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Earlier this week, Walmart announced a launch of a local collaboration between itself and local, famous TV builder/designer duo, Dave and Jenny Marrs.
- Outdoor essentials: The collection features 30 outdoor home and décor items including furniture, rugs, pendants, lanterns and planters preserving the couples rustic barn, neutral, refurbished look.
- On air: Dave and Jenny Marrs are local Bentonville icons with their own show, Fixer to Fabulous, on its 3rd season with HGTV. The couple continues to invest their time and talents into NWA and with this latest partnership, they receive a little help from their friendly neighbor, Walmart.
Read more about the line of products and announcement HERE.


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WASHINGTON — Businesses and investors have been nervously monitoring U.S.-China trade talks for months, hoping the world’s two biggest economies can de-escalate their trade war and restore some predictability to global commerce.
President Donald Trump delivered another setback to the optimists Tuesday, saying he was willing to wait until after the 2020 elections to close a deal with Beijing.
His comments came a day after Trump unexpectedly reversed his own policy on a separate trade front and pledged to tax steel from Brazil and Argentina. On top of that, his administration proposed to target $2.4 billion in French imports in a retaliatory move over France’s new digital tax. The Trump administration says France’s tax unfairly targets American tech giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook.
Trump’s mercurial statements and actions on trade have rattled investors this week. In late morning trading Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down about 400 points.
Dan Digre has long since stopped expecting much from U.S. negotiations with China. He’s heard it all before.
Digre’s 70-year-old family firm, Misco Speakers in St. Paul, Minnesota, is caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-China conflict. Misco is absorbing Trump’s tariffs on the parts it buys from China for the specialized speakers it makes for the aircraft and medical device industries, among others.
“I’m hopeful that something will happen, but I’m not optimistic,’’ Digre said. “There have been so many false deals: A deal is close, a deal is close — then nothing.’’
Both sides may have an incentive to reach a deal before Dec. 15. That’s when the Trump administration is set to start taxing an additional $160 billion of Chinese imports. These tariffs would hit many Chinese-made goods that are on holiday shopping lists — smartphones and toys, for example — and would extend Trump’s tariffs to just about everything China ships to the United States.
A former Trump administration official who has been briefed on the talks and requested anonymity to speak frankly said the U.S. is considering delaying the Dec. 15 tariffs if the talks go well — but keeping the option to restore the tariffs if no progress is made toward a more comprehensive agreement.
The signs have been mixed.
Last week, Trump said “We’re in the final throes of a very important deal.” And China’s Commerce Ministry reported that its negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, had spoken by phone with his U.S. counterparts, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The official Xinhua News Agency said the men had discussed their “core concerns’’ and “agreed to maintain communication on remaining issues in consultations on the Phase 1 deal.”
Earlier, China had made goodwill gestures, issuing improved guidelines for protection of patents, copyrights and other intellectual property and lifting a five-year ban on American poultry.
Then Trump’s comments Tuesday seemed to suggest that a breakthrough might not come anytime soon.

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What companies are building 5g towers?
Verizon Communications (VZ), AT&T (T), and T-Mobile US (TMUS) have all begun rolling out next-generation 5G networks in markets across the U.S., promising faster speeds, greater capacity, and lower latency..
What 5g chip will Apple use?
All three of the new iPhones will carry the most advanced 5G modem chip, known as X55 that is designed by U.S. mobile chip developer Qualcomm, four people familiar with the plan told Nikkei.
Who owns most 5g spectrum?
Verizon led the latest bids, winning 4,940 licenses, followed by AT&T (3,267 licenses), Dish Network (2,651) and T-Mobile (2,384). Collectively, the recent auctions have opened nearly 5GHz of additional millimeter wave spectrum for 5G use, with the latest round adding 3.4GHz in total across three bands.
What companies are involved in 5g technology?
5G Network: Top 3 Companies to Invest in Before 2021Ericsson (ERIC) Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) is a Swedish telecommunication equipment and services company with a market capitalization of $25 billion. … Nokia (NOK) … Qualcomm (QCOM)
What company created 5g?
EricssonEricsson is the first company to launch live commercial 5G networks on four continents.
What company has the most 5g patents?
QualcommQualcomm today is the undisputed leader in the 5G space for the simple reason that no other companies can keep up with the San Diego-based innovator. Qualcomm holds a staggering 140,000 patents and patent applications for 5G technologies.
Who are the big players in 5g?
Some of the key players in Global 5G Infrastructure market include Qualcomm, Samsung, Huawei, Verizon Communications, Cisco, AT& T, ZTE, and China Mobile.
What is the #1 5g stock?
Analysts like these 5G stocks: Verizon Communications (VZ) T-Mobile US (TMUS) Apple (AAPL)
Who owns the land for 5g towers?
In short, Crown Castle builds cell towers across America. It then leases space on its towers to wireless carriers who install their own antennas. When it comes to the small cell towers that will power 5G, Crown Castle is lapping its competitors.


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-- When cold winds blow this winter, consumers are going to have to pay more to keep their homes warm. That makes energy conservation an important goal.
Crude oil prices have climbed to more than $50 a barrel, making heating oil, natural gas and propane more expensive this year.
The Energy Information Administration, a division of the Energy Department, estimates that home heating oil users face an average bill of $1,223 for this year's winter season, up 28 percent from $953 last year. Natural gas customers and propane users will also be paying 15 to 20 percent more, the agency said.
The only way to combat the higher prices is to try to use fuel as efficiently as possible, said Jack Sullivan, executive director of the New England Fuel Institute, an association of retail oil dealers based in Watertown, Mass.
"Consumers have to start thinking differently than they have been," Sullivan said. "We think at some point prices will come off these levels . . . but they're not going to drop dramatically."
There are many things homeowners and renters can do to conserve energy that don't cost a lot, said Rozanne Weissman of the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy in Washington.
"We're urging consumers to take steps now to prepare their homes for winter so they don't suffer price shocks in January and February, when the highest bills come in," she said. "They can do it in a smart way -- be comfortable, but bring down their [energy] usage and the cost."
The first step is to do everything possible to keep heat from escaping from your home. That can save 10 percent or more on your energy bill, Weissman said.
"On a windy day, hold a lit candle next to windows, doors, electrical outlets and light fixtures," she said. "If the smoke travels horizontally, you've found an air leak."
The solution is caulking, weather-stripping or additional insulating material.
If you've got a southern exposure, keep your curtains open during the day to take advantage of warming sun rays. If you've got a fireplace, keep the damper closed when it's not in use.
Turning down your thermostat by just a few degrees can cut 5 to 10 percent off a heating bill, Weissman said.
It's also important for consumers to make sure their furnaces or heat pumps are in good working order. That often requires professional maintenance, Weissman said. But she added that "just replacing filters can help make the system work more efficiently."
Another energy-saving tip is to turn the thermostat on the water heater down to 120 degrees from the more-typical 140 degrees. "Most people won't notice the difference," Weissman said.
The alliance this year launched Powerful Savings, a campaign developed with the Energy Department to help consumers lower energy bills and the nation reduce energy consumption. Energy-saving tips can be found on its Web site at www.ase.org/consumers.
Another good source of energy efficiency ideas can be found at www.energysavers.gov, a site maintained by the Energy Department's office of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
There are also steps that consumers can take that may cost a little now, but will be rewarded with energy savings later.
One of the best investments is a programmable thermostat, which can cut fuel bills by as much as 10 percent, said Wendy Reed, a spokeswoman for the government's Energy Star program.
Programmable thermostats let families adopt a preset schedule for adjusting the heat. A family could, for example, set it for lower temperatures when no one is at home and when everyone is asleep.
Such programmable thermostats cost $30 to $100, Reed said. "You'll get it back quickly," she said of the return on investment. "We estimate the average homeowner could save about $100 a year."
When it comes to investing in new storm windows or a new furnace or other energy-consuming appliances, Reed recommends consumers look for the "energy star" on products they're considering. To earn an energy star, a product must meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the Energy Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Information can be found at www.energystar.gov.
Reed added that even the more energy-efficient products need to be used wisely.
"We tell people, for example, 'Only run the dishwasher with a full load,' " Reed said. "The same goes for the clothes washer and dryer."


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Ministers are planning a major campaign to encourage better online security – pushing into schools and also targeting "risky men" who take a reckless attitude to posting details online – against a backdrop of soaring levels of crime in cyberspace.
The government aims to get its messages on cybersecurity into primary and secondary schools, arguing that children cannot be too young to learn how to protect themselves when using the web.
"For some aspects of it, you cannot go too early," said a senior official. "People are on the net aged three or four. So for the messages that are appropriate at that age, we are looking to push it very young. But the broader awareness, card fraud and that sort of thing, GSCE-age doesn't seem too late to us. From quite an early age, pushing issues such as making sure you are managing your online identity and not posting inappropriate details online."
The Cabinet Office is planning to launch a sweeping public awareness campaign this spring in the hope of achieving "cut-through" on an issue that affects millions of Britons every year but is often thought to be largely misunderstood. "The big goal for the next 12 months is to get somewhere transformative in terms of business and public understanding of this issue," said the official, who pointed to the need to educate those in the "risky men" category. "They are men who do quite a lot of Skype and retail online. They think they are capable of managing the risk, but they are not.
"This whole [campaign] needs to be carefully tailored so it doesn't people put people off the internet. Nonetheless, we need to inform them about what they need to be worried about and where they can go for more information."
Concern about levels of cybercrime has been growing, with a survey last October suggesting more than half of the UK population had been targeted by online scams, and almost one in five people had lost money as a result of a fraud. Theft of intellectual property from big companies and industry is estimated to cost the economy billions of pounds a year, which is one of the main reasons cybersecurity was given "tier one" status in the government's 2010 strategic defence and security review.
The Cabinet Office's parliamentary secretary, Chloe Smith, who is spearheading the government campaign, said the threats from cyberspace were "ever growing and ever changing". "We need to crack this problem. I am not sure it will be possible to talk about being invulnerable, but it is possible to talk about being well prepared for incidents, for being well skilled across society and for government and industry and academia working together to take it seriously."
She added: "Certainly, getting cut-through depends on awareness across society. Citizens having to be aware just as much as government employees and private-sector leaders. Tackling these skills in the classroom is the place this needs to be in the future. We need to be working at all levels of society. I am passionate about young people being prepared for the [cyber] world."
Smith, 30, who was moved to the Cabinet Office from the Treasury, believes she is well equipped to deal with the cyber-problem because she grew up in a generation that understands the internet.
Ministers have introduced a number of measures to try to put the internet higher up the agenda: the IT curriculum in schools is changing to be more about security and coding on the web; PhDs on the internet are starting to run in universities; the government eavesdropping centre, GCHQ, is running apprenticeships; and the government continues to part-fund the Cyber Security Challenge, a competition that looks to unearth cyber "jedis" who can protect and fight back against criminals online. A version of the challenge is to be taken into schools, possibly next year.
"When we use the term cyber, there is a wealth of opportunity as well as threat," said Smith. "There are massive benefits of living in a networked world. But it has its dark side. The truth is that we have to work in partnership with people in every walk of life to make cybersecurity a success.
"It means a 13-year-old using Facebook for the first time does so safely. It means a twentysomething new employee in a firm knowing how to use the firm's networks safely. It means a person doing their Christmas shopping online … safely, and it means that a silver surfer [an elderly internet user] has to be supported to use it safely. The challenge of raising awareness is absolutely key and a big part of the work."
Ministers want this spring's comprehensive public awareness programme to lift everybody's understanding of cybersecurity, in part to protect trade on the web; the internet is worth £100bn a year to the UK economy and accounts for 7.2% of UK GDP, according to 2010 study by the Boston Consulting Group.
A separate report, The Connected Kingdom, estimated the internet's contribution to GDP is set to reach 10% of the UK total by 2015.
Smith said small businesses had to start making cybersecurity a priority. "The risks for small and medium sized enterprises are worse, in many ways. To have your intellectual property vulnerable to a cyber-attack can be much graver for a small business than for a large one that has many lines of business. The internet forms a massive proportion of the economy and it is set to grow."


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Mahindra & Mahindra says that Pawan Goenka, president of its automotive division, will also take on the responsibilities for the company’s farm equipment sector effective April 1, 2010. Based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of farm-type tractors.
The company said Goenka would take on the additional responsibility when Anjanikumar Choudhari, who currently heads up the farm equipment division, retires on March 31.
In confirming the announcement, Mike Hildebrand, vice president of marketing for Mahindra USA, says he expects the transition to be seamless, but more changes as well.
Hildebrand, who was in Mumbai when the announcement was made, told AEI via e-mail,
“The Auto Sector in the U.S. has already joined us under the Mahindra USA banner. With this move I see more synergy between the sectors.
“We also expect additional restructuring to occur between now and the end of the year. I’ve spoken to the senior managers here in Mumbai and not much is known beyond what has already been announced.
“Dr. Goenka has been a member of our board of directors for some time, so we’re all well acquainted with one another. We report to the senior vice president of International Operations in India, who in turn will report to Dr. Goenka.”
Quarterly Profits Triple
On October 29, Mahindra reported that its net profits for the quarter nearly tripled as the result of stronger sales and significant cost cutting. At the same time, the company is expecting profit pressures to mount through the end of the year.
Mahindra expects raw materials costs to rise 4-5% by the year-end.


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China Resources Beer, the country’s biggest beer maker, said Wednesday it was planning to raise HK$9.5 billion in what is likely to be one of the largest rights issues in Hong Kong since last year, as it prepares to buy a 49 per cent stake in China Resources Snow Breweries, currently owned by SABMiller.
The brewery behemoth under Chinese state-owned conglomerate China Resources said part of the money raised would be used to fund the purchase.
A rights issue – an offering of shares to existing shareholders – was carried out at a 30.8 per cent discount to Tuesday’s closing price at HK$16.94, comprising as many as 811 million rights shares on the basis of one for every three existing shares.
As of 11:30am, CR Beer’s shares were at HK$16.30, down 3.78 per cent from Tuesday’s close.
The deal, which was believed be one of the biggest rights issues in Hong Kong’s capital market during the last year, came months after the beer maker announced proposals to boost its stake in the country’s biggest brewing company.
“We will continue to explore business expansion opportunities through both organic growth and acquisitions,” Chen Lang, chairman of CR Beer said. “To capture these growth opportunities, we consider the rights issue to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders as a whole.”
CR Beer’s co-owned Chinese brand Snow is the world’s largest-selling beer, accounting for 23.2 per cent of the beer market in China in 2014, according to data from Euromonitor, an international market research company.
But it is also faced with intensifying competition from other major players, including Tsingtao Brewery, Beijing Yanjing Brewery and Carlsberg, as well as a shifting preferences among Chinese consumers who are increasingly turning to higher-end beer.
CR Beer’s US$1.6 billion acquisition of SABMiller’s stake in CR Snow is anticipated to go through by the end of this year. Nomura analysts said in November that SABMiller’s 49 per cent stake is Snow Breweries could fetch up to US$3.6 billion.
Over the last year, big transactions of this kind in Hong Kong include a rights issue by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, which raised over HK$11.6 billion last September.


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‘This award is for the team and those outside organisations for all their efforts and commitment’
Best Large Company was one of two awards received by Ryobi (RAC(UK) at this year’s event.
The company was founded in 1990 and is a major supplier to the European automotive industry. It employs 550 people across its two sites in Northern Ireland in Carrickfergus and Kilroot, from where is ships over 3.5 million castings every year to 10 European destinations.
Diversity, innovation, and quality has been at the heart of the business’ success. It implemented a new business plan after a previous downturn in sales and as a result built a sustainable business model that differentiated it in the marketplace.
This included the improvement of the firm’s engineering capability, upgrading service to a ‘one stop shop’ using ‘just in time’ industry standards and as a result sales and business have increased substantially over the last couple of years.
Speaking about the win, David Watson, managing director, Ryobi said: “We are absolutely humbled, and this award is for the team and those outside organisations for all their efforts and commitment. We are only as good as the people we have.”
The business is now working with a “vision and mission” strategy to ensure it sustains the success of recent years “by achieving the best results for our customers, maximising the potential of every employee through mutual respect, trust, integrity and teamwork”. It adds: “Our mission is to be the number one die casting company in Europe, and build upon current customer base and increase market share.”


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In Manipur, many presidents of district forums do not know how to write orders. Several forums don't have postal stamps to send notices and orders.
The internet has created a rapid appreciation;The biggest country with the most interesting consumer population is right here in India.
"We are inviting suggestions from consumers, industry and all other stake holders to check the flow of fake goods in the market," Paswan said.
"Since the first half of the session ends this week, the bill will come to Parliament when the Houses reconvene after the recess," Paswan told PTI.
China is the world's top auto market, and media criticism can dent reputations and drag on sales. Apple Inc made a rare apology in 2013 after criticism of its after-sales service.
Drop in interest rates may well trigger a rise in consumer sentiment but not significantly impact the buying decision.
ET Wealth reached out to the aam aadmi across geographies, age groups and income levels to know the key expectations he has from the Budget.
The BCCI has invited bids for the media rights relating to the future editions of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament in the sub-continent and the rest of the world.


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The NRMA has called on supermarket petrol chains to stop acting like Scrooges and show Canberrans some Christmas love.
NRMA ACT director Alan Evans said the difference between the average regular unleaded price in Sydney and Canberra at close of business on Monday was "a preposterous 19c per litre".
"The supermarkets and their associated oil companies should be Santa Claus and not Scrooge to Canberra motorists," he said.
"A large supermarket chain has capped prices in the Sydney metropolitan area at $1.14 or less until 4 January next year while independent retailers are offering regular unleaded in Sydney as low as $1.12 per litre.
"We would [love] to see the petrol companies extend this Christmas gift to the Canberra market."
Mr Evans said Canberra needed more competition and the average price of petrol should fall to less than $1.20 a litre.
"If more than half of Sydney's petrol stations are selling at under $1.18 per litre and making a profit, there is no reason why prices shouldn't be similar in Canberra," he said.
Mr Evan's Christmas wish comes as the national average price of petrol fell by 4c last week to 128.4c a litre, the biggest price drop in six years.
According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the average price of petrol in Canberra fell 2.4c to 144.3 cents a litre last week, which was still 23c more expensive than petrol in Sydney.
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury has said it is likely national petrol prices might continue to decline to about $1 a litre in coming months.
"If we don't get to a dollar, we will get very close to it," he said.
The last time the average national price of petrol was below a dollar was in February 2005; a time when Ricky Ponting had just captained his first home test series and Schapelle Corby was yet to be convicted.
Commsec economist Craig James said Australian households were now saving $32 a month on petrol compared to a year ago, which had boosted their spending power at a key time of the year.
A petrol price war was ignited earlier this month when Canberra's Costco petrol station opened in Majura Park with discounted prices.
Its nearest competitor, Woolworths Caltex, matched the unleaded petrol price of 129.7c a litre - a roughly 14c or 10 per cent discount on previous prices - within three hours of Costco opening.
Mr Khoury said the average petrol price in Sydney on Friday was 1.16 per litre, only 4 cents higher than the average gate price of $1.12, driven by strong retail competition.
"With Coles and Woollies setting their price at $1.14, I can't see the independents putting their prices up any time soon," Mr Khoury said, adding that most of the independents had been below $1.14 for "at least a week anyway".
"I think like the rest of the country, the NRMA would be over the moon about sub-one-dollar petrol," he said.
with Luke Malpass


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The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce is conducting a business retention and expansion study to look at ways to support businesses in the community.
“It goes through where the business is at, can they expand, is there anything standing in the way of expansion,” said Judy Goodman, the executive director of the chamber. “There’s also a section of what other businesses we can bring in that would complement your business.”
The study is being conducted in partnership with the City of Revelstoke, Columbia Basin Trust, Community Futures and the Rural Development Institute at Selkirk College.
Mark Rossi, a business student at UBC Okanagan, was hired to survey a cross-section of up to 200 businesses that represent the Revelstoke economy.
“It’s a really good opportunity for me to get out there and see what businesses in Revelstoke are about and what they’re doing,” he said. “And it’s a good opportunity for the city to identify areas where things could be improved and what barriers businesses are facing to growth and expansion. To identify those things and provide ways to remove those obstacles moving forward.”
The survey was formulated by the Columbia Basin Trust’s Rural Development Institute. It is being used in communities throughout the basin and the results go into a central database.
“We can benchmark how we’re doing against other communities,” said Goodman.
Goodman said the goal is find out what can be done to help businesses expand.
“Making sure that those businesses that want to grow in Revelstoke, stay in Revelstoke,” she said, adding that business owners looking to retire can also be supported.
Community Futures provided the funding to hire Rossi to conduct the study. He will be interviewing business owners over the next several months.


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MediaTek Intros Mid-Range 5G Chip
MediaTek today revealed its second SoC (System-on-Chip) for 5G phones: the Dimensity 820. The 820 is a more affordable relative of the Dimensity 1000, announced late last year. Dimensity chips integrate an application processor and 5G modem in one package, like Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765. The 820 supports advanced 5G technologies including carrier aggregation, DSS, VoNR, and SA. Like the Dimensity 1000, the 820 only supports sub-6 GHz 5G, not mmWave. The 820 also supports cameras up to 80 megapixels, 4K HDR video capture, and 120 MHz displays. It also has a dedicated AI processing cores. MediaTek says the Dimensity 820 is designed for 5G networks in "Asia, North America, and Europe", although it did not give a timeline for devices using the 820 to reach the market.
Dec 4, 2019
Qualcomm today revealed the full details of its first Snapdragon chip with an integrated 5G modem, the Snapdragon 765. As its model number suggests, it offers better performance than the company's 6-series chips that have previously been common to higher-end (but not "flagship") phones in the US.
Dec 4, 2019
Qualcomm today announced the Snapdragon 865, its new top-end chipset to power flagship phones in 2020. Unlike most previous Snapdragon chips, the 865 is split into two physical chips: the main processor chip and a separate radio modem chip that includes a 5G modem based on the company's X55 5G modem.
Dec 3, 2019
Qualcomm today revealed that its next two chipsets for high-end 5G phones will be called the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765. The 765 — and a 765G variant for gaming phones — offers "integrated 5G connectivity, advanced AI processing, and select Snapdragon Elite Gaming experiences."
Nov 26, 2019
MediaTek has revealed that its first SoC with integrated 5G modem and high-end processor will be called the Dimensity 1000. The company revealed the first set of details on the chip in May.
Dec 5, 2018
Qualcomm today fully revealed the Snapdragon 855 mobile platform, its top-tier system-on-a-chip heading into 2019. Qualcomm focus on a number of pillars when developing this SoC, including performance, connectivity, AI, camera, and entertainment.
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SiteMinder appoints its first chief marketing officer
- 03 March, 2017 15:06
SiteMinder's new recruits, David Jaros (left) and Ken Aoyama
Australian hotel booking and intelligence platform provider, SiteMinder, has brought on its first chief marketing officer as well as product officer in a bid to accelerate growth.
New marketing leader, David Jaros, was most recently CMO of fintech startup, Noesis Finance, and boasts of 22 years’ experience in strategy, marketing and technology. Also on his resume is a four-year stint with enterprise management software company, SolarWinds, where he was responsible for running lead generation and field marketing that delivered more than 400,000 trial downloads per year.
At SiteMinder, Jaros is tasked with all global marketing activities incorporating corporate marketing, branding, customer and field marketing and lead generation.
SiteMinder has announced Ken Aoyama as its first chief product officer this week. He joins the company from Tokyo-listed platform-as-a-service provider, Cybozu, where he was head of engineering and chief global business officer. Milestones during this time included doubling revenue and acquiring more than 10,000 new customers for the group.
In his new position, Aoyama is responsible for overseeing more than 60 product and engineering employees to enhance the group’s cloud-based hotel industry offering.
In a statement, SiteMinder said the two executive-level appointments followed the recruitment of the company’s chief global sales officer in 2015, as well as financial officer and chief operating officer in 2014.
“Ken and David will be pivotal in enhancing our go-to-market strategy, consisting of excellence in product, marketing, sales and customer support, and backed by both financial strength and operational efficiency,” said co-founder and managing director, Mike Ford. “As we look ahead, SiteMinder’s focus is to continue building on these strong foundations to become the trusted partner of choice for hotel technology.”
SiteMinder’s portfolio of products include online distribution platform, The Channel Manager, booking engine,TheBookingButton, website creation tool, Canvas, real-time marketing intelligence solution, Prophet, and global distribution system. The company claims to have 23,000 hotel customers and 550 of the industry's top connectivity providers as partners, and a presence in 160 countries.


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The company first announced it would cease sales of the small devices in March but let existing button owners continue to make orders with them.
However, five months on, Amazon has decided to pull the plug on the service altogether from August 31, following a shift in user behaviour towards virtual versions of the buttons, as well as through its voice-powered assistant Alexa on smart devices.
Physical Dash Buttons were first introduced in 2015, tied to branded household products which were linked to the customer’s Amazon account.
Whenever they were running low or ran out of that particular item, pressing the button would instantly place an order for replacements.
“Amazon is constantly evaluating our product and service offerings to best serve customers,” the firm said in a statement.
“Since sales of Dash Button devices ceased earlier this year, we have seen continued growth of other shopping options to meet customer needs, including Virtual Dash Button, Dash Replenishment, Alexa Shopping, and Subscribe & Save.
“With this in mind, starting 31 August 2019, customers will no longer be able to place orders through Dash Button devices globally.
“Customers can continue re-ordering products using their free virtual Dash Buttons on the Amazon.co.uk website and mobile app, which are available for the same great brands customers love from Dash Button devices.
“Customers will see that virtual Dash Buttons have already been created to replace current physical Dash Button devices.”


text: Tour Operators Apple Vacations upgrades agent website By Michelle Baran / September 16, 2010 Share 1 -- OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — Over the next few months, agents who book Apple Vacations will be introduced to a revamped website, and by Dec. 1 they will be able to search and book from their mobile device. “Eighty percent of our travel agent bookings are made online,” said Tim Mullen, Apple’s co-president. (Tim and his brother, Jeff Mullen, were quietly promoted to co-president earlier this year. Tim was senior vice president and Jeff was executive vice president.) Mullen discussed website plans during an interview at the company’s annual agent trade show and awards program this week. The new booking platform, using Apple’s proprietary technology, enables agents to adjust variables such as price, destination and chain during a search. For example, if agents want to change the hotel but keep the dates, they can do so without starting from scratch. The new platform has an advanced search filter so that agents can search by brand, duration of trip, price range or Apple rating. Also, agents can make payments online. Similar to the types of enhancements many other wholesalers are making to their booking sites, the upgrades are an attempt to help agents compete with online travel agencies. But access to live inventory remains elusive. “The biggest challenge tour operators have today is connecting to live inventory with hotels,” said Mullen. “They’re all on their own systems.” According to Mullen, all of Apple’s top-producing agents will be able to use the new and improved booking site by the end of October. It will be rolled out to all other agents in the next six to nine months. The old booking site will continue to run for about a year as agents make the transition to the new site. Additionally, Apple has partnered with Movitas to create a booking website that agents can access from any mobile device. Starting Oct. 1, they will be able to see Apple specials and get company updates. And on Dec. 1, they will be able to check availability, book and make payments for their clients through their mobile device.


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The electrical substation responsible for powering a Samsung smartphone production complex in northern Vietnam caught fire on Wednesday, slowing the South Korean electronics giant’s manufacturing operations as it gears up for the upcoming launch of its flagship Galaxy Note 8.
The substation has served as Samsung’s electricity source for its Thai Nguyen Province production complex since its installation in September 2014.
The Northern Power Corporation, a subsidiary of Electricity Vietnam, confirmed on Wednesday that the power complex had caught fire, disrupting the power supply at the facility and significantly slowing operations.
The cause of the fire is still unidentified.
An agreement between the power supplier and Samsung calls on the South Korean firm to source power from diesel generators to cut down on lost time while the substation is repaired.
The incident occurred at a crucial time for Samsung, just as workers at Samsung Thai Nguyen are speeding up the production of the Galaxy Note 8 before its scheduled unveiling at an event in the U.S. on August 23.
The Note 8 is the most important product line for Samsung in the second half of this year.
Using diesel generators is expected to result in cost overruns, though the company said there are no immediate statistics available.
Though normal operations are expected to resume relatively quickly, the situation is another hit to Samsung Vietnam after exports slipped last year following the ‘immature death’ of the Galaxy Note 7 due to the exploding battery scandal.
A Samsung representative said the incident will not have a significant impact on production at the Thai Nguyen complex, “however, if the power loss is long term, production will surely be influenced.”
The source also added that Samsung Thai Nguyen’s 70,000-strong workforce is a huge contributor to Vietnam’s export revenue.
Samsung Vietnam is targeting US$50 billion in revenue from mobile phone exports and spare parts this year.
In 2016, the company posted an export turnover of $40 billion, accounting for 22.7 percent of Vietnam’s total exports.
This means any problems with the Thai Nguyen complex will indirectly affect Vietnam’s economic growth for the year, the company representative added.
The Northern Power Corporation said power supply for Samsung Thai Nguyen will return to normal by August 10 at the earliest.


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If the Toyota Highlander wasn’t exciting enough to look at for you, Toyota is angling for a solution. Today, the 2022 Toyota Highlander Bronze Edition is being revealed to bring a touch of spunk to the Highlander’s lineup.
It’s essentially an appearance package for the Highlander Hybrid model, which it is exclusively paired with. The exterior enhancements are obvious. Bronze-painted 18-inch wheels thoroughly differentiate it from other Highlanders, but it’s also painted in a new paint color called Cement that will be exclusive to the Bronze Edition. You can optionally have it painted in Wind Chill Pearl, a new color for the 2022 model year Highlander.
We like the interior changes even more than the exterior. Toyota calls those exotic seats “mid-century modern-inspired SofTex-trimmed seats.” They’re adorned with the fabric insert and heavily feature bronze accents and stitching. The bronze stitching continues throughout the interior onto the doors and dash. Unique floor mats and cargo mats are embroidered with a Bronze Edition logo, and even the illuminated door sills have bronze accents on them.
Toyota is slotting the Bronze Edition into the lineup between the XLE and Limited trims, and it will be available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Toyota says the Bronze Edition foreshadows some upgrades coming to the 2022 Highlander lineup as a whole, too. For example, Toyota is sharing that the 2022 car will feature height/tilt power passenger seat adjustability — it’ll be standard on XLE and above trims. Beyond that, we’ll need to wait for Toyota to share full 2022 information.
Final pricing and availability wasn’t detailed today, but the Hybrid XLE currently starts at $42,120, and the Hybrid Limited at $46,170. Expect it to fall right in the middle, perhaps around $44,000.


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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Apple to the Federal Court in Melbourne over alleged misleading 4G claims with the company’s new iPad.
The iPad, which was released this month, is 4G enabled but is incompatible with any 4G networks in Australia due to the spectrum band the device supports.
According to the ACCC, Apple’s recent promotion that the iPad has Wi-Fi and 4G is misleading since it suggests consumers can use the device 4G data networks in Australia.
The consumer watchdog wants to seek “urgent interlocutory relief to ensure consumers are made aware of the correct technical capabilities of this device.
It is also seeking injunctions, penalties, corrective adverting and refunds to affected customers from Apple.


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Gridserve opens rapid charging hub on UK’s busiest motorway
Gridserve and Moto have just unveiled the latest High Power Electric Super Hub on the UK’s busiest motorway. The company says the latest electric vehicles can now add the 117 miles of range required to drive around London’s Orbital Motorway in less than 15 minutes charging time.
Gridserve & Moto bring high-power charging to Wales
Gridserve and Moto have opened the first high-powered EV charging hub in Wales. The advanced Electric Hub, part of the Gridserve Electric Highway and located in Swansea, initially boasts six 350kW high-power charge points, with the option to add six more.
UK: Gridserve accelerates ultra-rapid charging network
Gridserve is building its ultra-rapid charging hubs in the UK, following plans announced last summer. There are already eleven charging parks under construction, each with six to twelve high power charging points, according to Gridserve. The company expects to finish 20 so-called Electric Hubs by Q2 2022.
Electric Highway goes high power charging
The Electric Highway, tge UK’s longest-standing fast-charging initiative, has opened its largest high power charging site at a Moto pitstop, Rugby Services, at Junction 1 of the M6. The new facility includes 12 ultra-rapid chargers from Tritium, able to charge supported vehicles at 350kW.
UK: Electric Highway to be upgraded by Ecotricity
In the UK, Ecotricity’s network of charging stations that form the ‘Electric Highway’ one of the oldest charging networks in Britain, is to be comprehensively modernised. This will include contactless payment and multiple charging options.
Hitachi Capital invests another £10m in Gridserve
Hitachi Capital announced a £10m investment in Gridserve’s parent company, Gridserve Sustainable Energy Ltd. The firms say this is to strengthen their partnership following the successful launch of the UK’s first ultra-fast Electric Forecourt.
First Electric Forecourt opens near Braintree
The UK’s first Electric Forecourt near Braintree, Essex, is now open for business. The site is the first of over 100 planned Electric Forecourts being built by Gridserve over the next five years, which aim to help pave the 2030 transition to an electric transport environment.
UPS invests in artificial intelligence
The logistics & delivery corporation UPS plans to spearhead a project to explore the way Artificial Intelligence systems can optimise charging electric vehicle fleets and integrate onsite renewables to reduce emissions and energy costs.
Gridserve EV Forecourt breaks ground in the UK
Gridserve has today announced that the first of a nationwide network of over 100 Electric Forecourts is now under construction and will open this summer. UK firm’s first solar-powered site in Essex will house 24 rapid chargers, a supermarket and an EV education centre.
UK: Gridserve to build 100 EV high power charging sites
The British company Gridserve has announced plans to build a series of pit-stop-like charging sites for electric vehicles, complete with solar farms and power storage units. 100 of these EV-specific rest stops are to be developed over the next five years with a budget of no less than a billion pounds and mighty partners on […]


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Oil price higher
Oil prices surged amid early anxiety over winter heating fuel supplies in America. US benchmark light crude leapt $2 to $54 a barrel, a five-week high, in New York. In London earlier, benchmark Brent crude rose more than $1 to a $51.75 peak.
GM sales drop
General Motors, the world’s largest car maker, reported a 5 per cent drop in US vehicle sales for last month and cut its third-quarter vehicle production. The figures came as Ford reported its twelfth successive month of lower vehicle sales in America.


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Tennis Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of a consortium between Nine Live and Platinum Pass to manage Premium Ticketing and Hospitality Programs for the Australian Open and Hyundai Hopman Cup events.
Led by Geoff Jones, Managing Director of Nine Live and Daniel Morahan, Managing Director of Platinum Pass, the appointment covers all aspects of sales and marketing of the Premium Ticketing and Hospitality Program.
Between them, Nine Live and Platinum Pass brings years of experience in the delivery of services including stakeholder engagement, live entertainment, sport and lifestyle business, premium ticketing, sponsorship and event management. Partnering with leading organisations such as Tennis Australia, NRL, Rugby World Cup, QRL, Cricket World Cup, ARU, MCG, SCG and many others, made them an ideal choice.
“I am pleased about our new partnership with NLPP. As professional partners with extensive experience in events and premium ticketing, we’re excited to be working together to cultivate new Premium Ticketing solutions for our upcoming tournaments”, said Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia.
Daniel Morahan, Managing Director of Platinum Pass said “As Official Sales Agent with the Australian Open’s Corporate Hospitality Program for last five years, we are excited to take it to the next level. We’re looking forward to designing and implementing diverse, new packages for such an iconic event as the Australian Open and growing revenue.”
“This consortium is a great combination of resources, utilising our reach and capability to deliver an exciting new program”, says Geoff Jones of Nine Live.
Phone: 1300 766 332


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Just in time for the fall boat show season, Furuno USA is dropping prices and offering rebates on several award-winning fish finders and combo fish finder/chartplotter models.
In the fish finder category, the Furuno FCV627 and FCV587 models have each had a $150 price drop. Both have features including bottom discrimination and Accufish. The FCV627, with a 5.7-inch color display, is now $845, while the FCV587, with an 8.4-inch color display, is now $1,545.
In addition, chartplotter/fish finder combo units now available with a $200 rebate include the Furuno GP1670F, which retails for $695, and the GP1870F, which retails for $995.
Also check out these award-winners: Furuno took home three awards at the recent National Marine Electronics Association event. The FR 8065 UHD Radar was a winner, as were the DFF1-UHD TruEcho CHIRP Fish Finder and the FA150 UAIS Class-A AIS receiver.
Where to get the deals: visit www.furunousa.com


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"Challenging" lumber price volatility earlier this year caused Universal Forest Products Inc. (UFPI) to incur a 74% drop in net earnings for the third quarter from the year-earlier period to $2.6 million despite a 5% increase in net sales to $480.6 million, the company reported Wednesday.
"While lumber prices stabilized during the third quarter of 2010, inventories were built earlier in the year-when lumber prices were up as much as 52% over the previous year-in preparation for a solid selling season, which didn't materialize," Grand Rapids, Mich.-based UFPI said in its announcement. "At the end of June, the company's inventory consisted primarily of higher-cost lumber, which adversely affected profits in the third quarter. The company has sold through this product, and by the end of the third quarter its inventories comprised lumber purchased at a much lower cost."
The $2.6 million in net earnings for the July to September period compares with $10.6 million earned in 2009's third quarter, while the $480.6 million in sales represented a gain from 3Q2009's $457.8 million.
Sales to the site-built construction market climbed 1.6% to $70.1 million even though unit sales dropped about 4% as a result of plant closures in the third quarter of 2009. Shipments out of plants that remained open went up 7%. "Universal believes this industry will be challenged for years to come and continues to focus on commercial, government and turnkey projects to diversify its business and add value for the customer," UFPI said.
The biggest segment of all--the do-it-yourself/retail market--slipped 7.7% to $197.9 million. Unit sales for DIY/retail declined 10% due to soft demand. "Predictions for 2011 and beyond hinge on the stabilization and eventual improvement of the economy. Most experts forecast a recovery to begin in 2011. The Home Improvement Research Institute believes 2011 will see a gain of just 1.6% in home improvement spending, with growth hovering between 6% and 7% annually in subsequent years. Universal continues to add to the products it offers to retailers and drive costs out of its processes in its persistent efforts to be the low-cost producer."
Elsewhere in the company, sales to the industrial market jumped 19.3% to $158.1 million, while UFPI's manufactured housing market segment also saw a gain in sales, up 18.2% to $63.4 million.
"This was the most challenging lumber market I've seen in my 36 years with the company, and I'm proud of the way our people managed through it," CEO Michael B. Glenn said in a statement. "Frankly, this type of market has the potential to wipe out an entire year's profits for most companies that operate in our industries. Fortunately, our agility and diverse business model have allowed us to generate more than $17 million in net earnings for the year so far. With more than $58 million in cash and only $53 million in debt, we have the resources to take advantage of opportunities that arise. We remain in an enviable position in our markets."
The cost of goods sold climbed 9.7% in the third quarter to $426.2 million from $388.5 million, leading to a 21.4% decline in gross profit to $54.4 million. (See financial statement.) Selling, general, and administrative expenses dropped 7.6% to $47.3 million. Earnings from operations sank by nearly two-thirds to $6 billion.
UFPI describes itself as America's leading buyer of solid-sawn lumber and the largest customer of North America's largest mills as well as the nation's biggest producer of both pressure-treated wood and engineered roof systems for manufactured housing and site-built construction.


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Ugh! We're so bored of our iPhone 4s already. When is the iPhone 5 coming out!? LOL!
Apple hasn't even announced the new model yet, but that's not stopping technology enthusiasts from speculating what kind of cool new features will come standard.
So far people are assuming that rainbow colors will be available on the 5 because the company filed patents involving carbon fiber material. The bodies won't just be colorful either — they'll be stronger!
On top of possibly utilizing


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DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- The apparel sector is heating up at as other areas of the market, such as biotech and technology, are struggling mightily.
Just take a look at the performance of small-cap apparel player American Apparel (APP) over the last month. This beaten-down troubled retail stock has exploded higher during that period by over 50%. Shares of APP bottomed in late March and early April at 46 cents per share, and the stock has exploded higher to an intraday high last week of 82 cents per share. I recently pointed out the opportunity in shares of APP in April 24's "A Small-Cap Stock With Very Big Potential" at around 50 cents per share.
Once a sector comes into play, the money tends to flow from one name to the next as traders look to get ahead of the momentum. Another troubled and beaten-down small-cap apparel player that has put in a strong performance of late is Body Central (BODY) , which has ripped sharply higher by 38% over the last month. I flagged shares of BODY in April 8's "Big Funds Love This Small Stock -- Should You?" at around $1.15 a share. Shares of BODY hit an intraday high on Friday of $1.34 a share, and the stock looks likely to head even higher in the near-term if that level gets taken out with volume.
Both Body Central and American Apparel are distressed small-cap retail players with challenging fundamentals and uncertain futures. The market, has at least for now, decided that these small-cap retailers were beaten down to attractive prices that made them worthy buy candidates. Since both of these names are clearly the more risky plays in the apparel space, it's possible the momentum players will start coming after other names that don't carry as much risk.
Don't get me wrong: I still think APP and BODY can trend much higher, but traders need to understand they are high-risk apparel stocks facing tough turnaround situations.
A new apparel name that's starting to catch my eye here is American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) , which operates as an apparel and accessories retailer in the U.S. and Canada. Through this companys family of brands, it offers clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable price through its online channels and at over 900 retail locations. The company's online channels ship its products to around 100 countries across the globe.
American Eagle Outfitters has been hit hard by the sellers over the last six months, with shares off by 21%. This stock has dropped sharply from its six-month high of just over $16.50 a share to its recent 52-week low of $10.83 a share. Most of the reason for American Eagle Outfitters' poor performance is due to the sharp drop in its operating income, which went from $394.6 million in 2012 to just $141 million in 2013. That marks a 64% drop, most of which was due to the wrong product changes and the overall depressed condition in the U.S. apparel market. The company also blamed bad weather, which I never like to see a retailer do, but we must acknowledge 2013's winter was a harsh one across most of the country.
Despite those problems, American Eagle Outfitters is still flush in cash with around $429 million on its balance sheet and little debt. That cash is going to come in handy as the company ramps up sending to build out its online presence and marking and for its international expansion plans. American Eagle Outfitters, along with the rest of the leading retailers, know that falling mall traffic is a trend that can't just be blamed on a touch macro environment, but it's more of a symptom of American consumers' shopping smart online. American consumers might visit a store to get an idea on fashion trends and how a brand fits, but they will browse online to find the best promotions and deals. Once you gain the American consumer's loyalty, a strong online presence can push sales at both the stores and online if the marketing approach is right.
In regards to its international expansion, during the last quarter American Eagle Outfitters opened up 16 new stores in Mexico and took ownership of six franchise stores in China and Hong Kong. That brings its total international footprint to 66 stores in 12 countries. The company also plans to move into the U.K. in 2014, has recently entered the Philippines and plans to enter Thailand. The moves to China and Mexico could start to pay dividends soon for American Eagle Outfitters since both countries have a rapidly growing middle class with expanding disposable incomes. For example, consider the growth in China's middle class, which is expected to help its apparel market hit $220 billion by 2016.
The company's e-commerce growth was a source of strength during a tough 2013, with online sales increasing by 24% in the first quarter, 11% in the second quarter and 17% in the third quarter. The company is ramping up spending to develop its omni-channel platform, which is a seamless approach to shopping at all the available channels such as brick-and-mortar stores, mobile, Internet, catalog and more. American Eagle Outfitters also plans to open up a new distribution center in Pennsylvania by mid-2014, which will allow them to ship products to U.S. consumers within two days.
From a technical perspective, shares of American Eagle Outfitters have been downtrending badly over the last six months, with shares falling from its high of just over $16.50 to its recent low of $10.83 a share.
During that downtrend, shares of AEO have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That bearish price action has also driven shares of AEO below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. That said, shares of AEO have started to show some signs its declines could be over with the stock starting to bounce off its 52-week low of $10.83 a share, which also corresponds with its 2012 low near $10.98 a share. That bounce is starting to push shares of AEO within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.
Traders should look for long-biased trades in AEO as long as its trending above its 52-week low of $10.83 and then once it breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $11.37 to $11.53 a share and then just above more resistance at $11.75 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that registers near or above its three-month average action of 5.33 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then AEO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $12.71 to around $13 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give AEO a chance to tag $14 to $15 a share.
Traders should put shares of AEO on their breakout trading radar here, since the stock could easily catch some of the momentum that's hit other names in the space of late. This stock is beaten down over the last six months, and considering some of the sector strength, a trend change could be developing quickly here for shares of AEO.
-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.
Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned. Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.


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Harare’s Central Business District (CBD) is now dominated by small- to- medium-scale foreign traders due to high rental charges, a recent study by Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) has revealed.
ZNCC economist Kipson Gundani said they conducted the survey to identify who was occupying most space in the city centre and the majority of small traders proved to be Nigerians and Chinese.
“We have observed that the greater part of small traders’ shops in the CBD are dominated by foreigners as a result of high rental prices which the locals cannot afford,” he said.
The survey has shown clothing shops accounting for the bulk of front windows in the capital.
Clothing shops make up a total 420 ground-floor window shops accounting for 33% of activity in the CBD while motor spares and services are at 22%.
“This development reflects the economy has basically become a trading economy as 50% of the retail is made from imported goods,” Gundani said.
Supermarkets and tuckshops are at 6%, electrical shops are at 10% while furniture and hardware combined make up 4%.
Gundani said food outlets make up a relative portion of these small businesses, with the largest concentration around the middle of town at 5%.
There are around 14 shopping malls and 28 car sales dealerships in the CBD.


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Apple Overtakes Samsung while Nokia Sinks
Jan 29th, 2012
Smartphone market is growing at a rapid rate and it’s almost a war like situation between Apple, Samsung and Nokia. After Steve Jobs, most people thought that Apple’s market will go down but it didn’t happen. Apple kept on growing its market on the foundations led by Jobs.
Strategy Analytics recently published their report related with sales of Smart Phones. Finally Apple crossed Samsung in volume of sales in Q4, 2011. As we can see in the following data Samsung has sold 36.5 million units in Q4’11 while Apple sold 37 Million units. Difference might seem less but still Apple has raised their sales a lot. Same is in case of Smartphone Vendor Market share. Apple has 23.9% as compared with 23.5% of Samsung.
Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2011
|Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments (Millions of Units)||Q4 ’10||2010||Q4 ’11||2011|
|Global Smartphone Vendor Marketshare %||Q4 ’10||2010||Q4 ’11||2011|
|Total Growth Year-over-Year %||86.8%||71.4%||53.9%||63.1%|
Samsung and Apple have shown very healthy growths in Q4’11 as compared to Q4’10 but this growth has come from the downfall of Nokia. Nokia is really going through a bad phase. Their sales decreased to 19.6 million units in Q4’11 from 28.3 million of Q4’10. They have lost their market share by more than 15% which is a huge no.
Tom Kang, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Nokia’s global Smartphone market share halved from 33 percent in 2010 to 16 percent in 2011. A lacklustre touch screen Smartphone portfolio and a limited presence in the huge United States market caused Nokia’s shrinkage last year. Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft will be very much in focus during 2012, and the industry will be watching closely to see how swiftly the two companies can expand in the high-value 4G LTE market that is rapidly emerging across the United States, Japan and elsewhere.”
So is it the beginning of the end of one of the most trusted Smart Phone brand Nokia? Will Apple and Samsung throw Nokia out of the market? Or will Nokia bounce back and show their potential again? Only time can give answers to these questions so let’s wait and watch.


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Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 160,000 vehicles in North America for two safety issues.
The largest recall involves 159,395 Focus ST and Escape vehicles from the 2013 and 2014 model years. Ford says their engines could hesitate or stall because of a wiring problem.
Ford also is recalling 616 Focus and C-Max cars made earlier this month because their steering gears don't have the proper number of ball bearings. That can potentially degrade the remaining ball bearings and lead to a loss of steering control.
Ford says there have been no accidents or injuries related to either recall. The 616 cars are still at dealerships and haven't been sold.
Ford Motor Co. will notify customers and repair the vehicles for free.
(Copyright 2014. The Associated Press.)
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Ahead of Kraninger Hearing, Allied Progress Launches Ad, ‘Trump’s Payday Payback’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Before CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger attempts to spin how the Trump administration’s policies have been “putting consumers first” at today’s House Financial Services Committee hearing, consumer advocacy group Allied Progress released a new digital ad blasting the Trump-CFPB proposal to rip away a critical consumer protection against the payday lender debt trap. “Trump’s Payday Payback” is backed with paid digital ads on Twitter and Facebook during the hearing – including targeting searchers of #Kraninger, #ProtectConsumers and #StoptheDebtTrap — and urges viewers to commit to submitting a public comment against the proposed payday protection rollback scheme at www.KathyKraninger.com.
“The $2.2 million bet the payday industry made on Donald Trump will be paid back many times over if the administration’s proposal to scrap the ability-to-repay standard is made final,”said Jeremy Funk, spokesman for Allied Progress. “Without this commonsense check in the system, predatory lenders will go right on exploiting millions of vulnerable borrowers they know can’t pay back their mafia-like 400 percent loans in time. Payday Lender CEOs openly admit the foundation of their business is coercing low-income borrowers into taking out as many high-interest loans as possible to pay back previous ones. Director Kraninger has a lot to answer for today. For starters, how does the administration’s plan to make it easier for consumers to fall into endless cycles of payday loan debt benefit anyone other than Trump’s predatory lender donors? Consumers first? Spare us.”
Added Funk: “We hope Director Kraninger resists the urge to double down on the debunked falsehoods that the payday industry lobby is actually disappointed by this proposal to make them richer – the ‘three-run homer’as a top payday lawyer calls it — or the lie that the industry didn’t provide inputon the CFPB payday protection rollback plan before it was released. Here’s a sign the payday lender trade association is happy with their return on investment in Trump: they’re throwing a ritzy 4-day long party at his Miami golf resort next week.”
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A local car salesroom has opened a vehicle charging point near Douglas.
It is situated at Jacksons and Motor Mall and has eight high-speed, low-cost charging points, said the company.
The new facility comes at a good time to help the Isle of Man to prepare for the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
In the UK campaigners are calling for more electric charging points to meet demand.
The Isle of Man company said the centre will be open 24-hours a day and the team will be on-site during working hours for help and advice.
A spokesman added that there has been huge interest in and demand for electric vehicles with all major manufacturers now committing to electric.


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Phishing Attacks On Mac Users Doubling, Dont Get Fooled
It's hard to put a total cost on the fraud that flows from phishing scams, because losses can range from a few dollars for a phishing attack against one person, to successful phishing attacks against large organisations potentially costing millions of dollars.
Phishing attacks on Mac users doubling, don’t get fooled
One research paper suggests the cost of phishing for large companies is almost $15 million a year, whie the FBI suggests that the total cost of online attacks has cost US businesses over $43 billion in recent years.
While many in the information security sector might raise an eyebrow when it comes to the lack of sophistication of some phishing campaigns, it's easy to forget that there are billions of internet users -- and every day there are people who are accessing the internet for the first time.
Lots of internet users won't even be aware about the potential threat of phishing, let alone that they might be targeted by attackers using it. Why would they even suspect that the message in their inbox isn't actually from the organisation or friend it claims to be from?
Training, training and more training. It might seem like a simple idea, but training is effective. Teaching staff what to look out for when it comes to a phishing email can go a long way to protecting your organisation from malicious attacks.
At a technical level, disabling macros from being run on computers in your network can play a big part in protecting employees from attacks. Macros aren't designed to be malicious -- they're designed to help users perform repetitive tasks with keyboard shortcuts.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) also provides a strong barrier against phishing attacks because it requires an extra step for cyber criminals to overcome in order to conduct a successful attack. According to Microsoft, using MFA blocks 99.9% of attempted account hacks. If applying MFA to accounts is possible, it should be applied.
These early attacks were successful because it was a new type of attack, something users hadn't seen before. AOL provided warnings to users about the risks, but phishing remained successful and it's still here over 20 years on. In many ways, it has remained the same for one simple reason -- because it works.
While the fundamental concept of phishing hasn't changed much, there have been tweaks and experimentations across two decades as technology and how we access the internet has changed. Following the initial AOL attacks, email became the most appealing attack vector for phishing scams, as home internet use took off and a personal email address started to become more common.
Many early phishing scams came with telltale signs that they weren't legitimate -- including strange spelling, weird formatting, low-res images, and messages that often didn't make complete sense. Nonetheless, in the early days of the internet, people knew even less about potential threats and that meant these attacks still found success -- and are still effective today.
While spear phishing does target consumers and individual internet users, it's much more effective for cyber criminals to use it as a means of infiltrating the network of a target organisation as it can produce a far more lucrative bounty.
It's quite possible for hackers to compromise the account of one user and use that as a stepping stone for further attacks. These 'conversation hijacking' attacks take advantage of using a real person's account to send additional phishing emails to their real contacts -- and because the email comes from a trusted source, the intended victim is more likely to click.
The growth of remote working in recent years has arguably made it easier for criminals to conduct BEC scams and other phishing attacks, because people working from home can't as easily talk to one of their colleagues to check if the email is legitimate.
For cyber criminals, that means, if exploited, LinkedIn is a useful too for helping to conduct phishing attacks to steal passwords and other sensitive corporate information. For example, a fraudster could browse your LinkedIn profile to find out who you work and regularly interact with.
SMS phishing -- or smishing -- attacks work in much the same way as an email attack; presenting the victim with a fraudulent offer or fake warning as an incentive to click through to a malicious URL.
In a prominent example of cryptocurrency phishing, one criminal group conducted a campaign that copied the front of Ethereum wallet website MyEtherWallet and encouraged users to enter their login details and private keys.
The theft of cryptocurrency in phishing campaigns like this and other attacks is costing crypto exchanges and their users hundreds of millions of dollars, as accounts and whole platforms get hacked and cyber criminals take the money for themselves.
It might have been around for almost 20 years, but phishing remains a threat for two reasons -- it's simple to carry out -- even by one-person operations -- and it works, because there's still plenty of people on the internet who aren't aware of the threats they face. And even the most sophisticated users can be caught out from time to time.
While there are many guidelines and practices that can reduce the risk of phishing and email hijacking, the best way to prevent a malicious actor from taking over your email accounts is to strengthen your authentication. One solution is to use two-factor authentication, which requires users to have a secondary token (such as a mobile device or a physical key) in addition to the password when signing into the account. An even stronger solution is the use of passwordless authentication technologies, which totally obliviate the need for passwords and make it impossible for hackers to gain access to accounts through phishing.
For instance, say a victim usually uses the Wi-Fi network of a Starbucks where she eats breakfast. A hacker who wants to stage a man-in-the-middle attack on the victim goes to the same Starbucks and picks up the ID and password of its Wi-Fi network. Then, the attacker sets up his own Wi-Fi network with the same name and password using a router or a laptop computer. Now, devices of users who have previously connected to the Starbucks network (including the victim) will automatically connect to the evil twin when they come within its network range. The attacker can then use the connection to stage man-in-the-middle attacks.
Phishing attacks are a subset of social engineering strategy that imitate a trusted source and concoct a seemingly logical scenario for handing over login credentials or other sensitive personal data. According to Webroot data, financial institutions represent the vast majority of impersonated companies and, according to Verizon's annual Data Breach Investigations Report, social engineering attacks including phishing and pretexting (see below) are responsible for 93% of successful data breaches.
While phishing attacks are rampant, short-lived, and need only a few users to take the bait for a successful campaign, there are methods for protecting yourself. Most don't require much more than simply paying attention to the details in front of you. Keep the following in mind to avoid being phished yourself.
Webroot's threat database has more than 600 million domains and 27 billion URLs categorized to protect users against web-based threats. The threat intelligence backing all of our products helps you use the web securely, and our mobile security solutions offer secure web browsing to prevent successful phishing attacks.
Those messages aren't really from the companies they purport to be. Manipulative, believable, and increasingly popular, criminals who want to bilk consumers out of money are orchestrating sophisticated phishing and scamming attacks using text messages.
Encryption may sound like a subject best left to hackers and tinfoil hat wearers, but don't be fooled: It's a critical part of contemporary life and something that's important for everyone, especially business users, to understand. And one of the places where encryption is most relevant and misunderstood is in the realm of email.
Cash App does not offer live customer support and encourages users to report any issues, including fraud and scams, through the app instead. But many Cash App users have been fooled by scammers who impersonate Cash App customer service employees through phone scams.
Like phishing emails and vishing attacks, the scam called smishing is a form of social engineering that tries to trick you out of personal information. Victims of this scam receive texts that appear to be from Cash App at first glance. But in reality, a fraudster is behind the phony message.
Unfortunately, between 2019 and 2020, there was an approximately 1,200% increase in malicious PDF files, from about 412,000 to over 5.2 million. For scammers, PDF files are an enticing phishing option as they work across different platforms and allow criminals to engage with users, making their schemes more believable as opposed to just a text-based message with a plain link.
Business email compromise attacks are a class of cyber crime that use email fraud to attack commercial, government and non-profit organizations to achieve a specific outcome which negatively impacts the target organization. Examples include invoice scams and spear phishing spoof attacks which are designed to gather data for other criminal activities. A business deceived by an email spoof can suffer additional financial, business continuity and reputational damage: fake emails are a favored route for ransomware that can stop operations unless a ransom is paid; consumer privacy breaches can also be enabled.
A website may seem to be in all respects legitimate. Of course, on the Web, not everything is what it seems. Some sites are phony, created to install viruses and malware on a surfer's computer, or steal their personal information. Immediately separate the real from the fake with VerificationEngine. With VerificationEngine Anti Phishing Software installed, the border around the web browser will glow green to let you know the site is secure. It's that simple, and it's free. Plus, Verification Engine isn't browser-based, so anyone can use it with their preferred web browser, and it can't be fooled by cyber-attacks on a particular browser.


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Sberbank has come up with a new way of delivering cash to customers, bills will be sent literally in the air with the help of most of these drones. In the near future the Bank will test a new scheme in Kazan.
Cash Sberbank puts it in a special container, which are mounted directly to the copter, and you would have to prepare for the hunting season for these flying safes for personal enrichment at the expense, indeed, of the state, but not so simple. Containers only seem to represent the conventional capacity — in fact, if they open one or a stranger, the bill will immediately result in a special paint, which will make them completely unusable. In addition, spraying can be carried out remotely, as reported by German Gref.
The timing of the introduction of new technology not yet known, but testing of cash transportation by air will be held in Kazan in the near future. In other countries, the copters are also used as couriers, but deliver not money, and different kinds of goods, including medicines. In our country this is not yet practiced due to the lack of appropriate legislative framework and of certain difficulties in the operation of drones on the territory of the Russian Federation.
© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.


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Listermann Brewing Co. will hold a "6 Year Anniversary and Customer Appreciation Party" starting at 1 p.m. June 21. This month marks the sixth anniversary since owner Dan Listermann decided to starting brewing at his homebrew supply shop in Cincinnati.
The brewery has come a long way since those early, and now boasts a tasting room, hosts annual festivals highlighting Cincinnati beers and offers the high gravity Triple Digit brand.
While the party may start at 1 p.m., the tasting room will open at 10 a.m. with a draft lineup that includes favorites Rummy and Death by Chickow! Starting at 1 p.m., Dino's Gorilla Grill will offer free food to 100 people (a drink purchase is required) and will remain on site to sell burgers and hot dogs.
"We want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped get us to this point," brewery spokesman Jason Brewer said in an email. "We have the best customers in the world and would be absolutely nowhere without them. We look forward to sharing this incredible journey."


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Valve could well have sat back and rested on their laurals after winning a gaming BAFTA but instead decided to put the power into the publics hands,,
Portal 2's level editor the Perpetual Testing Initiative has racked up over 1.3 million downloads and now has a staggering 46,005 different custom map designs for players to try out.
The PeTI was launched as a simplified level editor which would allow gamers to create their own puzzles and then upload them to Steam giving other players a chance to try them out and rate them.
Release on the 8th May in just a few days the feature has brought in some hugely impressive statistics with gamers doing their hardest to baffle the best with over 45,000 different map creations being uploaded to Steam.
What this has resulted in is over 1.3 million downloads of the maps, something the Valve was so chuffed about it decided to hold a weekend sale in honour of the success.
Available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 the game is the hugely successful sequal to the original Portal which gained a cult following when Valve released the Orange Box.
Gamers will no doubt be hoping that this will spur Valve on with their other projects leading to some form of Half-Life related announcement at E3 2012 this year.


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Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill on Monday making it legal for kids to sell lemonade at stands.
Before it became law, it was House Bill 234 and it was filed by Texas Representative Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth).
The bill called for allowing children to sell non-alcoholic beverages and host stands on private property.
Abbott says the bill was necessary after a 2015 incident in east Texas, where police shut down a lemonade stand two kids had put up to earn enough money for a Father's Day present.
The governor posted a video of himself signing the bill into law.
"Here's a common sense law. It allows kids to sell lemonade at lemonade stands," Abbott said. "So kids, cheers!"
The new law will go into effect Sept. 1.
READ MORE: Texas police shut down girls' lemonade stand, demand permit


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Customer service representatives at the call center of a company that sells internet-based home security systems were entitled to Sunday “premium pay” under state wage and hour law, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge in the Business Litigation Session has ruled.
The defendant employer, SimpliSafe, argued that it had no obligation to pay Sunday premium wages because the plaintiffs in the putative class action did not work in a “store or shop” that sold “goods” within the meaning of the Sunday pay statute, G.L.c. 136, §6.
But Judge Brian A. Davis rejected the notion that the statute applies only to employees working in traditional “brick-and-mortar” retail establishments.
“Nothing in the Sunday Pay Statute … mandates that a ‘store or shop’ possess a ‘storefront’ or a ‘physical space open to the general public’ in order to be subject to its requirements, nor would it be logical in this technology-driven day and age to imply such a mandate,” Davis wrote in denying the employer’s motion for summary judgment and in granting the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment.
The 16-page decision is Galloway, et al. v. SimpliSafe, Inc., et al.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Rachel Smit of Boston said in an email that her clients performed the type of work entitling them to premium pay as contemplated by the state law.
“Our clients were doing the same work that retail workers in brick-and-mortar stores routinely perform.”
— Rachel Smit, Boston
“Our clients were doing the same work that retail workers in brick-and-mortar stores routinely perform,” Smit said. “Judge Davis properly interpreted the Sunday pay statute in light of its remedial purpose and recognized that the rights of retail workers do not change even though the internet and new technologies may change the ways in which they interact with customers.”
Springfield employment attorney Jeffrey S. Morneau said he agreed with Davis’ decision.
“It seems clear that a store, shop, retail or service establishment doesn’t necessarily require a physical location that the public is using to shop,” Morneau said. “The judge recognized the change in the ways businesses do business and the ways people shop.”
The judge’s expansive interpretation of the Sunday pay statute was in line with precedent instructing courts to interpret the state’s wage laws broadly to protect workers, according to Adam M. Hamel, who represents employers in wage and hour litigation.
However, the Woburn attorney noted that Davis took pains to go as far as he could in interpreting the statute.
“A lot of employers are going to look at this and say the court did go well beyond what people typically think of when they think of a store or a shop,” he said.
The “silver lining” for employers, Hamel added, is that Sunday premium pay will be phased out over the next several years under the “grand bargain” reached by legislators in order to enact the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the Massachusetts Legislature began reducing Sunday pay by annually reducing the premium owed by 10 percent of the employee’s regular rate. By statute, an employer’s Sunday pay obligation ceases entirely on Jan. 1, 2023.
John S. Gannon, a management-side employment attorney in Springfield, said Galloway becomes more understandable when considering SimpliSafe was not operating a “call center” as most people would define the term.
“In my mind, you call a call center if you have issues with a product order or you need technical support,” Gannon said. “In this case, you had [a customer service team] that was really dedicated to selling products. If you look at it through that lens, how is it any different from a brick-and-mortar store?”
But while Gannon said he could see why the Sunday pay law would be extended to those customer service representatives who primarily deal with sales, he considered it a stretch for the judge to extend the statute to customer service reps whose sales responsibilities are merely incidental to their core technical support duties.
“Those are not the type of employees that would be in a traditional store or shop,” he said.
Gannon noted that Davis did rule in favor of the employer on the plaintiffs’ claim for compensation for pre-employment “growth sessions” required by the company as part of its hiring process.
“This was a win for employers,” Gannon said. “We got some clarity that [these growth sessions] were akin to filling out a job application and meeting with supervisors.”
Boston attorney Kevin M. McGinty, counsel for the defendant, did not respond to a request for comment.
Call center wage dispute
Defendant SimpliSafe designs, manufactures and sells wireless home security systems.
According to court records, the defendant sells 90 percent of its home security systems through its website. The company also sells its products through third-party retailers such as Best Buy and through SimpliSafe’s call center.
Customer service representatives working in the call center are divided into sales and technical support teams.
However, individual CSRs typically have significant overlap in terms of performing both sales and technical support duties. For example, it was undisputed that the three named plaintiffs in the case made more than 400 sales of SimpliSafe products worth more than $32,000 while working as members of the technical support team.
The plaintiffs were paid $15 an hour as full-time technical support CSRs at the Boston call center. The company did not pay them sales commissions.
All CSRs worked approximately 40 hours a week. With the company’s call center open seven days a week, employees frequently worked Sundays. SimpliSafe did not pay its CSRs Sunday premium pay. While it did in the past, the company eliminated the practice when it had trouble staffing the call center on Saturdays.
The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court in November 2017. The class action alleged that SimpliSafe violated the Wage Act by failing to pay the call center CSRs Sunday pay required under G.L.c. 136, §6. In addition, the plaintiffs alleged that the employer violated the Wage Act by failing to pay incoming employees for attendance at mandatory growth sessions conducted during the hiring process and by not compensating current employees for attendance at “volunteer day” events.
The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment on the plaintiffs’ claims.
Sunday pay granted
The Sunday pay statute exempts from the general statutory ban on Sunday business activities the “keeping open of a store or shop and the sale at retail of goods therein.” Under G.L.c. 136, §6(50), “[a]ny store or shop which qualifies for exemption … and which employs more than a total of seven persons” must pay Sunday premium pay to its employees. Until the recent amendments, Sunday premium pay traditionally had been one and a half times the employee’s regular rate.
As a threshold issue, the defendant argued that the plaintiffs had no private right of action under the Wage Act for Sunday premium pay required under G.L.c. 136, §6. According to the defendant, the Attorney General’s Office had exclusive authority to enforce Sunday pay violations.
Davis found that argument unavailing in light of a string of Supreme Judicial Court decisions recognizing an employee’s right to bring claims for lost wages and benefits, even when vindicating employment rights established under provisions other than the Wage Act.
Next, the judge found without merit the defendant’s contention that SimpliSafe’s call center was not a “store or shop” within the meaning of the Sunday pay statute. The defendant cited a 2018 Superior Court decision, Bassett v. Triton Technologies, Inc., for the proposition that a call center is not a “store or shop” engaged in the “sale at retail of goods” under G.L.c. 136 §6(50).
But Davis found Triton distinguishable in that the workers in that case did not “sell” anything, merely taking orders as a ministerial function. Moreover, unlike the employer in Triton, SimpliSafe paid state sales tax on each of its call center transactions.
“Thus, [SimpliSafe] Call Center personnel undeniably engage in ‘the sale of retail goods,’ which employees at Triton’s call-in center did not,” the judge wrote.
While ruling against SimpliSafe on the plaintiffs’ Sunday pay claim, Davis granted a defense motion for summary judgment on the plaintiffs’ claim that the company was required to compensate prospective employees for attending growth sessions conducted during the hiring process.
Davis wrote that “it is neither unreasonable, nor unlawful for SimpliSafe to not compensate job candidates who attend one of its growth sessions because they simply are not ‘employees’ of the Company.”
Finally, he concluded that genuine issues of material fact precluded a decision on summary judgment as to whether SimpliSafe had a legal obligation to pay any employees for attending team-building events.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) -Retailers ranging from Walmart (NYSE:WMT) to Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS_old) are installing cameras or locking away items to deter shoplifters and thieves as they brace for a post-pandemic rush of holiday shoppers this year.
Some, including Walmart, J.C. Penney, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). and Walgreens, put in place new surveillance systems or more security guards. Others, like Target (NYSE:TGT) and Barnes & Noble, sealed merchandise behind plexiglass or tethered it with steel cables to store shelves.
The retail industry has decried theft this holiday season as it struggles with excess inventories and a pullback in consumer spending at a time of high inflation.
“Sales are suppressed. Profits are being punished at the time of the highest inflation in 42 years. And now with the cost of preventing crime going up, that’s going to be passed along in higher prices,” said Burt Flickinger, managing director at retail consulting firm Strategic Resource Group.
The effect on holiday sales and profits “will be horrific,” he added. “Nowadays you can see shampoos are locked up, along with acetaminophen and Tylenol and multipacks of toothpaste locked up…. people planning to shop in stores will not want to go in to these locked and over-secured stores. So overall retailers lose both the planned purchase and the impulse purchases.”
Crime has been in the spotlight since a spate of brazen, violent store thefts – including a “smash and grab” incident during the holiday season last year where 80 people rushed into a Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) near San Francisco and ran out with armfuls of merchandise, injuring five employees. One survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) cited a 26.5% jump last year in “organized retail crime” carried out by groups of people.
But it is unclear whether overall U.S. retail crime is on the rise, with little data available on the problem. Total losses from shoplifting, theft, fraud and errors for U.S. retailers in 2021 remained steady at an average rate of 1.4% of total sales, as it had been over the previous five years.
Still, retailers are diverting more resources towards security this quarter, which could add pressure on margins already squeezed by higher gas, transportation, labor and raw material costs.
Part of the problem is that prosecuting petty crime is a hassle, and some states raised their thresholds for the value of merchandise stolen to around $1,000 to trigger a felony charge.
That puts the onus on preventing crime in the first place, especially during the Thanksgiving weekend that is expected to see a record shopper turnout. The busy holiday season represents nearly 20% of total U.S. retail sales for the year.
SURVEILLANCE AND STROBE LIGHTS
A sign of the times can be seen in the small communities of Paducah, Kentucky, and Opelika, Alabama, where Walmart, J.C. Penney, Walgreens and other major retailers have brought in large, mobile surveillance units that record all activity in their parking lots.
Walmart, for example, said it has nine surveillance units outside three massive Supercenter stores in both cities. One of the retailer’s stores in Virginia on Tuesday was the scene of the latest mass shooting in the United States, when a manager opened fire and killed six people before turning the gun on himself.
In Paducah and Opelika, the units provided by LiveView Technologies as part of a pilot offer 24-hour video footage to retailers so they can alert authorities of any suspicious activity, said Brian Laird, Paducah’s chief of police. They also have flashing strobe lights and loud speakers to warn potential thieves that their actions are being observed.
Others retailers have focused their anti-theft efforts inside their stores. A Target in White Plains, New York, for example, placed all Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) cosmetics behind locked plexiglass.
At a Barnes & Noble in the Galleria Mall in White Plains, American Girl ‘Wellie Wisher’ dolls are shackled to the shelves with electronic ties. At another Barnes & Noble store in Manhattan, customers have to carry empty Lego set boxes to cashiers and receive the pieces after their purchase.
Major consumer products companies such as Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) are annoyed – and so are shoppers.
P&G last week said it is investing in in-store displays to avoid having its razor blades stuck in glass casing, while shoppers complain the locked displays and cables slow them down and force them to find staff who can set the merchandise free.
“Target has a new feature!” TikTok user @manifest_makeup wrote in the caption of a video shared in September with her 20,000 followers. “Everything is now behind glass just like Walmart!”
Rex Freiberger, a 40-year-old Los Angeles resident, says he has noticed “more and more items” placed behind plexiglass at the Walmart where he shops for holiday gifts.
“My biggest pet peeve about having so many items behind locked doors is when stores don’t have enough workers on the floor to help unlock those doors,” he said.
Retailers rarely openly acknowledge the threat of theft or crime because they generally don’t want to spook shoppers.
But Target last week said it saw a “precipitous decline” in discretionary spending and disclosed that theft could wipe out more than $600 million in gross profit this year. That represents nearly 2% of the $31 billion in gross profits it earned last year.
“Along with other retailers, we’ve seen a significant increase in theft and organized retail crime across our business,” Target CEO Brian Cornell told investors on a November 16 conference call.
“As a result, we’re making significant investments in training and technology that can deter theft and keep our guests and store team members safe.”
Apple started posting a plainclothes security guard at its stores more often in recent weeks after thieves at a few locations stole iPhones straight out of employees’ hands, a person familiar with the matter said.
At one U.S. store, an undercover guard roams the floor during the five busiest days of the week, up from two to three days a week a few months ago, the source said.


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More from Coolsmartphone
- Apple – That Just Takes The Biscuit!
- Throwback: Nokia 2600
- Karbonn Mobile mark their UK launch with a Black Friday price-drop
- Coolsmartphone Podcast 202 Matteo’s Bitter
- LG announce the QuickCircle case for the G3
- Windows Mobile-powered Samsung i900 on show
- CoolSmartPhone – now on Sky TV!
- HTC announce the Desire 626 for the UK


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QITLabs announces the addition of two new features to their mobile GPS tracking app MapME.net. The GPS phone tracker now encompasses battery alerts and device managers to increase functionality, security, and customer satisfaction.
Android app @ hellotracks the only mobile application and web platform for tracking, route recording, navigation and communication launches a new version and it is completely free!
By Voyage Manager Ltd
Voyage manager Ltd, a company that specializes in travel tracking solutions, has recently announced its partnership with FindWhere; a company that provides location tracking of Windows Mobile, Android, Blackberry, iPhone and Symbian based phones.
By John Scott
Voyage Manager has just added a new independent device tracking application to its already comprehensive list of features making it the most complete and all-encompassing Travel Management solution on the market.
By John Scott
By adding its latest feature - a device tracking system - Voyage Manager has once again moved the world of travel management forward; becoming the only company who manages every step of the journey from itinerary management, to device tracking.
By Scott Poliseno
Produce Results has launched a new sophisticated phone tracking system that is affordable for all businesses. The phone tracking system will allow businesses to track the source of their phone leads all the way down to a specific search phrase.


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Developers of Mead Square Commons, a new multi-use facility nearing completion at 49 Main St. in Victor, filed an appeal with the State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in a case against the Village Victor.
Developers of a new multi-use facility nearing completion at 49 Main St. in Victor had once hoped to include a Subway franchise among the retailers in their new space. But Village of Victor code prohibits “formula fast food” restaurants in the central historic district, in order “to maintain Victor’s unique village character, the vitality of its commercial districts, and the quality of life of its residents.” In June 2011 Kevin and Anita Bruckner, along with their business partner, Jim Knittel, filed a lawsuit claiming that the code is unlawful, invalid and unenforceable. In October 2011 an Ontario County Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of the Village of Victor and upheld the zoning code.
The developers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York, in a case that was heard on July 6, 2012. The original ruling in favor of the Village of Victor was upheld, specifically because the Bruckners were the landlords of Mead Square Commons and not the operator of the business in question. It also determined that the code did not “excessively regulate the details” of the Bruckners’ business operation.
“We're not surprised by the decision and only mildly disappointed,” said Kevin Bruckner. “We still believe that we have a very valid common sense argument. It would have been interesting to learn what the results would have been if Subway had brought the suit instead of us.”
Subway may be out, but yogurt is in — though the space won’t go to local entrepreneurs.
“We had several local business people approach us about opening a frozen yogurt restaurant,” said Bruckner. “Some of those people lived in Victor. Most said they were buying a franchise and I had to tell them that they would be prohibited from operating their business in our building due to the FFFR ordinance.”
Yotality, an independently owned and operated frozen yogurt business with one other location in Pittsford is expected to be one of the new tenants.
“We hope to have all the new businesses in Mead Square Commons open by Sept. 1 and the luxury apartments complete by Hang Around Victor Day so we can have an open house,” said Bruckner.