the Denver office of executive search firm Austin-Michael, told SN last week that he expected Supervalu to seek out an executive with experience at a nationwide retailer who is “very well capable of making aggressive changes” that are being implemented at the company.


text:
Better Factories Cambodia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) in Cambodia and the ILO’s Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work, hosted a one-day workshop on promoting responsible digital wage payments in Cambodia’s garment industry.
The event gathered 55 participants, including 35 officials representing the Provincial Departments of Labour, the National Employment Agency, the Department of Employment and Manpower, the Department of Labour Inspection, the National Institute of Labour, and the General Secretariat of the National Council for Minimum Wage. The officials engaged with guest speakers from a leading digital financial service provider (Wing Bank), a major brand (Gap Inc), and a supporting organization (BSR).
Bronch Sopheana, Deputy Secretary-General of the General Secretariat, National Council for Minimum Wage, emphasized that advancing responsible digital wage payments in Cambodia aligns with and supports the implementation of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Garment Strategy 2023-2027, the Policy Framework on Digital Society and Economy 2021-2035, and the National Policy Framework for Cambodia’s Economic Productivity 2022-35. Sopheana also indicated that the interventions also complement recent government efforts to transfer wage subsidies to garment workers through digital payments in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Noting that about half of exporting factories are already paying their workers digitally, he underscored the need to ensure a responsible transition for workers and factories.
Participants identified possible areas of support and engagement from the Ministry to ensure that the transition to digital wage payments is responsible. To that end, the Ministry is planning to develop an action plan that considers raising awareness about responsible digital wage payments, issuing relevant guidelines to encourage more widespread adoption of digital wages among factories and establishing partnerships with interested stakeholders to support the transition.
Sara Park, Programme Manager of Better Factories Cambodia, highlighted how digital wage payments can promote compliance in the sector by helping labour inspection authorities to detect and anticipate situations in which wages and required social security contributions due may not be paid appropriately.
Mansour Omeira, Research and Knowledge Management Officer at the ILO’s Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work, presented key issues to consider when promoting responsible digital wage payments, with a focus on the role of government institutions. Furthermore, Virak Nuon, Digital Wage Officer at Better Factories Cambodia, presented the status of wage digitization among garment factories in Cambodia based on existing research and experiences.
Better Factories Cambodia and the ILO’s Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work will continue their partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, social partners and other stakeholders to support factories and workers and accelerate the transition to responsible digital wage payments in Cambodia’s garment industry and beyond.


text:
I856 - ICA: investigation launched into price comparators and insurance companies for suspected agreement on motor vehicle liability policies
According to the Authority, the companies involved regularly exchanged sensitive information on the economic conditions of direct sales by sharing reports prepared and distributed by the price comparison companies
The Italian Competition Authority has launched an investigation against the companies 6Sicuro S.p.A., CercAssicurazioni.it S.r.l. (“Segugio”),Daina Finance Ltd, General Representation for Italy (“ComparaMeglio”), Facile.it Broker di Assicurazioni S.p.A., Allianz Direct S.p.A., Admiral Intermediary Services S.A., B2C Innovation S.p.A., Bene Assicurazioni S.p.A., Compagnia Assicuratrice Linear S.p.A., Compagnia Italiana di Previdenza, Assicurazioni e Riassicurazioni S.p.A., FIT S.r.l. Società Benefit, Genertel S.p.A., HDI Assicurazioni S.p.A., Prima Assicurazioni S.p.A., Quixa Assicurazioni S.p.A., Verti Assicurazioni S.p.A. and Zurich Insurance Public Limited Company - General Representation for Italy.
The aim of the investigation is to ascertain whether the companies offering price comparison services and the insurance companies involved in the proceedings came to an agreement restricting competition by exchanging sensitive information on the economic conditions for the direct sale of motor vehicle liability policies. According to the Authority, the companies constantly and regularly exchanged sensitive information on the economic conditions for the sale of motor vehicle liability policies by sharing reports prepared and distributed by the price comparison companies. Furthermore, the agreement would have been in place at least since 2012 and would also have occurred during the period of the first lockdown imposed by the Government to combat the spread of Covid-19.
In particular, as a result of the agreement, insurance companies would have been able to charge consumers higher premiums for motor vehicle liability policies, through discounts mitigated by the knowledge of the commercial strategies and the price policy of competitors in the direct sales segment.
On Thursday 20 May, Authority officials carried out inspections at the premises of 6Sicuro S.p.A., CercAssicurazioni.it S.r.l., Facile.it Broker di Assicurazioni S.p.A., Admiral Intermediary Services S.A., B2C Innovation S.p.A. and Compagnia Assicuratrice Linear S.p.A.
Rome, 21 May 2021


text:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Dell Inc. shares were little changed in midday trading Wednesday, recovering earlier losses, after the No. 1 maker of personal computers postponed its annual analyst meeting, usually held in April, until September.
Round Rock, Texas-based Dell
A Dell spokesman said late Tuesday the company will have "a lot more to demonstrate" in September at the meeting, which will also be moved to New York from Austin, Texas.
But the delay seems to be a last-minute decision, as Dell executives made no mention of it during a conference call last week to discuss the company's fourth-quarter results.
At least one analyst said the move might stoke concerns that the company isn't confident about its short-term prospects.
"Investors may fear the move signals management's lack of near-term visibility," wrote Harry Blount, an analyst with Lehman Bros. who rates Dell shares as overweight.
Last Friday, Dell shares fell 5% as fourth-quarter PC sales were reported as flat. Management also issued a financial forecast that lagged the expectations of Wall Street analysts. See archived story on Dell.
Dell's facing increasing competition from Hewlett-Packard Co.
Dell shares rose 10 cents to $29.90 after earlier falling to a low of $29.37 See interactive charting.