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GM Launches an Online Used Car Website Like Carvana Called CarBravo
You’d probably be hard-pressed to name an area of public life the pandemic hasn’t touched. From the way we buy groceries to how we work, COVID-19 has made us reliant on online technology. In early 2020, many businesses had to ramp up online ordering and delivery systems. But two years later, as the Omicron variant ebbs, consumer demand for online shopping platforms remains high. And General Motors is getting in on the action with its own used-car-buying site.
Why consumers are buying cars online
Even though Omicron seems to have peaked, many consumers still want to buy cars online. That was unheard of a couple of decades ago, but it’s far more common now. Even before the pandemic, many automakers were beefing up their websites, allowing consumers to customize models online before heading to the dealership to pick them up.
But at the onset of the pandemic, with auto dealerships not being declared essential services in most states, dealers and manufacturers had to devise alternative ways to sell cars. Many dealers began using videoconferencing tools to hold sales meetings with consumers and secure document portals to handle the paperwork. Dealers even began to deliver vehicles to shoppers’ homes after purchase or for test drives.
And despite many sectors returning to business almost as usual, consumers have grown accustomed to online shopping. Car dealers have also continually refined their online sales process, making it increasingly easy for consumers to buy online. Now, not everyone is ready to skip a visit to the local dealership when they buy their next car. But more are doing so now than before, encouraged by positive online car-buying experiences during the pandemic.
What is General Motors’ CarBravo?
To cash in on this growing consumer preference, General Motors recently announced the launch of CarBravo. Beginning in spring 2022, consumers can use CarBravo’s online sales website to shop for used vehicles at GM dealerships nationwide. All used cars sold through CarBravo will be inspected and repaired as needed to meet GM’s quality standards. Vehicle history reports will also be available through the site.
If you’re looking to buy your car entirely online, you might be able to do so through CarBravo, depending upon where you live. GM is working with local dealers who already offer home test drives and home delivery to ensure they can sell their used car inventory through the website and offer CarBravo’s used-car buyers these services as well.
CarBravo can also help you sell your vehicle even if you don’t buy a used car through the site. After uploading your vehicle info, photos, and other documentation, you’ll receive a guaranteed purchase price from CarBravo based on Black Book values.
Will GM succeed with CarBravo?
General Motors is far from the first automaker to offer direct-to-consumer online sales. Nor is it the only company selling used cars online. Several brands make their money selling cars partially or fully online. Some of the best-known are Carvana, CarMax, Autotrader, Vroom, and TrueCar.
Carvana is not only one of the most familiar names in this space, but it is also the fastest-growing online used-car retailer in the nation. The Arizona-based company sells its inventory through multi-story glass buildings that resemble vending machines. It also buys used cars from consumers. According to The Wall Street Journal, Carvana saw considerable sales increases early in the pandemic because of its ability to provide touchless delivery.
Another popular online car retailer is Vroom. Based in New York City, Vroom is known for selling cars, handling financing, and buying vehicles from customers, all in seamless online operations. Companies such as Carvana and Vroom were well established before the pandemic and will provide CarBravo with stiff competition.
However, CarBravo benefits from GM’s extensive nationwide inventory to sell, vast dealer network to distribute, and GM Financial to issue auto loans. Car and Driver recently reported that General Motors would continue its policy of no longer allowing formerly leased vehicles to be sold outside the GM network, which should boost its inventory.
Though it remains to be seen how well CarBravo will perform, GM is likely making a wise decision to tap into consumers’ growing preference for online car buying.


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“The F-150 Limited signifies the highest levels of design refinement, luxury and technology that we’ve ever offered in a Built Ford Tough pickup truck,” said Ford product development vice president, Raj Nair. “The F-150 Limited reflects a growing trend – more and more customers today have high expectations for luxury and convenience, yet their needs call for a truly capable truck.”
With the new trim level, Ford builds further on its list of luxury trucks to lure customers that might not be interested in the western-themed King Ranch or modern-styled Platinum pickups. Its latest iteration includes 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, paint-matching bumpers and mirror cars, chrome trim and segment-first HID headlights.
As has always been the case with the brand’s upmarket trucks, the exterior gets a few tweaks, but the real changes happen in the cabin. That’s no different with the Limited where Ford offers heated and cooled memory seats trimmed in red and black leather surrounded by aluminum and piano black accents. It also comes with a standard moonroof and backup camera.
Ford will also only offer the Limited trim level with its SuperCrew four-door cab, powered exclusively by the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 making 365 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, meaning it will also offer 22 mpg in the two-wheel drive model. Pricing has yet to be announced for the package, but it’s likely to slot above the $50,000 mark for the 4×4 model when it arrives in dealerships this fall.

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Without speculating a timeframe for losses in present coins, Strongin said huge price fluctuations in the virtual asset class are a clear sign the market is in a bubble.
Goldman analyst Steve Strongin, in a report, stated that most virtual currencies will fall to zero, with only a handful dominating the market.
According to Goldman Sachs, most, if not all cryptocurrencies in the market today will go to zero, but stronger digital currencies may still survive. On Wednesday, the Wall Street behemoth in a research note warned that most of the world's 1,500+ cryptocurrencies were headed for zero.
On February 5, Goldman analyst Steve Strongin in a report stated that most virtual currencies will fall to zero and, investors should prepare for coins to lose all their value as they're replaced by a small set of future competitors.
Without speculating a timeframe for losses in present coins, Strongin said huge price fluctuations in the virtual asset class are a clear sign the market is in a bubble. He said, "The high correlation between the different cryptocurrencies worries me. Because of the lack of intrinsic value, the currencies that don't survive will most likely trade to zero," reported Bloomberg.
It is to be noted that reportedly Goldman's own bitcoin trading desk is expected to launch by June this year. With this, it will become the first Wall Street bank to step into the market of the highly controversial asset class.
In a research note, Steve Strongin, head of Goldman Sachs global investment research, stated, "Are any of today's cryptocurrencies going to be an Amazon or a Google, or will they end up like many of the now-defunct search engines? Just because we are in a speculative bubble does not mean current prices can't increase for a handful of survivors. At the same time, it probably does mean that most, if not all, will never see their recent peaks again."
The cryptocurrency markets have witnessed a massive selloff this week, with the total market cap falling some USD $550 billion. Earlier, Vitalik Biturin, the founder of Ethereum had also expressed similar views. Buterin four months back echoed similar views while addressing a crowd, that 90% of initial coin offerings (ICOs) built on the ether protocol will fail. According to him, the paradigm "Tokens 1.0," could face a dreadful end and the era referred to as "Tokens 2.0," could be here sooner than most realize. Unlike Tokens 1.0 which was built on rushed projects, bad ideas, and scams, the second generation of token sales will be free of all these previous mistakes.
According to Buterin, in order to maintain feasibility both as an investment asset and unit of transaction, cryptocurrencies will need to develop. The latest data of the January month shows that the era of Tokens 1.0 is still producing record revenues with $1.2 billion flowing into ICOs.
The note from Goldman analyst comes in a week that saw the price of Bitcoin hit a three month low. However, the note also points out that this near-extinction might result in the emergence of newer, stronger cryptocurrencies, according to Fortune.
Disclaimer: This is not an investment advice. It is of paramount importance that everyone should do his or her own due diligence before investing in any product, platform, tokens etc. Cryptocentral.io does not endorse any content or product published on this page. Our aim is to simply provide all the readers with the latest information in the field of cryptocurrency / blockchain industry that might be of interest to our readers.


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NerdWallet set out to identify which cities had best and fastest access to internet and the largest number of mobile phone stores per capita, among other things.
“Most people are relying on cell phones as their main portal to the internet,” the study concluded. It cited Pew Research Center figures, which state that 64 percent of U.S. adults own a smartphone and 10 percent have no other way of getting online.
The combined data highlight the importance of providing consumers with a pleasant mobile experience, said Jacques Hart, CEO of Coral Gables-based digital PR consultancy Roar Media.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt we live in a mobile-first world,” Hart said.
Roar Media clients, he added, which range from healthcare institutions to apparel companies, garner more than one-third of their digital traffic from mobile devices. The traffic email communications is similarly high: 50 to 60 percent of recipients open digital correspondence.
Figures vary industry to industry, and hours of the day play a factor, too. But the underlying message remains: It is crucial to interact with consumers via mobile.
“Everyone has a browser on their phone and people are used to searching for things on a browser. So make sure you are mobile-friendly,” Hart said.
Some ways business can tailor their digital approach to optimize web experience is by emphasizing text over splashy graphics, and ensuring that graphics that are used are adaptive to a mobile interface. Hart also recommends prioritizing mobile advertising over other digital media.
“[Owners of small- to mid-size businesses] used to say, ‘I don’t understand mobile, so I’m not gonna select that targeting feature [while choosing ad options on Facebook]. But you want ads served to mobile devices,” Hart said. “You’re getting more reach, more visibility and you’re getting more bang for your buck,” because of the relatively inexpensive cost of mobile advertising.


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FLORENCE, Ky. (FOX19) - Spectrum announced plans to hire 200 outbound sales representatives at its Florence sales call center over the next several months.
Representatives handle outbound sales calls to potential customers.
Spectrum said these full-time roles offer enhanced pay during training of $20 an hour.
“Our outbound sales team plays a vital role of matching the right package of Spectrum services to the customer’s needs,” Tony Lewis, Vice President of Outbound Residential Sales at the Florence center said in a news release. “We are looking for people with a passion for sales, who are ready to build a career with our team in Florence as we meet the growing demand for our high-value Spectrum services.”
A virtual job fair is being held on Thursday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Candidates can apply online at Spectrum’s careers site, and recruiters will send them a link to register for the job fair.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click here to report it. Please include title of story.


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Same-store sales for the first quarter declined 20% in Yum's
China division, including a 24% decline at KFC and 2% decline at
Pizza Hut. Same-store sales grew 1% at Yum's international division
and 2% in the U.S. segment.
Yum CEO David Novak said during a conference call today -- much
of which was dedicated to talking about the China division -- that
beginning the first week of April, publicity surrounding the latest
Avian flu scare in China has had a significant, negative impact on
KFC's sales. KFC in China has been struggling since late last December, thanks in
part to news from China Central Television, which reported that
some KFC suppliers had been using unusually high levels of
antibiotics in its chickens. During that quarter, sales in China
were down 6%.
The company began to see a sales bounce-back around the Chinese
New Year in February, but sales have dropped since Avian flu
concerns surfaced earlier this month. Mr. Novak noted that Avian
flu scares typically impact the business for a few months, but that
the sales drops are ultimately short-lived. Yum last had an
Avian-flu issue in 2005. He added that based on the first three
weeks in April, the China division expects same-store sales to be
down 30% for the month.
Mr. Novak said today that after the chicken-antibiotic news, the
company went on an offensive to restore customer confidence,
launching what he referred to as "operation thunder." As part of
that initiative, the company announced improvements to the supply
chain, such as working with suppliers to "eliminate over 1,000
small and less-modern chicken houses where risk could be the
highest. We want our suppliers to work with the most sophisticated
chicken farms in China." The company launched a quality assurance
campaign that included 30-second TV spots.
Mr. Novak assured investors that Yum is poised to have a strong
2013 despite disappointments, noting that the company's operations
outside of China are solid and on-target.
Taco Bell sees 6% lift in U.S.
In the U.S., same-store sales for the first quarter increased 2%
overall, including a 6% bump at Taco Bell. Same-store sales
declined 1% at Pizza Hut and 1% at KFC, results that disappointed
Taco Bell has been enjoying positive sales since last year. Taco
Bell's U.S. same store sales were up 8% in 2012, when the chain
launched one of its biggest product rollouts ever for the Doritos Locos
Taco. Taco Bell during the first quarter of this year launched
the second iteration of the Doritos Locos taco product line: the
Cool Ranch Doritos Locos taco.
In 2012, the company said it sold 325 million Doritos Locos
tacos; the chain also launched its upscale Cantina menu last year,
though it's unclear how successful that product line is thus far.
It also launched a new tagline, "Live mas," in 2012, and the
company said today that the campaign resonates with consumers,
though did not go into further detail.
"Our new marketing campaign is resonating well with consumers
and the brand is generating lots of excitement in social media,"
said Yum president Richard Carucci. He said the company expects to
sell 100 million Doritos Locos Tacos during the second quarter, and
"this continues to be one of the most successful new-product
launches in our history." Taco Bell has long promoted value, and
Yum noted value as one of its most important aspects to
"In this environment, you win by providing compelling value and
innovation," said Mr. Carucci of the U.S. fast food industry. "In
hindsight some of our competitors did a better job of this and we
did. We expect to fare better the balance of the year," noting that
Yum is particularly excited about the recent launch of KFC's newest
KFC in the U.S. this month launched one of its biggest product
rollouts in decades: Original Recipe boneless chicken. Accompanying that is
one of its biggest marketing campaigns in years --currently
airing-- in the hopes of restoring relevance and bringing in more
customers, particularly millennials, to help boost sales.
Pizza Hut, meanwhile, is currently advertising its Crazy Crust pizza, a product
influenced by some of its products overseas.


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Lebensmittelpreise im Iran steigen weiter
Prices for essential food items continued to grow in Iran last month, with red meat registering an 82-percent jump compared to the same month one year ago.
The galloping inflation report published by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI), a government outfit, comes after warnings last week that a $14 billion government outlay for importing food and medicine next year will be insufficient to address needs.
In Iran’s closed economic system importers have no direct access to foreign currencies and can only receive US dollars or euros from the government. Local media have pointed out that $14 billion proposed in next year’s budget for food and medicine would only be enough for importing essential food such as grains and protein sources but cannot also pay for medicine.
According to the SCI report, other food items also experienced serious inflation. Prices of fish increased by 72 percent compared with prices in October-November 2022. Overall, the point-to-point inflation rate for a basket of essential daily needs was almost 40 percent.
Other recent reports have put the inflation rate at more than 50 percent. Also, overall inflation for retail food prices was reported to be 37 percent.
Despite higher oil exports this year, the Iranian government seems unable to lower inflation and its restrictive foreign currency policies continue. The national currency rial, still hovers around its all-time low of 500,000 per US dollar, a 12-fold fall in value since early 2018 when the United States withdrew from the JCPOA nuclear deal and imposed economic sanctions on Iran.


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On November 8th 2018, Port Harcourt Welcomed Eat’N’Go’s Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery and Pinkberry Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt with the official opening of its new outlet on 44 Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
The event was a fun-filled environment for food lovers, families and members of the press. Everyone who attended was the first to taste the different flavours in Domino’s pizza, Pinkberry frozen yoghurt and Cold Stone Creamery in the south-south region of Nigeria.
Other highlights included a guest performance by Mr. 2kay who brought it home to the Port Harcourt audience. The exciting festivity included music, entertainment, lots of delicious pizza, ice cream and yoghurt.
Not a stranger to Nigeria, and with over 70 outlets across the country, Eat’N’Go’s presence in the garden city is an added versatility to all that the city has to offer both residents and visitors. Nonetheless, these brands all situated in the same building have come to redefine what comfort feeding is in Port Harcourt.
Port Harcourt will now boast of excellent service in pizza delivery, a world of rich and creamery variants of premium ice cream; and light, refreshing frozen yoghurt with a variety of toppings for customers.
Quick facts about Eat’N’Go
Eat’N’Go is the nation’s leading franchisee of the Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery and Pinkberry Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt brands.
Renowned for being a standard of excellence in the quick service industry in Nigeria, Eat’N’Go continues to expand its presence in key markets.
Eat’N’Go is dedicated to bringing the best global food brands and concepts to Nigeria and Africa at large.
Eat’N’Go also develops top brands that address the needs of the African Market by serving up a tasty portion of foods and drinks, affordability and social responsibility.


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It's the beginning of the end for a groundbreaking spacecraft part-built in Stevenage and Milton Keynes.
The Philae lander was part of a mission to discover the origin of comets.
It successfully landed last year but technicians have now decided to wind the project up.
Scientists have used brain scans to map the changes that occur in teenagers.
Dr Kirstie Whitaker is from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge:
The research could help explain why the first signs of mental health problems emerge in adolescence, according to experts from the University of Cambridge.
Nearly 300 14-24 year-olds had MRI scans to study the structure of their brains.
By comparing the brains of teenagers of different ages, the researchers found that the outer regions of the brain shrink in size, becoming thinner.
As this happens, levels of myelin - the sheath that "insulates" nerve fibres, allowing them to communicate efficiently - increase within the outer regions.
Previously, myelin was thought mainly to reside in the "white matter," the tissue that connects areas of the brain, but this study shows that it can also be found in the outer regions and that levels increase during the teenage years.
"Adolescence can be a difficult transitional period and it's when we typically see the first signs of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.
"This study gives us a clue why this is the case: it's during these teenage years that those brain regions that have the strongest link to the schizophrenia risk genes are developing most rapidly."
A Cambridge based technology firm is likely to be sold to a Japanese company for 24 billion pounds.
ARM Holdings make microchips for various smartphones including those made by Apple and Samsung. SoftBank, who want to take it over, say it'll double the number of staff.
The Prime Minister has welcomed the investment but the local MP is more cautious.
Click below to watch a report by ITV News Anglia's David Wood.
The founder of ARM Holdings says the takeover of the Cambridge company by a Japanese firm is a 'sad day for technology in Britain'.
Hermann Hauser says the creation of ARM Holdings has been the 'proudest moment' in his life.
The company makes chips for smartphone brands such as Apple and Samsung and employs 3,000 people in Cambridge at the Science Park.
"ARM has been the proudest achievement in my life and so it's a very sad day for me personally and for technology in Britain."
Japanese internet giant SoftBank has said it will double the number of staff in the UK. While the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has welcomed the sale, calling it a 'vote of confidence' in Britain.
But the MP for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner is not convinced, raising concerns about what happens in the long term.
Watch a short clip with Hermann Hauser.
A technology company based in Cambridge is being bought by a Japanese firm for more than 23 billion pounds.
ARM Holdings, which makes chips for smartphone brands including Apple and Samsung, employs around 1,200 people in the city.
Its new owners, the Japanese internet giant SoftBank has said it will double the number of UK staff.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, welcomed the sale calling it a "vote of confidence" in Britain.
However, the MP of Cambridge Daniel Zeichner isn't convinced.
"Well of course the promises are great, but how are those promises going to be guaranteed? Do we know what will happen in 6 months or a year? Do we know much about SoftBank? And they seem to be making some pretty big deals across the world. This is a Cambridge success story upon which the future of the United Kingdom is probably depends because this is what we're good at."
The £24bn takeover of Cambridge technology company ARM Holdings could see its UK workforce doubled. It employs more than 3,000 people in Cambridgeshire.
The British company is a major presence in mobile procession, with its processor and graphics technology used by Samsung, Huawei and Apple in their in-house designed microchips.
The deal has been welcomed by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond who said it shows that Britain had lost "lost none of its allure to international investors" following Brexit.
"This £24 billion investment would be the largest ever from Asia into the UK.
"It would guarantee to double the number of jobs in ARM in the UK over the next five years and turn this great British company into a global phenomenon.
"Britain is open for business - and open to foreign investment. Softbank's decision confirms that Britain remains one of the most attractive destinations globally for investors to create jobs and wealth. And as ARM's founders will testify, this is the greatest place in the world to start and grow a technology business."
ARM Holdings' microchip designs are in an array of devices including Apple's iPhone.Read the full story ›
Elderly people who live on their own could soon have a robot companion to help thanks to a new project at the University of Hertfordshire.Read the full story ›
Researchers at Cambridge University have developed a glass that can change from see through to opaque at the touch of a button.Read the full story ›
Scientists in Norwich have travelled to India to help with a project that can predict monsoon rainfall there.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia will be using underwater robots in the Bay of Bengal to monitor how ocean conditions influence the climate.
It's hoped the £8 million project will help forecast the rains more accurately and so reduce any damage caused.
"The Indian monsoon is notoriously hard to predict. It is a very complicated weather system and the processes are not understood or recorded in science. We will be combining oceanic and atmospheric measurements to monitor weather systems as they are generated. Nobody has ever made observations on this scale during the monsoon season itself so this is a truly ground-breaking project."
The project is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, the Newton Fund, the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences and the UK's Met Office.


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Medical technology business developer Amphion Innovations announced on Friday that 1,825,000 shares in its partner company, Motif Bio, had been sold in partial repayment of the loan facility originally announced on 5 June 2014, and most recently amended on 11 March.
The AIM-traded firm said that following the Sale, it held 23,429,611 ordinary shares of Motif Bio, representing 7.88% of the issued share capital.
It confirmed the sale generated proceeds of $0.14m.
“In accordance with the terms of the amendment agreement, two thirds of the sale proceeds will be used to reduce the loan balance under the facility and one third of the remaining proceeds will be returned to the company to be used for working capital,” the board said in its statement.
“Further terms of the amendment agreement were included in the announcement on 11 March.
“The loan balance plus accrued interest will become due for repayment on 30 September.”


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A festival popular with thousands of Teessiders is gearing up to launch online for the first time ever.
And organisers will use Redcar's striking sea front landscape as the centre piece to launch the virtual Festival of Thrift.
Held annually, the September sustainable living festival usually attracts crowds of thousands to the Kirkleatham area of Redcar but lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic has meant the 2020 offering will switch to an online version instead.
Saturday September 12 will see a day long virtual event get underway with 13 activities, 10 workshops, six talks and four demonstrations on offer to fans.
There also be the launch of 'One Beautiful Moment', a socially distanced dance piece which will be performed in front of Redcar's offshore wind turbines.
“Our festival is all about coming together and having fun and, although it’s very sad that we’re not able to do that physically this year, our digital edition is packed full of fabulous content," said Festival of Thrift director Stella Hall.
"We defy any family not to find something to do!”
The festival has named itself 'Thriftfest Upcycled’ for 2020. It will feature a packed live stream that includes Ringmaster and event MC Paulus who will guide people through an on-screen schedule where they can opt to listen to soothing tales, spot clouds, release their inner dandy, create an energy superhero, make sounds with broken tech and marvel at circus skills.
Viewers will also be able to watch a live fix-along, learn some sign language, join a poetry sisterhood, cook with foraged plants, join a jazz concert for under 5s and buy sustainable goods from independent traders.
Free online talks will debate the biggest sustainable issues of the day with speakers from Lush, Olio, Greenpeace, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and climate change campaigners Extinction Rebellion.
Viewers will also be given a peek into what happened when a street in a secret location came together to thrift their place.
Thousands of the festival’s ‘Thrift Your Place’ online activity packs have been downloaded across the UK and have also been distributed to communities close to the festival’s Redcar home ahead of the September 12 live event.
www.festivalofthrift.co.uk for more information.


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MORGAN HILL, Calif. – The Coast Distribution System, Inc.’s board of directors has named Jim Musbach, who has been the company’s president and chief operating officer since September 2006, to chief executive officer, the company said in a statement today. Musbach also will continue to serve as Coast’s president. Thomas R. McGuire, Coast’s founder and previous CEO, will continue to serve as executive chairman for the company, as well as continuing as chairman of the board of directors.
In his position as president and COO, Musbach has been responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the company with a focus on sales, marketing and product development.
“Jim brings years of leadership experience, an understanding of our customer base and a strong history with Coast to the position of CEO,” McGuire said. “We have built a strong foundation over the last several years through investments in facilities and people. With Jim’s appointment to CEO, we now have the leadership team in place to direct the next stage of Coast’s growth.”
Before rejoining Coast in 2006, Musbach was executive vice president and general manager of Raytek Corporation, where he directed global operations for Raytek’s portable products division. While at Raytek, he successfully launched new products, expanded sales channels and developed sources for contract manufacturing in Asia. Prior to his employment with Raytek, Musbach served as president of Coast from 1994-1995. During that time, he shifted Coast’s product mix to include higher-margin and custom-manufactured Coast-exclusive products, a strategy Coast continues to employ.
Before becoming Coast’s president in 1994, Musbach was executive vice president and general manager for Import Parts America, a North America-based automotive aftermarket importer and distributor with relationships in Asia and Europe.
- For more of the latest news, click here.


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This Thursday (October 5) sees Bristol’s Unicornfest sculptures go up for auction at Propyard in St Philips.
Run by Bristol & Bath Auctioneers and hosted by Richard Madley (BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and Bargain Hunt), auctiongoers will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the unique unicorn statues that spent the summer on the streets of Bristol.
Bidding starts at £500 for the small foals and £1,000 for the large unicorns which were painted by local Bristol artists.
Also up for auction is one of the most unique pieces of Unicornfest memorabilia; a golden horn.
Many unicorns are expected to be sold for thousands of pounds and all funds raised will go towards Leukaemia Care, the UK’s leading leukaemia charity.
Leukaemia Care CEO, Zack Pemberton-Whiteley said: “The public have come from far and wide to witness the unicorns on the streets of Bristol this summer. It’s been amazing to see so many people experience the joy of the arts trail.
“The Unicornfest auction will be vital in raising the all-important funds for Leukaemia Care. We’re inviting businesses and anybody who would like to own a unique piece of artwork to come along and bid.”
Hosted at Propyard, the auction will be a great networking opportunity with Bristol businesses, Unicornfest sponsors and major donors.
Food and canapes will be available, and a bar will be open all night. There will be a drinks reception from 6pm and the auction will start from 7pm.
To be in the chance of owning a unicorn, tickets for the auction are available here. People who are unable to make it to Propyard on Thursday, will also have to option to bid in an online auction. Registration is available here.


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Prospects for the Development of Tourism Destinations and Travel Expenses
To ensure a sustained growth in the global tourism industry, emerging countries need to invest in improving their infrastructure, addressing safety and security concerns, and ensuring that the sustainability of their natural assets is maintained. While South America, South-East Asia, and Eastern Europe outperform the world average in terms of natural resources, they score below the average in terms of environmental sustainability. Despite the economic development in these countries, there is a potential risk of damage to the natural assets that attract tourists.
The growth of tourism receipts is important to economies in developing and emerging countries alike. Many countries are experiencing unprecedented growth, and the tourism sector accounts for almost half or more of their overall exports. The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica have among the fastest-growing tourism sectors. Moreover, these countries enjoy an abundance of tourist infrastructure, which has contributed to their countries’ rapid economic growth. Similarly, the Caribbean has experienced significant increases in international receipts from foreign travel. This is an indication of the growing importance of the tourism sector for a nation’s economy.
In developing countries, tourism has become the fastest growing export sector
Developing countries have an additional advantage in the tourism sector. In terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), Mexico offers a significant opportunity for foreign companies to invest in the sector. Because tourism is perceived as less sensitive to trade agreements than other industries, it attracts international investors with limited competition. The Japans Aoki Group, a major shareholder in the Westin chain of U.S. hotels, plans to build a hotel and golf course in Cancun and invest US$20 million in the Ruinas del Rey project in Cancun. Germanys Robinson GmbH, a company with a focus on eco-friendly projects south of Cancun, has signed an agreement to develop an ecologically-oriented project in the region.
In developing countries, tourism receipts are the fastest-growing export item. In the Caribbean and Latin America, the tourism sector is the most important export item. Over two-thirds of the countries’ GDP are generated from tourism, and travel-related international receipts are growing by almost 11 percent per year. The IDB estimates that the income elasticity of demand for tourism is 1.7, indicating that the country’s economy benefits from the growth of tourism.
In developing countries, tourism offers a way to diversify their export earnings. Traditional exports are often subject to monetary fluctuations, border formalities, and price volatility. However, tourism has a number of other advantages. The country is not only closer to its major markets, but it is also a more affordable option for those who want to spend more time in these countries. In addition, the government’s government will benefit from the growth of tourism in the region.


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Hotz first demonstrated his self-driving car technology last December. It was built as part of a bet with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Hotz promised Musk that he would be able to create a better system than the one Tesla currently gets from Mobileye. If successful, he wanted a lucrative contract with the electric car maker. The deal fell through when apparently, Musk tried to insert an out into the contract.
The company has raised seed investment from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz that values Comma at $20 million, reports Forbes. So far the team includes Yunus Saatchi, who has a PhD from the University of Cambridge in artificial intelligence, as chief machine learning officer; Jake Smith, who is involved in the Bitcoin community, as head of operations; and Elizabeth Stark, another Bitcoin startup figure, as legal advisor. Hotz plans to hire eight people in the next three months with expertise in machine learning and consumer hardware.
Despite not having a prototype, Hotz plans to release something by the end of the year. He's looking to turn the top five selling cars in the U.S. into a semi-autonomous vehicles. At minimum to work with his system, a car will need anti-locking brakes and power steering.
Eventually Comma hopes to provide a system to car makers and auto suppliers but they move too slow for Hotz' liking.
“We believe our killer app is traffic,” Hotz said. “Humans are bad at traffic. We can make something that drives super-humanly smooth through traffic.”


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Annapolis dining: Maggiano's Little Italy set to open, new bistro from Severn Inn team
An outlet of Maggiano's Little Italy will open in the Westfield Annapolis mall on Oct. 14. This is the first Maryland location, and the 45th overall, for the traditional Italian restaurant concept, whose Italian menu includes pastas, salads, steaks and seafood. Maggiano's restaurants serve lunch and dinner and offer both delivery and carryout service.
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The new line of pulp-free drinks, which will hit store shelves in the first quarter of 2015, offer the same nutritional benefits as the ALO Original line, which the company website claims is “a health powerhouse chock full of vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids” that provides “building blocks for a healthy lifestyle.”
Indeed, the pulp-free line is made with the same ingredients as the Original line including real aloe vera extracted from hand-filleted plant leaves – not a powder – and various fruits, vegetables and honey. But the pulp-free line is pureed for a smoother finish that appeals more to mainstream shoppers who are looking for healthier alternatives to soda, said Henry Chen, president of ALO Drink.
While conventional shoppers were drawn to the unique flavors of ALO Original, such as watermelon-peach and pomelo-pink grapefruit-lemon, “some buyers in this channel were hesitant to take the drink because of the texture or pulp,” Chen said. The texture is less of an issue in the natural sector where shoppers look for less processed products with ingredients that are closer to their natural state.
“So, we decided to address that issue and fill a hole in the market by creating the pulp-free line,” which also should have a better chance of success in the c-store channel, Chen said.
Chen wants to expand into the c-store channel in part because ALO has fully saturated the natural channel with 90% of stores carrying its products, leaving little room for growth. However, he added, “we see significant areas of growth in the c-store channel because category managers in convenience stores are looking for healthier lines,” such as functional juices, which are growing overall 30% year over year.
C-stores also are appealing because they account for 34.3% of all retail outlets in the U.S. and provide access to a different type of consumer than who shops the natural channel, according to the firm.
Overcoming c-store challenges
Chen acknowledged breaking into the c-store channel will not be as easy as the natural sector where consumers spend more time reading packages to learn about products and are more willing to try new foods and beverages.
In convenience stores, “you don’t have a lot of time to educate the consumer like in the natural channel,” said Chen. “The consumers are in the store for 20 seconds … so you need your brand and name out there so they have seen it before” they come in the store and therefore are familiar enough with it to try it.
ALO is raising brand awareness among c-store shoppers by sponsoring a National Hot Rod Association drag racing team. It also tied the brand to the drag racing pioneer Jim Dunn by sponsoring the filming of a documentary, Funny Car Summer, about the long-term competitor’s career, Chen said.
“We definitely have to promote consistently in convenience stores,” to continually move volume, he added, noting ALO Drink offers quarterly price promotions, uses shelf-talkers when allowed and other in-store promotions.
“You get one time to present [in c-stores] and if your numbers don’t work and you don’t have velocity, you don’t get another shot,” he said.
Another challenge with c-stores is that many chains only work with specific distributors, with which landing a contract can be difficult, Chen added.
Looking ahead to food service
Even though ALO Drink has its work cut out in the c-store channel, Chen already is thinking ahead to his next target: the food service industry.
Like c-stores, food service is a fast moving channel with little opportunity at the point-of-sale to educate grab-and-go consumers. But, Chen notes the ALO drinks have succeeded in corporate cafeterias at which it is offered already – including being the No. 2 or No. 3 top-selling beverage behind bottled water at the Google campus.
“High-tech companies love our drinks and we are … well received by the high-tech crowd,” Chen said.
He expects this success will bloom more once the company “puts a concerted effort into that channel,” which it has not done so far.
As ALO Drink continues to expand in in new channels, it has not forgotten its roots. It also will expand its offerings in the natural channel – and elsewhere – with a new multi-serving 975 mL package of its most popular flavors, Exposed and Allure. It also added ALO Crisp – a Fuji apple and pear flavor, to its aloe pulp-free and juice lines, Chen said.
Chen attributes the award-winning beverage line’s success and ability to add new products in part to consumers’ increased awareness of ingredients thanks in to the Internet – a tool ALO will exploit more in the future.
He explained consumers are now able to look up ingredients online and learn about their benefits and risks. As they do so, they are turning more to clean labeled products, such as ALO.
ALO Drink will use this trend to its advantage by supporting the new product launches with social media campaigns that communicate directly with consumers.
Find out what other trends are influencing consumers' beverage purchases at the Beverage Innovation Summit on Feb. 4. Register for free HERE.


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Samsung announces world first mobile 20nm LPDDR3 RAM
Samsung recently claimed that it makes so many smartphones, its components divisions can’t keep up. However, that isn’t stopping Samsung from pushing to bring new technology to the fray.
Today, Samsung Electronics announced the world first, ultra-high-speed four gigabit (Gb) LPDDR3 mobile RAM, manufactured at 20 nanometer class process node. The new technology is claimed to bring the performance levels of mobile devices closer to the standard DRAM found in computers, a feat worthy of praise.
[quote qtext=”“By providing the most efficient next-generation mobile memory with a very large data capacity, we are now enabling OEMs to introduce even more innovative designs in the marketplace.”” qperson=”Samsung” qsource=”” qposition=”center”]
The new chip can transmit data at a maximum rate of 2,133 megabits per second, doubling the performance of LPDDR2 which had a transmission speed of 800 Mbps. To put that into perspective, this chip makes it possible to transmit three full HD videos, at a collective 17 GB in length, in just one second.
This new DRAM allows for a 30% improvement in performance and 20% saving in power consumption, when compared to a 30nm LPDDR3 DRAM chip. Samsung say that they plan on increasing production later in the year, meaning that it is highly unlikely this technology will be implemented in the Galaxy Note 3.
Although demand for computer RAM is falling, market research firm Gartner report that the RAM market is forecasted to grow by 13% year-over-year, reaching $29.6 billion (US) in 2013 with mobile DRAM to account for 35% of the market and exceed $10 billion in sales.


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Last August, Frank Barrett, the travel editor of UK’s Daily Mail, set sail on a 10-day Mediterranean voyage aboard Seabourn Quest, and his report about his cruise was just published in the paper. In his article, he talks about both the onboard experience, as well as some of the ports he visited. To sum up his experience, Barrett wrote:
If you think you're the sort of person who won't enjoy a cruise, take a look at Seabourn and have second thoughts. This is a holiday not simply unlike any other cruise, this is a holiday unlike any other holiday.
We invite you to read the entire story here.
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PHILIPPI, W.Va. – A Barbour County store celebrated its grand opening on Friday.
Angel’s Arsenal, owned by Christian and Angel Stull, sells guns, ammunition and other self defense items. The store is also expanding this to include fishing supplies.
Christian Stull has been in the firearms business for over two decades and says he is excited to be able to sell products to people in the area.
“We felt there was a need here in the local community, being in the business as I’ve been back in Philippi for ten years and have a lot of people that knew I was in the business, I was in wholesale. They asked what I could get them,” said Stull. “At the time, doing wholesale, I could not sell to the public. So we decided to get the license and open the doors and start selling to the public here.”
For more on Angel’s Arsenal, visit their Facebook page.


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PARIS, TOKYO and YOKOHAMA, Japan, Sept. 18, 2018 /CNW/ -
- World's leading automotive Alliance signs a global multiyear agreement to partner with Google to equip Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles with intelligent infotainment systems
- The Alliance will utilize Android, world's most popular operating system, to offer customers a new array of services including Google Maps, the Google Assistant and the Google Play Store
- These services will be combined with Alliance Intelligent Cloud-based remote software upgrades and vehicle diagnostics
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Google today announced a technology partnership to embed the Android operating system in vehicles sold by the world's leading automotive alliance, providing intelligent infotainment and customer focused-applications across multiple models and brands, scheduled to start in 2021.
Under the technology partnership, vehicles sold by the Alliance members in many markets will utilize Android, the world's most popular operating system, and will provide turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps, access to a rich ecosystem of automotive apps on the Google Play Store and have the ability to answer calls and texts, control media, find information, and manage vehicle functions with voice using the built in Google Assistant.
The Alliance, whose member companies last year sold 10.6 million vehicles in 200 markets, will integrate Google applications and services into infotainment and cloud-based systems to enhance the experience for customers of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors brands. While a range of Alliance vehicles will share the Android platform, each brand will have flexibility to create a unique customer interface and specific features on top of the common Android platform.
The infotainment partnership forms part of Alliance moves to equip more vehicles with connectivity and cloud-based services as part of its Alliance 2022 mid-term plan. Today's announcement, coinciding with the first anniversary of the mid-term plan, symbolizes the Alliance focus on next-generation technology. Under the plan, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is targeting increased sales of more than 14 million units a year by the end of 2022.
The plan also involves the launch of 12 new zero-emission electric vehicles, new autonomous-driving technologies and the ongoing rollout of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud.
The Alliance Intelligent Cloud will provide next-generation infotainment systems with secure connectivity by offering a platform to integrate data management, infotainment systems and to facilitate over-the-air upgrades and remote diagnostics in Alliance member-company vehicles.


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On October 27, 2018, Bank Islami customers received automated messages, alerting them about malicious ATM transactions done using their bank accounts linked with Bank Islami. It was stated that these transactions were done from outside of the country. According to a staff member, these transactions took place in countries like USA, Russia and others, wiping out customers’ accounts and leaving them penniless.
Immediately after these automated messages, customers received another message, which stated that Bank Islami officials had temporarily shut down all the services, and customers will be kept notified regarding further actions.
Bank Islami denied any security breach, leaving the customers disappointed. The bank didn’t officially release their view on the incident until sunday night, which stated:
“On the morning of October 27, 2018, certain abnormal transactions were detected by Bank Islami on our International Payment Scheme for Debit Cards.”
“Alhamdulillah, BankIslami team immediately took precautionary steps which included shutting its International Payment Scheme. All funds withdrawn from the accounts (i.e. Rs. 2.6 Million) of our valued customers have been reversed.”
“As a precautionary measure, all transactions routing through international payment scheme (Local and International POS, ATM and eCommerce) have been stopped.”
“However, we restored our Biometric ATM cash withdrawal service for our customers, the very same day.”
“Our technical teams are working in close coordination to restore other services.”
The State Bank of Pakistan broke silence on this and instructed all the Banks including Bank Islami, to take following security measures:
- Security measures on all IT systems, including those related to card operations, are continuously updated to meet any challenges in the future.
- Resources are deployed to ensure the 24/7 real-time monitoring of card operation related systems and transactions.
- Immediately coordinate with all the payment schemes, switch operators and media service providers the banks are integrated with to identify any malicious activity of suspicious transactions.
SBP also particularly directed Bank Islami to take any necessary measures to trace the flaw in the servers by which they were exploited.
This was reported as the biggest security breach in the history of Pakistani Cyber Attacks, causing trouble for thousands of innocent account holders.


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By MARK KARLIN, AP Retail industry analysts say they expect Wal-mart to make major changes in its business model in the next few years, with a focus on online ordering.
The company is trying to diversify from traditional retail, with an emphasis on online sales, which will likely be the biggest challenge to traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.
Wal-marts customers are also likely to buy more groceries online, and the company has built a large grocery network with its own brands, which could give it an advantage over traditional brick and mortar retailers.
But Wal-man will also look to expand its food distribution services, especially its grocery network.
The supermarket chain has struggled to meet customer demand for its grocery items, and is in a market where demand for food is shifting away from traditional stores.
The rise of online grocery shopping has made it easier for consumers to get food online, said Peter D’Antonio, senior analyst for the Food Marketing Research Group at Bernstein Research.
Walmarts stock has risen more than 20 percent in 2017 as consumers have moved to buy groceries online from places like Amazon and Kroger, where prices are often lower than at traditional stores, said D’Alessandro.
Walmart is working on a program that would allow people to order online at a store, where it would be delivered directly to the customer, without having to leave a store.
But the company hasn’t yet announced how it will manage such a service, and whether it would require a store to be in the same ZIP code as the customer’s home.
In addition, Wal-mans food distribution service would likely need to be managed by a third-party company.
D’Angelo said he expects Wal-Marts to begin offering online ordering in 2018.
It could take several years before the company’s service could be widely available to customers.
Walmerts food distribution will also have to be tailored to the store environment.
That includes whether it can serve more than a few dozen customers per store, said Steve Haney, a professor of food and beverage industry economics at the University of Illinois.
Walmart has tried to expand food service options for its customers, including the ability to order meals at home.
The chain started offering meal delivery service in some of its stores in late 2017, but it hasn’t had a significant impact on customer orders.
The service will likely not be offered in stores until 2019, said Haney.
That’s because it is unlikely that customers will be ordering food directly from the store at the same time that they are ordering from online orders.
Walman is also working on an online shopping service that will allow customers to buy food online at grocery stores, and it will be launched in 2019, D’Angeli said.
That service could also offer delivery services that allow customers pick up groceries from stores, but Walmans food delivery service could not be rolled out in that time frame.
But it could be rolled into the next version of the store, and possibly even into some stores within the same shopping mall, Haney said.
The new Wal-Man could also bring new types of services to its customers.
One of the biggest challenges in the grocery business has been finding customers willing to pay higher prices for groceries, said Daniel J. Kelleher, a senior analyst with Forrester Research.
This could be one way to improve the food distribution business, said Kellehers senior analyst Michael C. Murphy.
Walmarys food service could give Wal-mas customers more choices and flexibility when it comes to choosing the type of food they want, he said.
“In some ways, Walmart is kind of trying to do the opposite of what Kroger did in the past,” said Kleeher.
Walmans new online grocery service could offer customers more flexibility with their purchases.
But some experts worry that online ordering will not work well with the Wal-marys grocery delivery service.
Many customers will likely prefer the convenience of ordering online, even if it costs a little more, said Michael D. Tarr, a managing director of the consulting firm Darden Strategy Group.
But others worry that the new Walmarks online ordering service could hurt the brand by making it harder for customers to differentiate products.
Walmen’s Food Services is an online grocery delivery company that provides groceries from Kroger and other retailers to customers who want to order at home or in their car.
Its food service is available through Amazon.com, Kroger.com and Whole Foods Market.
Walmers Food Services says its services deliver groceries from grocery stores to stores within a 24-hour period, including Kroger’s and Whole Market’s stores, as well as to individual consumers at locations in other U.S. cities.


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Bridgestone Corporation has invested in NEXT Logistics Japan, a company established by truck manufacturer Hino Motors in 2018 to explore new technologies and solutions for the logistics industry. The new investor will work together with NEXT Logistics Japan on a new long-distance transportation scheme that aims to reduce the number of drivers required for road haulage.
Automated trucking company TuSimple plans for its vehicles to begin hauling freight in completely driverless operations from next year on selected routes in the USA. It has chosen Goodyear Tire & Rubber to provide tyres and tyre management solutions to this Autonomous Freight Network (AFN).
Einride, which began working with Michelin last year, has launched a range of Autonomous Electric Transport (AET) pods into the global market. Costs are expected to range from around 10,000 euros per pod. The goal is for such technology to replace conventional commercial vehicles with an interim goal of 30 per cent of the market.
Delphi Technologies PLC has announced a collaboration with TomTom, known for its satnav products. According to the two companies, the partners will collaborate on “electronic and software applications designed to further optimize vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions through the use of real-time mapping data”.
Driverless cars? Continental had those 50 years ago…It is exactly half a century today since the tyre maker demonstrated its first electronically controlled driverless car at its Contidrom facility in Germany. In those days a car cruising the Contidrom circuit without someone behind the wheel was a novel sight, to say the least, and Continental recalls that more than 400 newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television channels reported on the events of 11 September 1968.
Together with autonomous driving specialist ZMP Inc., Bridgestone Corporation has launched a development project to utilise automated driving technology in tyre noise tests. By removing the driver from the process, the Japanese firms aim to increase the accuracy and efficiency of this particular tyre test.
At the start of a new year it is customary to take stock of the previous year and look forward to the next 12 months. This was something we at Tyres & Accessories did with online readership figures in January and found that our you love tyre test coverage first and foremost. But this wasn’t the only subject being read. Coverage of various countries’ decisions to ban combustion engines during the next decade or two was a top story on tyrepress.com last year, and it was also talk of the wider automotive industry.
Last September, Michelin and Maxion Wheels jointly presented a flexible wheel solution that features the tyre maker’s Acorus Technology. This solution has been adopted by French driverless vehicle specialist Navya for its autonomous electric shuttle bus, which is already on the roads in five cities around the world. The electric city shuttle is now making its debut in London.
Driverless cars could be on UK roads within four years under Government plans to invest in the sector. In his budget, chancellor Philip Hammond announced that driverless cars will be able to be tested without any human operator inside or outside the car, and without the legal constraints and rules that apply in many other EU nations, and much of the US.
Goodyear has opened its first office in the Silicon Valley in a bid to develop relations with automakers, suppliers and mobility-related startups working on the next generations of vehicles and service models.
Small convoys of partially driverless lorries will be trialled on major British roads by the end of next year, the government has announced. A contract has been awarded to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to carry out the tests of vehicle “platoons”.
Welcome to the future of driving, your Cruising Chauffeur awaits. That’s the name Continental has given its eagerly-awaited automated driving technology, and regardless of how it rolls off the tongue, Cruising Chauffeur represents something that will significantly change our driving experience. Continental plans to bring Cruising Chauffeur into production in 2020.
Technology company and tyre maker Continental has agreed to acquire a minority share participation in French autonomous driving company EasyMile SAS, a firm currently focusing on the development of driverless electric shuttles. In addition to the equity investment, the companies plan close cooperation in the fields of environmental sensors, braking systems and driving safety technologies. The transaction’s completion is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.
A Swedish waste and recycling company has begun trials of a fully autonomous dustbin lorry, which it claims will increase the safety and environmental benefits of weekly waste collections. The truck, which is being tested in Gothenburg by waste and recycling operator Renova, attains autonomy by first being driven on a refuse collection route manually and then ‘remembering’ the route.


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Entrepreneurs leave a mark with their 'ideas' and the impact gets magnified when it solves major societal issues along with providing value.
Such is the story of Pooja Badamikar, a Pune-based entrepreneur, who has used her education and idea to up-cycle discarded tyres and turn them into pretty footwear, thereby offering an environment-friendly lifestyle choice.
"One billion tyres are discarded annually in the world. I started working with help of local cobblers and made two prototypes. That's how the journey began," Badamikar told ANI.
A post-graduate in renewable energy, Badamikar has been working on converting scrapped tyres into footwear for the last two years. With her footwear brand 'Nimital', she has been offering a sustainable alternative and hence controlling pollution which would have increased with a plastic sole that is usually used in footwear.
"Worldwide we generate around 1 billion scrapped tyres every year. So, I started thinking as to what can be made from tyres that can be used on a daily basis and at the end footwear was my conclusion," she added.
Speaking about her journey, the entrepreneur said that she had quit her job in the IT sector in 2018 and started with Nimital. It was the same year she was awarded the 'Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur' award with Start-Up in India competition. By recycling the tyre into footwear the environment has been saved in many ways, she emphasised.
"Conventionally we use version rubber or plastic material as sole for footwear but we have replaced it with upcycled tyre and by that, we are helping to reduce the landfills, secondly we are helping to reduce the material like plastic to come to market and the third thing is we are reducing the use of resources such as oil and water which otherwise might have been consumed for manufacturing of that plastic or version rubber," Badamikar said while explaining the process.
"This is an alarming condition for all of us because the garbage levels are increasing around us, we have to reduce it and upcycling is the key to the new world," she added.


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Microtransaction provider Live Gamer is branching out into online ad sales following its acquisitions of New York-based video game ad network gamerDNA Media, and in-game engagement ad platform BrandPort. The new business unit, which officially launched today, is dubbed Live Gamer Media.
With the addition of BrandPort’s ad platform – which has now been re-branded Ad Elements – the company hopes to help publishers and developers extract revenue from non paying gamers, while monetizing those users more inclined to dig into their pockets with its existing micropayment solutions.
Existing Live Gamer clients include major gaming brands such as EA and Sony Online Entertainment, and its technology also powers the Facebook Credits online currency.
According to Live Gamer president and co-founder Andrew Schneider, only 5 to15 percent of casual gamers pay for in-game content, effectively leaving 85 percent of audiences un-monetized. The Ad Elements product essentially allows gamers to earn rewards or virtual goods in return for watching and engaging with video-based ads.
“Users are willing and very receptive to the idea that they have to engage with advertising in order to get a reward. We’re seeing click-through rates of over five percent, and advertisers only pay if a whole ad is viewed,” Schneider said.
The concept of rewards-based online advertising is not a new one, but casual gaming audiences continue to grow exponentially, presenting a significant opportunity for advertisers. Live Gamer hopes its existing relationships with the gaming community will help drive adoption of its media offerings, and enable it to extract more revenue from that growing market. “We see a huge gap between gaming usage and the amount of dollars flowing into the platform.” Schneider said.”
Meanwhile, gamerDNA Media will be rebranded as GamerDNA, and represents a more straightforward ad network play. According to Live Gamer, its syndicate of gamer-focused partner sites reaches over 48 million unique monthly users, and reaches a “true gamer” demographic with its range of display, video, and rich-media formats.
Prior to the acquisition, gamerDNA Media served clients including Blizzard, Best Buy, KFC, Wal-Mart, and Namco.
GroupM predicts that global ad spend will top $547 billion next year, up from $524 billion this year. While television will still capture the biggest share of that 12-figure pie (41%), digital's share will grow from 31% to 33%.
Brand advertisers and their agencies only want to pay for mobile ads that are seen by a person.
Retailer Tops Unruly’s Annual Top 20; List Features Creatives From 10 Different Countries
Brands have been upping their investments in new ad products from popular social media services, but are they getting their money's worth?


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Hamid Moghadam, chairman and chief executive officer of San Francisco-based industrial REIT Prologis, says that the business is doing better than it has at any point in his career. Prologis saw earnings rise 14 percent last year, and Moghadam expects to see a 17-percent jump this year.
Globally, Prologis has 81 projects under development at a total cost of $2.7 billion. The United States is the leading market for new facilities, followed by Japan, Europe and Mexico.
He also revealed that e-commerce is a huge driver for industrial tenancy right now, and that Amazon is the one tenant that takes up the most space in Prologis’ portfolio, accounting for 2.5 percent of gross leasable area.


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Johor has been growing rapidly over the past few years and is fast becoming an economic powerhouse, especially with increased investments and positive tourism numbers. NELSON BENJAMIN speaks to state Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong to find out about his ideas and plans for this sector.
Question: Is it true that investments into the state has been on the up trend over the past few years? What are the factors leading to this?
A: Yes it is true. The trend over the past few years has been on the increase. In 2013, we achieved investments of RM14.4bil and it grew to RM21.2bil in 2014. Last year, for the first six months, we achieved RM27bil.
Many investors are now choosing to set up their headquarters and factories here. One example is the investment from chocolate maker Hershey’s, which has invested about RM1bil in Senai. Their products for Malaysia is only 5% while the remaining 95% is for other countries including Asian countries.
One of our major advantage is our proximity to Singapore. In this global era, we cannot afford to be adversaries but instead form smart partnerships with each other to develop both countries. That is why the relations between both countries have always been good. Our mammoth growth corridor Iskandar Malaysia is also successful in attracting investors as it is strategically located.
Question: What are the hopes for development taking place in Johor?
A: Both our Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin want the state to be the next economic powerhouse. They do not want Johor to compete with Singapore but complement it.
We are trying to lure more investments, which are high-tech and advanced, using green technology, creative industry and also those that are less labour intensive.
That is why we have the Johor Investment Committee (JIC), which is chaired by the Mentri Besar and I am his deputy. The JIC is a co-ordinating body between the Federal government, the state government and the Johor local authorities. We help investors and have a good relationship among the state departments. We also collect feedback on problems faced by investors and bring it up to the right authorities for it to be resolved. We hope with all these developments taking place, more locals would be able to get better employment opportunities.
Question: The falling of the ringgit. Is it hurting Johor’s economy badly?
A: The currency issue is not just affecting Malaysia but other countries in the region as well including Japan and Australia mainly because of the strengthening of the United State’s economy. Maybe importers who are trading in US dollars will feel the pinch but in Johor, our exports are higher than imports. In 2014, our exports totalled RM187bil.
Besides that, we have about 400,000 Malaysians working in Singapore who earn an average of S$1,500 (RM4,500) which works up to close to RM2bil each month. Also, Singapore tourist arrivals are about 16.5 million annually and if they spend just RM500 per person, that totals up to more than RM8bil annually. There are also a lot of multiplier effects. Just the income from our workers and visitors from Singapore are earning us more than RM30bil annually. In fact, with the weakened currency, more Singaporeans will be spending their money shopping and dining at our restaurants. I am sure Johor’s economy is much more vibrant and active compared to the other states.
Question: The tourism sector is also booming in the state? Can you elaborate?
A: Presently the weakened currency is bringing about more opportunities for tourism industry players to work together. One night’s stay in Singapore is actually equivalent to three-days stay in Johor for the same level of service. There is huge potential. Tourist arrivals into the state has been steadily increasing from 2011 with 3.7 million to 6.42 million last year. It has been increasing for the past five years. We also like to thank the Federal government for allowing China tourists visa exemption as this will draw more visitors, especially Chinese tourists visiting Singapore. This will allow Chinese businessman who visit Singapore to hop over to Johor. We hope the Federal government will study the policies from time to time to help boost tourism.
Tourism is also another field that we can work with Singapore to come up with attractive tour packages such as a six days, five nights package to visit Singapore and Johor. People can also use our train services, which saves time especially with the increase to 22 trips daily between Johor and Singapore. I feel that tour companies in Johor should come up with packages where tourists from Singapore could enter Johor Baru via the train service and have tour buses pick them up at JB Sentral, located in the heart of the city.
This can save time and cost as tourists will not have to waste time being stuck in traffic on the Causeway.
Our major events this month are the upcoming International Kite Festival in Pasir Gudang, JB Arts Festival and the annual Chingay procession, and which are all also a hit among visitors both local and foreign. Even the Johor Ruler will be present at the Chingay event.
Question: What are your hopes for the tourism players in the state. What more can be done to enhance cooperation with Singapore tour players?
A: The industry players really need to transform. They cannot just be waiting. We have a lot of good products. We also have an opportunity to work with Singapore. They should capitalise on it. Try to sell products that Singapore does not have such as our beautiful islands off the coast of Johor, our wetlands, which are second largest in the world and our national parks, which are hundreds of years old.
It is a good time for players from both countries to team up as Singapore is supportive of this collaboration.
I have even received a delegation from Singapore including their minister who came to eat durians in Johor.
We must be innovative and take advantage of our weak currency. We need to change strategy and that is why when I go on trips overseas, I take along product owners as part of my delegation. We want them to see tourism from a different perspective. The government also gives incentives to encourage industry players to go global. The state government is serious about developing tourism in Johor and that is the main reason for us to have a 10-year comprehensive tourism development plan. This is one industry with a lot of spin-offs including opportunities for a lot of people including tour guides, taxi drivers, shops, restaurants and shopping complexes.
Question: Johor has always been targeting tourists from China as a new market. But the MH370 and MH17 plane crashes have spooked many air travellers including Chinese tourists. How are you trying to persuade them to come to Johor?
A: These two incidents have caused some tourist arrival numbers from China to dip. But we have not been just sitting down worrying about these incidents but instead have taken initiatives to organise trips to China to woo not just their investors but also tourists.
To achieve this, I have been organising many trips to China with government officers, politicians and industry players to engage and have business matching with the people there. I have an advantage when in China as they are shocked when they hear me converse in Mandarin, as they think Malaysians only speak Malay.
With Mandarin, we become closer and the response has been good. People know about Johor and our many tourist spots. We also managed to get a popular China-based reality show to come and do their video shootings at eight popular locations in Johor, namely Pulau Sibu, Desaru, Legoland, Air Masin Kukup and also in Kluang. All this has helped people to know more about Johor.
Question: You have recently launched an initiative known as duta muafakat (unity envoy). Please elaborate why unity is very important in Johor?
A: I have started this initiative to encourage Johoreans, especially young people to interact with 10 other people of different races. This means that if you are a Chinese, then you must interact with several Indian and Malay friends.
This can be through face-to-face meetings, discussions, outings or even via online. I am confident that the young people in Johor are different as they are driven by the Johor spirit to stay united and to help each other. So far, the response has been good. All this is voluntary and I will see how else we can help this group spread out statewide. We do not want to force anyone to join this activity as our ultimate aim is to promote togetherness, racial harmony and tolerance among everyone.
This activity also promotes volunteerism among the people. My target is to have 1,000 people involved in this activity. I hope that Johor will be able to lead by example when it comes to race relations and unity. We also want to prevent outside factors from poisoning our minds and causing the people to go against each other due to political differences.


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A fresh report claims the next-generation Subaru WRX STI will switch to a turbocharged 2,4-litre boxer engine churning out as much as 298 kW.
According to Forbes, sources close to Subaru have confirmed the new WRX STI will employ a version of the Japanese firm’s latest FA24 powerplant, in this case tuned to deliver 298 kW and 490 N.m.
Those figures are considerably higher than the current SA-spec STI, which generates 221 kW and 407 N.m courtesy of a turbocharged 2,5-litre four-banger.
The report, which claims the new all-wheel-drive STI will hit the market at some point in 2021, suggests the FA24 unit (already used in the Ascent) will benefit from “significant upgrades”, including a reinforced crankshaft and reinforced pistons.
Interestingly, Forbes says Subaru “benchmarked” the new engine against Mercedes-AMG’s M139 turbocharged 2,0-litre, four-cylinder unit, which delivers 310 kW in top-spec “S” guise in the A45 and CLA45, and is considered the most powerful four-pot used in a production vehicle.
The report makes no mention of transmission options for the new STI, but here’s hoping Subaru will continue to offer a manual gearbox...
Original article from Car
See Full Subaru WRX price and specs here


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Frames aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and now that manufacturers have a better grasp on TV panels, it’s time to do what we can to give you as much picture as possible, as evident in Soniq’s borderless telly.
Take a look around most electronic stores and you’ll find frames. Not framed art, but frames on TVs, with small edges surrounding the screens we buy to watch movies and TV on. They’ve been reduced in recent years, with slimmer bezels, but most TV manufacturers still produce many a TV with frames, with the frame-less models fetching an arm, and quite possibly a leg.
This week, however, there’s a model out that won’t necessarily cost you a pair of limbs, with a Full HD 3D TV ditching the frame altogether and packing in smarts and support for 3D for just over a grand.
“We’ve made a name for ourselves in televisions and for good reason,” said Song Su, General Manager at Soniq in Australia.
“Our brand new borderless TV demonstrates our commitment to providing Australians with the best quality affordable electronics,” said Su, adding that “the borderless TV is just the first of a number of new products we’re rolling out in coming months, and we urge consumers to keep an eye out for the best deals.”
Aside for not having a frame and being edge-to-edge screen, consumers can look for a Full HD picture, 4 HDMI ports, one component, a single USB port, support for passive 3D (with four pairs of glasses), built in WiFi as well as an Ethernet port, and a dual-core chip working alongside a quad-core graphics chip for some element of Smart TV handled by Android.
While it doesn’t support the 4K goodness that is Ultra HD, Soniq’s take on how the frame should look on a TV is ready for action, with the 55 inch Soniq borderless TV available in JB HiFi stores now for $1099.


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SPRING ISSUE OF 2600 RELEASED
Posted 4 Apr 2008 14:32:33 UTC
The Spring 2008 issue of 2600 is now out and is being spotted in various stores and in the hands of our subscribers. You too can become one of our subscribers and never have to worry about missing one of these notices again. Just click here and 2600 will soon be heading straight for you.


text: A book of First Class stamps https://www.gtxgaming.co.uk/bl og/quetiapine-uk-license.pdf rust how much does quetiapine cost uk pleasantly excited Chairman Mao’s 1972 gift to America, and a similar present to the Soviet Union in 1965, marked communist China’s efforts to forge international friendships after decades of isolation. Then, in 1984, China began to lease its pandas at the monthly rate of $50,000 each, which some observers saw as signaling a new embrace of capitalist principles. Today most of China’s main trading partners have had chances to rent pandas, though the rate is at least $500,000 a year. Sometimes, Buckingham notes, the offer of a coveted panda lease seems to coincide with a significant business deal. For instance, Scotland recently agreed to sell China billions of dollars’ worth of Land Rovers, salmon meat and other goods, and while negotiations were underway the Edinburgh Zoo just happened to score two pandas.


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Inflation in the US has risen to the highest level since the 1980s and wages are rising, too. Similarities in conditions between now and the late 1960s, of rising inflation and wages, are fuelling fears of entrenched high inflation.
In the late 1960s, the policy responses of the Federal Reserve (FRB) led to a protracted period of economic overheating. Inflation and rising wages altered people's inflationary expectations, leading to the subsequent acceleration of inflation from the 1970s onwards.
The post-Covid wage increase was in part caused by a short-term economic boom, which may come down as economic growth slows. This time, the Fed has been quick to act to tighten monetary policy and, thus, inflation expectations have stabilised; we are not likely to see a repeat of the high inflation of the 1970s this time.
Read the full report here:
Written by Naoki Murakami, Senior Economist, Asset Management One Co., Ltd.
20 May 2022


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SanDisk And Yahoo! Music Set New Service
April 9, 2007 at 9:03 AM (PT)
SANDISK has entered into a partnership with YAHOO! MUSIC that involves the implementation of unique music services for SANDISK’s new SANSA CONNECT a WiFi-enabled MP3 player. The partnership pairs SANDISK’s new wireless MP3 player with both free and subscription-based services from YAHOO!, allowing consumers to stay constantly connected to their music, photos and friends via WiFi, with no PC required.
"The SANSA CONNECT is a new breed of music player," said SANDISK SVP/GM DANIEL SCHREIBER. "It untethers consumers from their computers, and allows them to get new music and share their recommendations anytime, anywhere, over an open wireless Internet network."
The announcement coincides with the retail availability of the SANSA CONNECT, which is now available in the UNITED STATES. The device is expected to be available in CANADA in the latter part of 2007.


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The Wii U is in its own generation says Sony's Yoshida
The boss of Sony Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida believes that the Wii U is really in a generation of its own.
He explained how he thought that the Wii had carved out its own niche and the Wii U as its successor it is part of that.
"Personally," Yoshida explained, "I have always thought Wii was in a generation of its own. I always thought PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are in the same generation, but Wii was not the same. To me, the industry was growing really fast when those three platforms came up because the focus is so different."
He continued, "The PS3 and the 360 were the closest in terms of high definition and networked services. But Wii carved out a large niche to itself. To me, it was like two generations going at the same time."
- Thomas Was Alone gets a release date for PS4 and Wii U
- New Warframe update adds space-flight to the gameplay with Archwing mode
- New poll indicates that people believe online gaming is “the least welcoming space” for women
- CD Projekt RED releases The Trail, the opening cinematic from The Witcher 3
- New Project CARS trailer pulls up to the starting grid
- Far Cry 4 dev says linear games will suffer in the new world of gameplay video sharing
- Almost 1,100 developers, students and journalists sign the new #gamediversity petition embracing diversity in games
- Felicia Day breaks her silence about #Gamergate, is almost immediately doxxed
- Ubisoft announces PC specs for Assassin's Creed: Unity and they're killer


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Ex-Deutsche Bank consumer analysts launch fund
Two well respected former Deutsche Bank analysts, focusing on the consumer sector, are set to launch a new fund.
Jonathan Fell and James Isenwater founded Ash Park Capital, which aims to focus on a basket of global consumer stocks, after departing Deutsche Bank in June last year. The firm – whose fund will be domiciled in Luxembourg – gained FCA approval last month, and has a number of seed investors.
Fell said: “The Ash Park Global Consumer Staples Fund should launch during Q2, and will invest in around 20 high-quality branded fast-moving consumer goods’ companies.”
A 20-year veteran who began as an equity analyst in September 1994 at Merrill Lynch, Fell previously covered tobacco and beverage stocks as part of the consumer staples team at Deutsche Bank. He was also part of the research department management committee as team head of the combined consumer staples, retail and luxury sectors.
Isenwater, a food and beverages analyst, joined Deutsche Bank in September 2001. He also covered retail, luxury and sports goods. Both were part of the top-ranked consumer staples team in the European Institutional Investor survey in 2012 and 2013.
While not an uncommon career path, the number of research analysts moving to the buyside has picked up in recent months. Ex-JP Morgan real estate analyst Harm Meijer has plans to set up a property fund. Alastair Johnson, a well-regarded food retail analyst is set to join Majedie Asset Management as a senior analyst in the summer.
Rupinder Vig, a member of the Morgan Stanley's aerospace equity research team, is also understood to be moving to the buyside.
Speaking to Financial News last week, Zaki Ahmed, founder of equity research headhunting specialist Financial Search, said: “When an analyst has become [Institutional Investor] or Extel top-ranked in their chosen sector then the buyside is an obvious step as they can move straight to analyst level and fast-track to portfolio manager level.”
Fell added: “We are really excited about this next step in our careers. Our goal has been to create the fund that we ourselves have always wanted to invest in, and we’re very pleased with the high level of interest shown from potential investors.”
The trend is clearest in equities, where a spate of research analysts have made the move in recent weeks, often having just had their 2013 bonuses land in their accounts. These include at least two analysts from Citigroup who have moved to roles in asset management, and others from Morgan Stanley, Nomura and UBS.


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- In POLITICS AND MARKETS NEWS, May suffers more defeat, Macron U-turns on fuel tax, France and Germany chicken out of digital tax and US markets tumble on lack of tariff clarity
- In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Kroger gets with Walgreens, UK department store spending slides, Travis Perkins mulls shedding Wickes and Thomas Cook’s nightmare continues
- In SECTOR NEWS, UK construction is actually looking OK
- In OTHER NEWS, I bring you a food challenge. For more details, read on…
POLITICAL AND MARKETS NEWS
So May and Macron taste respective defeats, France and Germany back down on an EU-wide digital tax and US markets stumble on tariff wobbles…
The day May lost control (Daily Telegraph, Gordon Rayner) shows that Theresa May lost three Brexit-related votes in the space of an hour yesterday, making her the first PM in 40 years to be defeated three times in one day. Firstly, she was told that she would have to hand control over Parliament if her Brexit deal was voted down on Tuesday next week (to formulate a “Plan B”) making a no-deal Brexit is almost impossible and secondly, she lost two votes that mean she will have to publish the full legal advice she had on Brexit from the Attorney-General rather than get away with a “highlights” version. * SO WHAT? * There’s still a lot of jockeying for position ahead of next week’s vote, but interestingly the defeats May suffered yesterday could actually help her campaign as she could say to Eurosceptics that if they DON’T back her Brexit plan, there won’t be a Brexit. The drama continues…
Following on from what I said yesterday, French government suspends fuel tax rise after riots (Financial Times, Harriet Agnew, David Keohane and Demetri Sevastopulo) shows that Macron has just bought himself some time by postponing the fuel tax rises by six months following violent protests over the weekend. * SO WHAT? * This is the first time in Macron’s 18-month presidency that he has backed down on proposed measures and it is estimated that this action will cost about €2bn. However, Emmanuel Macron fails to buck trend of French Presidential U-turns (Financial Times, Ben Hall) suggests that this is just the tip of the iceberg with analyst Nicolas Bouzou saying that “the troubles are much deeper than fuel tax increases…we have a real problem with living
standards and there is real hatred for political elites and authorities. The fuel tax increases were nothing more than a trigger”. Given that the weight of taxation in France is the highest in the EU – at 48.4% of GDP – you can see why many French are feeling disgruntled, especially given that they feel that the fuel tax would have disproportionately hit poorer people in rural areas. On the one hand, Macron could use this public anger over tax to streamline the public sector to fund tax cuts, but then on the other, his blinking in this game of fuel tax chicken with the French public could be the beginning of the end for him as he still has contentious reform programmes to push through. Given that his approval rating BEFORE the riots was only 26%, his rivals will be circling…
In Technology giants to escape Europe-wide digital tax plans (Daily Telegraph, Natasha Bernal) we see that France and Germany have proposed a much-diluted version of an EU-wide digital tax which would impose a 3% levy on advertising sales. Originally, the tax was supposed to include activities from data sales and online marketplaces, but this latest digital tax-lite would not cover these areas meaning that advertising-focused entities such as Facebook and Google will be affected while Amazon and Apple won’t be. * SO WHAT? * I think that this is a sign of weakness and a general unwillingness of Europe to bite the hand that feeds it and provides so many jobs. It is understandable in many ways, but it does show that for all the previous European posturing on a digital tax, it all proved to be BS when it came to the crunch.
US markets tumble after trade war truce weakens (The Times, Callum Jones and Tom Knowles) shows how US markets fell sharply last night on renewed concerns about the apparent ceasefire in the ongoing US-China trade war as Trump stirred things up again by saying he was a “tariff man” and that imposing levies was the best way to impose America’s economic power. I suspect that there will be a lot more market volatility over the next 90 days as trade talks continue (if they last that long without either side abandoning, that is).
US retailer Kroger teams up with Walgreens, UK department store spending continues to shrink, Travis Perkins mulls a Wickes sale and Thomas Cook’s nightmares continue…
Kroger to sell groceries in Walgreens Stores (Wall Street Journal, Heather Haddon) shows how US retailers are trying to address changing consumer tastes as Kroger the supermarket plans to sell groceries in branded sections (called “Kroger Express”) at Walgreens Boots Alliance the pharmacy. Kroger won’t sell own-brand items that compete with Walgreens’ private label products but it will take over its supply for branded goods. * SO WHAT? * I think this smacks of desperation as two retailers try a tie-up to diversify revenue streams and attract more customers. Interestingly, this mirrors an attempted merger earlier this year between grocer Albertsons and pharmacy chain Rite Aid that failed mainly because of price. I guess a tie-up is less risky than a full-blown merger and, hey, if it works out maybe a merger can happen further down the line. For now, though, I think this is p!ssing in the wind because it doesn’t really address fundamental problems fully – that consumer behaviour is changing and they have to provide what online retailers can’t. I don’t think that a little light cross-selling is really going to cut it.
Spending at UK department stores falls for 13th month in a row (The Guardian, Sarah Butler) cites figures from Barclaycard which show that spending at department stores across the UK fell for the 13th consecutive month. On the other hand, spending at pubs, restaurants and on entertainment such as concerts, films and shows, was up. * SO WHAT? * This is going to give Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley ammo to justify the closure of more House of Fraser stores. It also shows that EXPERIENCES are what people are after at the moment and this is something that dying areas of the high street need to take note of IMHO. Customer experience will be key to long term retailer survival.
Travis Perkins mulls Wickes’ sale to focus on trade customers (Daily Telegraph, Ashley Armstrong) highlights the possibility that builders’ merchant Travis Perkins could sell its Wickes DIY chain in a move to focus more on trade customers and cut costs. * SO WHAT? * Ongoing competition with B&Q as well as the overall decline in the DIY market has proved to be a drag on profits, hence the possibility of a Wickes disposal as chief exec John Carter said “We have developed a clear plan to focus on delivering best-in-class service to our trade customers”. UK DIY stores: their Wickes’ end (Financial Times, Lex) points out that Wickes has had its own sales cannibalised by ToolStation, which is also owned by Travis Perkins, as well as other online competitors such as Screwfix, which is owned by B&Q-owner Kingfisher. Travis Perkins may not be able to get a great price for this troubled business at the moment, but the sooner it gets rid, the better.
Thomas Cook to slip out of FTSE250 index in quarterly review (The Guardian, Jasper Jolly) highlights the coup de grace for the travel agent, whose shares have fallen by 70% in the last three months, as it is on the verge of dropping out of the FTSE250, according to index provider FTSE Russell. Changes to the latter’s indices will be announced later on today after a quarterly review that was finalised by yesterday’s closing prices. Other FTSE250 fallers look like including fellow travel agent On the Beach and motoring services, insurance company AA and outsourcing and construction company Kier Group but companies that will take their place include peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle, retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone, Restaurant Group and Aston Martin Lagonda. Royal Mail looks likely to drop out of the FTSE 100 to be replaced by insurance firm Hiscox. * SO WHAT? * This is worth knowing as companies that are promoted often see a share price boost as index funds have to buy them and those that are demoted suffer share price weakness as they fall outside fund remits. This is obviously a bit simplistic (as there are other factors at play) but is a general rule of thumb. TBH, there’s probably more of a move leading up to the announcement as investors bet on the changes.
It looks like UK construction is doing OK…
Construction sector enjoys eight months of growth in a row (Daily Telegraph, Helen Chandler-Wilde) cites the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) figures which show that the construction industry increased output to its highest level
since July. IHS Markit, which conducts the survey, said that there was some evidence of future spending being put on hold pending Brexit and Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, cautioned that “This rise in the overall index was small. Even with optimism at a three-month high, there is currently no indication that this will become a sustained rise as we approach the end of the year”.
And finally, in other news…
I brought you one kind of challenge yesterday – well here’s news of another one: Astonishing moment food blogger takes on 50oz burger in epic restaurant challenge (The Mirror, Courtney Pochin https://tinyurl.com/yauhlsju). Yuck.
Some of today’s market, commodity & currency moves (as at 0811rs green is up, red is down). THIS IS INTENDED AS A ROUGH GUIDE ONLY!
|FTSE 100 *||Dow Jones *||S&P 500 *||Nasdaq *||DAX *||CAC-40 *||Nikkei **||Shanghai **|
|7,023 (-0.56%)||25,051 (-2.99%)||2,701 (-3.17%)||7,160||11,335 (-1.14%)||5,013 (-0.82%)||21,896 (-0.58%)||2,650 (-0.61%)|
|Oil (WTI) p/b||Oil (Brent) p/b||Gold Per t/oz||£/$||€/$||$/¥||£/€||$/₿|
(markets with an * are at yesterday’s close, ** are at today’s close)


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This Week in Logistics News (September 15-19, 2014)
SEPTEMBER 19, 2014
I’d welcome the opportunity to meet with supply chain executives to discuss your research questions and objectives for the coming year, and with technology companies and 3PLs to get an update on your products and services. FedEx to Increase Shipping Rates. A technology company?


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On Friday, June 28th, 2019, Rexall is celebrating the grand re-opening of its Beamsville, Ontario, location. Between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. local residents can rediscover Rexall with a tour of the new store, talk to the pharmacists and meet members of the executive leadership team. Deputy Mayor Adam Russell will also be in attendance. As one of Canada’s most trusted pharmacy brands, Rexall wants to welcome the folks in Beamsville back to see how they are committed to building healthier communities.
In addition to the relaunched Beamsville location, Rexall has stores in 180 communities across Canada. While each location has a unique team serving the needs of its community, you will find the same level of service and quality products at Rexall, no matter where you are in the country. From flu shots to prescription refills to personal health products, you can rely on Rexall when it comes to you and your family’s health and wellbeing.
Rexall is always changing and adapting to meet the needs of its customers. This is why relaunches like this one in Beamsville are so important. Staying current while consistently providing great service and products is crucial for keeping up with consumer demand. Re-openings are exciting! It’s about learning, growing and building to ensure customers are cared for in ways that are comfortable and convenient.
Friday’s event promises to showcase what Rexall is and can be for all its communities. As Rexall continues its journey to bring a piece of Canadian health and wellness to every community, they ask that you join in celebrating the grand re-opening of the Beamsville store. Cake will be served.
Date: Friday, June 28th, 2019
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: 12:30 p.m.
Address: 4486 Ontario Street, Beamsville, ON, L0R 1B5
Rexall’s motto is ICARE. This stands for Integrity, Customer first, Accountability, Respect and Excellence. This re-launched Beamsville location will stand by the ICARE mandate. Visit on June 28th to discover how!
Rexall is committed to providing quality health and wellness
products and services, as well as beauty, skincare, drinks, snacks and
more! If you cannot make it to the grand re-opening, be sure to check
out the store soon to see what’s new. Browse the latest flyer to learn about current sales and promotions.