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DIRECTV Raising Prices Again In 2014
Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2012) -- This is an update on our earlier coverage of DIRECTV raising customer prices.
DIRECTV CEO Mike White said today that his company will again raise monthly subscriber fees next year due to rising programming costs, Variety reports.
White made his disclosure at the Goldman Sachs conference in New York. Variety writes that the DIRECTV executive said his company would be "careful" about the level of price increase.
DIRECTV last February raised prices an average of 4.5 percent and the satcaster has raised prices by a roughly equivalent percentage every year for at least the last seven years, counting the upcoming 2014 increase.
(Here's a story on DIRECTV raising prices in 2012; here's a story on DIRECTV raising prices in 2011; here's a story on DIRECTV raising prices in 2010; here's a story on DIRECTV raising prices in 2009; here's a story on DIRECTV raising prices in 2008; and here's one on DIRECTV raising prices in 2007; and so on and so on...)
White said next year's increase will be less than the 4.5 percent but "while it might be not as much, it is still going to be meaningful," Variety reports.
The satellite executive has frequently railed against content providers who are demanding more money to carry their channels and he hit that theme again today. He also said that some subscribers have dropped their DIRECTV service because of the rising monthly fees caused by the rising programming costs.
"I would say clearly I've seen an impact from consumers on churn in terms of their feeling about the bill," he said.
In related news, White again expressed optimism that DIRECTV would retain its exclusive right to carry the NFL Sunday Ticket after the company's current agreement with the NFL expires after the 2014 season.
Below is earlier coverage of DIRECTV's price hikes.
DIRECTV Raising Prices By 4.5 Percent
Washington, D.C. (December 27, 2012) -- DIRECTV is alerting subscribers in a e-mail letter that their monthly bills will rise an average of 4.5 percent starting in February 2013.
The satcaster defends the increase by saying programmers will demand an increase of roughly 8 percent to carry their channels. DIRECTV has been extremely vocal about the rising cost of program acquisition.
"In 2013, the programming costs we pay to owners of television channels will increase by about 8.0%, but we have chosen to adjust the prices our customers pay by an average of only 4.5%. On February 7, 2013, new pricing will be applied to DIRECTV programming packages and services," the letter states. (The price increase is also detailed here at DIRECTV's site.)
However, the price increases come with a number of changes that are likely to be controversial. For starters, DIRECTV says it will charge a $2 a month surcharge for any regional sports channel in a zip code where the satcaster is "contractually obligated" to carry multiple regional sports channels. (DIRECTV has been testing a $3 a month surcharge in markets with multiple regional sports channels.)
DIRECTV is also raising the monthly fee for HBO by $2 a month ($15.99 to $17.99) unless the premium channel is part of its Premier package, which will now cost $124.99 a month.
In the letter, DIRECTV argues that it will add more services in 2013:
"We are excited about the New Year and our continued commitment to deliver additional value to your DIRECTV service as we launch more HD channels, introduce new technologies and continue to bring you award-winning service," the letter says.
Here are the new package prices for DIRECTV, effective February 7, 2013:
Choice -- $63.99 to $64.99
Xtra -- $68.99 to $70.99
Ultimate -- $74.99 to $77.99
Premier -- $119.99 to $124.99
HBO rises $2 a month unless it's part of Premier package.
Advanced DVR - $10 a month
Advanced Receiver -- $23 a month
Regional Sports Fee -- $2 a month
For subscribers who still have packages that DIRECTV no longer sells to new customers, here are the prices effective February 7, 2013:
Select -- $46.99
Select Choice -- $48.99
Total Choice Limited -- $55.99
Total Choice -- $64.99
Choice Xxtra Classic -- $71.99
DIRECTV says these older packages will continue for customers in good standing. In addition, if you're currently paying a promotional price for your DIRECTV base package, you will continue to pay this price for the remainder of the promotional period.
DIRECTV is not the only TV provider who has announced a 2013 price increase. Dish and Comcast have also said they will raise monthly prices.


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Spotify has announced that it is launching a new content filter for its Premium Family Plan to allow parents to impose better control over what their children can listen to.
The streaming music provider has put into place long-requested parental controls that will allow parents to control the Explicit Content Filter setting of all other accounts on their plan. The filter will prevent users from playing anything in the Spotify library that is marked as explicit.
If you want a pair of Bose earbuds that are wireless, definitely pick up the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless Sport Headphones while they’re discounted on Amazon. If you’re not quite ready to cut the cord, however, there’s actually an even better deal you can take advantage of. The Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones typically sell for $100, and when you hear them you’ll know why they command such a steep price. Pick up a pair right now while they’re on sale though, and you’ll only pay $39!
Bose SoundSport in-ear headphones for Samsung and Android devices, Charcoal: $49.95
In the face of increased competition from rivals like Apple Music and others, Spotify is quietly testing the waters to see whether it can push through a price increase in some of its markets around the world. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg, which notes that the streaming music giant is planning to experiment with a pricier version of its Premium subscription offering in Scandinavia.
The Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ are the first flagship smartphones from Samsung that ditch the 3.5mm audio jack. This means your pre-existing wired headphones won’t work and you’ll need to find other headphones, probably wireless (unless you’re a fan of dongles). The Samsung Galaxy Buds are a solid pair of wireless earbuds and will provide the best experience with your Note 10 or Note 10+.
Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy Buds

domain: news


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BOSTON (CBS) — Starting Saturday, Hannaford grocery stores in Massachusetts will no longer require fully vaccinated shoppers to wear a face mask. The same policy is already in place at Hannaford supermarkets in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
Hannaford said masks will still be required at locations in towns with mask mandates.READ MORE: 'A Step In The Right Direction': Juneteenth A Symbol Of Hope For Many In Boston
Unvaccinated customers are still asked to wear a mask.READ MORE: Video Shows Bear Entering Truck In Thornton, NH
Click here for a list of major retailers that are ending their face mask requirements.MORE NEWS: Parent, 2 Children Rescued From Salisbury Beach Rip Current
Massachusetts is dropping its face mask mandate for fully vaccinated people and other coronavirus restrictions on businesses Saturday.


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Stock in the News: Kushal Gupta, Senior Research Analyst, G Business has come up with a complete list of such stocks for investors, where action can be seen throughout the day.
Watch G Business dgmartpro.com Live TV here
Today will be this important trigger
Coal India’s December quarter results were much better than expected. The company’s revenue and profits have grown strongly. The company’s margins have risen from 22 percent to 24 percent.
Eicher Motors quarterly results are weaker than expected. The company’s profit fell 14 percent, revenue rose 1.9 percent. The company’s margin is only 20.2 percent.
NBCC’s quarterly results statistics are weak. The company’s revenue and profits have declined.
Balakrishna Industries’ quarterly results were weaker than expected. The company’s profit fell 11 percent, while the company’s revenue fell 4.5 percent.
Mixed quarterly results of Adani Enterprise. The company’s margins have dropped. At the same time, the profit of the work has also decreased. However, the income has increased by 61 percent.
NLC India’s quarterly results are better than expected. The company’s operating profit has increased by 45 percent and the margin has also increased by about 25 percent.
Today the results of Crisil and SpiceJet will come.
Keep an eye on Cipla’s stock. The company’s promoters will be able to sell 2.5 percent of the shares. There are plans to sell shares through block deals.
Equitas Small Finance Bank’s stock will be under scrutiny. Its QIP was opened yesterday and its floor price has been fixed at Rs 54.60 The issue can be seen with 5 percent discount from the floor price.
The movement can be seen in the Vedanta section. Has entered into an agreement with Foxconn to manufacture semiconductors in India.
Action is seen in the shares of Kotak Mahindra Bank. LIC bought 0.008 percent shares on February 11.
Somani Home Innovation has seen action in stock. 5 lakh shares of Abacus Growth Fund 2 have been purchased. At the same time, EQ India sold 6.81 lakh shares.


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Transit cargo at the Port of Mombasa contracted by five percent in the last quarter of the financial year 2020/2021 on the back of reduced freight to regional countries.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has attributed the negative performance on transit cargo to a drop in handling of freight meant for Uganda and Rwanda at the facility.
This comes at a time when truckers have been grappling with low volumes of cargo at the Port in recent months, which saw freight charges between Mombasa and Kampala drop by 17 percent to $2,000.
“During the period under review, there was a decline in transit traffic, which dropped by 269,000 tonnes having registered 4.73 million tonnes in 2021 against 5 million recorded in 2020,” said KPA.
In June, Kenya Truckers Association (KTA) said 40 percent of the trucks were out of business as a result of low cargo to haul from the port.
However, the chief executive officer of KTA Dennis Ombok said there has not been much improvement in terms of cargo movement since June.
“The situation has not changed that much since June because a good number of our trucks are still parked at the moment for lack of enough cargo,” Said Mr Ombok.
The cargo business had started picking in the period between October-December 2020, where the port realised improved performance as it recovered from the effects of Covid-19.
According to KPA, the total throughput within this period not only recovered, but also surpassed the forecasted target by 2.8 percent and 1.2 percent against 2019/20 performance.
Data from KPA indicated container traffic dipped by four percent to 1,359,579 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2020, from 1,416,654 TEUs recorded in 2019.
KPA said the marginal decline was attributed to global lockdowns that disrupted business after countries around the globe imposed lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy is reflected in the 2020 port performance which was also 2.8 percent less than the forecasted target," KPA said last month.
Kenya’s authorities say the Moyale One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) remains operational despite the ongoing political upheavals in Ethiopia that have seen the country announce a state of emergency. A customs official in Kenya’s northern region said the border point with Ethiopia has not been officially closed and that business is going on as usual.
A backlog of ships waiting to offload goods at the key ports around the world is threatening to disrupt the supply chain in East Africa ahead of the Christmas festivities. East Africa relies on imports from China as its largest source market for the bloc’s imports, followed by India and the United Arab Emirates.
African ports are facing a challenge in handling a new generation of ultra-large container vessels due to lack of sufficient infrastructure and shallow berths that hinder bigger ships from calling to these harbours.


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Bitnovo, Spanish Bitcoin payment platform, has decided to add 4000 new locations throughout the Spain that would allow the customers to purchase Bitcoin using cash in Spain. The expansion move would see an 800% increase in the existing 500 locations available in Spain.
The company is also launching Bitcoin Visa prepaid debit card in 130 countries this year in an attempt to expand beyond Spanish cryptocurrency market and become a major international brand in Bitcoin payments industry.
Bitnovo, soon after establishing in late 2015 occupied a dominant name in Spain’s Bitcoin Industry. The company launched prepaid Bitcoin debit cards within six months that can be used to make withdrawals from any Mastercard ATM around the world.
Spain was one of the first few countries to consider the idea of national cryptocurrencies, launching Spaincoin in 2014. It is speculated that the sustained growth in Bitcoin adoption in Spain is due to the unstable Spanish financial market. The instance where Santander bought Banco Popular for just 1 euro suggests strongly that the banking sector in Spain is still struggling from 2008 global financial crisis.


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Unemployment in the UK fell by 57,000 in the three months to the end of May, data from Office for National Statistics shows.
The latest figures mean that 2.51m people are without a job in the UK, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 7.8 per cent.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance during June dropped by 21,200 to 1.48m, which is the fastest fall in three years.
Meanwhile, employment was up by 16,000 over the three-month period.
IHS Global Insight chief UK and European economist Howard Archer says: ”This is a decent set of data overall, indicating that the labour market is benefiting from the apparent pick-up in economic activity during the second quarter and improving business confidence.
“Rising employment in turn is supportive to growth prospects over the second half of the year.”
However, Archer notes that underlying earnings growth ”remains muted” and says consumer spending growth is likely to be restrained in the near term, given the 2.9 per cent rise in consumer prices inflation.


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Actega opens new beverage sealant hall
Image courtesy of Actega
Actega Artística has recently opened a fully automated beverage sealant hall, annexed to its premises at Parque Empresarial A Granxa, in North West Spain. It is dedicated to the manufacturing of sustainable water-based sealants.
The company says the new hall is proof of its commitment towards the continuously growing market for beverage cans and the increasing demand for premium quality water-based sealants.
The premises feature a fully automated installation and a number of high-tech processes, from unloading and stock control of incoming raw materials, through all phases of production process, to packaging and loading of final products.
All the company’s beverage sealant production in Spain has been moved there.
The new installation optimises all the manufacturing processes and allows for double the production capacity of its Artistica RB1006 sealant series.


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Accelerating the digital facelift of Kirana stores
Kirana stores play a crucial role in the Indian retail sector, with 13 million such stores catering to the everyday needs of people locally.
Kirana stores play a crucial role in the Indian retail sector. The retail industry accounts for 11 percent of GDP and employs eight percent of the workforce, or approximately 43 million, of which the majority are in the unorganized sector such as Kirana stores. In addition, food and grocery (the hot sellers of Kirana stores) account for more than 65 percent of the retail sector in India.
However, with consumer preferences shifting to shopping online or at supermarkets and the rise of modern retailers across Tier I, II and III cities, Kirana store owners are facing the music. By 2021, in just a year from now, the share of traditional trade in the retail industry will likely reduce to 75 percent from the present 88 percent. By 2030, India will mostly be a middle income-led economy, furthering the gap between what customers need and what Kirana stores offer.
Does that mean it’s the end of the road for small retail formats? The recent situation says otherwise. During the national lockdown because of the global pandemic, our survey revealed people turned to local stores for their daily needs. In fact, Small shops were better stocked than ecommerce companies, which were struggling with the sudden disruption in their supply chain. The moral of the story is: There is no doing away with traditional formats. On the contrary, it’s time for retail industry stakeholders to step up support and help Kirana stores ramp up in a sustainable manner.
We interviewed 57 Kirana stores that have already undergone modernization to study the impact and benefits. The results:
Swift improvement in turnover: Store owners report revenue growth of between 20% and 300% with an average of 135 percent. Profits also grew 30% to 400%.
Bigger shopper basket size: As stores modernized, there was a qualitative change in what and how much consumers bought. Low inventory costs: One of the biggest gains for store owners was greater control on inventory, implying the freeing up of cash reserves.
Retailer that have gone the modernization way are enjoying a distinct competitive advantage. More than 76% of them reported a bigger customer base, while 67% said they increased staff strength. A huge 90% of the retailers felt they had more time for themselves. In addition, most of the stores were able to avail more schemes and benefits from FMCG brands due to their classification into modern trade or incentives based on sales achievement.
percentage growth in revenue, with an average of 135%.
percentage increase in profit.
The modernization of small retailers doesn’t just benefit store owners, but also consumers, the government and the industry at large. The math is clear: If stakeholders in the Kirana ecosystem help expedite the modernization process, they multiply benefits for themselves. So, who are these stakeholders? FMCG companies, e-commerce, cash and carry retailers and payment companies, logistic providers and intermediary traders, the government, as well as retail associations and traders—everyone has a role to play. The steps they take now will define the future of Kirana stores and of the Indian retail landscape at large.
We identify seven systematic steps that can help Kirana store owners evolve into digitally powered retailers who understand their customers and are able to boost engagement and create more fulfilling experiences. We also list nine steps to quickly incorporate Kirana stores into the formal economy. Download our report for details.


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The company which has dominated the world diamond trade for nearly three-quarters of a century yesterday guaranteed for the first time that the stones it sells do not originate from rebel-held areas in Africa.
At a London sale for its registered buyers De Beers, which markets around 65% of all diamond production, promised that the diamonds had not fuelled the conflicts in Angola and Congo.
The move follows intense international criticism of the company's practices in the 1990s when it bought billions of dollars worth of diamonds from war-torn areas in west and central Africa, allowing rebel groups to buy arms and supplies on the black market.
A spokesman said it would also continue its ban on stones from Sierra Leone, where diamonds fuelled a horrific conflict marked by the rebels systematic hacking off civilians' hands, arms and legs from civilians, even those of tiny children.
While human rights groups welcomed the initiative, diamond experts expressed scepticism that De Beers would be able to control the complex smuggling routes associated with the trade.
A spokesman for London-based group Global Witness, which spearheaded a campaign for more accountability, said the decision could only be regarded as genuine if De Beers promised never to buy "conflict diamonds" again.
For decades the rationale of De Beers - effectively a cartel - has been to buy as much of the world's diamond production as possible and to stockpile to maintain the price. Until 1998, De Beers's annual reports boasted of the company's ability to absorb Angolan production.
Its sales, which are held 10 times a year, are attended by about 125 "sight holders" - cutters, polishers and dealers - from Antwerp, Tel Aviv, Bombay and New York.
Yesterday's guarantee was the company's response to a June 1998 United Nations resolution which prohibited the import of Angolan diamonds without a certificate of origin from the Angolan government.
The frailty of that embargo was demonstrated last October when De Beers announced that it was suspending all imports of Angolan diamonds because of evidence of fraudulent certificates.
The UN report on sanctions-busting, published last month, detailed how diamonds from the Unita-held areas of Angola were smuggled on to the world market through Rwanda, the Ivory Coast, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia and through the unregulated parts of the diamond market in Antwerp.
Belgium accounts for nearly 80% of the rough diamond trade. Robert Fowler, the Canadian author of the UN report, accused Belgian authorities of failing to establish an effective import identification system.
"Nor has any effort been made to monitor the activities of suspect brokers, dealers and traders - virtually all of whom appear to travel freely and operate without hindrance. Once diamonds are brought to Antwerp they are almost impossible to trace," he said.
De Beers, which itself mines about 40% of diamonds produced each year, insisted yesterday that its controls would include instructing its buying offices in Antwerp as well as Tel Aviv not to buy any diamonds imported from Africa.
The company would also stop buying from the informal sector of the economy. It has closed its offices in the Congo and Guinea - two centres traditionally used for smuggling stones from Unita territory and areas held by the rebel Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone.
The question of whether the origin of stones can be easily determined is much disputed. De Beers said yesterday that "run of mine" diamonds - those coming from a particular area - can be sourced, reversing its longstanding insistence that Angolan diamonds could not be identified.
"Our experts can be 90% certain," the spokesman said. But the director general of the Antwerp Diamond Council, Peter Meeus, said: "It will be unworkable in practice. Batches of diamonds are handled in a mix. That makes a search for origin an impossible task."
Speaking on Radio France Internationale yesterday, a spokesman for the Belgian for eign ministry said: "It is very difficult to identify a diamond's origin. You can't find adequate systems in Africa for origin certificates."
Earlier this month, two South African diamond dealers, who were named in the Fowler report as breaking diamond sanctions against Unita, said they had sold gems purchased from the rebels to De Beers.
Brothers Joe and Ronnie de Decker were said to have supplied light weapons to Unita in exchange for the diamonds.
Ronnie de Decker denied shipping arms to the rebels but admitted that between 1993 and 1997 he bought diamond parcels worth up to $5m (£3m) from Unita, and says he sold them to De Beers or one of its associated companies. Mr De Decker claims De Beers was not in any doubt about the source of the diamonds.
A De Beers spokesman in Johannesburg said it was "very likely" that the company had bought diamonds from Mr De Decker, but that it was impossible to establish where diamonds came from once they had been polished.
Another dealer named in the report, David Zollman, said he stopped buying diamonds from conflict areas in 1997.


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Stephen Perry has been involved with China since his earliest days. His father was the leader of the Icebreaker group to China in 1953 which restarted UK-China trade relations a year after starting up the business in which Stephen is today Managing Director, London Export Corporation. This year is the company’s 60th anniversary of trade with China.
Stephen grew up with letters from China and stories from China and after studying law at UCL he joined the company full time. The company traded commodities with China and distributed consumer goods in the UK. Stephen opened up US-China trade for the company in 1971/72 and went on to establish subsidiaries there. In the early 90’s he decided to focus on strategic long term deals with China and put together some of the ground breaking deals of that period in China. More recently he has again broken new ground with a deal in Africa with China and a western company.
Stephen is chair of the legendary 48 Group who have been working with China since 1953. Their mission is to develop a positive relationship with China.
One of his main missions is to ensure that the British better understand China. His talk will be around that theme – understand China to work effectively with China.
Below are two links to speeches made in Switzerland by President Xi Jinping. They are very significant and full of content. President Xi was essentially saying that a world working together to innovate new ways of growing… Read More ›
Monday 23 January 2017 – The Dorchester, Park Lane, London Chinese New Year was welcomed early by the traditional 48 Group Chinese New Year event. This year, for the first time, we were delighted to welcome CCCUK – the Chinese… Read More ›
Dear Friends Technology is very challenging to me. I am sending out three links which I think are significant. Excuse my lay out. 1. The first is an article from China economic review – short but pithy…. Read More ›
Dear All A good article on New Silk Roads – NSR – which is a complex simple idea https://article.wn.com/view/2016/12/29/5_Upheavals_To_Expect_From_The_New_Silk_Road_In_2017/ Stephen
Dear Friends President Xi Jinping made an important speech for the New Year. I have said before many commentators complain that China does not advise its intentions in advance. China does but it does it in a Chinese way. This… Read More ›
Here is President Xi’s New Year speech Roll up your sleeves and Taiwan is a red line for China. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-01/01/c_135948551.htm Stephen


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武汉高端茶友微信群：The UK’s retail industry grew sharply in the third quarter
The UK’s retail industry grew significantly in the third quarter
Original Title: The UK’s Retail Industry Increased Significantly in the Third Quarter
London, October 23 (Reporter Xiaoling Sun) According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on the 23rd,As the government gradually relaxes epidemic prevention and control and adopts measures to stimulate the economy,In the third quarter of the UK, retail sales of goods and retail sales increased by 17.4% and 17.7%.
Data Display,Retail sales and retail sales in the United Kingdom increased by 1.5% and 1.4%.Compared with the level before the outbreak in February,Retail sales and retail sales increased by 5.5% and 3.9%.
James Smith, an economist at the International Group, said,With the gradual restart of business activities in the third quarter,The British economy was able to resume growth,Especially the retail industry performed well.
but,Smith believes thatAlthough the retail industry maintained growth in September,But the data shows thatThis growth momentum has begun to stabilize,The government’s possible prevention and control measures in the face of a rebound of the epidemic may further pressure the economy.
Thomas Pew, an analyst at Capital International Macroeconomics Consulting, also believes thatAffected by factors such as rising unemployment,”The growth of total consumer spending may stagnate in the coming months.”


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- Amazon will allow employees to take longer leaves of absence before pausing their stock vesting schedules, in addition to other changes.
- The changes are intended to "make every day better for employees," according to an internal memo.
- Amazon is facing an exodus of top talent amid rising concerns over low compensation.
Amazon has changed some of its policies around employees' stock grants amid growing complaints about low compensation and an exodus of top talent from the company. These changes were announced Monday in an internal memo that was viewed by Insider.
The changes outlined in the memo affect how the company treats stocks during leaves of absence, as well as vesting schedules for the beneficiaries of deceased employees. Last week, Insider reported that Amazon was considering a change to how it distributed stock to top employees to stem its high attrition.
Amazon will allow employees to take longer leaves of absence before pausing their stock vesting schedules, according to the memo. Previously, Amazon had paused stock vesting if employees took longer than two weeks off — even during paid parental leave and medical leaves of absence. Restricted stock units form the bulk of many corporate Amazon employees' compensation, meaning that taking a leave of more than two weeks could seriously affect some workers' cash flow.
Amazon will also give employees the option to trade fractional shares and accelerate vesting schedules for employees' beneficiaries in the event an employee dies.
The changes "are part of our work to make every day better for employees by listening to your feedback and making changes," the memo read.
Amazon has in recent months been discussing a slate of possible changes to compensation to retain top employees. Insiders have described an attrition crisis at the company, with executives and engineers leaving Amazon in droves over pay and culture issues.
It's not clear whether the relatively incremental changes to stock vesting announced Monday, though, will alleviate those concerns. In the company's internal sentiment survey last year, nearly half of all employees who were considering changing jobs said low base pay, which Amazon caps at $160,000 in most locations, was among the reasons they were considering a move. Only 24% said they were looking for a new job because of concerns over their stock vest timeline.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson disputed that the company is facing high attrition and said that average retention rates have not changed substantially in the past two years.
Do you work at Amazon? Contact reporter Katherine Long via encrypted messaging apps Signal/Telegram (+1-206-375-9280) or email (email@example.com). Check out Insider's source guide for other tips on sharing information securely.


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By Arjen van Beek - 8 Feb 2021
Milestone reached! Year after year, we have made substantial investments in our stock. We are continuously adding new products and series. Recently, we passed a special number. The ABF warehouse now contains over 10 million bearings and electric motors!
Such a considerable stock does not form overnight. In 2008, the number stood at 1 million units. In 2011, this number doubled and since then, we’ve added about one million items each year. And now the magic 10-million barrier has been crossed!
All products are shipped on the same day of ordering. You can draw directly from our stocks, reducing your need for expensive storage space. A promise we have always stood for, even at 10 million units.
On to 20 million!
A recent change at ABF at board level has led to the appointment of a new CEO. We would like to introduce you to: Ben van Oosterhout. A f…Read more
Last December, as part of our annual charity project, we planted 200 Moringa trees in Kenya in partnership with Treedom. It’s time for a s…Read more
The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is keeping the world in an iron grip. ABF strives to minimise the risk and consequences for both ou…Read more


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CalBG, Bert and Rocky’s offering native plant ice cream
by Andrew Alonzo | email@example.com
This past Sunday, Sebastian Grannis and Saul Harper from Bert and Rocky’s Cream Company found themselves serving about 150 triple scoops made from native plants at California Botanic Garden’s Freeze Wild 2023 event at Lewis Family Forest Pavilion.
Flavors included chocolate orange and California bay laurel, woolly bluecurls and cream with honey, and Mexican elderflower and lemon sorbet.
The limited edition flavors are available online until the end of July at calbg.org. Pints are $65, $55 for CalBG members. They come with recipe cards so folks can make their own, and an invitation to an online course set for Sunday, August 6 from 3 to 4 p.m. on the culinary and natural importance of California plants.
Proceeds will fund educational programming at CalBG.
“The flavors mostly actually came from our staff here at California Botanic Garden thinking about the native plant flavors that we like to taste,” said CalBG’s Lauren Weintraub Stoebel, assistant director of visitor experience.
The Freeze Wild concept was borne out of Covid, Stoebel said.
“Before my time at the garden, some of the previous visitor experience staff wanted to get more into promoting native plants and how wonderful they are for cooking,” she said. “A lot of them are great for desserts or savory dishes, so they created a series of programming, Taste Wild and Freeze Wild.”
For more information, visit calbg.org/event/freeze-wild-take-home-boxes.


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The Midcounties Co-operative has raised more than £28,000 for the thousands of people displace by last year’s typhoon in the Philippines.
Over the last three weeks staff at the society’s 240 food stores encouraged customers to contribute loose change by placing buckets at the end of every checkout to support the ongoing relief efforts.
The Co-operative Food store on Brewery Street in Highworth raised £950, while twelve other stores raised more than £500 each through their collections.
Mark Wilson, group general manager, for food retail said: “Raising over £28,000 in only three weeks is a huge achievement and we really appreciate the very generous donations from our customers, who have been incredibly supportive, and the hard work our colleagues put in to make it possible.
Retailers across the UK made a weighty contribution to the typhoon appeal since it hit in November.
Rav Garcha’s Nisa Local store in Gains Park, Shrewsbury raised more than £1,000 in a fundraising drive while the Southern Co-operative also donated £10,000 to the International Co-operative Alliance’s (ICA) recovery fund.


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Professor Jan Sedivy on Winning the Alexa Prize SocialBot Challenge and 40 Years in Voice Tech – Voicebot Podcast Ep 225
Jan Sedivy is a Researcher at the Institute of Cybernetics and Robotics at the Czech Technical University (CTU) and a..
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Mazoon Dairy, the flagship dairy company of the Sultanate, commemorated Oman’s annual Industry Day on Wednesday by highlighting its various milestones cemented since operation in 2019. In addition, the company also shed light on its noteworthy development plans for the next 5 years.
Commenting on the occasion, Ahmed Al Ghafri, Chief Support Office, remarked, “Mazoon Dairy has had a fruitful past year with exciting new developments moving forward as part of our long and short term plans. Today we have established a strong position in the local market, as we have also managed to add variety to the unique products on shelves. We are engaging in a holistic approach that is innovative and moves our industry standard more towards sustainability, without compromising on our efforts to ensure the highest level of quality during our operations.”
The company focused on strengthening the scope of its promotional activities to reach wider segments of consumers in the local market. Mazoon Dairy produces over 190 products, from fresh milk products of various flavors including laban, fresh juices, cheeses, ice creams and long-life dairy products. The company showcased its mission to continue raising the local Omani industry standard and supporting the development of high-quality national industry in the field of dairy products.
Expanding on Mazoon Dairy Company’s future plans, XXXX added, “We plan to significantly increase our production capacity during the next five years, which includes doubling the size of the herd on the farm and increasing the capacity of the factory. In addition, we also look to generate further job prospects for Omanis and create more opportunities for local industries.”
The company’s state-of-the-art dairy farm currently provides for a capacity of 10,000 dairy cows in 15 temperature-controlled high-tech barns, managed at a steady 25 degrees Celsius. The integrated facility in As’Sunainah can produce over one million litres of milk in a day.
Mazoon Dairy runs five laboratories with 25 full-time quality assurance employees to ensure the highest standards are obtained in the production and delivery of each product. The company performs over 100 tests daily during the manufacturing process to ensure overall safe conditions and the highest quality in the final results.
Mazoon Dairy Company has international accreditations in the areas of quality, customer and consumer satisfaction such as ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2017 compliance and is aligned with both local and international standards.


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Press release: 17.12.2009
Just when you thought that nothing would ever come out of Mobile TV services.
Enters booxTV, service concept that Screenpeak Ltd believes has a good chance to finally meet analysts’ growth predictions that have so far been miserably failed.
Mobile TV has for the good part of the 21st Century been the next big thing in mobile industry but for numerous reasons have managed to fail all expectations, at least here in Europe. The situation was well highlighted by one online press reader when commenting the recent study about Mobile TV take-up in Finland by saying that the amount of Mobile TV users are reaching close to two digit numbers. Still, the studies show that more than 70% of the people would be interested in such services, and almost 40% would even consider upgrading their handset for this reason alone.
In order to serve this big and yet so poorly served market, Screenpeak – a recent start-up with management that has some 50 years combined experience from Nokia and mobile services -, is today launching booxTV ™ – the world’s first fully mobile service that allows users to automatically record and watch broadcast TV using their smartphones. At first the booxTV service will offer consumers access to about dozen Finnish TV channels using a fully end-to-end mobile ecosystem built by Screenpeak and its partners.
The booxTV service gives consumers “single click access” to a comprehensive program guide with a user-friendly interface that allows fans to view the world of broadcast TV shows from the last moment to all the way to the preceding weeks on their smartphones with no worry about missing a favorite show or televised event. Subscribers can even use booxTV to receive suggestions from and recommend shows to their friends, whereby the strong social aspect of TV gets further utilized.
Screenpeak is at start launching booxTV as an operator-independent service so that the users can easily start enjoying the TV programs on their mobile devices immediately. BooxTV service is also designed for and will be offered to different content providers and aggregators to make their content available for mobile device users. Further still, Screenpeak has plans that include working with Finnish and international telco operators to increase sales of lucrative bundled smartphone/dataplan offerings and eventually allow operators to generate revenue directly from the booxTV service itself.
Jukka Sintonen, one of the founders and CEO of Screenpeak Ltd says: “We are all really excited to enter this exploding market with our unique offering that gives users the opportunity to experience a totally new way of recording and watching their most popular TV shows on their smartphones, whenever and wherever they choose and even when being offline and out of any network coverage.
We are bringing booxTV to market in a moment when the mobile entertainment industry is on a verge of a “big bang” in delivery of TV and VOD services and we are convinced that now is the time to take action and become the leader in a movement that will surely shape the future of mobile media consumption habits and mobile TV offerings.”
Will Cardwell, Director of Technopolis Development Services, says “Mobile TV has had its ups and downs in popularity – the fact is, however, that good enough services for users have not really been around to make the judgment whether or not it will ever take off. Screenpeak has executed their own vision of a Mobile TV service which simply works. It has been a pleasure to work with the team in the Innovation Mill program.”
“Innovation Mill program is a new way to reconstruct the Finnish innovation environment and can support new Finnish startups in the area of ICT and boosts competitiveness and true entrepreneurship in the companies. Screenpeak is amongst the very first companies that have clearly benefited from this new program and that encourages us to further utilize the concept in the future”, says Juha Tanskanen, Senior Technology Adviser at Tekes.
For further information, please contact:
Tel. +358 40 7629769, email email@example.com
Technopolis Development services
Tel. +358 40 5141325, email Will.Cardwell@technopolis.fi
Senior Technology Adviser
Tel. +358 50 557 7800, email firstname.lastname@example.org
About Screenpeak Ltd
Screenpeak Ltd provides innovative and easy to use solution to place and play shift TV and other video content to mobile devices. Screenpeak provides full end-to-end service to the consumers under its own booxTV brand. Moreover, Screenpeak opens up new business opportunities to content owners, service providers, operators and mobile device distributor by offering “white-boxed” solution with tailored functionality and differentiated look and feel. www.screenpeak.com, www.booxtv.fi, www.booxtv.com
Technopolis Plc provides business environments and services for knowledge-intensive companies and organizations. The service portfolio ranges from comprehensive business and development services to modern premises. Currently, close to 1,200 companies with 16,000 employees operate in the Technopolis centers located in Espoo, Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta, Oulu, Tampere and Vantaa in Finland, and inSt. Petersburg in Russia. Technopolis Plc is listed on Nasdaq OMX Helsinki.
Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, is the main government funding and expert organisation for R&D and innovation in Finland. Tekes finances industrial R&D projects as well as projects in universities and research institutes. Approximately half


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Cable Technology Feature Article
Gen Y and Pre-Boomers Happier with Home Phone Service than Gen X and Boomers
By Rory Lidstone, TMCnet Contributing Writer
According to J.D. Power and Associates' recent 2012 U.S. Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction Study both Generation Y and Pre-Boomer customers tend to be more satisfied with their home telephone service as compared to other generational groups. The study's respondents were selected from four regions throughout the U.S. and broken down into generational groups.
The five factors examined to determine overall satisfaction, in order of importance, were: performance and reliability; cost of service; billing; offerings and promotions; and customer service.
On a 1,000-point scale, satisfaction among Pre-Boomers rated at 709, while Gen Y customers averaged 690, both groups rating satisfaction higher than the average of 682. Meanwhile, Gen X respondents averaged 667 and Baby Boomers rated their landline service at 678 overall.
The reasons for Gen Y and Pre-Boomer satisfaction are different, however, with the former group citing the ability to bundle other services like mobile phone service and high-speed Internet with landline service, while the latter cited reliability. The two groups also differ in that the majority of Pre-Boomers are unlikely to switch providers while almost a quarter of Gen Y customers are likely to shop around in pursuit of the best deal.
"Pre-Boomers tend to take an 'if it's working, why switch' approach to their telephone service, while Gen Y customers are not afraid to switch and will consider a provider offering a less expensive alternative," said Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications at J.D. Power and Associates.
Of those willing to switch providers, 72 percent of Gen Y said they would do so for a better price, compared with 60 percent of Pre-Boomers who answered the same.
As long as Gen Y customers are able to stay with one provider, they present the greatest opportunity for growth as 41 percent of respondents in this group said they would buy additional products from their provider — the highest percentage of any of the groups.
J.D. Power and Associates also recently released its 2012 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study which found that wireless customers who use 4G LTE-enabled devices tend to experience fewer data-related issues compared to 3G and other 4G-enabled devices.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.
Edited by Brooke Neuman


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Avantax, the publicly traded wealth management company that was created after Blucora shed its tax software business and changed its name earlier this year, faces more opposition from one of its shareholders. Activist investor Engine Capital, which owns about 2% of Avantax shares, sent a letter to the board of directors this week, urging them to consider selling the entire company.
This is not the first activist investor to go after Avantax and its former parent, Blucora. In 2021, Ancora, an RIA acquired by Focus Financial Partners, waged a proxy battle against Blucora, arguing that the management team was failing to find promised synergies between Avantax, Blucora's strategic roll-up of tax-focused broker/dealers, including HD Vest and 1st Global, and Blucora's legacy professional tax software business, depressing the stock price. But shareholders ultimately voted to retain existing board members.
Later that year, Ancora sent a letter to the board of directors, putting more pressure on Blucora to sell its online tax preparation unit, TaxAct. In November 2022, Blucora announced that it would do just that and focus solely on the wealth management business.
In February 2022, Engine Capital waged its own proxy battle against Blucora, seeking three seats on the board.
Now, Engine Capital says despite the company’s efforts, its stock continues to trade at a discount to its strategic value. Year to date, its stock price is down nearly 13%.
“We believe this is primarily due to the fact that Avantax is a subscale asset in the consolidating asset management industry where size is increasingly important,” Engine Capital’s letter reads. “That is why we encourage the board to initiate and publicly commit to a review of strategic alternatives—including a sale of the entire company—which we believe could fetch between $27 and $32 per share, or a 34% premium for stockholders.”
The letter outlines 10 arguments for selling the business, including the firm’s holding company structure, which it contends is creating unnecessary duplications across the organization; as well as its deteriorating competitive positioning; and the fact that its recent business momentum, such as improvements in recruitment and advisor experience, would make a sale more timely.
“Given the benefits of scale in the asset management space and Avantax’s own inefficiencies, it is obvious that the value of Avantax to a large consolidator is vastly superior to its standalone value,” the letter said.
A spokesman for Avantax did not return a request for comment by press time.


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REGARD is a leading digital fashion and lifestyle magazine co-founded with celebrity hair and makeup artist, Valerie Noble.
— Dimitry Loiseau
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, June 18, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dimitry Loiseau created REGARD Magazine over a decade ago. REGARD is a leading digital fashion and lifestyle publication co-founded with celebrity hair and makeup artist, Valerie Noble. The magazine platform was designed to showcase more up and coming actors in the entertainment industry.
Since its inception, Dimitry wanted to expand on the magazine concept by featuring various actors from network TV, cable television and now all of the streaming platforms. Over the span of this past decade, he has photographed and featured notable talent that include Meghan Markle, Paris Hilton, Octavia Spencer, Regina King, Sarah Wayne Callies, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Roselyn Sanchez and Marisol Nichols, just to name a few.
His vision, as a photographer, is to create timeless images, that capture the essence of each individual, who are then featured in the publication and displayed in a beautiful setting.
Recently, the international celebrity photographer and Chief Editor of REGARD Magazine, Dimitry Loiseau, threw a lavish launch party with a fusion of celebrities, fashion, fitness, beauty, mixology and much more, to celebrate the Summer 2022 edition.
Some of the most recognizable international brands like BURN180, TEPOZÁN, and SOFITEL, came together to celebrate the release of the issue hosted by REGARD’s cover girl, Tricia Helfer! Other celebrities who attended the event at the swanky Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills include Sophia Ali, Nicky Whelan, Edward James Olmos, Caitlin O’Connor, Christopher Gorham, Alex Meneses, Michael Rosenbaum, Dr. TJ Tsay, Farrah Abraham, Karlee Perez, Christian Ganiere, Jay Ellis, Andrea Bernholtz (Celebrity CEO of Swiminista Co- Founder of Rock & Republic) Steve Cederquist, Alyssa de Boisblanc, Melissa L. Williams, Co- Founders of Burn180 Dan Markel and Todd Wittenbrock, and many more.
The next step for REGARD is taking the brand to the next level, globally. Dimitry’s work has been instrumental for REGARD by forging partnerships with some of the most exclusive and luxurious brands.
Breaking into Magazines with Dimitry Loiseau and Valerie Nobel


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Melbourne gets world first solar-powered ‘Tesla Town’
We’re constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the Springwise experience, and so we’re now introducing BeeLine Reader, a new technology that helps you read more quickly and efficiently. To learn more about BeeLine Reader, an award-winning startup funded by Intel Capital, see BeeLineReader.com.
Elon Musk’s Tesla has become synonymous with renewable energy, leading the industry of electric vehicles and energy storage. Less than half a year after Australia received its first Tesla Powerwalls, Melbourne property group Glenvill release plans of what could be the first solar-powered ‘Tesla neighborhood’.
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and join one of thousands of communities.
Reenactment of the 2022 FED led fight against inflation (v.redd.it)
submitted 7 hours ago by SilverBoatSurfer to r/Wallstreetsilver
don't be perma bull or perma bear (i.redd.it)
Training for the circus (v.redd.it)
Wise Words Sir (i.redd.it)
new vehicle deliveries in May plunged by 29.6% from May last year, and by 30.2% from May 2019, to just 1.1 million vehicles, back were it was in the 1970s (i.redd.it)
Exit the Fed (i.redd.it)
Sri Lanka in 2019 graduated to an upper middle income country and just 3 years later its facing the worse economic crisis (i.redd.it)
Went from 11.3 Oz to 9.6 Oz and the new package cost more ... (i.redd.it)
submitted 8 hours ago by SilverBoatSurfer to r/Wallstreetsilver
Shrinkage in effect. The left one was bought in December 2020 at 24oz. The right one purchased today is 18oz. (i.redd.it)
With the state of the economy in 2022: (i.redd.it)
Waltz of the washing machine flowers (v.redd.it)
Google engineer speaks out about the new AI robot that is self aware! (v.redd.it)
Coming to a town near you (v.redd.it)
Inflation is worse than I thought. (i.redd.it)
Sry, too busy. (i.redd.it)
Thought provoking (i.redd.it)
Sheesh ... (i.redd.it)
Yes, stays fresh longer (i.redd.it)
I just feel sorry for his girls (i.redd.it)
They’re bussing them in, I tell ya! (i.redd.it)
The average transaction price of new vehicles sold by dealers to retail customers in June hit a new breath-taking record high of $45,844, up by 14.5% from a year ago (i.redd.it)
So June started out with 1.13 million new vehicles in inventory on dealer lots and in transit, down by 70% (i.redd.it)
Marine misses rifle toss (v.redd.it)
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‘Safer than selling my kidney’
The BeyHive is looking for some money, honey.
Beyoncé’s highly anticipated “Renaissance” world tour was announced earlier this week — and fans have been buzzing about getting their hands on the sought-after tickets.
The megastar, 41, is setting out on her first stadium stretch in five years, since her “On The Run II Tour” with husband Jay-Z, to promote her chart-topping 2022 album “Renaissance.” She’ll hit parts of Europe and the UK first, before beginning the US leg at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on July 12.
Ticketmaster released a statement this week, claiming that in some cities, pre-sale registration for “Renaissance” tour tickets has exceeded “the number of available tickets by more than 800%.”
Eager fans are already anticipating a jaw-dropping price tag to see Queen Bey live, with some taking extreme measures to obtain quick cash.
One man named Jamaal Anderson has already raised $265 of his $300 goal on GoFundMe.
“This is the only life experience I care about living before I die,” he wrote on the fundraiser page. “I will get those front row tickets either way but this way is safer than selling my kidney on the black market.”
“All jokes aside just being in the building would be the most amazing thing ever,” he added. “So help a brother out if you can. Remember cents turn into dollars. Every little bit helps.”
Ashley St. Hilaire, a fellow fundraiser, is seeking $2,000 — but had only gathered $60 in donations as of Saturday afternoon. In her online plea, she claims the funds will go to tickets, travel expenses and a show-worthy outfit.
Other fundraisers include April Cousar, who has racked up $140 already, and Raheem Solomon, who’s netted $135.
Avid Beyoncé fan Cierra Coleman says the 28-time Grammy winner is her “EVERYTHING,” and she’s hoping to collect enough money online to see the Queen for her 21st birthday. So far, she’s raked in $250 — half of her goal.
Fans have fingers crossed they’ll score a ticket next week despite the high demand, as Swifties are still reeling from their own Ticketmaster turmoil late last year.
When Taylor Swift’s tour passes went on sale through the ticketing giant, all hell broke loose — seats sold out in the pre-sale, scalpers preyed on desperate fans, and those waiting for the public sale were sorely left out.
Resale prices for Swift’s concerts reached the thousands, and Beyoncé fans are now bracing themselves for impact — to their wallets, that is.
Lawmakers also have eyes on Beyoncé ticket sales, but not because they’re vying for a seat.
Following the Swift snafu, the Senate Judiciary Committee launched an investigation into Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, prompting Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to call the concert ticket system “a monopolistic mess.”
Now, the committee has issued a warning to Ticketmaster ahead of Beyoncé’s tour: “We’re watching.”


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London - A bike helmet made from paper might not sound like the most effective way to protect yourself on our busy roads, but this unlikely-sounding invention has just won its creator a major engineering prize.
The EcoHelmet opens out into a radial honeycomb pattern that is capable of absorbing a hard blow and spreads the impact evenly. A plastic coating makes it rain-resistant for up to three hours.
And after use, it can be folded – like a paper Christmas decoration – to a tenth of its size.
Isis Shiffer, 29, has now been awarded the £30 000 (R534 000) Dyson design prize. The industrial design student said she wanted to create a lightweight helmet that could be bought cheaply - about £5 (R90) - at bike rental stations if cyclists did not have their own headgear.
She got the idea while using so-called Boris bikes in London during a six-month study placement from the Pratt Institute in New York.
‘There were no easily accessible helmet options available,’ she said. ‘It was nerve wracking – especially going on roundabouts.’ Made of cardstock paper, the item is intended to be recyclable.
And tests at Imperial College in London showed it was as effective at protecting the skull as polystyrene headgear.
‘We dropped 4.5 kilograms of weight from a metre and it withstood the impact,’ she said. The helmet measures 300mm by 50mm when folded, so nine of them could fit in the space taken up by one conventional helmet. Although effective, the design is not intended for prolonged use, and may one day have an indicator to show when it has passed its useful life.
Shiffer is now working on an ultra-light adults’ scooter that can fit in a laptop bag. Inventor James Dyson said: “EcoHelmet solves an obvious problem in an incredibly elegant way.”


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MUG SHOTS: Who was arrested on the Central Coast
Many people want to eat healthy, but think it will be too expensive. But divinecaroline.com explains there are many nutritious items for less than $1.
Some parents may worry that preparing healthy food for your family is too expensive. But some great, nutritious food costs less than $1.
The Santa Cruz Water Department said one man was splashed with a hefty $3,000 fine for a leak caused by a running toilet.


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HIGHER rents and tough trading conditions are forcing Welsh retailers to "pack up and leave" high streets, according to a survey.
While the profits of high- street shops are being squeezed by low inflation and increasing competition from the internet plus out-of-town shopping malls, many are also faced with upwards-only rent reviews.
That is the view of retail consultancy Verdict which says only businesses in high-margin sectors such as mobile phones, coffee bars or fast food can afford to take space on the high street.
But in Swansea, which has suffered well publicised store pull-outs, closures and the blight of boarded-up shops, the authority is fighting back. It has placed a temporary moratorium on new out-of-town developments, one of the first in the UK, and is investing millions in building up its city centre.
According to Verdict many traditional town and city centre retailers are being forced to "pack up and leave", and the resultant lack of choice is leading to growing customer dissatisfaction. Its survey says only 26% of consumers believed Britain's high streets had enough shops today, compared to 34% last year.
Just 32% of shoppers preferred to shop in a traditional high street rather than an out-of-town covered shopping centre or retail park. This compares to 46% last year.
But councillor Rene Kinzett, spokesperson for the Swansea's Liberal Democrat-led council said, "Swansea City Centre has been on a very interesting journey over the past couple of decades.
"From down-at-heel to up-and-coming and now with real opportunity for rapid and sustainable growth, Swansea's story is one of excitement and of missed opportunity."
For years there had been complaints that the central shopping areas of the city were wanting in terms of quality, choice and competition, she said.
"It is true that the City's 1970s and '80s developments, like the Quadrant and St David's Shopping Centres, are fast showing their age and should have been complemented, or even replaced, by a real and marked expansion in the quality and choice of Swansea's shopping experience many years ago.
"The good news is that developers have shown an unprecedented level of interest in Swansea over the past few years and this has now culminated in a #30m redevelopment of the former David Evans (House of Fraser) site.


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Computex 2021 | Alder Lake should be worried: AMD teases 3D V-cache on Ryzen 9 5900X, 192 MB 2 TB/s L3 cache results in 15% fps gains; Possible Zen 3+ Warhol incoming
During AMD's Computex 2021 keynote earlier today, CEO Dr. Lisa Su made a stunning disclosure that may have major ramifications in the days to come for the computing industry. Dr. Su announced that AMD will be producing 3D-stacked chiplets later this year. These chiplets come with stacked caches called 3D V-cache (vertical cache) that is expected to significantly boost gaming performance.
AMD's 3D V-cache allows stacking an additional 64 MB of SRAM cache vertically on top of each core complex die (CCD). For the current Ryzen 5000 series chips such as the Ryzen 9 5900X and the Ryzen 9 5950X, this means three such stacked 3D V-caches totaling a whopping 192 MB of L3 cache per processor.
AMD first revealed that it was exploring 3D stacking with X3D back during its 2020 Financial Analyst Day. This is actually a hybrid of 2.5D and 3D packaging called 3DFabric, which TSMC announced in during its 26th Technology Symposium in late 2020.
Today, Dr. Su showed a prototype Ryzen 9 5900X that features 3D cache stacking technology, and the first 1080p game benchmarks already seem to show around a 15% performance benefit on the current 7 nm Zen 3 architecture — something that is normally a characteristic of gen-on-gen upgrades.
The 3D V-cache is bonded to the CCD with through silicon vias (TSVs) that allow for power and data transer rates up to 2 TB/s bandwidth between the cache and the CPU. The prototype Ryzen 9 5900X that was shown had one of its CCD's exposed to show how the 3D V-cache would like. The 64 MB SRAM cache on the left CCD that was shown measures 6 mm x 6 mm.
The hybrid bonding with the TSVs allow for a >200x interconnect density than conventional 2D packaging, >3x interconnect efficiency compared to microbump 3D, and a >15% increase in density compared to microbump 3D. TSMC's 3DFabric technology uses direct copper-to-copper bonding to improve thermals, density, and pitch. Dr. Su said that this 3D interconnect is the most efficient and advanced active-on-active silicon technology of its kind.
A short demo of Gears 5 running on a conventional Ryzen 9 5900X (64 MB L3 cache) and the 3D-stacked Ryzen 9 5900X (192 MB L3 cache) with both CPUs locked at 4 GHz showed a 12% higher fps in the latter. Overall, the new 3D V-cache results in an average of 15% fps boost across several titles including DOTA 2 (Vulkan), Gears 5 (DX 12), Monster Hunter World (DX 11), League of Legends (DX 11), and Fortnite (DX 12) at 1080p (at 4 GHz).
In conclusion, Dr. Lisa Su said that AMD is ready to make the "highest-end" products using this 3D V-cache stacking by the end of this year. This demo is no doubt just a sample of what's to come. It remains to be seen whether AMD is planning to introduce initial SKUs featuring this tech as a "test lineup" of sorts before scaling up production for upcoming architectures. There is a high possibility that we may see this tech debut with Zen 3+ Warhol, which currently is rumored to be non-existent or canceled.
More importantly, if AMD is indeed planning to introduce such designs later this year, it may pose a serious threat to Intel's upcoming Alder Lake hybrid architecture, at least when it comes to gaming. Being able to reuse existing architectures is no doubt an area that will be keenly explored by chip makers. Will this technology be somehow leveraged with GPUs as well? We can't wait to know what's in store in the coming months.
Check out AMD's Computex 2021 keynote below from the 33:11 mark for Dr. Lisa Su's talk on 3D V-cache.
AMD Computex 2021 Event


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January 22, 2014 - Industry News
Daimler Trucks North America announced that Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales and marketing, will retire March 31. Richard Howard will assume the position of Daimler Trucks North America sales and marketing senior vice president on April 1.
Tags: OEM, Daimler Trucks, Daimler AG, Daimler Trucks North America, Freightliner, Detroit Diesel, People
November 29, 2012 - Industry News
Daimler Trucks North America is celebrating the production anniversary of its plant in Saltillo, Mexico, with the 100,000th Freightliner Cascadia to roll off the floor
Tags: Events, Freightliner, Mexico
November 14, 2012 - Industry News
EcoDual LLC, a provider of diesel-to-natural-gas dual fuel conversion systems for heavy-duty diesel trucks, and Freightliner of Arizona announced a distribution and servicing agreement to deliver and support the EcoDual product line.
Tags: Industry, EcoDual, Freightliner, Natural Gas
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CoPilot Nav App Refreshed and Updated
Toyo Drive Tire is SmartWay Verified
Efficient Store Delivery Goal of Paragon’s Arrivals Board
W&C Suspension Has Adjustable Ride Height


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A daily update on the latest business and economic news. Live on weekdays at 8.15 am Paris time.
US warns of chip shortage risks as companies' supplies shrink
The United States has warned that companies' stockpiles of semiconductor chips have shrunk dramatically due to a global supply shortage, putting production at risk from any disruption. A survey of 150 firms for the Commerce Department found the median stocks held by manufacturers had fallen from 40 days' worth in 2019 to just five days' worth in 2021. It comes as Democrats in the House of Representatives published a bill for investment worth $52 billion in the sector.


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Mr Breakfast to operate quick service restaurant for FESCO
Chef Matthew Johnson has made a name for himself as ‘Mr Breakfast’. He is doing what few local chefs have done – focusing on the most important meal of the day and making it available all day, every day. In 2018, he held the last Mr Breakfast pop-up kitchen as he transitioned to a physical space. Now, he is venturing into a partnership with Future Energy Source Company Limited (FESCO) to operate a quick-service restaurant, Mr Breakfast To-Go.
“It was almost a no-brainer, being two truly Jamaican-owned and grown companies, coupled with missions that align, which is increasing customer value and experience. It’s the perfect opportunity to partake in a partnership that will benefit the citizens of the country with tremendous value,” Johnson told The Gleaner.
He added, “Our ‘home’ on Holborn Road is still open, seven days a week. We just recently concluded the celebrations for our third birthday.”
In a relatively short time, Mr Breakfast has established its brand both online and within Kingston and St Andrew by staying true to its philosophy – ‘Say Goodbye to Boring’. The restaurant is recognised for providing innovative and delicious breakfast and lunch options at competitive prices, and this partnership is in keeping with the vision of quality service and customer satisfaction that both companies are committed to, he said.
Mr Breakfast To-Go will be located at FESCO’s FYC Express Mart, the newest location for the service station on Beechwood Avenue, which is still currently under construction. The quick-service restaurant is to dish out similar menu items like French toast, waffles and pancakes done in his usual creative way, but it will also be the first to have exclusive lunch and dinner options as the brand seeks to have more guests say ‘goodbye to boring’ every hour of the day.
“People can expect great value, great-tasting food and more, without the wait!” the chef exclaimed.
The Beechwood Avenue service station is anticipated to be opened for business in the third quarter of FESCO’s financial year. The launch of the Mr Breakfast To-Go restaurant will coincide with the station’s opening or occur shortly after, he said.
Johnson says while Mr Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Limited is a premier restaurant for breakfast and brunch, it did not focus on catering for parties as many persons would have anticipated, so it was not particularly affected by the pause in the events industry; however, “the pandemic presented a lot of challenges which we still are grateful for, despite the initial downturn in revenues”.
“It presented an opportunity to restructure key areas within the business that has increased efficiency, resulting in long-term gain. As it relates to marketing, we focused heavily on delivery, both internally and via third party food couriers, at the onset of the pandemic, and we saw this area increasing by over 112 per cent,” Johnson said.


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» Education Portal Mp Gov In
Education Portal Mp Gov In
Education Portal Mp Gov In on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Jakarta – Plastic may be a major culprit in the garbage problem in some countries. However, Japan had already found a solution for reducing plastic waste. A Non-Government Organization (NGO) from Japan named Ecoparty come to Indonesia to introduce [...]
An average of 377 of every 1000 people who live to age 15 years will die before reaching the age of 60 years
Man who live in the tropics tend to die sooner, 7.7 years younger than other humans different hemisphere, according to a study initiated by the [...]
Japanese game producer, Sega, has released one of the legendary game, Sonic the Hedgehog, for the Android platform.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Friday (17/5), this game is available on Google Play for $2.99 U.S. dollars.
Taking into classic version is, of [...]
The launch of Apple’s tiny tablet, iPad Mini, Tuesday (10/24) morning was really a magnet for lovers of the gadget world, to the extent that the presence of a fourth-generation iPad was released simultaneously ignored.
The fourth generation of [...]
Unfinished news about the iPhone 5S, the latest info is precisely focused on the iPhone 6.
Quoted from BGR, Wednesday (1/5), an analyst mentioned that this smartphone will be released in June 2014.
Analyst named Peter Misek it seems pretty confident [...]
Samsung Indonesia introduced the world’s first audio dock that combines digital and analog technology, and made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy.
South Korean manufacturer combines the sharpness and clarity of the sound of the Digital [...]
The Samsung has confirmed that they will continue cooperation with Apple.
After emergence page report quoted the Korea Times on Monday, (10/22), about the possibility of termination of their partnership with the Apple.
Today, the Samsung has confirmed [...]
Facing the war in the “second front”
The Israeli government on Sunday (11/18), admits millions have been subjected to attacks in cyberspace since the country launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Palestinian territory last [...]
Astounding number ready achieved by Apple. In the near future, the number of applications that have been downloaded from the App Store will touch the figure of 50 billion.
Quoted from Techradar, Saturday (4/5), Apple has already provided a gift for those [...]
Engaged in “patent war” in 10 countries in the last year.
Although Samsung continues to marginalize the competition to win the market of smartphones and tablets in the world, Apple is apparently still dependent on the South Korean technology [...]
Temperature profile shows the dark and unstable material – which is a suitable climate for organic life
Institute antraiksa United States (NASA) managed to find evidence of water on Mercury, planet in our solar system that is closest to the Sun.


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Don't get Mortdogged for the holidays.
Heading into the Riot Games holiday break, the Teamfight Tactics balance team is putting together a Set Eight 12.23 B-patch that will contain a large number of micro-adjustments, according to game designer Stephen Mortdog Mortimer.
Set Eight Monster’s Attack! launched on Dec. 7, featuring new mechanics like Hero Augments in addition to champions and traits. The release was a success balance-wise, showcasing a wide variety of playable comps. Players can expect a “larger B-patch than normal with lots of micro adjustments since nothings too far off,” said Mortdog, as the team wants players to have “the best experience over the holiday break.”
Players can likely expect some form of nerf or bug fix to be applied to Viego since the four-cost champion can one-shot enemy boards with ease under the right circumstances. Champions like Zed, Zoey, Jax, Miss Fortune, Camille, and Taliyah are also on the hot seat for some small micro nerfs.
Urgot may get some AP buffs, according to Mortdog at the TFT Set Eight Summit event, providing additional flexibility to the five-cost legendary while also giving players a chance to collect more late-game chests packed with gold and items. And players are hoping for small buffs that can get applied to champions like Samira, Yuumi, Soraka, Vi, and Vayne.
The TFT Set Eight 12.23 B-patch will likely hit the live servers around 2pm CT on Dec. 13. No other updates are expected to take place until after Jan. 1, 2023, when the Riot team returns from their holiday break.


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Lindsay Lohan was the best customer at Selfridge’s department store in London yesterday. “Shocking” reports came out that the Mean Girls actress, known for her wild public persona, was seen running naked through Selfridge’s London store on Oxford Street. Panting British tabloids quickly jumped on the story of the slim, red-haired celebrity emerging naked from a dressing room and “laughing hysterically” as she was chased by store clerks, but the fleeting gossip was quickly laid to rest when a Selfridge’s publicist reported later at GossipCop.com that nothing of the sort happened. The story had already hit the tabloid press. Barely anyone cared about the retraction. The store’s famous publicity machine was at it again.
Sensational publicity has always been the name of the game at Selfridge’s department store. Established in 1909 in London by the flamboyant Harry Gordon Selfridge, a Chicagoan with a vaudeville sense of publicity, the store quickly became famous in Edwardian England for its elaborate displays, seductive promotions and carnivalesque entertainment. In a time before movies, radio, television or the Internet, Selfridge’s became the entertainment hotspot of the city. It was difficult many times to contain all the crowds that would line up to view the displays. Selfridge himself dubbed his department store “the third biggest tourist attraction” in London, after Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.
The Lindsay Lohan gossip that flew out of the store and into tabloid headlines yesterday is the latest in a series of promotions that have contributed to the department store’s growth in recent years. A new interest in the history of Selfridge’s has spawned books, articles and a BBC miniseries starring Jeremy Piven and Aisling Loftus called Mr. Selfridge which aired last year on PBS. Recently, the department store owned by Canadian billionaire Galen Weston announced plans for a £300 million upgrade to its London flagship store on Oxford Street. The redevelopment, which will create new grand entrance halls and retail space, will be considered the largest single-project investment for a department store in the world.
Lindsay Lohan, while being Selfridge’s best customer yesterday by contributing her public persona to their bottom line, was in London preparing for a possible role in the West End revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, which is set to open later in the year. The actress’ struggles to re-enter the hot lights of Hollywood stardom have made headlines in recent years. She hopes to restart her career in London’s West End.
David Mamet’s play has a long history of celebrity stars in the lead role. Originally debuting on Broadway in 1988 with Madonna, the play centers on a young and naive struggling actress who is caught up in the manipulations of a Hollywood producer. In 2006, the role was played by Alicia Silverstone whose struggles as a child actress endeared her to the role. In 2009, the Broadway role was played by Elisabeth Moss who plays Peggy Olson on Mad Men. Although being Selfridge’s best customer yesterday, Lindsay Lohan hopes a West End debut will spark more than tabloid headlines for her career.
By Steve Killings


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Despite the advances in the field of financial regulation in the hispano-American countries, there are still challenges major challenges for the implementation of regulatory policies of the platforms of financial technology known as fintech.
This is one of the main findings of a study of the Association of Banking Supervisors of the Americas (ASBA), in which participating central banks and other financial regulators in Latin america, including the Bank of Spain.
The study, Regulation for responsible innovation and competition in the financial sector, published at the end of last June, addresses the challenges and problems of implementation to the monitoring of products as systems of virtual banking, payment gateways, products, and services that involve cryptocurrencies, contracts and smart payment transactions to P2P, approximately twenty financial products.
One of the challenges for supervisory entities is the rapid evolution of the products, fintech, it raises the study, as contrasted with the extended periods of hiring and training staff to understand properly these products.
“The supervisors need to recruit staff in an open and transparent, with high analytical skills and technology. At the same time, the staff already has should be kept up to date. Equally, supervisory authorities should make greater use of technologies to drive efficiency and effectiveness, given the increase of data from incumbents and fintech. ”
Association of Banking Supervisors of the Americas (ASBA).
ASBA also refers to “the lack of mandates appropriate to enforce the protection of the consumer, when the fintech based in the foreign supplied goods and services across borders”, as it happens for example with the exchange houses of criptomoneda with headquarters in other countries. In this regard, the organization of regulators proposes that this lack of legislation should be countered “with greater cooperation among supervisory authorities”.
On the other hand, the study advised that it should incorporate “projects of financial education, both on their platforms of the internet and on their mobile applications, through traditional entities and Fintech”. Holds that should produce “behavioral change of culture in the marketing of products that protect the financial consumer”.
In the context of Spanish american, was notorious for the promulgation of the Law Fintech in Mexico in 2018, as reported at that time Breaking News.


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McKesson is looking to get a lot bigger and boost its global purchasing power in the drugs market. The U.S. leader is buying German peer Celesio for $8.3 billion, it announced October 24.
Twitter is going conservative in its IPO game plan. The social network said October 24 it plans to sell its 70 million shares for between $17 to $20 each. At the midpoint of that range, Twitter would raise $1.3 billion at a valuation of about $12 billion, well below some expectations that the company would go public at a valuation as high as $20 billion.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Tellabs agreed October 21 to be bought by Marlin Equity for $891 million. Vince Tobkin, chairman of the networking equipment maker, said more than 30 potential buyers were vetted during a strategic review process.
Pinterest has no revenue. But that's not stopping investors from piling into the social scrapbooking platform. News broke October 23 that Pinterest raised $225 million in a round led by Fidelity Investments. The company was valued at $3.8 billion.
Funding Circle, a United Kingdom-based service allowing peer-to-peer lending for small businesses, has picked up $37 million in funding led by Accel Partners and is buying San Francisco-based Endurance Lending for an expansion into the U.S. market.
Formlabs — maker of the top-grossing tech project on Kickstarter to date, the Form 1 3D printer — on October 24 announced it's raised $19 million in Series A funding. The round was led by DFJ Growth, and also included Pitango Venture Capital, Innovation Endeavors (whose founding partner is former Google CEO Eric Schmidt) and "many returning angel investors," Formlabs said.
Boston Business Journal/W. Marc Bernsau
Highfive, a startup formed by the folks who helped create Google Drive, surfaced this week after months in stealth to say that they have raised $13.5 million in venture backing, it announced October 24. The Palo Alto, California, company led by CEO Shan Sinha still isn't saying exactly what it is up to, other than that it is working on a way for people in an enterprise to communicate better. It has been pitching the idea to prospective beta customers and it apparently involves a mobile videoconferencing and screen-sharing tool. The funding comes from General Catalyst Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Google Ventures and angel investments from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston and Box CEO Aaron Levie.


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Electric car for children launching in the UK
UK-based company Young Driver claims it has developed a specialised electric car for kids under ten, and it’s no mere toy.
Designed for five- to ten-year-old children as a full-featured training vehicle, the little EV is the work of Young Driver, a UK-based organisation that provides driver training to children and teens.
Although it looks similar to the Toyota Camatte57s revealed at the 2013 Tokyo motor show (below), the Young Driver EV is more than just a toy for kids to play with.
The car will be able to reach speeds of about 10mph (16km/h), and will be fitted as standard with electric motors, disc brakes, independent suspension and a pre-collision safety system that detects obstacles and stops the car to avoid collisions.
Parents will also be able to stop the car if necessary via remote control.
Above: the Toyota Camatte57s.
“[We’ve been] working with the designers and engineers to ensure that it provides a realistic driving experience," said Kim Stanton, director of Young Driver.
"This is not a toy, it is very definitely a small car. The ultimate aim is to give youngsters a greater insight in terms of road safety."
The vehicle will be previewed at the UK gadget show, held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham from the 31st of March to 3rd of April.
At the show, members of the public will be able to see a teaser of the car’s final design and youngsters will be able to test drive one of four working chassis to provide feedback during its final development phase.
The vehicle will be officially launched in its production form in May, and the car will be available to test drive at selected Young Driver venues across the UK.
Special road systems will be built to allow the drivers to have a go at everything from junctions and traffic lights, to manoeuvring, reversing and parking.


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What impact has the coronavirus has on digital marketing and how are brands and marketers coping from it? Here is what every marketer should know.Read more
A competitors for Tik-Tok is on the way and you can jump on it!
A new competition for TikTok is going to be released by Zee5. Get to know more!Read more
Instagram is removing likes in India, is it good or bad for you?
Instagram is removing likes has an effect on everyone brands, influencers and users. Wondering how it’s going to affect you? Read on!Read more
Influencers, you can beef up your skills with these degree level courses!
As per the 2020 Union budget proposed by the Finance Minister you can get a complete degree level courses online in skills like content writing, social media marketing and data analytics.Read more
Influencer Guide: Can you be sued for your opinion?
If an influencer’s opinion malign the reputation of a brand, is it illegal to do so? We discuss the latest case.Read more


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Sikur has launched a new variant of the Sony Xperia smartphone with enhanced features that will enable crypto holders bank substantial cryptocurrency in their wallets. The Crypto-centric smartphone is meant to serve as a more secure vault for crypto storage since the average smartphone lacks adequate security features.
The smartphone, which was launched on Wednesday features a crypto-oriented system, the SikurOS software, Sikur’s own secure appstore, a feature for remote wiping of the phone’s data, a cryptocurrency wallet and a plethora of security-oriented features
The crypto smartphone comes in two flavors both with different hardware features and software capabilities.
One flavor is a 5.2″ smartphone based on Sony’s XZ1 smartphone. It has a storage capacity of 64GB, Random Access Memory of 4GB, a 2,700mAh battery a Snapdragon 835 chip, a 19 megapixels back camera and a 13-megapixel selfie camera.
The second flavor is based on Sony’s XA2 mid-range smartphones and has a storage capacity of 32GB, Random Access Memory of 3GB, a 23 megapixel back camera paired with an 8 megapixels selfie camera, 3,300mAh battery and a 630 snapdragon chip.
The Sikur Phone
Sikur launched the Sikur Smartphone in February 2018. The company is focused on only creating the software which will be deployed to hardware manufacturers for installation to smartphones.
Sikur built the new smartphone during the Sony Open Devices Unit Program and the engineers ported it on top of the Sony architecture. The company’s Chief Operations Officer Mr. Alexandre Vasconcelos, announced that Sikur was approaching other manufacturers to port the software to their devices.
Sikur believes that although it’s a young company, it entrusts entities such as businesspeople and governments to the phone’s security features. The underlying fact is that controlling both its software and the hardware is of great benefit to the security features. In a case where the smartphone is majorly purposed for cryptocurrency storage or any highly profiled sensitive data, its security features are of increased importance.
Sikur is selling the new Sicur Smartphone at $650 for the XA2 and $850 for the XZ1.


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OnePlus has been going through a ton lot lately. From announcing the absence of the headphone jack on the OnePlus 6T to shifting keynote schedules. What we didn’t expect from OnePlus is a new limited edition launch, dubbed as the “Ultimate Edition”.
The OnePlus 6T Ultimate Edition Box has made its first appearance on a Swedish retailer’s website suggesting that the phone would go on sale four days prior to the OnePlus 6T’s keynote. The phone’s box seems considerably larger than any other typical phone box but it seems like OnePlus would be including a ton of extra goodies to compensate for the so-called higher mysterious price tag and the fact that there would be 1000 units of this edition which means that this is indeed an masterpiece to own.
While Webhallen, the Swedish retailer hasn’t released any key details regarding the insides of the box, the retailer is suggesting that there would be a ton of mysterious goodies inside of the box to compensate for its price tag. Now that we’re unable to find out what’s inside of the box, we definitely could predict some stuff as the Swedish retailer has added a blurred out picture of the contents expected to come with the OnePlus 6T Ultimate Edition.
Given that OnePlus is feeling much more comfortable soaring through the $600 price tag, we’d expect this launch to easily retail for under $699 or even higher. Certainly there would be a number of goodies and we could only expect OnePlus to include a batch of their own accessories to showcase some form of loyalty.


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What is in this article?:
- Are artificial colors harmful to your childâ€™s health?
- Appetite for neon
- A history of dangerous dyes
- A culprit in hyperactivity?
- Allergies, cancer and missing out on real food
Backed by respected European research, many parents and doctors believe food dyes are dangerous and are planning a trip to Washington, DC, to convince the FDA to either ban food with synthetic dyes or require warning labels for these products.
Allergies, cancer and missing out on real food
Representatives from the Grocery Manufacturers Association maintain that “the safety of both artificial and natural colors has been affirmed through extensive review.”
But CSPI’s Jacobson argues that many of the studies used to draw that conclusion were conducted by industry and are potentially biased. A 2010 CSPI report suggests that the three most commonly used dyes—Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6—are often contaminated with known carcinogens. The report also shines a light on animal studies that suggest some artificial colors promote tumor growth. Meanwhile, Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 have all been shown to cause allergic reactions in sensitive populations. Yellow 5—Tartrazine—has been shown to cause hives and asthma in as many as 26 percent of people with allergies.
Pediatrician Alan Greene, MD, says he too has concerns about behavioral and other impacts of dyes, and always steers kids away from them. But he sees an even more insidious impact of our ever-increasing appetite for artificially colored food.
“We are designed to be attracted to colorful foods so that we are led to ripe fruits and vegetables and other things that are good for us,” Greene says. “Food companies have learned that they can draw our attention away from those healthy foods by making unhealthy foods look colorful. We need to stop falling for it.”
Connect with writer Lisa Marshall at email@example.com.


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Video shows adults ordering a 4-year-old to steal in Kmart
Police say they have surveillance tape of two women ordering a 4-year-old to help them steal from the Somerville Kmart.
Videos reportedly show the women, who have outstanding warrants for their arrest, selecting items off the shelves and a 4-year-old girl placing those items, as well as some others, in the stroller they had with them.
In the stroller, a 2-year-old was given a bottle of soda the women hadn’t purchased.
K-mart officials caught two women who were making a child steal items in the store on Sept. 12, according to a police report. They were soon arrested by Somerville Police.
Responding to reports of two women shoplifting at the 77 Middlesex Ave. Kmart, Somerville Police officers met the loss prevention officer on duty there who had detained the suspects.
The store’s loss prevention officer reported he had seen two women with two children in the store and noticed that the older of two children was putting items in the back of a small stroller they had with them. He believed the adults were telling the child to do it.
The stolen items, later confiscated, included lip gloss, lip gel, clothing, powder, wallets and kid’s jewelry. There were a total of 17 items totaling $61.51, according to the report.
As the four tried to leave the store without paying for the items they had in the stroller, the loss prevention officer stopped them. None of the adults had any identification on them when police responded.
They were eventually identified as Tarshesha Ross, 26, of 96 Heath St. and April Robinson, 26, of 150 Walnut Ave., Roxbury. They were both found to have outstanding warrants and were charged with shoplifting, according to the report.
- Somerville (Mass.) Journal


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Cambria Automobiles has this morning reported a rise in turnover of 18.6% and profit before tax of 63.8% for the six months to February 28.
PBT is at £3.3 million on turnover of £242.8 million, with a profit margin of 1.36% - up 39% from 0.98% in the same period last year.
Mark Lavery, chief executive, said: “Cambria continues to develop its existing business and to deliver further growth through acquisitions.
“The acquisition of the Jaguar Land Rover business in Barnet in July 2014 followed by the acquisition of our second Land Rover business located in Swindon on April 30, align with the strategy we laid out in 2013; namely to invest in premium and luxury franchises that fit with our geographical locations and deliver immediate earnings enhancement.
“The board continues to focus on opportunities to strengthen the group’s position in luxury and premium brands and is actively pursuing acquisition opportunities which have the potential to fulfil these ambitions.
“The group’s performance in the all-important month of March was both ahead of our business plan and the previous year. The board is confident that Cambria will maintain this momentum and continue to deliver an improved performance across all of its activities.”
New vehicle revenue increased by 31% tp £109.4m (H1 2014: £83.5m) with total new vehicle sales up 15.6%. The new vehicle gross profit margin was 6.6% (H1 2014: 6.7%) and there was a £1.6m increase in gross profit. On a like-for-like basis, excluding the Barnet acquisition, new volumes rose by 8.8%.
“This performance was delivered against a backdrop of an 8.2% year-on-year increase in new car registrations in the UK for the period September 1, 2014 to February 28, 2015,” Cambria’s interim report states.
“The private registrations element of the new car market increased 6% year-on-year. The group’s brand partners saw a combined 8.1% increase in their total registrations during the course of the period.
“The group’s sale of new vehicles to private individuals was 12.7% higher year-on-year at 4,585 units, supported by strong consumer offers from the manufacturers.
New commercial vehicle sales increased by 35.2% to 511 units whilst new fleet vehicle sales increased by 36.4% to 266 units. Increased growth in these two areas is expected to continue.”
Used vehicle sales were up from 6,906 to 7,106 (2.9%). Revenues increased by 11.2% to £109.6m (H1 2014: £98.6m) and the number of units sold rose by 2.9%.
The gross profit on used vehicles increased by 11.2% to £9.9m (H1 2014: £8.9m), with the profit per unit sold increasing by 8.3%. Excluding the impact of Barnet, Cambria’s used volumes remained static at 6,905 units but profit per unit increased by 7.7%.
Service hours sold was 162,420 compared to 155,608 last year, up 4.4%.
Aftersales revenue increased 6.2% year on year to £29m (H1 2014: £27.3m), and the related gross profit increased to £12.4m (H1 2014: £11.6m). Excluding the impact of Barnet, service hours were in line with the previous year. The total aftersales margin increased from 42.4% to 42.8%. The aftersales departments contributed 42% of the group’s overall gross profit.
Low interest rates and a favourable exchange rate against the Euro will allow manufacturers to continue to offer strong financial incentives to buy new cars, Cambria says. It expects new car volumes to remain “robust”.
The group’s strategy, outlined in 2013, to invest in premium and luxury franchises that fit with existing geographical locations and deliver “immediate earnings enhancement” stays in place with the group “actively pursuing acquisition opportunities which have the potential to fulfil these ambitions”.
> For more analysis on Cambria's results and the biggest dealer groups in the UK, come to the AM100 Dinner on June 11 to see the official unveiling of the AM100 listing ahead of publication in AM. It’s also a great opportunity to network with those retailers. More details at www.am100dinner.co.uk


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The Fair Trade Sale is arriving at Gannon University from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Friday in Room 219 of the Waldron Campus Center. This is an annual event that is put on by the Center for Social Concerns.
Faculty and students can expect to find fair trade gifts that are from SERRV International.
According to Sara Nesbitt, special projects program assistant for the Center for Social Concerns and a graduate English student, a “fair trade” item is one that artisans in developing worlds are paid a fair and living wage for and is produced in safe and sustainable work conditions.
Laura Goble, director of the Center for Social Concerns, said that this is a way for people to know that gifts they purchase are coming from a place where the workers are treated fairly.
This year, numerous items are available to purchase for student, faculty and staff members. Those in need of Christmas gifts are encouraged to stop by because there is something for everyone at the sale.
Items include Christmas decorations for homes, dorms and apartments, toys for younger siblings or relatives, gifts for men and coffee for coffee-lovers. Students can also expect to see kitchenware, olive oil from Galilee, jewelry and delicious chocolate.
Prices range from $2-$40 and customers can pay with cash, credit card or GU Gold, according to Nesbitt.
The proceeds for the trade sale benefit Gannon’s Alternative Break Service Trip. This year, participants will travel to Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, Detroit, L’Arche Toronto to perform community service acts. Habitat for Humanity will also venture to Connecticut and Washington, D.C., for a build project.
Customers will be helping Gannon students travel across the country and the world to help people, according to Nesbit. She said she hopes that all that attend realize the good they are doing.
“I hope that faculty, staff and students can take away the knowledge that the gifts they are purchasing will not only delight their family members, but will also make life better for the person who made it,” Nesbit said. “These are gifts that help everyone involved – and are beautiful too.”
Goble said that sometimes, Christmas can become commercialized and lose its true meaning. But these gifts are especially meaningful for the person who produced the gift, the person who is giving it and finally the person receiving it.
Vernadette Delos Santos, a junior legal studies major, said that having a Fair Trade give students the opportunity to buy items and give back to others.
“During the holiday season, people are more likely to give back and a Fair Trade Sale is one way to give back while receiving something in return,” Delos Santos said. “I hope that through the fair trade sale, the Gannon community will be more aware of what fair trade is and its importance.”