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Catering solutions provider Totally Delicious has enjoyed a positive start to the new year after landing a new £5 million deal.
The contract will see the company take on three new sites in the North East – resulting in a 17 per cent increase in its workforce overnight.
The latest deal for the Stone-based business involves a seven-year contract with Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums service, which will see it run all event catering and cafes at the Discovery Museum, the Laing Art Gallery and Great North Museum, all in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Managing director Dominic Bowers said: "We are excited to be taking the Totally Delicious brand into new areas.
"Our company is continuing to look forward, thanks to our successful recipe – great food, great people, inspiring venues, and a big dollop of passion."
The deal means Totally Delicious now boasts a growing portfolio of 16 sites across the UK.
Locally, it runs a number of successful sites, including its flagship restaurant at Trentham Gardens, cafes at visitor attractions including Middleport Pottery, and staff canteens at some of the area’s biggest employers such as KMF, Portmeirion, Autonet and Steelite International.
Dominic believes that it is the company’s culture and people management which helped it to successfully clinch the latest deal.
He added: "Via a competitive tender process, we were able to demonstrate our passion for what we do along with our track record of managing large venues.
"We work hard to provide stimulating venues which look good and serve food that fits the market and tastes fantastic.
"We will work with the three venues in Tyneside to increase brand reputation, activity, efficiency and transactional spend with visitors coming back again and again."
The agreement will see 25 catering staff at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums venues transfer to Totally Delicious.
Along with its 2019 contract win at Lingfield Point, in Darlington, the deal will mean the company will generate an annual
£1 million worth of business in the North East alone.
Other plans for Totally Delicious over the next few months include the introduction of new vegan options, and a drive to reduce single-use plastic packaging.


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June 22, 2011
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We are pleased to announce the official launch of ArkDroid.
We have published both the “lite” and “full” game versions on Android market and Amazon Appstore for Android.
For more information about the game please visit our Games section!

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Holden has reassured workers at its Elizabeth car factory that the company is here to stay until 2022 despite the axing of 170 jobs before Christmas - and despite one analyst forecasting a closure was imminent.
It is the second redundancy program this year, following 100 job losses in February, and industry experts have warned more cutbacks are likely over the next five years as Holden scales back its production to meet falling consumer demand for its locally made cars.
“We’re not planning on announcing any further redundancies any time soon,” said Holden spokesman Craig Cheetham. “However, it’s critical to the long term health of Holden that we’re able to be responsive to the market and to align production with demand.
“The responsible thing to do is to take action to make sure we have viable manufacturing operations in Australia, which is something we intend to do for the next decade.”
Holden is on track to post its lowest annual sales in 19 years in an all-time record market as Commodore deliveries hit new lows and demand for the Cruze small car weakens in the face of cheaper imported competition buoyed by the strong Australian dollar.
In February, Holden wound back production to 400 cars per day. After the latest cutbacks, Holden says it will still produce vehicles at a rate of 400 a day – but last month it announced an increase in the number of rostered “down” days that the company calls “market response days”.
Holden is hoping for a reversal of fortunes when an updated version of the Commodore goes on sale in the middle of next year – to try and attract Australian buyers who have swung heavily in favour of small cars and SUVs.
Holden will also recommence an export program to North America by the end of 2013, selling the Commodore as a performance Chevrolet SS sedan. But once again Holden will be hampered by exchange rates; at the current levels it is forecasting only modest export numbers.
Workers and union officials were told late this afternoon of the job cuts – the second round since February. Holden says the cutbacks are unrelated to the shutdown of major parts supplier Autodom.
Indeed, as workers were being told of the latest cutbacks, the boss of Holden Mike Devereux was in a meeting with industry peers trying to mount a rescue package following the collapse of Autodom, a critical supplier to Holden, Ford and Toyota. “I wouldn’t say it’s directly related,” Cheetham said. “We had already decided that we needed to take action to react to the market.”
Holden said workers who apply for redundancy will finish on December 14, when the factory closes for the summer break. But redundant workers will be paid through the holiday period. “We fully anticipate all separations will be voluntary,” Cheetham said. “They will be done in line with our EBA conditions.”
The executive director of manufacturing at Holden’s vehicle operations, Richard Phillips, said: “Due to a reduction in demand for our Australian built models, led by a sustained high Australian dollar, combined with one of the world’s most open and competitive car markets, we have a need to reduce the size of our workforce through a voluntary separation program.
“Situations like this are always difficult and this decision has not been made lightly. We will work together with employees and their representatives to ensure that people are able to make informed decisions about their future.”
Holden says latest round of 170 job cuts will bring its Adelaide workforce to just under 2100. “The industry at the moment in Australia is very trade exposed,” said Cheetham. “The pricing of imported cars – in particular the small car segment -- is more competitive than ever because of strong currency and excess capacity in other countries.”
Meanwhile, Holden and the Federal Government had their case against Fairfax Media upheld in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday. Last month, the Fairfax-owned Australian Financial Review newspaper was accidentally emailed a copy of secret government briefing documents about Holden’s future financing and model plans, prepared for Industry Minister Greg Combet late last year. The paper was accidentally sent the original copy after first being sent a version with large sections of text blacked out. Holden and the Federal Government took legal action to prevent the documents from being published.


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By Chris Sorensen - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - 0 Comments
It’s barely been a month since BlackBerry (formerly Research In Motion Ltd.) launched its long-overdue BB10 platform. But already the honeymoon appears to be over.
Despite positive reviews of its new touchscreen Z10 device, several analysts have dramatically slashed their initial sales forecasts for the current quarter. Two are forecasting sales of about 300,000, as opposed to the one million units that Wall Street had expected.
By The Associated Press - Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 11:01 PM - 0 Comments
TORONTO, Cananda – Jim Balsillie once re-mortgaged his house to help build the BlackBerry…
TORONTO, Cananda – Jim Balsillie once re-mortgaged his house to help build the BlackBerry company, but by the end of last year, the smartphone maker’s former co-CEO had cleaned out any shareholder stake he still owned.
A document filed with U.S. regulators shows that Balsillie, once the company’s third-largest stakeholder, no longer held shares in Research In Motion (TSX:BB) by Dec. 31 of last year.
Balsillie owned more than 26 million shares of the company at the end of 2011, according to filings obtained through DisclosureNet.com.
The documents don’t reveal how much he got for his stock, or when the shares were sold, but it illustrates how quickly Balsillie shed his stake in the company he was leading just months earlier.
By Tamsin McMahon - Friday, February 1, 2013 at 1:13 PM - 0 Comments
RIMBlackBerry has launched its new smartphone, the BlackBerry 10, this week to largely positive reviews, the Internet is rife with lists promising consumers “Everything You Need to Know” about the new device.
Rather than add another review to the mix, we’ve put together our own top five list of “Top Five” lists about the new BlackBerry 10:
1. CNN offers its take on the five coolest features about the new BlackBerry 10.
2. Not one to get too caught up in the hype of the phone’s release, the Toronto Star offers five ways in which RIM screwed up in the past.
3. Android OS fan site Androidauthority.com found five things about the new BlackBerry 10 that should leave Android users quaking in their boots
4. Gizmodo offers five videos of stupid things people did to win a free BlackBerry 10 from fan site Crackberry.com (Hint: they involved bikinis, tattoos and paper cranes.)
5. Following on its hugely successful Nov. 27 post entitled “20 Things You Didn’t Know About Baby Carrots,” The Huffington Post honoured the BB10 launch with its top things you didn’t know about blackberries. (The fruit, not the company/phone.)
Apparently, blackberries are also known as thimbleberries and lawers. Also, if your blackberry plant turns orange, it’s dying of an incurable fungus and should go in the garbage. (No word on whether the same advice applies to BlackBerry 10.)
By David Friend - Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 2:59 PM - 0 Comments
Research In Motion changes its name to BlackBerry
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Canada’s smartphone pioneer will have a new BlackBerry in Canadian stores next Tuesday, the start of a new chapter for a rebranded company that’s seen its once dominant position trounced by the competition.
The BlackBerry Z10, a touchscreen model, will be the first to hit the shelves while the BlackBerry Q10, which will have a physical keyboard, will follow in April — a move that was signalled last year by the company.
Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) made the announcement Wednesday at a splashy unveiling in New York City, where it also let it be known the company will now go by the name BlackBerry.
The new BlackBerry models are widely seen as a make-or-break product for the company — the BlackBerry 10 devices were originally due for release last year.
By Peter Nowak - Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 6:17 AM - 0 Comments
BlackBerry may have outdone Apple in regards to its frothing fan base.
Two seemingly disparate events are happening this week: Wednesday’s long-awaited launch of BlackBerry 10 and Sunday’s Super Bowl. But believe it or not, they’re not that different. Both inspire fanatical devotion from legions of fans, some of which border on madness.
Anyone who has written anything on Research In Motion during the past little while is surely familiar with the attacks that inevitably follow. It doesn’t matter how scathing or glowing said piece was, the BlackBerry fanboys have been out with a vengeance once reserved only for Apple’s own iCult.
By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 5:59 AM - 0 Comments
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Following several delays and much anticipation, the new BlackBerry smartphones…
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Following several delays and much anticipation, the new BlackBerry smartphones will be unveiled this morning in New York.
Research In Motion (TSX:RIM), the company behind the once dominant smartphones, is holding a splashy event in Manhattan to usher in the new devices, which were originally due for release last year.
The debut is expected to showcase the device as well as provide key launch details.
That will likely include its release date, which is expected in the next four to six weeks, the phone’s features and how much it will cost.
The company says the new BlackBerry will be released first in a touchscreen version, while a keypad alternative will follow in the weeks or months afterward.
By The Canadian Press - Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 5:00 AM - 0 Comments
NEW YORK, N.Y. – After several technical blunders, two unexpected delays and one major…
NEW YORK, N.Y. – After several technical blunders, two unexpected delays and one major shakeup in its leadership, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion is about to raise the curtain for its new smartphone devices in hopes that consumers share the excitement.
The unveiling of the phones and operating system on Wednesday marks the start of an advertising blitz that will stretch to social media, the Super Bowl and beyond as RIM tries to regain the cool factor that was once firmly in its grasp.
If all goes according to plan, the event will also mark the end of a troublesome 12 months that has seen RIM try to stay afloat while its future was constantly in question by outsiders, and its stock price tumbled to the lowest level in about a decade.
While the first hurdles to overcome on Wednesday are the opinions of tech analysts and investor reaction, the true measure of success — actual sales of the phones — is still weeks away.
By Peter Nowak - Monday, January 28, 2013 at 10:35 AM - 0 Comments
Does anybody else have the feeling that this week’s launch of BlackBerry 10 doesn’t really matter? It’s not for anything that Research In Motion is or isn’t doing with its long-awaited and overdue handsets, but rather because mobile devices are on their way to becoming commoditized.
With smartphones, it’s Google that’s driving the trend. As with virtually every area of its business, the company isn’t so interested in selling things to consumers as it is in getting them online and using its services, with the money coming from the ads it serves them that way. That’s why Google is selling the Nexus 4 in North America for $300 without a contract, while in the developing world it’s moving smartphones for just $50. It’s also why Android has more than three quarters of the world’s market share for smartphones. If Google knew the first thing about actually selling stuff to consumers, the constantly sold-out Nexus 4 would be an even bigger deal than it is.
Neither the Nexus 4 nor those African phones are as high-powered as most of the “hero” devices being sold in advanced markets, but for many users, they’re good enough. With Google plying this very different agenda, smartphone prices have only one way to go: down.
That’s good for consumers, as it will ultimately change the way phones are sold here in North America. Cheap handsets mean consumers won’t need to sign on for subsidized contracts with carriers. And with no contracts to lock them in, carriers may actually be forced to give consumers better service and prices.
But it’s bad for phone makers. The healthy profit margins enjoyed so far by the likes of Samsung. and especially Apple. are coming under pressure, which is why there’s been so much chatter lately about the possibility of a cheaper iPhone.
Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook has tried to deflect such talk by saying he isn’t interested in “revenue for revenue’s sake,” yet the company’s previous actions speak volumes. Apple did launch the cheaper iPad Mini last year in response to pressure from Google and Amazon, who together set the new price agenda on that category with their own smaller and less expensive devices, the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, respectively.
Phones and tablets are inevitably following computers into commoditization. Apple may still charge a premium for its products, but it will ultimately have to settle for a relatively small market share as a result, just as it has in computers. There is also a limit to that premium – with the likes of Google and Amazon setting the pace, the respective days of $700 smartphones and $500 tablets are numbered.
Which brings us back to BlackBerry. With shrinking margins on the horizon, why would anyone want to be in the smartphone or tablet market? Monolithic conglomerates such as Google, Samsung and Apple can afford it because such devices are but pieces of their much larger wholes. They can take a bath on phones and tablets since they pay off in other ways, including keeping people within their larger ecosystems.
For smaller, single-purpose players such as RIM or Nokia, which don’t really have anything else to offer consumers, that low-margin future isn’t very appealing.
It’s no surprise, then, that RIM may be looking to pull an IBM, where it would sell off its hardware business to focus instead on software and services. It’s ironic that the same company involved in IBM’s computer spinoff nearly a decade ago – China’s Lenovo – is the latest potential dance partner to be attached to this idea. And it’s not just speculation; RIM CEO Thorsten Heins says he is considering doing exactly that.
The smartest thing currently going on at RIM is the development of BlackBerry Fusion, the toolkit that lets businesses manage all the different phones being brought in by employees. This bring-your-own-device niche is one which RIM’s current competitors are unlikely to enter – and it’s potentially a high-margin business, at that.
Put these trends together with Heins’ oddly-timed comments about a potential hardware sale, and it’s tough to get excited about this week’s BlackBerry 10 launch. It may just be a lot of sound and fury that ultimately won’t matter much, since RIM’s real interests – and future – lay elsewhere.
By Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press - Monday, January 28, 2013 at 5:21 AM - 0 Comments
TORONTO – Research in Motion went from being a company revered worldwide for its innovative phones — coveted status symbols proudly carried by world leaders, executives and celebrities — to an industry also-ran that’s down to its last chance with BlackBerry 10.
How did RIM fritter away its marketshare? Here are five factors that eroded its dominance.
1. A failed transition from the corporate world into the consumer market
Before users became accustomed to fast and unfettered mobile web access, wireless messaging on a BlackBerry was the ultimate in high-tech connectivity. The ability to send and receive email on the go and trade BlackBerry Messenger texts spawned the CrackBerry moniker, and everyone in the corporate world had a BlackBerry or lusted for one. But RIM failed to catch the wave of consumer smartphone adoption and its rudimentary support of multimedia and the mobile web eventually looked pathetic beside Apple’s iPhone, Google Android phones and other devices. Only now with BlackBerry 10 does it appear that RIM has caught up to its rivals, but can it keep pace as Apple and Android continue to innovate?
By The Canadian Press - Monday, January 28, 2013 at 4:16 AM - 0 Comments
TORONTO – They call them the BlackBerry loyals: longtime smartphone users who have clung…
TORONTO – They call them the BlackBerry loyals: longtime smartphone users who have clung to their aging Curve and Bold models through the most turbulent days of the company.
In the coming months, Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) is certainly going to need them.
Despite what some critics suggest, there are still plenty of smartphone users around the world who sport BlackBerrys. In fact, there’s about 80 million of them according to RIM’s most recent quarterly subscriber numbers.
Among them are millions of enterprise customers, mostly employees at government, corporate and private businesses who were handed a BlackBerry by their employer. Together, they were the BlackBerry users who helped the device become a symbol of mobile communications innovation, and kept the company relatively stable as its share of the consumer market tumbled in North America and Europe.
By The Canadian Press - Friday, January 25, 2013 at 6:19 PM - 0 Comments
WATERLOO, Ont. – The BlackBerry is ready for game time.
Research In Motion (TSX:RIM)…
WATERLOO, Ont. – The BlackBerry is ready for game time.
Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) said Friday that its new operating system will appear in a 30-second advertisement during this year’s Super Bowl.
The announcement comes as RIM prepares to unveil its latest BlackBerry smartphone devices on Wednesday.
“A Super Bowl commercial is a great opportunity to show the redesigned, re-engineered and reinvented BlackBerry to tens of millions of consumers on the largest advertising stage of the year,” said Frank Boulben, chief marketing officer at RIM in a release.
The ad will be shown in both the U.S. and Canada on Feb. 3.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event of the year, drawing 111.3 million U.S. viewers in 2012.
In Canada, last year’s broadcast drew a record 8.1 million viewers.
It’s also the most expensive event for advertisers, costing an estimated average of $3.4 million for a 30-second spot on NBC last year, according to ratings firm Nielsen.
Super Bowl advertisements are typically a flashy showcase of new cars, beer and technology products, often with celebrity appearances. Aside from airing on television, the ads also get plenty of mileage from being streamed on the Internet.
Last year, a Harris-Decima Canadian Press poll found that more Canadians planned to watch the Super Bowl ads than the football game itself.
By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 5:00 AM - 0 Comments
TORONTO – Smartphone owners who want to use their personal phones at work can…
TORONTO – Smartphone owners who want to use their personal phones at work can now pick whether it’s a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android device.
Research In Motion made the latest update to its secure enterprise service available for download to IT professionals on Wednesday, which it said gives IT departments the flexibility to accommodate a growing trend of bring-your-own-device in workplaces.
“It’s a single platform, from an IT perspective, that can manage the full suite of mobility devices they may need to support inside of their organization,” said Jeff Holleran, senior director of enterprise product management of RIM in a recent interview.
The move comes as competition heats up for the highly lucrative corporate smartphone market, which has largely been a stronghold for RIM for years, but other players in the industry are making their own plans.
By James Cowan - Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 11:29 AM - 0 Comments
We’ve become so accustomed to treating Research In Motion as a dying enterprise, any indication that it might, actually, perhaps, maybe survive is nothing short of miraculous.
Still one week away from the launch of the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, the company saw its stock rise by 10% on Monday alone, closing at $17.41 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, having risen from a 52-week low of $6.10 in September. Anticipation for the new operating system—which has received positive, if not effusive, reviews—is partly responsible for the gains. But more important for Monday’s improvement was president and CEO Thorstein Heins’ admission to German media that the company is considering selling its hardware division. In an interview with newspaper Die Welt, Heins noted RIM’s in the midst of a strategic review that is considering “several options, including the sale of hardware production.” RIM might also begin licensing its software, but any decision will come after the launch of BB10, according to Heins.
Could this really be RIM’s Lazarus moment? If so, it may come thanks to the same alchemy that once saved another ailing tech giant: IBM.
It might seem preposterous that RIM could stop making BlackBerrys and still survive, but there is a big, blue precedent for the move. For most of the last century, IBM was the market leader for business technology, particularly mainframe computers. But it fell behind as other, nimbler competitors like Microsoft emerged. In 1979, the company scored a billion dollars in profit. By 1993, it was losing $8 billion a year and pundits were predicting the corporation would be broken up and sold for parts.
But IBM saved itself by recognizing, in the words of CEO Lou Gerstner, that there was no future in “just pushing iron down [its customers] throats.” The company shifted away from the hardware business, even selling its entire PC division in 2004. IBM instead became a software and consulting business. IBM made close to $16 billion in 2011, with 60% of the profits coming from software licensing fees and service contracts.
Regardless of the merits of the BB10, it seems unlikely RIM will ever regain the market share it’s lost to Android and Apple. Following IBM’s example, however, shows RIM might save itself by cutting the cord on its signature phone.
James Cowan writes for Canadian Business where this first appeared.
By The Canadian Press - Monday, January 21, 2013 at 11:12 AM - 0 Comments
WATERLOO, Ont. – Shares in BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion are continuing their upward march….
WATERLOO, Ont. – Shares in BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion are continuing their upward march.
RIM stock is trading up almost seven per cent, or $1.06 to $16.77 in the early going on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
The stock (TSX:RIM) has gained some 14 per cent since the close last Monday, and more than 170 per cent since hitting a 52-week low of $6.10 last September.
The recent surge comes as RIM prepares to unveil its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and line of smartphones on Jan. 30.
On Monday, president and CEO Thorsten Heins was quoted in a German newspaper as saying the Waterloo, Ont.-based company is still open to licensing its new OS, but not before the launch.
The paper also quotes Heins as saying the sale of RIM’s hardware production arm is also a possibility.
On Friday, Jeffries & Co. analyst Peter Misek raised his target estimate for RIM to US$19.50 per share, from $13.
In a note to investors, Misek said he expects RIM to open its corporate BlackBerry email services to iPhone and Android devices, which would be a new revenue stream for the company.
BlackBerry 10 is widely considered a make-or-break product for the once dominant smartphone maker, which has seen its market share eroded by Apple and Android devices.
By Matt Kwong - Monday, January 7, 2013 at 8:59 AM - 0 Comments
How a start-up in Atlanta is stealing the BlackBerry maker’s most important clients
In the mobile tech trade, a business built on communication, rescinding a party invite is one way to send a frosty message. So when John Marshall, CEO of the Atlanta-based software firm AirWatch LLC, learned that Research In Motion Ltd. had “disinvited” him and six executives from the BlackBerry World expo last spring—a week before the May 1 conference, and with their Orlando flights and hotels already booked—the snub was obvious.
“Now we’re seen as a direct competitor,” Marshall says. RIM refunded the airline tickets. AirWatch, a “Bronze sponsor” since BlackBerry World in 2011, yanked its funding from the 2012 conference. The BlackBerry maker’s hostility toward the little-known southern start-up was telling. Theirs is a see-saw relationship. When big organizations dump RIM’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server—the once-pioneering software for handling workers’ emails—they contract AirWatch to protect the data on mobile devices like iPhones and Android phones. Consumer choice is driving the migration, says Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, who tracks RIM. “As RIM’s fortunes have faded, these alternative smartphone platforms have risen.” Continue…
By Sue Allan - Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 6:03 AM - 0 Comments
WATERLOO, Ont. – Today is the last peek the market will have into RIM’s…
WATERLOO, Ont. – Today is the last peek the market will have into RIM’s financials before it releases its much anticipated new line of smartphones in the new year.
Research In Motion posts its third-quarter after markets close.
Analysts will closely be watching the company’s cash volume and subscriber numbers after the BlackBerry-maker surprised in the last quarter with better-than-expected numbers on both fronts.
RIM has already said it expects to report an operating loss in the third quarter.
By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 5:35 AM - 0 Comments
WATERLOO, Ont. – Research In Motion will report third-quarter results Thursday, the last time…
WATERLOO, Ont. – Research In Motion will report third-quarter results Thursday, the last time the market will get a peek into RIM’s financials before it releases its much anticipated new line of smartphones in the new year.
Analysts will closely be watching the company’s cash volume and subscriber numbers after the BlackBerry-maker surprised in the last quarter with better-than-expected numbers on both fronts.
“We want to see their cash balance more or less unchanged quarter over quarter. They’re going to need all that ammunition to promote the BlackBerry 10 globally when they launch it,” said National Bank analyst Kris Thompson.
On Jan. 30, the company (TSX:RIM) will unveil a new line of smartphones running its latest operating system as it enters the most important months of its history, ones that will likely determine whether RIM survives in its existing form.
RIM has already said it expects to report an operating loss in the third quarter as it works through the transition to its next generation of BlackBerry smartphones and completes its cost reduction plan.
Thompson said he expects to see subscribers fall by about a million, but noted a surprise in that area could happen again.
In the second quarter, RIM said it had 80 million subscribers at the end of the quarter, an increase of about 2 million from the previous three months.
“I modelled down a million last quarter too and (I was) wrong. They’re discounting the units aggressively, they’re blowing out their inventory, so I wouldn’t be too surprised to actually see them grow that subscriber base again. If they can do that and maintain their cash, the stock is going higher,” Thompson said.
With the company heading into uncertain territory in the new year, RIM’s stock price has traded erratically.
Since falling to its lowest level in about a decade in September, the company’s shares have surged about 125 per cent, helped by a number of analyst upgrades.
Some analysts have noted that even though RIM has added new customers, many of them have been in emerging markets where lower priced phones are the norm. Cheaper phones don’t add as much to the bottom line.
Also in its second quarter results, RIM said its cash reserves grew by $100 million to $2.3 billion as of Sept. 1. Analysts had been concerned that the company would have to dip into its savings to survive during this period before its new product launch.
Technology analyst Bill Kreher at Edward Jones said it’s hard to forecast quarterly results going forward because although the launch date for the phones is set, customers do not yet know when they will be available. He is hoping the company will shed some light on that question and also reveal a price point.
“Any incremental information would be helpful,” he said.
Richard Tse, an analyst at Cormark Securities, said the key thing he’ll be focusing on is the company’s outlook.
“I’m sure a lot of questions will be around the timing of BB10 and the extent that they can talk about that and give specifics.”
This year, RIM has watched its market share in North America dramatically fall to about four per cent as the BlackBerry became an afterthought in the face of Apple’s iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S3.
And while other companies debuted new devices, RIM was forced to push the launch of its BlackBerry 10 operating system and new phones into next year, missing the crucial back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons.
The company has also made significant reductions across its operations, closing facilities, severing ties with certain manufacturers and announcing plans to lay off 5,000 workers across its global operations in an effort to save $1 billion by the end of its fiscal year.
Analysts are expecting a quarterly loss of 33 cents per share and an annual loss of $1.27 per share.
By macleans.ca - Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 7:50 AM - 0 Comments
Nokia files a lawsuit and Yahoo moves away from RIM
With its much-anticipated new smartphones still weeks from release, Research In Motion found itself under attack yet again last week. Rival Nokia filed a lawsuit against the BlackBerry maker after a Swedish arbitration panel ruled RIM was in breach of a key wireless patent. At the same time, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was widely quoted dissing RIM’s phones: “We literally are moving the company from BlackBerrys to smartphones,” said Mayer in an interview with Fortune.
Yet despite the bad press, things are suddenly looking up for the Waterloo, Ont.-based firm. Goldman Sachs recently raised its rating on RIM from “neutral” to “buy.” Market confidence has been quietly rising. National Bank and Jefferies have also boosted their outlooks. Over the past two months, RIM shares have risen 75 per cent, to over $11.
Investors don’t expect RIM to shoot back to the top of the mobile industry when BlackBerry 10 arrives. But it has fallen so far in recent years that even a modest turnaround seems a safe bet that could yield results. “We now assess a 30 per cent chance of success for BB10 given positive early reviews, broad-based carrier support, attractive features and interest by carriers and consumers in broadening the field beyond Android/iOS,” said Goldman Sachs in its report.
By The Canadian Press - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 8:13 PM - 0 Comments
WATERLOO, Ont. – Research In Motion shares took a substantial step back Tuesday from…
WATERLOO, Ont. – Research In Motion shares took a substantial step back Tuesday from recent gains, closing down 10 per cent amid a report that BlackBerry’s share of the U.S. market has fallen to just two per cent.
Shares in the Waterloo, Ont.,-based tech company closed down $1.20 to $10.70 in heavy trading of 10.4 million shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Until Tuesday, the stock had risen about 50 per cent in November as several analysts upgraded their views of the company after it set a firm launch date for its upcoming BlackBerry device.
But the latest smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed BlackBerry market share in the U.S has fallen to 1.6 per cent in the 12-week period ending Oct. 28. That’s compared to 8.5 per cent in the three-months ended last October.
The loss came as Apple’s iPhone made a 25.7 per cent gain, now capturing 22.4 per cent of the crucial consumer market. The iPhone’s gain also came at the expense of Android phones, whose market share fell 16.6 per cent to 46.7 per cent of the market.
Apple launched its hotly anticipated iPhone 5 in September, on the same day BlackBerry users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa experienced a massive outage.
The research firm said six per cent of iPhone 5 sales came from former BlackBerry users switching devices.
RIM has under 10 per cent of market share in the tech-savvy North American market. Its new operating system, expected to better browse the web and be app friendly, is considered a make-or-break product for RIM.
Its market share also fell in other countries studied in the report. It was down 11.1 per cent in the U.K., nine per cent in France, 20.3 per cent in Spain and six per cent in Brazil. There was no data on market share in Canada.
RIM is scheduled to release its next financial report on Dec. 20, for the fiscal third quarter ending on Dec. 1.
By The Canadian Press - Monday, November 26, 2012 at 11:36 AM - 0 Comments
TORONTO – Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) has received another vote of confidence from the…
TORONTO – Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) has received another vote of confidence from the investment community, this time from CiBC.
The bank’s capital markets arm has raised its price target for the Canadian smartphone maker’s stock to US$17 — up from CIBC’s previous estimate of US$8 per share.
CIBC has also RIM stock a “sector outperform” rating — an improvement from the “sector underperform” rating it has had due to skepticism about RIM’s ability to come out with a new generation of products that will beat back the competition.
Research In Motion shares closed Friday at C$11.61 in Toronto and at US$11.66 on the Nasdaq market. They were up slightly after markets opened Monday but remained below $12 at midmorning.
A note from CIBC World Market analyst Todd Coupland issued Monday before the markets opened says he thinks RIM’s stock is “materially undervalued.”
He points to the base of existing subscribers to BlackBerry smartphones as a source of strength for the company.
There have been several similar upgrades ahead of RIM’s launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system that’s scheduled to be launched Jan. 30.
CIBC’s revised price target is $2 above an estimate last week from National Bank Financial.
The BB10 devices are seen as a make-or-break development for the Waterloo, Ont.-based company as it competes against Apple’s iPhones, devices using Google’s Android operating system and a refreshed Microsoft smartphone system.
The stock traded as high as US$11.97 on Monday at Nasdaq and as high as C$12.08 in Toronto.
RIM stock was last above C$12 on the TSX in May.
By Emily Senger - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 11:41 AM - 0 Comments
The National Transportation Safety Board is the latest in a number American government departments…
The National Transportation Safety Board is the latest in a number American government departments to announce plans to dump the BlackBerry, or at least to look to other providers.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the Transportation Safety Board posted a notice of intent to a federal website last week, saying that it was looking to make the switch to the iPhone 5 due to reliability issues with the Research In Motion product.
The notice said that the BlackBerry has been “failing both at inopportune times and at an unacceptable rate.”
The Transportation Safety Board’s decision follows the U.S. Military’s decision to move away from the BlackBerry.
All this comes as RIM stock got a slight boost on Tuesday after Jeffries & Co. analyst Peter Jeffries released a report giving RIM a 20-30 per cent of success when it releases its long-delayed BlackBerry 10 on Jan. 30. While those odds still aren’t great, it was an upgrade from his earlier estimation of a 10-20 per cent chance.
By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 9:22 PM - 0 Comments
OTTAWA – Research In Motion turned to core supporters Wednesday in Ottawa, hoping to…
OTTAWA – Research In Motion turned to core supporters Wednesday in Ottawa, hoping to upsell its new BlackBerry 10 operating system as the company’s shares fell after a biting report from a securities analyst.
The company (TSX:RIM) invited federal politicians and their staff to a sneak preview of the yet-to-be-released devices, an event that RIM’s Canadian managing director acknowledged was a bit like preaching to the converted.
“Government is a critical constituency for RIM and for BlackBerry,” said Andrew MacLeod.
“It’s where we got our start, in many ways, and it’s an area that we are going to continue to innovate and deliver value.”
RIM shares fell by more than eight per cent Wednesday to $8.23 after a report from an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities warned the BlackBerry 10 software may be “dead on arrival.”
“We believe BB10 is likely to be DOA,” James Faucette was quoted saying in a research note obtained by Bloomberg. “We expect the new operating system to be met with a lukewarm response at best.”
MacLeod dismissed Faucette as “not a fan” and as just one voice in a varied landscape of people looking at the new platform.
“Two other analysts came out this week with some very, very positive reactions to the platform and some positive reactions to our prospects,” MacLeod told The Canadian Press.
“We’re focused on delivering value and innovating, and we think if we do that, then we’ll get the rest of the stuff to follow.”
The Waterloo, Ont.-based company’s stock had been on a rally of late, lifting steadily in the past week to a four-month high. Wednesday’s tumble nearly wiped out all of those gains.
Besides showcasing the BB10 for politicos and business people, RIM was planning to announce Thursday how it would migrate some of the key security features of its current suite of devices to the new model.
“We’re really going to make sure the core DNA — what made Blackberry so attractive to government customers, to enterprise customers — will of course be a key part of the BlackBerry 10 and architecture and system moving forward,” said MacLeod.
Many political staffers, journalists and others swear by the BlackBerry over other devices for one main reason —its keyboard, which can make writing on the fly fast and easy compared with the touch screens offered by RIM’s competitors.
The BB10 line will include a touch screen option, but RIM maintains that its operating system will make typing faster than on other smart phones.
The company said earlier this month that its new BlackBerry smartphones were being tested by 50 phone carriers around the world.
RIM aims to have the new devices on store shelves in the first quarter of 2013, after the crucial holiday tech sales season.
By David Friend, The Canadian Press - Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 6:44 AM - 0 Comments
TORONTO – Some of Ottawa’s key government officials will be among the first to…
TORONTO – Some of Ottawa’s key government officials will be among the first to get a sneak peek of the new BlackBerry 10 operating system.
The Canadian Press has learned that Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) has sent invitations to a list of select politicians for an event in the nation’s capital on Nov. 7.
Designed to drum up excitement on Parliament Hill, RIM will host a walk-through of the new system at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Politicians will also have a chance to mingle with executives of the company.
Invitations were sent to MPs, their assistants, members of Industry Canada, and regional caucus members.
“Get a sneak peek of BlackBerry 10, the next generation mobile platform that will change everything,” the invitation reads.
“You’re invited to join BlackBerry Government Forum 2012 for an exclusive invite-only presentation.”
RIM is preparing to launch its new operating system and BlackBerry devices early next year, though a specific launch date hasn’t been set. A touch screen version of the smartphone is expected to debut first, followed by a keypad variation of the device.
Government workers have been heavy BlackBerry users since the early days of RIM, particularly because the devices are known for their encryption system, which adds another layer of protection to confidential information.
Despite the onslaught of competitors in the North American consumer market, including Apple’s iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S3, the BlackBerry remains the dominant phone on Parliament Hill.
Each Member of Parliament is issued a BlackBerry smartphone when they take the job, and the BlackBerry Messenger service has become the substitute for a quick email.
RIM’s PlayBook tablet device hasn’t proven as successful, though, and House members are often seen using iPads instead.
In other countries, the BlackBerry has also been a staple of politicians, including in the U.S. where President Barack Obama said during his first campaign that he relied on the device.
However, several companies have jumped ship from RIM phones to other devices in recent months, primarily due to several delays in the roll out of the latest version.
On Friday, U.S. government adviser Booz Allen Hamilton said it was shutting down its BlackBerry server and allowing its employees to use iPhones and Android devices.
By Chris Sorensen - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 5:15 AM - 0 Comments
Research In Motion is still near death, but has one last shot at redemption
It’s just before 10 a.m. and Andrew MacLeod, the Canadian managing director for Research In Motion Ltd., is sitting in a diner in downtown Toronto. For the first time in recent memory, he has some “good” news to talk about. A day earlier, the beleaguered BlackBerry-maker reported a quarterly loss of $235 million—less than many had feared. It also added about two million new subscribers, mostly in developing countries. RIM’s battered shares, which have traded as low as $6.22 in recent weeks, shot up 13 per cent.
While none of that means RIM is back from the brink—far from it, in fact—it does suggest the Waterloo, Ont.-based company may still be around in early 2013 to launch its long-overdue BlackBerry 10 smartphone, which seemed far from certain just a few weeks earlier. “We’re entering lab testing with our carrier partners next month,” says MacLeod. “Then we’ll be gearing up for a series of really big commercial platform launches. It’s a really exciting time for us.”
BlackBerry fans, a dwindling crowd, seem cautiously optimistic. Developers at a recent conference reacted positively to demo phones running BlackBerry 10, despite first being treated to a bizarre music video featuring Alec Saunders, RIM’s head of developer relations, singing a nerdy, BlackBerry-themed version of REO Speedwagon’s Keep on Loving You. Unlike Apple’s iPhone, or devices running Google’s Android software, BlackBerry 10 allows users to slide back-and-forth between applications (without the need for a “home” button) and check their inboxes by swiping away the screen they’re viewing. “It fundamentally changes the paradigm of how a smartphone should be used,” says independent tech analyst Carmi Levy. “The problem for RIM isn’t developing unique technology. It’s convincing people to at least give it a try.”
By Hugh McKenna, The Canadian Press - Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 6:17 PM - 0 Comments
TORONTO – The BlackBerry brand that once dominated the smartphone landscape has plummeted nearly to the bottom of the latest ranking of global brands by an international consultancy.
Interbrand said Tuesday that Research In Motion’s BlackBerry is now 93rd on its list of 100 most valuable global brands, down from 56th in 2011. It put the brand’s value at $3.9 billion, down 39 per cent from a year ago.
The top three spots on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands report for 2012 are held by Coca-Cola, valued at almost $78 billion; Apple at more than $76 billion, and IBM at more than $75 billion.
Both Coca-Cola and IBM were unchanged from the positions they held in 2011, while Apple jumped to No. 2 from No. 8 “thanks to stellar sales in both developed and emerging markets,” Interbrand said in a release.
The big drop for BlackBerry, the brand name for products produced by Waterloo.,Ont.-based RIM (TSX:RIM), followed a drop last year to the 56th spot from 54 in 2010. BlackBerry placed 63rd in 2009.
Interbrand noted that BlackBerry shipments are down 41 per cent in the past year and the brand’s market share now stands at 4.8 per cent globally, compared with 11.5 per cent a year ago.
“In order to survive, the brand must clearly demonstrate its relevance and value in today’s crowded smartphone market,” said Alfred DuPuy, managing director, Interbrand Canada.
“If BlackBerry can deliver a truly innovative experience designed for today’s mobile professional, it will send the message that the brand is committed to the (business to business) market on which it had originally built its success.”


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|Bid||0.00 x 0|
|Ask||0.00 x 0|
|Day's Range||5.51 - 5.51|
|52 Week Range||3.27 - 6.69|
|Beta (5Y Monthly)||1.88|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||27.66|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|Ex-Dividend Date||Mar. 27, 2020|
|1y Target Est||N/A|
Japanese stocks clocked their biggest weekly loss in nine months as investors refrained from placing big bets amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases and on U.S. inflation scare, despite a slight climb in the day on positive corporate earnings. The Nikkei 225 Index ended 2.32% higher at 28,084.47 on Friday, while the broader Topix rose 1.86% to 1,883.42. Technology shares led the advance on Friday as investors hunted for bargains following a global sell-off in the sector.
Japanese stocks reclaimed lost ground on Friday after three consecutive days of losses, as a rebound in Wall Street and positive corporate earnings lured buyers back to the markets. The Nikkei 225 Index was up 1.43% at 27,840.27, as of 0200 GMT, while the broader Topix rose 1.36% to 1,874.12. However, worries about Japan's slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout and further restrictions on business activity could limit gains in equities.
GARDEN CITY, N.Y., March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifetime Brands, Inc. (NasdaqGS: LCUT), a leading global designer, developer and marketer of a broad range of branded consumer products used in the home, will release its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020 financial results at 7:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. The Company has scheduled a conference call for 11:00 a.m., at which time Chief Executive Officer Rob Kay and Chief Financial Officer Larry Winoker will discuss the Company's financial results and will be available to answer investor questions. The dial-in number for the conference call is (866) 610-1072 (U.S.) or (973) 935-2840 (International), Conference ID: 3185706. A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible through https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3043690/F9E6F0057DE8E9600AAF23880AC539ED. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, an audio replay of the webcast will be available. About Lifetime Brands, Inc. Lifetime Brands is a leading global designer, developer and marketer of a broad range of branded consumer products used in the home. The Company markets its products under well-known kitchenware brands, including Farberware®, KitchenAid®, Sabatier®, Amco Houseworks®, Chef’n® Chicago™ Metallic, Copco®, Fred® & Friends, Houdini™, KitchenCraft®, Kamenstein®, Kizmos™, La Cafetière®, MasterClass®, Misto®, Swing-A-Way®, Taylor® Kitchen, and Rabbit®; respected tableware and giftware brands, including Mikasa®, Pfaltzgraff®, Fitz and Floyd®, Creative Tops®, Empire Silver™, Gorham®, International® Silver, Kirk Stieff®, Towle® Silversmiths, Wallace®, Wilton Armetale®, V&A® and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew®; and valued home solutions brands, including BUILT NY®, Taylor® Bath, Taylor® Kitchen, Taylor® Weather and Planet Box®. The Company also provides exclusive private label products to leading retailers worldwide. The Company’s corporate website is www.lifetimebrands.com. Contacts: Lifetime Brands, Inc.Larry Winoker, Chief Financial Officer516email@example.com OR Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer KatcherEd Trissel / Andrew Squire / Rose Temple212-355-4449


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Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs: Trade association and sellers body, Indian Sellers Collective on Wednesday opposed a proposal by the government’s food licensing body, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) on Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) regulation of putting star ratings on food items based on their nutrient composition, as per a report by Mint.
Under the proposed regulation, packaged food and beverages will be given star ratings like ‘one-star food’, ‘two-star food’, and therefore ‘good-food’, ‘not-good food’, etc. on the basis of their salt, sugar, and fat content.
FSSAI has published a draft notification on front-of-pack labeling in a bid to regulate the unhealth ingredients used for packaged food products.
“The representative body has claimed that FOPNL will lead to ethnic Indian foods being classified as unhealthy, cause severe loss of business to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) packaged food manufacturers and sellers and open the floodgates for western packaged food to capture the Indian markets,” the association said in a statement.
Traditional Indian snacks have salt, sugar and fat for scientific and customary reasons and the regulation will classify them unhealthy as per the proposed parameters, the report said. This may lead to consumers rejecting these traditional food items, said the industry association.
Bhujiya, Dhokla, Murukku, Gulab Jamun, Ras Malai, Barfi, nimbu pani, lassi are some of the common packaged foods and beverages produced by the traditional snack makers.
The sellers’ collective also said that the regulation may favour multinational food companies as they will be able to modify the nutrient composition of their food products to secure a better health star rating. Such companies could add nuts and fruits to their existing product to gain favourable ratings in their food items as well as beverages.
Dhairyashil Patil, President, All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), said “Large distributors and big retail who are thriving through collaborations with MNCs and large food companies will continue to sell the reconstituted, western packaged foods in India, as adoption of FONPL will go on to destroy the market for traditional Indian packaged foods. However, the millions of small, independent sellers who largely depend on MSME manufacturers and packaged traditional Indian snacks to earn their livelihoods, will have no recourse, thereby threatening their very survival.”
AICPDF is an industry body that represents dealers and distributors of fast-moving consumer goods companies.
FSSAI’s notification also gives a list of solid foods and beverages which will be exempted from FOPNL norms.
Referring to the exemption list, Indian Sellers Collective said that the list disregards Indian origin food product categories and instead pushes western products which are high on sugar, salt and fat.
According to industry estimates, India’s food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market. As a matter of fact, almost 79 per cent of the processed food market is dominated by the MSME players and is concentrated in tier II and tier III towns of the country. For these regions, the FOPNL regulation could put the existence of small manufacturers in threat, if enacted.
Source : Financial Express Nov 9 2022


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Mansur Gavriel launch shoes line
New York-based accessory designers Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel hosted their first New York Fashion Week presentation, featuring a host of new styles and products. “We’ve never had the opportunity to express the brand visually because we sell out of the bags so quickly,” said Mansur, minutes before the doors opened. “We don’t have a store, we just have Instagram. So we really wanted an opportunity to physically visualise it.”
The entire range of suede mules, slides and sandals — available in five heel heights, four silhouettes and 16 colour combinations, from cobalt blue suede to vegetable-tanned leather — were displayed on department store-inspired shelving.


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Flipkart to offer 90-minute deliveries of groceries
New Delhi: Walmart-owned Flipkart on Tuesday announced 90-minute delivery for groceries as it seeks to take on Amazon.com and billionaire Mukesh Ambani's upstart JioMart in the fast-growing Indian market.
The hyperlocal delivery service 'Flipkart Quick', which will also offer 90-minute deliveries of fresh vegetables, meat, and mobile phones, will initially be available at select locations in Bengaluru and would be gradually scaled up and expanded to six large cities by the end of the year, Flipkart Vice-President Sandeep Karwa said. India's $950 billion retail market is predicted to grow to $1.3 trillion by FY26. Of this, e-commerce business is estimated at around $78 billion which is expected to cross $100 billion by 2025. And grocery is the latest category where e-commerce firms are slugging it out.
Amazon offers a quick-delivery service for groceries. This segment also has competition from Alibaba-based BigBasket and JioMart which is experimenting with using WhatsApp to connect consumers with local Kirana stores.
"...everything which we expect our neighbourhood departmental store to carry is all what we made live. Along with this, we've also announced the launch of our fruits and vegetables, and meats category...we've created a storage space where we've enabled a lot of our sellers to store their inventory," Karwa added.


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Toyota introduces fuel cell car for $69,000
Toyota fuel cell car: $69,000
Toyota Motor Corp.'s vision of a hydrogen future will begin with a $69,000 car.
That's the price of Toyota's new fuel-cell vehicle. The Camry-size car will go on sale in Japan with a sticker price of about $69,000 before April, followed by its release in the U.S. and Europe months later, Toyota said.
The car represents the path Toyota will take toward zero emissions, choosing fuel cells over the plug-in electric technologies embraced by Tesla Motors Inc.
The maker of the Prius will join Hyundai Motor Co. in facing the challenge of making these vehicles affordable and easier to use given the lack of refueling infrastructure.
It has also faced criticism for lacking government subsidies that would lower the price.
While fuel-cell cars are propelled entirely by electric motors, like those in Tesla's $71,000 Model S, they don't need to be plugged into power outlets to store energy. Instead, hydrogen gas passes through a stack of plastic membranes and platinum-dusted plates to produce electricity. The stacks remain expensive because of the precious metals needed, as do the high-pressure tanks.
Tesla Chairman Elon Musk has been vocal in his criticism of fuel-cell vehicles as being inferior to electric vehicles.
"As people probably know, I'm not the biggest fan of fuel cells - I usually call them 'fool cells,' " Musk said this month at Tesla's annual meeting. In a speech to employees and enthusiasts at a service center in Germany last year, he called fuel cells "a load of rubbish."
Barnes & Noble to spin off Nook
Barnes & Noble said Wednesday that it plans to spin off its Nook business, once viewed as the company's best hope for surviving in an age of a dominant Amazon.com, as a separate public company.
The announcement moves Barnes & Noble forward on a plan it has considered for nearly two years.
Over the past two years, the retailer has brought in Microsoft and publisher Pearson as minority investors in the Nook business, in part to help defray the costs of building and selling e-readers.
But the Nook - which Barnes & Noble once trumpeted as its best answer to Amazon and its popular Kindle device - instead fell increasingly behind. Barnes & Noble has moved to downsize the unit, focusing more on media sales and teaming with Samsung to build the devices.
Revenue at the unit fell 22 percent in the fourth quarter, to $87.1 million, even as sales at physical bookstores and the college division rose. The Nook division cut its losses by 69 percent during the quarter, in part because of lower marketing expenses and other cost cuts.
The separation of the Nook Media business is expected to be completed by March 30.
Revision shows bigger decline
The U.S. economy shrank at a steep annual rate of 2.9 percent in the January-March quarter as a harsh winter contributed to the biggest contraction since the depths of the recession five years ago. But the setback is widely thought to be temporary, with growth rebounding solidly since spring.
The contraction in gross domestic product reported Wednesday by the Commerce Department was even more severe than the 1 percent annual decline it had estimated a month ago. Analysts expect a 4 percent rate in the April-June quarter and an annual rate of around 3 percent in the second half of this year.
Uber blocked in New Mexico
New Mexico regulators have denied a temporary operating permit for Uber.
Commissioners say they could not grant the permit because of requested waivers for required filings such as driver safety records and insurance information.
Uber Technologies filed for a permanent certificate to operate in May.
The state commission recently attempted to shut down Lyft Inc., but abandoned that this month. Lyft has argued it doesn't need a permit because it is not a taxi service.
Commissioners say they will begin planning regulations to address safety concerns and other issues surrounding the car services.
Colorado became the first state to pass a law regulating companies such as UberX and Lyft.
Historic house won't be razed
A Google executive who had planned to tear down his historic Portland house has instead opted to sell it after outraged neighbors complained and 3,000 people signed an online petition urging him to preserve the 19th century home.
Kevin Rose, a general partner for Google Ventures, paid $1.3 million for a house built in 1892. He planned to renovate it, but when that proved costly, he decided to tear it down and build a 5,900-square-foot home.
This week, Rose and his wife agreed to sell the home for $1.375 million. The couple said in a statement that they did not want an adversarial relationship with their neighbors.


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UK donates GBP 500,000 for Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility
The United Kingdom is contributing GBP 500,000 (CHF 738,182) to the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility to help developing and least-developed countries implement the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: “I welcome the United Kingdom's generous donation. It is an important contribution, which will help to ensure that developing and least-developed countries are assisted in implementing the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement and are able to reap its benefits.”
Julian Braithwaite, UK Ambassador to the WTO, said: “The UK is a major Aid for Trade donor, contributing over £1 billion a year to help developing and least-developed countries to trade regionally and internationally. Our support to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility will contribute to improving coordination and coherence among the various agencies and programmes helping WTO members to implement the TFA.”
Since 2002, the UK has donated GBP 8,084,143 (CHF 11,923,845) to WTO trust funds. Details of the UK commitments to support trade facilitation can be found here.


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Srinagar: At a time when administration has started lifting Covid restrictions on various businesses across the Valley, Restaurant and Cafe Association of Kashmir (RAK) has urged authorities to allow reopening of restaurants as well.
In this regard, a meeting of the executive body of the RAK, headed by its president Sheikh Feroz, was organised on Friday to discuss the administrative overlook in this matter. Besides other members, Babar Chaudhry Vice President and Sheikh Imran Secretary General of the body were also present in the meeting.
After assessing the situation in terms of Covid lockdowns and now opening up of the markets, executinve members of RAK said that like other businesses restaurants also have been closed in the Valley since the outbreak of pandemic early last year, and the restaurant owners have been subjected to huge losses due to the continuous lock down of about 18 months.
They also said that the restaurants that had been established just few months or a year or so before the pandemic hit world are the worst sufferers. Most of these new ventures had been started by the youngsters to earn their bread and butter. Most of these restaurants have been completely closed as the owners could not sustain the losses of their businesses. While as the well-established restaurants too did layoff most of their staff as they find it difficult the manage staff salaries.
RAK said that to ensure restaurant owners start revival of their businesses, administration should allow reopening of the restaurants like other businesses have been allowed to open. They said the locals and the tourists from outside also face difficulties because of the closures of the restaurants here.
While appealing administration to permit the re-opening of restaurants, RAK assured that all the precautions and SOPs would be followed strictly to ensure safety.


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Users of the device have been complaining that there is a gap between the smartphone’s display and its casing
Samsung decided to surprise all Note fans by launching their phablet in South Korea and China contrary to its own announcement that said that the phablet will be launched in October. The launch of the Note 4 has come at the perfectly appropriate timing when the thunder of the iPhone 6 Plus needs to be sidetracked a bit. This is the perfect opportunity for Samsung to capitalize on the strength of these two markets which still haven’t gotten the iPhone 6 models yet.
Don't Miss: Sam's Club Black Friday 2016 Details
South Korea got the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on September 26th but it seems like this wasn’t the perfect time for the Note 4 to emerge on the horizon. Samsung was perhaps in a rush to counter its rival Apple and if this wasn’t the scheduled time for the Note 4 to come out, then things were meant to go this way. Those who have purchased the phablet have been complaining that there is a gap between the smartphone’s display and its casing. This can clearly be seen in the pictures posted by these users.
This gap is huge enough to be avoided at all and according to those who have tried explaining how big the gap is, they say it can easily fit two A4 sized papers or a business card. This is not just a major setback in the outer appearance of the Note 4 but also practically very wrong since this little gap can become the perfect spot for dust accumulation and sneaky water drops.
How To: Buy a Pokemon Go Plus


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Fullmetal Alchemist Battle will be coming to Android!
The game was previously released on iPhone last year and it experienced the success of having at least 75, 000 people joining in on the fun. It is with this success in tow that Funimation will be releasing said game onto the Android OS.
When the game will be released onto Android wasn’t announced, but they did hint that it will be in the coming weeks or months. In addition, Funimation will also release a French version of the game, called ”The Battle Mentors”. The website teased with saying the closer they get to an Android release, the more information they will release about the new version, new cards and more.
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The TikTok application is caught violating the user’s privacy. This stems from an investigation conducted by Apple researchers, Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk. Both found that TikTok is one of the many applications that are able to access the clipboard on the user’s gadget.
As a result, Apple is also trying to deal with this problem, especially on iOS 14. They will launch a new OS where gadget users will get a warning when an application is found “spying”.
Reporting from Forbes, Bytedance as the owner of TikTok blames the Google advertising SDK which is outdated. According to them, the old version of the Google Advertising SDK made the TikTok application accidentally access user gadgets.


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Whole Foods Hails "Shrimpsgiving" Arrival
Nov 12, 2008
Whole Foods Market is celebrating "Shrimpsgiving" at its seafood departments nationwide, featuring fully cooked and raw shrimp that the natural/organic grocer is billing as a great grab-and-go "value" for holiday meals. The chain is also featuring special prices on shrimp during the month of November, according to an article on Progressive Grocer, a supermarket insider magazine.
A larger array of shrimp will be on display in Whole Foods stores than in previous years, the grocer noted.
The Austin, Texas-based chain is offering wild and premium farm-raised shrimp, including already cooked, tail-on shrimp from Thailand; and raw, shell-on American-raised white shrimp (price varies by region, it said). It is also posting shrimp recipe ideas on their Website.


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Underscoring the tremendous popularity of its balcony staterooms, Carnival Cruise Lines will add balconies to a number of cabins on two ships during upcoming dry docks over the next few months.
Carnival Cruise Lines To Operate First-Ever Quebec Voyages Aboard 102,000-Ton Carnival Triumph In 2009
For guests seeking a unique cruise alternative with opportunities to view magnificent scenery and wildlife and visit three charming cities along the historic St. Lawrence River, Carnival Cruise Lines will operate a series of nine-day voyages to Quebec aboard the 102,000-ton Carnival Triumph in summer 2009.
Earlier this week, Carnival Cruise Lines held press conferences in Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans to announce the deployment of newer, larger ships to those markets. The press conferences were met with outstanding response, attracting a variety of local print and broadcast outlets, along with dignitaries, travel agents, port and government officials, and community leaders.
During a press conference held at the Port of New Orleans, Carnival Cruise Lines- which offers the only year-round service from New Orleans- announced the deployment of the Carnival Triumph to the Big Easy in early November 2009.
Carnival Cruise Lines to Expand Capacity in New Orleans by 34 Percent With Deployment of Carnival Triumph in Nov. 2009
Carnival Cruise Lines – which operates the only year-round cruise program from New Orleans – will increase capacity by 34 percent when the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph replaces the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy from the Big Easy in November 2009.


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New Delhi – Paytm Mall on Monday announced appointment of Amit Sinha as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for overall operations of Paytm Mall and expanding the team to ensure customers have access to the widest assortment of products across categories.
Amit will be responsible for delivering quick, efficient and optimised partner logistics network. He has served in several key business roles in Paytm and helped implement critical business, HR and financial processes for the company.
“At Paytm Mall, we are addressing a unique opportunity of giving small businesses and retailers access to mobile internet technology to address India’s large mobile consumer base. Amit’s experience in building various businesses since their inception makes him our best choice to lead our commerce business,” said founder and CEO Paytm, Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
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Jennifer Lawrence's Latest Red Carpet Look? A Slinky Velvet Dress and Slick Strands
As the face of Dior, Jennifer Lawrence has had a long-standing relationship with the brand. In the past year, we've witnessed the actress in a nonstop parade of Dior gowns, couture and otherwise, on the red carpet. In fact, we had seen so much of Lawrence in Dior (falling in Dior, accepting awards in Dior, sitting front row at Dior, posing for Dior) that we could barely recall a time when she wasn't contractually obligated to wear the label. And that's why we were so taken aback when she broke her streak and hit the world premiere of X-Men: Days of Future Past on Saturday in a non-Dior dress. (Only Lawrence could rock headlines for playing designer switcheroo!)
The actress stunned all when she stepped out in a slinky velvet jacquard bias-cut Jason Wu slip gown that molded to her every curve. She further amped up the sensuality by pairing the rich fabric with dark, moody accessories, like Ana Khouri jewelry and a black Kotur clutch. What's more, she even debuted a new hairstyle: a deep-parted style with her longer strands slicked to one side.
It's definitely a new look for Lawrence, and it's one we can get behind (though after much deliberation). It could be the beginning of a whole new aesthetic or simply a one-time fluke. As to whether she'll experiment with other brands or resume her Dior run, we'll just have to wait until her next red carpet appearance.


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Those who wish to collect their two free reusable masks may do so from vending machines from Sept 21 till Oct 4, said Temasek Foundation yesterday in an update on its latest mask collection exercise.
Temasek Foundation, the social and charity arm of Singapore investment company Temasek, added that residents may collect masks on behalf of their family members and friends by bringing and scanning the barcodes of their respective government-issued IDs.
From 8am on Sunday, members of the public can go to this website to check on locations of the vending machines for each of the different mask types, as well as stock availability.
The latest nationwide mask distribution exercise was announced by Temasek chief executive and executive director Ho Ching on Wednesday night. Ms Ho had also said that masks could be pre-ordered online for a fee.
Giving more details yesterday, the foundation said that pre-orders can be made from Sunday till Oct 2 at the website or via the DBS PayLah app.
The foundation highlighted that pre-orders are subject to stock availability, and that there will be no direct sales or payment at the vending machines. The fee may be paid online using PayNow, credit cards or via the DBS PayLah app.
A unique QR code will be generated for each successful transaction, which will then be sent to the mobile number used for the order. Residents may then scan their unique pre-order QR code at the vending machines to redeem and collect their mask kits.
If the initial vending machine runs out of stock, or if they order different colours requiring collection at different machines, they can redeem the balance of their order from another machine.
Temasek Foundation said it was embarking on this second round of distribution due to the popularity of the reusable masks it distributed in June and July.
“Reusable masks are a useful and sustainable alternative to single-use disposable masks, which are highly pollutive for our environment if not disposed of correctly,” it said, adding that since the outbreak, nearly 100 million disposable masks have been used each month globally.
The foundation added: “This is well over a billion annually. The environmental impact from the use and disposal of these masks can be greatly reduced if we can make the switch to reusable masks.”
Temasek chairman Lim Boon Heng said: “Together with our partners, we will continue to find more ways to help our communities stay safe, including using the vending machine network to distribute useful items such as medical supplies, vitamins or food, in future.”
Source: Read Full Article


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Protecting sensitive personal and business data is a big concern, with all the reports of hacking and identity theft. The RSA Conference focuses on digital security trends, threats and products. The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) was an important participant in the 2016 RSA Conference with a half-day session and exhibits. The TCG is focused on all aspects of security in computer-based systems. As shown by a presentation from the ESG cybersecurity is a major concern of corporations.
TCG has a special focus on security for industrial and consumer Internet of Things (IoT). There were several talks and exhibits on technologies that can secure automobiles and other connected consumer devices from malicious hacking. One of the bigger activities of the TCG has been in securing the places where data is stored or “at rest.”
The base of storage security in the TCG is the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). It is a special microprocessor, built into a host storage device that stores keys, passwords and digital certificates. This allows the TCG to do authentication, integrity checks of systems connected to the TPM and cryptographic capabilities that create a unique digital fingerprint for the storage device.
The TPM is also a secure repository for certificates, keys and passwords. There are over 2 billion TPMs worldwide embedded in PCs, servers, networking gear and other devices. The TPM 2.0 library specification is geared to bring security across many devices in an IoT environment. A storage device built with a TPM can encrypt its own content and is thus called a Self Encrypting Drive (SED).
The Drive Trust Alliance (DTA) was exhibiting at the TCG event at the RSA Conference. The DTA is focused on getting consumers and other clients to use SEDs. All SSDs and almost all HDDs have SED encryption capability built into the drive but very few of these drives have the security turned on and used by the customers to protect their data. The DTA is seeking to get more people to use the built in security of SEDs to protect themselves from malicious hackers. The DTA also offers open source software for SED management.
WinMagic Data Security also had an exhibit at the TCG area. They pointed out that SEDs have a key role in protecting data at rest in the IoT. For instance Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are IoT devices that are very open to the world and thus available for ready physical attack. ATMs are usually network connected, expected to boot automatically and there is no trusted user present to perform pre-boot authentication.
Their demonstration showed how ATMs with SEDs can be authenticated and managed with SecureDoc pre-boot networking technology, known as PBConnex. WinMagic had announced a partnership with NCR to provent offline malware attacks on ATMs around the world. Some drive companies, in particular Micron were also showing their SEDs in the exhibits.
The National Cybersecurity Center of Exellence at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is creating standards to help protect data and networks in the energy sector, the financial services sector and the health IT sector. They are doing this with a number of building blocks that include self-encrypting storage devices. NIST has security standards that storage device companies must pass in order to have important FIPS certification.
Security is an important element in modern electronic gear and securing data at rest is an important element in preventing unauthorized access to valuable information. The Trusted Computing Group and the Drive Trust Alliance are working to make all computing devices save and storage devices safe respectively. Wider use of self-encrypted drive technology could protect many consumer and businesses from data theft and intrusion.


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The 2020 year is most 5G smartphone release year. This 5G technology is going mainstream, cause the price of 5G smartphone is decreasing, and it making a new way. Nowadays, everyone can buy a 5G smartphone with 2000 yuan, which is equal to $286. When the Samsung brand is increasing its 5G smartphone share market price in the U.S, but the Chinese share market increasing by Huawei. But not only China, it globally increasing.
CNMO makes a statement, where they say Huawei cloud 5G innovation submit that time the company announced that in Q1 2020 in china, they reach the 63 % share market for the 5G smartphone shipment. And overall 40% is global, it is a huge success for the Huawei brand. Huawei also says that in the first period of the year they send 15 million units of 5G mobile phones. And with these numbers, the South Korean company build the Samsung to the first position.
In this 5G technology add many features such as game-changer, increase internet speed, cloud computing, AI, and more. With this 5G technology, being developed in many countries, and they start it for commercial business. There are many countries that start 5G smartphone transmissions such as China, the USA, and South Korea.
Nowadays, every country tries to work for this 5G smartphone business, cause day by day this 5G smartphone cost goes down. That’s why every country can attend to this business, and build up their business very much. And we can realize in the near future, the 5G smartphone getting launch very much, that time every phone became similar to a 5G smartphone.


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THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Dale Webster – “PRICES remained firm this afternoon at the Wycheproof store sheep sale.
The top price paid was $330 for a pen of scanned-in-lamb, May 2016-drop first-cross Merino ewes sold by Hemley Pastoral at Stawell to a buyer from Euroa.
Further lots of first-cross ewes ranged from $308 down to $250.”
NZ HERALD – by Rebecca Howard – “New Zealand’s wool market remained weak at the latest South Island auction as tepid off-shore interest and the stronger New Zealand dollar weighed on clearance.
Of the 8,065 bales offered 65 per cent cleared, back further on the season to date clearance rate of 75 per cent and well down on last year’s 89 per cent clearance rate, AgriHQ said.”
TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE – Source: Australian Wool Exchange – “Week 48 saw only 28,459 offered to the trade.
And still, the benchmark Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) fell for a fourth consecutive week.
The last time the Eastern Market Indicator rose was in Week 44, when it managed an impressive 43 cent rise.”
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Terry Sim – “SELF-PROCLAIMED sheep whisperer and shearer Pera Davies would like to see the world’s shearers hitting the yoga mats during their breaks.”
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Michael Avery, Southern Aurora Wool – “THE market struggled at auction and in the front months of the forwards as a lack of offshore demand signals, particularly in the finer wools, put continued pressure on prices.”
TREE HUGGER – by Derek Markham – “WooBox uses two old-school materials to redesign an eco-friendly container for transporting fresh food.
Styrofoam, the common name for the more accurately called expanded polystyrene, is used in a huge variety of applications, from consumer packaging to industrial transport, and like the rest of the plastics family, is both insanely useful and ridiculously polluting at the same time. Its cheap cost, ease of forming by injection, extrusion, vacuum, and molds, and light weight makes it a great material for mass-produced items, but at a high environmental cost.”
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Sally Cripps – “There’s no money on the table, but the Remote Area Planning and Development Board is surveying the amount of ongoing interest in strategic cluster fencing in the state’s central west.”
NBR – by Rebecca Howard – “New Zealand’s wool market remained weak at the latest South Island auction as tepid off-shore interest and the stronger New Zealand dollar weighed on clearance.
Of the 8,065 bales offered 65 percent cleared, back further on the season to date clearance rate of 75 percent and well down on last year’s 89 percent clearance rate, AgriHQ said.”
AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION – THE YARN PODCAST Episode 15
AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION – “The cover of this new edition of Beyond the Bale features tennis ace Rafael Nadal fronting the latest AWI-supported marketing campaign by premium apparel brand Tommy Hilfiger. The campaign takes suiting to innovative new heights, unveiling three lightweight, high-performance, Woolmark-certified suits that are made from Australian Merino wool.”


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Wisconsin dairy farms on the decline
MADISON, Wis. — While the number of dairy farms in Wisconsin is shrinking as small operations struggle to remain profitable, expanding commercial farms have continued to increase the state’s milk production.
Numbers from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection show the state lost 500 dairy farms last year, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. Wisconsin’s dairy numbers have fallen more than 20 percent over the last five years. Just over 8,800 dairy herds were licensed in the state at the beginning of this year.
“The growth is really in the medium- to large-size dairy operations,” said Steven Deller, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The growth in those sectors and the increase in productivity of being a bigger operation, the volume of milk is actually not being affected by this.”
It’s difficult for small-scale dairy farms to be profitable, so the number of commercial farms will probably continue to decrease, Deller said. Farms that aren’t profitable don’t contribute to the local economy, he said.
“Do you want to have 10 small farms that are producing poverty level jobs or income levels, or do you want to have one big farm that pays decent wages? From the point of view from the local economy, you want that one bigger operation,” Deller said.
But fewer farms could hurt rural communities, said Kevin Bernhardt, a UW-Platteville agribusiness professor.
“Less farms, less number of kids going to schools, less number of people who are buying inputs and so forth, less number of people to serve on school boards and church councils, etc.,” Bernhardt said. “Less farms out there is not necessarily all negative, but it certainly has impacts on the rural community.”
Small producers can tap into the growing interest in local food and specialty crops instead, Deller said.


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The fallout from Chrysler's big downsizing announcement will hit eight factories in addition to the three initially identified by the company.
The eight plants, in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, make components that go into slower-selling mid-sized sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and other large vehicles on which Chrysler plans to cut production through 2009.
The Chrysler Group, which had an operating loss of $1.475 billion in 2006 and expects to show losses through 2007, announced Wednesday that it would eliminate 13,000 positions, including 11,000 production jobs and 2,000 white-collar posts, as it seeks to cut costs and return to profitability in 2008.
Of the production job cuts, 9,000 are in the U.S. and 2,000 are in Canada.
Chrysler, part of Germany-based DaimlerChrysler AG, said Wednesday it plans to close the Newark, Del., assembly plant during the next two years and cut shifts at plants in Warren, Mich., and St. Louis. The company also announced that a parts distribution center which employs 100 workers near Cleveland also will close this year.
On Thursday, company officials said much of the impact would be in southeastern Michigan, where 5,300 people will lose their jobs by 2009.
In Michigan, the hourly job cuts include 1,000 positions when the shift is eliminated at the Warren truck plant, plus 250 jobs at a Detroit axle plant. About 200 more jobs would be lost at the Mack Avenue Engine Plant I in Detroit, another 100 at an engine factory in suburban Trenton, 65 more at a stamping plant in Sterling Heights and another 100 at a stamping plant in Warren.
Another 1,000 Michigan jobs will go as Chrysler explores selling support businesses that don't fit its core car-building mission, and 1,000 will be lost due to productivity improvements, said company spokesman David Elshoff. Where those job cuts will occur has not been determined yet, he said.
In addition, about 1,600 of the 2,000 white-collar layoffs will come at the company's Auburn Hills headquarters, Elshoff said.
In Ohio, about 200 jobs will be eliminated at the Toledo machining plant and another 110 at a stamping plant in Twinsburg, near Cleveland.
One Indiana plant, Indiana Transmission Plant I in Kokomo, would lose 100 jobs this year, said Chrysler spokesman Mike Aberlich.
The layoffs at the eight plants are part of the 11,000 production jobs that Chrysler announced it would cut on Wednesday. All the cuts will take place during the next three years, and will be accomplished with buyouts and early retirement packages that are under negotiation with the Canadian and U.S. auto workers' unions.
The closures and reductions announced by the company leave about 4,000 job cuts at yet-to-be determined plants, Aberlich said. The company will pick those plants and jobs later based on productivity and other factors, he said.
The Delaware plant, which employs about 2,100 people, makes the slow-selling Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen mid-sized sport utility vehicles. Chrysler would not say where those products will be built, or if they will be built, after the plant closes in 2009.
The SUVs are based on the Dodge Ram pickup platform and could be made at plants in Warren, Mich., Fenton, Mo., or Saltillo, Mexico, Aberlich said.
"The only scenario isn't to cancel it," he said.
SUVs in general have seen falling sales in the past year due to high gasoline prices as consumers shift to more fuel-efficient models, and analysts say auto companies would be wise to shift their efforts to new car-based vehicles that get better gas mileage.
On the plus side, Chrysler plans to double capacity of its new four-cylinder engine plant in Dundee, Mich., north of Toledo this year. About 480 people, including parts supplier employees, now staff the plant, said Chrysler spokesman David Elshoff.
That could grow to around 550 by 2009 as the plant grows to its capacity of making 840,000 engines, he said.


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Tuesday, 22 June 2021 – The much-hyped rebranding of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) seems to have flopped after Netizens attacked whoever designed the station’s new logo.
Furious Netizens wasted no time after the station’s new logo was unveiled on Twitter.
A Twitter user identified as Osoro Michael led Netizens in castigating the poorly skilled graphic designer behind the logo.
“Who approved this? Even a free online logo design on google could have yielded better results. Can we see the other designs that were rejected?” Michal wrote.
Another Twitter user joined Michael in castigating KBC’s management for approving such a basic logo and called for the arrest of whoever designed the tasteless logo.
“This is easily the worst design ever. It is embarrassing. Whoever designed it should be stopped from designing anything ever. In fact, he/she needs to be arrested and jailed,” Dida wrote.
Besides the poor logo, the hyped launch of the rebranded state broadcaster was characterized by poor sound and visuals.
Here’s how KBC’s new logo looks like.
The Kenyan DAILY POST.


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Door County Prepares for Tourism, When The Time Is Right
Media contact: Jon Jarosh, Director of Communications & PR, firstname.lastname@example.org
While the traditional early May start to Door County’s tourism season will be postponed this year due to the health crisis and Wisconsin’s safer at home order, Door County’s tourism industry is still preparing to welcome visitors once it is safe to do so.
Door County tourism leaders and businesses say the additional time will be used to plan and prepare enhanced safety protocols that focus on the well-being of visitors, residents and workers through guidance from state and local health authorities. “We want to make sure we provide a safe destination for visitors to come back to and enjoy, when the time is right,” said Jack Moneypenny, President/CEO of Destination Door County.
Moneypenny emphasized the importance of supporting local businesses and their efforts to safely reopen as restrictions in the safer at home order are lifted under direction from the state’s Badger Bounce Back plan. He said Destination Door County is working with local health care and government agencies as well as area business leaders to provide updated guidelines and safety recommendations with businesses throughout the county. This will be an ongoing process as circumstances evolve.
In the meantime, Destination Door County encourages people to dream of heading back to Door County when travel is allowed once again. Door County destination guides can be ordered at DoorCounty.com and are mailed for free. Future visits can be researched online. Tourism businesses can be supported through shopping online or by purchasing gift certificates to use during a future visit. Visitors can write an online review of a favorite Door County place or share a special memory from Door County on social media. When the time is right, Door County will be ready to welcome back visitors.
To provide for those in need of a more immediate Door County fix, Destination Door County is sharing photos on their Facebook and Instagram channels of the beautiful landscapes and inspiring Door County views that await visitors on the other side of these uncertain times, and encourages people to share their favorite Door County photos using #VirtualDoCo.
Destination Door County is the official tourism management organization for Door County whose mission is to inspire travel that drives community enhancement while working to ensure all travelers feel welcome, preserving the county’s way of life and protecting the region’s natural resources.


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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts welcomes Susan Sarandon as global brand ambassador
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has welcomed a new Global Brand Ambassador – Oscar-winning actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Susan Sarandon.
According to Fairmont, Sarandon will star in a global brand campaign that will portray the transformative power of travel, connecting Fairmont’s history and hotels with modern sensibilities and the dreams of a new generation of travelers. The campaign is expected to be revealed in key markets around the world in Spring 2020.
“Fairmont and Susan Sarandon share a spirit of adventure, a passion for thinking globally and acting locally, and a history of turning words into action,” says Sharon Cohen, Vice President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “We chose Susan to represent the essence of Fairmont – representing a strength of character and timeless sophistication.”
The new partnership with Ms. Sarandon further builds on Fairmont’s history of connections in the world of cinema. Generations of filmmakers and directors have focused their cameras on Fairmont properties to portray luxury accommodations that truly represent their destinations.


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It was five years ago that Bill Gates made his first ever appearance at an Electronic Entertainment Expo to declare that Microsoft would bring its acclaimed Xbox Live online service to Windows and mobile phones.
It took an awfully long time for Microsoft to implement its “Live Anywhere” functionality so that gamers could accumulate Xbox Live Achievements and view their statistics wherever they are.
In the meantime, Apple has had an enormous impact on the mobile gaming space with its iPhone and iPod Touch devices, while Google’s Android platform is also becoming an increasingly important gaming marketplace.
Windows Phone 7 was launched in Australia last October, and handsets have been manufactured by the likes of HTC, LG, Samsung and Dell.
Windows Phone 7 includes support for Xbox Live, including Achievements, Gamerscore and Avatars.
But despite the attractions for dedicated Xbox 360 users, the success of iPhone and Android as smart phones and gaming platforms today make it difficult to imagine there is a lot of room for handsets based on the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system.
In February, the platform received a much-needed boost with the announcement that Windows Phone would become the primary smartphone operating system for Nokia handsets.
There is also a reasonable games library being built. So far around 60 games from big-name publishers have been released for the Windows Phone 7 platform, and countless more have been uploaded to the online store by independent developers that lack Xbox Live support but can be played on a Windows Phone 7 handset.
Some of the bigger name Xbox Live titles for Windows Phone 7 include Assassin’s Creed, Bejewelled, Doodle Jump, Flight Control, Frogger, Fruit Ninja, Guitar Hero, Halo, Hexic, Max and the Magic Marker, Monopoly, Need for Speed, Pac-Man, Pro Evolution Soccer, Puzzle Quest, Star Wars, Super Monkey Ball, Tetris and The Sims.
There are also various Game Room-branded arcade classics such as Centipede, Asteroids and Pitfall, while upcoming games include Angry Birds, Plants versus Zombies and Splinter Cell Conviction.
Games are available at a wide variety of price-points. The likes of Super Monkey Ball, Fruit Ninja, de Blob, Flight Control, Hexic Rush and Doddle Jump are $4. Hydro Thunder, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 and I love Katamari are $6.50. Games such as Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, The Sims 3 and Puzzle Quest 2 are $9.
The obvious grumble is that Xbox 360 owners who might have already purchased the same games on the Xbox Live Marketplace are asked to stump up for them again.
I really appreciate being able to have multiple Apple devices in our household being able to enjoy a shared library of apps and other media, I am sure the strength of the iTunes ecosystem and the investment in a library locks a lot of people into future Apple purchases.
Microsoft should look at ways to recognise and reward Xbox 360 owners by giving them access to mobile versions of games they have already purchased on console.
Screen Play has been playing with a HTC HD7 handset for the past week, and it's a great smartphone with a beautifully vibrant and sizable 4.3-inch touch-screen display. The operating system itself is quick and easy to use, and you have 16GB of internal storage for downloading apps, video, music and photos.
The processor seems on par with Apple's iPhone 4, and the big screen makes it a great handset for playing games on.
It would be easy to recommend if it wasn't for the hundreds of thousands of games currently available in the App Store for the iPhone.
What have you been playing lately?
Screen Play is on Twitter: @screenplayblog