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Pakistani innovative and young entrepreneurs should avail ATX-Pak Advance Program to make their way into US markets in collaboration with their counterparts from Austin, Texas, USA.
These views were expressed by the Founder of ATX-Pak Business Development Program Ms. Alica Dean while speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad, Former LCCI Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad, Executive Committee Members Haji Asif Saher, Haris Attique, Aqib Asif, Fiaz Haider, Uzma Shahid, Convener LCCI Standing Committee on Fashion and Clothing Talat Hafeez and Diplomats from US Consulate in Lahore also spoke on the occasion.
Alica Dean said that second phase of ATX-Pak Advance Program is US funded initiative which will connect entrepreneurs, investors, influencers and educators form Austin with their counterparts in Pakistan.
She told that the startup community of Austin will be involved in this program to develop this city as a major market place for the onward dispatch of fashion garments to other American state because of its centrally located position.
“In this connection certain incentives and facilitation would be offered to the Pakistani entrepreneurs,” she added and said that Pakistani entrepreneurs have an opportunity to work with commercial partners in Austin and benefit from a unique retail experience.
She said that Austin has a growing Textile and Fashion industry and is emerging as E-Commerce based fashion Hub in the region.
She said that An International Design Center is going to be constructed very soon in Texas to showcase the designs from all over the world under one roof.
The LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh hailed the ATX-PAK advance program to City of Austin hoped that it would help Pakistani entrepreneurs to explore American markets.
He said that Pakistan and USA have good diplomatic, cultural and economic relations. Pakistan and USA are steady trading partners and USA comes at 1st and 4th places respectively among the top exporting and importing countries for Pakistan around the globe.
Almost 16% of our exports in 2018, made their way to US market.
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that it is encouraging to see that over the time, the size of bilateral trade is increasing. In 2018, the value of total trade between Pakistan and US was 6.75 billion dollars and added that it has the potential to get doubled through favorable policy initiatives
He highlighted the tremendous opportunities for US companies to enter into joint ventures with Pakistan companies and incorporate cutting-edge US technologies into energy projects throughout Pakistan, particularly in Renewable Energy. “There is also a tremendous opportunity for US companies to invest in the emerging E-Commerce sector in Pakistan”, the LCCI President added.
He also highlighted other potential areas where Pakistan and US can enhance trade by entering into joint ventures are Pharmaceuticals, Leather, Light Engineering, Surgical Instruments, Processed Food, Financial Services, Retail Sector, Agriculture Technology, Poultry and Meat etc.
The LCCI Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad mentioned, Pakistan has recently improved by 28 notches in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Ranking which indicates a noticeable improvement in the business climate of our country and hoped that this development should encourage US investors to turn towards Pakistan.


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ETIHAD Airways has confirmed plans to start four-weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Chengdu from December 15.
The flights will be operated using Airbus A330-200s with 22 business-class seats and 240 economy-class seats.
Etihad will be the first Middle Eastern airline to operate to the capital of Sichuan province, which will be Etihad’s 69th destination worldwide, and second in China after Beijing.
Calling Chengdu the economic centre and transportation and communications hub of China’s booming South-west, Etihad CEO, James Hogan, said: “(The new route) will provide a new, more convenient gateway into South-west China for business and leisure travellers from Europe and the Middle East, and a faster, new route to Europe and the Middle East for the rapidly growing Chinese outbound travel market.”
“With the purchasing power of the Chinese consumer rising in sync with annual GDP growth of 7.5 per cent till 2030, the Chinese travel market has enormous latent potential,” Hogan added.

domain: news


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By Darla Shelden
City Sentinel Reporter
The holiday season can be a busy and exciting time for the entire family, including those furry family members. However, this time of year can also pose dangers for our four-legged friends.
“With all of the things going on, it can be easy to get out of your regular routine. As you gear up for the holidays, it is important to try to keep your pet’s eating and exercise schedules as close to normal as possible,” said Dr. Elisabeth Giedt, director of Continuing Education, Extension and Community Engagement at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences at Oklahoma State University.
“Not only is keeping their schedules relatively normal important, it’s also essential to keep your pets away from unhealthy treats, dangerous decorations and toxic plants,” Giedt said.
For many families, the Christmas tree is the focal point of holiday decorations. Precautions should be taken to securely anchor the tree so it does not tip over. The falling tree in not the only danger. It can cause the tree water to spill and tree water may contain fertilizers that can cause an upset stomach for your pet. In addition, stagnant tree water is a breeding ground for bacteria, which can induce nausea or diarrhea should your pet take a drink.
Because many of our feline friends tend to gravitate toward things that are shiny and sparkly, some pet owners might want to rethink using tinsel on their tree. If an animal swallows tinsel, it can lead to severe vomiting, dehydration and possibly an obstruction in the digestive tract, which may require surgery.
Strings of lights also are a common decoration for Christmas trees, along with other electrical decorations. Unfortunately, some pets may find the electrical cords enticing. Try to keep these cords behind furniture and other places your pets cannot access. Pet owners also may want to try taping the cords to the floor to make them less accessible or using cord protectors or spiral cable wrap.
“Although candles add an air of festiveness to your home’s decorations, they can be a danger not only to your pets, but people as well,” Giedt said. “The flame and hot wax can cause burns to you and your pets. And let’s not forget about the danger of setting something on fire.
“For those who enjoy the ambiance of candles, there are a wide variety of flameless candles available that are a much safer alternative” Gledt added.
It’s tempting to fashion furry family members with a decorative ribbon “collar” but beware that this could become a choking hazard. Ingested ribbon can cause a choking hazard and ultimately twist throughout the intestines, leading to emergency surgery and even death.
Burning scented candles or incense should be avoided if you have birds in the home, according to Ian Kanda, AHT/RVT, Avian, Exotic and Zoological Services at the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
“Birds have a very efficient respiratory system that makes them particularly susceptible to airborne toxins and smoke inhalation,” Kanda said.
Although holly and mistletoe are another favorite holiday decoration, when ingested, holly can cause pets to suffer nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. Holiday poinsettias can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach and sometimes vomiting. Opt for artificial plants made from silk or plastic and place them out of reach of pets.
“For many people it’s traditional to host a holiday gathering in their home. However, some of the special foods and beverages you prepare for your guests can be dangerous for your pets,” Giedt said.
“Keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food, and be sure to securely fasten the lids on your trash cans. If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, place drinks out of reach of your pets. If consumed, alcohol could make your pet weak, ill or possible even induce a coma.”
Giedt suggests giving your pets their own quiet space during a holiday party. Keep them enclosed in a space where guests are not likely to be, such as a bedroom. “Provide your pet with plenty of water, food and a quiet, welcoming place to rest.
“The holidays are all about celebrating with the family, and our pets certainly qualify as family members. However, keeping your pets safe this holiday season should be top priority,” she said.
The holidays are a popular time for welcoming a new furry friend into the family. Animal shelters have thousands of wonderful companions waiting for a home each year. Give the gift of life this year and choose to adopt.


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Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT)
Historical Stock Chart
2 Months : From May 2019 to Jul 2019
--A Chinese-owned company is making circuit boards for the top secret next generation F-35 stealth fighters flown by the U.K. and the U.S., Sky News reported Friday.
--Exception PCB, a printed circuit board manufacturer in Gloucestershire, England, produces circuit boards that "control many of the F-35's core capabilities" including "engines, lighting, fuel and navigation systems," the report said, citing publicity material produced by the U.K. Defense Ministry.
--The ministry said the company presents "no risk" to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter supply chain, although defense experts expressed concern that a Chinese-owned company is producing any parts for such a program, because of longstanding fears about Chinese espionage and rivalry, according to the report.
--Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), which heads the F-35 program, was unable to state categorically that no other Chinese-owned company was part of the program's global supply chain but said it was "not aware of any other Chinese-owned F-35 suppliers at this time," the report said, adding that Exception PCB didn't reply to emailed questions about its Chinese ownership.
Full story: https://news.sky.com/story/f-35-jets-chinese-owned-company-making-parts-for-top-secret-uk-us-fighters-11741889
Write to Jeff McCulley at email@example.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 14, 2019 14:46 ET (18:46 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


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CBD or Cannabidiol has become a phenomenon in the cannabis world; a lot of people still do not know that CBD comes from hemp or cannabis plant. According to experts, CBD has a lot of health benefits, and it is backed by scientific research.
A lot of companies are starting to see these benefits and they are starting to get on the CBD bandwagon. Popular companies like Walgreens and CVS recently announced their plans to sell Cannabidiol products. Coca-Cola, one of the biggest companies in the world, are starting to explore the idea of adding Cannabidiol to their products, especially to their beverages.
Even cookie makers, Oreos, jumped into the CBD bandwagon. The potential of CBD is starting to excite a lot of business owners, as well as consumers. For the past years, business is exploring all possible options where they can incorporate the best full spectrum CBD oil in their products. You can now buy candies, chips, beverages or pastries laced with cannabis oil.
At the side of the consumers, Cannabidiol has the potential to be a good source of daily wellness and healing. But despite the healing benefits and the potential profits that it brings, there are still a lot of questions surrounding CBD oil. These questions include:
Why is CBD oil essential?
Is the product legal?
Is it safe to use?
What is its contraindication?
How much does it cost?
A lot of people are very hesitant to use CBD in their products because they do not know it is legal to use in some places in the United States like Alaska, Colorado, California, Maine, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Massachusetts. In this article, we will provide a complete guide on the things that you need to know about Cannabidiol.
Tetrahydrocannabinol gets you high; Cannabidiol doesn’t
Despite what most people say, CBD does not get you high. While CBD and THC are considered as cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol is the psychoactive component that creates the high that people wants from marijuana. Cannabidiol has a different effect on our system.
CBD and hemp oil are not the same
CBD oil contains CBD, and it is extracted from the marijuana plant. Usually, it is combined with a base oil like olive or coconut oil. On the other hand, hemp oil is derived from the hemp plant seeds and do not contain CBD or any forms of Cannabidiol. There are separate benefits associated with hemp oils.
Cannabidiol has been in a legal gray area for a long time
The Farm Bill that legalized cannabis and cannabis-derived products have been making waves on a federal level. When it comes to the Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA, Cannabidiol oil derived from marijuana is no longer a controlled substance (Schedule 1). According to Farm Bill section 10113, cannabis should only contain 0.3% and below of THC compound.
But according to the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, selling CBD-infused supplements are still illegal. They stated that they want more data on CBD and more time to consider how they can regulate the marketing, production, distribution, labeling, as well as dosage recommendations.
The Food and Drug Administration is starting to be more involved
The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a memorandum from the commissioner clarifying the next steps when evaluating the regulatory process for CBD. They have also scheduled public hearings and made it easier for people researching to conduct thorough studies on Cannabidiol. It was evident that the Food and Drug Administration is always waiting to assess more information before they approve CBD.
CBD is non-habit forming and very safe
While the Food and Drug Administration has not formally made any statement in regards to the safety of CBD, WHO or the World Health Organization provided a lot of information, and made a clear stand, pure CBD is very safe for human consumption.
There are two methods to extract the CBD from a marijuana plant
Most Cannabidiol is extracted from the stalks, flowers or leaves of the marijuana plant via heat or solvent extraction methods. The first method is solvent extraction. It uses solvents to separate the CBD from the cannabis plant. On the high end, Carbon Dioxide or CO2 is used as the solvent. On the others side of the spectrum, harsh chemicals like ethanol, kerosene or butane are used as solvents.


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Zanox’ new CEO, Thomas Joosten, will take the reins of the performance advertising network on the 1st of February. Joosten succeeds Philipp Justus, who headed the company for three years and leaves the company on the February 28th.
The dates mean that there will be a month’s crossover for the two CEOs. Justus will remain with Zanox until the end of February to enable a smooth transition. It’s unclear what his responsibilities and title will be during this period.
Ralph Büchi, chairman of the zanox Supervisory Board was one of the first to welcome the new CEO. “Thomas Joosten is an inspirational leader and innovator in the performance marketing sphere,” he said “We are very pleased to be able to appoint this successful entrepreneur as the new CEO.
A founding experience
Joosten joins Zanox from Dutch affiliate marketing network, M4N, where he was founder and CEO. Zanox acquired and merged the network with its own operations in 2011. Joosten then became country manager for the combined entities with Belgium and the Netherlands coming under his domain.
Prior to founding the M4N affiliate network with his brother, Joosten has experience as an ICT strategy consultant. He has worked for a number of firms, which includes some big blue chip names such as Intel and AT&T;.
Joosten provided a sneak peek into his intentions once he becomes Zanox CEO. “My fellow board members and I are greatly looking forward to expanding our platform and services to further devices and sales channels in order to help our customers to better reach their consumers,” he said.


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15 April 2020
Motorola re-imagined its much-loved Moto Razr phone as a foldable device and launched it in November last year. The foldable phone received much appreciation and praise like this design makes more sense that its competitions Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X.
Motorola Razr foldable smartphone was meant to be available in the US but it got delayed as the company saw some huge demands in pre-orders. Meanwhile, it was also told that the device wouldn’t land in China due to the eSIM issue as China’s network operators currently do not support eSIM cards.
But now at CES 2020, Motorola has reportedly made it official that the device will get launched in China as well, though the pricing hasn’t been revealed. According to what Lenovo Mobile Chief Liu Jun has said, the Razr foldable smartphone is coming to the Chinese market in Q2 2020 and it will come with support for 5G connectivity.
The best thing about the new Motorola Razr is that it preserves the design of its legendary flip phone in the form of a foldable smartphone. This is something more appealing than its competitions. Unlike the original Razr, the new foldable phone has a flexible screen that folds completely in half to give it the clamshell look. Unlike its competitors, the Motorola Razr becomes even more compact and easier to carry around when folded.
The Motorola Razr sports a 6.2-inch pOLED HD “Flex View” display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. When folded, there is a secondary display called the “Quick View” display which gives you a quick overview of information from apps. It shows app notifications, can let you send quick replies to messages/email, camera viewfinder, and even trigger Google Assistant.
It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there is no microSD card for further expansion. It has a 16MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and a 5MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture. The whole package is powered by a 2,510mAH battery with 15W TurboPower fast charging technology. It is running Android 9 Pie out of the box but Motorola has assured an upgrade to Android 10.
It is yet to be learned at what price the device will launch in China.


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[Startup Bharat] With these startups, the innovation sun shines on Odisha too
Odisha, known for its many temples and beautiful beaches, is now also earning a name for something else: its startups.
With initiatives like 'Make in Odisha', the Odisha government is keen to put the State on the fast track to development and become a hotbed for innovation.
The government recently had also launched a progressive aerospace and defence manufacturing policy to capitalise on the advantages of Odisha’s existing ecosystem and to attract investments in this sector.
And there’s a lot more that the State is doing to up its development game. The Skilled in Odisha mission, for instance, was launched for skill development in the State and to attract investors. The government has also built an 18-storeyed World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar, which will be managed by Odisha Skill Development Authority, with technical support from ITEES, Singapore.
With these policies, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wants his State to be among the top-three startup hubs in India by 2020.
And helping the State along on its mission to become a sought-after startup hub is the crop of startups driving innovation from Odisha for the country, and beyond.
YourStory picks some of the startups from Odisha that are putting the State on the entrepreneurial map.
Taking the art from the State to a global platform, Rakesh Parida founded Thoomri, a global online marketplace for Indian handlooms and handicrafts. Started in June 2015 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Thoomri connects artisans directly with customers. In doing so, it eliminates the middlemen and any hidden costs.
Here, the artisans are not hoodwinked; they can see the prices at which their products are being sold, and the process is very transparent.
It has so far on-boarded 2,000 artisans from across Odisha covering different verticals like stone craft, handloom fabrics, silver filigree work, palm-leaf paintings, pattachitra, fern-craft, and dokra, among others.
In the first month of its operations, Thoomri sold merchandise worth Rs 16,000. Today, it clocks around Rs 7 lakh a month in revenue.
Initially bootstrapped, Thoomri has now raised about Rs 20 lakh in funding from a clutch of investors, including social enterprise incubator Villgro, KIIT TBI (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology- Technology Business Incubator), DFID UK (Department for International Development), TDB (Technology Development Board) of the Government of India.
Swargadwara.com, founded by Plaban Mohapatra in December 2016, is an integrated single-point platform delivering ‘funeral care’ services at the doorstep of grieving families.
Bhubaneswar-based Swargadwara offers pre-funeral, funeral, and post-funeral services to its clients.
The startup has three types of cremation kits - for widows, married women, and men. From matchbox, gangajal, and ghee, to coins, earthen lamps, and betel nut, the cremation kit contains 35 items.
It also offers round-the-clock services. Clients can get in touch with the platform through its website, Facebook page, or simply by calling the helpline number.
Swargadwara.com collects requirements, provides the estimate, and dispatches the services needed. Depending on the type and span of service, the startup collects payments in tranches. Apart from Hindus, Swargadwara also caters to the Christian and Sikh community.
Its cremation day service charge ranges between Rs 2,500 and Rs 7,000, and the post-cremation service charges vary between Rs 10,000 and Rs 2 lakh. The company has served 785 customers so far.
Plaban has invested Rs 15 lakh into the business and has received a grant of Rs 7.5 lakh from the Startup Odisha initiative. He says they also have received a commitment of Rs 30 lakh from an angel investor.
With the Rs 11 lakh that he got from his provident fund in January 2017, Bhubaneswar-based Nihar Ranjan launched FlashDeal to bridge the gap between online users and offline businesses. The app aggregates offline deals and sends them to online users based on location and interests.
The services offered range from groceries and spas to food delivery and fine dining reservations, and even cab rentals. Altogether, FlashDeal has tied up with 173 retailers, and is targeting 357 by March 2018. It gets a 14 percent commission from retailers for monthly sales, and also have an annual subscription fee of Rs 500 for retailers. Nihar found his co-founders Zahid Akhtar and Malaya Bastia through social media.
FlashDeal’s team of 18 includes two marketing teams - one B2B that visits retailers, and another B2C that takes care of local level low-cost advertisement. The company has gained market and customer data from in-house market research.
Founded by Sourab and Priyanka Agarwal, Vedi Herbals offers products defined by nature and manufactured with technology, at an affordable price. Its products are claimed to be based on the principles of Ayurveda and manufactured using finest ingredients sourced from across rural India.
Vedi Herbals is a subsidiary and a marketing arm of Hempcann Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Hempcann’s main focus is to promote Cannabis plant for various uses.
It offers authentic Ayurvedic formulations, herbal health supplements, and bodycare products. All its products are claimed to be 100 percent vegetarian, cruelty-free, natural, free from artificial fragrance, and harmful chemicals.
This bootstrapped startup was founded in 2017 and is based in Bhubaneswar. Its products are made to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), ISO, HALAL, and USDA Organic standards.
The lack of a formative education in Binayak Acharya’s hometown Cuttack made him start ThinkZone in 2015. It is a startup providing low-cost education to underprivileged children in low-income communities.
The startup uses a ‘school-in-a-box’ model that contains a set of age- and study-level-appropriate, curriculum-based items that help engage students in the classroom. These include maps, charts, and activity blocks for students, and a tablet that is pre-loaded with guided lesson plans and day-wise material for teachers.
ThinkZone uses ‘Teaching at the Right Level’ (TaRL) - a pedagogical approach that involves evaluating children using a simple assessment tool and grouping them according to their learning level rather than age or grade.
In 2018, the company raised $105,000 from BPCL (Ankur Startup Scheme), UnLtd India, D-Prize (US Distribution Inc), INVENT (Department of Science and Technology – Government of India, DFID, UK, and Villgro) and Startup Odisha (Department of MSME, Government of Odisha).
It also raised a Pre-Series A round of $104,000 from impact investor Gray Matters Capital's edLABS initiative.


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Australian retail turnover fell 2.7 per cent in July 2021 according to the latest figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - the largest monthly dip this year.
New South Wales saw the biggest drop in retail trade out of all the states and territories, with sales down 8.9 per cent in July compared to the previous months, followed by South Australia (down 3.3 per cent) and Queensland (down 0.9 per cent).
All other states and territories experienced rises with the strongest in Victoria (up 1.3 per cent). Victorian turnover rose as some restrictions from the prior month were eased further in early July, however, sales remained subdued due to a twelve-day lockdown from mid to late July.
“Lockdowns and stay-at-home orders in many parts of Australia continued to impact retail trade in July, with many non-essential retail businesses closing their physical stores,” ABS director of quarterly economy wide surveys Ben James said.
“In particular, the first full month of lockdown in New South Wales, following the Delta outbreak in June, saw retail turnover in the state fall 8.9 per cent.
“This was the largest fall of any state and territory since August 2020."
By industry, the largest falls were in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (down 12.3 per cent), clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (down 15.4 per cent), and department stores (down 11.4 per cent).
Food retailing saw a rise in sales of 2.3 per cent as COVID restrictions kept people at home, limiting their mobility.
Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra said the lockdowns are taking a heavy toll on small businesses in particular, and the impacts are likely to be felt for many more months.
“Businesses have been left reeling from the Delta devastation and today’s figures confirm the severity of the lockdowns and the impacts they have on retail spending,” Zahra said.
“Consumer and business confidence has been shattered by the recent outbreaks in multiple states, and the state and federal supports just haven’t been enough to save a number of businesses from closing their doors permanently.
“The lockdowns are also having an impact on employment, with payroll jobs falling by nearly 9 per cent in Greater Sydney since the stay-at-home orders were introduced in late June, and a significant proportion of those losses were in the retail industry.”
Updated at 2.49pm AEST on 27 August 2021.
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This Saturday's Blast in the Park's highlight will be a fireworks display by Wald & Co. (Wix stock photo)
This year's La Cygne "Blast in the Park" will be bigger and better this year according to organizer Jenn Vogt. She said that is largely because she had more lead time to organize the event and line up sponsors and entertainment, something she enjoys doing.
The event, which will be at La Cygne Community Park, begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, and continues through the fireworks show that begins at dusk that evening. While the event may only last four-plus hours, there is plenty packed into a evening that promises to be enjoyable.
First, the food. Two food trucks are scheduled to serve during the evening: Doggone Dogs and the Pink Taco KC. Doggone Dogs serves hot dogs and brats as well as sandwiches, chips and drinks. The Pink Taco KC truck serves a line-up of Mexican fare.
There will be other food vendors as well. La Cygne's Re-Ohz will be serving ice cream, Shivers Ice House will be serving snow cones, Mammoth Mouth has freeze-dried candy, and freshly popped kettle corn will be available as well.
For adults, Blue Dog Wine Co. will have a booth and Wild & Free mobile bar will serve a variety of drinks, including alcohol-free mocktails like the Pink Tacorita (guaranteed to go with your food from the Pink Taco truck).
The evening will get off to a fun start for the children. Two bounce houses and a petting zoo will be set up between the two shelters. The La Cygne Fire Department will be set up on the ball fields at the park with activities for the kids.
At 6 p.m. live music starts with acoustic country artist Austin Kurzen, At 7:30 p.m. Frendly Fire takes the stage with their rock set list to kick up the volume leading up to the fireworks finale at dusk
In addition to the food and drink vendors, several other vendors will be set up at the east shelter house. Those include Prestige 3D Designs and Printing, Glamour Girl mobile boutique, The Knotty Cow Clothing Co. with handmade baby clothing, Freedom Designs crafts, Fluid and Flame arts, Sweet Dina's jewelry and tumblers, as well as a tie-dyed company, a Scentsy booth and a Mary Kay distributor.
The Blast in the Park is also the end destination for Grady's Kids motorcycle run, which begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Wagon Wheel restaurant at Fifth and Market streets in La Cygne. The ride, which is a benefit to help Linn County children, ends with a silent auction at the park.
The fireworks, presented by Wald & Co., begin at dusk to end the evening.
Vogt encourages people to bring lawn chairs or blankets for the fireworks show. She also suggest that families might want to bring lawn games to add to the fun for the evening.
A map of La Cygne Community Park gives locations of Saturday's attractions.
Update: The original version of the story said the city pool would be open during the evening. La Cygne City Hall informs us that the pool will close at 6:30 p.m. instead.


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The Huawei P20, along with the P20 Lite and P20 Plus, are going to get announced later this month. Before then, though, the rumor mill is hard at work to reveal just about everything about the upcoming phones.
HDBlog.it has published a new video that shows off a Huawei P20 Lite that they were able to purchase from a store. Included is a pretty quick rundown of the P20 Lite’s features. You can watch it below.
Meanwhile, a video spotted by AndroidWorld.it shows the P20 Lite in an Italian retail store. It gives us another clear look at the upcoming Android handset that boasts the notch design that’s growing in popularity among Android manufacturers.
The Huawei P20 Lite’s specifications have been leaked by these new videos as well. They include a 5.84-inch display with a resolution of 2280×1080, 4GB of RAM, a Kirin 659 processor, 64GB of built-in storage, and a microSD card slot for expandable storage. On the back, there is one 16MP camera and one 2MP camera, and there’s a 16MP front-facing camera on the other side. The battery measures in at 3000mAh and it runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with Huawei’s proprietary EMUI 8.0 user interface.
What do you think of the P20 Lite?


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These shots are of a third-gen Chevy Camaro leaving GM’s Milford Proving Grounds. But this is no ordinary Camaro, as witnessed by the manufacturer plate and a sticker on the windshield that allows it access to the Milford proving grounds.
Spy shooters followed the Camaro closely for some time, counted the shift pattern and noticed that it was shifting using a six-speed manual transmission. The engine, meanwhile, sounds like GM’s current small-block V-8. This Camaro prototype also has a roll cage, twin dual exhaust tips, a raised hood and GM Performance Parts badges on the sides and back.
This would not be the first time GM used a third-gen Camaro for testing purposes. Back in 2014, it tested a third-generation Camaro alongside a camouflaged sixth-generation Camaro as a sort of ultra-camouflage.
So, what is this Camaro testing? Could it be the next-generation Camaro or an upcoming engine update for the current sixth-gen model?
Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde


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Muddy Puddles, award-winning children’s outerwear brand, has completed a deal to join forces with UK outdoor children’s clothing company, Kozi Kidz.
Ellis Brigham is working with two homeless charities to recycle outdoor gear and give it a second life. There are three in-store drop off points plus free collection via their customer services department.
The new-look OutDoor by ISPO show has been quick to publish its official attendance figures, with 22,000 trade visitors visiting the new Munich expo.
After its successful debut in Manchester last year, OTS returns again with the sector fully behind a unified UK trade show, having incorporated both the KORS and ROKS shows, to produce what may well be the market's strongest showing for…
Can the trade-off between the convenience of Munich over the quaintness of Friedrichashafen provide a winning formula for ISPO's new-look summer expo? The concept certainly promises more than just a change of location offering six halls and…
Helinox has confirmed new trading arrangements for the UK, which have come into effect this month. The brand is now represented by ProAgencies, joining the agency’s portfolio of other leading outdoor brands.
Italian company partners with the event dedicated to creativity and new talents, and introduces a new special award for the startup that best expresses its potential in terms of ecological and social sustainability
Mountain Hardwear has launched a new app offering retailers the opportunity to show its equipment and apparel in augmented reality and is bringing it to the European market for the first time.
Textile specialist Milliken & Company is to acquire Polartec from Versa Capital Management, in a deal expected to complete this month.
Ternua's has added the Dulau jacket, co-created with athletes who took part in the 2016 Gorbeia Suzien trail running event, one of the flagship events on the mountain racing circuit, to its spring/summer 2019 range.


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After an abysmal March print and growing speculation on wall street that auto sales are looking less like a "plateau" (Ford's label not ours) and more like a debt-fueled bubble on the verge of an epic collapse, auto investors were looking toward April auto sales for signs of hope. Unfortunately, the "hope" trade failed to materialize as every single, major auto OEM missed their April sales estimates in fairly spectacular fashion.
Here's a summary of the April carnage:
Or, in units if you prefer:
According to Ward's data, April SAAR came in at 16.8mm units, down 3.7% YoY, which was well below the JD Power estimate released last week of 17.3 mm.
Meanwhile, the YoY change in unit sales was the worst since 2011.
Meanwhile, inventory days are still trending higher as OEMs continue to push product on to dealer lots even though sale through to end customers has seemingly stalled.
GM, one of the few OEMs to actually disclose dealer inventories in monthly sales releases, reported that April inventories increased to 100 days (935,758 vehicles) from 98 days at the end of March and just 71 days (681,402 vehicles) in April 2016. But please don't worry because GM would like for you to know that their soaring inventories are normal and "reflect strong sales"...no really, here's the quote from their press release:
"As planned, GM’s inventories reflect strong sales, lower car production and strategic, launch-related growth in truck and crossover stocks."
Meanwhile, GM's incentive spending also soared YoY to 11.7% of their average transaction price (ATP) versus 10.3% last year. And Ford also announced on their sales call that average incentive spending was up about $300 YoY.
And, as one industry observer notes, the combination of rising inventory levels, higher incentive spending and pending model changeovers in coming months could imply that the auto industry could unravel in fairly short order.
to a very specific point in time. If new car retail numbers miss by the degree that I'm concerned about; it's going to cause a huge day— Daniel Ruiz (@DRuizG80) April 29, 2017
with even larger incentives. This will all be happening during the 60 day period that I pointed out relating to unsold used car inventory.— Daniel Ruiz (@DRuizG80) April 29, 2017
rid of prior model year new cars. I believe that new car incentives will put massive pressure on used car values in that time period.— Daniel Ruiz (@DRuizG80) April 29, 2017
Of course, despite the abysmal numbers, OEMS still tried to paint a rosy picture for their industry.
- GM: “When you look at the broader economy, including a strong job market, rising wages, low inflation and low interest rates, and couple them to low fuel prices and strong consumer confidence, you have everything you need for auto sales to weather headwinds and remain at or near historic highs."
- Ford: "We're maintaining our industry guidance for the year of 17.7 million vehicles. To put things into perspective, it's important to note that we've seen a plateauing industry, basically last year and this year, and when you have that kind of an industry, you're going to have variations, both up and down, month-to-month."
But while OEM mgmt teams remain optimistic, it seems that investors are getting slightly concerned as both the OEMs...
...and suppliers all tanked on today's sales figures.


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Deva Concepts, LLC is the defendant in at least three proposed class action lawsuits that allege the company’s line of DevaCurl products have caused many curly-haired users to experience scalp irritation, excessive shedding, hair loss, thinning, breakage and/or balding.
Filed in New York, California and Florida, the lawsuits allege that although Deva Concepts has for years touted the benefits of its “No-Poo” or “Low-Poo” cleansers and conditioners, the premium-priced products are nowhere near as gentle as the company claims. In truth, the cases say, Deva Concepts has failed to disclose the dangers of its products while going so far as to intentionally blame other factors, such as giving birth and stress, for abnormal hair and scalp damage.
The lead plaintiffs in each suit claim they and thousands of other consumers would not have bought DevaCurl products had they known of the troubling side effects associated with their use.
“Users have hair fall out in varying degrees during and immediately after use,” the lawsuits allege. “The hair loss, scalp irritation and balding suffered by Plaintiffs and Class Members is embarrassing and can be extreme in certain instances.”
The “DevaCurl Phenomenon”
Each lawsuit marks 2002 as the beginning of the “DevaCurl Phenomenon.” It was during this year, the suits explain, that Deva Concepts created and developed the formula for DevaCurl No-Poo Original, which the company touted as a “first-of-its-kind, no suds conditioning cleanser” that was “free of sulfates, parabens, and silicones” and could gently clean curly hair without removing natural oils and with little damage to color. One of DevaCurl’s founders, the lawsuits say, claimed the product allowed the scalp to “regulate” so that a user’s hair could “become more of what nature intended.”
In the time since its launch, DevaCurl’s No-Poo cleanser was purchased by thousands thanks in no small part to the product being positioned as the answer to the age-old question of whether those with curly hair should use traditional shampoo, which many have debated can dry out the hair and cause color to fade. Deva Concepts’ products have served as a complete alternative to traditional shampoos, the case says, with consumers willing to pay a “premium price” based in part on the defendant’s representations of what DevaCurl products can achieve.
As the plaintiffs tell it, however, Deva Concepts has pulled the wool over the eyes of users in that the packaging and advertising for DevaCurl is devoid of any warning about the harmful side effects alleged in the litigation.
“Unambiguous knowledge” of DevaCurl’s alleged dangers
According to the lawsuits, curly-haired consumers across the United States have experienced scalp irritation, excessive shedding, balding and other ill effects after using DevaConcepts’ DevaCurl products despite the defendant relaying to consumers that its No-Poo product is as beneficial and as safe as advertised.
Disturbingly, the cases say, Deva Concepts “appears to be aware of the issues”—thanks in part to the countless number of consumer complaints and more than one less-than-rosy news story—yet “conceals and fails to disclose” any dangers with the following products:
DevaCurl No-Poo Original non-lathering conditioning cleanser; DevaCurl One Condition Original hair-conditioner; DevaCurl Light Defining Gel; DevaCurl Low-Poo Original cleanser; DevaCurl Low-Poo Delight cleanser; DevaCurl No-Poo Decadence cleanser; DevaCurl One Condition Delight hair-conditioner; DevaCurl One Condition Decadence hair-conditioner; DevaCurl Melt into Moisture mask Deva Curl styling cream; DevaCurl Leave-In Decadence conditioner; DevaCurl Super Stretch Coconut Curl Elongator DevaCurl Wavemaker; and DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel.
Further, Deva Concepts, the suits claim, assures users on its website that hair loss and excessive shedding after use of the products is normal and common while chalking hair damage or scalp irritation up to factors such as giving birth, stress, dandruff, weight loss and certain illnesses.
While Deva Concepts has acknowledged on its website the “conversations online” concerning its cleansers and conditioners, the company has not recalled any DevaCurl products or provided warnings to users of their risks, the plaintiffs say. The lawsuits add that although Deva Concepts has put together what it calls the “Curl Council” to deal with emerging consumer backlash, the group is “nothing more than ‘window dressing’ to address the fallout from bad ‘PR.’” Further still, the DevaCurl maker has done nothing to compensate customers who’ve suffered damages from using the above-listed products.
Every consumer who purchased the Products without the true facts about the Products and disclosure of the inherent health risks prior to purchase was injured at the point of sale when, instead of obtaining safe, natural, proven, guaranteed to promote hair growth, strengthening, and conditioning cleanser, consumers obtained Defendant’s unreasonably dangerous and defective Products. Consumers have been further injured by way of requiring expensive professional hair treatment and medical treatment as a result of injuries caused by the Products.”
According to the suits, Deva Concepts has misled consumers into thinking they bought a premium product with greater “health benefits” than cheaper alternatives. Failing to include any mention of hair loss, scalp irritation, thinning, breakage and balding on product packaging and in advertisements, as well as claiming that excessive hair shedding is “normal,” “common” and “non-preventable,” constitutes a material misrepresentation of the DevaCurl products, the complaints allege.
How do I get in on these lawsuits?
Contrary to popular belief, there generally is nothing you need to do to “join” a class action lawsuit. You can always contact an attorney if you want to start a suit of your own, but for now all most consumers will end up doing is waiting for the legal process to play out.
The complaints are embedded below.


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Stock buybacks surge but taxes could impact their returns
Companies have a couple options when it comes to spending their excess cash including:
- Capital expenditures — buying new equipment or buildings.
- Dividends — providing cash payments to investors.
- Stock buybacks — repurchasing their own stock on the market.
US businesses are cash-rich thanks to strong earnings and cheap debt — with S&P 500 companies holding $3.7B in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the second quarter.
- Given the uncertain economy, companies have bought back more shares instead of spending cash on capital expenditures.
- Several companies including Microsoft, McDonald’s and Dell have announced or restarted large buyback plans in the past month.
Impact on stocks: Buybacks are seen as good for stocks — decreasing the number of shares available to investors which should increase stock prices (supply and demand). They also signal confidence in a company’s own business — or that their shares may be undervalued.
The case against buybacks: Some investors prefer companies reinvesting cash back into growth. By choosing buybacks or dividends, some see the company as having no better place to use their cash.
- Investors rarely see growth stocks issue dividends or buybacks but as companies grow, they allocate more money in these areas.
- The top 20 companies in the S&P 500 made up 55.7% of buybacks in the second quarter of 2021.
Proposed tax changes: Unlike dividends, companies are not taxed on buybacks but the Democrats are considering taxing them to fund their big-spending packages.


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Battling a middleman / Pharmacy owner says the benefit management firms take too big a cut
Richard Burge, owner of Baneth's Pharmacy in Menlo Park, is waging a one-man war against powerful but little-known middlemen in the pharmaceutical business.
Pharmacies nationwide are complaining about the market power of pharmacy benefit managers -- companies that administer prescription drug programs on behalf of employers, health plans and government entities.
But few drugstore owners, if any, have taken the management companies head on.
As part of his crusade against these pharmacy middlemen, Burge stopped filling prescriptions Saturday for Health Plan of San Mateo, a nonprofit, government-sponsored insurer that covers the county's 47,000 Medi-Cal patients.
MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.
The decision will cost Burge about a third of his business, or about 5,000 prescriptions and at least $150,000 in revenue a month. But Burge says his store will go bankrupt if he continues to accept the terms set by the health plan and MedImpact Healthcare Systems, its pharmacy benefit management company. He estimates he's lost about $75,000 since the formula went into effect at the beginning of the year.
"Pharmacies have to be given fair compensation to be able to function as a business. There are just too many fingers in the pie in the middle," Burge said.
The industry that has sparked Burge's wrath is virtually invisible to health care consumers.
Pharmacy benefit management companies, such as MedImpact, Express Scripts, Medco Health Solutions and Caremark Rx, administer the drug plans of as many as 200 million Americans. Their names are printed on the backs of the cards patients present to pharmacists when they fill prescriptions.
Pharmacy benefit management companies were originally formed purely as administrators charged with processing claims.
But in recent years, as pharmacy benefit companies have consolidated and their clout has multiplied, they have become an important force shaping the prescription drug market. Critics accuse them of reaping extraordinary profits by squeezing manufacturers and retailers. Independent pharmacies like the one owned by Burge -- among the weakest stores in the business -- are especially vulnerable.
Pharmacy benefit management companies use their substantial buying power to obtain discounts and rebates for their clients. The federal government expects the companies to play a key role controlling costs under the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.
The pharmacy benefit management industry says it saves its clients an average of 25 percent by obtaining savings from drugmakers and pharmacies. A 2003 report by the Governmental Accountability Office found pharmacy benefit management companies lowered the average price of brand-name drugs by 18 percent compared with prices paid without a third party handling drug purchases.
At issue is how much of the savings these companies pass on to health plans and retailers, and how much they keep for themselves.
Pharmacy benefit management companies get much of their revenue by charging clients for services. But they also keep a portion of the rebates they wrest from drug manufacturers. Critics say these companies have been piling up profits by collecting more rebates than they disclose to their clients.
"In theory, they're supposed to get a better deal for their client, be it an employer, the government or a union," said Charlie Sewell, vice president of the National Community Pharmacists Association. "In fact, they are middlemen, primarily driving profits for themselves."
Burge and other independent drugstore owners accuse the benefit management companies of shaving pharmacy margins. He said he loses about $7 per brand-name prescription and more for generic drugs through Health Plan of San Mateo and MedImpact, which is based in San Diego. Burge said he had to fire four long-term employees and cut back on the store's hours.
His decision to stop doing business with the health plan makes it more difficult for local patients on Medicare and Medi-Cal to get needed medication. The group includes some of the sickest and poorest patients.
"I cannot reach into my pocketbook and help pay for their medicines and keep doing business," Burge said.
He considers himself a test case for other pharmacy owners who are afraid to stand up to pharmacy benefit management companies.
A former hardware store owner and Mexican furniture importer, Burge purchased Baneth's in October 2003, knowing that independent drugstores face tough battles against large chains, such as Walgreen and Rite Aid.
Burge said he was aware of the competitive risks, but did not anticipate the growing impact of pharmacy benefit management companies on his business.
"Had these conditions prevailed at the time I was buying the pharmacy, I never would have done it," he said.
Officials from MedImpact and the drug benefit management industry said they are not padding their profit at the expense of pharmacists.
"There are 18 other local pharmacies within 3 miles of Baneth's Pharmacy that have accepted and are serving at these rates," said Dale Brown, MedImpact's senior vice president. Brown said the company fully discloses to its clients how much rebate money and other revenue it retains.
Officials from Health Plan of San Mateo tried to keep Burge in the county's pharmacy network. But they said his reimbursement demands were unrealistic.
"Do I think we signed a bad contract? No," said Maya Altman, the plan's interim executive director. "Before we had any (management companies), our pharmaceutical costs were going through the roof."
The controversy about the business practices of pharmacy benefit management companies is widespread, generating a number of lawsuits and investigations across the country.
Caremark agreed last year to pay the federal government more than $137 million to settle charges involving kickbacks allegedly accepted by AdvancePCS, a pharmacy benefit management company it acquired a year earlier. Neither company admitted any wrongdoing.
In another case, an Ohio jury in December ordered Medco to pay the state teachers retirement fund $7 million over accusations it overcharged the plan for generic drugs.
Five states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to increase financial-disclosure requirements for drug-benefit managers. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed attempts to pass similar legislation in California in 2004 and 2005.
"There's is no watchdog over the industry creating standards of transparency for which they can be held accountable," said Crystal Wright, spokeswoman for the Association of Community Pharmacists Congressional Network in Washington.
The pharmacy benefit industry says such laws are unnecessary.
"Employers, insurers and others who hire (management companies) are able to get whatever information they need about the drug benefit," said Mark Merritt, president of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, the industry's main trade group.
Merritt said pharmacies and other critics are simply trying to protect their own interests. "Usually the critics are people whose pocketbooks are impacted because we go in and get drugs cheaper for consumers," he said.
Drug cost controllers or profit grabbers?
What they are: Pharmacy benefit management companies are middlemen that administer prescription drug programs for health insurers, government agencies and others.
What supporters say: Management companies use their market clout to hold down drug prices, slowing the growth of co-payments and health insurance premiums.
What critics say: Management companies keep a disproportionate share of the savings for themselves, squeezing independent pharmacies hard.
Source: Chronicle research


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Admit it. You had no idea. Fricken Modelo?
Amazing what one transgender gal (fella? sorry, I'm having pronoun trouble this morning) can do to a brand!
Bud Light Loses Title as Top-Selling U.S. Beer
Modelo Especial in May took over the top sales spot, reflecting the enduring damage from a Bud Light boycott
By Jennifer Maloney, WSJ
Updated June 13, 2023 8:58 pm ET
Some Anheuser-Busch distributors said they are now contemplating layoffs. Bud Light no longer rules the American beer market.
Modelo Especial overtook the brand as the top-selling U.S. beer in May, punctuating a monthslong boycott of Bud Light that has reshuffled the beer industry.
Modelo represented 8.4% of U.S. retail-store beer sales in the four weeks ended June 3, compared with 7.3% for Bud Light, according to an analysis of Nielsen data by consulting firm Bump Williams.
Bud Light’s sales have tanked since April, when transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted an image on Instagram of a personalized Bud Light can that the brand had sent her as a gift. The Instagram post sparked an uproar, and brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev’s BUD 0.85%increase; green up pointing triangle response to the boycott angered even more people.
Bud Light’s sales were down about 24% in the week ended June 3 compared with the same week last year, according to Bump Williams. Other Anheuser-Busch brands also have taken a hit, including Budweiser and Michelob Ultra.
The continued decline through May is an ominous sign for Bud Light distributors during what they say is a make-or-break stretch between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Most Anheuser-Busch distributors are independently owned, many of them by families who have sold Budweiser for generations. Some Anheuser-Busch distributors said they are now contemplating layoffs. Others who also carry Constellation brands said their losses have been partially offset by Modelo’s surge.
“Our year is screwed,” said an Anheuser-Busch distributor who doesn’t carry Modelo.
Bud Light’s total sales over the first five months of the year are still higher than any other beer, the company said. Anheuser-Busch also remains the largest brewer in the country. But some Bud Light distributors said Tuesday that they believe Bud Light may be permanently dethroned.
AB InBev shares are down on the heels of Bud Light’s social-media campaign with a transgender advocate. But as WSJ’s Aaron Back explains, that could be a good thing for investors. Photo: Associated Press
Bud Light in 2001 surpassed Budweiser as the country’s top-selling beer, according to Benj Steinman, editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights, an industry tracking firm. In recent years, Bud Light’s U.S. sales have been falling as drinkers switched to Mexican import beers, seltzers, wine and spirits. Meanwhile, Modelo and Michelob Ultra, a low-calorie beer made by Anheuser-Busch, have been gaining traction. Those two beers were on track to eventually overtake Bud Light, but before the boycott that switch appeared to be at least a year away.
The sudden shift is “momentous, and even more so if it sticks,” Steinman said.
Modelo in the U.S. is sold by Constellation Brands. Constellation acquired the brand in 2013 from Anheuser-Busch after U.S. regulators required Anheuser-Busch to sell U.S. rights to Modelo Especial and Corona to gain clearance for its acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo.
In 2013, Modelo didn’t rank among the top 10 U.S. beer brands, a Constellation spokesman said. It is now the top brand in California as well as in metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Dallas and Baltimore, he said. It is a top seller among Hispanic consumers and is growing in popularity among non-Hispanic consumers as well, he added.
Since the boycott, Anheuser-Busch has accelerated production of new Bud Light ads, leaning into the themes of football and country music. The brewer also told its distributors that it would buy back unsold cases of beer that have gone past their expiration date.
Write to Jennifer Maloney at firstname.lastname@example.org
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File this one away under things we don't want to hear on a random Tuesday: The price of Chanel bags is about to escalate in Europe. According to a statement the brand gave to Fashionista, in an attempt to normalize prices of their accessories internationally, some changes need to be made in Europe and Asia. The unfortunate result: bigger price tags.
Here's the economics behind things: As the value of currency fluctuates from country to country, the cost of any product is sure to vary. But because of rapidly changing currency values in Asia, the price of Chanel's products there recently skyrocketed way beyond what the same items cost everywhere else. To counteract this, starting April 8, Chanel is lowering prices of their pieces in Asia—and raising them elsewhere.
For example, the Chanel Boy bag right now costs the equivalent of about $3300 in Europe, but $5234 in China. (The same bag!) Chanel plans to raise the cost of the bag in Europe to about $3900—and lower it in China to $4200.
If you're not travelling to Europe any time soon, this could still have an impact on anyone who shops online retailers that operate out of Europe. Better snatch up all those Chanel bags before April 8!
Do you have any plans to buy a Chanel bag any time soon? Tell us in the comments below!


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Hellen Lukoma, because she can, claims the photos of her taken at the recently ended Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards were photoshopped to make it look like she has pubic hair and wore black panties on the red carpet.
Yep, she does.
The fashionista took to social media and shared a photo -- possibly polished -- of herself posing for the camera while revealing part of the skin that is bald.
BANANGE MUBALEMU AMAGEZI😳😳😳
Okufuna ekifanayi kyange nemu kye editinga sikituffu
Naye abantu bange team HL mukimayi Fashion is Fashion its just a normal long slit but always wabelayo
Abagala okononela abalala Thou i Love you all nze silina tabu😅😅😅😍😍😍yee nze Lukoma silina tabu
She wore a thigh-high slit dress -- which her followers say looked like it's made out of curtain fabric -- revealing a lot more than the red carpet bargained for.
Hellen is being trolled by her own followers ... something she might not have seen coming as she shared her post in an attempt to clear the air with a lie. Here's a bunch of comments in response to her post.


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Seed-fund cum accelerator firm 5ideas has launched a series of city level meetups called “Start-up Superfuel Pit Stop” for early stage businesses. For the upcoming session, which is going to be held in Pune on 28thJanuary 2013, 5ideas has joined hands wit
Seed-fund cum accelerator firm 5ideas has launched a series of city level meetups called “Start-up Superfuel Pit Stop” for early stage businesses. For the upcoming session, which is going to be held in Pune on 28thJanuary 2013, 5ideas has joined hands with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Pune to conduct a 3-hour session for start-up entrepreneurs.
“Over the last few years, there has been a tremendous change in the start-up funding environment, particularly in the digital space. With the advent of new players and tremendous growth of the innovation eco-system, new opportunities to grow and fund start-ups have emerged. Accelerators, Seed Funds, Angel Networks and VC funds have proliferated while the lines between them have blurred. The session aims to de-mystify and give clear thought to entrepreneurs on how to navigate and raise money in this new environment,” said Gaurav Kachru, Founder, 5ideas.
The session aims to focus on aspects such as the key participants in the digital funding landscape, investors’ view on early stage businesses, matching businesses to funding partners, some Dos & Don'ts for start-ups to get funding quickly etc.
“We invest an optimum mix of human, social and financial capital to boost early stage businesses. Start-up Superfuel Pit Stops are city level meet-ups where we spend 15 minutes each with selected businesses giving insights and feedback to the founders on their business plan, key metrics to focus on while building their business and how to go about raising funds. Also, we give specific feedback on investment potential for these start-ups from The Start-up Superfuel Fund,” said Pearl Uppal, Founder, 5ideas.


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Re: Politicians pose on plastic bags (B.C. Views, Jan. 10).
Tom Fletcher’s column about the “single use” plastic grocery bags is right on.
So politicians can ban merchants from supplying plastic bags for purchases and calling them a single-use bag.
How many times is a plastic kitchen waste bag used?
I think it would make more sense to ban kitchen waste bags.
Personally, I’d rather hear that politicians are tackling the never-talked-about masses of Styrofoam on our beaches and in our oceans.
Take a walk around your local marina to see how many bazillion pieces of bite-sized Styrofoam you see floating around.
Or walk on a beach, you’re pretty much guaranteed to see chunks of Styrofoam just waiting to break up.
Politicians talk about banning grocery bags because it’s an easy feel-good fix.
Let’s get some action going about banning Styrofoam in our oceans.


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Community and local maker featured at magazine’s Made in the South Awards
The creative spirit of Asheville is at the forefront of a new partnership between Explore Asheville and Garden & Gun magazine. The year-long collaboration kicked off with an announcement by the magazine that it will bring its esteemed Made in the South Awards celebration to Asheville next fall. The event showcases Southern-made products in six categories: Drink, Food, Home, Style, Outdoors and Crafts.
Over the years, Asheville area makers have garnered eight Made in the South awards including this year’s craft category runner-up Spoon + Hook, a one-woman operation from local Anneliesse Gormley who makes artful wooden wares for the home. Last year, Asheville’s Opie Way received recognition as the overall winner for their sneaker design entry in the Style category.
During this year’s event on Nov. 3, Garden & Gun announced that Asheville will be the location and creative epicenter for next year’s competition, as the official sponsor of the 2022 Made in the South Awards which also aligns with the magazine’s fifteen-year anniversary. The scope of the Explore Asheville and Garden & Gun alliance involves multiple elements aimed at highlighting Asheville’s legacy as a creative hub fueled by makers, artists, craftspeople, artisan food producers and entrepreneurial culture.
“We started the Made in the South Awards over a decade ago as a way to recognize the remarkable talent and creativity of artisans, makers, chefs and designers from across the region and each year are truly wowed by the entries,” says David DiBenedetto, senior vice president and editor in chief of Garden & Gun. “With our magazine’s fifteen-year anniversary kicking off next year we are planning a few new surprises to further highlight the skills and stories of the South’s finest makers with our readers.”
“This collaboration helps us showcase the people and small businesses that foster Asheville’s artistic vibe and inventive soul,” noted Explore Asheville CEO & President Victoria Isley. “Honoring the passion and inspiration of the creative minds in our community is at the heart of this initiative and a key strategy moving forward.”
In addition to promoting and supporting Asheville’s creative spirit, the other key pillars outlined by Explore Asheville are delivering balanced and sustainable growth, encouraging safe and responsible travel, and inviting and engaging more diverse audiences.
As part of this effort, Garden & Gun will feature print and digital components that celebrate Asheville makers and tastemakers while capturing the stories of innovation and imagination that are the backbone of this creative mountain community. This will include four editorial spreads in the magazine throughout the year along with associated digital components.
The award-winning magazine focuses its storytelling on the best of the South while appealing to a nationwide readership of more than a million. Attention by the magazine can be a bonanza for emerging artists and entrepreneurs like Anneliesse Gormley of Spoon + Hook who acknowledges the additional media exposure can open doors to potential new customers.
“From Spoon + Hook’s beginnings in my garage during a life transition to the pages of this iconic platform–it truly feels like a dream.” Gormley stated. “I’m over-the-moon to be recognized amongst this deeply talented group of makers. I am grateful that this opportunity began here in Asheville, such an embracing and encouraging place for the arts, small business, and any and all dreamers.”
Spoon + Hook joins 80 other Asheville area makers featured in Explore Asheville’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide, which will also be featured as part of a Garden & Gun digital extension of the initiative.
The Asheville digital Gift Guide features a curated list of mountain-made treasures and handmade goods from Asheville artisans, craftspeople and artisan food makers and will be featured on ExploreAsheville.com throughout the holiday season. Last year’s guide generated approximately 110,000 web sessions and drove nearly 85,000 clicks to independent businesses and makers.
Kathi M. Petersen, Explore Asheville Director of Public Information


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The Cook’s Library has announced that Chef David Tanis of Chez Panisse will be signing copies of A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes, his recently published cookbook.
When: Sunday, October 12, 2008 from 9:00am until 11:00am
Where: The Hollywood Farmers’ Market, at the intersection of Ivar and Selma in Los Angeles
Cost: Admission to the market is free; copies of Chef Tanis’s book will be available for purchase ($35.00)
Published in September by Artisan, A Platter of Figs reflects not only the celebration of seasonal ingredients that is a hallmark of Chez Panisse’s kitchen but also Chef Tanis’s talent at incorporating his experiences in Berkeley, in Paris, and from his many travels. Handsomely illustrated, the book presents twenty-four seasonal menus that call out to be enjoyed with others, encouraging the adoption of Slow Food values of good, clean, and fair food prepared and enjoyed in a convivial setting.
The New York Times Magazine recently offered a glimpse of what A Platter of Figs offers, including recipes for Saffron Carrots, Caseless Fennel Sausage, and Duck Breast with Baked Figs, and Gourmet has praised it, noting that “There’s a great deal to be said for a restaurant chef who spends half the year entertaining in a tiny home kitchen: Fussy preparations go right out the window.”


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Sun comes out for Next as shares break through £50
Wednesday 31 July 2013
Shares in the fashion chain Next hit a record high yesterday as the FTSE 100 company cheered the City with raised profit forecasts.
The stock – up 25 per cent so far this year – burst through the £50 mark as improved weather helped it bounce back from the coldest spring for 50 years, while a tight grip on stock meant Next went into the summer sales with 20 per cent less to sell than a year ago, boosting full-price sales.
Profits were £10m above last year as a result in the 26 weeks to 27 July, prompting Next to upgrade profit forecasts to £635m-£675m for the year to January. Next's store, online and Directory sales were up 2.3 per cent.
The chief executive, Lord Wolfson, said shoppers were being "more spontaneous" in their spending habits, although a full-scale consumer recovery remains some way off. The increased impact of short-term events such as the timing of bank holidays and school holidays is making consumer trends harder to read, he added.
"Consumers are spending closer to their point of need – this year has been an extreme continuation of a long-term trend. Retail has become much more accessible than it was 15 or 20 years ago with online and late-night shopping. Consumers don't have to plan as much," Lord Wolfson said.
He refused to get carried away with the economy's growth of 0.6 per cent between April and June. "The funny thing with these growth figures is that they alternate between despondency and joy when the numbers are very small and often revised," he said. "Until we see growth of 1 per cent or more for three or four quarters, we are not going to see any significant change in consumer behaviour."
A breakdown of total week-by-week sales showed how they had dipped alarmingly during the cold weather, falling by around £12m in the week to 6 April. But tills were set ringing again as the thaw set in and the sun came out, with a number of weeks in April, May, June and July showing improvements.
Kate Calvert, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald, said: "While sales were in line with expectations, profitability has been better, with less stock going into the sale and lower mark-down costs. While a pretty mature business in terms of the number of stores, Next continues to drive growth by pursuing marginal gains in its offer, service and efficiency, which enhances its already highly profitable multi-channel business."
The shares closed up £1.18 at £50.20.
- 1 I was a Woman Against Feminism too
- 2 Fifty Shades of Grey movie trailer released: First look at Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey
- 3 Is Gideon Levy the most hated man in Israel or just the most heroic?
- 4 Students offered grants if they tweet pro-Israeli propaganda
- 5 The Tory donor whose firm is one of Britain’s biggest tax avoiders - with HMRC's blessing
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Apple Faces Hurdle In China As iPhone 6, iPhone 6S Randomly Shut Down
The China Consumers Association (CCA) is investigating reports of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S randomly shutting down. According to the complaints, this problem occurs even when the phone still has over 50 percent of battery life left. This is not the first time Apple and its iPhones have faced hurdles in China.
iPhones In China Randomly Shutting Down
Users of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S are complaining about a possible defect in Apple's iPhones. Apparently, the said iPhones randomly shuts down despite the fact that the battery life is still at 50 to 60 percent. According to The Wall Street Journal, the owners tried to turn it on but they ended up unsuccessful. The phones had to be plugged in.
The CCA also revealed that even a system upgrade can't prevent the phone from shutting down. The tech giant is yet to release an official statement to address this issue. Meanwhile, the CCA will continue to check the reported incidents.
Consumers Express Their Complaints
According to the Computer World, the CCA mentioned that the complaints came from a considerable number of consumers. China's press has written articles about the iPhone shutdowns. Likewise, those who were affected have shared their frustrations through China's social media services.
The consumer protection group has already approached Apple. It is waiting for the tech company's reply within 10 days. Apple has been asked to determine the exact problem. In addition, the tech giant should also elaborate the steps it will take to address the said issue.
Apple's Status In China
It's no secret that Apple is trying to break into the Chinese market. It will be a huge asset for the company if it is successful. However, the company is up against tough rivals in the smartphone industry in China. Xioami and Huawei are among its biggest competitors.
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Apple's history with the consumer group goes way back in 2013 and 2014. It was accused of skirting warranties on iPhones and tracking user locations.
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Top entry-level salaries in the digital field in the Philippines aren’t enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the central business districts (CBDs), according to a report by e-commerce website iPrice Group.
Using data from Payscale, iPrice found that junior project managers and junior UI/UX (user interface or user experience) designers have the highest paying entry-level jobs in the digital field, earning over P30,000 a month — still not enough to afford an apartment in Makati, Manila, Pasig, Quezon City, or Taguig, where the average monthly rent is P32,500, based on data from Numbeo, a cost-of-living database.
“This is a bleak revelation for the Filipino entry-levels, especially since we’re already talking about the highest-paid jobs that are best suited for them. This is perhaps partly why many Filipinos don’t leave their parents’ homes until they get married. Those that do may resort to sharing an apartment or renting bedspaces,” said iPrice in its report.
“The past few years have shown great potential for more companies to hire IT and digital marketing professionals to help grow their businesses,” said Refocus founder Roman Kumas Vyas in a press release.
In May, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shared that about 980,000 jobs were created in the past year to spur on the country’s recovery, most of which came from construction and IT and business process management industries.
Part of this demand is being addressed by partnerships between education technology companies like Refocus and large IT and digital marketing corporations.
“While there are many interested in marketing, there are not a lot of qualified employees on a local scale, so we are taking this opportunity to provide the necessary means to upskill and help these employees gain the knowledge and capabilities,” Mr. Vyas said.
Those who do qualify for entry-level jobs, meanwhile, don’t make enough to live independently. — Brontë H. Lacsamana


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US e-tailer Amazon has once again been caught in a controversy. This time it is related to the religious image of a Sikh shrine – Golden Temple being used in products such as doormats, rugs and toilet seat covers.
A Sikh body, called Sikh Coalition, has strongly objected against the selling of such products on Amazon.
Further, the body has requested Amazon that the products be removed while detailing the culturally insensitive problems with the products and the offensive message it sends to Sikhs around the world, it said on its site.
Soon after the objection, the pages showing above-mentioned products, have been removed. Entrackr also visited the Amazon product display pages, which showed unavailability message.
The Coalition requested Amazon to notify sellers and affiliates to refrain from publishing culturally inappropriate and offensive merchandise on its platform. It also asked people to join them in helping to explain it to the e-tailer why the products with images of Golden Temple are offensive to the Sikh community.
Using religious or spiritual imagery on products that come into contact with unhygienic surfaces is offensive to all faiths. The Golden Temple is no exception and should never appear on rugs, bathmats, and toilet seat covers.
“Such items are deeply offensive to Sikhs everywhere and other followers of Eastern religions,” said Sim Singh, Senior Manager of Advocacy & Policy.
This is not the first such incident involving Amazon.
Almost two years ago, the Canadian unit of global e-commerce behemoth was selling doormats carrying the national flag of India. At that time, External Affair Minister, Sushma Swaraj had demanded an apology from Amazon.
In May this year, Amazon had published an inaccurate map of India sans some parts of Jammu and Kashmir in a brochure for Amazon Web Services (AWS) Global Summit. Soon after the reports, which led to a protest by techies, the e-tailer corrected its mistake.
As per the draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016, the depiction of India on a map that does not match the government is liable to a fine of up to Rs 100 crore and seven years in jail.
Earlier, social networking giant Facebook apologised for showing J&K as part of China in a map. Recently, the government protested when Twitter showed the geographical location of Kashmir in China and Jammu in Pakistan.


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It is early in the honeymoon for the At Home Corporation, a provider of fast Internet access through cable lines, and Excite Inc., the country's second-largest Internet portal, which it just bought for $6.7 billion. But Excite may already feel like the bride who finds that her in-laws are bent on undermining the marriage.
Executives at several of the big cable companies that control the newly combined company are now dropping loud hints that they think the deal, which they approved, was a mistake -- most notably, Leo J. Hindery Jr., who runs the cable operations for AT&T, owner of 58 percent of the voting shares of what is now called Excite@Home. Mr. Hindery has publicly questioned whether At Home should be so closely tied to a single source of news, E-mail and other services.
That has been the strategy long articulated by Thomas A. Jermoluk, formerly head of At Home and now chief executive of Excite@Home. His plan is to use fast Internet access to steer users directly to pages run by Excite, replicating the all-in-one power of America Online Inc.
It is a big challenge to take on America Online, which adds some 600,000 paying customers a month and is planning its own high-speed service, through telephone wires.
But the Internet world is changing, with far faster networks soon to be hooked up to computers, televisions and all manner of devices. And with a potential of 65 million homes served by its cable systems, 26 million current users of Excite and a market value of $18 billion, Excite@Home has as good a chance as any company to be a contender in this new market.Continue reading the main story
It does, that is, so long as everybody in the family gets along. ''The biggest threat to At Home now is themselves,'' said Abhi Chaki, head of broadband consulting at Jupiter Communications, a market research firm in New York. ''There may well be an implosion.''
Indeed, since At Home was born in 1995, its cable parents -- primarily AT&T, the Comcast Corporation and Cox Communications -- have done as much to stunt its growth as to nurture it. They have, for one thing, been slow to add the capability to handle two-way data traffic. So At Home, which once promised to have a million subscribers in its first year, will not reach that milestone until the end of this year, giving phone companies and satellite providers the chance to develop rival high-speed technology.
The cable companies gave At Home the right to block any other provider from using their systems to offer high-speed Internet access, but that block ends in 2002.
In addition, Excite@Home may be a pawn in its own parents' bickering. Looking at its board, it is no wonder one cable executive called it ''the Falcon Crest of Silicon Valley.''
The core is L. John Doerr, the venture capital impresario at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and John C. Malone, who as chairman of Tele-Communications Inc. agreed to back Mr. Doerr's plan for high-speed service. Also on the board is C. Michael Armstrong, chairman of AT&T, which recently bought TCI, and Brian L. Roberts, president of Comcast, which AT&T just outbid in the takeover battle for another cable company, Mediaone.
So far, despite the public griping, Mr. Jermoluk, known as T. J., has been able to get the board to back his plan, negotiating deals with 21 cable companies to offer its high-speed service.
''I've been really impressed with the force of will that T. J. has to pull this strange collection of bedfellows into a common team,'' said Geoffrey Y. Yang, a venture capitalist with Institutional Venture Partners in Menlo Park, Calif., who served on Excite's board. ''When you talk to the guys who work at At Home, there is almost a cult of T. J. To them, he's larger than life.''
Now Mr. Jermoluk has to bridge an entirely different culture gap. For as much as the cable companies see At Home as their prodigal son hot rodding around Silicon Valley dreaming of being in show business, to Excite it is a timid Mama's boy. ''The cable companies, while entrepreneurial, are not necessarily moving at Web pace,'' Mr. Yang said.
Of more concern to At Home's owners is the World Wide Web credo that a company must dominate a market or die. At Home, typically, wants every advantage and is trying to lock cable systems into exclusive deals and funnel users into services on which it controls the advertising.
The cable companies are used to cozier competition, with system operators owning pieces of many programming channels. And they are more used to operating under the watchful eyes of regulators.
''Left to its own devices, At Home would go and play things up that have a negative effect on cable,'' said one At Home board member.
Since the cable companies are spending $5 billion to $10 billion to upgrade their systems to handle two-way data, they insist that At Home not appear so monopolistic as to invite new Government regulation.
That is what America Online has been asking for as it complains bitterly to Washington that the cable systems will not let it buy broadband access wholesale, bypassing At Home's service. Mr. Hindery has told cable executives that on AT&T's systems, the country's No. 1 portal, Yahoo, will get equal placement to Excite.
And last week a Federal court upheld a rule by Portland, Ore., requiring AT&T's cable system to offer access to other Internet services.
Mr. Jermoluk is quick to point out that At Home users can go anywhere on the Web. But he says it is essential that the first screen customers see, with links to news, E-mail, shopping and so on, be Excite's.
At Home figures it will only break even from its 35 percent of the monthly fees for its Internet service. (The cable operators keep the rest of the fee, now about $40.) So advertising must provide the profit.
''We think that over time, the revenue from transporting data will continue to fall,'' Mr. Jermoluk said. ''That's why in our long-term business model, half our revenue comes from the media side.''
Some analysts disagree, saying the transporting of data -- which happens to be what AT&T and At Home's other parents do for a living -- can be profitable.
''Internet access is going to be a commodity,'' said Mr. Chaki of Jupiter. ''But there are still going to be people who make a lot of money on access. And their whole subscription model is muddled because they have this media play through Excite.''
If the board did not agree, though, why did it approve the Excite deal?
Excite had decided to sell itself because its stock market value was too low to make big acquisitions, and it feared that it would fall further behind Yahoo. Ultimately, At Home's board decided it, too, could best protect its investment by growing. ''Frankly, Excite isn't Yahoo and At Home isn't AOL,'' one board member said. ''So it was a logical pooling of resources.''
Excite may not quite be Yahoo, but it has come a long way since it was founded by a group of Stanford University graduate students in 1995. Running a marathon at the pace of a sprint, Excite transformed a tiny search engine into a vast portal, a collection of services from stock quotes to shopping.
''There was never enough time,'' said George Bell, Excite's chief executive, who is now president of the combined company. ''You worked. It got dark. You woke up. Someone handed you a piece of pizza and it started all over again.''
Excite's breakneck style is far different from the more measured pace of At Home, which has taken years to prepare for a battle that could play out over a decade.
It's no surprise, then, that the two chief executives could hardly be more different. Mr. Jermoluk, a windswept blond from Hawaii, is an ambitious Silicon Valley engineering executive, known for his laid-back style and wild office parties. Mr. Bell, a sober, dark-haired New York publishing executive, is just as ambitious, but is known for hands-on control and long hours.
And while Mr. Jermoluk is always the engineer, Mr. Bell has far more of a media perspective. ''T. J. will come in, and if he's feeling particularly perky, he'll ask about whether we should use an interrupt model or a polling model to get data from the cable modems,'' said Adam Grosser, the head of engineering. ''George wants to know about page views and advertising revenue.''
Both executives say that for it to work, the merger must not hinder Excite's ability to keep up with the other portals. So far, the combination seems smooth, aided by the coincidence that the two companies occupy adjacent office buildings here on the northern edge of Silicon Valley. And since there is little overlap in their operations, there have been no layoffs.
While it was Mr. Jermoluk who offered the No. 2 spot to Mr. Bell, several board members were pleased, hoping Mr. Bell's reputation for detail would help compensate for some gaps in service quality they attribute to Mr. Jermoluk. They also seemed reassured to have a talented backup to Mr. Jermoluk, who, with stock options worth more than $400 million, may not have a strong incentive to stay on indefinitely.
Mr. Jermoluk says he will stay, though, and there is certainly no shortage of things that he and Mr. Bell say they plan to do. Excite, for example, will be reformatted to serve users equally well at slow and fast speeds, offering those on the faster broadband connections more video and graphics.
Excite's vast marketing data base will also be expanded to incorporate data from cable set-top boxes, which are really minicomputers. That way people who watch the Food Channel, for example, will see ads for frying pans when they later surf the Web. And any Excite user in an At Home service area will get a barrage of offers for high-speed access.
The company also has to complete development of its interactive television service, another project Mr. Jermoluk persuaded a skeptical board to back. He wants to offer news, shopping and Internet surfing on TV screens, somewhat the way the Microsoft Corporation's WebTV does. (AT&T is the only cable company interested so far.)
There is some deal making to do over Road Runner, the rival cable Internet service started by Time Warner and Mediaone. Mr. Jermoluk has long wanted to buy Road Runner, and some deal is more likely now that AT&T is buying Mediaone, and Microsoft, which owns 10 percent of Road Runner, has invested in AT&T. But some executives at Time Warner and some of At Home's owners wonder whether the industry would not be better off with two competing services.
Even without those deals, Excite@Home will have to complete its $500 million nationwide backbone network to link the cable system so it can handle all the customers Mr. Jermoluk is expecting. By 2002, he wants 10 million to 15 million subscribers to the Internet service and 40 million to 50 million people using its interactive television service.
It is no accident that Mr. Jermoluk is tuning his plans to 2002 -- the year the exclusive contracts end and cable operators can sell access to America Online, Road Runner or anyone else. By that point, Mr. Jermoluk says, Excite's service will be so popular that the cable systems will want to offer it.
''Our job is to be a strong enough and powerful enough brand, like MTV and ESPN, that the cable systems will want to keep working with us,'' he said.
And ultimately, Mr. Jermoluk said, Excite@Home has a measure of protection from too much interference from its meddlesome parents because they own so much of its stock.
''If we are a valuable property for them,'' he said, ''why would they go a different way and throw away their equity value?''Continue reading the main story


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updated 05:55 pm EDT, Wed July 25, 2007
Retail surges for Apple
With Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer stating that Apple's retail operations experienced an "outstanding quarter," the company posted a 53% increase in year-over-year unit sales for the segment. In fact, Oppenheimer says it's the right time to begin measuring retail segment in the same manner as other Apple business segments. "We have determined that it is the right time to begin measuring our retail segment operating performance in a manner that is generally consistent with the way we measure Apple's other operating segments. Therefore, beginning with the June quarter, we are using cost of sales for Apple's products sold through our retail stores, that are similar to those used for Apple's other operating segments," Oppenheimer said. "We are also changing the way we measure AppleCare and .Mac sales through our retail stores. Historically, revenue and cost of sales were recognized by the retail segment at the time of sale for AppleCare and .Mac. We are now recognizing revenue in cost for these products over the lives of their respective agreements, consistent with the accounting treatment for our other segments." He added "We believe all these changes will allow greater comparability of results between our various operating segments
Sales through retail channels were $915 million representing 33 percent year over year growth. As a segment, retail stores generated $184 million compared with $122 million in the year-ago quarter. In aggregate, the stores sold 330,000 Macs during the qtr, representing 53 percent year over year unit growth.
During the quarter, Apple remodeled 13 stores opened 18 new stores, ending with 185 retail outlets. The company also announced plans to open 12 stores in the September quarter, to end with 197. With an average of 180 stores open in quarter, Apple posted $5.1 million in average revenue per store.
Apple also claims that 50% of Mac buyers in the quarter were new to the platform. In aggregate, 21.9 million people visited stores during quarter -- that's 9,000 customers per store per week
As a side note, the new OnetoOne education initiative launched during the quarter now has more than 270,000 members.


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Anite’s LTE device testing leadership builds momentum
Anite, a global leader in wireless device testing technology, is currently attending the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona.
Anite has achieved significant business and product development throughout 2011 and early 2012, based on its commitment to maintaining technology leadership. With an unmatched expertise and contribution to the 3GPP standardisation, Anite has verified over 85 per cent of the LTE protocol test cases that constitute the current Global Certification Forum (GCF) certification requirements.
Last November, Anite announced that its protocol conformance testing solution – Anite Conformance Toolset – had once again been confirmed by the GCF as having the broadest range of tests for formal protocol certification testing of the latest LTE devices. During that same month, Anite announced its Development Toolset solution now supports extensive LTE Multi-RAT (Multiple Radio Access Technology) testing. Anite is unique in the industry, as the only provider of chipset and device test solutions to offer LTE Multi-RAT testing prior to hardware integration, on a host platform.
In January, Telefónica Germany selected Anite’s LTE interoperability test solution SAS, in order to ramp up its market introduction of LTE devices. SAS enables the operator to launch high quality devices more quickly and cost-effectively. Telefónica Germany is upgrading its existing suite of Anite testing systems to include LTE as Anite’s SAS can reduce the time needed to test new handsets by up to 50 per cent.
Earlier this month Anite announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate with the China Mobile Research Institute (CMRI), the R&D division of China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, on research to facilitate the global roll-out of TD-LTE technology.
“Anite is acknowledged as a leading provider of device test solutions, from development through to conformance and interoperability testing,” said Mike Bonin, MD of Anite’s Handset Testing business. “Anite’s cutting-edge solutions are helping chipset and device manufacturers, as well as mobile operators, to bring the latest LTE devices to market successfully and quickly. Having worked closely with the leading global chipset and device manufacturers for almost two decades has enabled us to achieve a level of expertise which is not easily replicated.”
+44 (0)207 434 5550


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Mercedes Benz of Hilton Head, formerly Modern Classic Motors, had its grand opening Monday in Bluffton, off U.S. 278, next to Hilton Head Honda.
The new dealership has hired two new technicians and an additional sales consultant to include 20 employees, said Rob Montgomery, the general sales manager.
“This location multiplies our market,” he said. “We’re 8 miles from I-95 and 20 minutes from the Talmadge Bridge and Savannah and 20 minutes from Beaufort.”
The new showroom is open 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The service and parts department is open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
Subaru of Hilton Head and Saab of Hilton Head will continue to operate on the island, Montgomery said.
To learn more, visit www.mercedesbenzhiltonhead.com or call 681-8500.


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MedStar Health, a big nonprofit hospital chain, is trying a new variation on the retail clinic theme.
Most retail clinics, popping up in drugstores and big box retailers around the country, are staffed by nurse practitioners and physicians assistants who treat only minor ailments.
But MedStar plans to open clinics staffed by doctors in four Rite Aid stores in Maryland and DC, with the possibility of expanding into a dozen more clinics, the Baltimore Sun reports.
“They’re obviously not treating major issues — heart attacks or bleeding. They’re treating your garden-variety acute care,” James A. D’Orta, CEO of Consumer Health Services, told the Sun. D’Orta’s company will manage the partnership between the MedStar and Rite Aid, and he plans to work out contracts with Medicare and other insurance providers to pay for coverage at the clinics. The Sun calls the clinics “urgent care light.”
In Florida, a company called Solantic is also experimenting with MD-staffed, urgent care/retail clinic hybrids. And WalMart recently said it would link its retail clinics with local hospitals and health systems.
All of this is to say that retail clinics are still in their infancy, and there’s a lot of trial and error going on. As a consultant told us a while back, “It’s very likely that some of these [clinics] are not going to find the right business model and are going to go under the bus, and some are going to be successful.”