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HELENA — The Capital Club Cigar Lounge in Helena has moved to a new location.
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Ken Weinheimer opened Capital Club Cigar Lounge two years ago behind Rocky Mountain Liquor Store, also owned by Weinheimer.
The new location is next to Dotty’s Casino at 1800 Cedar Avenue in what used to be Northside Liquor and Wine. It features a central area, game room, kitchen, and conference room—all available to be rented by members.
Weinheimer said, “One of the biggest reasons we had for moving here is that we had too many members at such a small location, so it was time to just get into a bigger location.”
The club has over 50 members, and they have day passes if you want to try it out. Prices range from $40 per month to $85 per month.
“The reason people like to come to lounges like this is they get to come here and have the exclusivity and the anonymity of being in here. It’s amazing who comes in here. It’s amazing who some of the members are, and it’s a lot more popular of a thing than I think most would think,” said Weinheimer.
A public grand opening for the new location is happening this Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Liquor Store.
At 6 p.m., a members and member guests-only celebration kicks off at the new location on Cedar Ave.
Two out-of-state guests will showcase their products at Rocky Mountain Liquor Store: Justice Israel, the Pacific Northwest area manager for Whistlepig Whiskey, and Glen Case, owner of Kristoff Cigars.
Israel said, “We don’t have a cool cigar bar just because our state laws are so different; it’s something that both people in Helena and Montana, in general, can be proud of.”
“I call it the equalizer: a cigar brings everyone together. I don’t care what you do for a living [or] How much you make; a cigar truly brings people together, and it initiates friendships and conversations. There are very few cigar lounges like Ken’s in the country, and I’ve been in thousands of them, and he is right up there to the best that I’ve seen,” Case said.
The new location also has a piece of history: the back bar from the bar fight scene in the 1992 movie “A River Runs Through It.”
The back bar will be used as a display when cigar manufacturers showcase their products to club members.
For more information and if you would like to become a member, visit capitalclubmt.com.


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Ship orders boost technology industry order books; Finland needs more significant investments
The information is based on the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries’ survey of new orders, order books and personnel development between October and December.
The economy is moving to the right direction. The turnover of technology industry companies in Finland grew by 10 per cent in 2017, amounting to EUR 74.1 billion. Half of the increase was attributable to increased production volumes and half to increased prices of raw materials and components.
The technology industry companies that took part in the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries’ survey of order books reported that the monetary value of new orders between October and December was as much as 54 per cent higher than in the preceding quarter and 40 per cent higher than in the corresponding period in 2016. At the end of December, the value of order books was 11 per cent higher than at the end of September and 25 per cent higher than in December 2016.
The jump is due to two large ship orders in particular, and also a drop during the preceding quarter. The level of orders rose to a higher level a year ago, but remained stagnant since then until the upswing brought on by the ship orders. Situations continue to vary considerably between individual companies.
The number of personnel in technology industry grew by slightly more than two per cent in 2017. On average, the industry employed 297,000 people.
Catching up requires significant changes
Despite the robust growth of the Finnish economy in 2017, it still lags behind its main competitors. In comparison to the levels reported in 2008, the gap between the GDP in Finland and the rest of the euro area is eight per cent. In exports, Finland lags behind by as much as 40 per cent.
According to calculations commissioned from Statistics Finland and Finnish customs, total manufacturing turnover in Finland in 2017 remained EUR 24 billion and goods exports EUR seven billion below the levels reported in 2008. Personnel numbers dropped by 93,000 in total.
This is mainly explained by the contraction of turnover and production of large manufacturing enterprises in Finland, which also has an effect on their subcontractors. This development is not due to creative destruction, because the large manufacturing enterprises have grown, but the growth has taken place outside Finland.
“This is due to the operating environment of companies – of all sizes – and the ability of Finland to attract business. There is no magic pill. Instead, a wide range of steps is required, as well as vast amounts of new investment. This enables Finland to finance the welfare state,” says Jorma Turunen, CEO of Technology Industries of Finland.
“Decision-makers should stay focused and not wait until the next government term.
Public RDI support should be restored to the same level as in the competitor countries, and a tax roadmap should be introduced to create competitive advantage. It is also important to use all means necessary to secure the availability of skilled labour. This includes promoting labour immigration,” Turunen says.
Industrial peace and responsible wage settlements
Eeva-Liisa Inkeroinen, Executive Vice President at the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, emphasises the importance of industrial peace and responsible labour market negotiations. For achieving competitiveness and growth, it is vital that all sectors keep to the agreed cost level.
“The Bank of Finland and the Ministry of Finance have based their growth forecasts on responsible wage behaviour and continued improvement of Finland’s competitiveness. Losing momentum would be a costly mistake in terms of employment.”
“I find the thought of disruptions of industrial peace extremely unpleasant. Hopefully shipments of exports, important as they are, keep running smoothly and production will not be interrupted by political demonstrations. Disruptions would be a blow to the cooperation between social partners and trust in the labour markets, even if there is no infringement of Finnish law,” Inkeroinen says.
Jukka Palokangas, Chief Economist, phone +358 40 750 5469

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Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC (“CD&R”) and Patron Capital Partners (“Patron”) today announce that funds managed by CD&R will be partnering with the management of Motor Fuel Group (“MFG” or the "Company") to acquire the Company from Patron in a transaction valued at approximately £500 million. The transaction is expected to close in July, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
MFG, acquired by Patron in 2011, is the number two independent petrol and convenience retailer in the UK. Through a series of strategic acquisitions, Patron and MFG management have grown the Company from 48 sites in 2011 to a current total of 373 sites, in addition to operating a dealer network of more than 200 sites. These locations operate under the BP, Shell, Texaco and Jet brands and have retail partnerships with Costcutter and Costa Coffee. The Company generated over £1bn of pro forma sales in 2014, and was this year ranked ninth in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 list, which ranks private companies by profit growth.
Stephen Green, Senior Partner at Patron, commented: “We have been delighted with our investment in MFG. Together with the management team and Alasdair Locke, we have succeeded in taking a complex property-backed business, driving operational efficiencies and rapidly transforming the Company into a stable, profitable operating platform with potential for future growth. The success of MFG - one of our largest investments to date and a highly profitable one - highlights the strength of our strategy of investing opportunistically in property-backed investments across Western Europe.”
“MFG is a well- positioned, growing and cash-generative business in a stable industry with an improving competitive environment that favours independent operators,” said CD&R Partner David Novak. “Alasdair Locke and the strong MFG management team have created a valuable portfolio of petrol and convenience retail outlets which we intend to further enhance and expand.”
Alasdair Locke, Chairman of MFG, commented: “We thank the Patron team for helping us become one of the largest, most dynamic and profitable independent petrol and convenience retail operators in the UK, and we are delighted to be partnering with CD&R. The firm’s reputation for operational excellence and deep consumer and retail experience will be especially useful as we move the business forward to the next stage of profitable growth.”
Marco Herbst, a Partner at CD&R, commented: “We look forward to building on MFG management team’s success and continuing to accelerate the company’s transformation into a best-in-class petrol and convenience retailer.”
Alasdair Locke will remain Chairman of MFG. Sir Terry Leahy, a Senior Advisor to CD&R’s Funds, former chief executive of Tesco and current Chairman of B&M European Value Retail, will join the board as well.
CD&R was advised by Clifford Chance, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Ernst & Young and OC&C.
Patron was advised by Travers Smith and MFG was advised by Pinsent Masons


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The social network market might currently be dominated by Facebook with more than 800 million users, but that does not mean the company can rest on its laurels. AllThingsD reports that the Facebook Open Graph will roll out on the social network’s ecosystem sometime this week, delivering even more “read, watch, listen” applications for the user to go nuts with. Just what do Open Graph apps do? For starters, it will be able to track what you eat, where and how far you have run, and even down to nitty gritty details such as purchases that you make at the local grocery store. Just a little bit of background here, Open Graph apps are actually the last bit of what Facebook announced at its f8 Developers’ Conference in San Francisco in September 2011, and will offer the finishing touch to Timeline.
According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year, “We think that people are going to want to share all kinds of things with their lives and we think that apps are the way they want to show them.” Facebook has this particularly strong belief that the most effective method of discovering apps would be through social connections, hence you might notice that there is no such thing as an app store in Facebook, and the Open Graph was specially designed for such a time as this.


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Within the past ten years, the European Union (EU) has enacted laws creating a “right to be forgotten.” The basic
What better way to showcase the future of mobility than by unveiling a giant, expensive luxury sedan?
The wireless earbuds are backordered for six weeks at the Apple Store. But you can get them right away through Amazon if you’re willing to pay a premium.
Microsoft’s next Surface event is happening on Monday, where it’s rumored to be announcing an update to its Surface Pro line.


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The federal government announced changes to some labor rules with the publication of the Decree No. 10,854, at the end of November. Among them are changes in the use of food stamps and food stamps, which give workers more options to choose where to eat.
The rule establishes that establishments accept all food and meal voucher options and the possibility of portability of credit between the different types of brands.
Restaurants, however, can choose not to accept food stamps and food stamps as a form of payment. However, if they validate the practice, they must comply with the new criteria and make no distinctions between the cards.
“Based on the effectiveness of the rule, the worker will be able to eat at any institution that accepts the voucher and, with that, you put the worker paying cheaper meals due to competition and also having a greater number of options, managing to better adjust their preferences to the availability of restaurants”, said Bruno Silva Dalcolmo, executive secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare.
Another novelty is the possibility of transferring the credit accumulated on one card to another with a different brand without additional amounts.
According to the federal government, the decree aims to open the market for food stamp companies, which currently “is dominated by four large companies that are responsible for the entire process, since the signing of the agreement”.
“It is these four companies that have the ability to retain PAT beneficiary companies, to accredit the restaurants, to pay them and, with that, they gain a very large margin of maneuver and market power,” said the secretary .
According to Luiz Antonio dos Santos Junior, partner in the labor area of Veirano Advogados, “one of the concerns about this new rule is the increase in the practice of selling the benefit, an action that is considered a crime”.
In addition, Filipe Richter, partner in the tax area of Veirano, draws attention to another point: the value of the voucher used for other purposes, making it a supplement to the salary.
“This would influence the calculation of the tax to be paid by companies and by the worker. The labor reform resolved the issue, moving food away from the base, except if the payment is in cash”, explains Richer.
“Companies need to be careful when hiring these cards. It is important to pay attention to the type of benefit, the conditions for hiring, whether there is a discount at the time of purchase, analyzing the jurisprudence on the subject and the tax authorities’ position on the matter”, he adds.
The decree makes it mandatory for companies registered in the Workers’ Food Program (PAT) to adapt to the new rules within 18 months. According to the federal government, the deadline makes it possible for operators to redesign their strategies in accordance with the new rules.
Reference: CNN Brasil


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About.me spins back out of AOL
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About.me, a personal identity website, is spinning out of AOL, 2 years after the media conglomerate purchased the then just-launched startup.
About.me is a platform of personal pages that wants to be the easiest, best place for people to learn about other people on the web. Its pages offer a place to aggregate and curate an identity, rather than leaving it up to search engines to decide what the most relevant information about a person is.
Ryan Freitas and Tony Conrad, who co-founded the company, said in a letter to About.me users, that they're spinning out the company and backing it, along with a group of investors. Frietas and Conrad said they'll remain in their roles as cofounders and that the management team will mostly remain in tact.
"Our commitment is to make about.me the web’s starting point for identity — we believe everyone will eventually have an about.me page they integrate into their email signature, add to their Twitter bio or embed in one of their blogs. Very few products have a legitimate shot at becoming ubiquitous and we think building about.me as an independent company is the best way to get there," the founders said in their letter (read it here).
AOL purchased about.me in 2011 for a reported $25 million, according to BusinessInsider. And the New York Times reported Tuesday that About.me's founders paid a fraction of that price to buy it back.
I haven't thought much about my about.me profile (aboutme/lriddellsf) since I signed up for one a couple years ago. It doesn't rank highly in google searches. And it's been visited just 371 times in the two years its been active according to about.me analytics provided to users — dismal results for a journalist
Lindsay Riddell covers energy and cleantech for the San Francisco Business Times.
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AmEx Goes Bold With Its New Prepaid, Reloadable Card Product
NEW YORK-American Express Co. is making its boldest move yet in the prepaid market by introducing a reloadable card that carries almost no fees.
Instead of charging cardholders for activating, reloading or replacing lost cards-standard practice in the prepaid market-the company will make its money on the product primarily from the fees retailers pay when consumers make purchases. AmEx's merchant rates traditionally have been higher than those of the other payment networks. "We thought to ourselves...how could we create a fee-free product and basically make money on the discount rate associated when a customer uses a card at a merchant, either online or offline," Dan Schulman, AmEx's group president for enterprise growth, told American Banker, an affiliate of Credit Union Journal.
The company unveiled the American Express Prepaid Card recently. By appealing to a wider swath of customers than the well-heeled credit and charge card customers with whom its brand has long been associated, Amex plans to garner additional transaction volume. Industry wide, cardholder spending has shifted from credit toward debit cards in recent years.
An Amex spokesperson said its prepaid merchant discount rates will be lower than those for credit and charge cards. AmEx also plans to charge for ATM withdrawals, and to potentially make money through partnerships with retailers that would sell the cards in their stores. It will not charge for currency conversion, as many prepaid providers do.
Prepaid cards are "an extremely fast-growing piece of the overall payments industry, and we think it will actually accelerate in growth," Schulman said.
Customers will be able to reload funds onto the card from a bank account. The company is offering a free ATM withdrawal each month but will charge $2 for subsequent withdrawals, American Banker reported.
"It sounds like a dramatically simple fee structure," said Lauren Saunders, a managing attorney with the National Consumer Law Center. "I would imagine that people will take notice."
Prepaid card fees have caught the attention of consumer advocates and regulators.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the state is investigating five prepaid card companies, including Russell Simmons' UniRush LLC, NetSpend Holdings Inc. and AccountNow Inc., for hidden fees and other practices.
The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has jurisdiction over rules governing card products, is expected to hone in on prepaid card fee disclosures in the future.
AmEx considered advocate and consumer feedback when developing its prepaid card but did not design it to appease regulators, Schulman said.
"We designed it with the marketplace in mind," he said.
The company has dabbled in this market with various gift card programs and recent marketing partnerships, including ones with Target Corp. and AAA.
It recently announced a deal with AOL Inc.'s Patch news network to market Serve, a digital payments service Amex announced in March that includes a prepaid card.
The new prepaid card "helps extend [AmEx's customer base] out in a secure fashion so they don't take on a ton of credit risk," said Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.
Another reason banks like prepaid cards is because they are exempt from the Federal Reserve Board's caps on debit card interchange fees scheduled to take effect July 21. The caps could wipe out as much as $14 billion of revenue for large banks, according to some estimates.
The amount of money put on reloadable, "open-loop" prepaid cards, which carry the brand of a major network like Visa Inc. or MasterCard Inc., will climb to $202 billion in the U.S. in 2013, from about $29 billion in 2009, according to Mercator Advisory Group.


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Following its September 2023 rebranding, Justin Sun’s cryptocurrency exchange HTX faced two significant hacking incidents, with the latest attack resulting in a $97 million loss.
Bitcoin (BTC) $37,750.11 1.20%Ethereum (ETH) $2,031.99 1.63%BNB (BNB) $227.63 1.19%XRP (XRP) $0.603506 1.75%Cardano (ADA) $0.374673 3.24%Solana (SOL) $59.69 2.60%Dogecoin (DOGE) $0.082182 2.03%Polkadot (DOT) $5.17 2.84%Shiba Inu (SHIB) $0.000008 1.54%Dai (DAI) $0.996781 0.08%TRON (TRX) $0.103122 0.47%Polygon (MATIC) $0.76595 0.12%Avalanche (AVAX) $21.03 1.55%Uniswap (UNI) $5.91 5.76%Litecoin (LTC) $69.54 0.81%
In a significant move to regulate the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency market, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued 146 alerts related to cryptoasset promotions within the first 24 hours of implementing its new crypto marketing regime.
Both Coinbase and Huobi Global Advisory Board member Justin Sun have been charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in recent days.
4500 people from more than 100 countries gathered together to shape the future of cryptocurrencies at the 10th anniversary Forum, known as Crypto Whales meeting point.
Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, has experienced a significant drop in price on March 2, leading to over $200 million in long liquidations across various crypto derivative exchanges.
On February 15th, the third round of Blur airdrops was released, and its tokens were officially launched on exchanges such as Okex, Huobi, Coinbase, Bitget and others.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a slew of institutional reports looking back at the crypto winter of the past year and offering an outlook for 2023.
Christmas is just around the corner, and many crypto platforms are offering exciting promotions for their users.
After SBF’s FTX platform thundered in dramatic fashion, the entire crypto market quickly plunged into panic.
The official FTX exchange stated that it has reached an agreement with TRON, and holders of TRX, BTT, JST, SUN and HT will exchange assets from FTX to external wallets 1:1.
Justin Sun, founder of TRON and advisor to Huobi Global, said in an article.
According to official news, the USDD/HT trading pair has officially landed on Huobi Global. USDD/HT spot transactions can enjoy zero transaction fees.
According to Etherscan data, the two new addresses (addresses starting with 0x0511 and addresses starting with 0x1205) have accumulated nearly 74 million HT in total.
On October 8, Huobi announced that the controlling shareholder company has transferred all the shares of HuobiGlobal held by the fund of About Capital Management, and the buyout fund of About Capital Management has become the largest shareholder and actual controller of HuobiGlobal.
HuobiGlobal’s controlling shareholder company has transferred all the shares of HuobiGlobal it holds to funds under About Capital Management.
DOT teams up with thousands of brands to offer valuable direct advertising opportunities.
Sort out the important historical processes of the crpyto industry in 2022.


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Michelle Obama scolded the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) at their meeting in Washington on Tuesday for not doing enough to reduce childhood obesity—and, in fact, for contributing to it. But if the assembled representatives of PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Kraft, Krispy Kreme, McDonald's, ConAgra, and other food and beverage manufacturers and fast-food chains were offended by the criticism, they never let on. Instead they laughed in all the right places, and gave her a standing ovation.
THE DETAILS: A press release for the lobbying group said GMA members are “enthusiastic supporters of Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative and its goal of solving childhood obesity.”
Do they have a choice?
It's not the first time that the food industry has been censured for its contribution to the childhood-obesity epidemic. Part of what makes the food makers willing to turn the other cheek is that this time they were upbraided by the first lady—not some Nutritional Nazi, as they've described most people who have criticized them in the past. And another part of it is that they don’t want to buck the trend toward more healthful food.
And certainly part of their acceptance is due to Mrs. Obama's skill at mixing praise with criticism and humor. She complimented them on what they have done right, she pleaded with them as parents, she appealed to their better natures.
In conversations with several officials of the association after her speech, they offered supportive statements: “We’ve never had this kind of leadership at the White House.”
“She didn’t talk about blame.” “She didn’t say there are good foods and bad foods.” In fact, GMA insists that its members have already done a lot of what Mrs. Obama is suggesting: reducing the fat, calories, sugar or salt in 10,000 products, and following voluntary guidelines about what is advertised on children's programming. So, problem solved, right?
WHAT IT MEANS: While the first lady acknowledged that GMA members had done some good things, she said they hadn’t gone far enough or fast enough. And she was highly critical of the labeling on food packaging, not only the incomprehensible 10-syllable words, but the need to do “long division with these portion sizes.”
In her remarks to the food makers, she called them out repeatedly, making it clear that she is on to all their tricks: “We need you not just to tweak around the edges, but to entirely rethink the products that you’re offering, the information that you provide about these products, and how you market those products to our children.
That starts with revamping or ramping up your efforts to reformulate your products, particularly those aimed at kids, so that they have less fat, salt, and sugar, and more of the nutrients that our kids need."
Here are some other challenges Michelle Obama gave to the food industry—and tactics that parents should watch out for until things change.
Don't hide unhealthy ingredients behind a healthy label. Mrs. Obama acknowledged that the changes she called for can’t happen overnight, but said that it doesn't excuse attempts to disguise unhealthy food. “Adding a little bit of vitamin C to a product with lots of sugar, or a gram of fiber to a product with tons of fat, doesn’t suddenly make those products good for our kids," she said.
What parents can do: Read ingredient labels, not just the marketing copy. Be aware of tricks that grocery stores use to get you to buy overpriced, unhealthy food.
Stop bombarding kids with ads. Next, she swooped in on how the food companies' marketing influences children. “Our kids didn’t learn about the latest sweets and snack foods on their own," she said. "They hear about these products from advertisements on TV, the Internet, video games, schools, many other places." The effects of the ad blitz, she noted, are familiar to any parent. "We’ve all had to endure those impassioned pleas in the grocery store for one product or another. Some of us have been treated to full-scale reenactments of TV commercials and jingles, word for word, right on key.”
What parents can do: Limit TV time to the American Adacemy of Pediatrics' recommended 2 hours per day. Counterbalance screen time with exercise and activity.
Market healthy food as effectively as you're marketing unhealthy food. Acknowledging the food industry's voluntary commitment to limit marketing to children as an important step, Mrs. Obama nevertheless pointed out that a recent study found that while there were fewer food ads in children’s programming, more than 70 percent of foods that were being marketed to kids were among the least healthy.
And less than 1 percent were among the most healthy. The first lady said it isn’t enough for companies to limit advertisements for unhealthy foods. “It’s going to be so critical to increase marketing for foods that are healthy," she said. "This isn’t about finding creative ways to market products as healthy; it’s about producing products that actually are healthy.”
What parents can do: Educate yourself about the calories in soda and juice, talk to the lunch staff at your child's school, and consider starting a garden with your children this spring.
And there may be one more reason why the first lady's audience was so receptive to her message: She praised their skill and appealed to their collective ego. “If there is anyone here who can sell food to our kids, it’s you," she told them. "You know what gets them to drive their parents crazy in the grocery store. And I’m here today to ask you to use that knowledge and that power to our kids’ advantage. I’m asking you to actively promote healthy foods and healthy habits to our kids."
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Concur Breeze leverages direct data feed from American Express Commercial Card to help mid-market companies better manage cash flow, save time and improve efficiency --
REDMOND, Wash., June 2, 2010 – American Express and Concur (Nasdaq: CNQR), the world's leading provider of on-demand employee spend management services, extended their partnership today with the launch of Concur® Breeze, an online expense reporting service for American Express Commercial Card mid-market clients that automates and streamlines the submission, review and approval of all business expenses – including T&E, office supplies, advertising, shipping, telecommunications and more. Concur Breeze provides advanced expense reporting capabilities in a cost-effective, easy-to-manage online solution.
Concur Breeze is quick and easy to set up. It streamlines the entire expense management process by automatically creating expense reports using electronic data imported from American Express commercial card products, thereby delivering higher quality, more robust and more detailed data. By automating the entire process and eliminating the need for paper receipts, spreadsheets, and lengthy reimbursement cycles, Concur Breeze reduces the cost, time and hassle associated with expense reporting – simplifying bookkeeping and helping companies better track costs and manage cash.
Mid-market companies that integrate expense report systems directly with corporate cards and other commercial payments realize greater efficiency and reduce costs across the entire scope of travel and entertainment expense management, according to a recent research report on the benefits of Corporate Card and Expense Reporting Integration from Aberdeen Group. The companies included in the report achieved nearly 90% lower percentage of expense reports submitted with errors, 66% lower costs to process a single expense report, and 28% higher rate of compliance. A free copy of this report is available at www.concurbreeze.com/americanexpresscorporatecard.
"Concur Breeze is designed to address the unique needs of mid-market companies looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency with an automated expense reporting process,” said Elena Donio, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Emerging Business for Concur. “We’re excited to extend our partnership with American Express to deliver this exclusive service that uses the latest technology to bypass previous barriers to automation within this market segment.”
“Concur Breeze brings ‘software as a service’ functionality for automated expense management into the middle market at an attractive price point,” said Sara Tresch, Vice President of Business Development, Global Commercial Card for American Express. “This extension of our partnership with Concur allows us to provide unique value to our joint customers and ultimately deliver savings and efficiencies to employees and their companies.”
An exclusive 60-day free trial of Concur Breeze is available to American Express Commercial Card clients. Learn more at www.concurbreeze.com/americanexpresscorporatecard.


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Supermarket giant insists “nothing has changed” on its plans for new Ely store
- Credit: Archant
News that Tesco has mothballed a new superstore in Chatteris – just weeks short of its planned opening date – will have no bearing on its plans for a new Ely store – the company has announced.
It was revealed by our sister paper the Cambs Times this week that Tesco’s £22 million 47,000 square feet Chatteris store – due to open in November with the prospect of 250 jobs - is to be mothballed and temporarily boarded up.
The company dropped the bombshell at the weekend – just weeks after it appointed a new chief executive, Dave Lewis, to stem falling profits.
The company told councillors in Chatteris that it was “slowing down” its store opening programme, which sparked fears for the future of its planned relocation in Ely.
But, on Thursday, Bryn Woodward, corporate affairs manager, said that the situation in Chatteris was “unrelated” to the company’s plans is Ely and that “nothing had changed” in its commitment to move.
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Back in November, Healy Investments was granted planning permission, in principle, by East Cambridgeshire District Council to build a new Tesco superstore in Angel Drove, a few hundreds yards along the A142 from its current site.
The scheme will also include a hotel, a restaurant overlooking a water feature, a petrol station, seven retail units including a DIY store, and an office.
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It is hoped that, if Tesco moves, its former store site will be cleared and become part of the planned ‘station gateway’ development – set to feature houses, shops and an upgraded railway station entrance.


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Former Huawei sub-brand and Chinese handset maker Honor has pulled its team from India amid geopolitical tensions, claims a report. This development comes amid the Indian government’s tightened scrutiny and investigations of several major Chinese smartphone brands like Vivo and Xiaomi.
According to a report by South China Morning Post, Honor’s CEO Zhao Ming, the company, which was previously under Huawei Technologies Co, has pulled its team from India. The Shenzhen-based company’s Indian business will remain in operation, managed by local partners, Zhao was quoted as saying by the SCMP report, but the brand will adopt a “very safe approach”.
Chinese conglomerate Huawei and its former sub-brand Honor were hit hard by the US sanctions in 2019. To help the former sub-brand bypass trade restrictions imposed by the US, Huawei in 2020 sold the brand to a consortium led by the Shenzhen government. Last October, Honor restarted its partnership with Google and launched a handset equipped with Google apps outside its home turf China.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued searches at the premises of Chinese companies in a money laundering case, Wang Xiaojian, counsellor and spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in India, said the frequent investigations by Indian authorities into Chinese enterprises “chill the confidence and willingness of market entities from other countries, including those from China to invest in India”.
As the ED raided 44 locations in 22 states on Tuesday and Wednesday, the directors of some of the companies associated with Vivo fled India.
According to sources, two of the Chinese directors of Solan, a Himachal Pradesh-based company, that was associated with Vivo, have likely fled India, as ED registered a prevention of money laundering case.
The Chinese nationals were made directors in the Indian entities with fake documents.
The enforcement agency has so far received information about money laundering worth Rs 10,000 crore during the raids, according to ED sources.
The Chinese embassy spokesperson said that the “frequent investigations by Indian authorities into Chinese enterprises not only disrupt normal business activities and damage the goodwill, but also impede the improvement of business environment in India”.


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Snap’s bad year continues.
Snap on Thursday reported revenue of $1.13 billion for the three months ending in September, a slight 6% increase from the year prior and less than Wall Street had expected, as the company confronts tightening advertiser budgets in an uncertain economy.
In a letter to investors, Snapchat’s parent company said its revenue growth was slowed by several factors, including growing competition and jitters from the advertisers who make up its core business.
“We are finding that our advertising partners across many industries are decreasing their marketing budgets, especially in the face of operating environment headwinds, inflation-driven cost pressures, and rising costs,” the company said in the letter.
Shares of Snap fell nearly 25% in after hours trading following the earnings report.
Snap’s report kicks off what is expected to be a sobering tech earnings period, as layoff announcements, hiring freezes and other cost-cutting measures have become increasingly common in the industry amid fears of a looming recession.
Snap helped set off a wave of anxiety among tech investors when it warned in May that the economy had worsened faster than it expected, cutting into its revenue and profit forecast for the quarter. In late August, Snap announced plans to lay off some 20% of its more than 6,400 global employees, or more than 1,200 staffers.
Like other tech companies, Snap has had to confront headwinds from rising inflation, a stronger dollar and broader economic jitters that are leading some advertisers and consumers to rethink their spending in the United States and abroad.
Snap has also faced increasing competition from fast-growing competitors like TikTok, and is still navigating its digital ads business in the wake of privacy changes implemented by Apple that have made it more difficult for marketers to target users with ads.
There were some glimmers of hope in Snap’s report, including that the number of daily active users grew 19% year-over-year to reach 363 million in the third quarter. Its net loss was also smaller than Wall Street had expected, but the company nonetheless lost $360 million in the quarter, compared to a loss of $72 million in the year prior. Much of that loss ($155 million) came from restructuring charges related to layoffs.
Snap declined to provide financial guidance for the final three months of the year. In its letter to investors, the company said: “We expect that the operating environment will continue to be challenging in the months ahead and believe the actions we are taking provide a clear path forward for Snap.”


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At its peak, Martha Stewart’s US home-making empire, was worth well over $1 billion.
This week the company agreed to sell itself to Sequential Brands, a conglomerate whose brands include Jessica Simpson and the Franklin Mint, for just $353 million.
So has Martha, 73, "fallen from her throne," as one publication put it? Don’t count on that. Martha now sees the company - with her still there - expanding abroad, possibly including China.
The company suffered a blow 11 years ago when Stewart was convicted of obstructing justice and lying about a stock sale. She spent several months in prison . But she eventually reclaimed the title of chairwomanof the company that bears her name.
Now, the company itself will become a part of Sequential Brands, whose business revolves around buying brands and then licensing them out for a fee.
All told, Sequential Brands expects its portfolio to fetch nearly $3.75 billion in annual sales with the addition of Martha Stewart Living.
“This merger is positioned to further the growth and expansion of the unique Martha home and lifestyle brand,” Stewart said in a statement.
“We now have the opportunity to tap into Sequential’s expertise and resources to expand our merchandising business both domestically and abroad.”
Behind the deal to buy Stewart’s homemaking company is Yehuda Shmidman, the 34-year-old chief executive of Sequential Brands Group . He plans to reinvigorate growth at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Stewart, in an interview, told the Wall Street Journal she hopes selling to Sequential will give her brand a better platform than her business has provided.
“The brand has gotten away from the business,” said Stewart. “Our business is smaller than the potential and the power of the brand,” she said.
She said the deal with Sequential would l help the Martha Stewart brand grow in other parts of the world, including China.
Stewart, is currently the nonexecutive chairman and chief creative officer at her company. She will be chief creative officer of her brand at Sequential.
“I work hard and my energy level is still high,” she said Ms. Stewart. She is also expected to join the Sequential board.
And the homemaker hasn’t lost her touch, the New York Times reports. During deal negotiations she cooked a kosher Moroccan dinner for Shmidman as they discussed the deal.


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If you're an independent retailer, no one has to tell you that things are tough.
A study by American Express and research firm Civic Economics via the Small Business Saturday website reports "the market share captured by locally owned independent businesses declined from 59 percent in 1990 to 48 percent in 2009." On the bright side, over the past 14 years, home values increased 50 percent more in residential neighborhoods served by a successful independent business district. So clearly, small businesses are valued—they're good for neighborhoods, good for property owners, and they're supported by healthy "buy local" efforts across the United States. How can you capitalize on that good will and sell more this holiday season?
Joseph E. Nerkowski, owner of Holiday Lighting, Inc., a retailer specializing in outdoor decorative lighting that's based in Ulby, Michigan, says his local sales have been constant over the past year. Like 75 percent of retailers surveyed, he's stressing customer service as a main differentiating factor between him and the big guys. "Because we're also contractors, we use what we sell, so we know the quality of the products, and if we're not happy, we see that problem first. We make sure what we sell is a good experience for their customers—they get quality and longevity in their lighting." That customer-service focus must be working, as Nerkowski has hired five staffers through January and he is reworking his website, hoping for more sales.
Some additional good news from small business community Manta, which surveyed 792 small retailers: 38 percent of small businesses are reporting sales up from last year. Thirty six percent report flat sales and 26 percent say sales are down. Of course, being small businesses, about 50 percent are optimistic that things will improve.
For those who like to make their own luck, another tip to improve those sales is to use social media tools. Seventy-five percent of those responding to the survey are reaching out online to connect with customers this season. Manta's vice president of marketing, Greg Garrick, says that more than 40 percent of Manta members have added Facebook or other social networks to their online profile and many others are using paid search on Google or Bing to reach additional customers. Garrick noted that the small retailers can show people that they improve their communities by hiring locally, supporting little leagues and local charities. "When customers shop locally, there are also green benefits of not having to have things shipped across the country," he says.
Giving customers incentives to shop on a specific day may help drive sales. Small Business Saturday is intended to be the day after "Black Friday" (this year it's November 26), on which shoppers are implored to support local merchants. As part of a promotion this year, FedEx is supporting Small Business Saturday by giving away "Shop Small" gift cards on the FedEx Facebook page starting November 1 at 1 p.m. Eastern.
For merchants, the American Express OPEN Small Business Saturday site and Shop Small Facebook page point to educational tools and videos hosted by small business owners. "Additionally, the Facebook site has a tool to help you create your first Facebook ad," says Mary Ann Fitzmaurice Reilly, senior vice president of American Express OPEN. "We're also giving away $100 worth of free Facebook ads to thousands of merchants, and there are still packages left. With Google we’re helping businesses to create their story. And we're helping businesses create a Twitter follow buttons for their sites." Another key giveaway is "Get Your Buzz," a monitoring tool that helps small businesses track all their online presences. These tools can help businesses advertise both locally and globally.
Finally, OPEN's Fiitzmaurice Reilly mentioned several towns where merchants are teaming up to make the Small Business Saturday an event to get people down to the shopping area. Sounds like a great opportunity for merchants to pair up with compatible partners (like a food store and a cookware place) to each get more sales by promoting the others.
What are you doing to make your local business more successful this holiday season? Share your tips and strategies with us in the comments.


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Window displays are brimming with hearts and cards, there are flower stalls on every street corner and local pubs have released their exclusive menus – all in the name of St Valentine.
Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, so it seems locals are getting gifts for their loved ones early to avoid the weekend rush.
Sarah, a florist on Cheltenham high street, explains ”I normally only work two days a week, but this week I have had to work five. I have started some days at 8am and not finished until past midnight – it’s crazy!”
Louise from Clinton Cards said: “We have been really busy. Normally we aren’t this busy until the day before, but it seems people are getting more involved with Valentine’s Day this year. We have all had to do extra shifts, so we can manage.”
As well as retail staff working extra hours to ensure Valentine’s Day goes to plan, pubs and restaurants are also pulling out the stops with custom cocktails, exclusive menus and heart-shaped decor.
Georgia, assistant manager at The Strand Pub in Cheltenham, says: “We have put in a lot of extra hours to plan some fun stuff for couples to do at the weekend. As it is a Sunday we thought we would expand the offers we have for the whole weekend.”
But is everyone excited for Valentine’s Day?
Jess, a barista from Cheltenham, says: “I really don’t like Valentine’s Day, I’d rather my husband buy me flowers any other day apart from that day. It’s totally commercialised.”
Zoe, a student from The University of Gloucestershire says “My boyfriend and I are going to go for dinner and then I’ll be supporting him at one of his band’s gigs.”
Mandy, a chef from Cheltenham, says: “I’m actually going to Dubai with my husband for Valentine’s Day. Well, my son is coming too so it won’t be that romantic!”
We couldn’t find any men available for comment.


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Just a few more weeks
For those of you who just picked up your shiny new Vita Slim in North America, you probably found a redemption code for Borderlands 2. Europeans have been enjoying it for about a month or so already, but without the free game in tow. In fact, Borderlands 2 isn’t even out yet over there.
According to Sony Europe however that’s about to change, as the EU is getting the game on May 28th. Just a few more weeks if you want to get in on more Borderlands.
PlayStation Europe [Twitter]


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Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is set to complete a month of high-profile statement-making moves with its autumn product launch on September 25, with the company confirming the event on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on Thursday. The date marks the anniversary of the return to China of Sabrina Meng (Meng Wanzhou), Huawei’s chief financial officer, who was under house arrest in Canada for three years due to an extradition request from the US, where she faced fraud charges.
The announcement comes after Huawei’s much-hyped surprise launch of pre-sales for its Mate 60 Pro phone, during the visit to China of US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. The phone features a self-developed Kirin 9000S chip that uses 7nm technology despite US sanctions aimed at limiting China’s chip-developing capabilities.
Why it matters: Huawei is hoping to re-establish itself in the mobile phone market after three years of US restrictions. The autumn launch also pits the company against two major Chinese phone manufacturers, Xiaomi and Oppo.
Details: The launch of the new Mate series means that Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi have now all updated their flagship phones ahead of November 11, a major shopping festival in China.
- Oppo launched its latest foldable offering the Find N3 Flip on August 29, the day Huawei started pre-sales of its Mate 60 Pro without warning. The following day, trending topics on Weibo were dominated by discussion around whether the Huawei Mate 60 Pro was 5G-capable or not. Huawei unveiled the Mate 60 Pro+ and Mate X5 foldable on September 8, coinciding with the official sales release of the Oppo Find N3 Flip.
- Some industry analysts have speculated that Huawei picked these dates for maximum marketing value. It was not the first time that Huawei appears to have picked a strategic date. On August 23, several industry sources said Huawei planned to hold a product launch event on September 12, the same day as Apple’s latest product launch.
- Huawei may have invested heavily in promoting its brand and products on Weibo over the last two weeks. Various hashtags related to Huawei products have featured prominently on the platform’s trending topic list, for instance #HuaweiMate60 (1.5 billions views and 238,000 discussions), #HuaweiMatex5 (600 million views and 40,000 discussions), and #HuaweiProductLaunch (200 million views and 29,000 discussions). Discussion figures are a combination of posts, likes, comments, and forwards.
- Xiaomi has been discreetly preparing to release its annual flagship Xiaomi 14 series at the same time. The device will be the first Android phone powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the global market. On Wednesday, sources told IThome that Xiaomi will release its Xiaomi 14 series in early November, with products positioned in a similar manner to the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max. Orders placed with online and physical stores have increased by 60% compared with the same period last year, the IThome report added.
- There has been no official announcement regarding products Huawei will showcase at its upcoming launch event, though there has been speculation that the firm may introduce the Mate 60 series and Mate X5 foldable. The centerpiece of the event will be the unveiling of the Kirin 9000S 5G processor, according to local media outlet IThome.
Contexts: Huawei has enjoyed a wave of nationalistic support in China, with backing for its new products from numerous official channels and state media accounts on social media.
- On Tuesday, Martin Yang, an analyst from US-based financial firm Oppenheimer, said that Huawei’s new flagship phones may lead to a decrease in iPhone shipments in 2024 by 10 million units.
- On Thursday, Huawei increased its 2023 mobile phone shipment target to at least 40 million units, according to industry sources.


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AMD CEO Hector Ruiz will formally unveil the quad-core Opteron chip, previously code-named Barcelona, during
Intel has had quad-core chips for servers since last November. The company chose anmethod of putting four processing cores together by simply packaging two dual-core chips together. AMD took a different approach, integrating all four cores onto a single chip, with the belief that having all four cores together was a better fit for its architecture.
Will that insistence on a specific design goal make a difference? In some ways, it already has.
But AMD will not deliver--at least not yet--on, corporate vice president of AMD's server and workstation division, in January. "We expect across a wide variety of workloads for Barcelona to outperform Clovertown by 40 percent," Allen said. In May, "will be the highest-performing x86 chip out there. It will blow away Clovertown."
There was no proof to those statements in the test results AMD distributed ahead of the Barcelona launch. In its briefing materials, the company touted only benchmark results that emphasized floating-point performance and memory bandwidth, which have always been strengths of the Opteron processor but do not cover the entire spectrum of the server market. And even among those benchmarks, Barcelona outperformed Intel's Xeon X5345 processor by more than 40 percent on only three criteria.
Barcelona will arrive in three different categories for high-performance, standard-issue, and energy-efficient server models. The high-performance models won't be available until the fourth quarter, but two standard and three energy efficient processors are now available for two-socket servers, the dominant segment of the market. Two processors for four-socket servers in both the standard and energy-efficient categories also will be available.
In the standard category, AMD will launch processors at 2GHz and 1.9GHz, costing $389 and $319, respectively. The energy-efficient Opterons will launch at 1.9GHz, 1.8GHz and 1.7GHz.
That's slower than some had expected from Barcelona, and could have something to do with the company's earlier
AMD plans to launch 2.3GHz high-performance versions in the fourth quarter and will likely boost clock speed as momentum starts to grow behind the chip. The company demonstrated a 3GHz Barcelona chip at its analyst day in July. Clock speed is by no means the only measure of processor performance, but it is an important measure.
As a result, AMD will initially market its chips in part by using a new metric it developed for measuring the average power consumed by its processors.for companies looking to build large data centers. It's increasingly more expensive to provide electricity and cooling to data centers than it is to buy the servers themselves, forcing the chip and server industries to work on building more energy-efficient products.
But AMD customers who relied on the company's previous power metric of TDP (thermal design power) were putting too many resources into cooling and electrical supply, said Bruce Shaw, director of server and workstation marketing for AMD. That's because TDP was developed so server manufacturers would know much power the chip consumes in worst-case maximum-power situations that very rarely occur, and design their systems accordingly, he said.
So now AMD will advise customers of an Opteron processor's average CPU (central processing unit) power, or ACP. "ACP is meant to be the best real-world end-user estimate of what they are likely to see from the power consumption on the processor," Shaw said.This will give customers a better sense of how they should plan for the power consumed by Opteron servers, Shaw said. AMD still plans to publish TDP ratings that are important to server designers, but will direct customers to the ACP figure, which has the added bonus of being significantly lower than TDP.
AMD says it won't use the ACP number to compare the power consumption of its processors against Intel's. AMD is publishing the methodology behind the ACP metric, but Shaw said the company won't rate Intel's processors by using the metric for comparison purposes. Still, it is touting average CPU power of 55 watts for the energy-efficient Barcelona models and 75 watts for the standard models, which could confuse some customers for investors used to TDP comparisons.
News.com daily podcast
Reporter Tom Krazit talks about Barcelona's significance to AMD.
Download mp3 (6.10MB)
Neal Nelson and Associates and demonstrations performed by AMD during its most recent analyst day, which could help it gain traction in the growing blade-server market., and it can be a minefield when trying to make a purchase decision, given the different implementations each company uses. But AMD does appear to have some advantages over Intel in pure energy efficiency, according to independent tests by
That's good, because marketing its chips on pure performance is no longer a possibility for AMD. After years of touting the superior performance of its dual-core Opteron chips against Intel's dual-core Xeon processors, AMD's clear advantage ended with the launch of Intel's Core microarchitecture processors in June last year. Although Opteron still does well against Xeon on certain workloads that demand excellent floating-point performance or memory bandwidth, it's no longer the undisputed winner that it once was.
And it doesn't appear that Barcelona leapfrogs Intel's current quad-core chips to the degree predicted by Allen in January. The quad-core Opteron outdoes Intel by 35 percent on the SPECfp_rate2006 benchmark, a test of floating-point performance administered by the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) that's long been an Opteron strongpoint and is generally a metric eyed by those with high-performance computing needs, such as labs and research institutions.
But AMD didn't provide specific numbers for SPECint_rate, a measure of integer-processing speed that relates more directly than SPECfp_rate to business-computing tasks such as e-mail or database transactions. However, according to published scores and AMD's performance estimates, Barcelona appears to trail Intel's current Xeon chips by a significant margin. AMD said the two-socket edition of Barcelona would be 55 percent faster on SPECint_rate2006 than its current dual-core Opteron chips, which received a score of 56.8. That would put Barcelona at around 88, much slower than the published results for Intel's two-socket quad-core Xeon chips running at 3GHz, which received a score of 116.
AMD uses an old benchmark, SPECompM2001 base, in another comparison. The other benchmarks touted by AMD will delight high-performance computing customers but aren't as relevant for the corporate market. The new Opteron does well on the Fluent and LSDYNA benchmarks that emphasize floating-point performance and memory bandwith.
Those aren't the types of applications that crop up more often for most business customers, and AMD doesn't cite any application-specific benchmarks that crop up more frequently, such as tests of Java performance database-driven financial software from SAP.
One strong suit that AMD can point to is, which is becoming increasingly important to server customers. The performance of VMware's software will be 79 percent better on AMD's quad-core Opteron compared with the previous generation, according to AMD. The company built several hooks into Barcelona that were designed to improve virtualization performance.
But it appears that Barcelona is far from the smash hit that AMD once hoped it had with its "native" quad-core design. And Intel has new quad-core chips in the offing around mid-November, with ato mimic many of AMD's design features that made Opteron a winner in the past.
AMD's best hope is to get Barcelona's clock speeds up to higher levels as quickly as possible, which could unlock the advantages of putting all the cores on the same processor die. One disadvantage of Intel's implementation is that signals have to leave one dual-core chip to visit the other, and that takes time.
Barcelona is expected to be available in servers from two of AMD's server partners on Monday, and in a few weeks from the others. It likely won't add too much revenue to AMD's coffers until the fourth quarter, meaning the company could be in for another rough patch until Barcelona reaches a wider portion of the market.
CNET News.com's Stephen Shankland contributed to this report.


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eMOTION! REPORTS.com 2008 Archives
GM had, and has, within its own arsenal of products a means to have taken on, and taken out, any competition within the auto industry, on or offshore. If it only had the courage to utlize this surprisingly simple, elegant, and effective solution.
The near sale of Opel -- thankfully thwarted by forward thinking European governments, not an internal dispute with the GM board by certain members of the executive hierarchy as has been alleged -- nearly removed this capability to tap into a vast and capable design, engineering and manufacturing capability nurtured and honed over decades in Europe.
Rather than attempting to further decimate the size and scope of production capacity on the European continent, it should instead re-read Sloan and remember that the auto industry is volume driven. Which is to say that reduction of units drives down, not up, revenue generation potential.
In our view, the US government should immediately end this experiment of bringing in non-industry personnel to run one of the most complex -- and historically powerful -- industries in the world and replace them with those who are posessed of the skillsets to return GM to its former greatness.
In so doing, the US industrial base can be restored and fully capable of neutralizing the threat currently represented by China, which unfortunately at this moment, has de facto control of an American company once so critical -- and still can be -- to the nation's economy and therefore its national security.


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Posted Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 09:30 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
Users were reporting autosave and manual save issues, but the problem seems to have been fixed on the server side.
UPDATE: The issue seems to have been resolved.
From Sony, "Some players may have been encountering an issue with The Last of Us which affected the autosave feature, which can result in a loss of progress in the single-player campaign. The team at Naughty Dog has been diligently investigating as soon as we heard from our community, and we have determined the cause to be on servers for The Last of Us which were capturing player statistics. We have made a change to ours to address this issue. All players should quit any game in progress out to the XMB and restart The Last of Us. All players can now enjoy single-player and online multiplayer matches as normal."
'The Last of Us' just released today, and by accounts the game lives up to the hype. The game's critical reception has been nothing short stellar, and many individual reactions are following suit. That said, many users are reporting a bug that did not crop up in review copies.
The bug may be related to the day one patch, but the cause is not yet known. The game features an autosave as well as a manual save. Unfortunately, over the past day, users are finding the autosave unreliable. In some instances, where selecting continue has failed, a manual load has been successful. Likewise, users monitoring the game's autosaves, have found limited success using manual saves.
As it stands currently, the most reliable way to play without losing save progress, is to play the game offline. Signing out of PSN, or just being disconnected altogether is the best method.
Presumably, the Naughty Dog is scrambling to develop a fix, and one that does not spawn further bugs, which is normal for this kind of game-breaking launch day situation. This PSA will be updated once the issue is resolved.
Author: Brian Hoss
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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- Auto Components
- 2 min read
Lohum to supply specialty chemicals to Glencore facility for Li-ion batteries
Lohum will supply Glencore with 10,000 tonnes of specialty chemicals for the battery supply chain including cathodes, sulphates, carbonates, and oxides of various metals extracted from spent batteries and other sources, over the next five years, a media release said.
New Delhi: Lohum, India’s largest lithium-ion battery lifecycle management firm and Glencore, one of the largest globally diversified natural resource company, today announced a strategic partnership to advance circularity in the Li-ion battery supply chain.
Under the alliance, Lohum will supply Glencore with 10,000 tonnes of specialty chemicals for the battery supply chain including cathodes, sulphates, carbonates, and oxides of various metals extracted from spent batteries and other sources, over the next five years, a media release said.
Lohum and Glencore share a vision to further the energy transition and recognise the need to sustainably address the growing commodities demand for Li-ion batteries. The global partnership will allow both the companies to deepen their recycling expertise and support the advancement of a circular economy by supplying raw materials back into the battery supply chain.
Rajat Verma, founder and CEO of Lohum, said, “At Lohum, we recognize that Lithium Carbonate extraction through recycling consumes significantly fewer resources than conventional mining. Our partnership with Glencore underpins our global commitment to expanding the availability of existing battery resources through recycling. Our energy-efficient recycling technologies lend us a strong differentiation from most companies and showcase our unique efforts and capabilities in extracting specialty chemicals from spent Li-ion batteries. This major development will directly boost India’s battery industry and energy security, leading to large scale value creation in employment, domestic ecosystem growth, and import savings on LIB raw materials.”
An expanding focus on Li-ion battery recycling is inevitable to meet the burgeoning raw material demand, especially in view of growing EV adoption. The multi-million-dollar association between Glencore and Lohum is in complete alignment with the government's vision of scaling up the sector, the release said.
By re-imagining how the lithium ion industry would be indigenous in India, Lohum seeks to establish an ecosystem. This partnership will lessen India's reliance on other countries, which will eventually result in lower battery prices, allowing the entire country to quickly transition to sustainable energy storage.
Jyothish George, Co-Head of Marketing Zinc and Copper (Metal), Glencore, said, “We are excited to partner with a key player of India’s green economy. Our focus on a greener future is aligned and supports Glencore’s ambition to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Part of our approach is to seamlessly combine primary as well as recycled feed streams to provide the critical metals needed for the transition to a low carbon future. Our partnership with Lohum fully complements these goals.”
As part of its mission to expand its recycling footprint, Lohum will procure spent batteries and recycle them at its plant in the National Capital Region, India, the release added.


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Apple is a notoriously secretive company but the Wall Street Journal revealed (behind the pay wall) this week that the company have hundreds of engineers working on an electric car known as Titan. Apple are also apparently testing a self-driving car.
If they do launch a car (and that’s surely a BIG if, at this stage) it’ll be another example of Apple not inventing a product category but joining late and massively disrupting it. They did the same with MP3 music (think iPod), mobile phones (iPhone) and tablet computers with the iPad.
Commentators are saying that Apple should buy a car company and add innovation, rather than starting from scratch and take years to launch to the public. Elon Musk’s tech-darling, Tesla appears to be a brilliant fit – both companies are design focused, use batteries to their fullest, are innovators thinking about sustainability, and are aimed at mid-high end.
Regardless of what happens, it’s clear from the action of several camps that self-driving cars will become a reality. The component technical parts already exist. Google have already proven their car can self-navigate and the UK has it’s own version.
Given our vast commutes, the collective time we’ll all spend sitting in a metal/plastic cage twiddling our thumbs will be huge. Self-driving cars will ‘create’ more semi-free time in our days, albeit sedentary. Enter yet more technology; more screen time.
And by screen, don’t be thinking of using your puny phone when you’ve got that massive windscreen to take advantage of with a retina display on the inside. Email and Facebook would initially be thought of as winners but the sudo-Internet world of the App Stores will be the real victor.
You won’t type www.youtube.com into a browser – incidentally, that URL was registered 10 years ago this month, easy to forget how young this amazing tech is. Your downloaded TV shows and movies will be watched through an app. Social is through apps. Video chat is through apps. Games are through apps. Apps rule in this new non-browsing Internet world.
It’s in Google’s and Apple’s commercial interest to increase our screen time (thus using more apps) and in lieu of programming us to sleep less, our journey minutes and hours are ripe for the picking. Especially when they can sell us the story in a lovely CSR bundle of road safety and fuel efficiency. That’s the very definition of a win-win.


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Square Enix was another third-party publisher that made an appearance at the PlayStation Meeting to demonstrate development support for the PS4.
They showed a Luminous Engine tech demo, Agni’s Philosophy — which you can watch below if you haven’t seen it before — and then announced that they will reveal a next-gen Final Fantasy title at E3 this summer.
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News.com has a special report on how it is becoming a powerhouse in technology.
With 13 million of the country’s 48 million citizens living in the high-rise forests of this dense metropolis, people are constantly spying on what their neighbors or fellow subway commuters are buying. As a result, South Korea has become something of an open-air focus group for technology manufacturers, accelerating replacement cycles and a plethora of new product uses.
The local embrace of technology along with an active national government, export-driven local industries, and extensive use of broadband are the key factors permitting the country to wedge its way toward the forefront of the digital revolution. While other national economies rose and fell with the personal computer industry, South Korea is shaping up as a technology powerhouse through consumer electronics.
Look at the vision outlined by the Ministry of Information and Communication:
The South Korean government has outlined ambitious goals for eight services, three infrastructure technologies and nine product categories.
Under this so-called 8-3-9 initiative, the country’s Ministry of Information and Communication has identified specific technologies that it will encourage by funding research or providing other incentives.
Ultimately, the goal is to raise the sagging per capita gross domestic product from around $11,000 (11,595,042 won) to $20,000 by 2010.
One 8-3-9 focus is digital multimedia broadcasting, which allows people to get broadband Internet and entertainment channels remotely. It is still primarily in development in the United States, but it powers flat-screen televisions in upscale Hyundais and Acuras stuck in Seoul’s relentless traffic jams.
Some other goals are:
Digital homes: 500,000 networked households by 2004; 10 million by 2007
RFID: tiniest and cheapest radio frequency technology by 2007
W-CDMA: countrywide network based on the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access standard by 2006
Digital TV: national network set up by 2005
VoIP: 4 million users of voice over Internet Protocol by 2006
Broadband convergence network: 20 million users by 2010 Sensor networks: commonplace by 2010 IPv6: convert to Internet Protocol version 6 by 2010
System on a chip: become one of top three countries in this market by 2007
Next-generation PC: introduce wearable PC by 2007
Embedded software: become second-largest producer of embedded software by 2007
Robots: global presence by 2007
This is the kind of vision and action India needs.


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posted first-quarter sales growth that exceeded the company's earlier estimates, while the mobile-phone maker's income met its prior expectations.
Still, Nokia said it expects sales to grow 20% for the second quarter and full year, a forecast considerably below prior projections of a 25% to 35% increase.
The company said net sales for the first quarter rose 22% to 8 billion euros ($7.17 billion) from 6.54 billion euros ($5.86 billion). Before issuing an outlook in March, Nokia expected sales for the quarter to grow 25% to 30%. Sales for
rose 35%, while the company's mobile-phone segment reported a 20% increase in revenue.
Nokia posted first-quarter net income of 1.05 billion euros, up from 910 million euros in the same period a year ago. The company reported earnings of 0.19 euro per diluted share, which translates to 17 cents a share, meeting its earlier guidance. Analysts polled by
Thomson Financial/First Call
expected the company to earn 17 cents in the latest quarter.
The American depositary shares of Nokia lost 35 cents, or 1.1%, to $31.25 in preopen


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According to recent industry research, Spain’s tourist sector will generate 4.7 percent more revenue in 20203 than it did in 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic forced a suspension of overseas travel.
Reuters.com reports that industry group Exceltur has noted an increase in bookings for 2023 for Spanish hotels, resorts, transportation providers, car rentals and entertainment companies. This would surpass the country’s tourism figures for 2019.
“The picture is hopeful,” Exceltur Vice President Jose Luis Zoreda said. “It seems that the desire to travel has prevailed and some firms are telling us that consumers would rather stop buying a shirt or an appliance than stop traveling.”
Despite the travel industry’s recovery, tourism numbers in 2022 were still 2.1 percent below 2019 levels. While hotel income increased by 7% from pre-pandemic levels, transportation businesses nonetheless saw a 5% decline compared to 2019.
Spanish tourism companies’ profits have been hurt by inflation, rising gasoline prices, and wage increases, yet average prices rose 6.6 percent in 2022. The travel and tourism sector would account for about 12.2 percent of the country’s GDP if growth continues at projected rates.
The Spanish government is also betting on a boost in American and British tourists in 2023, after Exceltur found that Central European and Mexican visitors helped the country’s economy last year.
Spain unveiled a new visa program that will permit non-citizens from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who work for foreign businesses to live in the nation without having to obtain a work visa. The program is set to debut in January.


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Mapletree Investments has raised $1.8 billion for its first ever US and European logistics fund, leveraging the returns from leasing warehouses to e-commerce firms to expand the Singapore-based company’s capital management business.
The firm, which is backed by Temasek Holdings, announced yesterday that it had used the total equity of the fund to syndicate a new Mapletree-sponsored private trust comprised of 262 logistics assets from Mapletree’s portfolio with a combined value of $4.3 billion.
Mapletree confirmed to Mingtiandi that 200 of the assets are located in the US, while 62 are in Europe.
Known as Mapletree US & EU Logistics Private Trust (MUSEL), the fully invested trust spans 56 million square feet (5.2 million square metres) of facilities across the United States and Europe which are primarily occupied by e-commerce firms.
Attracting Investors to Big Sheds
Mapletree’s group CEO Hiew Yoon Khong said that the fund raise demonstrates persistent demand among investors for logistics assets, notwithstanding the uncertainty brought to the markets by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Despite the challenging macroeconomic global outlook, investors are attracted to the robust fundamentals of the logistics sector and resilience of our high-quality, income-producing logistics portfolio across the US and Europe,” Hiew said.
The company noted in its announcement that it had drawn investments from a geographically diversified group of investors including pension funds, insurers, banks, corporates and high net worth individuals.
Although further details of the vehicle’s investors have not been released, Mapletree’s previous private trusts have been backed by firms including Great Eastern Life Assurance Company, DBS Bank and UBS AG.
The Temasek unit will hold a 34 percent stake in MUSEL to “align with investor interests” – an approach similar to the strategy that Mapletree has followed other private funds and the four SGX-listed REITs managed by the company.
Profiting From E-Commerce Demand
With a committed occupancy of 94 percent and a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.4 years across the portfolio, two-thirds of MUSEL’s net leasable area is leased by e-commerce companies, while the rest is taken up by consumer goods firms and third-party logistics operators.
“Even with the current backdrop of economic uncertainty, the group expects the portfolio to generate stable dividends and attractive total returns,” said Hiew.
The assets in the US are spread across 26 states including California, Texas and New Jersey, while the European facilities are located in 20 cities across seven countries, including Poland, France and Germany.
Mapletree said the properties are all located in “established distribution centres within major logistics markets”, where changing consumer expectations are driving the need for faster delivery times.
Mapletree had assembled the portfolio between 2018 and 2019, with the company’s $1.1 billion acquisition of 16.5 million square feet of US and European assets from Prologis in October 2018 forming the basis for a large chunk of the trust.
Opting for Private Trusts over REITs
The $1.8 billion fundraise for MUSEL follows Mapletree’s success in drawing investments for two other fully seeded trusts over the last three years.
Just four months ago, Mapletree closed its Australia-focused MASCOT private trust at A$654 million ($394 million) in total equity, with the ten grade A office assets in the portfolio carrying a combined value of A$1.4 billion.
In 2017, the company raised $535 million for Mapletree Global Student Accommodation (MGSA) Private Trust, which holds a $1.3 billion student housing portfolio comprising 14,000 beds across 22 cities in the US and UK.
Hiew said at the that Mapletree closed on the MGSA trust, that it was his conviction that privately traded vehicles were superior to publicly listed REITs because of the speed with which they can be brought onto the market and their operational cost-effectiveness.
Homing in on Sheds in the US and Europe
Mapletree’s equity raise comes off the back of a push by major players in Singapore eager to get a slice of the steady returns the logistics sector can offer in Europe and the US.
Just last month, Singapore’s GLP doubled its European logistics footprint to five million square metres through the €1 billion ($1.1 billion) acquisition of Goodman Group’s central and eastern European logistics assets.
That deal came three months after Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC ramped up its European logistics holdings by agreeing to acquire a 28 asset warehouse portfolio from Apollo Global Management for about €950 million.
Both those deals followed GLP’s sale of a portfolio of US warehouse assets to Blackstone last year for $18.7 billion in what stands as the largest private real estate transaction ever.


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The U.S. Mint has announced that the delayed 2015 Limited Edition Silver Proof Set will not be issued after all. The product had previously been given a release date of November 23, which was modified to “To Be Determined” after problems with packaging made it impossible for the Mint to meet that deadline.
A number of factors may have contributed to the decision. Recent legislation has stipulated that the 2016 American Eagle Silver Proof and Uncirculated coins will be unique 30th anniversary issues, featuring a smooth rather than reeded edge, with incused lettering. Elements of the law have led the Mint to the conclusion that it will not sell 2015-dated American Eagle Silver coins in 2016. One result of this decision is that unlike the 2014 American Eagle Silver Proof Coin, which was not declared Sold Out until October 12 of this year, the 2015 issue will no longer be available after December 30.
It is unclear if this legislation is related to the cancellation of the 2015 Limited Edition Silver Proof Set, which was to include a 2015 Silver Eagle Proof. But if the Mint has decided not to sell 2015 ASE’s in 2016, it stands to reason that a set including a 2015 ASE would be affected by this new restriction if that set’s release date were held until after the new year.
In related news, the following products containing 2015 American Eagle Silver Proof and Uncirculated Coins will be discontinued before the end of the year:
- American Eagle 2015 One Ounce Silver Proof Coin;
- American Eagle 2015 One Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin;
- 2013 Congratulations Set;
- 2014 Congratulations Set;
- 2015 Congratulations Set;
- 2014 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set;
- 2015 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set; and
- 2014 Limited Edition Silver Proof Set.
A complete list of items that will no longer be available after the end of December is available here.
Update, 12/12/15: Tom Jurkowsky, Director of the Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications, responded to a query from Coin Update regarding the set’s cancellation: “The Mint was working well towards resolving the packaging issue. However, because of the recently passed legislation, the product would not have been able to be offered in 2016. Accordingly, the decision was made to cancel the offering.”


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Honey bees and their sweet product will get some tasty attention from a local business today.
Whole Foods Market, 1050 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Centerville, is hosting a Pollinator and Honey Festival from noon to 4 p.m., an event with exhibits, food and educational activities for children. It’s timed for Pollinator Week, the U.S. Senate-designated week to highlight the threats that honey bees and other pollinators face.
Whole Foods is partnering with the Levin Family Foundation, which is underwriting a number of honey bee related initiatives around the region to promote pollinator health.
Store-wide samples of honey related foods will be in every department and visitors can explore bee-themed crafts, exhibitor booths, face painting, a scavenger hunt and an observation bee hive from the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.
Expect a variety of honeys available for tasting, honey-glazed salmon and chicken wings, and cheeses with honey, said Lauren Romansky of Whole Foods Market.
An outdoor classroom will offer The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s presentation on bee keeping and the Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm’s talk on “Unexpected Pollinators: Birds, Butterflies & Mammals.”
Mead, or honey-wine, will be available for tastings as well.
Karen Levin, executive director of the Levin Family Foundation, said it’s the first event of its kind for the foundation.
“We are trying to come out and make people aware of plight of pollinators and engage children,” she said.
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NEW DELHI: NammaFlix, a Kannada language video streaming service, will now be available on Prime Video Channels, the content aggregation vertical launched by Amazon Prime Video which hosts other subscription-based platforms on its service.
NammaFlix joins streaming services such as Discovery+, Lionsgate Play, Docubay, Eros Now, MUBI, Hoichoi, Manorama Max, and Shorts TV that have already been accessible on Prime Video Channels with add-on subscriptions, through a single billing mechanism.
NammaFlix offers users a library including Kannada movies like Pathibeku.com, 1980, Inithi Nimma Bhaira, Premaloka, Kaviratna Kalidasa, and Naagarahavu, shows like Naa Kanda Rajakumar, Naa Kanda Puttanna Kanagal in addition to short films. NammaFlix’s content library will be available on Prime Video Channels as an add-on subscription at an introductory price of ₹299 per year.
“At Prime Video we have worked hard to bring the best of local stories to consumers across the country, expanding the linguistic palette of the Indian video viewing customer. Over the years, we have seen an increasing appreciation for Kannada content, with viewers across the country loving Kannada films on our service,” Chaitanya Divan, head of Prime Video Channels and sports, Amazon Prime Video India, said in a statement.
Vijay Prakash, CEO, NammaFlix, said over the years, Kannada entertainment industry has evolved to offer stories that have won the hearts of millions. “Through our collaboration with Prime Video Channels, we believe that consumers from across the length and breadth of the country will have easy access to discover and watch some the most popular, local Kannada stories,” he said in a statement.
India is the 12th country in the world to host Prime Video Channels after the US, Japan, the UK, and others. While OTT partners get Amazon’s reach and distribution, the US company also takes care of all the back-end and technical responsibilities. The channel tag is available as a separate category on the Prime Video service.
the App to get 14 days of unlimited access to Mint Premium absolutely free!


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Digital TV News: Sixty
20,000 subscribers for Jamaica's Digicel Play
Apr 4, 2016 – Digicel Play has announced that its service has passed the 20,000 subscriber mark in Jamaica, less than sixty days after reaching 10,000 customers.
News categories: Digicel, John Suranyi, Digital TV, IPTV, Jamaica, Subscribers
Altibox to use Sixty for STB UI development
Mar 14, 2016 – TV experience company Sixty has announced that it has signed a strategic partnership with Altibox which will see Sixty apply its expertise and experience to support the development of Altibox’s latest generation set-top box (STB).
News categories: Sixty, Altibox, Kjetil Horneland, Øyvind Lundbakk, Digital TV, IPTV, Middleware, Norway, Set Top Box, UX
SIXTY announces lightweight STB user interface framework
Aug 24, 2015 – SIXTY has announced the launch of Ease TV, the first product of its Ease by Sixty product line. Ease TV is a fast, strong and lightweight user interface framework for the set-top box market.
News categories: SIXTY, Carl Mathisen, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box, UX, Worldwide
Ofcom releases UK Communications Market Report 2014
Aug 7, 2014 – The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, has published its annual Communications Market report for 2014. Online TV revenue increased by 41% in 2013 to reach £364m. Twelve per cent of TV households had a smart TV in Q1 2014.
News categories: Ofcom, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV, UK
Average U.S. Monthly Pay-TV Subscription Bills May Top $200 by 2020
Apr 10, 2012 – According to The NPD Group, the average pay-TV subscription for basic pay-TV service and premium-TV channels in the U.S. reached $86 in 2011. If nothing changes, NPD expects the average pay-TV bill to reach $123 by the year 2015 and $200 by 2020.
News categories: NPD Group, Cable TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, USA
Eutelsat's Satellites Break the Barrier of 4,000 TV Channels
Jan 30, 2012 – Eutelsat (Paris: ETL) has announced that the number of channels broadcasting through its satellites hit the milestone of 4,000 at the end of 2011. This new landmark reflects almost 30 years of uninterrupted channel growth.
News categories: Eutelsat, Market Research, Satellite
Connected Devices will account for 70 percent of Consumer Electronic Device Market Value in 2011
Aug 17, 2011 – Seventy percent of Consumer Electronic (CE) industry 2011 revenues will come from Internet connectable devices, according to the latest research from the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices (CHD) service.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, Blu-ray, Digital TV, DVR, Gaming, Market Research, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Tablet
Vodafone Netherlands launches broadband, phone and TV over fibre
Aug 15, 2011 – Vodafone (LSE: VOD, NASDAQ: VOD) has launched a triple play service of broadband, telephony and television in the Netherlands. The service offers a basic package with more than sixty television channels and broadband speeds up to 100Mb/s.
News categories: Vodafone, Digital TV, Fibre, IPTV, Netherlands
Digita Chooses Envivio Encoding for New DVB-H Service in Finland
Aug 13, 2009 – Envivio has announced that its Mobile Series™ video encoding platform has been installed by Digita Oy. The platform is being used to deliver ten channels of DVB-H encoded mobile television to be offered by mobile operators in Finland.
News categories: Envivio, Digita Oy, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Finland, IBCShowcase, Mobile
- HBO Max to expand into Latin America and Europe in 2H 2021
- SpotX releases 2021 video advertising trends report
- Comscore and MediaMath offer programmatic contextual ad targeting
- NetRange cloud app portal selected by itel for new Smart TVs
- Vewd integrates support for BML and Hybridcast
- Nordic streaming market approaching 14 million subscriptions
- Discovery announces global launch of discovery+
- VUALTO DRM selected to protect France Télévisions' AV content
- FreeWheel and NBCUniversal automate linear ad decisioning
- Deltatre AXIS to power BritBox for a further five years
- Zappware enables WIND VISION on PCs in Greece
- InterDigital and Futuresource release video sustainability report
- Local broadcasters collaborate to launch NextGen TV in Florida
- Highest ever Samsung Smart TV sales in 3Q 2020
- Orange France delivers targeted ads with SoftAtHome video player
- Velocix unveils cloud-native video personalisation service
- DIRECTV GO now available in Brazil
- VR consumer content revenue to exceed $7 billion in 2025
- Inverto first with EICS TV distribution equipment certification
- XroadMedia to power hyper-personalization at ZEE5


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One more new gas price record in California -- and perhaps the last
For the fourth straight day, California has a new record for gasoline prices, but the rise has apparently lost nearly all of its momentum.
The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline in California today is $4.671 a gallon, up just 0.3 cents overnight, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, which tracks prices from 100,000 retail outlets across the U.S.
That’s still 48.9 cents a gallon higher than it was a week ago and 86.6 cents a gallon above last year’s price.
Wholesale prices rose overnight from about $3.19 a gallon to about $3.515, but that was still well below the $4.39 a gallon they reached last week.
Analysts caution that when prices do begin to drop, the decreases will be slow.
“On the way up, there is the compelling need for these gas stations to survive. This was not opportunism on their part,” said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. “On the way down, they can feather their decline.”
The situation in California “is still a bucking bronco at the moment,” Kloza said, “but for every day that goes by without another refinery problem, things will begin to ease.”
Cars with the best fuel efficiency value
Sen. Feinstein wants feds to probe gas price shock
Sen. Boxer adds another call for the feds to investigate
The view from Sacramento
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Samsung Electronics this week announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with 3D image processing specialist Sensio Technologies over the latter’s S2D Switch technology. The deal will allow the Korean TV manufacturer to implement Sensio’s patented S2D Switch innovation – which among other things includes 3D-to-2D conversion – on its 3D-capable HDTV displays. Both companies chose not to disclose the financial details of the reached agreement.
|Samsung licenses 3D-to-2D conversion tech from Sensio|
A Samsung official said that the company has the greatest respect for the intellectual property rights of Sensio Technologies, and that it values the mutually beneficial relationship they are building. The Seoul-based conglomerate also confirmed that users around the world will be able to benefit from the continued use of the Sensio S2D Switch technology in its 3D-enabled televisions.
According to Sensio’s CEO and president Nicholas Routhier, the signing of this latest agreement – combined with the licensing of other manufacturers in 2011 – means that the company has achieved another significant milestone, proving the worth of its S2D Switch patent licensing strategy. He added that the value of its S2D Switch patent and its overall patent portfolio has now been considerably improved by reaching a deal with the world’s leading 3D TV maker.
Routhier advised that the signing of this agreement is expected to make a huge difference in the negotiations that are currently ongoing with other 3DTV manufacturers that have been considering whether or not to fit the S2D Switch in their extra-dimensional offerings.
The proprietary S2D Switch from Sensio allows users to switch between different 3-dimensional viewing modes, or convert a 3D feed to a 2D picture. Protected by both international and US patents, the technology is compatible with the most widely-used 3D formats supported under HDMI 1.4a, such as side-by-side (SbS), top-and-bottom (TaB) and checkerboard.


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Stella McCartney took her fall 2017 ad campaign to a Scottish landfill shoot by Harley Weir, in collaboration with artist Urs Fischer. Models Birgit Kos, Iana Godnia and Huan Zhou pose in the images. The concept was an exploration of waste and consumption, two of McCartney’s key brand tenets — 53 percent of her women’s collection is made from sustainable materials, and the brand is vegetarian.
“The idea we had with this campaign is to portray who we want to be and how we carry ourselves; our attitude and collective path,” said McCartney. “Our man-made constructed environments are disconnected and unaware of other life and the planet, which is why there is waste.”


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CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Cheektowaga Police said they need your help finding two women who used a stolen credit card at Walmart.
Investigators said two women used a stolen credit card to buy two iPad Airs from Walmart. The tablets cost more than $1,000.
The suspects may have left the store in a silver SUV with a moon roof.
If you have any information, call the detective bureau at 686-3546.


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Seems the guys at Google have got all festive suddenly!
Has anyone else noticed the images alongside the paid search results?
They only appear under seasonal search terms, such as “Christmas”, and are no doubt doing wonders for improving the CTR.
As the data shows us, despite the credit crunch, online is doing well: people are spending like mad! Although despite showing us all a little bit of festive spirit, this could also be a ploy be Google to make their ads stand out even more. But at least it feels like Christmas when you’re online!