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Fri, 14 Sep 2018 01:00
Chinese farmers swap sheep for skis ahead of Olympics
It may be hot outside but that doesn’t stop doctors and former shepherds on skis snowploughing on giant white treadmills on the outskirts of Beijing – part of the battalions of workers learning the sport ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 01:00
Education Fund hit by delayed and lower budget allocation
THE GOVERNMENT budget allocation for the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) has been delayed and amount earmarked will also be lower than expected.
Wed, 12 Sep 2018 14:48
New innovations in Adobe Marketing Cloud advance personalisation of customer experiences
Adobe Wednesday announced new innovations powered by Adobe Sensei, the company's AI and machine learning technology, in Adobe Target and Adobe Experience Manager in Adobe Marketing Cloud, part of Adobe Experience Cloud.
Thu, 30 Aug 2018 01:00
Platform aids online shift for tutors
COURSE SQUARE has launched an e-learning platform designed to help academic tutors apply their teaching skills in online channels.
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 01:00
Alibaba Cloud launches nine products
ALIBABA CLOUD, the cloud computing arm of China’s e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group, has launched a new suite of product offerings for the global market in the areas of cloud architecture, machine learning, internet of things (IOT) and security.
Sat, 18 Aug 2018 10:00
Helping the young stay fit and enjoy it
Alongside promoting skills like running, catching and throwing, strength and core fitness, the Virgin Active Crew programme also works on the psychological development of young people children, such as increasing self-confidence and learning about teamwork in its special classes designed for children between the ages of seven to 15.
Wed, 15 Aug 2018 14:37
Alibaba cloud launches 9 products to support global digital transformation
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of China’s e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group, today launched a new suite of product offerings for the global market in the areas of cloud architecture, machine learning, internet of things (IOT) and security.
Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:36
Reducing stress by learning to breathe
Luxury boutique hotel akyra Thonglor Bangkok is hosting the latest in its series of wellness workshops this Saturday (August 18) on the theme “Stress: are we really coping?”
Sat, 11 Aug 2018 11:50
Asia the NEXT FRONTIER for AI dominance
Blognone Tomorrow conference hears business success stories from the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning
Thu, 09 Aug 2018 15:15
NetApp and NVIDIA supercharge deep learning with New AI architecture
NetApp has introduced NetApp ONTAP AI proven architecture, powered by NVIDIA DGX supercomputers and NetApp AFF A800 cloud-connected all-flash storage to simplify, accelerate, and scale the data pipeline across edge, core and cloud for deep learning deployments and to help customers achieve real business impact with AI.
Mon, 23 Jul 2018 01:00
Charter change: learning from Thailand’s errors
For me, the current debate surrounding charter change in the Philippines feels like deja vu.
Mon, 23 Jul 2018 06:00
Learning from the economic giant next door
Most Thai students tend to pursue studies abroad either in the United States or Europe, which are regarded as open societies and champions of freedom. But some Thai students are walking a different path.
Sat, 21 Jul 2018 01:10
Renaissance pushed for education
Start-up pioneer Krating maps path to revolutionary changes in learning
Fri, 13 Jul 2018 22:58
Suppanyu finds peace of mind through Buddhist teaching
Thai No 3 player Suppanyu Avihingsanon said learning Buddhist teaching on youtube helped him improve his performance as he upset fifth seeded Kenta Nishimoto of Japan 21-19 21-16 to reach his first semi-final on Super 500 in the Thailand Open on Friday.
Sat, 14 Jul 2018 01:00
Retailer clicks into action with universities for 4.0 era training
TESCO LOTUS is joining forces with four leading universities across the country to develop a personalised learning programme to cater to the needs of the 4.0 era workforce and organisations amid changes in the business landscape.


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MUMBAI: Transformer, cable and winding wire manufacturers are likely to meet the power ministry asking it to correct the competitive disadvantage they face with overseas and free trade agreement country (FTA) suppliers whose finished copper goods can be imported with zero or concessional duty by certain industry segments such as telecom and ultra mega power plants, two industry officials said.
The manufacturers will urge the government for deemed export status benefits for domestic suppliers to such industry segments by allowing them a duty rebate or abatement on raw inputs or that they be allowed to import inputs like copper rods and cathodes duty free and sell the finished goods on terms competitive with over seas suppliers.
While UMPPs are allowed to import finished goods without duty payment, domestic manufacturers have to pay a 3% duty on copper concentrate and 5% on copper rods /cathodes used to make cables, wires, strips. Domestic manufacturers argue that this puts them at a disadvantage to their overseas counterparts when selling to such UMPPs.
The domestic manufacturers are being supported by their rep-resentative organisation, Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association. Ramesh Chandak, vice president of IEEMA, said, "Imports of finished goods by the power sector has gone up substantially. It is really a matter of concern that the imports are rising when we have large capacities available in the country. "
Industry estimates the CY 2010 imports of finished copper goods more than doubled to 1.90 -1.95 lakh tonne from less than 75,000 tonne in 2005. Compared to this, domestic copper goods consumption grew a modest 44% to around 7.50 lakh tonne in CY 2010 from 5.15 lakh tonne in 2005.
The total production capacity of copper by Sterlite, Hindalco and Hindustan Copper stands at 9.5 lakh tonne which is more than adequate lakh tonne which is more than adequate to meet domestic demand which, factored with imports, stands at 9.35 lakh tonne.
"This imbalance should be set right as domestic industry faces capacity underutilisation. If domestic manufacturers of finished copper goods are given a level playing field through deemed export benefits, they will be able to compete more effectively," said Arun Chokhani, a senior executive with a leading private firm.

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Though phablets may have eroded the market for 7″ and 8″ tablets, they aren’t replacing the market for 10″ tablets. However, 2-1 PC’s (like Microsoft’s Surface and Lenovo’s Yoga) capable of being a PC or a tablet may be tough competition for 10″ tablets in the near future. For more, see CNet’s article entitled “The Future of the Tablet is the PC.”
Some are calling the new 2-1 laptops laplets. The Surface Pro 4 details haven’t been released yet (maybe October 2015), but rumors suggest it might be 14″. Other rumors put a new Apple IPad Air Plus (laplet) on the market in the second half of 2015.
The article talks about the possible ways that a vehicle will transport humans up to the top via the inside or outside of the space elevator, but I don’t think it mentions what riders will do about oxygen. At over twice as high as Mount Everest, passengers will need oxygen assistance if standing on the platform at the top of the space station. Possibly they will have environmental controls inside the vehicle on the way to the top, and I assume there will be a spaceway (jetway) of sorts that will get them from the space elevator vehicle to their space ship. Still, passengers may be wearing a space suit all the way up.
USA Today reported that “Emirates will soon overtake Qantas [Feb. 1, 2016] for the title of the world’s longest airline route.” At almost 8,600 miles, the Emirates (Dubai to Panama City, Panama) flight will be the longest nonstop passenger airline route.
The Scientist recently noted that the FDA approved a 3-D printed drug called SPRITAM, a branded version of the generic anticonvulsant drug levetiracetam. Not unlike print-on-demand books, the new drug can apparently be made in custom doses.


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Arnold Motor Supply has purchased the Central Parts and Machine and its two stores in Central Nebraska.
Central Parts and Machine has been in business since 1963, with locations in Columbus and Albion, Nebraska. “As I began to look towards the future, I realized that we needed to formalize a plan to ensure that our customers are taken care of today and in the future,” says previous owner, Al Kluever. “Arnold Motor Supply has the same dedication to customer service that we do."
“We are expanding our family of stores and are thrilled to have the current Central Parts team members be a part of it,” says Mike Molle, vice president of Store Operations. The same team that the Columbus and Albion communities have relied on for the last several decades will stay on, including Kluever who will run the machine shop operations at the Columbus location.
The Central Parts and Machine stores will be rebranded to Arnold Motor Supply, joining more than 60 other locations throughout the Midwest. In addition to the rebrand, the stores’ inventory is expanding with replacement parts from national brands like Bosch, Deka batteries, and Perfect Stop brakes and high-carbon rotors.


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GST Rate Hike: GST has been implemented on many food items from today, that is, from July 18. These include pre-packaged and labeled unbranded food items like pulses, rice, flour, all cereals including wheat. 5% GST has been imposed on them. Till today, the purchase of these goods which were outside the purview of GST will attract 5% GST. Although the government has clarified that even now such things are packed in sacks or packs above 25 kg, then GST will not be applicable on them. The Union Finance Ministry has also issued a clarification regarding this.
GST on packets less than 25 kg
In the 47th meeting of the GST Council, the decision to increase the GST rate on many pre-packaged food items has come into effect from Monday 18 July. From today many packaged food items are going to be expensive. These include everything packaged or packaged cereals, flour, curd, buttermilk, etc., if the content is less than 25 kg. Now pre-packaged and labeled food items such as flour, pulses, paneer and curd etc. will be costlier only those food items, whose packing is less than 25 kg, 5 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be payable on them.
GST will not be levied on packing of more than 25 kg
GST will not be payable on food items packing more than 25 kg. Retail traders have come under the ambit of GST while wholesale traders are not under the ambit of GST. In the notification issued late night by the GST Council, it has been said that the food items sold in bulk, if they are in packing of more than 25 kg, then GST will not be levied on it. It was also said in the briefing of the GST Council that only pre-packaged, pre-labeled goods weighing less than 25 kg would be liable to GST. Now the confusion regarding this has been cleared by issuing its notification.


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Warren Buffett is a busy man, and never more so than during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meetings, sometimes called the Woodstock of capitalism, which attract thousands of people each year to Omaha, Nebraska.
But Buffett found time during this year’s gathering to sit down for an hour with Chuanfu Wang, the chairman and CEO of BYD, the Chinese company that makes cars, batteries, electronics and solar power equipment.
And why not? Berkshire’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings unit bought a 10% stake in BYD for about $230 million in September, 2008. Today, it’s worth nearly $2 billion.
That’s a nifty return, even by Buffett’s standards.
“BYD is really running on all cylinders,” says Li Lu, a BYD investor and money manager who brought the company to the attention of Berkshire vice chairman Charles Munger several years ago. Munger took the idea to Buffett and to MidAmerican chairman David Sokol, who now sits on BYD’s board.
I wrote a FORTUNE cover story about BYD in 2009, met with Mr. Wang in Shenzhen and late had the pleasure of meeting Li Lu. He’s a fascinating guy—participated in the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989, then fled China, earned business and law degrees at Columbia University and for the past 13 has run an investment firm called Himalaya Capital. He’s been an informal adviser to BYD and traveled to Omaha with Mr. Wang. Li Lu now lives and works in Pasadena, Ca., where we met last week.
The most important thing to know about BYD—the letters are the initials of the company’s Chinese name, but they have come to stand for Build Your Dreams–is that the company has enormous ambitions. It aims to be not only the world’s biggest carmaker, but a leader in cheap solar power and utility-scale battery storage as well. Mr. Wang, the founder and chairmen, has said that he believes that the automobile and energy industries are on the verge of a major transformation. Buffett, Munger and Sokol all told me that they were really impressed with Mr. Wang–not a bad trio of endorsements.
BYD’s been in the news lately for three reasons. In March, the company announced a joint venture to develop electric cars in China with Mercedes. The idea is to combine Mercedes’ design excellence with BYD’s technological savvy, particularly with respect to batteries, and the Chinese firm’s access to its home market. “Daimler’s know-how in electric vehicle architecture and BYD’s excellence in battery technology and e-drive systems are a perfect match,” Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsche said at the time.
Last month, BYD announced that it will open its North American headquarters in a downtown neighborhood of Los Angeles. Mr. Wang was joined by California Gov. Schwarzenegger and LA Mayor Villaraigosa at the ceremony and, interestingly, the company said it would put more than its electric cars on display—it will showcase “solar panels, energy storage systems and advanced LED lighting products” as well.
To lure BYD, the city of Los Angeles promised to buy some of the company’s electric vehicles, including buses; to streamline the approval process for installing charging stations in garages; to make it easier for people to install charging stations in their homes and to display a BYD car at LAX, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Third, BYD and KB Homes, the big homebuilder, announced that they would build homes together that not only include solar panels on the roof but batteries in the garage–so that the owners can enjoy solar-powered electricity even when the sun’s not shining. This is a big deal, as the Sunpluggers blog reported:
Off-grid solar owners for many years have used battery banks to store their generated electricity for later use, but the plan for the KB Home development – smack in the middle of a grid-tied suburban subdivision – could help alter the trajectory for adoption of both solar electricity and plug-in vehicles.
BYD is already growing fast, as Li Lu reminded me. It has about 160,000 employees, most in Shenzhen and Xian in China, but others at offices in the Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan and Hong Kong. (There’s even an office in Shaumburg, Illinois, where Motorola is a big customer for BYD’s batteries and handsets.)
BYD sold about 450,000 vehicles in 2009, up 170 percent from a year earlier, and it intends to sell about 800,000 this year, nearly all of them gasoline powered. The company’s all-electric car, called the e6, is currently running as taxi in Shengzhen in small volumes. Rollout is slightly behind schedule, but more are expected to be produced this year. Unlike the U.S., China has yet to lay out a policy for subsidizing electric cars, which has slowed things down. The car will cost about $40,000, the company has said. It hasn’t talked about a timetable to bring the car to the U.S. or Europe, which could be a big export market because prices there are high.
“The big challenge now is to bring down the initial cost,” Li Lu told me. Eventually, BYD would like to sell the car for about the same price as conventional vehicles, and win over auto buyers by offering them lower operating costs and higher performance. “The only way to conquer this market is to provide a product that is comparable at the beginning and superior in the end,” he said.
BYD’s greatest strength is in battery technology, the company’s first business. Manufacturing a safe, reliable, long-lasting, and fast-charging battery for a car at an affordable price is a complex and costly undertaking. The Chinese firm believes that it has an edge over its rivals.
“There are not many in the world that have comparable experience and expertise,” Li Lu says. “They seem to have a commanding lead right now.” The BYD technology is super safe, its batteries will last a long time and they will cost less than competitors, he said.
All that remains to be seen, of course. But BYD has not one but three opportunities to change the world–with its electric cars, its rooftop solar panels with battery storage and with large-scale batteries that could be used by electric utilities to store solar or wind power.
If BYD succeeds in even one of those businesses—let alone all three—it will become one of the most important clean tech companies in the world.


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Italian Health Minister Francesco Storace stated on Friday, November 25 that he would continue with his lawsuit against Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck, despite a formal letter of apology for the dispute that was created over the seizure of contaminated baby milk. Brabeck’s letter included a complete apology for any damages that may have been caused by his false statements over the pastfew days. Nevertheless, Minister Storace said he would press ahead with his lawsuit.
On the preceding Tuesday, Italian police said they seized 30 million litres of Nestlé baby milk after tests showed they contained traces of a chemical compound, IsopropilThioXantone (ITX), used in the printing of the company’s logo and design on the milk cartons. Laboratory tests carried out by regional health authorities in the Marche region confirmed there were traces of ITX in the milk in a number of cartons, although they did not show that the traces were toxic, police said.
In full-page advertisements placed in leading Italian newspapers, Nestlé said the recall of the potentially contaminated products in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal was a measure of precaution for consu-mers. The Swiss food corporation had also accused Italy of blowing the incident out of proportion, reiterating that the recall was a precautionary move.
Storace is suing Brabeck for alleging that his mini-stry knew about the problem as far back as July and not in September, when he alerted the European Union. In his letter, Brabeck withdrew claims that Nestlé had agreed with EU and Italy’s Health Ministry back in July that the possibly tainted products should be allowed to expire while Nestlé changed the production process for future products.Brabeck apologised for his accusations, writing that a lapse in memory led him to date the contacts with the health ministry to July rather than September.


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additionally places extreme restrictions on the advertising of e-cigarettes. The Lung Association, Cancer Society, Surgeon General, and every credible scientific physique acknowledges the dangers of smoking.
Erika Sward Of Yank Lung Association Reveals The Hazards Of Vaping And Iqos
Previously, diacetyl, which is utilized in food production as a butter substitute, causes popcorn lung. As a outcome, many reported that e-cigs could possibly be probably dangerous. But thus far, no one is understood to have contracted popcorn lung from vaping. There are 1000’s of non-public testimonials about that but the FDA ecigarette rules usually are not but prepared to officially declare that e-cigs assist people give up smoking. In addition, the FDA has declared that e-cigarettes are tobacco products under the meals drug and cosmetic act.
Report An Issue With A Tobacco Product Or Potential Tobacco Product Violations
A group assigned to e-cigarettes as a combustible tobacco replacement were extra likely to remain abstinent at one 12 months compared with a gaggle utilizing nicotine substitute merchandise (18% vs. 9.9%). However, a majority of e-cigarette customers had been still using e-cigarettes at the one-yr follow-up. Researchers noted the research was based on a center-aged grownup population actively in search of to stop smoking and receiving at least four weeks of behavioral assist.


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Back in 2014, Microsoft bought Acompli, an email client available to iOS and Android back then. Later they rebranded it as Outlook. One of the feature was Focused Inbox . It uses an algorithm which detects frequent contacts and push their emails above other emails kinda like how facebook shows content on newsfeed. While the feature had not been available to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile but seems like Windows 10 version is getting it soon as its already in limited testing.
SOURCE – WC
More from Apps
There’s a lot more than your iPhone device can do than just make calls and FaceTime other people, especially as …


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Thailand’s tourism growth between the first and third quarters recorded 3.49 per cent, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kohsurat.
Unlike many countries that reported a negative tourism growth, the number of tourists during the first three quarters in Thailand continued to be positive, Mr Weerasak said.
He added that many countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and China, voted Thailand as one of the most attractive tourist destinations despite the oil price hikes in the beginning of the year and the prevailing global economic downturn.
The minister said the government will launch different tourism promotion campaigns, such as the ‘Iron Chef Nationwide’ to promote Thai food. He said the government has allocated a budget of 374 million baht for the ministry to implement different tourism projects in 2009.
Foreign tourists generated over 600 billion baht to the country while Thai tourists generated about 300 billion baht, he said. — Bangkok Post


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LatAm nations urge Brazil to trade more within region
Officials from the countries that make up the Pacific Alliance - Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru - agreed here Wednesday that Brazil could do more to promote regional economic integration.
The invitation for Brazil to increase its trade with the Pacific Alliance was made at a seminar in Sao Paulo including officials, business executives and the director of Economic Integration at the Brazilian foreign ministry, Michel Arslanian Neto.
The diplomat acknowledged that Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, attributes “little value” to trade relations with neighboring nations, which he said was a mistake since the region has “strategic importance” for Brazilian international trade.
“We must bear in mind that we export more to Latin America and the Caribbean than we export to the United States and the European Union ,” he said.
Evelyne Rodriguez, of Mexico’s trade and investment promotion agency ProMexico, criticized Brazil’s stance on trade negotiations and pointed to the “complexity” of the Brazilian tax code as an obstacle to more effective trade integration.
On that subject, ProColombia director Alejandro Pelaez urged Brazil to expand its economic openness.
ProChile director Maria Julia Riquelme said that the 26 commercial agreements that her country maintains today allow Chile to reach “63 percent of the world’s population.”
She also said that Chilean investment has created more than 115,000 jobs in Brazil, so bilateral agreements should be encouraged.


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SEMA News—June 2013
SEMA SPY PHOTOS
Photos copyright KGP Photography. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.
When It Hits: More Mustang news will become available when the assembled production-spec prototypes are running the streets of Detroit.
Latest Details: These shots prove that new, more-complete prototypes of the next Ford Mustang are now being assembled. The prototype looks undisguised under all that canvas, yielding a look at a prominent lower side sill that helps ground the design. However, the lack of bumpers hampers the ability to comment on its overall stance or
When It Hits: As one of three refreshed SRT models announced by Chrysler earlier this year, this Challenger prototype is the SRT engineering team’s latest evidence of a performance-tuned version.
Latest Details: The prototype’s unique exhaust setup has new piping and round tips that sit differently in the rear fascia, supporting industry rumors that SRT has turned to Eaton to supply a supercharged Challenger to compete with Ford and Chevrolet’s factory-built musclecars. Power estimates for the new Challenger currently stand somewhere between 540 and 570 hp.
When It Hits: The MKC is being fast-tracked to production, which should result in an official debut at the end of this year.
Latest Details: There appear to be clear differences between the production MKC and the version displayed at the 2013 North American International Auto Show. The differences include a less-aggressive headlight design and a more delicate wing mirror, and the profile of this production model shows its Escape-based roots a bit more than the concept did.
Dodge Charger SRT8
When It Hits: The Charger SRT8 update is expected to hit the market in the 2014 calendar year as a ’15 model.
Latest Details: Another one of the vehicles in the updated SRT lineup planned by Chrysler, this SRT-tuned Charger’s basic frontal architecture looks similar that of to the current model. However, it’s expected that the SRT stylists will tone down the “gaping maw” effect of the grille. A further refinement of the Dodge crosshairs may also be in the works.


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View of a high voltage tower. (Jesús Hellín – Europa Press).
The September Consumer Price Index released this Thursday by the INE confirms a rise in inflation to 3.5% year-on-year, nine tenths more than the figure set in August (2.6%) and more than one and a half points above the lowest figure of the year, 1.9% in June. Inflation thus confirms an upward trend in its growth rate and returns to the values it had in spring.
As explained by the statistical institute, the rebound in the ninth month of the year is due to the increase in electricity prices, which intensifies the base effect compared to the drop in its price in the same month of 2022. Secondly, fuels continue to push upwards, as already happened in August, compared to the decrease they registered in September of last year.
You may be interested in: Households paid 297 euros more in VAT in 2021 and 2022 due to inflation despite consuming less than before the pandemic
On the other hand, core inflation, which reports the general index without unprocessed food or energy products, slowed down three tenths in September, to 5.8%, the lowest rate since June 2022. However, when it stood at Above 5.5% allows the reductions in VAT on food to be maintained until the end of the year if the figure known today is confirmed in October.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs emphasizes that Spain continues to be among the EU countries “with the lowest inflation and highest growth in the euro zone.” They also maintain that the economic policy measures adopted by the Government “are favoring the competitiveness of Spanish companies, the gain in market share and the increase in the purchasing power of salaries.”
You may be interested in: Inflation could become more entrenched than expected: the Bank of Spain raises its forecast to 3.6% for 2023 and 4.3% for 2024
Regarding the harmonized CPI (HICP), the indicator that provides a common measure of inflation to make comparisons with the European Union, it rose eight tenths in September, up to 3.2%. Eurostat has not yet published the data for September, so it is not possible to compare where Spain is with this increase. However, it is true that in August our country was the second with the lowest inflation, only behind Denmark (2.3%) and equal to Belgium (2.4%).
Both the Spanish banking supervisor and the community executive estimate that Spain will close 2023 with an interannual inflation of 3.6%, although they differ on the evolution of inflation for 2024. The Bank of Spain advances that it will increase to 4.3%, while that the European Commission foresees lower inflation than this year, of 2.9%.
According to the Bank of Spain, prices will not grow below the 2% recommended by the ECB until 2025, a year for which it anticipates an average inflation of 1.8%. Its main reason for raising the 2023 inflation forecast is the rise in crude oil prices in international markets during the summer, which has caused a rise in gasoline and diesel.
As for 2024, inflation will be higher than expected due to an increase in the price of energy perceived in energy prices in the futures markets and due to the foreseeable disappearance of the Government’s measures to mitigate the impact of inflation. Some of these are the reduction of VAT on food, electricity and subsidies for public transport.


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You are here
In these tough economic times, consumers are pleased with their comfort foods, according to the latest American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). The quarterly report that measures customer satisfaction across 10 economic sectors found that satisfaction was particularly high among beer and candy companies.
Beer manufacturers reached their highest level to date, with a score of 84 (out of a 100-point scale) to mark a 1.2 percent change from 2008 rankings. Top companies included Anheuser-Busch InBev (85) and SABMiller (83), which grew 3.7 percent and 1.2 percent, respectivel,y from last year. Molson Coors Brewing (81) dipped by 2.4 percent, while “all others” maintained their rank at 83.
Candy/chocolate companies were also popular among consumers. Overall satisfaction with food companies remained steady at a rank of 83, with Mars (87), Hershey (87) and Nestle (85) in the top 10. Both Hershey and Nestlé increased 2.7 percent from last year’s totals, and Mars gained 1.2 percent. Other top food brands included Heinz (89), Quaker (87), Kellogg’s (85) and Sara Lee (85).
There was a strong showing from soft drink companies as well, which saw their satisfaction levels grow 2.4 percent for an overall score of 85. PepsiCo (2.4 percent) and “all others” (6.3 percent) posted the greatest gains. However, Coca-Cola (down 1.2 percent) and Dr. Pepper Snapple (down 1.1 percent) both dipped.
“The same thing happened in 2001 in the midst of the previous recession, and also in 2004 when concern over the Iraq war and rising fuel prices appeared to be reflected in higher satisfaction with comfort foods,” said Professor Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI and author of “The Satisfied Customer.”
But cigarettes seem to be losing their appeal with customers, as the category dipped 7.7 percent from its 2008 score down to 72. Manufacturers such as Phillip Morris (down 8.9 percent) and Reynolds American (down 7.7 percent) saw significant declines, dropping from scores of 79 to 72 and 78 to 72, respectively. According to Fornell, the declines are due to new government-imposed product taxes. He said that similar taxes in the past caused a 10 percent price increase, and subsequently a 4 percent decrease in consumption.


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Unity CEO Says Mobile Developers Who Don’t Maximize Monetization Are ‘F**king Idiots’
The mobile gaming world has often been criticized for its tendency to build games around monetization. Although some of the best new Android games are premium, mobile developers are more often turning to free experiences.
In an interview with PocketGamerBiz, Unity CEO John Riccitiello expressed deep hatred for mobile developers who create premium experiences. However, this may be due to one important factor.
Are Premium Mobile Developers Stupid?
In the interview, Riccitiello said premium mobile developers are “f**king idiots” for not maximizing monetization. Riccitiello discussed denial from developers and gamers regarding blatant monetization features in mobile games.
The CEO of Unity explained that developers of premium games are always very good at their job. However, he thinks they are stupid for not getting obvious benefits from free payments.
“Ferrari and some of the other high-end automakers still use clay and carving knives,” said Riccitiello, a former Electronic Arts executive. “It’s a very small part of the gaming industry that works that way, and some of those people are my favorite people to fight with in the world – they’re the most beautiful, purest and most beautiful people. They are also some of the biggest idiots.
The CEO explained that big games have failed commercially on mobile because they are not suitable for free users. Instead, they are passion projects that have sadly been left behind. He said:
“I’ve seen great games fail because they set their stress loop to two minutes when it should have been an hour. Sometimes you won’t even notice the difference in product between a massive hit and a huge fail, but for this tweak and what it does to the attrition rate, there isn’t a developer on the planet that wouldn’t want this knowledge.”
Read more: The Division Resurgence sees The Dark Zone thrive on mobile
So why is Unity peddling this?
To be fair, Unity’s CEO is right. Mobile gaming is hugely lucrative for some projects, like Diablo Immortal, but mobile developers looking to bank on premium experiences are sadly left behind. Well, unless they’re Minecraft.
However, Unity also has an interest in more mobile games going free. With game engine makers merging with ad company Ironsource, they want more Unity games to break the momentum with ads.
It’s already been a profitable part of mobile gaming for Unity for years. Free games created on Unity, many of them use Unity Game Ads to serve ads to players. The unit takes a share of the revenue generated.
Of course Unity wants more free games to come up with monetization, it’s one of their best money generators. Even if it means boring players in the process.


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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Department Store will reap solid revenue from department stores and has secured a new growth momentum due to its duty-free business, said Mirae Asset Daewoo on Oct. 4, upgrading the recommendation to a “buy” from a “trading buy” and maintaining 125,000 won (US$110.85) target price.
Gross revenue in the third quarter will rise 4 percent on-year to 1.4 trillion won and operating profit by 11 percent to 77.1 billion won. It will complete revamping the Cheonho branch by end-November, and boosted by steadily growing sales of luxury goods and cost cutting the department store sector will post strong earnings, said analyst Kim Myeong-ju.
After opening a duty-free store in November it will suffer an operating loss as the new business stabilizes, but focus should be on securing growth momentum rather than short-term earnings dip. The time to settle down can be shortened depending on the speed of recovery of Chinese inbound group tourism and its success in attracting three major luxury brands that are not sold by competitors, added the analyst.
By Hwang You-mee (firstname.lastname@example.org)


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Wireless paradox: AT&T's investment in the iPhone could backfire
Now, in a paradoxical twist, it seems that its relationship with the iPhone could hurt AT&T. According to an analyst quoted in the Globe and Mail, sales of Apple's iPhone are actually eating away at AT&T Mobility's adjusted income operating margins. The reason: AT&T heavily subsidized the latest iPhone 3GS to bring in new customers, paying as much as $300 for each device. The idea was that by subsidizing the cost, AT&T would have enough scale to bring in more than 4.5 million subscribers paying at least $70 per month. At that scale, the high customer acquisition costs would be diminished.
But now, it looks like AT&T hasn't brought in as many customers as it expected and those $300 subsidies could actually end up wreaking havoc on AT&T's income statement, bringing down its operating margins by 3 percentage points. In June, AT&T said that it expected margins in the low 40 percent range. Now, it looks like it will more likely be in the high 30 percent range. The damage could be even greater if, after the two-year contracts expire, subscribers decide to back out, perhaps moving to a different carrier.
To make things more complicated, AppleInsider says that AT&T can't just walk away from the iPhone. If AT&T were to pull out of the relationship and Apple got a new carrier, chances are the iPhone's devout followers would switch as well.
What all this means is that Apple is in the driver's seat and it's taking AT&T along for the ride. They'd better hope its not too bumpy. AT&T reports its second quarter earnings on July 23.


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Dayton Power and Light Company Changes Name To AES Ohio, Cites, "Transitioning To New Innovative Digital Solutions"
February 24, 2021 Email This Story Copyright 2010-21 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • email@example.com
The following story is brought free of charge to readers byEC Infosystems, the exclusive EDI provider of EnergyChoiceMatters.com
The Dayton Power & Light (DP&L) Company, a subsidiary of The AES Corporation, announced today its new name and brand identity.
DP&L is now AES Ohio.
"Drawing from AES' global expertise, scale and purpose, AES Ohio is accelerating technology and digital transformations to deliver greener and smarter energy solutions for customers," the company said
The new name also comes with a new logo (see it here). "However, some of DP&L's familiar colors are reflected in the new logo to illustrate the company's history," the company said
"At AES Ohio, we are focused on modernizing our electric system to maintain the reliability our customers have come to expect while also strategically transitioning to new innovative digital solutions to continue to meet their future needs," said Kristina Lund, President of AES Ohio. "Our customers will not have to choose between reliability, affordability and sustainability. We are leveraging our global and local resources and expertise to ensure they can have all three."


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Diageo sales to top £10bn
Guinness stout-to-Veuve Clicquot champagne producer Diageo will
announce that revenue has broken the £10bn mark in its annual
results this week.
Last year, Diageo fell just short of £10bn, but with rapid growth in emerging markets and Americans enjoying its spirits, sales growth will be around 8 per cent. Operating profit before exceptional, one-off costs, should be more than £3.1bn against nearly £2.3bn last year.
Analysts at Oriel Securities argued that the group's strength in countries that are already drowning in beer, tequila and whisky is impressive. In a note, Oriel said: "This ability to grow the core business in mature markets, where margins are predictably strong and currencies typically more stable, remains a salient attraction [to buy Diageo stock]."
Also reporting next week is commodities giant Glencore. Investors and analysts will be hoping for an update on its proposed megamerger with mining group Xstrata.
Woolwich terror attack: Suspect Michael Adebowale saw friend 'literally sliced to pieces' in 2008
Emergency landing at Heathrow sparks further controversy over London airport capacity
Unrest may spread across Europe, warns Red Cross chief
Hate attacks on Muslims increase tenfold since murder of Woolwich soldier
You want to get an Eton scholarship? All you need to do is answer four (not so simple) questions
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.


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Updated: 05/06/2016 4:09 PM
Print Story |
When it comes to getting ready for Prom, the dress is the first piece of the puzzle. Then you’ve got to think about hair and makeup. Things have changed from the up-do Big Hair Don’t Care days. Julie Martin and Amy Franklin from New Reflections Salon stopped by to show us what’s on trend this Prom Season.
When it comes to hair, a deconstructed updo is what kids are asking stylist for. But stylists are taking it a step further. Amy shows us how sewing jewelry in the hair creates a headband. New Reflections makeup artist Julie Martin says full brows and red lips will be seen at this year’s dance.
Prom Dresses from Glitz! at Mall of America


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True to its word that they welcome the government’s plan to examine its books along with its competitors to ensure proper compliance of all tobacco industry players with the new Sin Tax Law, Mighty Corporation said that they will continue to work hand-in-hand with the authorities even after a special Department of Finance Task Force ordered the shutdown of the importation warehouse of Mighty Corp. for an alleged “serious violations of the Tariff and Customs Code.”
Mighty Corp, a Bulacan-based cigarette manufacturer and the only wholly-owned player in the Philippine tobacco industry, assures their customers that it’s business as usual for the company and that it has long been focused on the domestic market even if their services of re-channeling duty-free cigarettes-for-export for domestic distribution and consumption is labelled as pending full audit investigations.
Despite the shutdown of Customs bonded warehouse (CBW) operated by Mighty Corp, the company will resume production and marketing of low-priced but quality cigarettes that includes popular brands Mighty Filter Kings and Mighty Menthol that both sells in the market P183 per ream.
In an initial review of the import entries covering 2011 and 2012, the Bureau of Customs have said to have discovered that Mighty imported toba*co regardless of type and country of origin at $0.68 per kilo where other high-volume tobacco importers paid a range of $3 to $8, based on data supplied by the National Toba*co Administration (NTA).
But Mighty Corp has found an ally in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that has earlier denied any form of smuggling happening in the cigarettes industry today. BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares said some tobacco companies were just being aggressive in seizing market shares from big industry players since the enactment of the new excise tax regime last January.
“If a company is selling at a loss, it is not our problem because there’s no such a law that prohibits selling at a loss. But it’s not sustainable, and we don’t know how long it can be sustained,” Jacinto-Henares said in response to accusations that Mighty Corp was able to sell their products cheaper compared to other companies because of the alleged cigarette smuggling


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Goal, Lowe’s, Tesla, and extra
A woman leaves the Target store in New York on March 2, 2021.
Emaz | Corbis News | Getty Images
Check out the companies that are making headlines in mid-day trading.
Target – The retailer’s shares rose 5% after Target’s first-quarter results beat analysts’ expectations for sales and earnings. The company made an adjusted $ 3.69 per share on revenue of $ 24.2 billion. According to Refinitiv estimates, The Street expected the company to make $ 2.25 per share on sales of $ 21.81 billion. The comparable sales of Target increased by 22.9% compared to the previous year.
Take-Two Interactive – Take-Two stock rose roughly 5% on the video game company’s latest quarterly results. Take-Two earned an adjusted 94 cents per share, compared to the 67 cents analysts had expected, according to Refinitiv estimates. The company also beat sales estimates.
Lowe’s – The hardware store retailer’s shares fell 1.8% despite beating the income statement for the quarterly results. Lowe’s reported earnings of $ 3.21 per share on sales of $ 24.42 billion. Wall Street expects earnings of $ 2.62 per share on sales of $ 23.86 billion, according to Refinitiv. Sales in the same store rose by 24.4% and were thus above the forecast 20.3%.
TJX Companies – TJX shares fell more than 2% despite better-than-expected quarterly results. TJX earned 44 cents per share, beating estimates of 31 cents per share, according to Refinitiv. The company had sales of $ 10.09 billion, above its forecast of $ 8.62 billion on Wall Street.
JD.com – The Chinese e-commerce company’s shares rose roughly 1% after posting better-than-expected earnings and sales in the first quarter. JD’s active customer accounts increased 29% year over year in the quarter thanks to an expanded product line.
Tesla – Shares in the electric vehicle maker, which holds a large amount of Bitcoin, fell about 3.5% during the cryptocurrency sell-off on Wednesday. Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted in a tweet late Wednesday morning that Tesla will not sell its Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency has plummeted.
Microstrategy – Microstrategy stocks rose nearly 9% on Bitcoin’s decline. The business analytics company has a large amount of Bitcoin in its corporate coffers.
Coinbase – The shares of the largest U.S. crypto exchange fell about 6%. The exchange’s website had a brief outage amid the crypto sell-off before resuming service a few hours later, Coinbase said. The company debuted around the time the price of Bitcoin peaked at $ 65,000 five weeks ago.
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– CNBC’s Maggie Fitzgerald, Pippa Stevens and Yun Li contributed to the coverage


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Telemedicine will save the healthcare industry US$21 billion in costs by 2025, rising from US$11 billion in 2021, according to a new global study.
Global email and data security company Mimecast has drawn attention, through a survey, to the extent to which the health and human services industry is being attacked through email threats.
Australian not-for-profit health fund, HCF, has invested in telehealth start-up GP2U, taking a 15% stake in the business.
e-health solutions provider Global Health has secured two major contracts – a $3 million five year contract with the ACT Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol & Drug Services (MHJADS) Electronic Clinical Record (ECR) project – and a contract with the Adelaide Primary Health Network (APHN) for the roll-out of MasterCare Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
Telstra has tentacles in many pies, but with its latest move into the eHealth arena, it shouldn’t have to worry about indigestion - here’s the launch video and media scrum for anyone interested in seeing how the event unfolded.
Energy management solutions provider Schneider Electric, has launched its Power Outage Insight Solution (POI) in the Australian market.
Greater adoption of the global GS1 System of supply chain standards and the National Product Catalogue (NPC) has the potential to significantly improve data quality and bring about savings of anywhere between $30 million and $100 million a year for Australia’s healthcare industry, according to a newly published report.
Healthcare and education have been the key drivers of ICT hiring over the last 3 months, according to a newly published survey of the salaries and skills demand in each of Australia's major markets.
The Asia/Pacific region is yet to witness widespread adoption of cloud services in the healthcare industry, but the future looks rosy for cloud technology take up by the industry, according to a newly released market report.
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Gentle Monster – the coveted South Korean luxury eyewear brand – will open its first New Jersey boutique at The Avenue at American Dream, expanding the curated collection of fashion available at the unrivaled luxury shopping and dining destination.
Since its founding in 2011, Gentle Monster embraces an experimental and boundary-pushing design philosophy. The
brand’s eyewear categories encompass a wide range of unique products that combine its design philosophy with daily
wearable products detailed with fine craftmanship. This approach is expanded through high profile collaborations with various brands and artists.
Gentle Monster’s daring nature extends to its retail stores, pushing beyond a mere eyeglass store. Gentle Monster will bring its rendition of the future retail landscape to its American Dream flagship.
“We’re excited to open our new flagship at American Dream. The curated environment is a perfect fit for Gentle Monster, as our brand has always been fixated on creating a memorable and unique experience for our customers,” Michael Lee, the managing director of Gentle Monster, said. “We really appreciate the American Dream team for all the support they have shown us, but mostly because of a genuine sense of shared vision on what retail should look and feel like in the future.”
“Gentle Monster’s cutting-edge design and future-thinking approach epitomize where luxury shopping is going,” Don Ghermezian, the CEO of American Dream, said. “It’s the perfect addition to The Avenue’s retail portfolio, and we could not be more thrilled to have Gentle Monster join us.”
The Avenue – American Dream’s luxury retail and dining experience – will make its debut Sept. 17, and Gentle Monster will join The Avenue at American Dream in the coming months.


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Update, Sept. 19: Vogue originally posted the wrong photos. They’ve now been updated with the correct images shot on iPhone 6s Plus.
Apple’s new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus won’t officially arrive for customers until September 25th, but Apple is giving the upgraded camera on the devices a real world test drive at New York Fashion Week. It appears Apple handed over a few of the unreleased phones to Vogue and they enlisted photographer Kevin Lu to shoot the show entirely with the new iPhone.
The upgraded camera on the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus was a highlight feature of the next-generation smartphones when Apple unveiled the new lineup earlier this month. The new iPhones include an upgraded 12 megapixel camera that Apple said has 50% more pixels and improved accuracy for autofocus over the previous generation. The new camera also includes support for shooting 4K videos.
Lu shared his thoughts on the camera (the iPhone 6s Plus) in the Vogue article after using them to shoot the show:
“It’s a lot quicker, so I can get more shots that I want, so I don’t miss much,” Lu tells Vogue.com of the phone’s responsiveness. “I also do videography, so the 4K video is really helpful because the quality is absolutely insane on a mobile phone and you can see a lot of detail.” While Lu is a professional whose photos have been featured in Apple campaigns, he believes the new update will make it even easier for amateur snappers to get top-shelf shots. “With a 12-megapixel camera, you can really get some incredible details, and you can zoom in a lot closer when you need to,”
Pre-orders for the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus kicked off last weekend followed by Apple announcing it was on pace to beat its record of 10 million units for opening-weekend sales. The device will officially go on sale at retail stores and online in one week on September 25th.
The images above all come from Lu and the iPhone 6s Plus and include shots from the runways of Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Coach during New York Fashion Week. More on Lu’s Instagram.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Military Tribute Chevrolet Camaro Auction to Help Wounded Veterans
The winter holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Festivus, and anything else we missed—usually worsen our cynical side. There's just something inherently wrong about being forced to endure artificially cheerful relatives, friends, colleagues, movies, television programs, and online broadcasts about the "magic" of the holidays while artificially cheerful salesfolks swarm over you like anorexic vultures over a kill just to purchase items that'll be deeply discounted one click after midnight on the 26th. So we admit our sagging spirits rose a bit at the announcement that General Motors plans to donate the proceeds of its 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Military Tribute model to the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, an organization that helps veterans deal with injuries suffered defending our freedom to watch 57-day marriages and listen to yet another show about talentless singers striving to get on the producer's couch. “We at Chevrolet want to do all we can to show our gratitude to the men and women serving in our armed forces, those who come home with life-changing injuries, like Cpl. Gaertner, and our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet Global Marketing and Strategy, said in a statement. Lance Corporal Justin Gaertner lost both his legs while on duty in Afghanistan.Auction house Barrett-Jackson will auction the 2012 Chevy Camaro Military Tribute in early January 2012. Famous airbrush artist Mickey Harris designed the Chevrolet Camaro Military Tribute, covering it with imagery from all five military branches (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy) as well as various military awards and medals. Besides the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, General Motors also supports Cell Phones for Soldiers, which provides phone cards to military personnel; Travis Manion Foundation, which support first responders like police, firefighters as well as the military; and offers deep discounts of GM vehicles via the GM Military Discount Program. Automotive.com's take: Yeah, we're keenly aware GM's donation is aimed to pull consumer heartstrings and bring them into dealerships. At least the automaker actually offers something of value to owners instead of banking millions from a show that started from the "accidental" release of a (bad) sex tape. Source: General Motors/Chevrolet
Bad news for the 2012 Fiat 500, and possibly for those who own one.


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Motorola introduced the world to the second generation of its wireless charger, capable of recharging device batteries without the need to touch the gadget. The accessory is capable of sending energy to up to four devices at the same time, and they can be positioned up to three meters away.
Wireless chargers have been on the market for some time, delivered by different brands and in many formats. The idea, even though it is widespread among many companies, is the same: you need to place the device that will be loaded right above the coil, touching the two devices.
Motorola managed to remove this distance limitation in one station, which now arrives in its second generation. The company showed the possibilities of this new version in a post on the Weibo social network, where it shows four smartphones being charged at the same time.
At another time, the brand, which is owned by Chinese Lenovo, shows the cell phone being recharged when it is at a distance of two meters and then within three meters of the charger. To achieve the feat of sending so much energy so far, Motorola claims to have installed 1,600 antennas inside this new station.
Motorola station triples the range of the previous one
The change tripled the charger’s operating distance, as the previous generation could do the same job in a maximum of one meter away from the device. It’s still unclear whether being closer to the base makes the recharge happen in less time, or how much energy is lost until you reach the three meter limit.
The generous size of this charger makes it clear that it is aimed at public places and businesses. There is no forecast yet as to when we will be able to start finding these stations, but they can be very useful in places with greater agglomeration of people, such as city squares, coffee shops, bookstores or airports.
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IBM, Microsoft and Google made up the top four, according to consultancy Interbrand's 11th annual ranking of the world's best global brands.
Apple enjoyed the biggest increase in value of all top 100 brands at 37 per cent, with a year of technical glitches with the iPhone 4 made up by the success of its iPad.
Coca-Cola has taken the top ranking for 11 years in a row.
The environmental disaster surrounding BP led to it falling off the list and helped competitor Shell emerge an an industry leader at number 81, up from 92 last year.
The Toyota recall caused the brand to lose 16 per cent of its value, but the company still managed to rank at number 11, down from 8th last year.
Interbrand group chief executive Jez Frampton said: ''2010 was the beginning of a long road back towards economic recovery.
''From real-time customer feedback through social media to increased transparency about corporate citizenship, brands were faced with a profound change in the way they relate to customers and demonstrate their relevance and value.
''Despite this new paradigm of brand management, the advantages of building a solid brand remain the same.''
Luxury carmakers Mercedes Benz and BMW took 12th and 15th place respectively.
Despite the economic downturn, luxury brands Cartier (77), Armani (95), Louis Vuitton (16), Gucci (44), Tiffany & Co (76) and Hermes (69) all saw the value of their brands increase.
In the financial sector, Citi (40) and UBS (86) both dropped 13% in brand value, while Santander (68), Barclays (74) and Credit Suisse (80) made the list for the first time.
The top 10 global brands as ranked by Interbrand are:


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The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), a global organization dedicated to enhancing transparency online by certifying the provenance of digital content, announced on Friday that Google has joined as a steering committee member, supporting Content Credentials to promote transparency in digital content within the AI era. Google will collaborate with other steering committee members such as Adobe, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, Publicis Groupe, Sony, and Truepic to develop the technical standard for Content Credentials.
Content Credentials, the C2PA's technical standard, aims to provide tamper-resistant metadata that can be attached to digital content, indicating how and when the content was created or modified.
"In the critical context of this year's global elections where the threat of misinformation looms larger than ever, the urgency to increase trust in the digital ecosystem has never been more pressing," stated Dana Rao, General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer at Adobe and Co-founder of the C2PA. "Google's membership will help accelerate the adoption of Content Credentials everywhere, from content creation to consumption," he emphasized.
Google's participation, including its subsidiary YouTube, will not only contribute to raising awareness of Content Credentials but also aid in promoting them as a fundamental resource for users to comprehend the content they encounter and trust the digital landscape.
"At Google, a critical part of our responsible approach to AI involves working with others in the industry to help increase transparency around digital content," said Laurie Richardson, VP of Trust and Safety at Google. She highlighted Google's existing efforts in this domain, such as Google DeepMind's SynthID, Search's About this Image feature, and YouTube's labels denoting altered or synthetic content, which provide valuable context to users, assisting them in making well-informed decisions.
In essence, Content Credentials serve as a "nutrition label" for digital content, delineating when it was created and modified. Moreover, Content Credentials are free, open-source technology based on the C2PA open technical standard, enabling anyone to integrate them into their products and platforms.
(With Agency Inputs)


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by RUPINDER SINGH / pic TMR
UOB Global Economics & Markets Research expects an average inflation rate of 2.8% for the entire year of 2023 after headline inflation for the country eased to a six-month low of 3.8% in December 2022.
“In the absence of domestic policy changes for price-administered items, particularly fuels and utilities, we expect headline inflation to continue its downward trend towards year-end.
“This will result in an average inflation rate of 2.8% for the entire year of 2023 (Ministry of Finance [MoF] estimate: 2.8%-3.3%),” said the research house.
It noted that measures by the newly-formed unity government to maintain electricity tariffs for households and small businesses until the end of June 2023, as well as continuing price control policy and chicken subsidies until a policy relating to the targeted mechanism is finalised and giving temporary permit for importing eggs to deal with the issue of chicken egg supply shortage will help ease inflation pressures.
“All these measures will somewhat help to contain inflation pressures in the short term, while the government is still fine-tuning its targeted subsidy mechanism (including fuel subsidy) which is reported to be unveiled in a matter of months,” it said.
“Under a potential scenario of gradual fuel price hikes every quarter based on global crude oil price assumptions of US$80-US$90 (RM394.20) per barrel, it (the direct impact) could lift headline inflation to 4% in 2023.
“In another scenario of assuming that fuel prices are unchanged in the first half of 2023 (1H23) and then gradually raised in 2H23, headline inflation could be capped at 3.5%,” it explained.
Hence, UOB said, volatile global commodity and non-commodity prices, domestic policy changes, the persistence of post-pandemic demand and currency movement are key wildcards for its 2023 inflation outlook (baseline estimate: 2.8%).
On the monetary policy front, it said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) unexpectedly took a prudent pause on its interest rate hike on Jan 19 in order to assess the impact of the cumulative past interest rate adjustments, given the lag effects of monetary policy on the economy.
It said that the central bank guided that it is not done with the interest rate hikes yet and future rate moves remain data dependent. However, UOB said, recent global developments and country-specific factors suggest rising challenges for BNM to hike further in the near term.
“Hence, we have dialled down our expectation to just one more 25 basis points (bps) hike to bring the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) back to pre-pandemic level of 3% by mid-2023, before taking a long pause for the rest of the year. The next monetary policy meeting is scheduled on March 8-9, which is about two weeks after the re-tabling of Budget 2023 on Feb 24,” it said.
Malaysia’s headline inflation eased to a six-month low of 3.8% year-on-year (YoY) in December in line with UOB’s and Bloomberg estimates of 3.8% and 3.9%, respectively.
“This brought the full-year inflation rate to an average of 3.3% (2021: 2.5%), coming in a tad lower than our estimate (3.5%) but matching the official forecast (3.3%),” UOB said.
On a month-on-month basis, Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2%, with five out of 12 components recording a negative monthly gain in December.
December’s annual inflation was primarily pulled down by lower prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages; transport; recreation services and culture; and miscellaneous goods and services particularly personal care amid year ago high base effects.
This helped to offset the persistent rise in restaurants and hotels price inflation and an uptick in housing, utilities and other fuel price inflation, which were the only two CPI components witnessing an increase in prices during the month.
With that, food price inflation as a whole dipped to a six-month low of 6.8%, while the overall non-food price inflation eased to 2.3%.
Besides that, there were fewer items recording a price hike compared to the preceding month, with 41 products showing a price increase of more than 10%, 78 items posted a price decline and 43 items recorded stable prices.
On another positive note, core inflation decelerated for the first time in 15 months to 4.1% YoY in December, tentatively suggesting that it has peaked at 4.2% in November.
Nevertheless, December’s core inflation continued to stay above the headline inflation for the third month in a row and surpassed its 2016-2021 long-term average level of 1.4% for the 12th straight month.
For the full year of 2022, core inflation averaged 3% (compared to 0.7% in 2021), hitting the upper bound of BNM’s forecast range of 2%-3%.
Meanwhile, services inflation maintained at 4.4% last month, the highest level since October 2008. It also exceeded its 2016-2021 long-term average of 1.9% for the eighth consecutive month. All these continue to presage strong demand price pressures, UOB said.


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Among technology pundits in the West, conventional wisdom is that Bitcoin is an idea that has failed. The crypto-currency lost 43 percent of its value in the first weeks of 2015, amid stories of hacks and collapsing exchanges.
But from an African perspective, reports of Bitcoin's death seem to have been wildly exaggerated; at least, that's what a number of new startups and their investors are hoping.
Earlier this year BitPesa, a Kenyan digital currency exchange, was able to raise $1.1m on the premise that Bitcoin could be a cheap way for Kenyans to move money across borders - from the UK back to their families, for example. The Australian exchange Igot has recently launched in Kenya as well.
The problem these Bitcoin entrepreneurs aim to address is the high cost of remittances, with traditional money transfer companies like Western Union charging an average of 12 percent to transfer money to Africa, according to the Overseas Development Institute.
"I know people who pay 17 percent, imagine, for moving money from one country to another," says Michael Kimani, head of the African Digital Currency Association in Nairobi. "A lot of people in the US or in Europe have an easier time moving money across borders. But here the rates are so expensive, it makes sense to start here. That's why there's so much attention and focus on Bitcoin use cases in Africa."
BitPesa claims to be able to transfer money into Africa, through Bitcoin, for a mere three percent. With over $60bn in remittances flowing into African annually, some see the continent as ripe for a digital currency revolution. "The Bitcoin ecosystem right now is trying to target a perfect use case for Bitcoin, and remittances just make sense right now because there's so much opportunity there," says Kimani.
In East Africa, and in Kenya in particular, the widespread use of mobile money is an added attraction that makes it a "unique environment for building a Bitcoin business," he says. "It's much less of a shock to have digital value in a phone. Kenyans can already move money between one another using mobile phones, so in that sense Bitcoin isn't really introducing something new." With Bitcoin, he adds, they can also now move it to another country.
Perhaps more importantly, mobile money provides a digital infrastructure that companies like BitPesa, which have secured access to Safaricom's wildly popular M-Pesa service, can use to make receiving Bitcoin remittances easy for people already accustomed to getting money through their phones. In addition, M-Pesa's registration requirements provide for a pre-existing compliance infrastructure, Kimani points out, simplifying the work of regulators.
But not everyone thinks Bitcoin is poised to revolutionize remittances. Gareth Grobler, CEO of the South African Bitcoin exchange ICE3X, thinks some of these new startups might be overestimating the public appetite for the virtual currency. "You've got a very, very niche group of people in all the countries that get excited about it," he says. "They're definitely there. But as far as the wider adoption, in general it's still a lot more about survival."
The African market, he argues, is still primarily need-driven; any new product that cannot clearly demonstrate its utility and gain the trust of the consumer is doomed to fail. Even in Africa, Bitcoin has a public relations problem, and its complexity makes it difficult to explain to the average consumer. "They don't understand how this thing is an asset, yet [they] can't touch it," admits Kimani. "It's going to take a bit of time for that to change."
As for a company like Western Union or Moneygram, "what they provide is 100 percent security. They provide confidence. They've got trust. They've been around for longer than most people have been alive," says Grobler. "Right now Bitcoin as a currency is not giving people enough reason to adopt it."
Too few adopters means that the currency suffers from a lack of liquidity, he adds, which makes its value notoriously unstable, and makes it difficult to scale up a remittance company. "The remittance application of Bitcoin is not the first one that should be successful. That's not the one that's going to make Bitcoin work as a currency," says Grobler.
But that doesn't mean that nothing can, he says, or that Bitcoin has no future in Africa. ICE3X recently expanded to its second country, Nigeria, which Grobler says presents "a much bigger opportunity than anywhere else in Africa, because Bitcoin solves more problems there".
One of the big problems in Nigeria - common in other African countries as well - is a widespread lack of confidence in local bank cards, which makes it difficult for African consumers to buy goods online. Bitcoin allows consumers to sidestep the banking system altogether, as long as vendors have the ability to process the crypto-currency. This could open up an enormous market to foreign companies without exposing them to the risk of credit card fraud.
But Grobler is betting that Bitcoin's real potential lies in what it can accomplish behind the scenes. "Being able to utilize the technology, being able to utilize the currency without the end user at this point being involved with any of that, I think that's how you're going to crack this nut," he says.
Kimani also thinks Bitcoin will eventually end up being invisibly worked into the back end of businesses. Even Western Union may one day integrate the technology into its own systems, he speculates, thus making international transfers more affordable without users ever having to interact with Bitcoin itself.
"It's an open technology - anyone could just grab it and use it," he says. "It's not just about Bitcoin coming and taking over and eating everyone's lunch."
Read more on Bitcoin:


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The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) is exploring the prospect of using the country’s information technology sector’s potential to increase revenue generated from Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) by organising an IT fair in Accra.
The tech fair, which was organised in collaboration with the Accra Digital Centre and themed ‘Growing our own: the need to use African Tech Solutions’, was aimed at creating the necessary business linkages, partnerships and collaborations for players in the sector.
Speaking at the tech fair, CEO of GEPA Dr. Afua Asabea Asare said to achieve this goal, her outfit has identified some strategic services sub-sectors for intense market development and promotion across the ECOWAS and entire AfCFTA. These services, she said, include medical tourism with emphasis on specialised centres (both private and public), consultancy services/professional Services, educational services and Business Processing Outsourcing (BPOs)/IT.
“The IT and IT-enabled sector has seen a tremendous transformation over the last decade, with the establishment of small and medium-sized tech enterprises that have interesting and export-oriented projects and concepts.
Realising the huge potential of this growing sector and in line with the NEDS strategy of positioning Ghanaian firms in the AfCFTA, GEPA has identified the Accra Digital Centre (ADC) as a key stakeholder to develop and promote the services of players in the IT space by projecting them in the ECOWAS region and the entire AfCFTA,” she said.
She further expressed confidence that the country has what it takes to become a major IT hub, given investment in IT infrastructure and programmes which have created a conducive environment for technology to thrive.
“I believe Ghana is poised to take the lead role in the sub-region when it comes to IT and IT-enabled services. Ghana has a low-cost, high-quality professional talent pool; Plug and Play enclaves such as Accra Digital Centre; existing Free Zone Economic regimes which offer favourable and investment-friendly regulations; transparent investment laws; good English-speaking accent; time-zone affinity; and annual IT graduate supply of more than 25,000.
“Another major reason for the growth of IT-enabled service in Ghana is the infrastructural support the country offers to firms in this sector. The larger GEPA strategy is to develop the sector to the extent that it can contribute an amount representing more than 10 percent of total NTE earnings annually. Our longstanding reputation for facilitating and linking SMEs to international markets through organising market linkage programmes such as trade Missions, Exhibitions or Trade fairs has been earned by achieving tremendous results over the years, and we are resolved to do more,” she said.
Also speaking at the fair, Deputy Trade Minister, Dr. Fareed Arthur, commended GEPA for its foresight in organising such an important fair; saying it is a major step for players in the IT space entering other markets on the continent, further urging them to maintain the highest level of standards.
“This fair will serve as a major step toward entering the ECOWAS and rest of the African market. Additionally, this forms part of the broadest strategy outlined in the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS) to enter the AfCFTA market through market and export development and promotion.
“Ghanaian products have strong brands in the African market. Similar to our products, our info tech solutions and offerings should also maintain the highest standards tailored to needs of the African market,” he said.
He reiterated government’s commitment to supporting the IT sector to thrive in the country, and even beyond.
“Artificial intelligence has been developing rapidly around the globe. The manufacturing industry is adopting more AI technology than ever to optimise production lines. Realising the enormous potential of this sector, government has designated special areas to be used as industrial and technology parks for businesses – including firms operating in this space,” he said.


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Spyro 4: Mystery of the Dragon teased for October reveal
We were truly lucky that we got to see Crash Bandicoot again. The N-Sane Trilogy made way for the marsupial's full return to the gaming industry, and he made his home where he belonged with a fully-fledged fourth instalment in his core franchise. For the most part, it actually managed to live up to its past.
Even though Crash and his mates are on a bit of a live-service kick with Crash Team Rumble, there's no doubt that his return was welcome. Ever since, fans have been wondering when everyone's favourite purple dragon would get the sequel treatment after a successful series of remakes. The time could finally be here.
It looks like a Spyro sequel is coming
Oh my god, it's happening. The GamingLeaksAndRumours has reported that there's a brand-new Spyro game on the way, slated for a release trailer that will supposedly launch on October 5.
If the leaks are to be believed, Spyro's long-awaited return is reportedly titled Spyro 4: Mystery of the Dragon and will be a direct sequel to the classic third game. It will reportedly launch on Xbox, PS5 and PC in the fourth quarter of 2024.
It is also suggested that we're getting a Rift Apart situation, with separate story modes for two different characters of Spyro and Cynder - the latter of which will be entirely playable.
The game is expected to be fronted by Nicholas Kole who was responsible for the character and environment design of the recent Spyro and Crash games, so we could be in for a treat with the game. But not everyone's picking up what Reddit is putting down.
Some Spyro fans are sceptical
Some fans in the comments think that the inclusion of Cynder is a giveaway for the fact that the game actually isn't real after all.
As one fan threatens to s**t themselves if the game doesn't get revealed in October (a bit much), another user added, "Better be near a toilet that day then, buddy. Cynder's inclusion should be a dead giveaway."
Another is concerned about the structure of the game, adding "Separate story modes seem to imply they are ditching the level-based collectathon approach, which is what I loved the most about the original trilogy. Hopefully I'm just misinterpreting things."
Whether Spyro 4 comes or not, the implication is enough. Spyro fans have been hungry, and we might be about to be fed. It's about time. Pun very much intended.


text: Sony to Launch Over 10 Live Service Games by 2026 Thanks to BungiePlaystation Life 3 February, 2022Just yesterday, Sony announced they were making “several” live service games but now we have a figure to add to that statement. During a conference call to accompany their latest financial results, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki confirmed they’re aiming to launch more than ten live service games by 2026 with the help of Bungie, their most recently acquired studio.Why Sony acquired BungieOne of the main reasons for Sony acquiring Bungie was so they could use “the expertise and technology that Bungie has developed in the live game services space”. While PlayStation Studios will not move away from single-player titles, at least for now, they are intending to break into the world of live service games. The aim is to release more than 10 live service games before the end of fiscal year 2025, which is on March 31, 2026.Another reason for acquiring Bungie was so Sony could acquire the Destiny franchise and “major new IP that Bungie is currently developing“. However, Sony has previously said that Bungie will decide whether their games will be exclusive to PlayStation or whether they go for the more likely scenario of keeping their games on multiple platforms. Totoki said Sony now views “the deployment of our game IP on multiple platforms as a major growth opportunity for Sony”, a theory buoyed by the success of games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone and God of War on PC. Bungie will help Sony to reach new players on platforms like Xbox that were previously unreachable.Opinion: This isn’t the end of single-player exclusivesA move into live service games doesn’t mean Sony will forget all about their first-party single-player PlayStation exclusives. Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 are due to be released imminently, and there are plenty more games in development: God of War Ragnarok, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Wolverine, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake to name a few. There are also third-party exclusives like Ghostwire: Tokyo. With live service proving to be incredibly lucrative for companies like EA and Ubisoft, I don’t blame Sony for expanding their options.The post Sony to Launch Over 10 Live Service Games by 2026 Thanks to Bungie appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.


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DUBBO CITY LIFE
IF you’ve been shopping at Aldi, Coles or any of Dubbo’s Woolworths stores in the last couple of weeks you’ll have noticed collection trolleys for non-perishable goods which are to be donated to families affected by drought.
The collection is the brainchild of local retiree, Mary Meehan, who Dubbo Photo News wrote about in last week’s edition (Thursday, May 24).
Just before we went to print, Mary rang asking that a very big thank-you go out to all those people who have donated or intend to donate; and thanks also to the managers and staff of all the supermarkets, especially the trolley boys.
“My lounge room is overflowing thanks to the generosity of all these people. It’s overwhelming,” Mary said.
Items will be stored in a secure location, the use of which has been donated by Dubbo Regional Council, until the collection ends and packs of groceries can be put together for delivering to those in need.
It’s just another example of how great it is living in a regional centre where looking after your neighbour is still a thing.
A HOME-GROWN charity that’s making a huge difference to the lives of so many across our region, Hear Our Heart, also has something to be grateful for this week.
The following is straight out of a media release put out on Tuesday this week, but it tells the story perfectly:
“Chief Executive Officer of the Walter and Eliza Hall Charitable Foundation, Helen Cook, is almost certain that she could still hear squeals of delight after putting


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Broadband survey for Fort Morgan area businesses: The survey takes less than 10 minutes and will help the city determine what Internet service is currently available and where there are gaps.
To participate in the survey, go to cityoffortmorgan.com and select the Fort Morgan Broadband Survey link from the menu on the left side of the home page.
FORT MORGAN — — Fort Morgan needs a few minutes of help from its local businesspeople.
The city is asking local businesses to complete an online survey about their broadband Internet service needs and access.
While the survey only takes a few minutes to complete and has been available for several weeks, very few businesses have participated, according to the city.
"A small response to the survey could be interpreted as a sign that there is not a great need for broadband service in the city," a city news release stated.
The city is working on a "citywide marketing study to formulate a long-term, sustainable plan for broadband Internet services," the release stated, and the survey is part of that study.
"As more of our daily lives are carried out online, access to affordable and reliable broadband Internet service is important to the future of the Fort Morgan community," the release stated. "For more than a year, the city has been in the process of a broadband planning study to determine how to best ensure that Fort Morgan businesses and community anchors have access to affordable, reliable broadband Internet service that will meet their long-term needs."
City Manager Jeff Wells encouraged local business leaders to be a part of that planning.
"This is a unique opportunity for all of our businesses to have a direct impact in the planning of Fort Morgan's broadband and Internet future," Wells stated about the online survey, and adding "we thank them in advance for their participation."
The overall study is meant to "determine what Internet service is currently available and where there are gaps, to identify related community goals and, ultimately, to produce a strategic 'road map' of how to best close gaps in service and achieve community objectives," according to the city.
"Whether you own a business or not, or are thinking about opening a business, we need that feedback," Well said. "It takes five, 10 minutes tops to fill out the survey to give us the information we need to start working, to move forward."
To participate in the study, visit the city's website, cityoffortmorgan.com and click the link on the left side of the page.
Or access the survey directly at: https://surveymonkey.com/s/FortMorganBusinessBroadbandSurvey


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New York Fashion Week 2021: Christian Siriano presented style as an escape with bold, colourful looks in his spring/summer 2022 live show – plus a performance by pop songstress Marina
Fashion is the ultimate escapism for many in a pandemic world that has been largely devoid of joy – designer Christian Siriano leaned into that idea of fashion as a getaway, kicking off New York Fashion Week with a colourful bang on Tuesday night, September 7.
Siriano returned to New York City’s Gotham Hall to showcase his spring/summer collection, which he said was inspired by a “simpler time” and “the Italian women in my life”.
“In a time when so many of us need an escape from the world, fashion is a great place to explore. For this collection I went back to a simpler time and looked to my past,” Siriano wrote in the show notes. “The old photographs of my grandmother in the 60s and 70s on holiday in Positano wearing her apricot orange dress inspired an Italian coastal collection filled with colour and joy.
“I wanted it to feel powerful and strong but also romantic like any true Italian woman.”
The buzz of Gotham Hall was noticeably quieter than in years past, with most – but not all – attendees wearing masks inside the show after displaying their vaccine QR codes at the entrance checkpoint.
The show also featured a surprise performance: Marina Diamandis, known mononymously as Marina, took the stage in a bright orange minidress with multicoloured fringed sleeves to belt out her hits as the models strutted down the runway.
The show’s finale included of a group of models exclusively revealing a variety of denim pieces from the upcoming collaboration between Siriano and Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans.
While most designers went fully digital during an expanded New York Fashion Week in the spring that stretched the traditional calendar, Siriano – whose original claim to fame was on the design competition TV has remained committed to the runway since the start of the pandemic. Siriano’s autumn/winter collection was inspired by a jaunt to Aspen, Colorado, to visit family for the first time in a year.
- Katie Holmes, Clueless star Alicia Silverstone, rapper Lil’ Kim and Real Housewives of New York’s Leah McSweeney were just a few celebrities in the front row
- Siriano, who rose to fame through TV show Project Runway, presented fashion as a getaway amid the pandemic with Italian 60s and 70s coastal pieces


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During the last couple of months, Bitcoin has gone through a two different hard forks, and the creation of two additional and separate digital currencies – bitcoin cash and bitcoin gold. Now, the deadline is quickly approaching for another hard fork, and this will likely have larger implications for the network.
The plan to introduce SegWit2x has been around since May, and has quickly gained favour with numerous mining pools and bitcoin start-ups. While the number of those supporting the hard fork has changed over the last few months, we’ll attempt to explain what this protocol change wishes to achieve, and the means of doing so.
To kick things off, the SegWit2x update wishes to change two main aspects about the digital currency. Firstly, it will introduce the code optimization known as Segregated Witness, hence changing the way that certain data is stored on the network. Apart from this, it will also set a clear time line meant to change the block size to 2 MB, up from the limit of 1 MB available today.
The main reasons behind this network split are: the fact that bitcoin is currently limited in terms of the number of transaction that the network can process due to the small block size. An increase would provide quicker transactions. It is also expected that the newer version of the digital currency will require users to pay lower fees for their transactions. However, the main downside of this consists in the fact that owning and operating a network node would be a bit more expensive, as owners would have to store the entire copy of the blockchain on their computers (basically all bitcoin transactions that ever took place).
The plan is currently being supported by a couple of large mining pools, but also by a few bitcoin exchanges and notable bitcoin core developers, such as Gavin Andersen. On the other side of the spectrum, the plan is opposed by numerous bitcoin users and node operators, but also the current bitcoin core operators, who are against this change.
So far, numerous mining pools, exchanges and wallet providers have publicly disclosed their plans once the hard fork happens. Most have said that they will follow the natural choice of the network, and side with the part which has the most fans once the split occurs.
Analysts believe that the SegWit2x hard fork will affect the bitcoin network, and lead to a decrease in the price of the currency.
While there are numerous other things to take into consideration, from what you have heard, what are your thoughts about the upcoming hard fork? Let us know in the comment section below.


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Photo courtesy NTA
LAS VEGAS — NTA announced a series of new partnerships and initiatives at its December convention in Las Vegas that will focus on the growing diversity of products offered by member operators.
The association’s administrators are building relationships and networks that will help to identify growth opportunities for members as well as build connections among suppliers and tour operators that are already engaged in certain sectors of the broad tourism market.
Among growth projects is a Hispanic initiative undertaken with the American Society of Travel Agents. The two associations have formed a joint task force to help identify the desire for travel products and services among the country’s growing Hispanic population.
NTA leaders are also looking to help their members improve what they already do.
“The most important thing that has been happening here is that we recognize the diversity of our tour operators,” said NTA president Lisa Simon. “It’s going to be difficult to do things that involve all of our tour operators. So we want to build networks of people who offer specific types of products.”
Leaders began building a network of companies offering faith-based products this year; Simon said that they are also looking at making similar connections among the 30 percent of members who offer student tours. Adventure travel is on the radar as well.
“We’re going to get into the adventure market early next year,” she said. “There’s a growing demand for that among our membership.”
Simon said NTA will work with the leaders of other trade organizations, such as the Student and Youth Travel Association and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, to offer education to NTA members.
“We’re very close to the people at these associations, so I believe the best thing to do is bring those experts to our market,” she said.


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Chief Secretary Sri Somesh Kumar,IAS informed that the Honourable Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekar Rao is very keen to increase oil palm cultivation in the state. He observed that the state has many innovative and progressive farmers who can be sensitised to take up oil palm cultivation which has a huge potential and will also help reduce the import bill of the country.
Chief Secretary held a review meeting with officials on increasing oil palm cultivation in the state at BRKR Bhavan today. Importing of quality sprouts, establishing of nurseries, identifying potential private companies for setting up factories in the state and other logistic issues were discussed during the course of meeting.
Sri Jayesh Ranjan,IAS, Prl. Secretary, ITE&C, Sri Sandeep Kumar Sultania, IAS, Secretary, PR&RD, Sri Raghunandan Rao,IAS, Secretary, Agriculture, Ms. Christina Chongthu,IAS, Secretary, Tribal Welfare, Sri Surender, MD, TS Oilfed, Sri Venkat Rami Reddy, Director, Horticulture, Sri Akhil, Director, Food Processing, Ms. Sushma, Director, Business Development for Food Processing Society and other officials were present.


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Consumer Price Index increases 3.6 percent in 12 months (again)
July 19, 2011
In June, the 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) all items index remained at 3.6 percent. The change in the index for all items less food and energy edged up to 1.6 percent, its highest level since January 2010. The food index increased 3.7 percent over the last 12 months while the energy index rose 20.1 percent.
The 12-month percent change in the index for all items less food and energy has been steadily rising, and most of the increase has come within the past six months. The shelter index has risen 1.2 percent over the last 12 months, the medical care index has risen 2.9 percent, and the index for new vehicles has increased 4.0 percent.
The index for food at home has risen 4.7 percent over the last 12 months; the index for food away from home has risen 2.3 percent.
Despite declines in recent months, the gasoline index has increased 35.6 percent over the past 12 months. The household energy index has risen 2.8 percent over the last 12 months, with the fuel oil index up 37.3 percent and the electricity index up 1.5 percent, but the index for natural gas down 0.8 percent.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Consumer Price Index increases 3.6 percent in 12 months (again) on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20110719.htm (visited September 24, 2018).
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Industry on Tap: Breweries
A look at employment, wages, and job safety in breweries and producer prices for beer.
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BAC has officially launched their new BAC Scottsdale dealership set up by former Major League Baseball All-Star CJ Wilson. Operating out of the McLaren Scottsdale dealership, they aim to sell a limited number of BAC Mono supercars.
Convertible Car News: Convertible Track Day Cars
13th June 2014
The latest in a long line of performance focused cars from start-up companies is here. The British built Elemental RP-1 is a road-legal track car which uses high-tech materials and minimalist design to make a featherweight sports car.
27th May 2014
The Caterham Seven Kamui Kobayashi edition has been created in partnership with the company’s F1 Team driver. It reflects both his Formula One car and his taste for stripped-back driver’s cars.
9th May 2014
A new version of the infamous British track-focused roadster has been revealed. The Ariel Atom 3.5R features updated suspension, gearbox and styling. The refinements keep the Atom at the pole position of hardcore track day ready sports cars.
20th September 2013
Caterham launched their new concept car today at the Singapore Grand Prix and have given an insight into their roadmap for the future. The new Caterham AeroSeven Concept is a thoroughly modern take on the kind of sports cars Caterham have made for the last 40 years. While it may look like an all-new car […]
7th July 2013
While the world has no shortage of nutty trackday-ready cars, the majority of them come from small european builders (e.g. Caterham, Ariel, BAC, KTM), often leaving the selection for American drivers fairly limited. A new Mexico/Detroit based business has a solution called the VŪHL 05. VŪHL which stands for “Vehicles of Ultra-lightweight and High-performance” is […]
21st May 2013
In celebration of Aston Martin’s centenary year, they have launched the exotic looking CC100 Speedster Concept. The stripped-down convertible track car was designed to reflect the brand’s 1950’s Nürburgring and Le Mans winning DBR1 racers.
16th October 2012
Ariel Motor Company has released the latest version of it’s bare bones track-day wonder the Atom. Visually the Ariel Atom 3.5 has revised bodywork (what there was of it) and a new lighting system with twin projector headlamps along with LED indicators and tail lamps.


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Meridian Police and Great Southern National Bank have a word of warning about a new scam.
There is an automated call that customers are receiving that says their Visa debit card has been compromised. To receive a new card you are asked to press one, then enter the card information.
Meridian's Public Information Officer Mike Vick says there is one thing to always keep in mind.
"There's never a time where a bank that owns your card is going to request personal information from you over the phone," says Vick, "They already have your information."
If you have any questions about this scam, you can call 601-485-0949 or 1-800-528-2273.
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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VoIP Ban in Morocco and its economic impact on the country
It all started on the first week of January 2016, when Internet users all over the country found issues making mobile calls on a regional and international level through free applications such as Skype, Viber, Tango, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp using their 3G, 4G internet connection. Few days later the Moroccan telecommunications regulation agency, the
- April 4, 2016
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Blog Category, North Africa, Technology & Telecommunication
“Mobile Insurance” – A good deal for Africa!
- June 10, 2015
- Posted by: Elmehdi AMID
- Category: Africa, Blog Category, Financial Services
Mobile Insurance meets with great success in several African insurance Markets such as Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and even Tanzania. This success helps boosting the insurance penetration rates in several African countries generally under 3% which is still low compared with the worldwide penetration rate of 6.5%.