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So you may have noticed that on Friday HobbyKing mysteriously went down for a few hours and all that was left was a cryptic note posted to social media channels. Needless to say, it had hobbyists awaiting at the edge of their seats to see what the announcement would be. Continue reading New Website. Who Dis?
Durafly is known for making stunning looking scale RC aircraft as well as some of the best flying sports planes around. They go to the next level to add all the bells and whistles, literally. The Seafire breaks new ground for Durafly flying in the face of tradition because it’s a what-if scheme. Continue reading Hero of the Pacific: Durafly 1100mm Seafire
Intel has been at the forefront of creating display drones, which are known as a ‘shooting star drones’ for their ability to light up a night sky, not unlike shooting stars. These ‘shooting star’ drones have become more and more popular as the company as showcased this technology on numerous occasions. Continue reading Drone Used for Epic Fourth of July Fireworks Display
In case you missed HobbyKing’s very special announcement about the release of their scale Lockheed C-130 Hercules. You can read the full details of the release, click here
Continue reading Sneak Peak: Avios C-130 1600mm
I’m tired. I’m worn out. My lipo test rig is tired, and after 1,980 cycles this new battery has finally worn out. Wait, did you read that correctly? 1,980 cycles? Yes, 1,980 cycles. And not limp, half-arsed cycles either but hard discharge cycles at 30C/15amp discharges. Continue reading How Does the Graphene Measure Up?
If you have been in FPV for any length of time you’ll be familiar with the cloverleaf antenna which essentially made 5.8ghz viable. Before that time, we all spent time fussing around trying to get our FPV systems to work. Just tilting the plane into a banking turn was enough to lose video signal. Continue reading Get the Lowdown on Pagoda Antennas
Micro drift hovercrafts are tipped to be ‘the next big thing’ in the hobby community. So enthusiastic are the followers of this hobby that the first ever micro drift hovercraft championship has been announced. It will take place at the UK Drone & Technology show in December (and with a £500 cash prize!!!!). Continue reading Whoop There It Is: Micro Drone Hovercraft Kit
The Super Kinetic isn’t a new ‘plane. In fact, it has been around for a long time. So long in fact, that it is one of the biggest selling planes from HobbyKing. In all of that time, the original design and specifications have remained unchanged. Until now. Continue reading The Super Kinetic – Is it?
The Avios Grand Tundra debuted earlier this year for pre-orders. Ever since rave reviews have been pouring in about this impressive model. Model aviation expert Gozarian wrote “A great flying airplane that was 100% worth the wait. Hobbyking have continually lifted the game with their aircraft lines and this cements Avios place amongst the true greats.” Continue reading Just Landed: Avios Grand Tundra
Breaking News – Hobbyking made a massive announcement at HK live in Sydney this week. They will be releasing a super scale Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The model is simply stunning and a credit to the AVIOS team. We all wondered what direction AVIOS would take with the new brand manager, Stephen Neill who is based in Australia. Continue reading HobbyKing Announce Avios C-130 1600mm


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Montevideo, August 14th 2022 - 02:56 UTC
Inflation in the United Kingdom held steady last month, as rising prices for food and clothing were offset by lower air fares. The UK Office for National Statistics, ONS, said inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index remained at 2.3%.
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Apple's shares extended a slump in late trading after the comments, falling as much as 7.4 per cent.
Apple's revenue from services increased 17% YoY to US$9.98 billion.
The company was criticized for its decision to no longer disclose iPhone related sales figures, implying that the company now believes that iPhone sales have peaked.
The firm said net profit climbed 32 percent to $14.13 billion on revenue that was up 20 percent to $62.9 billion with help from growing sales of digital content and services to users and other Apple gadgetry. During that quarter Apple sold 46.7 million iPhones, 10.3 million iPads, and 5.4 million Macs. While that represents a 14 percent increase in iPhone sales when compared to last quarter, it's about the same number of iPhones sold this time past year. Worldwide sales made up 61 per cent of the total number.
"Time for investors to adjust to the new disclosures", analysts from the brokerage said.
The world's most valuable company was a lot less valuable Friday, as a disappointing earnings report from Apple sent its shares tumbling and its total market value below $1 trillion. However, on a year-to-year basis, there was a six per cent decrease in the number of iPads sold, from 10.3 million in Q4, 2017. From 18.3% share in Q4 2016, Apple's share has declined to 13.2% in Q3 2018. "I hope that's the case here". Apple sold 46.9 million iPhones in the past quarter, slightly below analyst estimates. "By not reporting units, it effectively removes the discussion of rising prices from mainstream media stories".
Despite beating on quarterly earnings and revenue, Apple ($AAPL) disappointed investors on Thursday with weaker-than-anticipated guidance for the ever-important holiday quarter, and iPhone unit sales that just missed the mark, notching nearly zero growth from a year ago.
Both, the declining/stagnating sales and increasing ASP of iPhone, has been attracting enough criticism for Apple, especially at the time when the growth of the global smartphone market is largely driven by developing markets, likes of India.
The results closed out Apple's fiscal fourth quarter ending September 29 and set the stage for the crucial holiday period.
The coming quarter is expected to be offer no respite for Apple.
For its full fiscal 2018 ended in September, Apple reported revenue of $265.6 billion and profits of $11.91 per share, beating analyst estimates of $264 billion and $11.79 per share.


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Visio Media expands
By Adnews Staff
Edmonton-based out-of-home media company Visio Media has expanded its operation into Calgary and Edmonton. The company specializes in digital displays in the elevators of residential buildings. According to the firm, advertisers can display content based on the age or gender of the occupants of an elevator, as well as customize content based on weather, time of day or other factors.
"We're excited to offer our national advertisers the opportunity to expand their reach to more of the affluent consumers in many of Canada's most desirable residential buildings while enhancing tenant communication and experience," said Fouad El-Masri, CEO of Visio Media.
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What’s the concern surrounding WhatsApp in 2021?
WhatsApp allows users to send free texts and make voice and video calls pretty much anywhere in the world, using the internet. WhatsApp is popular worldwide, with India being its largest consumer at 340 million users, according to Oberlo.
The app has users across the globe staying connected, from villages to towns and cities, as long as they have internet. Therefore, people are beginning to worry about the affordability of the app, after hearing that WhatsApp might start to charge in 2021.
One of the most appealing factors of the app (available on both Android and IOS) is that it uses data or Wi-Fi instead of charging by the minute or by the SMS. If this factor is taken away, it would change the dynamic of the app and users’ relationship with it.
Why do users think they will be charged?
Let’s start from the beginning. In 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for a hefty sum. The app was sold to Facebook by founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton.
Is WhatsApp going to charge in 2021?
According to the Express, WhatsApp business accounts are able to generate revenue through the app by making sales. They state: “According to a statement issued by WhatsApp, the chat app has now taken the decision to ‘charge business customers for some of the services.'”
However, the charges will not apply to regular accounts and users on the WhatsApp.
So, in short, no. Unless you’ve set up a business account on it, WhatsApp is not going to charge you in 2021. There will be no charge for the usage of the app by regular, everyday users.


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CommScope eyes IPO again
Hickory-based CommScope, which was bought by a private-equity firm two years ago, will again become a public company in the coming months.
CommScope Holding Co. Inc. has filed registration forms for a $750 million public offering under the trading symbol COMM. The IPO price of the stock wasn’t disclosed, nor was the stock market on which the shares will be listed. “Price is something that isn’t determined at this point,” says CommScope spokesman Rick Aspen.
Another question that will presumably be answered by a more complete prospectus filed later with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: How many shares does the company plan to sell in the stock offering.
The regulatory filing says demand for CommScope’s coaxial fiber, cable and other products is expected to increase as Big Data and other data traffic grow. CommScope says it wants to use the cash from the offering to pay down corporate debt and for other corporate purposes.
The company says it generated $5 million in net income during 2012 on sales of $3.3 billion. Most of its sales — 56% — remain in North America, with Europe as a distant second market for its products.
The Carlyle Group bought CommScope in 2011 for $3.9 billion.
Last month, sources told Reuters that Carlyle had hired bankers in a move to take the company public.
The last two years under Carlyle ownership have brought changes for the company. It has made three acquisitions totaling $142 million, including Redwood Systems, a LED lighting and sensor company, and Itracs Corp., which manages the information-technology aspects of data centers.
Ken Elkins covers manufacturing, international business and economic development for the Charlotte Business Journal.
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Malaysia’s trade in January 2021 amounted to RM162.6 billion, expanded by 4.1 per cent as compared to the same month in the previous year. Exports posted a stronger year-on-year (y-o-y) growth compared to imports, registering an expansion of 6.6 per cent from RM84.1 billion to RM89.6 billion. This was the highest export value ever recorded for the month of January. Imports rose by 1.3 per cent to RM73.0 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of RM16.6 billion, 38.0 per cent higher compared to January 2020. On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, exports, imports, total trade and trade balance posted a decrease of 6.4 per cent, 2.7 per cent, 4.8 per cent and 19.8 per cent, respectively.
A. THE PERFORMANCE OF EXPORTS
Malaysia’s exports continued its positive momentum in January 2021, expanding by 6.6 per cent from RM84.1 billion in January 2020 to RM89.6 billion. The expansion was driven by both domestic exports and re-exports. Domestic exports stood at RM72.1 billion contributed 80.5 per cent to the total exports, grew by 6.3 per cent. While, the re-exports which was value at RM17.5 billion, went up by 7.5 per cent y-o-y. In comparison to December 2020, exports declined by 6.4 per cent or RM6.1 billion. Analysis of the seasonally adjusted terms m-o-m, exports decreased by 5.6 per cent to RM5.2 billion.
B. THE PERFORMANCE OF IMPORTS
Malaysia’s imports in January 2021 totalled RM73.0 billion, continued to register a growth of 1.3 per cent compared with the same month of 2020. However, in comparison to December 2020, imports posted a decrease of 2.7 per cent or RM942.0 million. On m-o-m seasonally adjusted terms, imports decreased 0.6 per cent.
Download full article here
Download: Appendix here
1. The December 2020 data is provisional and subject to revision in later issues.
2. This report can be accessed through the web portal of the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (https://www.dosm.gov.my) under section: Latest Release.
DATO' SRI DR. MOHD UZIR MAHIDIN
CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA
26 February 2021
Mohd Yusrizal Ab Razak
Public Relation Officer
Strategic Communication and International Division
Department of Statistics, Malaysia
Tel : +603-8885 7942
Fax : +603-8888 9248
E-mail : yusrizal.razak[at]dosm.gov.my


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The shares of Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY) jumped significantly after reporting better-than-expected financial performance in the second quarter ended August 29.
On Thursday, Bed Bath & Beyond shares jumped up to $18.74 each, up from yesterday’s closing price of $14.98 per share, an increase of more than 25%.
During the second quarter. Bed Bath & Beyond reported a 6% growth in comparable-store sales for the first time since 2016. This increase was powered by a strong e-commerce sales growth of 89%.
The company said its adjusted earnings were $0.50 per share, up 47% from its adjusted earnings in the same period a year ago. Wall Street analysts expected a loss of $0.23 per share.
The retailer also boasted a cash flow of $750 million due to an improvement in working capital efficiencies and a divestment.
What does this mean?
The successful quarter tells us a lot about trends in consumer spending and Bed Bath & Beyond’s role. With consumers still spending significant amounts of time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are finding it worthwhile to make improvements and invest in the comfort of their dwellings.
Bed Bath & Beyond president CEO Mark Tritton told CNBC, “When the home is everything, we’re really poised to be the epicenter of that.”
Improving digital marketing and e-commerce sales have been the major focus for the company as it attempts to increase its online presence during the pandemic, which is keeping so many at home and out of brick and mortar stores.
In addition to its contactless curbside pickup offer, the company is also offering same-day delivery. This is a move that was inspired by competitors like Target, Walmart, and Lowes.
With so much of the future environment still very uncertain, Bed Bath & Beyond abstained from providing forward fiscal guidance. While understandable, this should remind investors that an end to the pandemic and a return to the workplace for consumers could mean an end to the company’s recent success.
On the other hand, with so many companies realizing they can be just as efficient allowing employees to hunker down and work remotely from home, work from home options and hybrid work schedules could very well be here to stay. This is a change that would keep Bed Bath & Beyond very relevant to consumers looking to improve their new home offices.
Disclosure: Sean Corliss, the author, has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned in this article.
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In this Daily Update Interview Eugene Wei and I explore the idea of the half-life of information, and what that means for the value of Netflix, YouTube, Disney, and more.
In a follow-up to Zero Trust Information, exploring the four types of information and how their value changes with time.
An interview with Matthew Ball about Bob Iger’s exit; Disney, Netflix, and streaming; and how metaverses are digital theme parks.
The situation in the U.S., particularly in the Seattle area, is likely worse than it appears; Microsoft and Amazon should take action. Then, the U.S. needs to rely on the private sector, and publishers need to remember why people pay.
Spotify’s mixed earnings, why podcasts are uniquely valuable to the company, and where The Ringer fits in.
SB Nation is a publishing company that was only ever possible because of the Internet. That it has to change its model because of AB 5 shows why AB 5 is fundamentally flawed.
Google’s continued dominance may not be intransigence, but rather the difficulty of regulating demand. Then, how Apple helps Google and Facebook, and Barry Diller isn’t blaming Google.
Highlights from Recode Media interviews of Warner Media’s John Stankey and Disney’s Kevin Mayer, including an extended discussion on sports.
Google’s approach to travel mirrors its approach to Shopping, which, correctly or not, was already ruled to be illegal in Europe. Then, Disney+ rolls out like a movie, and fails like a service. Plus, more on Instagram and influencers.
AT&T announced details about HBO Max, which are both safe and aggressive, and also raise questions about AT&T’s long-term stewardship. Then, why Netflix and Disney are the long-term winners.


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Rakul Preet Singh’s sudden surprising decision
Following her last year release with Suriya titled ‘NGK’, Rakul Preet Singh has been acting in movies Indian-2, and Ayalaan. She is also doing a Hindi movie as well.
In a sudden announcement, the actor has declared that though she was a devout meat-eater and non-vegetarian thus far in her life, she has decided to be a ‘vegan’ totally avoiding meat and even dairy items like milk.
She added further: ‘It was indeed a sudden decision by me! As such, I feel an improvement already in my skills and outlook! When shooting in Mumbai, I carry fruits and other items from my house! While abroad, they cook rice with vegetables and lentils. I add vegan ghee to this dish and take it!’


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You manufacturer fiat debt instruments that function as money, and you get monetary inflation. From Adrian Day at internationalman.com:
April’s Consumer and Producer Price indexes, showing prices up 4.2% and 6.2% respectively year on year, were well ahead of expectations and have produced widespread discussion.
Everyone from Ray Dalio and Stan Druckenmiller to my next-door neighbor has chimed in. The Federal Reserve, Democratic politicians and media apologists all proclaim this move to be “transitory.” The usual suspects trotted out the to-be-expected excuses: it’s all because of the “base effect,” starting from a low point last April when the economy first went into lockdown. It’s all because of pent-up demand as the economy reopens. While these factors have some validity—any comparison can be distorted by a low starting point—they are only part of the story. Fundamentally, the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented binge of credit creation on the back of the new administration’s unprecedented spending plans—following the hardly hawkish last four years—is the necessary and sufficient cause of the jump in inflation numbers.
It is important to note that various price indexes are symptoms of inflation; they do not represent inflation itself. Inflation is the creation of excess credit above the current needs of the economy. That excess can show up in increased asset prices or in consumer prices, depending on many factors, including, most importantly, the velocity of money. But usually, these excesses do show up in asset prices (including equities) and, after a lag, in producer prices followed by consumer prices. Events such as the economic lockdowns and restrictions we saw over the past year have the effect of reducing the velocity of money and postponing the rise in consumer prices.


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Nokia's E63 Now Available in the U.S.
Today Nokia announced that its E63 smartphone is not available at its flagship stores in Chicago and New York City, as well as official online retailers. The E63 will cost $279 and comes unlocked. It will come with a free 12-month subscription to Share on Ovi.
Cricket Wireless Adds the Nokia Lumia 1320 to Portfolio
Cricket Wireless today announced the pending availability of the Nokia Lumia 1320. The device, which Nokia announced last year, has a 6-inch 720p display with Nokia's ClearBlack technology and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection.
Sony Reveals Xperia XZ and X Compact Pricing
Sony today discussed pricing and availability details for the Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact (pictured) smartphones. The XZ will cost $700 and it goes on sale via Amazon and other online retailers October 2.
Microsoft Makes Branding Change Official
Microsoft today indicated its branding transition from Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia is progressing as planned. Microsoft has slowly been rebranding apps, services, and web sites from Nokia to Microsoft.
Cricket to Sell Lumia 530 for $50 Starting Oct. 3
Cricket Wireless today announced it has added the Nokia Lumia 530 to its lineup of low-cost smartphones. The 530 is Nokia's entry-level smartphone, which includes a 4-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, quad-core processor, and Windows Phone 8.1 with Cortana.
Chicago to Install LTE 4G Throughout Subway System
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced an initiative along with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless that will see the city's subway system upgraded with LTE 4G. The City of Chicago and Chicago Transit Authority have agreed to fund the project with $32.5 million.
Error in report.


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Nicky Hilton doesn’t have anorexia, it seems she just doesn’t take a good photograph. She can look super-skinny sometimes, notably in these pictures, but Paris’ little sister denies having an eating disorder.
Hilton, who has been dogged by Internet speculation about recent weight loss, hit back at the reports. “There’s no truth to any starvation, eating disorders, rumors,” she told People Tuesday at her Nicholai fashion show, part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in L.A.
“I think the press has been printing a lot of pictures of me from unflattering angles,” added the 24-year-old designer. “My friends see the pictures and they’re like ‘Oh my god are you okay?’ And then they see me, and they’re like ‘Oh … ‘ It’s really not that interesting or true.”
I have a huge amount of sympathy for celebrities having their photo taken. While a glamorous shoot for a magazine gets re-touched and looks fabulous, sometimes you look at a cover and it is hard to identify who the celebrity is, they’ve been altered beyond recognition.
Paparazzi shots are even worse, because they can get those totally unflattering shots of your skirt sticking with static to your behind, the light behind your legs highlighting the fact you need a shave, or looking particularly thin. While some of us might love the pictures that make us look skinny, it seems that for the slimmer members of the population you stop looking slender and just look unwell.
Nicky has a new fashion collection out this week, called Nicholai. Sister Paris was in attendance at the show, wearing a dress from the collection, with her latest accessory, Benji Madden. She wore one of Nicky’s creations and said it was one of her favorites.
Picture note by Celebitchy: Thanks to PRPhotos for these pictures of Nicky’s show on Tuesday, including some of her fashion designs.


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The information presented on this page was originally released on July 10, 2008. It may not be outdated, but please search our site for more current information. If you plan to quote or reference this information in a publication, please check with the Extension specialist or author before proceeding.
Build disaster kits for home, evacuation
By Steven Nalley
MSU Ag Communications
MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A natural disaster often means no electricity, telephone service or safe transportation, but it does not have to mean no food, clean water or medicine if these essentials are ready and packaged in a disaster survival kit.
Herb Willcutt, safety specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the kit should have two parts: a traveling disaster kit to bring along during an evacuation and a home disaster kit to use when staying home during a storm.
“You wouldn't necessarily take all your food and water if you're evacuating because of a hurricane. You should have blankets, a pillow or two, and anything else to be comfortable should you have to sleep in the car or camp out,” Willcutt said. “Things like batteries, water and canned goods would be less important.”
Willcutt said to keep a separate list of medications the family needs in case the disaster destroys the home kit. To preserve the kit, keep it in or near the same safe place the family will go to in a disaster, but be sure the kit is also safe from daily conditions that could ruin the food and electronics inside.
“Keep it in a dry place away from sunlight or damp areas that promote bacterial growth,” Willcutt said. “If you've got a storm cellar, that would be a logical, safe place to put it.”
Jeff Rent, a public information officer with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said a travel disaster kit is especially important in a large-scale disaster like a hurricane. He also recommended assembling the kit as soon as possible instead of waiting for a hurricane evacuation warning.
“If you've ever been to a grocery store during an evacuation, you know there are a lot of people trying to get their supplies then. They're too late,” Rent said.
The contents of the travel disaster kit vary from family to family. Add items and adjust plans based on circumstances, such as children's ages or pet ownership.
“If you're going to a hotel, know where a pet shelter is because not all hotels accept pets,” Rent said. “Some of the other contents to take along include items for children, such as coloring books and playing cards, to keep them occupied.”
Pack the home disaster kit with canned goods or other nonperishable foods, water, prescription medications, first-aid supplies, a flashlight, a battery-powered weather radio and batteries. Include a gallon of water per person per day, and pack enough supplies to last at least 72 hours.
“Be sure to include things like a can opener for canned goods,” Rent said. “Some basic toiletries and disinfectant wipes will help. If you lose power and are unable to take a shower, baby wipes can be used to freshen up.”
Rotate the food, water and medicine in the home kit as necessary to prevent expiration, and keep it ready all year. Rent said families should stay prepared not only for seasonal disasters like hurricanes and ice storms, but also for unexpected disasters, such as terrorist attacks and earthquakes.
“The northern part of the state is especially susceptible to earthquakes due to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, and although we haven't had a large-scale earthquake in a long time, that doesn't mean we couldn't have one tomorrow,” Rent said. “There's always a chance.”
For more information, go to http://www.msema.org and click on the “Preparedness” link where MEMA has instructions on how to respond during earthquakes, radiological and hazardous material leaks, floods, hurricanes and severe weather. The site also explains how to create a disaster supply kit, a family communications plan and a family evacuation plan.
MEMA also answers questions about disaster safety by e-mail sent to email@example.com.


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Wash your hands regularly. Keep a social distance from others when out in public. Change your work habits by working from home or wearing a mask… assuming you can continue to work at all. To say COVID-19 has been world-changing is an understatement. The deadly pandemic is a shoo-in for the Times […]
It might sound odd to talk about privacy at a time when computer surveillance didn’t exist. If transported to today’s era, modern communications would floor Jane Austen. Photographs, instant text messages, public platforms, using devices to communicate at all.. the list goes on. Computers in the 18th century weren’t even a pipe dream. It wasn’t […]
January 28th is international Data Privacy Day! Here are 10 ways to buff up your information safeguards and help understand your privacy rights.
Changes are coming to privacy regulations. Data breaches keep happening for the same old reasons. But above all, your users want better.
There’s nothing like invasive spy tech under the tree to make one long for a lump of coal.
Want better information security? Add better privacy practices to your organization. The results are in: the GDPR is security’s new best friend. The new privacy law made a significant impact on how businesses manage information. Since in force, smart organizations who operate in Europe are paying attention. Aside from avoiding fines for compliance, it turns […]
Geolocation data is a hot commodity, and many of our devices are allowing us to be tracked. Are you aware of how much that data reveals?
Why not use blockchain for better privacy protection? Unfortunately, while the technology has benefits, for personal data it still seems to fall short.
Do you worry about how a new technology could invade your privacy in the future? Are you ever concerned that the company you give your data to will use it against you down the road? Have you wondered if it’s time tinfoils hats came back into style? If so, you’re not alone. While innovators assure […]
Is it time for your business to invest in a Privacy Impact Assessment? Maybe you’ve thought about it a little: is your business doing enough to protect the privacy of the data you collect. Perhaps recent news headlines over the past year have your board of directors talking about it a lot: we need to […]


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With elevated features and eco-friendly materials.
Each accessory is fashioned from recycled water bottles.
The tech-friendly EO, TRACTO, and VIA collections are built with mobility and durability in mind.
Off TOKiMONSTA’s upcoming ‘FOEVERE Remixed’ EP
The two release a follow-up to their folio for the Apple Watch.
A must have for outdoor-focused creatives.
The bag and case brand launches an impressive display as well as introduces its Kelly Slater collection.
Tech accessories purveyor Incase is launching a brand new collection of bags dubbed the Reform
Coming soon from the accessories specialists at Incase is the Action Camera Collection. Designed
To coincide with the spring release of its ultra-functional ICON Backpack, accessory maker Incase


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Hang Seng jumps over 3% after an encouraging Biden – Jinping face-to-face meeting. Weak Chinese industrial production and retail sales fuel hopes of further stimulus.
•GBP/USD rises after a mixed jobs report with unemployment and wages rising.
•German ZEW economic sentiment is forecast to imp; DAX trades at a 5-month high.
•US PPI is expected to cool to 8.3% YoY, down from 8.5%. Could this push the S&P500 over 4000?
Stocks on Wall Street closed lower on Monday after a reality check from several Federal Reserve speakers. Fed Governor Waller and Vice Chair Lael Brainard suggested that the time could be approaching for the pace of rate hikes to slow. However, they added that there was still much work to be done to rein in inflation. In other words, rates are likely to remain higher for longer.
Asian stocks have seen an upbeat session following the meeting between President Biden and China’s Xi Jinping, which saw the two leaders move to stabilise relations. In the first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office, the leaders agreed to resume talks on major global priorities while acknowledging areas of profound disagreement.
The Hang Seng jumped over 3.6%, while the Hang Seng tech index surged over 6%. The Biden – Jinping meeting has overshadowed weaker-than-expected Chinese industrial production data. China’s factory output grew by a smaller than-forecast 5% in October. Meanwhile, retail sales fell by –0.5%, defying expectations of a 2.5% rise.
The data suggests that China’s economy is losing momentum as it struggles with COVID restrictions and a property downturn. While recent moves to ease some zero-COVID measures and support the property market have helped sentiment rebound recently, this data shows that the strict zero-COVID policy continues to hit economic growth. Investors are hoping for more stimulus measures lifting stocks.
Europe points to a mixed open ahead of a busy day for economic data. The DAX points to a 0.24% rise as it trades around a five-month high. The FTSE points to a modestly weaker open as its falls away from 7400.
UK jobs data was mixed. On the one hand, unemployment rose to 3.6%, up from 3.5%,
employment fell to 75.5%, and wages rose. Average earnings excluding bonuses rose by a larger than forecast 5.7%.
GBP/USD has risen following the release, as higher wages add to inflationary pressures,
suggesting that the BoE still has plenty of work to be done to rein in inflation.
German ZEW economic sentiment
Looking ahead, Eurozone GDP data is expected to confirm that the Eurozone economy avoided contraction in Q3. This is the second reading, so it isn’t expected to be so market-moving. Instead, more attention is likely to be on German ZEW economic sentiment data, which is expected to rise to -50 in November, from -59.2, possibly helped higher by government support to households and small businesses to pay gas bills.
In the US session, in addition to earnings from Walmart and Home Depot, which could shed some light on how the US consumer is holding up, attention will also be on PPI data. Inflation at the factory gate level is expected to fall slightly to 8.3%, down from 8.5%. PPI is often considered a lead indicator for consumer price inflation. A cooling in PPI could fuel bets of a less aggressive Fed and help stocks push higher and pull the USD lower. Could cooler PPI boost the S&P500 over 4000?
Disclaimer: This article is not investment advice or an investment recommendation and should not be considered as such. The information above is not an invitation to trade and it does not guarantee or predict future performance. The investor is solely responsible for the risk of their decisions. The analysis and commentary presented do not include any consideration of your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, or needs.
Sources: Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters
Original article provided by Trading Writers


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The Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board have released their long-awaited converged accounting standard on revenue recognition after more than a decade.
The standard for the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers is intended to improve the financial reporting of revenue and improve comparability of the top line in financial statements globally.
The two boards plan to set up a transition resource group to help companies adjust to the new standard and provide guidance before it takes effect in 2017 for public companies and 2018 for private companies.
"The issuance of the revenue recognition standard is a major achievement for both the FASB and the IASB," said FASB Chairman Russ Golden in a conference call with reporters. "The boards have worked together for more than 10 years on this guidance. ... The result, I believe, is a standard that succeeds in its goal of improving financial reporting. It does so by providing a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues as they arise, by increasing comparability among industries and capital markets, and by requiring enhanced disclosures that give investors and other users a better understanding of the economics behind the numbers."
FASB and the IASB plan to create a Revenue Recognition Joint Transition Resource Group to help companies adjust to the new standards. "The issuance of the new standard is not the end of our work," said Golden. "The boards are taking steps to ensure a smooth transition to the standard. This includes the creation of a transition resource group, which will be announced in the coming weeks. The purpose of this group is to alert the FASB and the IASB to potential implementation issues so that they can be addressed prior to the effective date. The transition resource group Web site will include instructions on how stakeholders can submit their concerns to this group."
Revenue is a vital metric for users of financial statements and is used to assess a company's financial performance and prospects. However, the previous requirements of both U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards were different and often resulted in different accounting for transactions that were economically similar. While the revenue recognition requirements of IFRS lacked sufficient detail, the accounting requirements of U.S. GAAP were considered to be overly prescriptive and conflicting in certain areas.
Responding to these challenges, the two boards have developed new, fully converged requirements for the recognition of revenue in both IFRS and U.S. GAAP, providing substantial enhancements to the quality and consistency of how revenue is reported while also improving comparability in the financial statements of companies that are reporting using IFRS and U.S. GAAP.
The core principle of the new standard is for companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration (that is, payment) to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods of services. The new standard will also result in enhanced disclosures about revenue, provide guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively (for example, service revenue and contract modifications), and improve guidance for multiple-element arrangements.
"This will change the way people should be thinking about recognizing and analyzing revenue," said FASB member Marc Siegel in an interview.
The standards will affect more than just revenue from customer contracts, Siegel noted.
"The other big change is that even though this is titled 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers,' it does affect sales of non-financial assets to non-customers too," he said, pointing to sales of real estate, for example. "Even though you might not be a home builder and you might just be a general manufacturer, if you sell your building or your headquarters land, whereas today you would have to go through a very detailed and prescriptive FAS 66 analysis to understand when you can recognize that gain on your sale of real estate, you would look to this new standard to figure out when you would recognize and measure the gain. It wouldn't be showing up as revenue, but it would help you understand how and when to recognize the gain on the sale of real estate."
Besides the real estate industry, many others will be affected as well. Among the industries likely to be affected are the telecommunications and automotive sectors. "What we heard from companies during deliberations is that the telecommunications industry anticipates this could significantly impact them, particularly when they sell a handset at the same time concurrently they sign you up for a service plan," said Siegel.
The software and media industries are also likely to see an impact in the licensing area. "We spent a lot of time analyzing licenses," said Siegel. "That's in software and also potentially media. We think they're going to have to analyze the new standard to understand how it might impact what they're doing today."
For example, with software licenses there is a difference in revenue recognition between term licenses and perpetual licenses, he noted. "That distinction goes away under the new standard," said Siegel. "You have to look a little more deeply into the promises you're offering to your customer under the software agreement, to help start figuring out when and how to recognize revenue. That would be a little different."
For media companies, they will have to look at how they are recognizing royalties. "Sales-based or usage-based royalties that are given in exchange for a license of intellectual property, those will be recognized at the later of the subsequent sale or as usage occurs, or the performance obligation has been satisfied or partially satisfied, whichever one is later, under the new standard. There's going to be some differences. A lot of this is because under the current rules, these different little industry nuances have evolved over decades of time, and they're very hard to maintain. Going forward, we're going to have one way of looking at it irrespective of the industry."
The asset management industry will also be among those most affected, according to Golden.
There were a few lingering differences between the two boards in the standards they are issuing, particularly in the disclosure requirements for interim reporting periods and in the threshold for probable collectability of a contract. "Of the two most significant differences, one has to do with the disclosure requirements and whether or not there is a specific disclosure requirement for interim financial statements," said Golden.
"We just have a different situation with the interims, and that was the reason," said IASB vice chairman Ian Mackintosh. "Probable is an historic one, and we're hoping this won't make a big difference in the actual application of the standard."
JOINT TRANSITION RESOURCE GROUP
Furthermore, the boards have established a joint transition resource group in order to aid transition to the new standard. Details about that group will be announced shortly.
"The transition to a new revenue recognition standard is very important to us," said Siegel. "It's a very important performance indicator for companies and a very important metric for users of financial statements, so we're committed with the IASB to try to make this as smooth a transition as we can hope for, understanding that it's still a transition nonetheless."
The transition resource group will be a joint group, Siegel noted. "Both boards are sponsoring it, and we'll publish the names of the participants in the group in short order after we finalize a couple of last-minute logistical details. There will be members of all the different stakeholders - auditors, preparers, investors. There will be regulators who are observers at the meetings. There will be public meetings of this group. You can attend them, and we'll also webcast them. They will be co-located so they will be going on in Norwalk [FASB's headquarters in Connecticut] and London simultaneously."
Siegel added that the group won't issue new guidance on its own. "The premise of the group is to identify issues that are causing difficulties or diversity on how it's being implemented," he said. "The group will educate the board and each other about the issue, about different kinds of interpretations and whether or not we think there's going to be diversity in practice, and whether that diversity is consistent with the objective of the revenue standard or whether it's too much diversity, or there's lack of clarity that might require some additional standard-setting. And any additional standard-setting would be done by the boards or their respective task forces on emerging issues."
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IT solutions company Coforge crossed the $1 billion revenue milestone in its fourth-quarter earnings. The company is celebrating this momentous occasion by gifting an Apple iPad to all staffers – 21,000 employees.
“We believe that our performance during the quarter was marked by two key achievements. The first was a quarterly sequential US$ growth of 5.0 percent. The second major landmark has been the firm crossing the USD one billion revenue mark. Our performance heading into FY24 sets us up well to deliver robust growth,” Sudhir Singh, Coforge’s chief executive officer, declared in a statement.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, the celebration will cost Coforge Rs 80.3 crore. The company’s Q4FY23 profit went down to Rs 116.7 crore from Rs 244.8 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The decline was mostly due to a one-off expense of Rs 52.3 crore. Coforge had incurred the cost as part of its curtailed fundraising efforts, which were given the nod in 2021.
Coforge’s revenues rose 24.5 percent year-on-year to Rs 2,170 crore. The banking and financial services arm of the company accounted for 31 percent of its business and showed resilience in the face of events like the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the global banking crisis. The company had earlier said that it had very limited exposure to revenues from American regional banks.
Coforge expects its annual revenue guidance to be around 13 to 16 percent for FY24 in constant currency terms. The firm has predicted a 50 basis points gross margin increase. It expects its adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) to be at similar levels as FY 23.
Coforge’s board has advocated an interim dividend of Rs 19 per equity. The record date for the payout will be May 9.
Coforge is not the only company to give away Apple products after reaching a revenue milestone. In 2006, Cognizant Technology Solutions gave away 18,000 iPods to its employees after it crossed the $1 billion mark in annualised revenue run rate during the December 2005 quarter. Each of its employees received a 30 GB Apple iPod. The company later used the device for training purposes as well, giving workers access to tutorials that they could learn at their own pace after downloading onto their iPods.


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Mind The Gap: It’s Time for Brewers to Engage Consumers on Sustainability
Addressing the climate crisis through responsible business practises is more urgent than ever. The beer sector can respond by embedding sustainability into their brand communications and marketing to engage consumers on sustainability and get them excited about doing the right thing for people and the planet. But where do they start?
Communicating your approach to sustainability – from addressing climate change impacts to protecting the health and wellbeing of customers – can be a daunting task. According to the latest analysis by Bain, around 90% of brands do not embed sustainability frequently in their communications1. The beer market is significantly behind many other sectors, with 80% of the companies showing “low” levels of communication on sustainable themes, including health, diversity and inclusion, waste, carbon emissions and water1. So, by rectifying this, the companies have a real opportunity to gain the competitive advantage, boost growth and win market share among a more enlightened consumer base.
Trust and transparency have become valuable currencies for brands today. There is an ever-growing demand from consumers that companies operate sustainably by acting in the best interests of people, communities and the planet. Consumers are looking for businesses to help them make the best choices, to produce the things they buy in a responsible way, but without compromising on quality, taste or price.
Magali Deryckere, Associate Partner of Bain & Company, shared during a webinar organised by IFF on 23 November 2021, that 55% of consumer goods firms have done little so far to embed sustainability messaging and communications into their brand marketing.
It is time beer companies defined their “swords” – that is, the clear actions they are taking toward doing the right thing for the planet and that they know consumers care about – and start engaging the market on clear, tailored messages that explain what impact they are having in the world, she added.
Consumers and investors expect companies to act on sustainability – and businesses that do so will be rewarded. 50% of the growth in the consumer products market is coming from products marketed as “sustainable”, stated Magali Deryckere. Yet embedding sustainability into brands remains a struggle. Company CEOs are confident they have set ambitious sustainability goals, but just 5% of them feel their brands are doing enough to communicate and engage in them1.
To tackle it in an ideal way, after defining their “swords”, they must also define their “shields,” or the areas they closely monitor and can have a positive impact on. Communications must be fact based and data driven. Consumers expect brands to act, but without any greenwash. Beer brands must help consumers understand the benefits of sustainability and communicate to them in a clear and consistent way.
Enzymes play a role in driving brewers closer to their sustainability goals. They can, for example, help reduce the need for very high temperatures in the process, reducing energy consumption in the brewery or they can help shorten the cleaning cycle, which saves both on water and energy. Sustainability teams must work closely with brand teams to understand how they are connecting with consumers. Communications must be true to the identity and purpose of each brand, with messaging that is authentic and true.
IFF has solutions to help the brewing industry when it comes to sustainability. To know more about a key component of IFF’s environmental sustainability strategy related to renewable energy, click here. For making beer, brewers use raw materials like barley, corn, rice, cassava and sorghum. Sorghum could be a likely upcoming crop for beer making, not only in African countries but also in other regions, including Europe and in Latin America. Although making beer from sorghum is not straightforward, there are a variety of solutions for overcoming these difficulties. Sorghum varieties do not contain a high enough level of enzymes necessary to transform the raw material into beer which is exactly where IFF brewing enzymes can support.
You might ask yourself: what is the benefit of using some sorghum rather than just staying with 100% malt? If you compare using 100% malt to using 50% malt* and 50% local unmalted sorghum, there is a big environmental impact, even in different parts of the world.
In our studies based on producing a 5% alcohol lager in Ukraine, Western Africa and Argentina, using the malt/sorghum mix can deliver 20-23% saving on climate change potential. By switching to sorghum in Ukraine and in Argentina, you’ll have a decrease in land use requirements. Comparatively in Africa, to produce sorghum, more land is required which in turn is a good solution to support the local economy and communities.
It’s no secret that some of the major breweries are already using sorghum and are communicating about it. Enzymes support breweries in creating a more sustainable future, at a low use rate, enabling them to use local raw materials and supporting local communities.
The beer industry has been performing slowly to bridge the gap between sustainability performance and embedding it into brand marketing and communications. To this, IFF’s Global Product Manager for Brewing & Distilling, Jens Eiken responded, saying:
“Enzymes are small molecules with a big impact. Without enzymes, it’s difficult to process a lot of these raw materials. We have carried out a life cycle assessment documenting the impact of our enzymes and how they improve the sustainability of brewing.”
“For instance, in brewing, you may boil and cook at 100 °C. With some of our enzymes, you can reduce cooking temperature to 85°C, meaning that you have a 15°C saving on heat energy. In other examples, brewers can filter significantly more beer in a given cycle, meaning that they don’t have to wash and clean the filter so often, reducing energy and water consumption.” said Jens.
The benefits from the suite of IFF’s brewing enzyme solutions are easy to see. Our enzymes secure more efficient mashing, improve filtration, and optimise the use of a variety of raw materials, improving throughput. Each solution provides a brewing functionality which enables customers to brew uniquely.
Guided by the targets outlined by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, brewers are looking to lessen their environmental impact in various ways. For example, by cutting back on water and energy usage, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and land use. The IFF’s master brewers and portfolio of brewing enzymes offer innovative solutions to help the industry meet its sustainability goals.
This article was adapted from a 60-minute online webinar moderated by sustainable business writer Tom Idle, who was joined by Katie Hoard – Global Senior Director of Sustainability at AB InBev, Görkem Demirtaşoğlu – Sustainability & Innovation Manager at Heineken, Magali Deryckere – Associate Partner at Bain & Company and Jens Eiken – Global Product Manager for brewing and distilling enzymes and master brewer at IFF.
You can see the webinar on-demand via: Mind the gap: It’s time for brewers to engage consumers on sustainability. Here’s how (pmi-live.com)


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France’s health minister Agnès “buzzkill” Buzyn has again provoked the ire of the wine industry with a new proposal to require a large red warning label on all bottles, admonishing pregnant women to avoid all alcohol and reminding buyers of the legal age limit (18) for drinking. A coalition of 64 of France’s top winemakers are pushing back, declaring in a letter to Le Figaro that this is nothing less than an affront to the soul of their country. As translated by British newspaper The Telegraph, the letter implores their countrymen to recognize the importance of the “thousands of tourists [who] come to discover this France, bosom of the art de vivrethat is the envy of the world and where wine plays a leading role.” They mourn the prospect of bottles defaced “with labels covered in lugubrious and deathly signs.” Warning labels are already required in France as in many other countries, but the size is not specified; Buzyn want a 2 cm (about an inch) wide red banner. I cringe at the thought.
Whether the labels will be of any benefit to public health is the overriding question. Buzyn’s rationale is her claim that wine is like any other form of alcohol from a health perspective, and the fact that a quarter of pregnant women continue to drink. On the first point, she is wrong, and I have detailed the evidence herebefore. The second point is obviously a sensitive one; no one in their right mind would encourage women to drink while pregnant. But having said that, Dr. Buzyn hasn’t presented evidence that France has a disproportionate problem with alcohol abuse during pregnancy, or that it is in the form of wine. In general, wine drinkers have healthier drinking habits, and indications are that alcohol abusers are unlikely to take notice of the labels anyway.
The use of warning labels has its roots in tobacco packaging. But speaking for the French wine industry, Pierre-Henri Gaget of Maison Louis Jadot, has said “We don’t carry the plague and don’t want to be tarred with the same brush as cigarette manufacturers.” Those in Buzyn’s camp, like her British counterpart Sally Davies, see no benefit of moderate drinking and thereby equate wine to smoking. But even if that were true, do warning labels affect consumer behavior? It’s surprisingly hard to prove. Most of the research tracks short term responses to the labels, with focus groups, eye tracking, and surveys. A recent study[i]from University of Liverpool and the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, evaluating enhanced labels like the ones proposed in France, concluded “Alcohol consumers allocate minimal attention to warning labels on alcohol packaging and even if their attention is directed to these warning labels, this has no impact on their drinking intentions.” This mirrored the findings of an earlier Australian study[ii] that looked at the effect of warning labels on adolescents, which concluded that while the introduction of alcohol warning labels increased initial awareness, “little change was observed in terms of beliefs about the risks of alcohol use or participation in risky alcohol-related behaviours. These findings are similar to those reported among adult samples.” A study on university students in Italy[iii]identified a key aspect of the issue, noting that “Italian young adults with moderate consumption behaviour view label warnings positively, while this attitude is weaker among younger adults and those with riskier consumption behaviours.” So by inference, teenagers and pregnant women – the target audience for the warning labels – will be least influenced if at all.
We can only conclude that this latest salvo is at the very least misinformed, certainly misguided, and will probably do more harm than good.
[i]Kersbergen I, Field M. Alcohol consumers’ attention to warning labels and brand information on alcohol packaging: Findings from cross-sectional and experimental studies. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jan 26;17(1):123.
[ii]Scholes-Balog KE, Heerde JA, Hemphill SA. Alcohol warning labels: unlikely to affect alcohol-related beliefs and behaviours in adolescents. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2012 Dec;36(6):524-9.
[iii]Annunziata A, Vecchio R, Mariani A. Alcohol Warnings and Moderate Drinking Patterns among Italian University Students: An Exploratory Study. Nutrients. 2017 Jun 17;9(6).


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Following a legal battle which continues to delay the game’s release in Europe, Double Fine has announced that Trenched will shortly be renamed Iron Brigade.
The global name change was revealed during Whiskey Media’s Big Live Show, as reported by XBLA Fans.
A title update will bring the change on the Microsoft-published strategy shooter, which is due to hit Europe before the end of the month.
The patch will also add in some new content – a survival mode, weapons, costumes and gestures.
Double Fine is also preparing DLC for the game, although no dating or details were given.
Iron Brigade, currently know as Trenched, is available now via Xbox Live in the US. Its European release was blocked by a trademark claim for a similarly-named board game.


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India has been introduced to the realm of the performance electric motorcycle with the Ultraviolette F77. The motorcycle is being priced from ₹ 3 lakh (on-road).
The Ultraviolette F77 aims to be a step in the right direction by featuring an all-electric powertrain that promises to deliver high performance on the road. Aesthetically, the motorcycle certainly looks the part of a futuristic electric motorcycle. The streetfighter-like styling looks menacing and hides most of the electric componentry under a large fairing. Under that fairing are three modular lithium-ion battery packs with a maximum capacity of 4.2 kWh. The motor makes a strong 25 kW (34 hp) at 2,250 rpm and a peak motor torque of 90 Nm which is enhanced to 450 Nm at the wheel. Ultraviolette claim that the F77 can sprint to 60 km/h from a standstill in 2.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 147 km/h. As for the weight, the F77 weighs a decent 158 kg; that’s just over 215 hp/tonne.
Suspension duties are taken care of by a USD fork at the front and a monoshock unit at the rear. The braking department has a 320-mm disc at the front and a 230-mm disc at the rear. Claimed range is between 130-150 km and Ultraviolette say that the battery can be charged from 0-80 per cent in 50 minutes using a fast charger while a standard charger takes three hours.
The F77 will be available in three colour schemes; Shadow, Lightning and Laser.
Story: Joshua Varghese


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FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Spyker Cars N.V. surged on Monday after the Dutch car maker said it has submitted a new offer for Saab, the Swedish unit of General Motors, after an earlier deal broke down last week.
GM announced Sunday it has received inquiries from several parties regarding Saab, though it didn't name these parties.
"We will evaluate each inquiry," Detroit-based GM said in a statement. "We will not comment further until these evaluations have been completed."
GM had said Friday it would wind down Saab Automobile AB after it was unable to reach a deal to sell it to Spyker Cars, a Dutch producer of high-end sports cars, because certain issues arose during due diligence that couldn't be resolved.
However, Spyker (SPYKR)(L9I) said Sunday it had submitted an 11-point proposal to GM, addressing each of the issues that arose during the due diligence process.
The renewed offer, Spyker said, would remove the obstacles that were standing in the way of a swift transaction. Spyker's new offer for Saab is valid until 5 p.m. Eastern time on Monday.
Shares of Spyker rose 26% in recent trading. The gains came after the shares fell sharply on Friday.
"We are very confident that our renewed offer will remove the impasse that was standing in the way of an agreement on Friday, and this would still allow us to conclude the deal prior to the expiry of the deadline originally set by GM of December 31," Spyker CEO Victor R. Muller said in a statement.
The new offer "addresses every known issue brought to light during the initial negotiations" and has the full backing of Saab's management, Muller said.
It "eliminates the need for an EIB loan approval prior to year end, for example, which will allow the deal to be concluded within GM's deadline," he said, referring to a potential 400 million euro loan from the European Investment Bank.
IHS Global Insight auto analyst Ian Fletcher said the renewed offer raises the question of where Spyker will find the cash to buy Saab and fund it for the foreseeable future.
"The EIB loan has always been thought to be key to any buyer acquiring Saab, which despite the cash that GM has thrown at it over the years continues down a loss-making path," Fletcher said in a note to clients. "It would certainly require very deep pockets to fund the brand, without much reward."
GM had previously attempted to sell Saab, which was founded in 1937, to another producer of sports cars, Koenigsegg Group.
The Detroit car maker has said it's focusing on its four core brands Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC as well as on several regional brands -- including Opel/Vauxhall in Europe -- after its reorganization in bankruptcy court and the receipt of billions of dollars in U.S. government aid.
Based in Zeewolde, the Netherlands, Spyker is a manufacturer of premium sports cars. Its largest shareholder is Russia's Convers Group, which owns a 29.3% stake.
The company sold 23 cars in the first six months of the year. A Spyker car costs, on average, about 180,000 euros ($258,000) depending on the model and the market.
For the first half of 2009, Spyker reported a net loss of 8.7 million euros, slightly higher than its loss in the same period a year ago. First-half revenue declined to 4.1 million euros from 5.7 million euros a year ago. In late November, Spyker said it will relocate vehicle assembly to the U.K. from the Netherlands in order to cut costs.


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After numerous delays, the first wearable accessory for the wildly popular smartphone game will go on sale on Sept 16.
The accessory simply slips onto your wrist and connects wirelessly, via Bluetooth, to your phone so that you can slip it in a pocket or bag. Then you can surreptitiously hunt Pokémon while going about your daily business, or use it like the gaming equivalent of a hands-free device.
The Pokémon Go Plus will cost US$35 (RM140) when it starts shipping but with interest in the game continuing to grow the app has now been downloaded a remarkable 500 million times since its launch in July – there are bound to be plenty of takers.
At the iPhone 7 launch event on Wednesday, a team from Niantic, the company behind the app, demonstrated how the game will also soon be coming to the Apple Watch and how this new version will help persuade players to get more exercise and stay active.
"We are encouraged by the fast adoption of the game and are pleased to see so many people walk and play every day. Pokémon GO for Apple Watch will be another way people can incorporate the game into their daily lives, even more seamlessly," said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, Inc. — AFP Relaxnews
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Breuninger is growing its logistics capacities
What: Breuninger invests in its distribution centre in Sachsenheim and expands its logistics on a large scale.
Why it is important: Breuninger's DC opened in 2019 spanning 76,000 square meters. Now they are adding around 40,000 square meters to the existing property.
Around 200 jobs will be created in the course of the expansion in warehousing, shipping, outgoing goods and product returns. This will increase the number of employees at the DC to around 1,700 in the future.
The DC was prepared for expansion options in order to be able to react to the growing online business. In recent years, Breuninger has successively opened up new markets and expanded its online business to other European countries – e.g., to Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and most recently the Czech Republic – and new department stores opened in Munich and Luxembourg.
The construction of the extension of the DC will be carried out sustainably according to BEG-Standard 40. The extension will also be DGNB Gold-certified and the roof will be fully equipped with photovoltaic systems.
The DC includes goods processing, supplying stationary trade and online shipping, content production with a photo studio as well as the Breuninger confectionery and administration.


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Germany has been the United States’ fifth-ranked trade partner since 1998 and will be so again when 2021 merchandise trade data is released in early February.
It will also set a record for its U.S. trade, perhaps topping $200 billion for the first time but more likely just missing that milestone.
That’s despite the fact that its trade will have grown slower than the U.S. average from the Covid-hampered 2020 as well as 2019.
Through November, the latest U.S. Census Bureau data available, Germany’s trade with the United States was up 16.59% from 2020, compared to the U.S. average of 21.93%, and up 6.34% from pre-pandemic 2019, compared to 9.67% for the United States as a whole.
This is the fifth in a series of columns focused on each of the United States’ top 10 trade partners. I previously wrote a column about Mexico, currently the nation’s top-ranked trade partner, Canada, China and Japan.
After this analysis of Germany are posts about No. 6 South Korea, No. 7 United Kingdom, No. 8 Taiwan, No. 9 India and No. 10 Vietnam. These 10 account for two-thirds of all U.S. trade, with just the top three at better than 43% this year.
I wrote a similar series of columns about the nation’s top 10 ports — the top-ranked Port of Los Angeles, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Port Laredo in Texas, New York’s JFK International, the Port of Newark, the Port of Houston, Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge, Los Angeles International Airport and the Port of Savannah.
All are based on my analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, which I have been slicing and dicing for two decades.
While the trade partners above and below Germany have jockeyed for position over the last two decades — for example, Mexico, Canada and China have all ranked No. 1 while Japan has ranked second, third and fourth — the same cannot be said for Germany, the United States’ top European trade partner since 1997, when it slipped past the United Kingdom.
It had been No. 4 for a number of years prior, before an upstart slipped past it in 1996. That was China.
The strength of Germany’s trade with the United States is based on its imports. For every dollar of trade with Germany, 33 cents is a U.S. export, compared to the U.S. average of 38 cents.
In fact, No. 6 South Korea will buy more U.S. exports than Germany this year for the first time.
The leading gateway for U.S. trade with Germany for the second consecutive year will be Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
For the rest of the century, the Port of Charleston had ranked first, thanks in large part to BMW auto manufacturing in South Carolina, which also lifted the fortunes of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. It has has gone from the 54th-ranked gateway for German trade in 2016 to No. 16 in 2021.
Then came steel tariffs initiated by former President Donald Trump, which made BMWs manufactured in South Carolina more expensive to export, particularly to what was a major market: China. BMW shifted some production to China, in response.
While Charleston’s trade with Germany has recovered from its 2018 levels, it has yet to reach the record levels set in 2014 and 2015.
O’Hare’s trade with Germany, which will narrowly miss $20 billion in setting a record for one port’s trade with Germany, is different from that with the South Carolina seaport, as might be expected.
As an airport, its trade tends to be lighter-weight, high-value commodities in the health-care space.
That would include imports of the category that includes vaccines, plasma and other blood fractions as well as medical instruments, medicines in pill form, X-ray apparatus, and artificial knees and hips.
New York’s JFK International will rank third for 2021, its percetage of trade having gained sharply over the last five years, from 5.60% in 2016 to 8.48% in 2021. 2016 was also the last year any port handled more than 10% of U.S. trade, when Charleston did so.


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Report: AMD to Cut Up to 30 Percent of Engineering Staff in Coming Weeks
October 14, 2012 6:54 PM
comment(s) - last by
The company is expected to announce the number of lay offs in the next week -- around the time it will be reporting its quarterly financial results
Advanced Micro Devices
(AMD) will be cutting as much as 30 percent of its staff before the end of the year.
AMD, which makes processors for PCs and servers, is getting ready to lay off anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of its employees in the next few weeks. The company is expected to announce the number of lay offs in the next week -- around the time it will be reporting its quarterly financial results.
This marks AMD's second big staff cut in a year's time. About a year ago, it cut 10 percent of its employees. At the end of Q2 2012, the company said it had 11,737 employees.
Why is AMD making such drastic reductions in staff? Mainly because it is struggling to compete with other
like Intel. Intel has not only grabbed the PC and server markets, but has also dipped into the mobile market as well, offering
tablet and smartphone chips
. AMD, on the other hand, hasn't made a push for mobile yet. This is clearly problematic, considering the PC market has been in decline in favor of mobile devices, and chip makers like Intel and AMD have to adapt to stay alive.
In addition to competition,
reported that AMD's board is a huge reason as to why the company was forced to make staff cuts. The report said that AMD's board is "incompetent" and that the company "staffed senior management with toadies who would do their bidding rather than do the right thing."
noted that AMD is mainly cutting engineers, and that AMD likely will not survive with this cut.
AMD has already announced ahead of its quarterly earnings report that that revenue would decrease 10 percent instead of the previously forecasted four percent decrease to two percent increase.
However, AMD is hoping for a brighter future with its first mobile chip release for Windows 8 tablets this year.
AMD is expected to announce quarterly earnings this Thursday.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: That's what you get when you import idiots from Lenovo with no clue...
10/15/2012 2:26:35 AM
Not saying you are technically wrong, but saying that the way you did doesn't make you look very smart either. I'm also very dissapointed in this decision and also agree that engineers should be the last place personnel cuts should be made right now at AMD. I just hope they have some better reason than "cut costs" for this strange idea of them.
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The wageless recovery
Inflation isn't the biggest threat to the economy. Falling into another recession is.
This week’s biggest economic show occurs tomorrow (Wednesday) when Fed chair Ben Bernanke steps in front of the cameras for the Fed’s first-ever news conference. The question on everyone’s mind: Will the Fed signal it’s now more worried about inflation than recession?Skip to next paragraph
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Much of Wall Street thinks inflation is now the biggest threat to the US economy. As has been the case in the past, the Street is dead wrong. The biggest threat is falling into another recession.
The most significant economic news from the first quarter of 2011 is the decline in real wages. That’s unusual in a recovery, to say the least. But it’s easily explained this time around. In order to keep the jobs they have, millions of Americans are accepting shrinking paychecks. If they’ve been fired, the only way they can land a new job is to accept even smaller ones.
The wage squeeze is putting most households in a double bind. Before the recession, they’d been able to pay the bills because they had two paychecks. Now, they’re likely to have one-and-a half, or just one, and it’s shrinking.
Add to this the continuing decline in the value of the biggest asset most people own – their homes – and what do you get? Consumers who won’t and can’t buy enough to keep the economy going. That spells recession.
Why doesn’t Wall Street get it? For one thing, because lenders always worry more about inflation than borrowers – and, in general, the wealthier members of a society tend to lend their money to people who are poorer than they are.
But Wall Street’s inflation fears are also being stoked by several specifics.
First are price upswings in food and energy. The Street doesn’t seem to understand that when most peoples’ wages are dropping, additional dollars they spend on groceries and at the gas pump means fewer dollars they have left to spend in the rest of the economy. Rather than cause inflation, this is likely to lead to more job losses.
The Street is also worried that the Fed’s easy money policies are pushing the dollar down and thereby fueling inflation – as everything we buy abroad becomes more expensive. But if wages are stuck in the mud and everything we buy abroad costs more, Americans have even fewer dollars to spend. This also spells recession, not inflation.
Finally, the Street worries that if Democrats and Republicans fail to agree to a plan to cut the budget deficit, the credit-worthiness of the United States as a whole will be in jeopardy – causing interest rates to rocket and inflation to explode. Standard & Poors, the erstwhile credit-rating agency, has already sounded the alarm.


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HOLIDAYS - remember those?
Get your bucket lists ready because the tourism campaign encouraging people to holiday at home is ramping up and Port Macquarie-Hastings plans to be among the must-visit destinations in Australia.
Domestic travel restrictions look set to ease after mid-year and to be a key player in what will be a massively competitive race for the local tourism dollar, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council along with Destination NSW and Tourism Australia are already working together on campaigns to fill hotels, motels, campgrounds and stimulate regional business and the economy.
Off the back of global exposure from the summer bushfires and the worldwide interest in koala rehabilitation, Port Macquarie-Hastings' tourism campaign has had one clear message - paradise will wait.
Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said it's unlikely that Australians will be able to travel internationally until mid-late 2021 given COVID-19 uncertainties.
"We see this as good newsfor destinations such as Port Macquarie assuming domestic travel restrictions will lift much earlier," Liesa Davies, council's group manager - economic and cultural development said.
The latest report from Tourism Research Australia shows the aspiration to travel remains strong among Australians, with 43 per cent looking to travel, and the more affluent, educated and socially engaged travellers in the 55-plus age bracket ready to travel as soon as restrictions ease.
"Council has responded to the challenges of the bushfires and COVID-19 by focusing on clear and consistent communication with our local tourism industry," Ms Davies said.
"This includes adapting our messaging to potential visitors, and planning for strategic projects to support the recovery of the tourism industry and assist it in thriving in the future. Helping our local businesses to access support from all levels of government has also been a key priority."
After the bushfires, a raft of attention was focused on the Hastings and its koalas with Tourism Australia support generating more than $2 million worth of exposure through news media. More than 25 stories have been generated in countries including the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, South East Asia and Australia.
"In terms of our tourism marketing, which continues now, our goal is to ensure the Port Macquarie-Hastings region as top of mind with potential visitors, and to inspire them to visit in the future by showcasing all the wonderful things we have on offer," Ms Davies said.
"Once travel resumes, there will be a great deal of competition for the domestic visitor market, so we want to make sure we are known as a great place to visit when it is safe for them and our community to do so.
"In addition to our broader inspiration marketing campaign and supporting the local industry as much as possible, we've had some great success domestically and internationally by partnering with the Koala Hospital and Tourism Australia.
"As we know, Port Macquarie received a lot of media attention during the bushfires, so it's really important that we share the stories of recovery - and these are receiving incredible engagement from our audience, particularly as they relate to our koalas."
The wholesale domestic tourism campaign will also aim to capture the New Zealand travel dollar.
The region is also partnering with Australian Traveller Magazine to sponsor the 'Road Tripping' section in the upcoming Tourism Australia-sponsored '100 Ways to Holiday Here this Year' edition.


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There has been a lot of buzz about the upcoming Nokia D1C circulating on the web lately. Predictions are such that after the successful Nokia 6 launched early this month at the CES 2017, the smartphone pioneer is all prepped up to unveil the most talked about Nokia D1C.
Nokia and HMD jointly haven't officially announced the launch date, nor did they reveal how different it will be from Nokia 6 in terms specs. However, if the innumerable rumors surfacing on the web we have a fair idea on to how the Nokia D1C might look like.
The Nokia smartphone was recently spotted on the AnTuTu benchmark listing, which showed that the device might be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 430 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM. Further talking about the look of the smartphone, rumors suggest a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display along with a 32GB of internal storage capacity, which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.
In terms of the optics, Nokia D1C will sport a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP selfie shooter, pretty much similar to that of the Nokia 6 launched recently. Moving ahead, the smartphone is said to run on Android 7.0 Nougat and may be layered with Nokia's own user interface skin.
Well, about the price and launch of the smartphone, there has been no official statement by Nokia or HMD, however, as per the rumors, the device is expected to make its first public appearance at MWC 2017, at a sub-priced range of $199, which when calculated comes roughly around Rs. 12,894.


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It’s time for Congress to act on USMCA
There aren’t many issues about which Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill agree. And too many of our leaders in Washington would rather grapple with another round of outrage politics and attempt to score partisan points than engage their colleagues on constructive policies for the American people.
But what if there was an issue about which there is bipartisan agreement? And what if acting on that policy would enhance economic mobility and create job growth for all Americans?
That’s the opportunity offered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Democrats and Republicans broadly acknowledge that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which USMCA will replace, is in dire need of revision.
NAFTA was implemented by the U.S. House and Senate and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993. NAFTA went into effect before the explosion of the internet economy, before the revolution in oil and gas production, before anyone had conceived of a smartphone, and led to the integration of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian economies in ways no one could have imagined 26 years ago.
U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada reached nearly $1.4 trillion last year and supports 12 million American jobs in manufacturing, agriculture, technology and the service sector in all 50 states. USMCA takes all this and more into account, and brings our most important trade agreement with our closest neighbors into the 21st Century.
The White House estimates USMCA would add half a percentage point to U.S. economic growth, create several hundred thousand jobs and spark up to $100 billion in new investments.
Mexico ratified USMCA in June, and Canada began its ratification process in May. Yet here in the United States, Congress has taken limited action, and the clock is ticking. The window of opportunity for ratification effectively shuts at the end of this year — less than five months from now.
Whatever minor concerns some members of Congress may have about USMCA, they pale in comparison with the alternatives. One alternative to ratifying USMCA would be to continue our trade relations with Mexico and Canada under NAFTA. Most of us, however, would not choose to drive a car built in 1993, or use a computer or phone with two-decade-old technology. For the same reasons, the U.S. economy should not be harnessed to a trade agreement that innovation and technology have passed by.
A second alternative is even worse. If Congress fails to act, President Donald Trump could withdraw the United States from NAFTA with the required six-months notice. At the end of the official notification period, trade relations with our nation’s largest and second-largest trading partners would revert to pre-1994 terms, with increased tariffs and an increased probability of a trade war in which both American consumers and businesses would suffer.
Unlike NAFTA, USMCA contains enforceable core environmental and labor standards long sought by Democrats. Mexico’s Congress has already passed labor reforms required by the agreement. These provisions in USMCA are more stringent than in any other U.S. trade agreement. Again, the alternatives are the unenforceable side agreements of NAFTA or — in the case of a withdrawal from NAFTA — no environmental or labor provisions whatsoever.
The continuation of the world’s largest free trade agreement is essential in an increasingly competitive global economy. Now is the time for Congress to act in the best interests of the American people. Contact your representative and senators and ask them to set aside petty politics and do something sensible: ratify USMCA, and keep the United States and its neighbors on the path to prosperity.
Dennis E. Nixon is CEO of International Bank of Commerce in Laredo, and chairman of the board of International Bancshares Corporation.


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Gibraltar Industries: 2Q Earnings Snapshot
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) _ Gibraltar Industries Inc. (ROCK) on Friday reported second-quarter net income of $19.9 million.
On a per-share basis, the Buffalo, New York-based company said it had profit of 61 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and restructuring costs, were 73 cents per share.
The building-products company posted revenue of $262.7 million in the period.
Gibraltar Industries expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.40 to $2.55 per share.
Gibraltar Industries shares have risen 12% since the beginning of the year. The stock has risen roughly 8% in the last 12 months.


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There are all kinds of bad actors who target small businesses like HVAC contractors. Sometimes it’s a slick-talking con artist with a can’t-lose investment opportunity that seems too good to be true. Sometimes it’s the employee doing the books — the one who never takes a day off and seems too good to be true.
It’s not a question of if a contractor will encounter a fraudster, but when. Business owners need to be aware of this — to watch for and plan for how to deal with fraud if it happens. And if it happens, it can prove costly. It can also go undetected for long periods of time. Insurance firm Hiscox surveyed CFOs, controllers, and accountants who have worked at a company where embezzlement has occurred. Thirty-nine percent of respondents experienced two or more cases of embezzlement during their careers, showing just how common it is. Seventy percent of these schemes lasted for more than a year.
“Among contractors, I’ve seen everything from theft of equipment and tools, to complex financial schemes involving phony vendors and customers,” said Doug Karpp, Hiscox’s head of executive risks and cyber in the U.S.
At one Ohio HVAC firm, an employee embezzled $1,141,533 over the course of a decade. The former controller fraudulently added income to his weekly pay from May 2008 through September 2017. He was sentenced to two years in state prison for the theft.
NEVER TAKES TIME OFF
Small businesses are especially vulnerable to fraud due to fewer controls. An HVAC contractor likely can dedicate only one employee to handling the books. This provides an opportunity for embezzlement as well as other types of fraud, such as vendor kickbacks.
One would think a fraudster would keep a low profile, but that’s often not the case, said Mason Wilder, research specialist with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). One common sign of fraud is employees living beyond their means. They might have an explanation, such as a recent inheritance, but it should raise concerns. It helps to have insight into employees’ lives. Gambling problems and shopping addictions, for example, are drivers of embezzlement.
Karpp said embezzlers are often extravagant, egotistical risk-takers. They feel they are owed more than they are receiving. At the same time, Karpp describes many embezzlers as intelligent, curious, diligent, and ambitious. Fraudsters aren’t bad employees. Many times, they seem like the best employees, never missing a day of work. That is actually one of the biggest warning signs.
“You might think somebody who never takes a vacation is really committed and a really hard worker,” Wilder said. “But they may not want to leave because they don’t want anybody else to see what they are doing.”
KNOW THE BOOKS
Embezzlers often know the books better than anyone in the office. They know how to time their theft and where to hide the evidence. At one HVAC manufacturer and distributor, a credit and collection supervisor directed customer refunds and third-party payments to her personal accounts and then concealed the transactions as bad debt. This cost the company and its customers more than $100,000.
Click chart to enlarge
ACCOUNTING FOR THE ACCOUNTANTS: The people who handle money are the most likely to steal it.
Wilder recommends contractors require all employees take some time off during the year as a way to prevent fraud. No single person should handle all financial duties, and someone unwilling to share duties should raise suspicions. That said, embezzlers don’t always work alone. In many cases, Karpp said, they work with somebody else — and sometimes, there are multiple parties involved.
This is why business owners must institute a system of checks and balances in order to avoid falling victim to fraud. Karpp said this should include a review of all bank statements and cancelled checks by someone other than the bookkeeper. More than one person should see every transaction. Businesses should perform background checks on all employees (especially those who handle money), as allowed by law.
Click chart to enlarge
HIGH FLYERS: One red flag that could signal fradulent behavior is employees who live beyond their means without a logical explanation.
Having corporate bank statements delivered to an owner at his or her home address can be a good way to spot anomalies before the fraudster covers them up, Karpp said. Wilder said only the owner should sign checks. An automated signature or giving an employee legal authority to sign checks creates opportunities for embezzlement.
Of course, owners themselves embezzle if they use company funds for personal purchases. In these cases, they are stealing from the employees or their partners. Wilder said an annual outside audit is always a wise business policy.
How are occupational frauds in the industry most often detected?
Management review - 20%
Internal audit - 19%
Tip - 19%
By accident - 15%
External audit - 7%
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN: Management review and internal audits are the main ways that fraud is detected.
Not all bad actors that threaten a business are sitting at a nearby desk, of course. Some walk in the door offering high-reward, no-risk investments. In other cases, it’s a vendor that overbills, which is why a business owner always needs to go over every invoice before it gets paid, Wilder said. Then there are business scams, such as one that recently occurred in Georgia.
An HVAC contractor there contacted his local Better Business Bureau (BBB) about an outfit called the National Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Association. Rather than being a legitimate trade group, this was an extortion racket that threatened to disparage the firm online if they didn’t join and pay dues. The BBB reports that NHVAC is really a group called Organization Management Co., headquartered on the Caribbean island of Nevis.
The internet provides plenty of opportunities for fraud. One scam involves a copycat website of a legitimate business, such as an HVAC contractor. The goal is collecting money or data from unsuspecting consumers, said Laura Blankenship, director of marketing for the BBB serving Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Blankenship said it’s important for contractors to maintain an active digital footprint and register with companies such as the BBB, Angie’s List, and HomeAdvisor.
Another online threat comes from direct cyberfraud, such as phishing. These are attempts to either access valuable data or simply steal money via email misrepresentation. Blankenship said her BBB branch received one such email recently informing them that the supervisor, who was actually out of town, ran into an emergency and needed funds. Nobody at Blankenship’s office fell for it, but it does show how much information scam artists can have on a targeted business.
STAY UP TO DATE
There are flat-out cyberattacks that hold a company’s computer system for ransom. Other hackers pillage data. This creates an ever-more-costly problem for victims, because many states now hold companies accountable for the theft of consumer data. Wilder said most hacks can be prevented by keeping software updated. Software providers stop providing security updates at some point, such as Microsoft’s recent announcement that it will no longer provide them for Windows 7, the platform it released in 2009.
Contractors need to keep themselves up to date as well, Blankenship said. They need to pay attention to announcements about scams from sources such as the BBB, the FTC, and even their state attorneys general. She said one source is BBB.org/scamtracker. Contractors can also set up alerts that gather stories from various news sources.
Research specialist Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
What to do if a business becomes a victim or fraud, either internal or external? First, it’s a lot harder for a business to respond to fraud than an individual. It’s much harder to freeze accounts, for example. BBB recommends contacting the bank right away to set up credit monitoring. Wilder said businesses must determine if the fraud is ongoing and take steps such as suspending suspected employees. Then, they should consider hiring a certified fraud investigator.
If there is employee theft, Karpp said the business owner needs to press charges no matter the employee’s level of seniority or any other factors.
“This sends a message to other employees that embezzlement is taken seriously,” Karpp said. “Everyone in a company should understand that if they steal, they’ll be prosecuted.”
Businesses can purchase insurance to cover losses from fraud. Crime and fidelity insurance can include protection against embezzlement, employee theft of property, fraud committed against customers’ accounts, erroneous transfer of funds (accidentally transferring funds to the wrong account), cyberdeception, and theft by independent contractors.
Karpp, whose firm sells this type of insurance, said only a small fraction of embezzled funds are recovered in most cases, and restitution is rarely made. The challenge for contractors comes from dedicating valuable resources to fraud prevention. Insurance costs money, and reviewing the books takes time.
“Small businesses are just hustling and worrying about getting the jobs done that they have on their books and getting more lined up,” Wilder said.
But the costs of not taking these steps can be much, much higher.
See more articles from this issue here!


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Samsung's Gear Live comes with a heart-rate monitor and Android Wear OS. Here's what we know so far.
Moto 36 smartwatch, which sold out in a matter of hours last week, will also be available again, but in limited quantities.
Advance orders began online at 12 a.m. PT on Friday, but the online Apple Store still wasn't back up two hours later. And some other preorder sites had hiccups, including Sprint and T-Mobile.
Indications continue to trickle in for a stellar launch for Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Despite online-store outages and other glitches, more customers have preordered Apple's two newest iPhones than ever before, the company says.
Online store apparently prepping for consumer demand for pair of new handsets, which feature larger screens than their predecessor.
Advanced purchases for the new, bigger-screen smartphones through Apple's digital store will begin at the exact moment around the globe and at the same time as the carriers -- 12 a.m. PT Friday.
Though Apple's new smartphones are set to cost $199 and $299, the big box retailer has put its prices a bit lower.
All other new iPhones will pale in comparison to the Falcon luxury iPhone 6, a gold-plated beast with a massive rock attached to the back.
The cases from accessory maker Spigen are based on early specs for the expected 4.7-inch version of Apple's next iPhone.


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Coffee exports from Uganda, Africa’s second-largest provider of the crop, rose 58 percent last month amid record-high coffee prices worldwide, according to the country’s Coffee Development Authority.
Good yields in the western and southern regions of the country allowed coffee produces to surpass national targets, an unnamed official with the Authority told Bloomberg.
Despite the good June, Uganda’s coffee exports in the 12 months through September may decline to 2.6 million bags, from an earlier forecast of 3.1 million bags. Approximately 2.67 million bags were shipped last season.
More than 95 percent of Uganda’s crop is rain-fed and grown by small farmers, some of whom recently spoke out to CNN about exercising more control over the production of the tons of Robusta beans used there.
For the full story: Bloomberg


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Quentin Hardy from the New York Times writes that, as Big Data takes off, grass-roots hackers coming up with novel ways to free up and use the data.
A Palo Alto, Calif., company called Lex Machina takes data from patent litigation outcomes and predicts whether or not you should settle, based also on things like the type of intellectual property, the judge and the court hearing the case. “An ethically provocative” product, is how Alistair Croll, Strata’s co-chair, described it. “I’m waiting for a derivatives market in patent litigation.”
As we consumers are already starting to help feed the Big Data beast with in-home devices, one has to wonder how will be compensated in the future. Read the Full Story.