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Sainsbury’s has reported a 13.3% rise in pre-tax profits for the first half of its financial year despite the economic slowdown. The supermarket chain says growth has been driven by sales of ready meals, computer games, books and newspapers.
It saw pre-tax profits rise to £272m over the six months to October 4, with sales up by 7.6% to £10.7m compared with £9.9m in the same period last year.
The chain attributes its positive results to adapting quickly to changing consumer patterns.
Justin King, Sainsbury’s chief executive, says the growth to due to “its universal customer appeal and brand heritage” but added that the second half of the year will remain “particularly challenging”.
The company is planning to roll out 50 new convenience stores over the next the next year and another 100 by 2010. It also announced the launch of its Christmas ad campaign featuring television presenters Ant and Dec, in which they clash with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.


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Temando ebook: State of Shipping in Commerce 2016
Temando and Research Now have conducted a global survey to understand the shipping and delivery expectation of today’s consumers. You can download the finding and get informed with the free ebook download called. Find it here.
They’ve examined the experiences that retailers enjoy and mapped the findings against the capabilities of UK retailers to show the delivery gap that presents an opportunity for savvy retailers.
The study, which surveyed 1000 consumers and 200 retailers from the UK examines:
– What customers want from their delivery experiences
– Retailer shipping & fulfilment capabilities
– The impact of shipping policies on cart abandonment
– The services consumers are willing to pay a premium for

domain: news


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All’s been quiet on Disney’s animated movie-to-live action adaptation front since Cruella launched in May 2021, but that’s about to change this fall.
Pinocchio — Disney’s second animated feature-length film when it premiered in 1940 — will get a live-action adaptation in September. But, because Pinocchio is also a fairy tale in the public domain, it is also one of three adaptations coming out this year. The first, a Russian adaptation with a much-memed dub, came out in February. A Guillermo del Toro-directed stop-motion animated version of the story is set to hit Netflix in December.
The Disney version stars Tom Hanks as Geppetto, the woodcutter, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the wooden puppet. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will voice spiritual advisor Jiminy Cricket and Cynthia Ervivo will be the Blue Fairy. The new trailer shows just about every notable character — but just a brief glimpse of Pinocchio himself.
Pinocchio’s original animated release in 1940 won two Academy Awards for its music — Best Original Score, and Best Original Song, for “When You Wish Upon a Star,” which has since become a Disney anthem. Pinocchio’s live-action adaptation is set to release on Disney Plus on Sept. 8 — just in time for Disney Plus Day, when the company will announce a flurry of Disney Plus-related announcements.


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Lordstown Motors Stock Trades at All-Time Low
LORDSTOWN, Ohio – Lordstown Motors Corp. stock briefly traded at a new 52-week low Thursday, bottoming out at $1.48 per share shortly after 2 p.m., then turning slightly upward later in the afternoon.
The startup electric-vehicle manufacturer, which trades under the ticker RIDE, ended the trading session at $1.54 per share, or 6.6% lower than Wednesday’s close.
RIDE stock has lost 62.3% of its value over the last six months and is down 36% over the last month.
Overall stocks sank Thursday, as investors expressed concerns over the Federal Reserve’s historic interest rate hike on Wednesday to curb inflation, fearing it could plunge the economy into a recession.
The Nasdaq Composite, where RIDE is listed, fell more than 4% and is down 30% year-to date. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 741 points to under 30,000 on Thursday.
Lordstown Motors recently sold its Lordstown Assembly plant to Foxconn for $230 million. The EV company also entered into a contract manufacturing agreement with Foxconn to produce Lordstown Motors’ first product, the all-electric Endurance pickup.
Another joint venture partnership calls for the companies to build future Lordstown Motors vehicles on Foxconn’s mobility-in-harmony, or MIH, EV platform.
Lordstown Motors executives have said that they need to raise additional capital this year to put the Endurance into production. The company projects manufacturing just 500 EV pickups this year and another 2,500 in 2023.
Copyright 2023 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.


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(Pussy888) - Pussy888 Agent Link Reputable Company, Free Games Best Online Games To Win Cash. Expert Sujan Hajra, Chief Economist and CEO of Anand Rathi Shares & Stock Brokers, commented that the Fed will temporarily pause the roadmap to increase interest rates in the context that the economy is starting to show signs of deceleration, the trend of retail inflation is decreasing on a large scale and the risk of tightening monetary policy is slowing down. future growth.
According to the Central Bank of Russia, before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the total value of Russian exports reached 489.8 billion USD in 2021, of which oil and gas accounted for 240.7 billion USD . Pussy888 Agent Link, Recently, although the COVID-19 epidemic and geo-political fluctuations in the world have impacted the global economy and trade, Singapore-China trade relations are still constantly developing.
The Content Subcommittee has coordinated with relevant ministries and branches to propose contents that can be included in the Conference Declaration, with strong and memorable messages to contribute to the implementation of related international commitments. to accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through Digital Transformation and Innovation. Pussy888 6 Best Online Slots Where You Can Win Real Money Best Online Games To Win Cash “ Currently, 640,000 stores have participated in this mechanism. Accordingly, since implementing this mechanism, in China there have been 770 million consumers returning goods through this form," Mr. Huong Huc informed.
As for the reason for choosing London as the location to launch the collection, Ms. Ho Tran Da Thao said that in addition to being a major fashion center of the world, London always has a very special meaning to her. Giochi Slot Online, SoftBank's mobile subsidiary also has a business partnership with OpenAI to serve companies in Japan that want to deploy generative AI technology, such as chatbot services.
How To Win The Cash Flow Game Pussy888 Real Money Casino Slots On The App Store Best Online Games To Win Cash Minister of Trade Gina Raimondo shared Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's assessment of the special significance of President Joe Biden's visit to Singapore and the two countries' establishment of a comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.
For example, Carrefour said a bottle of unsweetened Lipton peach-flavored iced tea produced by PepsiCo has been reduced from 1.5 liters to 1.25 liters, resulting in a 40% increase in price per liter. The weight of Guigoz infant formula produced by Nestlé has been reduced from 900 grams to 830 grams, while Unilever's Viennetta cream cake has been reduced from 350 grams to 320 grams. Free Games, By country, the US is the top attraction for foreign accounts owned by Korean Companies. Next are Japan and England. The US also tops the list of attracting individuals who are Korean citizens to invest digitally. Ranked second and third on this list are Singapore and Hong Kong (China).
On September 19, Men's Football at the 2023 Asian Games (ASIAD 19) will officially kick off with many exciting matches, including the participation of the Singapore Olympic Team. Pussy888 Pussy888 Test Account Best Online Games To Win Cash In particular, on this occasion, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will also attend and speak at the Bangladesh Diplomatic Academy; Attended, spoke and witnessed the signing of business cooperation agreements between a number of businesses from the two countries at the Policy and Law Forum to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation between Singapore and Bangladesh.


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AgSource unveils new brand, logo
AgSource has unveiled a new brand and new look for its two divisions, AgSource Dairy and AgSource Laboratories. “AgSource is known for delivering traditional DHI services and laboratory analysis,” said Chief...
Alarming assessment: Man shocked to learn his 2017 property tax bill nearly triple what he paid the previous year
Hugh Buchanan has paid property taxes on the 295 acres he owns in the Eau Claire County town of Otter Creek since he bought the land in 1972, so tax increases from year to year are no surprise to him. But the 87-...
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701 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire, WI. 54701 / 715.833.9200


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Japan is the physical and conceptual homeland of both the Pokémon media franchise and its inhabiting namesake monsters, which makes the country’s exclusion from the slow global rollout of the Pokémon Go phenomenon thus far ironic and regionally painful.
Adding insult to injury, the augmented reality mobile game’s beta was made exclusively available in the “land of the rising sun” back in March, before spreading to Australia, New Zealand and the US in subsequent months.
But it’s not that Niantic and Nintendo don’t want to release the finished product in the latter’s domestic market. They like Japanese money as much as American dollars, Euros or British pounds, and smartphone users around those parts are rarely put off by in-app purchases.
The cause of the regional delay is fear of server overloading, which has already generated big pains for gamers and developers elsewhere. The excitement further grew as rumors of sponsored McDonald’s gyms flooded the interwebs yesterday, so the decision to postpone Pokémon Go’s Japan expansion came natural.
Still, odds are you only need to wait between a day and a week longer, and the McDonald’s reports have essentially been confirmed. So, yeah, you should soon be able to catch them all in Japan, as well as battle other trainers while nibbling a Big Mac.


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Jessica Pastries is bringing the Baileys flavor to in-store bakeries with a chocolate mousse cake made with ganache, mousse, sponge and chocolate shavings, as well as a double brownie cake with chocolate brownie wafers smothered with a Baileys flavored white chocolate ganache. The Baileys Mousse cake is available at Metro Grocery stores across Canada. The Baileys Double Brownie cake is available at Sobeys stores launching Father’s Day 2020. Jessica Pastries will also introduce two new Baileys desserts this holiday season, including mini-salted caramel cheesecake ramakins and a Christmas log.
“We started on the Baileys adventure two years ago with the idea of simply gaining a few extra product facings to our existing shelf space in the bakery sections in retail grocery venues,” says Eric Walfish, director, business development, Jessica Pastries.
Beanstalk, Diageo’s brand extension licensing agency, secured the partnership with Jessica Pastries.
For Beanstalk, the deal marks another collaboration for its client portfolio. The agency recently discussed its approach to licensing in a sponsored a panel at Licensing Week Virtual. Beanstalk’s panel, “Consumers, Brands and Retailers: Adapting in the New Reality,” explored the future state of retail, branding and consumer behavior.
to watch the full session on-demand.
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it’s completely free.


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Overall scrap demand in the country remained low, particularly given the start of the monsoon season this month, but sources said that buyers in the container market have been forced to raise prices over the week because of stronger prices in other key markets such as Turkey
[LINK] and Pakistan.
“Buyers are saying that they won’t purchase now due to the wet season. Bangladeshi [steel] billet prices are down and rebar prices are down too,” a South Asian scrap trader said.
“However, in Turkey, we are not seeing any weakness. Some were hoping for prices to fall below $500 per tonne cfr Turkey for HMS 1&2, but suppliers are resisting,” he said.
“Production at mills in Chittagong is still high but demand for steel products is low, so...


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In what officials with Harley-Davidson Inc. are calling its “rally cry,” the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer is going electric with the introduction of LiveWire, its newest motorcycle that won’t take a single drop of gasoline.
But this Hog won’t be hitting the salesroom floor just yet as Harley-Davidson plans to rev up the technology for the electric motorcycle, which they believe isn’t mature enough at this time.
The plan is to introduce the motorcycle to one rider at a time through its dealership network. Harley-Davidson will kick off Project LiveWire, a 30-destination tour across the U.S. this year to find out what customers think about the electric motorcycle. Harley also plans to tour Canada and Europe next year.
“The technology on this is just not ready, but we want to get it on the road, let people ride it at the dealership and tell us what they think,” said Maripat Blankenheim, Harley's director of external communications. “We recognize that there are so many different things that riders want and when we looked at what was happening in the 21st century, we realized there is a place for this.”
Medina, Minn.-based Polaris Industries Inc., which is chasing Harley in the traditional motorcycle market, is farther ahead on the electric side. It already makes numerous electric vehicles and is an investor in Brammo, which launched a line of electric motorcycles in 2012.
Michelle Kumbier, senior vice president, motorcycle operations for Harley-Davidson, said the company started talking about the electric motorcycle concept five years ago.
Intended to hook a more diverse customer – young adults living in urban areas – the motorcycle features a lot of the same elements Harley is known for: an edgy look, feel and sound that pulls you in on an emotional level.
The sound of the motorcycle is unique though, starting quiet and then like a jet engine on an aircraft.
“The powertrain is the jewel of the product,” Kumbier said. “The longitudinal motor is at the center of the vehicle. It’s exhilarating, nimble, has responsive braking and great acceleration.”
But Kumbier said that the reason why the company doesn’t want to produce the motorcycle right now is because the industry that makes the components that go into producing the bikes needs to continue to evolve.
And Harley plans to continue monitoring the technology and “walk along side of it as it is maturing,” Kumbier said.
That’s important because the company hopes to make a bold statement and potential promise to the marketplace that it needs to continue to evolve. But some of the technology includes too many compromises around the balance between the range of the vehicle and how far a person can drive.
“This is not just about an electric motorcycle, this is an electric Harley and it has to be unique because we believe that there has to be an emotional connection with the look, feel and sound of a Harley,” Kumbier said.


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Puzzle room games are big right now, and few developers know that better than British studio Fireproof Games, which reports today (via infographic) that it's sold over 11.5 million copies of its three The Room puzzle games since launching the first in December of 2012.
That's a notable number in and of itself, and especially interesting when you recall that by January of 2013, The Room had blown bast its creators' expectations (they'd cautiously hoped to break even) to surpass 1 million sales.
The game earned a slew of awards to boot, and all that success led us to ask: could The Room's success predict a new trend in games being designed around very small, hyper-detailed spaces?
Now, years later, it seems like maybe it did -- just not in the way many expected. While Fireproof still seems to be the dominant player in the "puzzle room" genre of video games, real-life "escape the room" games have grown incredibly popular over the last few years.
And Fireproof's own games seem to have grown steadily more popular, too -- according to the aforementioned infographic, first-day sales and best-day sales for each of the three The Room have climbed steadily (discounting the spike in best-day sales the original Room game saw when it was offered gratis as part of a promotion.)


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Online holiday revenue is up 15.8% YOY, totaling $50.1 billion in comparable sales between Nov. 1 and Nov. 26, according to tracking from Adobe Analytics.
Email promotions have accounted for 16.5% of all online revenue, a 10% increase over the same period in the prior year.
However, paid search is still the biggest sale driver, generating 23.7% of all sales so far this season.
In contrast, social media has delivered only 2.8% of retail site revenue, in part because it tends to be more focused on gift ideas and information gathering than driving sales.
Adobe reports that 61% of online shoppers plan to take advantage of same day shipping or BOPIS (buy online, pickup in store). Spending in this area has grown by 27.0% over last year.
In addition, 34.3% of all ecommerce sales have been made on a smartphone, a 24.2% rise over last year. And, in a phenomenon Adobe calls under-the-table shopping, one in five online consumers will be shopping on smartphones so friends and family won’t notice them doing it.
A fourth of shoppers have already completed their online purchases. The remainder expect deep discounts across the board on Thanksgiving Day.
Average discounts of 17.5% have been seen for televisions, 14.6% for computers and 8.7% for toys.
Adobe forecasts total online sales of $4.4 billion on Thanksgiving (up 19.7% YoY) and $7.5 billion (20.5% YoY) on Black Friday (a 20.5% increase).
Black Friday should hit $9.4 billion in sales, a 19.1% increase and a new record, according to Adobe.


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Georgia parents wrap up last-minute back-to-school shopping
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - For some, it’s the night before the first day of school, and that means rushing to the stores to get last-second supplies.
Whether it’s a backpack or binder and a pack of pencils, the more kids you have, the more likely you probably forgot something on the list.
We visited two stores throughout the day, and it was super busy. Lots of people coming in and out trying to get those last-minute school supplies.
Inside the stores, employees were busy stocking the shelves trying to get everything ready for the rush of shoppers.
We spoke to some parents about what their experience has been like.
“It was definitely a better experience for sure,” said Lindsey Williams, Richmond County parent.
She is no stranger to last-minute school shopping.
“I’m kind of like last minute, and there’s hardly anything that I can find. Everything’s usually picked over, but this year I was able to find everything on the list, other than hand sanitizer without any problems at all,” she said.
She says they got the supply list at open house a few days before school started.
“Open house used to be a few weeks before school started. So now you’re kind of like scraping and scrounging and trying to figure out timing,” said Williams.
Another parent from Wilkes County is getting her shopping in too, but she had to make multiple trips.
“We found everything but a binder and bookbag, but bookbags are selling out quick, especially for boys, so we had to come here,” said Ashley Chancey.
She says it was more difficult as a whole.
“I think last year we hit up the outlets, so this year it was a little bit harder,” she said
Empty shelves are not the only thing making this year’s shopping harder, but also inflation.
“School supplies, for both of them, I know have gone up, hundreds of dollars, at least $100 for both of them to go back to school,” said Chancey.
Williams said: “I do feel like there is a little bit more inflation that you can tell just from the little that we got.”
Copyright 2022 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.


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The farm has recalled more than 207 million eggs.
According to the CDC's bulletin, which was the first issued since April 16, 12 more people from five states were confirmed to have fallen ill since the last update. No deaths have been reported. The eggs were sold under various brand names, including Coburn Farms, Country Daybreak and Crystal Farms.
The outbreak has been linked to eggs distributed by Rose Acre Farms, a family-owned business based in IN that describes itself as the second-largest egg producer in the U.S.
For a full list of recalled brands, consumers are urged to check the Food and Drug Administration's website.
As of May 10, the CDC reports that 35 illnesses have been reported across Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
The outbreak is linked to Rose Acre Farms, whose eggs were distributed to restaurants or sold at major grocery stores such as Walmart and Food Lion. On April 16, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. voluntarily recalled 23,400 dozen eggs purchased from Rose Acre Farms. In a statement to the Indianapolis Star, chief operating officer Tony Wesner said: "We're sorry for any concerns we may have caused consumers because some of our policies fell short of FDA standards, and we vow to do better in the future".
The CDC's salmonella fact sheet states that the bacteria is responsible for about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths each year in the US, with over 80 percent of the illnesses traced to tainted food. It can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps in sickened individuals; for older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems, salmonella can cause more serious, even life-threatening, complications. The eggs were sold by Walmart, among other leading USA retailers, and were recalled on April 13.
Salmonella can come from contaminated animal products such as beef, poultry, milk and eggs, as well as fruits and vegetables.
In April, the Food and Drug Administration ordered a mandatory recall of kratom products manufactured by Las Vegas-based Triangle Pharmanaturals after investigators found that numerous products contained salmonella. No one has died.


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The party may be over for “buy now, pay later.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday that these installment payments come with “several areas of risk of consumer harm,” including data harvesting, debt accumulation and “loan stacking” — or juggling multiple payment plans at once.
At the same time, BNPL lenders “do not offer protections that are standard elsewhere,” according to the consumer watchdog’s report.
“Buy now, pay later is a rapidly growing type of loan that serves as a close substitute for credit cards,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. “We will be working to ensure that borrowers have similar protections, regardless of whether they use a credit card or a buy now, pay later loan.”
BNPL is essentially an interest-free loan, which “gained traction with consumers who seek the flexibility of being able to pay for goods and services over time, but who may have been leery of other credit products,” the CFPB said.
However, as it has become more popular, users have become more prone to overspending and missed or late payments, the report also found. That behavior has hurt some borrowers’ credit history.
“Buy now, pay later is engineered to encourage consumers to purchase more and borrow more,” the report said. “As a result, borrowers can easily end up taking out several loans within a short timeframe at multiple lenders or buy now, pay later debts may have effects on other debts.”
Marshall Lux, a fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, called the government’s findings “very encouraging.”
“It was certainly a call out to non-banks that it’s going to be tougher going forward,” Lux said. The “good news is they will be regulated,” he added.
Still, the CFPB report is based on data from earlier in the year and “doesn’t reflect the damage that is happening in the last number of months,” Lux said. “Inflation has gone through the roof.”
Now, more consumers are tapping buy now, pay later services for “essential” purchases, such as groceries, as rising prices make it harder to cover everyday costs, other data show.
Further, BNPL’s rapid growth is driven primarily by younger consumers, with two-thirds of BNPL borrowers considered subprime, Lux noted, which makes them especially vulnerable.
It will also take time for the government to implement more oversight, he added. And in the meantime, “more damage is going to get done.”
In the “best-case scenario, the report causes something to change but I think what is more likely is, it’ll just simply take time for this to have an impact,” Lux said.


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Nintendo seemingly accidently released a bunch of details about the Wii's wireless capabilities this morning. The webpage (http://wii.nintendo.com/wifi.html ) revealed the following:
- Nintendo's wireless wi-fi gaming will be totally free.
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam and Smash Brothers Dojo are mentioned as multi-player titles.
- A friends-list will "protect" you.
Don't bother clicking the link. It's been taken down... but we at the TheFeed care about you, so check it out:
(Click the pic for the full-size version)


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// Iceland introduces “online flash sales” thanks to an increased number of delivery drivers
// The online exclusive discounts are up to 50% off for one day only
Iceland has announced “online flash sales” after improving its delivery capacity by drafting in thousands of drivers.
The flash sales are being promoted via social media with links to a recently created dedicated page on Iceland’s website.
The exclusive discounts are up to 50 per cent off for one day only.
The offers include Iceland Chicken Breast Joint at £3 instead of £6 and 100 per cent Fish Fillet Strips Tandoori at £2 instead of £3.
A similar flash sale on February 26 included Goodfella’s Takaway Pizza at £1.75 instead of £3.50.
Iceland said the flash sales were “just one of the ways in which we have been delivering great value for shoppers”.
In January, the frozen food retailer launched a recruitment drive for 1000 extra drivers and 2500 store staff to work as online pickers.
Iceland had already taken on 3000 additional drivers and store staff during the pandemic, helping boost online capacity by 300 per cent by September, to about 45,000 deliveries a day.
It also boosted its delivery fleet with 250 new vans in the run-up to Christmas.


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First 3G in Central Africa
MOBILEBy BiztechAfrica - Oct. 25, 2011, 8:43 p.m.
Airtel and the Republic of Congo have taken a significant step towards building the largest 3G network across Africa by announcing the launch of a 3,75G platform in the country.
The launch follows the successful application and issuing of a 3G license by the Republic of Congo.
Airtel described the license as “a significant move by the Congolese Government and a milestone in a region that is set to embrace first world mobile platforms.”
It reports that this is the first 3G license issued in Central Africa and the second amongst the French-speaking African nations, after Senegal.
Airtel says the launch of the 3G platform promises profound changes to how subscribers in the region experience the web on internet-enabled devices.
“The improved technology will enhance multimedia functionality, high speed mobile broadband and internet access; allowing users to make video calls, watch live TV, send and receive emails and download music from the devices. This is the latest global HSPSA plus technology with 21 mbps, also being rolled out in Europe and the USA. It is the fastest 3G available and will be enormously beneficial for a variety of users, which include large corporates, small or medium businesses and the youth.”
“3G technology will give our customers the opportunity to interact with data in a different way,” explained Tiemoko Coulibaly, CEO Airtel Africa, Francophone. “This is why Airtel doesn’t see 3G as a product but a platform that enables the community expand its social and commercial horizons, alongside the rest of the world.”
According to Coulibaly, Airtel will be rolling out its data network across all its markets with the objective of building the largest 3G network across the continent, and will continue to provide useful and innovative services to make use of this new technology.
Beston Tshinsele, Managing Director of Airtel in Congo, stated: “We are grateful to the Republic of Congo, represented by The Honorable Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and New Technology of Communications Mr. Thierry Moungalla today, for issuing the license through the country’s regulator - Agence de Régulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques – and sharing our vision of enhancing the country’s telecommunication platform. This has the capability to enhance social, cultural and commercial participation amongst the citizens of Congo and also the global community.”
He added; “Our 3G platform will allow subscribers to combine the enormous potential of the internet with the convenience of cellular phones and other devices. It will liberate the potential of our youth through enabling fast access to the Internet for learning, sharing, social networking, creating and accessing content like music. For the small and medium business, it will enable the entrepreneur to embrace a highly mobile way of working with high speed access to email and internet and it will allow large companies to increase productivity through vastly enhanced mobile internet speeds and access to record and allow for communication via video calls on handsets.”
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Soon you may be able to say goodbye to those annoying pieces of plastic that your phone is practically useless if you lose. Apple, Samsung, and others are close to agreeing on a common architecture standard for an electronic SIM card (e-SIM), so there would be no physical SIM card for mobile phones or tablets. According to the Financial Times it would “fundamentally change how consumers sign up to mobile operators.”
Currently, with the physical SIM cards, you will sign up for a plan, receive a SIM card to put inside your phone, and usually have to wait up to 24 hours for the SIM to activate. With the e-SIM customers could sign up, switch, and transfer plans from the handset itself. The device makers like Samsung and Apple could pick and choose which providers and plans would be used on their mobile phones. With an integrated SIM customers are more likely to have lower data prices, due to the ability to easily switch plans driving competition.
However, Apple has already taken a step in the right direction, when they introduced the ‘Apple SIM’ last year. This SIM allows users to sign up to a range of data plans directly from their device without replacing the SIM card. This is available with the iPadAir 2 in both the US and the UK.
What are your thoughts about no longer having physical SIM cards? We think it will be easier without the annoyance of trying to open Apple’s tiny SIM card holder to enter the tiny SIM, which is so small it can easily be lost and never found again. Maybe SIM’s will be a thing of the past soon!


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The employees’ faces will be the same – and so will the fees.
But visitors to five Thurmond Lake campgrounds might notice some differences this spring as the Army Corps of Engineers sites reopen under new management by a nonprofit corporation.
“It’s a cooperative agreement, where a nonprofit can do a lot of things the corps can’t,” said Clay Turner, the operations manager of Lake Thurmond Campgrounds, which has a five-year contract to manage Petersburg, Ridge Road, Modoc, Raysville and Winfield campgrounds.
The change will allow the company to manage the sites under a commercial business model, meaning they can advertise, conduct marketing campaigns, offer retail sale items to visitors and – perhaps most importantly – reinvest revenue back into the parks that generated them.
“In the past, all the money collected went into the U.S. Treasury, but as a nonprofit, all the receivables stay here,” said Michelle Wilson, the executive director of the Lincolnton-based company, also known as Outdoor Recreation & Outreach Inc.
Corps officials estimate the new arrangement will translate to an annual cost savings of $300,000 to $400,000 a year in a district where federal cuts have sliced recreation dollars by 20 percent in the past six years.
The corps will continue to provide major repairs, ranger patrols and other services, while Lake Thurmond Campgrounds will provide enhanced stewardship and services such as mowing, cleaning, trash collection and interpretive activities.
“This year, every park will have an on-site host,” Wilson said. “We hope to keep the facilities cleaner than they’ve ever been.”
Restrooms that had weekly cleanings in the past could be cleaned as often as twice a day during peak season, she said.
The organization’s non-profit status allows it to sell items to visitors, such as firewood, insect repellent and charcoal.
Lake Thurmond Campgrounds is joining the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and has recruited corporate business partners including CSRA Camperland, Turner Realty, Harry’s Equipment Center, Hayes Marine, Office Express and Blanchard Equipment.
One campground – Petersburg in Columbia County – stays open year-round, while the other four under the company’s management will open March 29.


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Neither will it apply to growing-up milk, and powdered, ready to drink, flavoured and fermented milk with less than five grams of sugar per 100ml.
These categories feature in an updated version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) legislation presented by Sonny Angara, chairman of the Ways and Means committee, for approval by the Senate.
Angara said the committee had been unable to justify a tax on a nutritional like milk, whereas the other sweetened beverages featuring in the bill had been shown to be unhealthy.
Three-in-one coffee mix was also excluded from the updated TRAIN legislation due to demographics that suggest that nine out of 10 consumers of the product are on low incomes and would be hardest hit by the tax.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Philippine Industries warned that the proposed tax under would result to a 40-60% drop in sales at 1.3m sari-sari stores and small food businesses.
The lobby group added that the tax would translate to a 25-50% increase at these mom-and-pop establishments—which account for some 40% of all soft-drink sales in the country.
FPI Chairman Jesus Arranza said the tax would be discriminatory, with consumers from the two lowest socioeconomic groups accounting for 79%of soft drinks consumption, according to a Nielsen study.
“This discriminatory nature also promotes a radical imbalance in the business landscape,” Arranza said.
“The rule of taxation must be uniform and equitable; the tax in its current form stands in violation of competition laws, equal protection of law, and even free-trade agreements that the Philippines is signatory to.”
He also urged the Philippine Competition Commission to campaign against the proposed tax, saying: “I think it’s about time for the PCC to come out with their opinion, considering that this is a subject matter being discussed now openly.”
More from Southeast Asia...
Study shows sheer scale of modern slavery on Thai seas
The first comprehensive study documenting the prevalence of forced labour has found that 38% of fishermen on Thai fishing vessels identified as victims of trafficking exploitation.
The survey, commissioned by anti-slavery NGO the International Justice Mission and funded by the Walmart Foundation, questioned migrant fishermen who worked on Thai boats from 2011-2016.
Of those questioned, 14% said they had been physically abused, 31.5% had witnessed a crewmate’s abuse at sea and 76% had accrued debt before they had even started work.
“No person should have to live under the oppression or ownership of another, and, as consumers, we shouldn’t have to wonder if the products we’re purchasing are the result of violent injustice,” said Gary Haugen, chief executive of IJM.
The NGO believes that Thailand’s government has made significant efforts to combat human trafficking since strengthening its anti-trafficking legislation twice in recent years.
In 2015 it deployed specialist anti-trafficking units across the entire criminal justice system and legislated for criminal procedures.
But unless the Thai system “routinely and effectively holds traffickers accountable, boat captains, brokers, recruiters, local business owners and complicit, officials will continue to abuse vulnerable migrant labourers at sea and on shore with impunity,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Progress against human trafficking is being made, but there is still more work to do,” it added.
Palm oil production to revive following departure of El Niño
Global palm oil production is expected to grow by 6m tonnes this year, after output was hit hard in 2016 due to the strong effects of the lingering El Niño weather system from the previous year.
According to Research and Markets, Southeast Asian palm oil yields fell in 2016 to 3.26 tonnes per hectare, compared to 3.62 tonnes per hectare in 2015.
Because of the weight of Indonesia and Malaysian production—together they account for 85% of the world’s output—this drop caused global availability to fall for the first time in almost 20 years, the data agency found.
Global palm oil consumption has grown consistently at approximately 7% per year for the last two decades, with demand getting a substantial boost from rising consumption in India and China.
It is expected that Indonesia will produce 36.5m tonnes of palm oil this year, an increase of 3%.


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Transport Canada Minister Omar Alghabra announced that the health restrictions which prevented cruise ships from visiting Canadian waters would be lifted November 1, 2021. Minister Alghabra said "We will welcome cruise ships - an important part of our tourism sector - back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season."
The original ban was set to expire in February 2022, so the difference between a November re-opening and next February is negligible, given that prime sailing for Alaska cruises and Great Lakes cruises generally runs from May through September. Most cruise lines have already canceled the remainder of the 2021 season and have focused their efforts on preparing for the 2022 season.
The Jones Act is an American law that requires foreign flagged vessels to make a call at a foreign port before visiting another American port. This, combined with Canada's cruise ban effectively shut down all cruising in the Great Lakes and Alaska. The US Congress passed a law granting a temporary exemption to the Jones Act, allowing Alaska cruises to sail directly from the lower 48 states to Alaska without a foreign port call. The first revenue cruise departed Port Seattle on July 19, 2021, effectively restarting the Alaska cruise season.
After all Alaska and Great Lakes cruising was shut down until February, 2022 by Transport Canada's no-sail order, the cruise industry worked hard to find a way to save the 2021 summer cruising season. CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association, swung into action with publicity and lobbying to educate our elected representatives on the economic impact of the no-sail order.
At issue, was the 1886 Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). The PVSA, requires foreign-flagged ships (like large cruise ships) to stop in at least one foreign port when sailing between two U.S. destinations. This is why Great Lakes cruises alternate between U.S. and Canadian ports. It also requires Alaskan cruises to make a technical stop in Canada on the way to Alaska.
Alaska senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan introduced the The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act. It provides a reprieve from the PVSA requirements, but only for ships traveling between Washington state and Alaksa. Murkowski commented, "Senate passage of my legislation sends a strong signal that we will not stand idly by, withering on the vine, until another country catches up to our level of readiness.... This shows that the health and restoration of our economy cannot be held up by Canada, especially since Alaska has led with vaccinations in the country and our communities are ready to welcome visitors back."
Now, the bill must be passed by the House of Representatives in order to become law. Alaska U.S. Congressman Don Young introduced companion legislation in the House. CLIA congratulated Murkowski and Sullivan "for all their efforts to help save the Alaska cruise season. CLIA and its members hope to return this summer and help support Alaskan communities by bringing people back to work."
Unfortunately, the law does not grant a reprieve for the Great Lake Cruise industry, so the fate of the 2021 season continues to be at risk.
Source: Travel Weekly
Windstar Cruises announced a new requirement that all guests be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to sailing. Upon arrival at the cruise terminal, guests will need to provide proof of a full vaccine treatment (if it is a two-shot vaccine, the second shot must be completed 14 days before boarding.)
Windstar Cruises offers small-ship and yacht cruises at over 150 ports around the world. Their 2022 Great Lakes Cruise offering includes an 11-day Montreal-Boston itinerary, sailing in September and October 2022.
The cruise line is offering their "Beyond Ordinary Care" program, representing a multi-million dollar investment in HEPA filters, UV-C germicidal irradiation, and other upgrades to provide a healthy environment. They are currently not sailing, but are offering 2022 and 2023 voyages for sale.
Source: Windstar Website
Virgin Voyages is the latest cruise line to announce that all crew and guests must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before sailing. Tom McAlpin, Virgin Voyages' CEO, said "The is a step towards the safe return to sailing and is the right decision for Virgin Voyages. We're really encouraged by the latest rollout plans in the May time frame from the new administration, and we know the future is about vaccinations. Our business makes us uniquely set up to do this with testing and vaccine travel requirements."
In addition, on March 17th, P&O Cruises has announced a vaccine requirement for guests as well. This applies to their newly launched cruises solely for UK residents. While most cruise lines require that guests' vaccine regimen be completed 14 days before departure, to allow plenty of time for immunity to kick in, P&O is allowing guests to sail within 7 days of their vaccination. P&O said that the decision was made due to the "advanced progress of the UK vaccination program and strong expressed preference on the part of our guests."
For Great Lake Cruising only one cruise line has announced a requirement that all guests be vaccinated. Pearl Seas, Viking Expeditions and Ponant have said they will have comprehensive testing, but Victory Cruise Lines announced they would require 100% of crew and guests to be vaccinated before sailing.
Source: Business Insider
With the worldwide drop in travel due to COVID-19, many of our guests have been at home for more than a year now. In fact, it has been exactly a year since the European Union closed its borders to outside travelers. At the time of this writing, the new surge in cases and hospitalizations in Europe don't bode well for a strong European travel season in the Summer of 2021. Also, Transport Canada has closed the door on any cruise ship activity anywhere along the Canadian border, including Great Lakes Cruises until February, 2022.
This combination of factors means that most people will have gone through two full summer travel seasons without any long-haul trips or cruises. While this has been a disaster for the travel industry, it also represents a huge pent-up demand for travel once the world opens up again.
Consider what happened this month when cruise lines opened up their 2022 and 2023. Most major cruise lines - including Norwegian, Crystal Cruises, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas - reported the biggest booking days in the history of their company. Airlines are reporting strong sales and are planning to bring 100% of their fleet back into service for the summer of 2022. Even the iconic San Fermin festival in Spain says that the Running of the Bulls 2022 will be the most in-demand year ever for this European summer fiesta.
If you're in the market to travel in 2022, we think it will be an exciting way to get out and celebrate the re-opening of the world. We also believe it will be a challenging year, due to all the competition for a scarce number of cabins, hotel rooms, flights, etc. We encourage you to book as early as possible to get one step ahead of the crowds.
U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore) and Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo) have sent a letter to Candian ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman addressing Transport Canada's decision to ban all cruise ships carrying over 100 people until February, 2022.
The two top-ranking members of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure sent the letter to underscore the economic importance of cruising to both Canada and the USA. While the pandemic devastated cruising in 2020, cruise lines have hoped for a successful, and safe return to cruising in 2021. The Canadian order effectively shut down cruising on the Great Lakes until 2022.
Their letter stated, "As public servants, we must focus on protecting the public health and safety of citizens, while at the same time providing opportunities for economic recovery," the letter says, adding that prepandemic, the cruise industry generated $2.85 billion in direct economic spending and supported more than 53,000 jobs in the regions impacted by Canada's cruise ban (Alaska, Washington state, the Great Lakes and New England) and nearly $1.5 billion in spending and 30,000 Canadian jobs.
Source: Travel Weekly
We're all ready for life to get back to normal - especially those of us whose livelihoods are driven by tourism. Captain, crew, cooks and travel agents are all looking forward to getting back to work. Not to mention, the millions of avid cruisers looking to get back out on the water.
Even with all of this enthusiasm, we all want to return to cruising safely. So it is appropriate to take the time to debate what that means. Some cruise lines are already leading the way and declaring that 100% of guests and crew will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they sail. We've already reported previously that Victory Cruise Lines has taken an industry-leading stance by making this declaration early.
It is encouraging to see other cruise lines following their lead. Crystal Cruises has announced a similar requirement that all guests have the vaccine before sailing. Interim President and CEO Jack Anderson said, "“We know that peace of mind is the greatest luxury; and the vaccine requirement is simply the best way to ensure the safest possible Crystal Experience for all on board. This sentiment is underscored by conversations with our guests and travel partners and a recent Cruise Critic survey of cruisers that revealed that more than 80 percent of respondents would cruise if a vaccine were required.”
Crystal will continue to test all crew before sailing, and as soon as vaccine distribution allows, will ensure that all crew are vaccinated as well. We applaud Crystal in their efforts to create safety and peace of mind for potential cruiers.
Source: Crystal Cruises Media
Our cruise line partners have spent much of the past year updating their health and safety procedures to maximize guest safety while on-board. Several new innovations have come out of this process, including pre-boarding screening, capacity controls and social distancing, careful cleaning of public spaces, and fresh-air ventilation systems.
The biggest development came from Victory Cruise Lines, who has announced that they will require COVID-19 vaccinations for 100% of guests and crew, once sailing begins again. This will help ensure that everyone aboard is as safe as possible, but also allows us to make a commitment to the communities we visit that our presence there does not represent an elevated risk.
Even with the confidence of having a fully-vaccinated ship, Victory has gone the extra step of mandating mask usage. Their SAFECRUISE™ protocol specifies that, "Masks will be required in all venues and in situations where recommended social distancing is not possible, including entertainment venues, elevators, shoreside terminals and shore excursion motorcoaches." Since the CDC has left open the possibility that even vaccinated people could carry virus in their nasal passages, the mask requirement helps ensure that we are not a risk to others.
We appreciate the lengths our Great Lakes cruise partners are going to, in order to ensure the health and safety of everyone associated with Great Lakes cruising.


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“Made It: The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion,” a new exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts, explores 250 years of fashion through 79 women designers—innovators, entrepreneurs and activists who fostered social and political change won more equity and freedom in the world.
If you’re someone who thinks of fashion as frivolous, you may be overlooking the fact that it’s a global industry with a net worth that hovers between $1.9 and $2.5 trillion and employs millions of people. Or perhaps you’re just reacting to a sexist snare: When women show an interest in fashion, we may inadvertently signal a lack of interest in matters of consequence.
A new exhibition opening Nov. 21 at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Mass., nixes such assumptions. “Made It: The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion” explores 250 years of fashion through 79 female designers—innovators, entrepreneurs and activists who fostered social and political change as women won more equity and freedom in the world.
Petra Slinkard, PEM’s curator of fashion, instigated the exhibition after learning about “Femmes Fatales: Strong Women of Fashion,” a 2018 exhibition at the Kunstmuseum, The Hague, Netherlands. Slinkard had been itching to draw attention to female designers whose contributions aren’t widely known. When the Kunstmuseum agreed to collaborate on “Made It” as a traveling exhibition, she was thrilled that the 2020 opening nearly coincided with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification. At the PEM, Slinkard and her colleagues have expanded the original exhibition by layering in additional international and American designers.
Tracking feminist progress isn’t the primary goal of “Made It,” but it turns out that fashion’s female firebrands shed a distinct light on feminism.
“To walk through ‘Made It’ is to witness our global impact and our experience as women—which you’ll see reflected not only in the garments, but in quotes by designers and women like Amelia Bloomer, Lucy Stone and Ida B. Wells-Barnett,” Slinkard told Ms.
Our slow, plodding struggle for equality is underscored in the exhibit by five 18th century garments that show women’s first efforts to claim turf.
“Not only are women commanding a presence in their fashion; they’re literally taking up more space in the footprint of their clothing,” Slinkard said of the era. “It represents a time when women are making strides professionally for the first time in a really powerful way and evolving into what we know today as the fashion industry.”
The exhibit’s opening night offers a virtual tour and a chance to meet the team behind the project. You’ll see 107 ensembles drawn from collections owned by the Kunstmuseum, PEM, MFA Boston and the Chicago History Museum as well as private collectors and lenders such as the house of Christian Dior, Katherine Hamnett and Natalie Chanin for Alabama Chanin.
Here’s how women designers—past and present—carry the torch of feminism.
The Gender Paradox
While aimed at women and braced by our talent and spending, the fashion business has always been dominated by men. Recent surveys show that only 12 to 14 percent of major fashion brands have a female executive at the top.
Until 2017, Dior, the 70-year-old fashion house known for heralding a feminine aesthetic, hadn’t ever had a female creative director. From the outset, Maria Grazia Chiuri has used her position as Dior’s artistic director to express feminist perspectives emerging from the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.
“I’ve realized that fashion is a very powerful medium,” said Chiuri, whose first collection at Dior put the world on notice that she will leverage her influence to provoke conversations about how women think and feel. One of the harbingers was a T-shirt from Dior’s spring ’17 collection, with a message borrowed from a TED talk and paper by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS.”
Activists and Insurgents in Guilds and Labor Unions
During the 18th century, European men worked hard at keeping women “in their place.” The fashion industry was a hierarchy that prized the work of tailors—a position reserved for men—over mere seamstresses, the women who cut, draped and folded fabric before stitching simple garments together.
As you may have guessed, tailors earned more—ostensibly because they handled more intricate designs and luxurious fabrics. Lest you think of those as minor distinctions, consider this: Before any new item of clothing could be made, professional guilds decided which gender had the liberty to make it. “Made It” displays garments from that period, including the mantua, a dress that women were allowed to make.
The first noticeable sign of women resisting male suppression in the fashion industry happened in 1675, when some French women formed their own professional guilds. Thereafter, women defended their livelihoods and safety in a succession of labor disputes—including America’s first major strike in 1824, the year 102 female textile workers raised a stink about plans to extend their workday while paying many of them less.
Sexist Culture Builds Walls; Women Designers Scale and Demolish Them
Designer Frankie Welch, a favorite of Betty Ford’s, wanted to study architecture, but she was excluded from her first choice based on gender. Instead, she opted for home economics before becoming a designer of iconic clothing and accessories embellished by bipartisan political and historical themes. Welch’s designs frequently display her Native American roots, incorporating such symbols as the Cherokee alphabet.
Anne Lowe left her Alabama home in 1917 to study fashion design in New York, but a segregated school kept the Black designer from studying alongside her peers. Nevertheless, Lowe graduated early and went on to design for families on the Social Register. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s wedding dress was designed by Lowe. Ten days before the wedding, catastrophe struck: The bridal gown plus 10 others were destroyed when a pipe burst in her studio. All the dresses had to be quickly remade and delivered in time for the ceremony. Despite Kennedy’s reputation as a fashion icon, Lowe has never received the kind of recognition you might expect.
French-born Pauline Trigère set tongues wagging in 1961 by employing a Black model, Beverly Valdes—a first for a major designer. The outspoken single mom started her business in New York in 1942, having left her Paris home five years earlier. She had two small children, and her husband didn’t want her to work.
“He didn’t like the competition,” Trigère once said. “That’s why I’m not married to him anymore.”
Her progressive stance on racism generated backlash from department stores—but Trigère stood her ground.
Challenging the Status Quo on Major Issues of the Day
Not only have fashion designers given women the freedom to present our selves to the world in manifold ways throughout history; they’ve set an example of activism for all.
- Norma Kamali parlays fashion fame to emphasize health, wellness, diversity and gender-fluid clothes.
- Vivienne Westwood commandeers the runway to send strong messages about consumerism and climate change.
- Natalie Chanin started a sustainability revolution by launching her American-made brand in Alabama, where local seamstresses make garments from recycled fabrics, priced to reflect the true cost of ethical fashion.
- Katharine Hamnett’s overtly political T-shirts declare the designer’s voting preferences and reflect the Buddhist foundation beneath her fashion brand: Make a living in a way that does no harm to people and the natural world.
- Becca McCharen-Tran’s Chromat sportswear line is worn by racially-diverse, non-binary models who channel acceptance for people of all races, shapes, sizes and sexual orientations.
Experiencing “Made It”
The Peabody Essex Museum is open Thursdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“Made It” opens November 21 and runs through March 14, 2021. Remote visitors are welcome to a virtual conversation with Chromat founder Becca McCharen-Trans on December 17 at 6 p.m. and a virtual Makers Market inspired by the exhibit on December 8 at 10 a.m. Watch the calendar for more virtual events in 2021.
And whether you’re a feminist scholar or a student of fashion, you may want to explore the exhibit’s companion book, “The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion: 250 Years of Design,” a comprehensive look at the lasting influence of female designers.
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iomart praised as a UK market leader for cloud hosting at Digital Technology Awards
The judges praised iomart Group’s financial performance, profitability and ability to deliver on its business strategy, describing it as “one of the leading cloud computing and managed hosting companies in the UK.”
iomart Group plc CEO Angus MacSween said: “We are delighted to have won this award. Our strategy has been to position the iomart Group and its range of hosting brands to capitalise on the continuing growth in the market for cloud services. This market is still large, fragmented and growing and we see real opportunities to benefit from this over the next few years.”
iomart Group plc recently released its annual results which showed that revenue grew by 33% to £33.5m (2011: £25.3m), while pre-tax profits grew by 91% to £6.9m (2011: £3.6m).
Polly Purvis, Executive Director of awards organisers ScotlandIS, said: “The technology sector, worth £4bn to the Scottish economy, is a key driver for growth and a jewel in Scotland’s economic crown. It’s an exciting and vibrant industry employing a very wide range of talented people and we are delighted to recognise the achievements of the industry’s leading lights.”
iomart Group plc has won a number of awards so far this year. In April it was crowned Scottish PLC of the Year and last month it was named as one of the top 20 cloud hosting companies in the world by Talkin’ Cloud.
There was also success for one of iomart Group’s cloud hosting customers at last night’s Digital Technology Awards. Cheap flights specialist Skyscanner picked up the awards for Scottish Digital Technology Company of the Year and International growth.
News release issued by Jane Robertson, Head of PR for iomart Group plc. For more information please email email@example.com or call 0141 931 6474 (dir), 0141 931 6400 or 07827948993 (mob).
Notes for editors:
About iomart Group plc:
iomart Group plc (AIM:IOM) is one of the UK’s leading providers of managed hosting and cloud computing services. From a single server through to private cloud networks, iomart specialises in the delivery and management of mission-critical hosting services, enabling customers to reduce the costs, complexity and risks associated with maintaining their own web and online applications.
By physically owning and managing its own global network infrastructure, iomart offers world-beating levels of service to its customers. The Group offers a unique 100% uptime guarantee with all hosting services being engineered to ensure no single point of failure.
iomart Group operates in its chosen markets through a number of subsidiaries: iomart Hosting, RapidSwitch, Easyspace, EQSN and Westcoastcloud. The group has been listed on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) since April 2000. For more information about iomart Group plc visit www.iomart.com


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Apple over the past few months has issued a steady stream of iOS 5 betas. Now, with the iPhone 5 launch right around the corner, the typically accurate Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a note to investors that Apple plans to release a golden master of iOS 5 to overseas assemblers sometime between September 23 and September 30.
With Apple expected to release the iPhone 5 in early October, Apple’s manufacturers, upon receiving the iOS 5 GM, will be able to install it on the upcoming iPhone hardware and prepare it for shipping to US shores. Accounting for a 10-12 day shipping period, Kuo writes that Apple’s next-gen iPhone will likely hit stores by mid-October.
This of course jibes with previous reports claiming that iPhone 5 pre-orders will open up on September 30 and that the device will go on sale sometime between October 7 and 15th.
iOS 5 is poised to be one of Apple’s most significant iOS updates ever. Some of its more prominent features include a completely revamped notification system, 1080p video output for all media files, custom vibration settings, LED flash alerts, increased camera functionality which includes the ability to take photos with the volume keys and the ability to activate the camera from the lock-screen, the option to set up a device without a computer, delta updates over the air, and iMessage – Apple’s BBM style messaging feature.
And, there’s just one more thing.
One of the biggest, and as of yet unannounced, features in iOS 5 will be new system-wide voice recognition technology powered by Nuance. Apple’s voice recognition app is rumored to be called “Assistant” and will likely incorporate Siri style functionality.


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Samsung may launched three variants of the Galaxy S10 with the top-most variant offering a triple-camera setup at the back and a dual-camera setup in the front.
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It seems like Samsung is planning something big for its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S10. According to a report by ETNews, the company may launch as many as three variants of the smartphone, with the top-most model offering a total of five cameras. This “ultra premium” model of the smartphone is expected to feature a triple camera setup at the back, while at the front, it may feature a dual-camera setup. The ‘standard’ model is tipped to offer a dual-rear/single-front setup, while the ‘mid-range’ model may offer a ‘triple-rear/single-front setup.
The report notes that since the need for camera sensor units will increase, Samsung may add a “medium-sized contractor” to meet the demand for cameras sensor units. It’s added that comapnies like MCNEX, CamSys, Partron and Power Logics are working together.
It should be noted that there is still type for the final specs of the smartphone to change. However, offering a triple camera setup should help the Galaxy S10 better compete with phones like the Huawei P20 Pro, at least on paper.
However, the offering a total of five cameras might still be paltry if reports concerning the Nokia 9 are to be believed. The upcoming Nokia smartphone is expected to feature five rear cameras for a penta-rear camera setup. The phone is also expected to offer a 4150 mAH capacity battery.
Digit caters to the largest community of tech buyers, users and enthusiasts in India. The all new Digit in continues the legacy of Thinkdigit.com as one of the largest portals in India committed to technology users and buyers. Digit is also one of the most trusted names when it comes to technology reviews and buying advice and is home to the Digit Test Lab, India's most proficient center for testing and reviewing technology products.
We are about leadership-the 9.9 kind! Building a leading media company out of India.And,grooming new leaders for this promising industry.


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Telecom watchdog declares broadband a basic service like the telephone.
Basically the cord cutting decision comes down to how much you value brand new content or the social component of watching and discussing that new content with friends. The last episode of Breaking Bad was admittedly the big media event of last year. I'm patient. I'll keep the cash and wait.
Rogers began advertising an unlimited internet offer this week that matches one announced by Bell in January. Both companies


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Mug shots: April arrests
Hoping to get in on Facebook's public stock offering? Experts discuss the right and wrong ways to buy and share what they think investors should know.
Find out the right and wrong ways to buy stock in Facebook.
We hope Leonardo DiCaprio's an Apple fan. The actor is reportedly a favorite pick for the role of Steve Jobs in an upcoming biopic about the deceased Apple co-founder that's coming from Sony Pictures.


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Amazon opens general store in UK, first outside US, Retail News, ET Retail
Amazon launched the general store model in 2018 in the United States where it already has several dozen outlets.
The company said the launch at Bluewater Shopping Center in Kent, south-east London, had been scheduled for two years, before the pandemic.
“The pandemic hasn’t really changed the way we think. We have seen that the model is working very well in shopping malls in the United States,” said Andy Jones, Director of 4 Star Amazon UK.
“There are Amazon products (customers) expect but also local products from small suppliers, because that’s a huge part of Amazon’s business,” he added.
It wouldn’t say if any other 4 star stores are planned in UK.
The company opened its first grocery store, Amazon Fresh, in the UK last year in London. He said the model had been “well received” since opening and had extended the brick-and-mortar grocery arm to six stores across London.


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Gorilla Glass is far from "primitive," and if an announcement Thursday about what its maker Corning has in store for CES 2013 is any indication, we should see some highly evolved products coming from the company.
The manufacturer plans to unveil Gorilla Glass 3 next week, a new glass composition that, according to an Engadget report, is markedly stronger than Gorilla Glass 1 and 2.
A Corning-made feature known as Native Damage Resistance is said to stymie flaws and scratches and uphold the overall retained strength of the glass even after knicks and dings.
What that means for the scratch-prone phone owners out there is a glass that's three times more scratch resistant, shows 40 percent less visible scratches and commands a 50 percent overall retained strength increase after glass is damaged.
Also coming to CES 2013 are Optical Cables by Corning, fiber-based, device-to-device connectors for Thunderbolt.
The cables are long, strong and take the transmission range of copper-based cables to school, Corning said in a press release.
Corning promised to reveal more on both products Jan. 7, so we'll bring you all the monkey business the company has planned for CES and beyond.


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High-End Liquor and Cigar Store Coming to Northport
The city of Northport announced another new business coming to town during its council meeting Monday night, this time highlighting a high-end liquor and cigar shop called Fifth & Handle.
Jeff Hogg, who represents Northport's District 5 and co-chairs its retail and development committee, said the new store will be a tenant in the Shops of Bristol Park next to the new Publix on Highway 69 North.
Hogg said the store will be owned and operated by a Northport family who hopes to open its doors in February, although it will take a few additional months to complete their cigar lounge.
Hogg and the current city council have been aggressively working to attract new restaurants and retailers and said Fifth & Handle will be the first of many to fill out the Shops of Bristol Park by the new Publix.
"With this area able to gain a new state-of-the-art Publix and shopping center, it was only a matter of time before other new quality businesses would follow," Hogg said. "The City is currently working with many different businesses at this location and eager to see the progress that Fifth and Handle will create from the jumpstart. We are very happy to have something different on the North side of Northport."


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Last week’s market scare was truly one to remember. But was it the correction everyone had been anticipating? Although the broader technology market appeared to have been in freefall, one sector suffered the most: The electric vehicle sector, and one Chinese company in particular: NIO, China’s number one EV maker. But according to Luke Lango, Editor, Hypergrowth Investing, a smart investor should buy the dip of a stock when it is on sale before it shoots higher again. At one point, NIO was selling as low as $34 a share, almost a 50% loss from its all time high at $66 in early February. In the article below, Luke Lango explains why, as a smart investor, you should always buy the stock when it’s trading lower.
Buy the Dip in NIO Stock Before It Drives Much, Much Higher
Near-term headwinds are creating a buyable post-earnings dip in NIO stock
By Luke Lango, InvestorPlace Senior Investment Analyst Mar 2, 2021, 1:48 pm EST
Shares of premium Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio (NYSE:NIO) slid Tuesday after the company reported mixed fourth-quarter numbers that failed to impress investors. NIO stock dropped about 12% in response.
This dip is a great buying opportunity.
NIO’s delivery numbers are a bit choppy right now because of one-off noise, including the Chinese Lunar New Year Holiday and semiconductor chip shortages as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this noise will pass.
The underlying fundamental trends of NIO, meanwhile, remain very healthy. This allows the company to scale delivery and production, expand globally, maintain high average selling prices, and grow revenues and profit margins.
Because of its strong fundamentals, it’s likely NIO stock will double-test its recent low around $45, hold that level, and then bounce back toward $70.
Net net, buy the dip in NIO!
Here’s a deeper look:
NIO Stock Earnings Look Good
NIO stock dropped 10% after the company reported Q4 earnings. Why? Because deliveries failed to impress.
February deliveries fell 23% month-over-month, following a multi-month stretch of sequential gains. Then, to make matters worse, management said on the conference call that production volume would have to tap out at 7,500 vehicles per month in the second quarter of 2020 — versus what was supposed to be 10,000 vehicles per month, with the drawdown due to a global semiconductor chip shortage.
Those aren’t great bits of news.
But here’s the thing: They are temporary headwinds.
The February delivery decline is due to the Chinese Lunar New Year Holiday in the month, during which consumers tend to hold off on big-ticket purchases. That holiday is now over. In March, deliveries will get back to into “ramp” mode.
Meanwhile, the chip shortage has a longer impact here. But not that long. Factories around the world are already getting back to full production. By the summer, this chip shortage will be old news. NIO’s production volume will scale back to 10,000 vehicles per month by early Q3.
So, the bad news in NIO’s earnings report is all short-term in nature. Meanwhile, there was lots of good. Average sales prices rose, indicating that demand (not discounting) is driving growth. Vehicle margins rose three points sequentially. Gross margins rose four points. Adjusted loss narrowed. European expansion remains on track. ET7 reservations have surpassed expectations.
All in all, this business is still firing on all cylinders, save a few near-term headwinds that will pass.
Watch the Double Dip
Because the underlying fundamental business trends remain favorable, this dip in NIO stock will be short-lived.
I’m looking for NIO stock to retreat back to and test its recent low of $44, which it hit just last week amid rising rates fears. This will be a “double dip” test. If NIO stock passes this test — and holds its recent low — then that’s a pretty strong sign that the recent selloff in NIO stock is drawing to a close.
I suspect NIO stock will pass this “double dip” test. That’s because rates have calmed down, while NIO’s earnings report underscored that the business is still firing on all cylinders today.
To that end, I see this selloff in NIO stock as being in the ninth inning. It will end. Soon. And at prices not much lower than where the stock trades today.
NIO Stock to $70?
As a result of the company’s earnings report, I’m actually revising my estimates on NIO higher, despite the plunge in NIO stock.
That’s because I was impressed by a few things in the report.
First, the 23% sequential drop in deliveries in February is actually impressive. Two years ago, February deliveries dropped 56% month-over-month. All things considered, then, a 23% drop is actually very resilient.
Second, ASPs are strong. They clocked in around $58,000 in the quarter. That’s up 18% year-over-year and 7% quarter-over-quarter. As a result of this ASP strength, I’m revising my long-term ASP targets higher.
Third, margins are performing ahead of expectations. Vehicle and gross margins both soared above 15% in the quarter. They are rapidly closing in on 20% — and NIO is far from reaching scale. Long-term, I think gross margins can rise to the upper 20s.
Consequently, my modeling now suggests that NIO will do about $6 in earnings per share by 2030. Based on a 25X forward earnings multiple and a 10% annual discount rate, that implies a 2021 price target for NIO stock of $70.
I think that’s where shares will trend after bottoming out around $44.
Bottom Line on NIO Stock
NIO’s earnings report was hit by short-term headwinds. Those headwinds will pass. When they do, the company’s long-term tailwinds — strong demand, healthy ASPs, new car launches, global expansion, etc. — will come back into focus, and drive NIO stock to new highs.
As a result, I still see NIO stock as one of the top growth stocks to buy today.
Note: Here is the link to the article: Buy the Dip in NIO Stock Before It Drives Much, Much Higher
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I respond to the Wednesday Dispatch editorial "Unending nonrecovery," which spun a narrative that it is the fault of President Barack Obama's policies that the economy is not creating enough jobs long after the recession has ended. This is a worldwide phenomenon, and we are part of the world economy.
I respond to the Wednesday Dispatch editorial “Unending nonrecovery,” which spun a narrative that it is the fault of President Barack Obama’s policies that the economy is not creating enough jobs long after the recession has ended. This is a worldwide phenomenon, and we are part of the world economy.
But I have another scenario to explain this phenomenon, and it is that the business and investment class has been on a relentless quest for the past 40 years to enlarge its share of the nation’s and the world’s income.
In 1970, this class which makes up around 13 percent of the population had 29 percent of the income, and the middle class and poor had the other 71 percent. By 2014, the 13 percent had 62 percent of the national income and the other 71 percent had 38 percent.
Also, over that time, in each decade the number of jobs per dollar invested went down. Eighty percent of our economy is driven by consumer spending. When we have fewer and fewer people with disposal income, it is harder to recover from a recession.
Decisions by the private sector have far more impact on the economy because it represents 70 percent of our economy.
In the 1970s there was a conscious decision by the business and investment class to concentrate its wealth away from the manufacturing sector to finance and sales. In other words, it now is focusing on selling things instead of making things.
This in itself shrank the number of good-paying jobs from 24 percent in 1970 to 9 percent in 2014, further aggravating the situation.
These statistics are from articles in The Economist magazine.
ROBERT D. SPRAY


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IPOH: Coffee shop operators here have increased beverage prices due to costlier ingredients and goods.
Coffee shop owners who spoke to The Star said the prices of condensed and evaporated milk, sugar and plastic bags had increased, thus raising their operation cost and forcing them to increase prices in tandem.
Yip Yoon Chong said a carton of 48 cans of condensed milk used to cost about RM100 but was now about RM110.
“I understand that prices of milk products have gone up due to the increase in the price of aluminium cans,” he said.
“As I would need to fork out more to buy milk products, it is only right that I raise the prices of all milk-based beverages,” he said, adding the price increase started right after the interstate travel ban was lifted.
“As for drinks that do not require dairy products, the prices remain the same for now,” he added.
Another owner, Choong Kam Moon, has yet to increase his drink prices but expects to do so soon.
“It is mainly due to the rising cost of goods like milk, sugar and even plastic bags.
“As I have yet to stock up on new supplies, I need to see how much the new prices will set me back before I set new prices,” he added.
Checks at several coffee shops here found that beverage prices like coffee or tea had increased by 10 to 20 sen.
Food in some premises, like economy rice, shredded chicken kuey teow and chicken rice, have also seen prices go up by between 20 and 50 sen.
Chicken noodle seller Lee Shia Yee has yet to increase prices as she is worried that it will cause her to lose more business.
She said business had only just started to pick up and she has no plan to increase prices this year.
“The situation with the economy is still not so good.
“If I were to increase my prices despite the pricier ingredients, it may affect my business,” she said, adding that business picked up by 40% after seeing an 80% drop during the first movement control order last year.
“I am still thinking about it, and probably will do so closer to Chinese New Year next year,” she added.


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Over 30 million of us suffer from sleep deprivation – could a cruise holiday be the answer?
Can’t get a good night’s sleep for love nor money? You’re not the only one.
A survey has uncovered that three out of five UK adults get less sleep than they need on an average night.
Research conducted by Princess Cruises has revealed that more than 60% of adults – equivalent to over 30m – don’t think they are getting enough sleep.
While over half (52%) of employed adults take an average of five days off work each year to catch up on sleep.
When it comes to sleeping patterns only 28% of UK adults are regularly getting between eight-ten hours a night.
The disruption is down to a number of factors including not having a regular sleep schedule, being glued to TV (57% of respondents) and smartphones devices, consuming coffee or alcohol before going to sleep, stress and anxiety due to work or financial difficulties, and more recently, stifling hot summer nights.
Even away from home we are struggling to get a good night’s rest. More than 2 in 3 people (67%) state they don’t sleep well on holiday, making it harder for Brits to catch up on some much-needed relaxation.
But what if it doesn’t have to be like this?
In order to better support the nation’s napping, Princess Cruises has collaborated with sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus to develop the Princess luxury bed.
The bed was created exclusively for Princess and includes fine linens, enhanced mattress support, individually wrapped coils for less partner disturbance and a king-size deluxe pillow available with feathers or anti-allergy microfibre.
And World of Cruising’s editor, Karen Pasquali Jones, had the opportunity to try it out for herself when visiting Royal Princess for the day: “The bed is incredible – huge and so comfortable that I didn’t want to get back up after trying it.
“I love getting lulled to sleep by the rocking of the ship on a cruise and this would make staying in a Princess stateroom the best sleep at sea.
“I usually only ever get five to six hours of sleep a night so I like cruising to catch up. This would definitely help.”
More than 45,000 beds are being rolled out to all 22,000 staterooms across Princess Cruises’ fleet of 17 ships.
Dr Breus added: “Sleep continues to trouble people around the globe and across generations, whether at home or while travelling. Sleep is a vital, sensory experience that allows our bodies to recharge and recover from mental and physical strains.
“By collaborating with Princess Cruises, I believe we’ve come up with some really unique aspects for not just the Princess luxury bed itself, but the entire experience that will allow guests to sleep really well on their cruise holiday.”


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Edgar Bronfman Jr., Accretive LLC, and former Warner Music Group CEO, provides insight to the media landscape and why there could be difficulties ahead as consolidation occurs in the industry.
Former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes' focus on turning partisan political news into entertainment changed the face of cable news.
Jaunt helps brands and artists create virtual reality content — and it's now getting into the movie business.
Mario Gabelli explains why shares of this baseball company are trading at a discount today amid an industry bidding war.
HBO closed deals with four writers to explore multiple potential spin-offs of its hit show "Game of Thrones."
Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman & CEO, talks about the benefits of tax cuts and regulation reform. If you take regulation down, you get investment up, says Stephenson, sharing his thoughts on net neutrality. Also Stephenson weighs in on AT&T's bid for Time Warner.
The company is trying to make it easier to quit your cable or satellite service.
Time Warner reported a 17.3 percent rise in profit, helped by the success of its releases "Kong: Skull Island" and "The Lego Batman Movie."
Hollywood writers reached a tentative deal on a new contract early, averting a strike that could have blacked out talk shows and soap operas.
In a new salvo in the children's television wars, NBCUniversal is creating its own Disney Channel.
CNBC's David Faber reports on competition in the wireless space as AT&T attempts to diversify away from its core business.
The CEO of Verizon, Lowell McAdam, is open to discussing the possibility of merging according to a report from Bloomberg.
Credit Suisse estimates Apple's services business will grow to $52 billion in sales by 2020 from $26 billion this year.
Mike Judge and Alec Berg of HBO's "Silicon Valley" preview the upcoming season.
The partnership with mobile ad company Kargo aims to provide one-stop shopping on 300 premium properties.
Jim Cramer finds that the new "Trump trade" is actually wrought with the potential for downside.
CNBC's Julia Boorstin reports that AT&T will be offering HBO to some unlimited mobile customers.
The "Fast Money" traders share their final trades of the day including JPMorgan, Time Warner and more.
When Verizon finishes its acquisition of Yahoo and merges it with AOL, it'll call the combined companies "Oath."
Apple wants to sell consumers a premium TV bundle. Recode reports.


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YouTube has a surprise for soccer fans. The streaming giant has ordered “Training Days” (working title) from production company Fulwell 73. The unscripted series, which is executive produced by James Corden, Ben Winston, Gabe Turner and Leo Pearlman, showcases soccer’s biggest stars on and off the field. The ten-episode original will premier next spring just ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
“The concept for the show lends itself well to bringing out a different side to our superstars and feels like the perfect fit with YouTube’s audience,”said Turner. “It’s an opportunity to spend time with some of the biggest names in world football and create some truly memorable moments.”
The new series is part of YouTube’s recent ad-supported programming effort, which launched this summer with Katy Perry’s 96-hour live stream and will continue with unscripted projects from Ellen DeGeneres, Demi Lovato, and Kevin Hart.
“This is our first venture working with European partners to develop advertising-supported premium programming for both global and local audiences,” said YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl. “We want to support them in creating groundbreaking stories and formats and expose them to our billion-and-a-half-strong audience.”
“Training Days,” which will be directed by Turner, adds to the growing roster of programming at Fulwell, including spinoff “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” for Apple;“The Late Late Show with James Corden” for CBS; and TBS’ “Drop the Mic.” Its sports related programing includes Usain Bolt documentary “I Am Bolt,” released theatrically by Universal; “Class of 92,” starring David Beckham; and the BBC’s “Mo Farah: Race of His Life.”
In other YouTube news, it was announced that in just over a year, one in three large customers are now using the company’s unskippable 6-second ad slots, also known as “bumpers ads.” The Google-owned company has seen a 70% increase in number of customers adopting the format from Q1 2017 to Q2 2017.


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Inspiring the convenience community
Accolade Wines has launched Stowells Light, a low-alcohol red, white and rosé wine containing 5.5% abv. Stowells Light is light in calories and alcohol without compromising on taste, Accolade says.
The nation’s thirst for wine shows no signs of diminishing, says Sonya Hook.
With all of the food taken care of for your customers, it’s important not to neglect the lucrative alcohol side of things. A combination of last summer’s World Cup and fine weather fuelled a 5.2% increase (IRI total off trade) in the off trade beer market during the four weeks…
Hospitality Gin has unveiled a new Pineapple + Pepper addition to its range.
Weetabix Food Company has launched a new White Chocolate, Raspberry & Shortcake variant to its Alpen Light bars range.
PG tips is investing in a £3.8m campaign to support the range and increase awareness around its switch to biodegradable tea bags across its entire range.
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2003 Marks the Five-Year Anniversary of Exstream Software
Press release from the issuing company
March 20, 2003 -- Exstream Software, Inc. marks the arrival of its fifth anniversary with a wealth of significant accomplishments and exciting innovations. Founded in 1998 by entrepreneurs and long-time digital publishing industry experts, Davis Marksbury and Dan Kloiber, Exstream has achieved revenue growth of more than 100 percent for the past three years. This impressive growth is due to the fact that Exstream's award-winning Dialogue software is quickly becoming the standard for high performance enterprise personalization.
Exstream serves all kinds of companies—from small businesses seeking a competitive edge to multi-national corporations—across a wide range of key markets that include financial services, insurance, banking, service bureaus, telecommunications, utilities and retail. To date, close to 200 sites worldwide have successfully implemented Dialogue. Over 50 new companies adopted Dialogue last year, and Exstream plans to double that number in 2003. Several new customers include industry giants such as AFLAC, which plans to use Dialogue for the production of 80 percent of its 208 million documents; CIGNA, producing communications for 1.5 million retirement plan participants; and Total System Services (TSYS), implementing Dialogue to personalize up to 100 million bank statements monthly. Other companies on Exstream's impressive client list include: AT&T, American Express, J.P. Morgan, KeyCorp, Fidelity Investments, ING, Time Customer Service, Merrill Lynch and Federated Department Stores. The use of Dialogue by Merrill Lynch and CIGNA contributed to these companies winning the prestigious DALBAR award for communication excellence.
“The demands of customers, partners and employees for electronic content is forcing many enterprises to re-evaluate how they produce content,” said Garth Landers, research analyst at Gartner. “A large percentage of correspondence in the business-to-consumer (B2C) arena is still paper-based. However, competitive pressures and demands from consumers and other enterprises are forcing many enterprises to augment their content delivery processes to include multiple options.”
From its inception, Exstream's vision was to develop a product that would enable companies to create any kind of personalized communication—from high-volume, complex statements to on-demand direct marketing and fulfillment to ad hoc correspondence generated interactively over the Web—while substantially reducing time to market. Exstream's product, Dialogue, is a revolutionary solution that combines personalized document creation, campaign management and tracking, and multi-channel delivery in one easy-to-use software suite. Due to Dialogue's extremely high performance engine and its intuitive graphical interface, companies are experiencing up to 80 percent in cost reductions and getting to market up to 40 percent faster.
Over the past five years, enhancements to the product have been on-going and so significant that today Dialogue has over 40 fully integrated modules, allowing companies to create and deliver fully personalized communications such as complex 401(k) statements, policies, publications, contracts, marketing pieces, correspondence and more—in half the time it takes with other solutions. Dialogue's sophisticated content management, campaign management and tracking capabilities help businesses of all sizes segment their customer base and treat different customers differently, depending on their value and growth potential. This ultimately drives increased customer loyalty and additional revenue through cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.
“Dialogue fits perfectly with our strategy to communicate with participants on their terms. It enables us to send personalized, targeted messages to individuals based on their particular situation,” said Kelley Rome, project manager, CIGNA. “It's very user-friendly, allowing us to get to market with a new statement in half the time it previously took.”
Exstream attributes much of its success to an unprecedented attention to customer care that provides myriad opportunities for customers to become part of the company's ongoing development process. Customers are able to access some of the most advanced customer support tools on the market through Exstream's trio of web-based support systems. Resolve supports the customer relationship with issue tracking and the ability to accept software enhancement requests; Exchange offers a knowledgebase of procedures, tips and shortcuts; and Exact allows customers to submit their applications to Exstream for inclusion in its ongoing testing environment, and substantially reduce their regressions testing effort for implementing new versions of the software.
“Our goal is to have 100 percent satisfaction among all our customers,” said Davis Marksbury, president and CEO of Exstream Software. “We are not satisfied until our customers are in production and happy. Staying customer-centric has until now been one of the keys to our success, and will continue to guide us into an even more exciting and successful future.”
WhatTheyThink is the global printing industry's go-to information source with both print and digital offerings, including WhatTheyThink.com, WhatTheyThink Email Newsletters, and the WhatTheyThink magazine. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire the industry. We provide cogent news and analysis about trends, technologies, operations, and events in all the markets that comprise today's printing and sign industries including commercial, in-plant, mailing, finishing, sign, display, textile, industrial, finishing, labels, packaging, marketing technology, software and workflow.


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Despite a freeze last January and sluggish markets, agricultural production in Palm Beach County reached a new high this past year, the county extension service says.
The county's agricultural production was $874.4 million from July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1985. That just topped the previous record of $874.3 million in the 1980-81 season.
Production rose in sugar cane, citrus and ornamentals and fell in winter vegetables.
Sugar cane production was $480.3 million, up $31.3 million from the year before. More sugar cane was harvested this year than last, said Clayton Hutcheson, director of the extension service.
This year 305,000 acres of sugar cane was harvested, compared with 290,000 acres the year before. Sugar produced rose from 983,000 tons to 1.15 million tons.
The county's ornamental nursery crop was valued at $108 million compared to $99 million in 1983-84.
Citrus production was up slightly -- from $26.7 million last year to $31.1 millon this year. "Following the freeze and shortage of citrus, prices were elevated," Hutcheson explained.
The heaviest losses were in vegetable production, which suffered from the January freeze. Vegetable production was $177.4 million, down $49 million from last year.
A. Duda & Sons Inc., which has winter vegetable farms in Belle Glade and Zellwood, said it shipped about the same number of packages from August 1984 to August 1985.
"We shipped the same level despite the freezes, but our receipts were substantially down," said Don McAllister, Duda's spokesman.
Hutcheson said though farmers' revenues were higher, it was only an average year. "It was worse than we expected with the freeze," he said.


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Here's a new way to travel around downtown Corpus Christi
There's a new way to get around downtown Corpus Christi.
Blue Duck motorized scooters just arrived in Corpus Christi and available for use.
To ride a scooter, users must download the Blue Duck app, create an account and scan their driver license. A credit or debit card must also be entered to ride.
After registering, you scan the scooter's code and pay a dollar to start using it. Every minute is 15 cents, the company states on its website.
More:A new way to get your news: The Wrap
You can find a scooter along Shoreline Boulevard and other areas in downtown. As of Friday morning, the app showed nine scooters in the downtown area.
Blue Duck states on its website that it’s "vital to follow local laws, and to be aware of your surroundings."
"The law may not require a helmet when riding, but we (strongly) encourage you to protect your noggin on each ride," the site states. "Blue Duck will send a free helmet to anyone requesting one after downloading the app and taking a ride. We love our Flock and want you flying safely!"
Sgt. Nathan Brandley, a spokesman with Texas Department of Public Safety, said scooter users are required to follow all laws of the road just as cyclists do.
"They can be on the sidewalks in Corpus Christi and they have to adhere to traffic laws," Brandley said. "They have to use hand signals to turn if they don't have lights and they can't be on roads with speed limits more than 35 miles per hour."
Brandley said people walking on the sidewalks should be aware of their surroundings since the scooters will be traveling on them.
"People should give courtesy to people riding the scooters just like bicyclists," he said.