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Cape Town business owner Bongani Bizo was inspired to venture into business after reading stories published in Small Business Connect.
Bizo, founder of public relations company Colourcode Communications, says his plan is to help publicise procurement opportunities among emerging businesses.
Currently he assists less experienced business owners and unemployed university graduates with industry-related information and also employs skilled young people to help grow his business.
Having worked as a key event organisers for the City of Cape Town at the 2010 World Cup, he started reading Small Business Connect a few months ago.
Bizo and his three business partners use the newspaper to obtain information on the various private and government business support programmes.
“Small Business Connect has managed to improve a vision of starting a business network involving new and old small businesses where we share experiences and information to help each other grow.” says Bizo.
He says he registered his business in 2011 after resigning from his position as an events manager at the City of Cape Town the previous year.
After successfully applying for tenders, Bizo says he noticed that only a few black-owned businesses were listed on local procurement databases.
He says the newspaper has since helped him to raise awareness on opportunities and advice available to local businesses.
“I believe information is a major catalyst for growth in business, apart from any other influential aspect of business.”


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A new shop has opened its doors in a Galway village this week in a major business boost for the area.
New pet salon 'Pink Paws' has popped up at An Triantán, Bóthar An Chóiste in Castlegar to the delight of locals in the village.
A picture shows the shop open for business this week with a brightly-painted frontage.
The salon has taken up the vacant unit in the area as it is surrounded by businesses such as a Centra branch as well as three takeaway restaurants.
Elsewhere in the past week, Petmania has announced an exciting move to a state-of-the-art facility that will now offer heir customers a more expanded offering including availing of key advice from pet experts.
Not only will Petmania be in the new store but they will be joined by their charity partners, Galway Cat Rescue, when the new location launches on Saturday December 9th from 13-3pm.
The new store is just 200 metres from their previous outlet, located in Well Park retail park and includes a new, state-of-the-art grooming studio, dedicated interactive customer hubs and specially curated and merchandised areas.
Every part of the new store has been designed to give customers the best possible experience that will not only improve treatments for pets but will also improve the relationship between business and customer.
We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video from around Galway city and county. For the latest news and breaking news visit https://www.galwaybeo.ie/.
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No one disputes that digital ad fraud exists. The ecosystem is under constant and evolving threat from non-human traffic in the form of bots. Nor does anyone dispute the existence of non-viewable advertising impressions. Many ads appear in areas of sites that cannot be seen — in part or whole — by their intended viewer. The Association of National Advertisers has determined that this an issue of extreme importance to its members.
Forrester, in a report published on March 30, defines the issue in aggregate as invalid impressions and places a “nominal dollar wastage” in 2016 of $7.4 billion. This relates “only” to desktop and laptop internet usage and only to the United States.
Because this number has caused considerable alarm for advertisers, we believe it necessary to provide some validation, for those advertisers that invest in tools to protect themselves and especially for those that do not.
The key word in the descriptor is “nominal.” “Nominal” refers to the aggregated value of all invalid impressions, assuming that advertisers paid the same market average price for them as they paid for valid impressions.
In its report, Forrester recognized that “real economic wastage” — the actual money — may be less than the nominal dollar wastage.
To add some context we have attempted to triangulate this data with other sources. $7.4 billion compares to $39 billion of U.S. desktop and laptop ad expenditure that the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers reported for 2015, the most recent full year report. It can be inferred from the same PwC data that search constitutes 50% of that $39 billion. The Forrester report does not address search.
If we add the $7.4 billion nominal dollar wasteage to the $20 billion non-search PwC figure we get to a total of $27.4 billion. We accept that we are adding a 2016 estimate to a 2015 actual for the purposes of the exercise. But this suggests that 27% of the traffic is invalid, a significantly lower figure than Forrester calculates.
Equally hard and more important to reconcile, something Forrester did not attempt, is the relationship between nominal dollar wastage and real economic wastage. The real waste is of course the figure that counts.
Advertisers that deploy tools that allow them to pay only on a human viewability standard of their choice suffer zero economic loss: There is no premium incurred for paying for something when the alternative is paying for nothing. It should be noted that viewability is by far the biggest component of invalid impressions and the easiest to detect.
Advertisers that deploy fraud detection software and don’t pay for non-human traffic suffer losses only to the extent that fraud detection is improving but never perfect. It’s worth noting that the MethBot incident identified by White Ops as a $3 million-to-$5 million-per-day fraud was re-evaluated by the Trustworthy Accountability Group at $250,000 to $500,000 per day.
Publishers that serve non-viewable ads or serve ads to bots suffer zero direct loss as they did not create an opportunity for consumers to see the ad, nor did a bot deprive them of a human visitor.
Let’s add another layer of context. Forrester estimates invalid impressions for mobile advertising at 1%. When the PwC/IAB report card for 2016 is in, it’s likely that the total market value will be close to $70 billion. Half the total will be mobile and half of the total will be search. If all advertisers protect themselves, it is highly likely that the real economic wastage will be well below 2% for ALL digital advertising, giving a total real cost to advertisers of around $1 billion. It may even be much less.
Whatever the actual number is, it’s nowhere near $7 billion — and that alters the narrative.
$1 billion is a lot of money so there’s no room for complacency in respect of real economic wastage, but there is room for context. Recently the market in digital advertising inventory has been described in the most unflattering terms. Vigilance must continue but it’s time to move the focus of the debate away from nominal economic value and to the important issues of inventory quality, user attention, effectiveness, and the creation of business value. It’s just as important to ensure that all protection tools are activated and that similar vigilance is conducted in markets outside the U.S. where viewability measurement may be less widely deployed and counter fraud measures less effective.
This article first appeared in www.adage.com
Seeking to build and grow your brand using the force of consumer insight, strategic foresight, creative disruption and technology prowess? Talk to us at +9714 3867728 or mail: firstname.lastname@example.org or visit www.groupisd.com


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Vole said on Thursday it had trimmed its workforce across geographies and teams as it entered a new fiscal year from July 1.
It has not said which roles had been eliminated, their numbers or their locations. But the dark satanic rumour mill suggests that more than 1,000 jobs across its business have gone.
The company cut roles at its online news portal MSN.com, as it shifted to an AI-powered algorithmic feed, according to the report, which added that jobs were also cut in the Microsoft Azure cloud division.
Late last month, Microsoft said it would close its retail stores and take a related pre-tax asset impairment charge of $450 million amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The spokesman said it is common for the company to re-evaluate its business as it enters a new fiscal year.
In 2017, the company cut thousands of jobs around the same time as it underwent a reorganisation that impacted its sales and marketing teams.
It is not as if Microsoft is short of cash. Late in April, Microsoft’s third-quarter results beat Wall Street sales and profit expectations, powered by sharp demand for its Teams chat and online meeting app and Xbox gaming services as the world shifted to working from home because of the pandemic.
The company’s revenue rose 15 percent to $35.02 billion in the third quarter while net income rose to $10.75 billion.


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Chances are good that you have heard about the uses of CBD, or cannabidiol. However, you might be a little bit skeptical. After all, this is a supplement, not a medication, which means that, like all other natural supplements, it’s not regulated by the FDA. So, is there any actual research out there about the benefits of CBD and its uses? Actually, there is a mountain of research and substantial evidence of its benefits.
What Harvard Has to Say
When it comes to research, few sources rival the Harvard Medical School. Back in 2018, the school posted a guidethat spoke directly about the research on and evidence of CBD’s benefits, including showing its effectiveness for addressing conditions like anxiety, stress, PTSD, depression, and even insomnia. Interestingly, CBD is also useful in treating some of the most debilitating types of epilepsy.
The VA Is Conducting a Study
The Veterans Administration (VA) is currently conducting its own in-depth studyon the effectiveness and uses of CBD. This study is specific to PTSD patients and involves 136 people in a double-blind study. It will “compare veterans who receive prolonged exposure therapy plus CBD to veterans who receive prolonged exposure therapy and a placebo.” The working hypothesis is that the CBD group will experience better symptom reduction than those receiving the placebo. The study began in 2019 but will not conclude until 2023.
Interestingly, this won’t be the first study on the effects of CBD on PTSD. Another study was conducted beginning in 2016 on the effects of CBD on pediatric anxiety and PTSD. The subject, a 10-year-old girl, struggled with pharmaceuticals that did not alleviate her symptoms, but a trial of CBD oil proved very effective.
Additional Studies and Research
CBD is seeing increasing research in clinical settings. Multiple studies have been conducted over its use as an antidepressant, for instance. There is even emerging evidence that it may have neuroprotective properties, meaning that it could protect against conditions like multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
While research into CBD is ongoing, the results are becoming increasingly clear – this is one all-natural supplement that may have powerful benefits for your entire body.


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Prior to this role, he was the country manager, Dyson Austria GmbH.
In a significant move, the Singapore-based multinational technology company Dyson has announced the promotion of Nikhil Rastogi as the new managing director for Dyson Benelux.
With over two decades of experience in the industry, Rastogi's journey began at Maruti Udyog, where he held the position of deputy manager - new initiatives. He then transitioned to Marico, taking on the role of brand manager - hair care, before joining Dabur India as senior brand manager - hair care, where he successfully led the brand management for brand Vatika.
His career took an international turn when he moved to HSBC Hong Kong, where he held the prestigious positions of Segment Marketing Head and Vice President for the Personal Banking Segment, RBWM India, for an impressive seven-year tenure.
Following that, Rastogi joined Citi in 2014, serving in various capacities until 2018, culminating in his role as director - chief marketing officer (CMO) and digital business head.
Notably, Rastogi also made a significant contribution to the world of e-commerce during his time at Amazon, where he served as the marketing head for Amazon Prime India.


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Salesforce said clients can now use their CRM data to buy display ads across devices, signaling lofty ambitions in a category it hasn't yet conquered -- ad-tech.
The marketing tech giant will announce its "Next Gen Marketing Cloud" Wednesday morning as part of an ongoing strategy to provide clients with a more integrated offering across its previously disparate sales, customer service and marketing businesses.
The most drastic change, which is the ad-targeting capability, will enable marketers to grab their CRM data from Salesforce. They can then use that data to inform ad buys. That data may include customer purchases, behavior and other information from the customer journey.
The Salesforce update will also include more integration between the company's separate businesses. Now customers with separate service and marketing accounts can see the same customer profile from both in one place, use that data to manage communication efforts across channels, and serve ads across websites and devices using the new ad-targeting platform, explained Scott McCorkle, CEO of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Previously, the marketing, sales and services clouds and capabilities weren't so aligned, and the company had only dabbled in media buying on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. To power the updated ad-buying platform, Salesforce is also teaming up with data analytics, measurement and ad-tech companies, including Acxiom's Liveramp, Neustar and Viant.
"The ad- and marketing-tech worlds used to be so separate, but they're really coming together based on customer identity, and we're able to know who someone is through email or website [behavior]," Mr. McCorkle said. "We see marketers thinking about customers across all lifestyles. And marketers focusing on what service interactions look like have coordination with the sales team. Our customers can orchestrate ad placements and buys based on the context of a customer journey."
For example, if a Salesforce service-cloud client sees that its customer tweets a complaint, the client, through the marketing cloud, can automatically adjust advertising targeting that client until the issue is resolved. An email marketer can also use customer information from its contact database to serve ads across devices with the goal of driving more email conversions.
Salesforce's new ad-buying component, which is informed by its clients' real customer data, moves away from relying on cookie data to inform display-ad targeting.
That means marketing tech giants like Salesforce could join the ranks of companies like Facebook and Google, which serve ads based largely on what they know about their massive user-base. The competition could get heated if Facebook and Google, which also help clients buy ads outside of their own platforms, offer brands the ability to use their CRM data to support those ad buys.


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Westlife Foodworld Debut on NSE
Westlife Foodworld Ltd., the renowned food services company responsible for the operation of McDonald’s restaurants in West and South India, has officially made its debut on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) with the ticker symbol Westlife. Previously limited to trading permissions, the company’s listing on both the NSE and BSE will enhance accessibility for a wider range of shareholders, according to a statement released on Monday.
Westlife Foodworld’s primary focus lies in establishing and managing quick-service restaurants across India through its subsidiary, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. (HRPL). HRPL holds the McDonald’s franchise rights for operating and owning restaurants in the Western and Southern regions of India, currently overseeing 357 McDonald’s outlets situated across 56 cities.
The inclusion of Westlife Foodworld on a prominent stock exchange like the NSE is expected to significantly raise the company’s visibility and that of its shares. This development ensures a heightened level of regulatory compliance across both exchanges and simplifies the trading process for potential investors, as emphasized by the company.
Chairperson of Westlife Foodworld Ltd., Amit Jatia, expressed his enthusiasm about the listing, considering it a significant milestone for the company. Jatia stated, “We are thrilled to announce our company’s listing on the National Stock Exchange, representing a crucial step in our journey. We firmly believe that this announcement will unlock opportunities for more investors to participate in our growth trajectory. Our commitment remains steadfast in delivering value to all stakeholders, including our esteemed customers, dedicated employees, loyal shareholders, and the communities we serve.”
Furthermore, Westlife Foodworld recently revealed its ambitious Vision 2027 plan, aimed at expanding the presence of the McDonald’s burger chain in Western and Southern India.
About Westlife Foodworld:
Westlife Foodworld Limited, an Indian fast food restaurant holding company, operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. This subsidiary holds the exclusive master franchise for McDonald’s in the Western and Southern regions of India.
For more of the Latest News, Click Here


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The “100,000 charging stations target” the government’s response to boost electric vehicles
In the midst of the health and economic crisis, the DBT Group, a leader in electric vehicle charging station, has announced that they will be in a position to achieve revenues of 30 million euros by 2025. This objective is directly linked to the decision of the French Ministry of Transport and the Ecological Transition of October 12, 2020, to install 100,000 charging stations in France by the end of 2021. This announcement highlights the dynamism of the electric vehicle charging station sector despite the current economic trend.
“The 100,000 charging stations target” is the boost for electric recharging points in France,” which as been announced by the Minister of Energy Transition and the Minister of Transport in the company of players in the automotive, highway, energy and mass retail sectors last October. To meet the growing demand for electric vehicles, the government is committed to helping manufacturers deploy charging infrastructures for electric vehicles in the country.
Companies wishing to install charging stations will be able to receive up to €9,000 in subsidies through the ADVENIR program created in 2016 to encourage the installation of private or public charging points.
Funding for the renovation and improvement of charging stations already installed is also planned to make them interoperable, in particular to make them easier to use for electric vehicle drivers.
The gouvernement is also planning a €100M envelope to speed up the installation of fast charging points at all highway parking areas by the end of 2021.
From the point of view of private individuals, several measures encouraging the purchase of electric cars have been added to those already in place:
- bonus for the acquisition of second-hand vehicles ;
- restriction of the number of cars eligible for the conversion bonus ;
- introduction of state-guaranteed micro-credits.
With 32,000 charging stations currently in place in France, the government aims to further motivate companies and private individuals to invest in electric vehicle charging stations and thus accelerate the energy transition.
It is therefore a new challenge and an extraordinary opportunity for manufacturers to conquer the charging infrastructure sector, which is currently booming.
Clairitec®, a player for 20 years in industrial graphic displays
Clairitec®, through its 20 years of experience in industrial graphic display, supports many manufacturers of charging stations. Thanks to Clairitec®’s intelligent outdoor displays, charging station screens are protected against vandalism, operate under the rain and are equipped with an anti-UV filter.
With the associated HMI solution, Clairitec® offers manufacturers in the energy distribution sector an interface adapted to all their outdoor applications.


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American Airlines wants to be like Spirit Airlines with a component for low-budget fares, which Delta Air Lines already introduced this year through its tiered pricing system that includes a Basic Economy fare, which JetBlue emulated with branded fares, which Southwest has basically been doing for decades.
Welcome to the wonderful new world that American wants to create, where the major airlines compete with the low cost carriers (LCCs).
So how do customers sort out fares when airlines are making it more and more complicated? This has been the conundrum in the industry. The airlines, which only now are becoming more transparent with ancillary fees at purchase points such as their websites, are trying more and more to lure customers to their own ticket-selling channels - witness Lufthansa's controversial charge of 16 euros if tickets are booked through a third party such as a travel agent or online travel agent.
According to a new survey conducted by CarTrawler.com and IdeaWorksCompany, Global Distribution Systems have been trying to catch up and only recently are making limited progress on creating parity between what is sold on airline websites and GDS screens.
The survey also noted that travelers don't always seek the lowest fare. A surprising number willingly pay a premium for more comfort and convenience. JetBlue implemented a branded fare strategy this year and expects it to produce annual revenue gains of $200 million. Management knows a significant number of JetBlue passengers choose the carrier's Blue Plus or Blue Flex fares in lieu of the lowest priced Blue fare, and many will pick the Blue Plus fare simply because it's in between - or the average fare, plus fees and amenities - between the highest and lowest priced.
Yet, interestingly enough, American's logic for creating a price structure similar to Spirit in competing markets is to target the infrequent flier. American Airlines president Scott Kirby said that half of his company's revenues come from the 87 percent of American passengers who fly just once a year.
Their purchases are based solely on price.
"We have to compete for them," Kirby said. "We can't just walk away from that size of the business."
He said that also extends to international flights against low-budget carriers like Volaris in Mexico and Ryanair in Europe. In fact, while many analysts and pundits have made a big deal out of American's announcement during its earnings call that it wants to compete with Spirit, the carrier might actually be late to the game.
As mentioned, Delta and JetBlue have already inaugurated low fare structures. United and Volaris have utilized yearly subscription plans to engage customers. United has done so with annual subscriptions for checked bags, Economy Plus seating and airport lounge access. Volaris has done so with overall memberships for $49, which gives customers first crack at the best fares and seats.
But will this all affect the bottom line? Based on early returns, it doesn't appear so. Delta's third quarter earnings were $2.2 billion in pre-tax profit, up 33 percent year over year. It increased paid first class load factor by 8 points to 56 percent and expanded its Basic Economy product to over 450 markets.
JetBlue reported net income of $198 million in the third quarter, or 58 cents per share, up from $79 million, or 24 cents per share, compared to last year's third quarter.
Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has...
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Skoda Auto Volkswagen India exports over 25,000 cars in current year
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India on Wednesday said it has exported over 25,000 cars in the current year so far and achieved the milestone of shipping out 5,00,00th domestically produced car, despite the challenging demand scenario globally.
The 5,00,000th milestone car is a left hand-drive Vento sedan, which is part of a batch of 982 cars being shipped out to Mexico from Mumbai port, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Ltd (SAVWIPL) said in a release.
The European car major started exports of its vehicles from India in 2010 with 65 units of the India-built Volkswagen Vento for the South Africa market.
Since then,the company has continued to grow incrementally to build the 'Made in India' presence to 61 countries across South America, Central America, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the GCC countries and to the Caribbean region, said the release.
Also check these Cars
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has exported over 25,000 cars in the current year, marking a consistent export performance in spite of the challenging demand scenario around the world, the company said.
"Exports are an integral part of our strategy and achieving five lakh units is a significant milestone for the company. Cars produced at the ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen manufacturing sites exemplify the high-quality standards we pursue globally and in India," said Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Managing Director Gurpratap Boparai.
He added that the achievement gains more significance "as we continue to export vehicles despite the current challenges in the industry on account of Covid-19 disruptions".
Over the next years, the company will produce cars based on the new MBQ A0 IN platform with a high degree of localisation and will continue to explore export markets for the India 2.0 products, he said.
The India 2.0 project, which entails an investment of ₹8,000 crore, is aimed at strengthening presence in the domestic market with India-specific car models through a dedicated platform.
The four new products developed for the Indian market for Skoda Auto and Volkswagen consisting of SUVs and Notchbacks will be evaluated for exports to similar markets requiring robust built and efficient cars, it said.
According to the company, the future range of products, starting from next year, is expected to have as much as up to 95 per cent local contents.


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LONDON (Reuters) – The United States has pushed past Germany and France as the most common trading partner for British businesses, and looks set to keep this position after Britain leaves the European Union, according to an annual survey by HSBC.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. and British flags stretch along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in central London in advance of U.S. President Donald Trump State visit to Britain, London, Britain June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
The proportion of British businesses naming Germany or France as one of their top three export destinations has almost halved over the past year, a period of political and economic uncertainty when Brexit was delayed three times.
“Although the future of Brexit remains unclear, we are seeing that businesses are thinking beyond traditional markets in the EU,” Ian Tandy, head of global trade finance at HSBC UK, said on Tuesday.
Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s latest Brexit deal – which he hopes to get through parliament if he wins an early election on Dec. 12 – British exporters will almost certainly face greater barriers to sales in Europe than at present.
However, Johnson and other Brexit supporters hope that being outside the EU will make it easier to strike trade deals with the United States and other economies.
In the HSBC figures, 24% of British businesses named the United States as one of their top three trading partners, down from 29% in 2018.
But there was a much sharper fall for Germany and France, dropping by almost half to 16% and 15%, losing their first and joint-second spots respectively.
Overall, the survey of more than 1,000 British-based businesses presents a brighter picture for exports than a number of other recent studies of business sentiment, which have shown Brexit and the U.S.-China trade conflict badly hurting morale.
Some 86% of British businesses surveyed for HSBC in August and September said they were positive about the outlook for trade, up from 74% in 2018.
“This is surprising, and a testament to the resilience of the business community,” Tandy said.
The European Union as a whole is by far the largest market for British exports of goods and services, accounting for 291 billion pounds of overseas sales in 2018, according to official data, while the United States was the biggest single country, receiving 121 billion pounds of exports.
Germany, the Netherlands, France and Ireland followed in the official rankings.
In terms of where firms see scope for export growth, the United States remained in the top spot, named by 22% of firms, followed by France, Canada and Germany.
Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by William Schomberg


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This and previous notes can be found at Substack ( Asian Market Sense )
Check out ERI-C.com for interesting research and trading analysis
Asia expect a cautious open
Australia Futures -14pts with sentiment weak as Perth goes into lockdown following Sydney and Darwin; Govt under pressure over vaccination roll out. Oil names weak ahead of OPEC+ meeting. Tech +VE likely to be good for Afterpay and Altium along with Gold names. Woolies downgraded by GS -VE
Japan Nikkei futures -42pts and dropping after employment data and pre market retail sales data still to come andkey to the market direction. Tech still likely to be +VE following the US.
S Korea Expect markets to open flat Futures -0.85pt; focus on Tech names expected to be +VE following the US.
Taiwan Expect market to open higher with Tech back in focus following the US moves and adding to the gains seen Monday drivers from old economy leaders Shipping & Steel. Sentiment +VE ahead of the resumption of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) mechanism tomorrow.
China Market to open flat with muted ahead of July 1 celebrations.
HK ADR’s +93pts @ 29,361 with weakness in Chinese Financials sentiment cautious ahead of July 1 holiday.
Opened Dow and S&P flat, NDX -0.1%
DOW -0.44%, NDX +0.98%, S&P +0.23%, Russel 2K -0.52%
Dow trended lower from the open but ticked higher into the close but transport and reflation trades waning. But upside muted as the Delta+ covid variant worries some, although others suggests it means an improved outlook for work from home and interest rates being kept low.
S&P traded sideways around flat until lunch climbed higher to a new high.
NDX opened higher and trended sideways to lunch but then traded higher after Faceboook won its anti-trust lawsuit.
Banks some strong after market as they anounced buyback & dividend schemes etc. Morgan Stanley lead -0.8% (after hours +2.6%), JPMorgan Chase to continue existing +0.2% (after hours -0.3%), Citigroup flat (after hours rallied but closed -0.8%) Wells Fargo -1.3% (after hours +0.4%), Amex -2.8%
Work from home names: Facebook +4.2%, Apple +1.3%, Amazon +1.3%, Netflix +1.1%, Disney -1%, Zoom Video +4.4%, Alphabet flat and Microsoft +1.4%,
Tech NXP Semi +1%, Nvidia +5%, Micron +1.7%, AMD +1.7%, Skyworks +2.2%
Re-opening stocks Boeing -3.4%, Caterpillar flat off initial lows, Simon Property -0.7%, Kohl’s -4%, Nordstrom -1.6%, Gap -3.9%, United Airlines -2.7%, Carnival -7%, Wynn Resorts -2.7%, Chevron -3.1%, Exxon Mobil -2.5%,
Lock down names Campbell Soup +0.2% General Mills +1.5%, JM Smucker +1.1%
Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index Jun 31.1 vs 34.9 May (F/cast was 31)
USD was slightly stronger vs Yen & Euro. Bitcoin +5.8% @ 34,718.80, VIX +0.9% @ 15.76, US T10 @ 1.482% easing back below 1.5%
OIL Brent -0.9%, WTI -1% a little bit of caution ahead of OPEC+ meeting.
Gold unch, Silver +0.1%, Copper % Platinum -1.4%, Palladium +1.6%.
Redbook, Case-Shiller Home Price, House Price Index, Consumer Confidence, NY Fed Treasuries TIPS Purchases, API Crude Oil Stock Change.
DAX -0.34%, CAC -0.98%, FTSE -0.88%
Opened mixed; FTSE drifted lower as UK announced the biggest increase in ne covid cases since end of January. DAX saw an initial uptick in the open then trading sideways around flat. CAC trended lower recovered to flat and then sold down into the close
Concerns over the Covid Delta+ variant and Portugal imposing quarantine on unvaccinated travellers which hit travel/leisure stocks and the weak China data out Sunday was another overhang.
Burberry -8.5% as CEO resigns to join Ferragamo. Daimler -2.3% to spin off truck unit. NN Group -0.4% on Sunday said that it had offered to acquire some of MetLife’s businesses in Europe, though the size of the offer and the specific businesses targeted remain
German Import Prices May +1.7% MoM vs +1.4% Apr (F/cast was +1.2%)
German Import Prices May +11.8% YoY vs +10.3% Apr (F/cast was 11.1%)
EurozoneConsumer Confidence, Sentiment (Economic, Industrial and Services), Consumer Inflation Expectations
Germany Inflation Rate
France Unemployment Rate, Consumer Confidence
UK Nationwide Housing Prices, Car Production, Mortgage Approvals, Mortgage Lending, BoE Consumer Credit, Net Lending to Individuals
Nikkei futures -42pts and dropping after employment data and pre market retail sales data still to come andkey to the market direction. Tech still likely to be +VE following the US.
Yen currently 110.61
Data due pre market
Unemployment May +3% vs +2.8% Apr (F/cast was +2.8%)
Jobs/Applications Ratio May 1.09 vs 1.09 Apr (F/cast was 1.09)
Due pre market
Retail Sales May (Apr was +12% YoY F/cast is +8%)
Retail Sales May (Apr was -4.5% MoM F/cast is +1.9%)
Tokyo reported 317 new covid cases (-69 DoD), Nationwide total was 1,002.
Bank of Japan policymakers hoped that accelerating coronavirus vaccinations would prop up the economy, but saw any inflationary pressures as subdued given the fragile recovery, a summary of their debate at a June 17-18 meeting released on Monday showed. Slight -VE
Deputy defense minister on Monday warned of the growing threat posed by Chinese and Russian collaboration and said it was necessary to “wake up” to Beijing’s pressure on Taiwan and protect the island “as a democratic country.” Questions the 1970’s ‘one China’ policy. This will upset China.
Honda will build its own electric vehicles. General Motors will build Honda's first two fully electric vehicles for North America, the it plans to manufacture its own later this decade. It says they're developing their own EV architecture, and after two GM-made EVs go on sale in 2024, Honda will start building its own. +VE
Softbank Group Corp is slashing jobs at its global robotics business and has stopped producing its Pepper robot, according to sources and documents reviewed by Reuters, as the conglomerate downgrades its industry ambitions. Production of the humanoid Pepper, touted as the first robot with “a heart,” was stopped last year, three sources familiar with the matter and the documents said. Slight -VE
Expect markets to open flat Futures -0.85pt; focus on Tech names expected to be +VE following the US.
No data due
KDCA reported 267 new covid cases on Monday (incl 73 Delta covid cases) 71 cases were imported.
The National Intelligence Service is conducting a review of cyber terrorism preparedness on the country’s energy infrastructures including electricity, gas and water supply networks, the agency announced Monday. +VE long term
Posco Engineering & Construction will start pre-sales of its premium The Sharp brand apartments in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, in July, the company said Monday. +VE
Samsung Electronics Co. paid a total of 11.1 trillion won ($9.8 billion) in taxes and dues last year, up 14.4 percent from a year ago, its report showed Monday, with the majority going to its homeland. +VE
A controlling stake in SsangYong Motor has officially been put up for auction as the financially ailing company undergoes court receivership, the sale’s lead manager said Monday. -VE
KakaoBank, the country’s second internet-only lender, said on Monday that it would raise up to 2.5 trillion won ($2.2 million) in its initial public offering. It will offer a total of 65.45 million new shares at an indicative range between 33,000 won and 39,000 won per share through its upcoming debut on August 5, the IPO application filed with the Korea Exchange showed.
Expect market to open higher with Tech back in focus following the US moves and adding to the gains seen Monday drivers from old economy leaders Shipping & Steel. Sentiment +VE ahead of the resumption of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) mechanism tomorrow.
No data due.
Consumer confidence this month has slipped to an 11-month low as people expressed less interest in purchasing durable goods amid a lingering COVID-19 outbreak and movement restrictions, although optimism about stock investments increased, a survey released yesterday by National Central University found. -VE Retail
CECC announced covid cases dropped to 60, a one month low.
It also announced Govt tightening up arrival and testing procedures +VE
After market 4.7 earthquake hit Hualin.
Taiwan Mobile has accumulated more than 800,000 5G subscribers in the first year of its 5G launch, representing a penetration rate of 14 percent, the company said yesterday. Subscriptions to its 5G services increased faster than it had expected, the company said, pushing up its penetration rate higher than local peers’, even though it had acquired less of the 5G spectrum than major rivals. +VE
Expect market to open higher following the US but upside limited as concerns over debt/credit issues.
No data due
US House passes Science Foundation Bill -VE for sentiment towards China.
Australia has filed a formal complaint to the World Trade Organization over China's duties on bottled wine imports, the WTO confirmed on Monday.
PBoC says economy showing more stability it says it will step up its coordination with global economic policies and prevent “external shocks,” the committee concluded in its quarterly meeting, according to a statement released Monday. The committee reiterated that China’s prudent monetary policy will be targeted and reasonable, and the central bank will keep liquidity reasonably ample.
Chinese retailers cut back sharply on borrowing in the second quarter as revenue and profit growth slowed, China Beige Book International said in its latest quarterly report. Fewer retailers accessed credit than at any time in the history of its survey, according to CBBI, a provider of independent economic data. Previous surveys highlighted high rejection rates for retailers amid a weak recovery in consumer spending. -VE
ADR’s ADR’s +93pts @ 29,361 with weakness in Chinese Financials sentiment cautious ahead of July 1 holiday.
No data due but after market Monday
Balance of Trade May HK$-25.5B vs -31.8B Apr (F/cast was -33B)
Exports May +24% YoY vs 24.4% Apr
Imports May +26.5% YoY vs 25.2% Apr
Short Selling Monday 16.0% vs 16.5% Friday
Top Shorts CLP(2) 45%, Hengan (1044) 39%, Bud APAC (1876) 38%, Petrochina (857) 37%, Ping An (2318) 35%, Country Garden (2007) 34%, Longfor (960) 33%, AAC Tech (2018) 33%, Anta (2020) 29%, Sunny Optical (2382) 28%, MTRC (66) 27%, Galaxy (27) 27%, WH Group (288) 26%, Bank Comm (3328) 25%, Meituan (3690) 25%
National Security Law
Police have arrested a 37-year-old man for putting a "Liberate Hong Kong" sticker outside his own Shau Kei Wan flat.
They arrested him for committing an act with seditious intention, after receiving a report that he put up the stickers in violation of national security law on the metal gate of his flat in Yiu Tung Estate.
RTHK has kicked media veteran Allan Au Ka-lun out of its current affairs radio program Open Line Open View for which he served as a host for 11 years. Besides hosting, Au is also a commentator known for his pro-democracy views as well as a professional consultant at Chinese University's journalism school. He was previously a producer, editor and news host at TVB.
Government to ban flights from UK from Thursday -VE Cathay Pac. CHINA GAS HOLD (00384.HK) announced annual result ended March 2021. The net profit amounted to HK$10.479 billion, up 14% yearly. EPS was HK$2.01. A final dividend of HK45 cents per share was declared. Together with the interim dividend of HK10 cents per share, the total dividend amounts to HK55 cents per share.
L'OCCITANE (00973.HK) announced annual result for the year ended 31 March 2021. The Group delivered its highest ever net profit of EUR155 million, up 32.9% yearly. EPS was EUR0.105.
The Board proposes a final dividend of EUR0.03687 per share, equivalent to a payout ratio of 35%. It has initiated the global store consolidation plan and been negotiating with landlords on the rent since last year, said Vice-Chairman Andre Hoffmann at the press conference. At the moment, the group is maintaining its store size in Hong Kong. Seeing economic revitalization in Hong Kong, Hoffmann envisioned growth potential in L'OCCITANE's sales volume going ahead. However, it would be hard to tell the exact timing as recovery takes time.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) (00388.HK) announced that it is pleased to welcome the first group of participants to join its pilot programme for HKEX Synapse (Synapse), HKEX’s new Stock Connect settlement acceleration platform. The programme will help to further enhance HKEX Synapse’s design and features, ahead of its launch, targeted for 2022. In November 2020, HKEX announced its plans to launch Synapse, which uses DAML smart contracts to help institutional investors participating in Northbound Stock Connect to better manage their post-trade operations, in particular to meet the tight settlement cycle of the Mainland China’s securities market.
Huawei reiterated that the company has no intention to become a shareholder or investor of any automobile companies and that such decision is made after careful consideration. Huawei stressed that automobile manufacture differs greatly from that of mobile phones and the company is not equipped with the ability to produce vehicles at the moment.


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An Open message to Parliament.
Why are they regulating natural health products?
How will the therapeutic products Bill affect us?
What does the public want?
The public are aware that research findings on diet, nutrition, and lifestyle indicate that there are proven health benefits.
Over 50% of the public use natural health products and alternative approaches to health care.
The public realise there are many traditional sources of information about what products can be used safely.
If an individual suffers from a chronic or serious illness, or simply wants to maintain health, they need to retain their options to research and choose the most effective treatment for them.
The new bill will regulate all natural health products that claim to benefit health.
This is an enabling bill. As a result, the government will appoint a regulator who will then decide for you what products can be sold and what health claims can be made.
Well, what will the regulator decide?
In 2016, the Ministry of Health published a draft list of 5500 approved and all restricted ingredients. Most likely, the decisions of the new regulator, when appointed, will be based on this list.
Let’s answer the public’s first question.
Are all these ingredients safe?
The 2016 Ministry of Health permitted list included 3000 synthetic and chemical additives.
A closer look shows that the permitted list includes many additives which are suspected of causing illness and cancer. Including:
- FD&C red No. 2
- Amaranth, No. 3
- Erythrosine No. 4
All are banned in the USA by the FDA.
A 2007 study in the UK found a possible link between six food dyes, a preservative and hyperactivity in children. All these compounds are likely to be permitted by the bill.
Thousands of artificial fragrances and flavours have been approved, even though they have not been tested properly.
Here’s an example of a pre-approved synthetic product. This cheap popular drink is available in New Zealand supermarkets. All of its ingredients have already been approved by the Ministry of Health.


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Farmers see it as a nuisance to be cleared from their land. Construction workers use it to prop up buildings under construction.
But Kwabena Danso thinks bamboo is worth more than that.
His company, Booomers International, has been making bicycle frames out of bamboo, sending them from the Ashanti Region village of Apaah to Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and elsewhere.
Bamboo "has so many opportunities for the country. Like, as we want to go into other products, it’s a great opportunity for us revise and then get the people to know that there’s great advantage to bamboo," Danso says.
Danso says he hires young men from nearby villages and puts them to work, sanding, gluing and binding his bamboo frames.
His company churns out about 50 of the frames per month, using locally produced bamboo for the frames and cassava flour mixed with epoxy as one of the glues.
Bicycle frames are commonly made out of carbon fiber, steel or aluminum.
Besides being a successful social enterprise, Danso says Booomers also serves as a source of livelihood for young men like foreman Abdul Razak.
Without this job, Razak says he would still be living at home with his parents.
"If there is this company it is not there, I don’t know where I’d be by now," Razak says.
Danso has sold only a few of his frames within Ghana.
One of his customers, Walter Kudzodzi, purchased a bike earlier this year. Kudzodzi says his solid-wood frame rarely escapes notice when he goes for rides around his neighborhood.
"For example, on Saturday, I rode about five kilometers around my neighborhood and everywhere I went, people were just looking at me," Kudzodzi says.
"Once and a while you hear the exclamation, ‘Hey, it’s made out of bamboo, hey, that’s the bamboo bicycle,’ ... and anytime I stopped to take a breather, people come close to me and say, ‘Wow, we heard about this, but this is the first time we’ve seen it. Is it functional? Does it work?' I say yeah, try it," Kudzodzi says.
With his shop overwhelmed with orders, Danso says Booomers is poised for expansion.
He says he hopes to get more of his frames on the streets, not just the roads of foreign countries, but on those in Ghana as well.


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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Burger joint of the week: Good Times Grill
Big half-pound burgers are celebrated at this El Dorado eatery housed in a former laser tag arena. They’re cooked to order on the grill and served up with a variety of options — all named something -“Time” and all lean meat and a big pile of fries.
The Bacon Time Burger ($7.25, pictured) comes with mustard, lettuce, both grilled and regular onions, pickles, tomatoes, Swiss cheese and a hefty dose of bacon. It’s a substantial weighty kill-that-hunger burger.
And then there’s the Jack of Diamonds Burger ($7.95). Unlike all the other Good Times Grill burgers it’s specifically NOT made from lean meat. It’s a half pound of non-lean ground beef with Cheddar cheese melted into it, covered in Jack Sauce — a mixture that includes Jalapenos and onions.
You can find the Good Times Grill on North West Avenue in El Dorado. (870) 862-6922.
To purchase this article, email Kat Robinson at 1/27/2011 09:06:00 AM
Labels: burger, El Dorado, Good Times Grill
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The Drum Marketing Awards: British Gas' Jill Dougan on rewarding Tena
Hygeine brand Tena and Zenith Media have taken the honours for the Chair's Award at The Drum Marketing Awards, for their ’From Humiliation to High Fashion’ campaign.
Marketing Awards chair Jill Dougan, UK marketing director of British Gas chose Tena’s entry based on its “brilliant creativity... grounded in insight and real customer need.“
The campaign, which also won in the Healthcare and Pharma category, aimed to tackle the taboo of incontinence through the use of highly visible media placements to promote a new product for the bladder weakness product category.
Dougan commended the work as ‘brave’ and explained why it caught her eye over everything else this year.
“It picked a subject that doesn’t get talked about very often but was really important,“ she said. “It drove the conversation to an important audience that often gets overlooked and talked about fashion by turning it on its head. I loved the integrated media plan where they used big billboards in high footfall areas and tried to do things differently. It caused me to stop and think. It was a different approach to something which was brave, challenging and it was a great mix of creativity and insight.”
Reflecting on this years' entries, Dougan cited a clear shift towards purpose-led campaigns that offered solutions to problems faced by consumers. She also felt that the best pieces of work were ones that made use of integrated creative across a number of channels.
Finally, Dougan offered her advice to marketers working through the challenges and uncertainties thrown up internationally around Covid-19, which can be heard in the interview above.


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Weybridge’s High Street: The Changing Face of Retail
The face of retail is changing and adapting to an increasingly digital world. Traditional brick-and-mortar businesses are adapting to find ways to stay relevant as more people are turning to online options for entertainment, shopping, and daily errands like banking and communications.
However, this shift in approach is not to be feared; instead, it presents exciting opportunities for businesses to diversify their offerings and reach new customers. By incorporating online efforts into their overall business strategy, companies can attract a new demographic of customers and provide a unique and exciting experience that sets them apart from their competitors.
The Changing Landscape of Retail in Weybridge
Secondly, while the integration into online gaming is still in the early stages for the Weybridge area, it shows exciting promise to diversify gaming offerings taking advantage of both land-based and online opportunities in a combined effort for sustainable growth in a forever advancing world. By going full throttle on efforts to embrace online options and become trusted in this area by appearing on credible sites like CasinoReviews.com to gain valuable outsider interest, Weybridge can gain authoritativeness in the area of casino gaming both online and land-based to build trust with current players and new players alike.
In addition, banks have long been turning to streamline their services via online options, and this has provided a more accessible and convenient banking experience for individuals. Traditional banks still have their place on the high street. However, they have begun disappearing in large numbers, much like the Lloyds branch on Church Street as listed on InYourArea.co.uk, as a direct result of the growing popularity to take banking online. However, by maintaining a collaborative approach towards maintaining some brick-and-mortar banks alongside utilising online convenience, customers can enjoy positive and convenient banking experiences with diverse options that cater to their banking needs to maintain customer loyalty.
Looking to the Future
There are many thriving businesses on the Weybridge high street, with some highlighted on AllAboutWeybridge.co.uk. As Weybridge’s High Street continues to evolve, however, there are numerous possibilities that could factor into shaping its future.
A crucial change to the high street will arise from the continuous rise in the popularity of online shopping. Brick-and-mortar stores will still have an important role to play in retail. If anything, this change will bring exciting opportunities to create new and innovative ideas to revolutionise the in-person retail experience for consumers. This could include offering more personalised services such as personal shoppers and tailors. Additionally, holding regular events and pop-ups that can build a greater sense of community would be a highly effective way to maintain healthy levels of foot traffic into high-street stores.
Another notable adaptation that could work well with the increasingly modernised world would be for the high street to embrace technological advancements with open arms readily. This could include augmented reality, for example, the benefits of which are highlighted on Forbes.com. Additionally, even AI-powered chatbots in-store to help with recommending top-notch products.
Overall, the growing popularity of consumers heading online shows exciting promise for businesses to diversify their offerings and provide improved customer experiences with greater accessibility, convenience, and engaging products and services available. The high street will never be the same again. Still, businesses can stay ahead of the curve by embracing these developments and adapting their traditional brick-and-mortar approach to integrate the vast online opportunities available to them for a more collaborative and diverse business strategy. The opportunity to thrive in a collaborative process between in-person and digital offerings still exists for businesses to work towards future success and sustainability.


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In-car features have come a long way throughout the years, especially in the entertainment department. What used to be 1DIN and 2DIN head units fitted in brand-new cars have now become large infotainment displays that allow drivers to use a host of features and apps.
But despite all the improvements we’ve seen car manufacturers make, there’s still one feature that many of you are probably still waiting for: video streaming. Specifically, YouTube playback.
One of the biggest reasons why this still isn’t an industry thing? Safety. Allowing the use of such features inside a car could pose a lot of risks, as videos can be quite distracting for the person behind the wheel. But this might soon be a thing of the past, though, as Volvo—of all car brands—is now looking to roll out YouTube services to its vehicles.
We all know Volvo is pretty big on safety, so its announcement may come as a bit of a surprise. However, the Swedish carmaker says that it has made sure videos can only be played when the car is fully stationary.
Volvo’s main aim here is not to simply make road trips more enjoyable but to expand the EV ownership experience for its future clientele. By adding YouTube playback features to its vehicles, Volvo is letting customers watch videos when, say, charging their electric vehicles at a station.
“Allowing our customers to watch videos while charging or when waiting to pick up their children from school is part of our promise to make their lives better and more enjoyable,” said Volvo Cars chief product officer Henrik Green. “With YouTube and other major streaming services coming soon, our customers can enjoy their charging break instead of seeing it as just a hassle—making electric car ownership that bit easier.”
The rollout of these new features is part of Volvo’s plans to turn cars into smart devices through seamless integration with Google Assistant-enabled devices. Ultimately, this allows Volvo’s cars to be “an extension of drivers’ living environment.”
A Volvo can act as a personal space without disturbances, with its high-quality audio setups, noise-reduction features, and comfortable interior. “The car is a great venue for enjoying video and audio, so I would not be surprised if this means that people spend more time in their Volvos, even when they are not going anywhere,” added Green.
So, do you think more car manufacturers should follow in Volvo’s footsteps? Chime in through the comments.


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The company made the announcement as it reported a 19% year on year rise in group revenue to £44.4m for 2017, in line with expectations.
The group has signed a conditional lease agreement for the site located at 55 Water Street, Empire Stores in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighbourhood.
The market is due to open in the fourth quarter of 2018 and will take over 21,000 square feet over two floors of Empire Stores.
The group will now need to secure license approval and building permits before going ahead with the market.
The first Time Out Market launched in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2014. The group is now rolling this out to Miami towards the end of the year, and in Boston and Chicago in 2019.
The markets bring together food and drink offerings that have been picked out by the Time Out editorial staff.
There are plans for a London market but its planning application was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council last year.
Julio Bruno, chief executive of Time Out Group, said: "New York has been home to Time Out since 1995, and millions of people – locals and visitors – use our website and read our magazine to make the most of the city. Now we have a breathtaking location for Time Out Market in New York. It will offer not only the city’s best food, drinks and culture, but also one of the city’s best views."


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Find a Job You Really Want In
More voters than usual plan on casting mail-in votes due to Covid-19.
Postal workers are already swamped with increased mail activity from the pandemic, and the U.S. Postal Service is uncertain about their ability to deliver the increased mail in votes.
In addition, the lack of approved over-time and disassembled mail sorting machines, is stretching USPS workers even thinner. The USPS has also decreased the number of collection boxes across the U.S. significantly from last year’s numbers. While the number of disassembled mail sorting machines and mail delays is not transparent, the number of mail collection boxes is publicly available.
We set out to find out where in the country saw the biggest decrease in collection boxes year over year.
These are the 10 states that may struggle with mail-in voting (and finding a collection box!) this year:
The 10 Hardest Hit States
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- New Mexico
- New Hampshire
If your state is listed, you might have some difficulty mailing in your vote. With the loss of collection boxes over the last year, you may have to drive a bit to get your ballot in the mail.
The loss of collection boxes may have an impact on how far you have to drive to find a box. And if you don’t have access to a car or public transportation, then you may be out of luck. In this example, the loss of collection boxes leads to the loss of votes.
How We Determined This
To determine states where mail-in voting is being hit hard, we ranked each state in 3 areas:
- Overall Mail Drop Boxes Lost 2019-2020
- Mail Drop Boxes Per 10,000 People
- Percent Decrease Of Drop Boxes Year Over Year
While there are a number of ways to evaluate mail-in voting, we opted to look at mail drop boxes as an overall proxy. Unfortunately, many other issues (disassembled sorting machines, undelivered mail, and loss of overtime) are not as transparent. However, by examining something visible we are able to get a window into current operation changes.
The data comes from MailboxLocate, who posted updated numbers from the United States Post Office.
Percent Decrease: 6.8%
Lost Boxes: -29
Boxes Per 10K: 73
Alaska is having the toughest time with mail-in voting right now due to how many collection boxes it’s lost. Since 2019, the state has deduced 29 collection boxes for a 6.8% decrease, which is the highest decrease the U.S. has seen. That means there is 73 boxes available for every 10,000 people. That stat alone is the third-lowest in the country.
Percent Decrease: 6.6%
Lost Boxes: -173
Boxes Per 10K: 422
Oregon won’t have to purchase as many ‘I voted’ stickers this year with the decrease of mail-in voting options. Since last year, the state has lost 173 collection boxes which is the second-most in the U.S. Now the densely populated state only offers 422 boxes per 10,000 people.
Percent Decrease: 3.2%
Lost Boxes: -68
Boxes Per 10K: 193
Nebraska may have a tough time getting in all of the mail-in ballots due to a loss of 68 collection boxes. This loss is a 3.2% decrease since 2019, which is the third-highest decrease compared to the rest of the states.
Percent Decrease: 3.0%
Lost Boxes: -43
Boxes Per 10K: 107
With a 3% decrease in collection boxes, Montana is the fourth state where mail-in voting is being hit the hardest. The decrease leaves the state with only 107 boxes available per 10,000 people.
5. North Dakota
Percent Decrease: 2.9%
Lost Boxes: -27
Boxes Per 10K: 76
North Dakota lost 27 collection boxes since last year, making this year’s mail-in vote even harder. Now, the state only has 76 collection boxes available per 10,000 people which is the fourth-lowest number of boxes available in the country.
6. Rhode Island
Percent Decrease: 2.4%
Lost Boxes: -24
Boxes Per 10K: 106
The sixth hardest-hit state for mail-in voting is Rhode Island. While the state only lost 24 collection boxes, that only leaves 106 available per 10,000 people. That’s a 2.4% decrease over the entire state.
Percent Decrease: 2.1%
Lost Boxes: -166
Boxes Per 10K: 689
Massachusetts had the third-highest loss in collection boxes in the country over the last year with 166 now gone. Even with the 2.1% decrease, the state still has 689 available per 10,000 people.
Percent Decrease: 2.0%
Lost Boxes: -100
Boxes Per 10K: 605
Coming in at No. 8, Maryland’s mail-in voting took a hit with the recent loss of collection boxes. The state lost 100 boxes for a 2% decrease. Even with the decrease, residents still have access to 605 collection boxes per 10,000 people.
9. New Mexico
Percent Decrease: 1.8%
Lost Boxes: -27
Boxes Per 10K: 210
New Mexico comes in as the ninth state where it won’t be as easy to mail in your vote. A 1.8% decrease in collection boxes leaves New Mexico with only 210 boxes available per 10,000 people. Hopefully one of those boxes is within your reach.
10. New Hampshire
Percent Decrease: 1.6%
Lost Boxes: -26
Boxes Per 10K: 136
New Hampshire rounds out our list of where mail-in voting is being hit the hardest. At No. 10, the state has lost 26 collection boxes over the last year for a 1.6% decrease. With only 136 boxes available per 10,000, it’s easy to assume not everyone is within range of a collection box.
Summary of the States Where Mail-In Voting is Being Hit Hard
It’s no secret the USPS is struggling to keep up with delivering mail on time while working with the budget it has.
But now of all times, it’s struggles are threatening to have an impact on a nationwide election.
With the loss of collection boxes from last year, fewer and fewer people have access to mailing in their ballots.
The impact of these lost votes could make a difference in the election.
These 10 states are where people are having the hardest time getting their mail-in votes in on time. We’ve included a full table for every state so you can see how the rest of the states fare.
|Rank||State||Decrease Percentage||Lost Boxes||Boxes Per 10K|


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ASUS si concentrerà su fascia alta e gaming, ma non interromperà la serie ZenFone
C'è stato un importante cambio al vertice di ASUS: lo storico CEO dell'azienda, Jerry Shen, cede il passo ed andrà a ricoprire il medesimo ruolo in iFast, una nuova azienda che riceverà investimenti da ASUS stessa, lasciando comunque il suo posto nell'azienda taiwanese. Lo scopo è quello di accelerare la transizione di ASUS nel diventare un leader globale nel monto AIoT (AI+ IoT) e gaming.
Per questo stesso motivo ci saranno dei cambiamenti anche negli smartphone ASUS, che si concentreranno su gamer e power user, sviluppando ed espandendo ulteriormente il mercato dei gaming smartphone (si parla proprio di "nuove serie di prodotti gaming", senza entrare troppo nel merito).
Tali affermazioni sono state da molti fraintese e riportate erroneamente come una dichiarazione di chiusura della serie ZenFone. ASUS ci ha però personalmente confermato che continuerà a sviluppare gli ZenFone, puntando al contempo a mercato degli smartphone gaming, forte probabilmente dei consensi ottenuti con il ROG Phone.
A seguire riportiamo il comunicato originale in inglese.
ASUS Announces Corporate Transformation to Achieve Leading Position in AIoT and Gaming
Taipei, Taiwan, December 13, 2018 — ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih today announced that ASUS will enact a comprehensive corporate transformation with the goal of becoming a global leader in the AIoT and gaming industries. Mr. Shih made the announcement at a press event held at ASUS headquarters in Taipei following a meeting of the Board of Directors, which passed three resolutions establishing a new corporate direction and steps to achieve it.
The first resolution establishes a new long-term strategy for AIoT investment with the goal of becoming a global leader in AIoT within three years. To spearhead this strategic transformation, ASUS CEO Jerry Shen will transition to a new position as Chairman and CEO of iFast, a new AIoT venture that will receive investment from ASUS. “To speed up the transformation of the company as well as to realize my personal aspiration for entrepreneurship, I will resign my position as ASUS CEO and devote myself to assisting ASUS effectively transition into the AIoT industry,” said Mr. Shen. “I will also invest in iFast, which will focus on developing B2B applications for the AIoT industry, and serve as its Chairman and CEO.”
“Mr. Shen's contributions to ASUS over the past 25 years have been vital to the company's continued success,” said Mr. Shih. “I am confident that his passion for the technology industry and persistence in achieving his vision will bring prosperity in his new role. The Board of Directors has therefore passed a resolution to invest 30% in the new venture.”
The second resolution for the ASUS corporate transformation establishes a co-CEO structure and appoints S.Y. Hsu and Samson Hu to serve as co-CEOs, effective January 1, 2019. Announcing the new leadership, Mr. Shih said, “From the beginning of this year, ASUS has gradually phased in a collective leadership management structure, which applies the expertise of the executive team where they can be used most effectively. Mr. Hsu and Mr. Hu both possess extensive technical expertise and corporate management experience and share a natural chemistry for collaboration. Their joint leadership will foster the creativity and seamless execution that are critical to achieving our grander vision."
The third corporate resolution is for a transformation of the ASUS smartphone business, which will focus on perfecting solutions for gamers and power users, a return to the ASUS brand essence of creating the most powerful, beautiful and highest quality products. Due to this strategic shift in market segment, ASUS listed a one-time loss of NT$6 billion, which includes loss of inventory, royalties, production costs and organizational adjustment expenses. ASUS aims to develop and further expand the market of gaming smartphones, fostering the development of new gaming product lines and becoming a leader in providing total gaming solutions.
ASUS ROG Phone
- Display 6" FHD+ / 1080 x 2160 PX
- Fotocamera 12 MPX ƒ/1.8
- Frontale 8 MPX ƒ/2.0
- CPU octa 2.96 GHz
- RAM 8 GB
- Memoria Interna 128 GB
- Batteria 4000 mAh
- Android 8.1 Oreo


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THANKS IN part to steep discounts, billions of dollars in manufacturers rebates, generous federal and state tax credits, and even special utility rates in some cases, “nearly 5.4 million hybrid electric vehicles and just over 1.4 million plug-in electric cars have sold in the United States” as of October 2020, according to USAFacts. All-electric cars accounted for about 60 percent of those sales and plug-in hybrids the remaining 40 percent.
That sounds like a lot. But it’s just a fraction of the sales of vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE). “Plug-in electric cars accounted for just under 1 percent of all 146 million new light-duty vehicles sales between 2011 and 2019,” according to USAFacts.
In addition to their limited range, the higher initial cost of an all-electric vehicle is one of the main reasons consumers have largely shied away from them. And because of the COVID-19 pandemic, more employees have ditched the long commute to work remotely from home. “A return to 2019 levels of U.S. energy consumption will take years; energy-related carbon dioxide emissions [will] fall further before leveling off or rising,” according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2021 Annual Energy Outlook.
To encourage more Virginians to buy electric cars, the General Assembly passed yet another rebate on the last day of the regular session, but left it unfunded. HB 1979 would provide a $2,500 rebate toward the purchase or lease of an electric vehicle, with an additional “enhanced rebate” of $2,000 for a new electric vehicle, and $500 for a used one for residents whose annual household income does not exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($79,500 for a family of four).


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A new food gem is set to open in Galway but a lot of mystery still surrounds it as the owners have been rather cryptic so far.
Magpie Bakery is set to open “soon” in Galway, offering delicious treats and great coffees.
However, not much is known about it as even its location is still a secret.
Read more: Galway home owner giving away year free rent issues winner update as fantasy coming true
The mystery spot Instagram bio reads: “Sourdough bakery, croissants, Calendar coffee and all that good stuff coming soon”.
The opening date has also not been announced yet, but Magpie Bakery has already shared the first picture of their new shop to social media leading to speculation that opening would occur soon.
The photo shows coffee and other “essentials” on the counter and left everyone intrigued. The image, posted on Instagram, was just captioned: “All the essentials have arrived”.
But locals are already looking forward to step inside the new shop as many shared their enthusiasm in the comment section. One greeted the news with a simple “Yaaaaay!” Another one added: “Heeeeeeere we goooo”.
A third one added a short but appropropriate: “Hype!”
Meanwhile, another food gem has just opened in the town of the Tribes. Galway city's newest restaurant The Willow Tree Restaurant is located on Market Street and is sure to wow locals with the food on offer.
Judging by the photos, locals are already in love with what Willow Tree will bring to Galway city and many wished them all the best for this exciting adventure.
Among them, Lowry's Bar sent their best wishes to the owner and all the staff and urged everyone to give them a follow on social media.
They said: "Wishing Xin, his family and his new team all the best on his new adventure in The Willow Tree Restaurant on Market Street. We are all behind you. Get over and give them a follow!"
Read more: RTE Late Late show host rumours spin as star seen buying new suit at local shop
Read more: Tesco Ireland reply to controversy as workers furious over 'difficult' job changes
Read more: Galway pub ‘open as usual’ as photos show annoying obstacle making people doubt
Read more: Galway gardai identifying three bodies tragically found as fresh updates emerge
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Memory Preservation and Companionship for Dementia Patients
Sensay, a technology company, is introducing AI-powered digital replicas to support dementia patients and their families. These replicas can preserve memories and provide companionship, offering comfort and continuity for those affected by this condition.
Endless Possibilities with Digital Twins
Beyond dementia care, Sensay’s technology has applications in various fields:
- Preserving personal stories for generations
- Personalized learning and expert consultancy
- 24/7 virtual assistants for gaming, business, and personal tasks
Empowerment through Tokenization
Sensay’s SNSY token enables users to participate in the platform’s economy. Token holders can access exclusive rewards, early access to developments, and the ability to monetize their digital replicas.
Partnerships and Public Sale
Sensay has partnered with organizations like HypersignID and Fetch AI to enhance its capabilities. The public sale of SNSY tokens will start on March 19, 2024.
Dan Thomson, Sensay’s founder and CEO, believes in the power of digital replication to create meaningful legacies. He says, “Our platform empowers individuals to leave an indelible mark on the world, with empathy, innovation, and a commitment to societal impact.”
Bridging Web 2.0 and Web 3.0
Sensay combines decentralized infrastructure with AI to create digital replicas that are accessible and empowering for users.
Sensay is transforming digital identity and legacy through verified autonomous digital replicas. For more information, visit their website and social media channels.


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Industry Ministry says to safeguard local firms amid import spike
HCMC – The Ministry of Industry and Trade would step up efforts to protect the interests of local producers and exporters amid an import surge, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
To mitigate the adverse effects of the sharp import growth and support domestic manufacturers, the ministry would work out policy measures for preventing the evasion of trade remedies and origin fraud.
Meanwhile, it would warn exporters about commodities that are possibly subject to trade remedy investigations. They were told to stay well-informed to avoid risks.
In 2022, 22 countries launched trade defense investigations of Vietnamese commodities such as wooden products, tra fish, shrimp, footwear and apparel, with 225 cases.
- Efforts made to protect interests of Vietnamese products in EU market
- Risk of the US starting investigations of Vietnam’s wooden cabinets
- Ministry helps enterprises deal with increasing trade remedy cases
- VN asks to be excluded from Philippines’ investigations on steel
- Trade remedy cases against Vietnam’s exports rise rapidly
- Trade defence investigations into wood products on the rise
- Government agencies help business respond to trade remedies
- Vietnamese steel faces more trade remedy lawsuits
- Start with EVFTA but do not neglect trade defence
- Vietnamese products face greater scrutiny in international markets


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- Shoppers in the United Kingdom, as in other places, have found a way to scam supermarket self-checkout stations, according to The Independent, often typing in codes for cheap carrots in place of expensive avocados, for example.
- “I was working with retailers to reduce shoplifting when one major supermarket discovered it had sold more carrots than it had ever had in stock,” Emmeline Taylor, a lecturer in criminology at the University of London, told The Independent. The practice has become so common that some shoppers don’t consider it a crime, she said, noting one man stole $600 in groceries in about 20 trips by typing in the code for loose onions.
- In the U.S., those trying to “sweetheart” – or steal by either entering the wrong PLU, skipping scanning, or scanning the wrong item – are likely to use codes for bananas or pinto beans rather than carrots. And while such thefts are nothing new for retailers, Produce Retailer suggests grocers keep an eye on sales of their most common, low-cost PLU codes, as a way to make sure customers aren't using those scans for other items.
Today’s consumers are in a hurry, and not many enjoy spending time in a checkout lane. Increasingly, retailers are turning to self-checkout lanes both to the speed up the time people spend paying for and bagging purchases, and to trim labor costs.
But retailers are right to be worried about theft. A lot of shoppers steal products by using the self-checkout lane, The Atlantic writes. A recent survey from Voucher Codes Pro, a digital coupon company, found nearly one in five of the 2,634 shoppers polled said they had stolen something while at the self-scanning station. The Independent estimates thefts at self-checkout tills has doubled within four years. And a study of 1 million transactions in the United Kingdom found losses incurred through self-service tech came to nearly 4% of stock, compared to just 1.47% otherwise. Research shows that part of the reason for higher theft rates is the people who ordinarily would not steal see this as “gaming the system” rather than outright theft.
Smartly, many retailers now have at least one staff member overseeing self-checkout stations, and some retailers have found success by placing signs warning against theft near self-checkout stations or giving the systems names to humanize them and create customer empathy.
Furthermore, stores are looking beyond self-checkouts for ways to streamline the buying process. Macey’s, which runs 12 supermarkets in Utah, now offers a new checkout system that lets customers scan products and pay using a special smartphone app. And Kroger announced earlier this year an expansion of its Scan, Bag, Go service from 25 stores to 400 locations in 2018, according to Biz Journals. The program allows consumers to scan items as they shop with a store-provided scanner or the Scan, Bag, Go smartphone app and then pay at a self-checkout station. The store has systems in place, such as randomly checking bags, to curtail theft. And although Kroger recognizes some thefts will happen, overall the store considers its customers an honest bunch, John Wisor, a Kroger Columbus division Scan, Bag, Go specialist, told The Blade in April.
Some retailers, however, are finding consumers aren’t as interested in techy checkout solutions as industry leaders might have thought.
Walmart, for example, recently killed its Scan & Go app which allowed consumers pay for items with their mobile phones in order to skip the checkout lane, because, the company told Business Insider, not may customers were using the technology. Customers found bagging, weighing and scanning fresh produce a hassle, and the number and variety of items on Walmart shelves confusing. The company has better luck with a similar system at Sam’s Club stores, where items are prepackaged and sold in bulk.
In order to attract consumers with the idea of convenience, retailers must find ways to actually make self-checkout systems convenient. At the same time, they must find ways to keep consumers from walking out of stores with items they haven’t actually paid for. It's a tall order, and it may take a while for retailers to find the best methods.


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After two years of constant debate, on the Tuesday over Thanksgiving break, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finally released its plans to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality rules enacted in 2015. This decision may be the most damaging to the American consumer in this nation’s history.
The regulations that will likely be repealed on Dec. 7 classified the internet as a public utility, giving it the same protections as the water or electricity industries. The impetus of this was to protect consumers and companies from “pay-to-play” fast lanes. Fast lanes are a method of prioritizing connection speed for one service over another. In a pay-to-play system, only companies that could afford to pay a premium to an internet service provider (ISP) would be able to access the fast connection, while other companies’ speeds would be artificially slowed down.
While ISPs would still not be legally allowed to fully block content from a user, fast lanes would give them the ability to accomplish the same goal. Let’s use Netflix as an example. The average connection speed in the U.S. is just under 19 Mbps (megabits per second), and on campus it usually hovers around 160 Mbps. Netflix requires 5 Mbps to stream HD content smoothly.
At just a tenth of that speed, consumers might not even be able to access the website at all. Obviously, at some point, a speed would be so slow it could only be seen as censoring. The problem is, a tenth of the speed is still within precedent. ISPs could theoretically throttle down to dial up speeds, or 1/10,000th of the speed necessary for Netflix.
Defenders of the FCC’s decision claim it would not be in an ISP’s interest to limit lanes like this, as it would only turn customers away, and it is thus very unlikely to happen. However, fast lanes give ISPs the ability to monopolize the internet industry with frightening efficiency.
Continuing with the Netflix example, many ISPs already have their own streaming service or are a part of a conglomerate that owns one. Thus, it would be in their interest to throttle all the competition, leaving their service as the only one in the market. Controlling a product as well as the way the overall market of products gets to the consumer is a form of monopoly not seen before.
The alternative for companies, as mentioned above, is to pay premiums to ISPs in exchange for high-speed connection to the consumer. The companies forced to comply would inevitability have to turn around and increase their service’s price. More so than payed services, pay-to-play hurts non-profits and advertisement-based revenue sites. For non-profits, the implications are obvious. Without a revenue system designed for anything beyond sufficiency, they would struggle to continue their presence online with the extra, most likely immense, fast lane costs.
Advertisement-based sites would face a complex snowballing situation that would most likely force them to become payed services. The combination of the extra costs for the advertisers, as well as a diminished reach due to a disappearing number of websites, would drastically drop the revenue a website would receive from an advertisement. This, combined with their own fast lane access costs would either force the site into a pay service or force them to plaster their site with ads to the point where it is not usable. Either of these options would most likely kill the website.
More at risk than any of these examples are startups. Only large, established companies would be able to afford the new fast lane costs. Startups would have no chance in this market. They do not have the ability to spend large portions of their funding on securing fast lane access. Google, Microsoft and Amazon, now the titans of the internet, would not have been able to survive without their free access to the web as startups. Innovation, the core identity of the internet, would not just be stifled. It would disappear.
It is important to note that this is not a partisan issue. Net neutrality has had more bipartisan support than anything else I have experienced in my, albeit short, lifetime. This year, the FCC received over 20 million messages in defense of net neutrality.
In July of this year, according to Freedman Consulting, 77 percent of Americans supported net neutrality, and 81 percent opposed pay-to-play fast lanes. The actions of FCC chairman Ajit Pai, as well as the two other Republicans on the commission who are predicted to vote in favor this December, reveal a complete disregard for the American people.
Furthermore, majority leader of the senate Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan have expressed support for repealing net neutrality, along with many other republicans. There seems to be no opposition on Capitol Hill strong enough to stop this reversal. While it technically remains to be voted on, there is no doubt that net neutrality is already dead.
Before the 2018 midterm elections, more damage will have been done than can be fixed. Over the coming months, as the process of repeal progresses, our public officials will reveal where their priorities lie: their party or the American people; corporations or their constituency.
Samuel Farrar is a freshman from Brevard, N.C. He plans to major in political science.


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Tech Nation, the leading scaleup-network for UK entrepreneurs, is calling for applicants for its 2019 Fintech Growth Programme. The Programme is delivered as part of HM Treasury’s Fintech Sector Strategy.
Supported by fintech market leaders including Al Lukies and David Duffy of the Fintech Alliance, a new online portal for the global FinTech community aiming to connect the UK to the world-wide FinTech ecosystem, the leadership development programme is specifically designed to connect and create opportunities for the founders of the UK’s most promising fintech scaleups.
The programme’s five-month schedule puts leading fintech CEOs through nine themed insights sessions, delivered by some of the most established fintech entrepreneurs, covering topics such as regulation, partnering with established financial services firms and expanding internationally. The cohort will also attend networking events to meet key stakeholders and decision makers, and the programme will culminate with a three-day international showcase trip to the US.
25 companies will be selected by a panel of expert judges, including Eileen Burbidge, Partner at Passion Capital & Chair of Tech Nation; Anne Boden, CEO of Starling Bank; and Simon Taylor, Co-Founder and Blockchain Practice Lead at 11:FS.
Though external funding is not a requirement, applying companies must be at a stage of development equivalent to seed or Series A, have a product in market used actively, and be headquartered in the UK. The programme is open to B2B companies, and for the first time this year Tech Nation is also accepting B2C companies onto the programme.
The 2019 programme is announced just weeks after the launch of the annual state-of-the-nation Tech Nation Report, which revealed that the UK is number one in the world for scaleup investment into fintech firms – generating £4.5bn in funding between 2015 and 2018.
The 2018 cohort of the Tech Nation Fintech Growth Programme contributed to this success, raising an average of £1.1m each last year. Of the 20 companies, 35% were based outside London, and 40% had a female founder or co-founder.
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said: “The UK is number one in the world for scaleup investment into fintech firms, generating £4.5 billion in funding between 2015 and 2018. That’s why we are accelerating the development of this already thriving sector through the Fintech Sector Strategy, and the Tech Nation Growth Programme is an important part of that. The country is full of exciting new companies that can break the mould and make our financial sector even stronger, and I urge all of them to get involved in this year’s programme.”
Greg Michel, Tech Nation Fintech lead, added: “Tech Nation’s Fintech Programme identifies the rising stars in the industry and helps them scale to even greater horizons. The last cohort companies have closed multiple funding rounds, won prestigious awards, struck strategic partnerships and expanded abroad while on the programme. In 2019 we are looking to replicate this success by connecting and creating opportunities for the most promising fintech companies wherever they are based in the country so that they can compete on the global stage.”
Applicants can apply on the Tech Nation Website, at the following link: https://technation.io/fintech/
Applications open on the 5th June, and close on the 9th July. The application takes just 20 minutes to complete.


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SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon reported third-quarter results below Wall Street's expectations on Thursday — including a large loss, weighed by its stake in online deals service LivingSocial and continued spending on its Kindle business and distribution centers.
Though expected, it was Amazon's first loss since July 2003.
The world's largest online retailer posted a loss of $274 million, or 60 cents per share, in the July-September period. That's down from earnings of $63 million, or 14 cents per share, a year earlier.
The latest quarter's results include a loss of 37 cents per share related to Amazon's minority stake in LivingSocial. Without this charge, it still would have lost 23 cents per share, worse than what analysts were expecting.
Revenue grew 27 percent to $13.81 billion, from $10.88 billion, falling short of analysts' expectations.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet, on average, were expecting a loss of 7 cents per share on revenue of $13.91 billion.
Beyond LivingSocial, Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak attributed the quarter's loss to Amazon's heavy investments in its Kindle e-reader and tablet business, as well as in new geographic locations such as China and in video content. Amazon is also spending money on centers for fulfilling orders. It said this month that it's hiring 50,000 temporary workers at its distribution centers across the U.S. during the holiday season.
The quarter's operating expenses rose 28 percent to $13.8 billion from $10.8 billion.
Amazon.com Inc. said its $199 Kindle Fire HD tablet is its best-selling product worldwide, but as usual, it did not give specific sales figures.
"Our approach is to work hard to charge less. Sell devices near breakeven and you can pack a lot of sophisticated hardware into a very low price point," founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement.
Amazon has a larger version of the Kindle Fire HD out next month.
Amazon's results come two days after Apple Inc. introduced a smaller iPad, the Mini, for $329. In its press release announcing the results, Amazon included a list trumpeting its high-definition Kindle Fires as cheaper than the iPad Mini and with more features. However, Apple's iPad has a much wider selection of third-party apps.
For the current quarter, which includes the important holiday shopping period, Amazon forecast revenue of $20.25 billion to $22.75 billion. Analysts were expecting a bit more at $22.82 billion.
Seattle-based Amazon's stock was down $1.94 to $220.98 in after-hours trading after initially falling sharply, to as low as $204.17. The stock closed down $5.57, or 2.4 percent, at $222.92 in the regular trading session.


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Lucy Turnbull's Greater Sydney Commission led panel to approve Huang Xiangmo shopping centre development
Tuesday, 09 April 2019
They seem to share everything.
Topic of the day seems to be Malcolm and the Chinese ....— Jill❌\_( ツ)_/¯ (@1Swinging_Voter) April 9, 2019
I thought this might be interesting.
(Wasn't covered much at the time)
(Just something else I found in the vault.) pic.twitter.com/2K6KzeZWaz
And thanks to the incomparable Jill Jacks. Again. And again and again and again!


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Apple building an Austin campus that will be its second-largest operation in the world
Apple Inc. is quietly building a home away from home.
The tech giant is transforming a 38-acre wooded lot into its largest global operation outside of Silicon Valley, the Austin American-Statesman reported (http://atxne.ws/1O6Crzc ).
In line to receive $35 million in tax incentives from the city, county and state for its Austin expansion, Apple has pledged to create 3,600 new jobs while retaining at least 3,100 existing jobs.
If Apple reaches those hiring figures, it would make it the second-largest technology employer in Central Texas behind Dell Inc., which has about 14,000 local workers.
The company also agreed to spend $282 million on new buildings and equipment in Austin over the next decade.
When Apple completes its Austin campus next year, it will boast 1.1 million square feet of space including restaurants, a gym and a wellness center.
Apple's new campus is responsible for running the company's business operations for the Western Hemisphere.
"It will help create a new wave of talent," Mark McClain, CEO of Austin software maker SailPoint and chairman of the Austin Technology Council, told the newspaper. "Some people will come to work for Apple and get the entrepreneurial bug and go start a company. Others will eventually leave to join local tech companies that need their expertise."
Denise Young Smith, Apple's head of human resources, said the company was drawn not only by Austin's talent pool but also because of its cultural diversity.
"Austin has always been a voice and proponent of diversity and inclusiveness," Young Smith said. "And there is also diversity in terms of talent, including the music and artistic community. We like that cross-pollination, and the job candidates that have been able to hire because of it."
Despite stock market uncertainty because of an economic slowdown in China, Apple is still growing. The company reported a jump in profits during the third quarter as demand for iPhones soared.


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Apple and Qualcomm make peace to set scene for iPhone 5G
Apple and Qualcomm have settled their long running legal disputes over alleged misuse of the chipmaker’s intellectual property.
In a surprise press release on Tuesday, Apple and Qualcomm say they have agreed to drop all ongoing litigation. The agreement includes Qualcomm’s allegations made against Apple’s contract manufacturers.
Instead, the two US tech giants have reached a six-year global license patent agreement – with the possibility of a two-year extension – as well as a chipset supply agreement moving forward. Apple has also paid Qualcomm an undisclosed financial sum as part of the settlement.
In a statement, Apple wrote: “Qualcomm and Apple today announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm. The companies also have reached a six-year license agreement, effective as of April 1, 2019, including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement.”
As well as the ceasing of hostilities, the agreement ends the possibility of widespread iPhone sales bans, following initial verdicts in Qualcomm’s favour in several courts around the world.
Related: Best iPhone 2019
It also clears the way for Qualcomm components, including the company’s 5G modems, to potentially be included in future 5G iPhone handsets, perhaps as soon as 2020. Apple was thought to be favouriting the Intel chips for their next-gen phones, but recent hints of production displays may be somewhat behind Apple’s willingness to make peace.
The wide-ranging dispute saw Qualcomm allege that iPhones made with Intel chips infringed upon two of its patents, pertaining to data download speed and quality. Apple alleged Qualcomm had sought royalties for “technologies it had nothing to do with,” sparking a two year battle, with Qualcomm saying its tech was “at the heart” of every iPhone.
Neither company has commented on the settlement beyond the press release.
Does this mean an iPhone 5G running Qualcomm internals is now a given? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.