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Normandy likely wouldn't be a bulletproof solution. Location data, presumably, would be still fed to Google, and it's unclear whether the phone would still require establishing a Google profile. So much of this is still speculation.
Nor am I in love with the Normandy's design, which looks like a 16-bit take on the Windows Phone interface. We also don't know for sure whether the leaks are accurate, if Nokia will ever bring the phone to market, and whether Microsoft views an Android-based Windows Phone UI as a bridge or an abomination.
But whether the Nokia X exists as a product or only as a concept, it's still an intriguing experiment in rethinking priorities. And that might be one way of marketing the phone: as a low-key experiment, or perhaps a "hobby," like the Apple TV.
Microsoft's gone down this road before. Microsoft pitched the Kin, a direct descendant of the Danger Sidekick, as a phone for the hip, connected consumer: taking pictures, storing them in the cloud, and sharing them with social networks. On paper, the phone was ahead of its time. In reality, the Kin's subpar hardware lagged badly, and polling social networks for updates every 15 minutes simply undermined its premise.
The Nokia X would likely fail as well, if launched as a mainstream smartphone. Under the harsh light of the tech press — "it's a knockoff Windows Phone!" — the phone would surely wither.
Reports claim that the Nokia X will be unveiled at Mobile World Conference in a few weeks' time, one drop in a flood of smartphones. That's fine. Experiments like the Nokia X deserve a little time in the shade to establish themselves.
The Nokia X won't change the world. Microsoft won't hitch it to the future of Windows Phone. But convince customers in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia and South America to adopt it, and Nokia and Microsoft may just establish themselves as the favorite platform of the next-next generation of smartphone buyers.
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Hamburg Boat Launch Opening Soon
One of the more controversial issues in the Town of Hamburg is the condition and future of the Hamburg Boat Launch. It look likes there are now plans to open the launch in 2018.
After recent reports of damage to the launch itself and the fact that the area surrounding the launch had become too shallow, it was not clear if Hamburg officials would be able to allow boats to use the launch and have it open for boating season this year.
According to the Buffalo News and a recent interview with the Highway Superintendent:
The target date to finish the work is April 15, and barring unforeseen problems, the launch will open by May 1, he said.

domain: news


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A Bosch dishwasher power cord recall has been expanded to 663,000 models.
We don't want you to know we respect your privacy.The email addresses you provide will be used to send the story.
The power cord of many Bosch and other dishwasher brands can catch fire.A two-year-old recall of 194,000 Bosch, Thermador, and other dishwasher models in the US and Canada has been expanded to include 663,000 models.Over the past two years, BSH Home Appliances, which announced the recall with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, has received five reports of the power cords overheating and causing fires that resulted in property damage.
There were 10 incidents of power cords overheating in the 2015 recall.BSH said that the overheating happened when the dishwasher was in use.
The models that were included in the recall sold for between $850 and $2,500.They were available in a variety of colors, with the option of adding a custom panel.
According to Consumer Reports, dishwasher fires accounted for 987 fires, three deaths, 23 injuries, and almost 15 million dollars in property loss from 2012 to 2015.
A lot of dishwasher fires are caused by electrical failure or malfunction, short circuits, improper installation, and overloading of the dishwasher.It is recommended that you avoid overloading the dishwasher and that it be installed by certified technicians.
BSH says that owners of the recalled dishwashers should stop using them and arrange for a free inspection and replacement power cord.The repair should take less than an hour.
If you purchased a Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, or Jenn- Air dishwasher over the past seven years, you should check the recall notice to see if your model is affected.You can call the BSH recall hotline or go to the website of the brand you own for more information.They are.


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Public and private sector leaders look to regulatory measures to relieve supply chain pressures likely to affect post-Thanksgiving sales.
State and federal agencies urge families to celebrate Thanksgiving safely amid COVID-19.
Regulation, combined with other efforts, has successfully repopulated wild turkeys in the United States.
A flock of regulators and industry representatives have a seat at the turkey-regulating table.
Thanksgiving offers chance to explore scientific and regulatory distinctions in popular holiday fare.
Holiday marked by mass mobility prompts regulatory responses nationwide.
Sales encroach on Thanksgiving Day festivities as moral laws restricting holiday retail sales disappear.
Regulation is all around us – even at Thanksgiving dinner.
A brief journey through the holiday’s lengthy legal history.
Thanksgiving staple faces a surprisingly complex web of regulations.
Happy Thanksgiving, from The Regulatory Review.


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We recently celebrated Singapore’s golden jubilee over the weekends, and by now, everyone knows Singapore is 50 this year. To mark this special occasion, businesses have been coming up with SG50 products all year round. From famous names to everyday names, we are going to feature a number of branded items that celebrated SG50 with limited edition products which you may not have known existing in their range.
And yes, we are going with the theme of 50. Here’s the first 10 for today:
Louis Vuitton celebrated SG50 with a range of bags that were specially customised for SG50 and in limited quantity no less! In fact, the classic Chilli Crab made it onto their bags as a limited edition design too.
Similarly, Rimowa Singapore also came up with SG50 travelling luggage. That’s one way to tell where you are from indeed!
If you think one plane is not enough, Scoot, SIA, and Jetstar all came up with a specially designed plane to celebrate SG50. That’s certainly one way to tell people where you are flying in from!
Need a camera to take pictures of Singapore? Why not get the Canon SG50 PowerShot G7 that comes with a SG50 leather case?
Tiger Beer came up with 2 different designs for their cans – their classic 1965 design as well as a red and silver SG50. Similarly, Coca-Cola and Singapore Sling drinks were also spotted with a SG50 design to their bottles.
(images credited to their respective owners)


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Purple wheat, sprouted grain and other alternative flours are adding new flavors and textures to baked goods
Flax seed bread, oatmeal/dark chocolate cookies and whole-grain food bars are among the better-for-you treats in the bakery case
Fresh Thyme’s expansion, ShopRite’s tax reform gift and Aldi’s in-store bakery were also on recent SN newsletter reader lists.
Move mimics rival Lidl, extends test that began last year
Tres leches cake, challah bread and red bean buns are among the globally inspired bakery products in demand at food stores.
Restaurant chains, grocery store delis have until May to put calorie counts on their menus
The retailer makes the bakery a destination with signature items like “snowball” rolls


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A London, Ont., homicide case could determine how far into your Facebook inbox the arm of the law could reach for investigative purposes.
The case involves Facebook messages that London police want to use as evidence in a murder investigation and trial. They’ve filed a production order to Facebook Canada asking for the data.
But the social media giant says it doesn’t have to abide by Canadian production orders because it’s an American company that stores its data in the United States.
Instead, it wants Canadian authorities to go through the so-called mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) process, usually used for physical evidence, which requires Canadian authorities to request that American authorities ask the FBI to compel Facebook to give up data. The American part of that process takes at least 10 months.
“There is conflicting law on this question, and it really comes down to how broadly do you read the production order power in the Criminal Code to apply to persons or companies outside of Canada who store data outside of Canada, as opposed to insisting that law enforcement go through the traditional treaty process established by the MLAT process,” said Gerald Chan, a Toronto-based criminal and constitutional lawyer who focuses on digital privacy.
“This case is of huge precedential importance both for police and for tech companies like Facebook.”
There have been two cases involving data stored outside of Canada used by Canadian authorities: one in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the other in British Columbia. The judges in both cases came to two different conclusions, which is partly why the London case is being watched so closely, Chan said.
In the British Columbia case, the Court of Appeal decided a “virtual presence” in Canada was enough to compel a company, in that case, Craigslist, to adhere to a production order.
A Newfoundland and Labrador court refused to issue a production order to a company in California because it found the order would be unenforceable outside Canada.
Criminal investigation vs. private data
With more of our lives spent online, police want to access digital data the way they would physical evidence. But tech companies are fighting back.
“Police are conducting an important investigation and they want access to relevant evidence, and so many people use platforms like Facebook and other social media platforms these days which are run by companies that are not Canadian. They store the data outside of Canada, but police don’t want that to be off limits,” Chan said.
“From the tech companies’ perspective, it’s not that they want to impede the investigation, but it’s that they are, by virtue of the nature of what they do, they are servicing customers all over the world, and they have quite an understandable concern about being the subject of all sorts of court orders from all over the world just because they have a virtual presence in those jurisdictions.
“It may be one thing to get a court order from Canada, which has safeguards and a constitutional structure, but it could be an entirely different thing to get a court order from a country that doesn’t have that.”
Both sides are gearing up for appeals in the case as they continue to file evidence to a judge in Windsor, Ont., who is overseeing the production order dispute ahead of the court case, which will be heard in London.
For now, the homicide case is on hold as lawyers argue about the virtual evidence.


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You Searched For "iCargo"
China Airlines selects IBS to modernise cargo operations14 Feb 2023 10:45 AM GMT
Move will continue China Airlines journey as one of the leading digital carriers in the APAC region
Lufthansa Cargo, IBS celebrate 10 years of transforming cargo biz31 Oct 2022 2:00 PM GMT
Partnership began when Lufthansa Cargo made the decision to replace its core IT platform Mosaik in 2012.
New Integrated Cargo Management System to future-proof SIA's core cargo platform27 Oct 2022 7:07 AM GMT
The new Integrated Cargo Management System(ICMS) is powered by IBS Software’s iCargo platform
Awery, IBS sign deal to drive air cargo digitisation7 Jun 2022 11:07 AM GMT
IBS iCargo customers will now be able to use Awery’s CargoBooking and eMagic solutions
IBS Software's iCargo to digitally transform Alaska Air Cargo's biz9 March 2022 1:01 PM GMT
iCargo will transform sales & inventory, cargo terminal ops, airmail handling, revenue accounting, mobile applications.
Cargolux to replace cargo management system with IBS Software's iCargo13 Dec 2021 10:34 AM GMT
IBS Software has signed a long-term deal with all-cargo airline Cargolux for the replacement of its cargo management system. Cargolux will deploy IBS...
Colombian airline Avianca digitizes cargo business with IBS Software25 Oct 2021 11:08 AM GMT
Avianca has completed the implementation of IBS Software's iCargo air cargo management platform, transforming the end-to-end management of its air...
Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines deploys IBS’ iCargo for entire cargo business15 Sep 2020 8:17 AM GMT
September 15, 2020: Taiwan’s newest luxury carrier, STARLUX Airlines, has deployed IBS Software’s iCargo platform to manage the business and...


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Activision have announced that Diablo III will be available on May 15th. The game will be sold across most of the world for PC and Mac on that date, with other areas following a few weeks later.
“After many years of hard work by our development team and months of beta testing by hundreds of thousands of dedicated players around the world, we’re now in the homestretch,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment.
“We look forward to putting the final polish on Diablo III over the next two months and delivering the ultimate action-RPG experience to gamers worldwide starting on May 15.”
The price (we only have US details just now) will be $59.99, with a collector’s edition running at $99.99, which will include the game, a behind the scenes Blu-ray, a soundtrack CD, a book and a 4GB USB soulstone and base.


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- Burger King franchise owners’ profits have also become a problem for the company.
- Toms King Holdings LLC, one of the largest U.S. Burger King franchisees, with 90 restaurants in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, declared chapter 11 bankruptcy in early January, citing declining revenue and surging costs for shipping and food.
- A decrease in the availability of workers also resulted in a number of the company’s restaurants no longer making money, the Illinois-based franchisee said in its bankruptcy filing.
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Pink's Gleeful Carpool Karaoke Really Gets The Party Started For James Corden!
15 November, 2017, 18:12 | Author: Cecil Buchanan
The multi-platinum recording artist joined James Corden for his signature Late Late Show segment on Tuesday, in support of her new album "Beautiful Trauma". When the two met years later, Pink told Corden that she couldn't help but tell Bon Jovi all about her childhood crush-and his response was one for the books.
Pink recalled how "devastated" she was when, coming home from singing lessons at 19 years old, she heard over the radio that the "Livin' on a Prayer" heartthrob married his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley. "We were in the friend zone", she said, though Corden wasn't buying it. "It was the first time someone ever broke my heart", she said, remembering how she ripped his posters off her wall in grief. Pink said her husband Cary Hart threw the trousers away.
Pink and Bon Jovi later became friends and when he learned that he had broken her heart he responded by sending her a flower arrangement with a pair of leather trousers and a note that said, "Now you can finally get into my trousers". "I thought it was amusing", Pink stated. Carey thew them out the window'.
Quick Hits: Peterman to start at QB Sunday
Taylor is completing 64% of his passes for 1,684 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Peterman led a scoring drive in garbage time, throwing the team's only touchdown pass of the game.
Pink added that the gesture only increased her respect for Bon Jovi.
'I think I was like 22, and I was like, 'How are you guys? All was going well until she chose to prove to Corden that it was possible to sing better while hanging upside down (as she has been known to do).
After admitting "I can't feel my face", Corden told her: "You sounded incredible, but you're P!nk".
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal will compete for a place in the finals on the 16th and 17th of November 2017. A lot of players from this squad will not be in the team but they don't know what is going to be next for them.
The new product, bearing the greeting "Merry Greggsmas", has an rsp of £24 - but it was worth between £30 and £60, said Greggs. Greggs the bakers has apologised for placing a sausage roll in the Nativity scene to advertise its Advent calendar .
Until more specific detail is released by Forever 21 it's hard to pin down which retail locations are affected. Card transactions made at stores between March 2017 to October 2017 may have been affected.
Investors sentiment increased to 2.83 in 2017 Q2. (NYSE:ABR) shareholders before Nov 14, 2017 will receive the $0.19 dividend. Short traders are feeling a little more bearish on Arbor Realty Trust recently as shown by the increase in short interest.
That includes a stern speech delivered in South Korea's National Assembly on Tuesday, in which he said: "Do not underestimate us". Pyongyang has a long history of interpreting USA actions as supposed declarations of war against it and the North Korean people.
Boots has said it will slash the price of a controversial £50 advent calendar after it received a barrage of criticism online. The Boots and Zoella collaboration features 12 items, which many fans do not believe equate to the cost of the calendar.
Eight years later, Italy needed just a point to qualify for the World Cup but surprisingly lost to Northern Ireland. Center forward Andrea Belotti will be 28, as will playmaker Federico Bernardeschi and striker Domenico Berardi.
Proprio del Galaxy S9 torniamo a parlare questa mattina, grazie alle presunte immagini emerse nelle ultime ore. Ulteriori dettagli in merito potrebbero emergere nei prossimi giorni.
Who is Cornelia Sorabji, todays Google Doodle
It was a struggle for Cornelia to enter the Allahabad High Court until 1923, as there was a ban on female lawyers . She has written several short stories, articles and has penned her autobiography, "Between the Twilights".
Motorola Moto Tab Price in India
Lenovo-owned Motorola, after a gap of more than five years, has launched a brand new tablet dubbed as Moto Tab in the US. The tablet has been priced at $299.99 (~Rs 19,500), and will go on sale in the United States starting November 17th.
See what stores in New Orleans will open on Thanksgiving
To protect you on Black Friday , the BBB advises consumers to not believe all they see or hear without doing their own research. If you'd like to receive one daily message with the main headlines, as well as breaking news alerts, text NEWS to 07790 586202.


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All posts by Bret Kinsella
There is always a question about whether a popular consumer electronic device will be just a fad or become a..
Joseph Turow is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication — the same school where he..
Sensory announced today that it now offers “Hey Siri” wake word models for “dozens of different countries.” This product release..
Ian Freed CEO of Bamboo Learning and Head of Amazon Devices When Alexa Launched – Voicebot Podcast Ep 212
Ian Freed is co-founder and CEO of Bamboo Learning, the creators of award-winning Alexa skills for childhood education. As you..


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i've been a bit ill over christmas and new years, so didn't see too much design related things to post about, but i did read about this bit of good news on the bbc technology website: "phone firms to back common charger plan".
Technical specifications for chargers drawn up by the European Commission have won the backing of 14 phone firms. Firms that have pledged to make chargers to the common standard include Nokia, Research In Motion, Apple and Samsung. The first chargers produced to the specifications are expected to be available in early 2011.
The common chargers will be based around micro-USB technology and could see the end of proprietary power ports on handsets. The process to create common chargers began in June 2009 when the Commission won pledges from phone firms to back any standards it drew up.
Following that agreement it started work on the specifications that have now been completed and sent out to handset makers. The EU said many Europeans wanted to be able to use chargers for different smartphones and resented the inconvenience incompatible chargers caused.
Also, it said in a statement, eliminating the need to get a new charger when a phone was replaced had environmental benefits as it reduced the need to dispose of an old, but probably fully functional, charger. The specifications only cover chargers for smartphones because, said the Commission, these are likely to be the most widely used type of phone in Europe within the next two years.


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PRAGUE — Hyundai plans to launch a full-electric, entry-level car in Europe – just not yet.
The automaker is working on a battery-powered minicar, but it will take some time to develop a production-ready version, said Hyundai Motor Europe’s marketing chief, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann.
Automakers in Europe are developing affordable small electric cars as lawmakers tighten emissions regulations and consumer increasingly switch to EVs.
Volkswagen Group is working on a family of small EVs for its VW, Skoda and Cupra brands with a target starting price of 20,000 euros.
Hofmann said Hyundai’s small EV would have similar pricing.
“Everybody in the industry knows the target of this kind of vehicle is 20,000 euros,” he told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Prague.
Hofmann said city cars are tough to sell profitably because of their low pricing and due to the technical problems in electrifying small vehicles.
Hyundai will launch 11 more full electric vehicles in Europe by 2030, Hofmann said.
The brand currently sells the Ioniq 5 compact crossover. This month, it unveiled the Ioniq 6 sedan.
The Ioniq 6 will arrive in Europe before year end, Hofmann said, but sales in most EU markets will start in early 2023.
Hofmann said the future Ioniq 7 large SUV will also play a role in Europe, but it is mainly a vehicle conceived for the U.S. market where larger vehicles are more popular.
The success of its current electric range is helping Hyundai to increase sales and market share in Europe in the first half of 2022.
Hyundai brand’s sales in the EU, EFTA and UK markets rose 8.2 percent year-on-year through to June in a total market down 14 percent. The brand’s market share increased to 4.7 percent from 3.7 percent, according to data from industry association ACEA.
EVs accounted for 16 percent of total sales of the Hyundai brand in the first half, Hofmann said.
Hyundai aims to continue to increase its vehicle sales in Europe this year compared to last year and also boost its market share further.
“We are confident about the second half,” Hofmann said.


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Here’s some fun information that just hit courtesy of the Disney Style Blog!
As if we need one more reason to get excited for the holidays, Saks Fifth Avenue has plans to make something magical this season. Every year, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City creates a beautiful window display for the holidays that people from all over the world come to see. And to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs this year, the windows will be themed to the classic animated film! On November 20th, an unveiling of the windows will take place, complete with colorful characters and a performance by Sofia Carson!
We’ve got a sneak peek at some of the one-of-a-kind gowns from designers Monique Lhuillier, Naeem Khan, Marchesa, and Alberta Ferretti that will be part of the display. Please join us in dropping our jaws at these beauties:
These are so pretty, I just had to share! Thanks to Disney Style for the photos!
- New Summer Best Bites at Walt Disney World - May 23, 2023
- Loungefly is Releasing New Disney 100 Sketchbook Collection in June! Details below! - May 23, 2023
- Disney Springs Restaurants for Graduation Celebrations - May 22, 2023


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Customs netted about 25,000 boxes of counterfeit broom paper, worth $200,000, in a territory-wide operation yesterday (October 16).
They also arrested two men and four women, aged 24 to 45, including shop managers, senior merchandising managers, and persons-in-charge of the retailer and supplier. They are on bail pending further investigations.
With the assistance of the trademark owner concerned, Customs officers raided two office premises, four retail outlets and two warehouses yesterday morning.
Customs investigations are continuing.
A Customs spokesman today (October 17) reminded the public to report any cases of suspected counterfeiting activities to the Customs and Excise Department by calling its 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.
Any person who contravenes the Trade Descriptions Ordinance is liable to prosecution. The maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000 and an imprisonment for five years.
Ends/Friday, October 17, 2008


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Exclusive food industry insights, from expert just-food bloggers
Latest blogs from just-food
Four campaign groups in the US have urged the country's Food and Drug Administration to close a "loophole" in regulations on food additives and bring the rules - due to be finalised by August next year - in line with policies first drawn up over 50 years ago.
The Cargill meat processing facility in Hazleton, Pa., has become the company's first certified landfill-free production site.
PepsiCo has honed in on a sponsorship deal with the National Basketball Association, replacing current sponsor and chief soft drinks rival The Coca Cola Co.
The UK Labour Party today (13 April) issued its manifesto for the country's upcoming general election - and has pledged to take aim at sugar.
While there are calls in Australia for country-of-origin labelling after the Hepatitis A outbreak, linked to imported berries from China, there has, in the last year, been a small increase in the number of people likely to buy China-made food.
Shares in Egyptian bakery firm Edita Food Industrues jumped 16% today after it listed on the Egyptian and London Stock Exchanges.
Germany's competition watchdog has thwarted a move from local retail giant Edeka to acquire supermarket chain Kaiser's from Tengelmann.
Timed to coincide with the end of EU quotas on dairy production today (31 March), Irish co-operative The Irish Dairy Board has published the logo for its new corporate name, Ornua.
Coca-Cola Amatil is co-operating with Australian state police after an employee was arrested for money laundering and receiving a reported half-a-million Australian dollars in corrupt commissions.
Yildiz Holding reportedly wants its snacks business to overtake Kellogg and become the world's second-largest snack manufacturer.
Kellogg has been criticised for having "staggering" levels of sugar in its cereal bars in the UK.
Nestle, Danone, Kerry Group and Tyson Foods are among the multinational consumer goods manufacturers presenting next week at the Consumer Analyst Group of Europe conference in London - of which just-food and sister site just-drinks.com are the exclusive media partners.
Food safety in Australia has rapidly become a politicised issue after two recent scares – involving berries packaged in China and, most recently, tuna canned in Thailand – have brought the safety of food produced overseas into question.
The World Health Organization, seen by experts in the field as hardly a friend of the food industry, is now facing the ire of campaigners over its official guidance on sugar.
Trace One and SGS Supply Chain Solutions have developed a social network platform they believe will improve product safety globally by enabling more effective real-time communication in the supply chain.
3D design company Lehrmitt Design Studios is offering designs using 3D printing technologies that, it says, can add an "artist's touch" to assembly line chocolate.
It's no secret Unilever's spreads arm has been suffering for some time and, as CFO Jean-Marc Huët pointed out when he reflected on the company's 2014 performance in January, declining demand for its brands was dragging down the performance of the rest of its food business.
Synthetic biology group Intrexon Corp. hopes its acquisition of Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) will help it tap into growing demand for fresh prepared fruits.
Morrisons has named David Potts to the post of CEO in the hope the former Tesco executive will lead a fight back at the struggling supermarket group.
The European Commission is launching an in-depth investigation into Cargill's US$440m purchase of Archer Daniels Midland's chocolate manufacturing business.
The US competition watchdog has shown its teeth and moved to block Sysco's takeover of fellow US foodservice distributor US Foods.
Since Ferrero announced the death of company founder Michele Ferrero at the weekend, there has been fresh speculation over the future of the Kinder and Nutella maker. Today (18 February), the Italy-based giant looked to quash the rumours.
The Middle East snack market is experiencing a surge of growth. At this year's Gulfood in Dubai, 'snacking', was identified as one of the top three trends in the region for 2015. According to a recent report from TechSci Research, one in five consumers are now grazing on snacks throughout the day instead of eating three square meals.
The European Parliament has backed calls to create new country of origin meat labelling regulations in processed foods.
Figures released today (10 February) by Kantar Worldpanel made for interesting reading.
Dubai is the modern day New York, with its towering skyscrapers and bright lights and tomorrow just-food is again flying over to the city for this year's annual Gulfood exhibition, where food manufacturers convene to build their presence in the city and the wider Middle East.
US jam, peanut butter and coffee maker JM Smucker has continued its diversification drive with a deal to acquire Big Heart Pet Brands, formerly part of Del Monte Foods, in a deal worth more than US$5.8bn.
Fifteen years after starting out, UK pure-play online grocer Ocado today (3 February) announced its first annual profit - and claimed the trend towards online shopping was continuing. Manufacturers are taking note and diverting more resources to the channel but are encountering challenges.
The UK grocery watchdog may be handed the ability to fine supermarkets that breach the code that governs their relationship with suppliers.
US fans of British chocolate imports have taken to social media to vent their frustration after Hershey earlier this week reached a settlement with an importer to stop distributing British-made candy bars into the country.
- Comment: Nestle reacts to world of 3G and Buffett
- Why it is too early to call Unilever food revival
- France takes big step to uniform FOP labels
- What the analysts say: The verdict on Danone's Q1
- How will Flowers Foods grow in speciality bread?
- Unilever food, refreshment sales rise
- Fonterra says rain needed to maintain milk supply
- Organic food sales in US up 11% in 2014
- UPDATE: Danone CEO upbeat on 2015 growth
- Nestle in "exclusive" Davigel talks with Brakes


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Roofing companies have been busy in 2022 catching up with much of the work that went undone over the past few years for a number of reasons.
Between supply chain issues, COVID lockdowns, and other demands on the industry, roofing contractors have seen definite trends as home and building owners get caught up on the repairs and installations needing to be done.
For those seeking roofer services in the near future, here are a few notes on roofing trends and what to expect when it comes time to arrange all that roofing work.
A Continued Demand for Metal
Metal has been a favorite material installed by roofing companies for a long time and the love of this material has not waned.
These days, more people are opting for metal, especially in hotter climates where its reflectivity can provide greater thermal protection than asphalt.
With so many styles of metal roofing now available, roofing contractors see a continued demand from home and building owners looking to invest in a durable, long-lived roof that will give them good value for their money.
A Greater Demand for Synthetic
Newer, more advanced synthetic look-alike materials that can outperform traditional wood and shingles are also seeing increased demand as consumers want traditional looks in a more durable product.
Made from plastics, polymers, and rubber, much of it recycled and recyclable, roofer services are installing more synthetic materials made to mimic the look of other popular materials like wood, slate, tile, and many others more than ever before.
As synthetic roofs typically last 50 years or longer, it is a cost-effective investment that can be less expensive over time than other alternatives.
Sustainability A Growing Preference for Home and Commercial Customers
With climate change and environmental protection becoming bigger talking points, so is the demand for eco-friendly, sustainable roofing.
More roofing companies are installing solar panels as the incentives to do so keep increasing and more appealing solar shingles are becoming more popular as well.
Additionally, roofer services are seeing this demand from both private and commercial customers as well as an increased interest in green roofs for commercial buildings to put roof space to better, environmentally-beneficial use.
Plan Ahead As Some Materials Shortages Continue
While definite trends in preferred roofing materials and systems are being noticed by roofing contractors across the country, it is important to note that the industry as a whole is still seeing shortages in some materials due to ongoing supply chain issues.
More importantly, these shortages differ from location to location, so it is impossible to predict what materials a contractor may have difficulty accessing and for how long.
Knowing this, it is essential that customers planning to hire roofer services start early with their contractors to learn if these shortages will affect them and all customers should exercise some patience in terms of the availability and accessibility of the materials needed for their desired installation.
An Interesting Year for Roofing Companies and Customers in 2022
Though 2020 and 2021 saw some slowing down in the roofing industry due to the many ways that the COVID-19 pandemic affected roofing contractors, their customers, and the supply chain, things have been on the mend in 2022.
Partly in response to these changes, roofing companies are seeing increased demand for certain materials, especially metal, solar, and synthetic.
Now is a great time for home and building owners to reach out to roofers in their area and start planning a great fall installation of any type, as it is coming to be one of the best times of the year to have a new installation done!
Need Roofer Services in Round Rock Texas?
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Americans are known for their deep-fried food fetish, and bizarre new concepts crop up at state fairs every year, like fried Cadbury crème eggs, mac 'n' cheese, and Coca-Cola. But the United States isn't the only country that enjoys covering everything in batter and sticking it in the deep fryer.
This month, Japanese KFC restaurants will be adding deep-fried soup to the menu, according to FOODBEAST. The new side is a riff on a popular dish served in cafes in Japan: creamy corn potage. KFC is turning the soup into a fritter by breading the thick mixture and cooking it to a crisp. The resulting fritter has a unique texture, extra-crispy on the outside and soft like corn pudding on the inside.
See also: Bacon Mania: A Retrospective
The unusual soup fritters will be available for a limited time beginning Thursday, September 5. Although these seem like an answer to the fried-food fad that's gained momentum over the past few years, the recipe is based on one for potato bacon fritters in Colonel Sanders' autobiography.


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In 1992, when MAC Trailer president/owner Michael Conny started a business repairing commercial truck trailers, his initial ambition was to be his own boss. Today, MAC Trailer has diversified its business to include dump, refuge and flatbed trailers. 'It is terrific to see homegrown companies like MAC Trailer setting the pace in quality production and innovative products decade after decade,' says Darlyn McDermott, market leader of MAGNET South.'
When India Gill decided to launch the Karis Doll Collection, which now includes a cloth 18-inch doll named Kayla who stars in an illustrated storybook about what it’s like after a divorce and one of your parents gets remarried, it involved support from numerous regional entrepreneurial service organizations, including MAGNET. "At the time, India had a lot of questions about, ‘How do I make these dolls? How do I create content to support the doll’s story? Where do I source these dolls? How much do they cost?’" says Brandon Cornuke, MAGNET’s vice president of startup services. “And the bigger questions then were, ‘Is anybody interested in this? What kind of problems are we solving?’”
Founded in 2012, Strongsville-based ArtWall specializes in digitally printing art reproductions using a made-to-order manufacturing process. The company offers art to brighten up offices and homes with works from more than 200 talented artists. 'They’ve grown by focusing on what they do,' says MAGNET vice president of operations Mike O’Donnell. 'They haven’t strayed at all from the idea. It’s not like they’re trying to do 50 different things. They’re just focused on making the best art at the best prices.'
When Michael Garvey was working on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, he never dreamed he’d one day be back in the Mahoning Valley. However, life had other plans. The steel mill shutdowns decimated his family’s business -- a bronze foundry that made castings for the steel industry -- and, after his dad became too sick to work, Garvey decided to 'come back to Ohio and attempt to save the family farm,' he says. 'The family farm happened to be a bronze shop.'
Incremental changes that lead, over time, to major improvements in manufacturers are often implemented through programs of continuous improvement that follow the concept of lean manufacturing, where employees are empowered to find those ways to make their workplace more efficient every day. ‘Many, if not most, manufacturers deploy lean as a tool, but there is always room to improve or reignite stagnant lean programs,’ says MAGNET vice president of operations Mike O’Donnell.
For companies that sell products, growth comes from building a competitive advantage. Nurturing existing company talent and encouraging innovation, like Bettcher did, is one way to achieve that. Ideation -- ‘basically structured brainstorming,’ says MAGNET president and CEO Ethan Karp, where a company might ‘bring diverse people into a room and solicit their input on how a new market might be found’ -- is another way to generate potentially transformative ideas.
For job shops and contract manufacturers, buying vendors to speed up and have more control over their processes is just one potential way to facilitate growth. Differentiating from competitors is another major solution, says MAGNET vice president of operations Mike O’Donnell, who explains that in today’s environment, it’s no longer enough to be able to deliver high-quality parts at a low price and in a timely fashion.
About Custom Media
This advertising-supported section/feature is produced by Crain Content Studio-Cleveland, the marketing storytelling arm of Crain's Cleveland Business. The Crain's Cleveland Business newsroom is not involved in creating Crain Content Studio content.


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ProgrammableWeb tracks the latest API news to keep you on top of the API economy
Searching: No Search Term , Filtered By Category: "eCommerce", Category: "eCommerce", Category: "Payments", Category: "Stocks", Category: "Widgets", Category: "eCommerce"
Interactive Brokers, a leading forex broker-dealer, has begun tests for a Mobile API that will allow third-party developers to integrate with Interactive Brokers accounts.
The new Ziftr API will incorporate LiteCoin and other burgeoning digital currencies as supported payment options. Ziftr plan to release the ZiftrCoin currency in early 2015.
Intuit is holding a hackathon later this month at which $100,000 in prizes will be distributed to developers who create the best QuickBooks Online apps.
The API provider which specializes in providing developers with access to 10K filings has added new features including an application gallery to its developer portal.


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It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player...
While it's not the first US use of an iPhone app to substitute for a paper ticket on a rail line -- Amtrak has been doing this for several months -- the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) has just rolled out the new mTicket app (free) to allow the purchase and display of digital tickets...
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Corinthia Hotels International has signed a management agreement with Dubai’s Golden Sands Hotel Company to manage a hotel at the Jumeirah Beach Residence. The Ramada Hotel & Suites Jumeirah Beach will offer 371 rooms, an all-day dining room, restaurant, bar, fitness centre and swimming pool. It is scheduled to open in early 2008.
Corinthia to manage Ramada hotel at Jumeirah Beach Residence
Published on July 26, 2007


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In this aerial view, cars line up to refuel before the price rises at a Shell gas station in Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in China, June 14, 2022.
Getty Images | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Shell CEO Wael Sawan doesn’t know where oil and gas demand is going to be in 10 to 15 years, he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday. “To be honest, anyone who knows that will be making a lot of money at the moment. The reality is, we don’t know,” Sawan told CNBC.
But in the short and medium term, Shell sees “very robust” demand for oil and gas, Sawan told CNBC. “And we have been very clear, we will be committed to our oil and gas businesses for a long time to come,” Sawan added.
Also, Shell will invest $10 billion to $15 billion between 2023 and 2025 on low-carbon energy technologies, including biofuels, hydrogen, electric vehicle charging and carbon capture. Shell earned more than $42 billion in profit in 2022.
One area Shell is “leaning further heavily into” is building charging stations for electric vehicles, especially in Asia, Sawan said.
“We have today, 46,000 retail sites around the world,” Sawan said. “There’s a lot of adjacencies because you can then just put chargers in the same locations where you are selling to internal combustion engines.”
In China, specifically, there is a “significant penetration” of electric vehicles, Sawan told CNBC.
“Actually, in China, we’re seeing our EV charging customers come in twice as much as our internal combustion engine customers coming in.”
Indeed, sales of EVs in China reached 3.3 million in 2021, which is three times the number of EVs sold in 2020, according to data from the International Energy Agency. Europe is the next-largest EV market, according to the IEA.
The public charging infrastructure is especially in high demand in China because of the country’s increasing preference for EVs. In addition, many of the residents of China, and other Asian countries as well, who are buying EVs, live in high-rise buildings, not homes where it is possible to have a personal charging setup, Sawan said.
The second area of low-carbon investment for Shell is biofuels, which are made from organic and waste materials and then are mixed with gasoline. Demand for biofuels is being driven by regulatory pressures in multiple parts of the world, Sawan told CNBC.
Image and article originally from www.cnbc.com. Read the original article here.


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To surf one of the many unauthorized watch “dealer” sites, better known as the “gray market,” is to find a horological bounty at bargain prices. Are you in the market for a Breguet “Classique Hora Mundi Automatic”? Jomashop.com is offering one for $54,995, 30% off the listed retail price of $78,900. Interested in a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in platinum? Prestigetime.com is selling one for 15% off at $70,125.
“Yes, the gray market has exploded,” says one large east coast retailer who deals in both contemporary and pre-owned certified vintage timepieces. (Like most interviewed for this article, he didn’t want his name used.) “It’s crazy what’s out there.” Not only online. “Walk down 47th Street in New York,” he says, “you used to find just vintage watches for sale, and it was rare to find contemporary watches. Now you’re seeing brand new pieces, sealed and ready to go.”
These are turbulent times for luxury Swiss watches, those wonders of 15th century technology now prized as 21st century status symbols. After years of intense growth and record sales, several signs indicate that the industry’s tick has slackened to a slow tock. In January, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry reported exports fell 3.3% in 2015 to $21.2 billion (21.5 billion Francs) – the first such decline since 2009.
By most accounts, last month, the halls of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the posh Geneva watch fair showcasing such brands as Cartier and IWC was a decidedly somber affair, with watchmakers — who regularly offer timepieces with price tags on par with a Hamptons summer rental – introducing (gasp!), a range of timepieces at lower price points. For instance, Piaget whose watches usually start at around 10,000 euros ($11,147), presented a new women’s line at around 7,000 euros ($7,800).
Now, as the world’s horological cognoscenti prepare to gather next month at Baselworld, the largest watch trade show in the universe, pessimism among the top brands’ executives has reached a four-year high — this according to a new industry study published by Deloitte. While 2015 was difficult, Karine Szegedi, the report’s co-author in Geneva cautions, “This is looking to be a very challenging year.”
Big factors at play
The slowdown first began with China’s anti-corruption drive and its crackdown on luxury gift giving, coupled with the country’s economic slide. Indeed, exports to Hong Kong alone, a major hub for Swiss watches, dropped 22.9%, according to the Federation. The soaring Swiss franc, drop in oil prices, along with global political and economic volatility have all played a hand, hitting sales in the top watch-buying markets of Asia, Russia, and the Middle East.
At the same time, smart watches, once regarded by Switzerland as little more than a sideshow, have become a serious factor – particularly for those looking to spend under $1,500. According to the Deloitte study, a year ago, just 11% of watch executives viewed smart watches as a competitive threat, this year, 25% do.
The elephant in the room
Among the many issues rattling the industry, however there’s another, less openly talked about reason for the downturn: the tremendous glut of inventory. The robust sales of recent years created a hyped-up market, spurring manufacturers to increase production.
Now the flood of timepieces largely intended for Asia and Europe aren’t moving; rather they’re turning up on the “gray market,” where new models, unlike those sold at authorized retailers, can be had at steep (15% to 60%) discounts. “Watch brands saw big numbers everywhere, and they started overproducing,” says David Sadigh, the founder and chief executive of the market research firm, Digital Luxury Group in Geneva. “But sales have not been at their level of expectations.” The surplus stock ends up in these gray markets.
That is why elite brands and models, usually found in boutiques lining Rodeo Drive or the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, are now sold on eBay, Amazon, and a plethora of dedicated watch sites – and even at Costco (COST).
Loss of status
The flourishing of the gray market is taking away the patina of exclusivity and rarity. “The reality is you can now get anything you want anytime,” says Adam Victor, a vice president at fashion house Narciso Rodriguez and a longtime watch collector. “There were pieces you had to be on a waiting list for at retail, that’s not the case anymore.” Victor now says he’s only collecting vintage pieces.
Such thinking is helping to take the air out of the Swiss watch balloon – and draw more people, especially young people, to the gray market. To a large extent this problem stems from the brands’ own success – particularly among the major luxury conglomerates like Swatch, Richemont and LVMH, which have been aggressively pursuing growth strategies and relying on the Asian market to keep up demand. With that demand dropping, watches are ending up in gray market sites, at lower prices.
To be sure, there will always be a market for high-end Swiss watches. But given global economic uncertainties, few see this as a short-term downturn. Notes David Sadigh at Digital Luxury Group, “It will take a while to sell those watches.”


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For those who love to cook and those who love to eat, the sights and smells of spring don't end with sunny days and flowers. These people long for the impossibly slender stalks of new asparagus, fresh new peas, the irresistible aroma and color of real strawberries — not the aerobicized, plasticized but soulless beauties of California but local strawberries grown nearby, where the weather is just a little milder than Northern Virginia.
For them the best sign of spring is the return of farmers markets.
"They are a gem of Fairfax County," said Sandy Flowers, outreach program coordinator for Green Springs Garden Park and the coordinator of the nine farmers markets sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The very first of these to open will be the Annandale Farmers Market on Thursday, May 2.
"The products have to be grown by the vendor, who must come from an area within 125 miles of Fairfax County, " Flowers said, adding that at this point the markets do not carry dairy, eggs, meat or fish, although that may change in the future, once all health regulations can be followed.
THE MARKETS DO HAVE PLANTS, small shrubs and herbs, bread, baked goods, fruits and vegetables. "We carry every kind of vegetable and fruit known to man," Flowers said. "Each year we offer more and more varieties, five kinds of eggplant and 20 varieties of tomatoes.”
Then there are the berries. "Berry farmers sell out almost immediately," she said, along with those harbingers of spring, asparagus, spring greens, lettuce and strawberries.
There are nine such markets, each started by people in the community. "The last one to be added is Reston. The people there pulled it all together, found the location." Flowers added that people in Springfield are now trying to put one together. "If they pull it off, we can have 10."
Right now the county has more growers wanting to sell than it has room for, a problem that will hopefully be solved by adding markets.
The markets include the Annandale Farmers Market, open on Thursday; Burke Centre Farmers Market, open Saturdays; Fairfax Extension Farmers Market in Fairfax City, open Tuesdays; Frying Pan Park Market in Herndon, open Wednesdays; Herndon Farmers Market, open Thursdays; McLean Farmers Market, open Fridays; Mount Vernon Farmers Market open Tuesdays; Vienna Farmers Market, open Wednesdays; and Reston Farmers Market, open Saturdays — the last one to open this year, on May 18.
LOUDOUN RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN on the same weather roller-coaster ride as the rest of Northern Virginia, but beginning May 4 they will be able to shop at five farmers markets sponsored by the Loudoun County Office of Economic Development. The markets will offer plants, fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, baked goods and eggs.
"The chief restriction is that it is a producer-only market," said Warren Howell, agricultural marketing manager for the Loudoun County Office of Economic Development
He explained that the seller has to be the one who grew or made the product being sold; it can't be purchased from somewhere else.
Loudoun defines “local” as anything produced within 125 miles of Leesburg, and the reason for that is to take advantage of the earlier growing season of Northern Neck. Markets this year will be open in Cascades, Sterling, Leesburg, Middleburg and Round Hill. Cascades, which will be open on Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., will open May 5; and Leesburg will be open on Saturdays, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., starting on May 4. The Middle burg Farmers Market will also open on May 4, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Round Hill will open Sunday, May 5, from 2-5 p.m.; and the Sterling Market will open on Wednesday, June 5, running from 4-7 p.m.
<sh>Fairfax County Markets
The Fairfax County Park Authority sponsors nine markets throughout the county:
* Tuesdays: Mount Vernon, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Sherwood Regional Library, Sherwood Hall Lane, opening May 7;
Fairfax City, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Van Dyck Park in Fairfax City, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., opening May 7.
*Wednesdays: Vienna at Nottoway Park, 9601 Courthouse Road, 8-12:30 p.m., opening May 8;
Herndon at Frying Pan Park, 2709 West Ox Road, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., opening May 8.
*Thursdays: Herndon Farmers Market at the Station Street parking lot near town hall, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., opening May 9;
Annandale, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike, opening May 2.
*Fridays: McLean Farmers Market at Lewinsville Park, 1659 Chain Bridge Road, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., opening May 10.
*Saturdays: Burke Centre , 56571 Roberts Parkway, at the VRE parking lot, 8 a.m.-noon, opening May 4;
Reston at Lake Anne Plaza, 8 a.m.-until noon, opening May 18.
Contact the Park Authority with questions at 703-642-5173.
In addition, you can check out Claude Moore Colonial Farm at 6310 Georgetown Pike in McLean, which also offers 18th-century events. Call 703-847-0710.
The Virginia Grown guide also list Cox Farms on Braddock Road in Centreville and their market on Route 123 in Oakton. The Farm is open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., from April to October. The market is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday to Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, from April until December. Call 703-830-4121 and 703-281-0165.
Potomac Vegetable Farms at 9627 Leesburg Pike in Vienna is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, May through October. It is a certified organic farm. Call 703-759-2119.
Additional information about markets and farms throughout the state can be accessed at the Virginia Department of Agriculture's Web site: www.vdacs.state.va.us/vagrown/index.html
<sh>Loudoun Farm Markets
<lst>Loudoun Valley HomeGrown Markets Association sponsors the following markets:
Cascades Farmers Market, open Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Whitfield Place next to the Senior Center, near Eastern Regional Library, opening May 5
Leesburg Farmers Market, open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., on Saturdays, at the Virginia Village Shopping Center, opening May 4.
Middleburg Farmers Market, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., on Saturdays, at Marshall Street behind the Community Center, opening May 4.
Sterling Farmers Market, from 4-7 p.m., Wednesdays, at Briar Path Park on Sterling Boulevard, opening June 5
Round Hill Farmers Market, from 2-5 p.m., on Sundays, at Main Street and Business Route 7, opening May 5.
Other markets listed by Virginia Grown include
Crooked Run Orchard in Purcellville, Farmer John's Wayside Stand in Leesburg, Great Country Farms in Bluemont and Tarara Winery and Nursery in Leesburg. Call the Loudoun County Office of Economic Development with questions, at 703-777-0426.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture has information on markets throughout the state. Check out its Web site for more information: "http://www.vdacs.state.va.us/vagrown/index.html" www.vdacs.state.va.us/vagrown/index.html


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With Samsung's Note series only accounting for 5 to 6 percent of the company's smartphone unit shipments, the company could bounce back from its recent flaming-phone scandal, analyst Mehdi Hosseini said.
The Susquehanna senior equity analyst said Tuesday that Samsung's expected release of its newest smartphone, the Galaxy S8, in early 2017, could help the company redirect attention from the Note series and offset some of the recent negativity surrounding the company.
"The Galaxy series is completely different and focused on a different part of the population," Hosseini told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."
The analyst said that the company's profit is improving in other areas, and if it is able to focus on its more popular Galaxy phones and steer attention away from the Note series, it could succeed in protecting its brand.
Hosseini added that Samsung's brand and image are most in need of repair at this point.


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CEO McCoy: “Lost market share” for boats over 40 feet is “going to plan,” as new models are being readied for next year and 2015
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Fayetteville Police said a man went into a Target store and walked out without paying for some women's underwear and a phone case.
The incident happened Saturday afternoon at the Target at 107 Pavilion Parkway.
According to police, the loss prevention department tried to stop the man but he still walked out the store.
He was seen leaving the store and getting into an SUV that was being driven by a woman.
Anyone with any information on this case should contact the Fayetteville Police Department at 770-461-4357.


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Satsuma Loans appoints Smoking Gun
Smoking Gun has extended its relationship with Provident Financial, as it adds Satsuma Loans to its client list.
In February, the Manchester agency won a “6-figure” contract to launch the group’s new brand glo.
“We have got to know the team at Smoking Gun really well over the past few months, and have been impressed with their ideas and recommendations to bring our brands to life,” explained Louise O’Garra, head of media and communications at Satsuma.
“Asking them to create a PR campaign for Satsuma was an easy choice for us as they really understand the business and our consumers. The team blends strategy and creativity together - making them great to work with.”
The PR campaigns will run through owned, earned and paid channels, to promote the company to end users, the media and trade.
“We’ve been working with Provident for a number of months already and enjoying the challenges that are akin to this sector. The team is excited to begin work on the Satsuma brand with its strong brand personality and industry leading credentials,” said Rick Guttridge, managing director at Smoking Gun.


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Apple is reportedly gearing up for the launch of its next series of Macs, powered by the M3 chip, as it seeks to revive its Mac business. The M3 chip comes at a crucial time as Apple looks to attract customers back to its Mac lineup, which saw a 31% sales dip last quarter. According to data shared by an App Store developer with Bloomberg’s Power On Newsletter, the M3 chip will have 12 CPU cores, 18 graphics cores, and 36GB of memory. The processor will comprise six high-performance cores designed for demanding tasks and six efficiency cores to handle less power-intensive operations. The M3 chip will be based on the 3-nanometer manufacturing process, allowing for the creation of high-density chips, and it will be a significant upgrade from the M2 chip and the M1 Pro chip, with increased core counts and memory.
The base-level M3 Pro, currently in testing, is expected to be released in 2024 and is being run on an upcoming high-end MacBook Pro featuring macOS 14.0. In comparison to the entry-level M1 Pro and M2 Pro, the M3 Pro will have 12 CPU cores, 18 graphics cores, and 36GB of memory. Assuming the test chip is the base-level M3 Pro, it shows a steady increase in core counts and memory from the M1 Pro to the M2 Pro to the M3 Pro.
Looking ahead, the M3 Max is expected to have 14 CPU cores and over 40 graphics cores, while the M3 Ultra could host 28 CPU cores and more than 80 graphics cores. These projections are based on the gains observed from M1 Max to M2 Max.
Apple is already developing M3-based iMacs, high-end and low-end MacBook Pros, and MacBook Airs, with the first M3 chip-based Macs expected to hit the market late this year or early next year. With the impressive specs and features of the M3 chip, it remains to be seen if it can attract customers back to the Mac lineup.


text: The Sex Pistols' New Venture Is ... Not So Rebellious Band will be featured on credit cards By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff Posted Jun 10, 2015 9:37 AM CDT 10 comments Comments The Sex Pistols, signing a new recording contract outside Buckingham Palace in London, from left to right: Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Sid Vicious, and the group's manager, Malcolm McLaren. (AP Photo/PA) (Newser) – From punk rock icons to ... credit card hawkers? Yes, indeed, the Sex Pistols will be helping a UK bank sell its credit cards, the Guardian reports. The band's name and album artwork will appear on a series of cards for Virgin Money, the bank founded by Sir Richard Branson, because, the bank says, it's "time for consumers to put a little bit of rebellion in their pocket." And to a degree, they will: One of the designs features their album "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols." Adds the bank's director of cards, "The Sex Pistols challenged convention and the established ways of thinking—just as we are doing today in our quest to shake up UK banking." Branson's Virgin Records, of course, signed the Sex Pistols back in May 1977.


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Airways minimize world site visitors forecast on restoration setbacks By Reuters
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: IATA brand is seen on the Worldwide Tourism Commerce Honest ITB in Berlin
PARIS (Reuters) -Air site visitors will get better extra slowly than beforehand anticipated from the COVID-19 pandemic, as vaccination delays and authorities “danger aversion” slows the reopening of routes, world airways physique IATA mentioned on Wednesday.
International site visitors this 12 months will quantity to 43% of pre-crisis ranges primarily based on passenger numbers and distance flown, the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation mentioned, beneath the 51% it had forecast late final 12 months.
IATA additionally predicted trade losses of $47.7 billion in 2021. Whereas that represents an enchancment on final 12 months’s $126.4 billion deficit, the organisation warned that airways would proceed to want authorities wage assist.
“This disaster is longer and deeper than anybody might have anticipated,” Director Normal Willie Walsh mentioned.
The most recent trade outlook additionally sheds mild on the multi-speed restoration underway, with massive home markets led by america and China surging forward. Europe, in contrast, will see solely one-third of its 2019 site visitors this 12 months, IATA predicts.
Business income is prone to develop 23% from final 12 months’s low to $231 billion, it additionally forecast – nonetheless far beneath the $607 billion generated a 12 months earlier.
Cargo demand will proceed to be a brilliant spot outpacing passenger site visitors with 13.1% development in 2021 to exceed its 2019 stage, IATA predicted. Whole cargo volumes are seen at 63.1 million tonnes, near their pre-crisis peak in 2018.
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- Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the best performer for the week was Luniverse, rising 2,885.76%.
- According to an article written by Bloomberg, Circle Internet Financial, the issuer of USD coin, the second largest stablecoin, landed $400 million in funding from a group that includes Blackrock Inc. and Fidelity Management and Research LLC. The funding is a clear sign of traditional finance’s growing acceptance of the exploding cryptocurrency industry.
- The owner of the biggest Brazilian-based cryptocurrency brokerage is in talks to create a new crypto-focused asset manager, writes Bloomberg. 2TM Participacoes SA is seeking to join with Giant Steps Capital, Latin America’s biggest quantitative asset manager on the new project.
- Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the worst performing for the week was Mini Cat Coin, down 99.51%.
- Bitcoin dropped below $41,000 for the first time in about three weeks, sliding further on mounting concerns about rising interest rates. The largest cryptocurrency fell as low as $40,996 on Monday, retreating for the seventh day in the past eight, writes Bloomberg.
- On Thursday, Bitcoin fell below $40,000 and weakened 3.1%. Prices fluctuated 3.8%, trading between $39,965 and $41,500. Bitcoin is now 42% below the high of $68,992 reached on November 10 and has weakened 14% so far this year, writes Bloomberg.
- Uniswap Labs, the main developer of the biggest decentralized exchange for spot-market cryptocurrency trading, is launching computer code that can embed its capabilities into any website, writes Bloomberg. The widget is a key part of Uniswap’s growth strategy which recently led to the company’s launch of a venture arm to invest in Web3 startups.
- Internet casinos that offer users a way to gamble using cryptocurrencies are booming, reports NBC News, sidestepping regulations while operating and advertising with near impunity. Advertising all manner of casino games, these websites often take typical payment methods such as credit cards in addition to Bitcoin and Ether, which can be used on digital versions of slots and roulette, the article continues.
- After releasing the first Amazon shareholder letter since taking over Jeff Bezos’ role as CEO in July of 2021, Andy Jassy says that the international online retail platform could potentially sell NFTs in the future. Despite showing no concrete plans to add digital assets to its e-commerce marketplace in the near future, Amazon appears intent on adding Web3 technology into its business model, writes Bloomberg.
- Bitcoin’s tendency to move in tandem with technology stocks means the biggest cryptocurrency may slump to $30,000 by June, according to Arthur Hayes, the co-founder of crypto trading platform BitMEX. Hayes, in a blog post on Monday, also said the same dynamic could drive Ether to $2,500, writes Bloomberg.
- Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith is set to face sentencing in a New York courthouse on April 12 after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate international sanctions against North Korea last September, writes Bloomberg. U.S prosecutors accused Griffith of teaching North Koreans how to evade sanctions – a violation of the International Emergency Economic Power Act.
- The U.S. government drew a connection between the North Korean hacking unit Lazarus Group and last month’s exploit of Axie Infinity’s Ronin sidechain network, reports The Block. The Treasury Department included the Ethereum address in a sanctions list update. As reported at the time, the exploit resulted in the loss of 173,600 ETH and 25.5 million worth of the stablecoin USDC, the article continues.


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- Thursday, December 5, 2013
With Depot Day fast approaching, The Newtown Fund still has five families who need to be adopted this holiday season.
- Wednesday, November 20, 2013
To the Editor:
- Monday, October 14, 2013
Since 2008, Sandy Hook resident Rosemary Trudell Trudell — center, flanked by granddaughters Haley, left, and Julia — has organized a collection of toys and children’s clothing among the residents of Walnut Tree Village II for The Newtown Fund’s Holiday Basket Program. Saturday, December 14, will be Depot Day this year and organizers are hoping that families, organizations and other groups will choose to do something positive for the community on that solemn anniversary.


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IT managers can be forgiven for feeling under pressure these days to digitally transform their organizations.
Academics, research firms and, yes, even this very publication are promoting the idea that organizations can radically improve their performance and identify new areas of business by strategically applying digital technologies to their organizational and operational processes.
Yet for all the hype, and despite decades of investments in IT infrastructure, very few companies say they’re hitting the mark.
Of the 196 IT managers, directors and executives responding to Computerworld’s Tech Forecast 2017 survey, only 11% said they’re 100% digital, with some 40% saying they were “well on their way,” meaning more than half of their organization was digital.
More telling: 49% said they’re “less than halfway there.” And when asked to give a letter grade to their organization’s efforts toward digital transformation, more than half of survey respondents gave themselves a C or lower.
Analysts and the executive suite alike have been touting the idea that all companies must transform to be digital companies to remain competitive. But determining what digital transformation means for any given organization, laying out a roadmap to get there and then achieving a meaningful level of transformation is no small feat.
Companies and their IT leadership are likely to encounter a range of challenges – from budgets that restrict how much they can achieve, to a lack of IT skills needed for tech-driven initiatives, to pushback on the organizational change that transformation requires.
And they will encounter numerous misconceptions about what digital transformation – or DX – is, and what it requires. To clear up that confusion and reset expectations, Computerworld asked several experienced CIOs and industry analysts to dispel the five most common myths surrounding digital transformation.
Myth 1: Transformation means completely recasting the business.
“Digital transformation doesn’t mean you have to become an online company,” says Larry Wolff, president and chief operating officer of Ouellette & Associates Consulting and a former CIO. Rather, he says, DX means “leveraging technology not just for efficiency and effectiveness, but to transform the business and enable new business opportunities. It’s not fundamentally changing the business you’re in.”
O.C. Tanner is a case in point. The 90-year-old company started out manufacturing class rings, then expanded to manufacturing and distributing employee awards for milestone anniversaries and other notable achievements. Today, in addition to those physical items, the company provides multiple software products to help companies manage their recognition programs, engage with employees, and recruit and retain workers.
“When we ask ourselves what differentiates us from a product perspective, it’s two real things: making sure the employee recognition [we provide] is meaningful and that what we do is employee-centric, that it changes the interactions of people in an organization,” says CTO Niel Nickolaisen.
Despite its heavy focus on delivering software, O.C. Tanner still delivers the employee-recognition services and products it built its reputation on, he says. Now, it leverages technology to better deliver on its niche offerings and develop new lines of revenue.
Wolff says true digital transformation isn’t necessarily about becoming an entirely different company but rather using technology to improve and expand the company’s core strengths. “It’s an offensive play to create a competitive advantage and a defensive play that will keep you from becoming obsolete,” he adds.
Myth 2: Digital transformation is a specific project or single initiative.
Most so-called “overnight sensations” spend years working toward their success. The same is true here, experts say. In fact, IT leaders say they don’t define “transformation” by completing a particular technology implementation or hitting a strategic milestone; it’s a continuum of having put in all the right pieces, continuing to remove legacy technologies, exploring what’s new and investing in the right evolving technologies to stay competitive.
Take the banking industry, which has undergone a digital transformation by moving from a paper-based system of cash and checks to a nearly ubiquitous digital experience where people can move money via smartphones.
That journey might seem revolutionary, but Paul Willmott, the global co-leader of Digital McKinsey, points out that the transformation happened via multiple incremental steps over nearly two decades.
“These changes take time; none of this happens overnight,” Willmott says.
Hitachi Data Systems CIO Renée McKaskle says her company’s transformation from a computer hardware company to a broader IT solutions firm is ongoing. She says the change meant taking advantage of cloud computing, building out the company’s internet of things capabilities and, now, layering on artificial intelligence and robotics. Those new technologies will help the various teams within the company access the data they need to drive smart decisions.
Given the rapid development of new technologies, McKaskle says the pace at which her team must move has picked up dramatically, and their work is never done.
“I’ve always said there’s a plateau you might rest upon, but you never stop. And the time we rest on that plateau is much shorter,” she says.
Myth 3: IT can do it alone.
That’s a simple one: IT can’t do it alone.
“Digital transformation is often driven by the IT organization. But there still must be a level of receptiveness in the business [leadership]. That’s where IT has to build credibility and respect to get the business, and board and leadership level, to go along,” Wolff says. “IT leaders need to educate and inform.”
Ouellette & Associates, which developed the IT Maturity Curve based on a yearlong study with Babson College, lists four stages of maturity – from delivering basic services and reliable solutions as stages 1 and 2 through delivering business value as a strategic partner at Stage 3 to being an “innovative anticipator” at Stage 4.
Wolff says those at Stage 4 are the ones capable of transforming their organizations because they have the strategic insight, visibility into their organization, and the ability to sell their visions for what their organizations can be. They aren’t the ones invited to the first meeting – they’re calling that meeting.
“IT is the business today,” says David L. Stevens, the CIO of Maricopa County in Arizona. “I don’t mean that sort of arrogantly. They’re inseparable.”
He says he and his tech team are transforming county government by providing services and access at any time, from anywhere, in the context meaningful to users.
Case in point: A local CEO told him that his company was accessing and leveraging county data, which was made available via the county IT department, to develop new products, and those new products were generating a few million dollars in new revenue.
Bill Briggs, Deloitte’s U.S. and Global CTO and the inaugural leader of the firm’s digital practice, says corporate leaders in many industries long viewed technology investments as a means to an end.
“The last few decades it was a focus on what do we have to do to eliminate waste, make things more predictable, make things more repeatable,” he says. “It’s not to say the investments made didn’t have returns and value, they did. But in most companies, the idea of technology was a supporting function, it was behind the scenes.”
Today, however, Briggs says leading CIOs and their C-suite colleagues understand that technology and business are completely intertwined and need to be treated as such.
“You can’t separate business strategy from technology strategy,” he says. “The technology is actually the center of what growth is built on. The technology implications are driving the future of the business itself.”
Myth 4: Your IT shop is up to the task.
CIOs who want to transform their organizations need to have vision, but grand ideas won’t go far if you don’t have the needed IT infrastructure and the right skill sets to implement your strategy.
Larry Freed, CIO at Overhead Door in Louisville, Texas, says over his six-year tenure he has witnessed legacy systems and outdated approaches hindering the company in its abilities to improve the customer experience and deliver quality using the integrated technologies that are critical in this digital era.
“Technology is the enabler for us, and it’s how do you leverage technology to improve what you’re doing,” he says.
Starting with planning and design in 2012, he says his IT team started to move from a number of old, disparate systems to a new Oracle E-Business Suite. The goal is for the business to have a single operating system for its complex environment, which includes manufacturing, distributing, installation and service. Freed explains that this move will streamline how the business operates and better measure performance (revenue, profitability and everything in between).
The upgrade enables customers, who are primarily business partners such as dealers, distributors and retailers but also individual consumers, to interact with the company in a more seamless manner through a customer portal. It also allows the organization to use data to create efficiencies, such as reducing inventory.
Freed says the initial phases of the technology transformation are about driving process improvements and increasing efficiency and productivity. But investing in the right technology will also allow the company to collect and analyze data needed to drive business opportunities, such as identifying customers who might be ready for upgrades or need maintenance services.
Freed is emphatic that building a better foundation over the past few years was critical to moving forward, to creating better customer experiences and opening new opportunities to transform the 96-year-old company.
“We’re in a very competitive environment, and if we’re not making investments to improve, then our competition will,” he says.
Analysts, advisers and CIOs who have helped transform their organizations all concur that organizations need to have the right building blocks in place to power change. They need to be moving out of legacy; adopting newer technologies such as cloud and analytics capabilities; employing tech workers who can think creatively about business solutions; and developing a culture that moves as fast as business and is capable of taking risks via DevOps and similar organizational principles.
Many IT shops aren’t there yet, analysts say.
“‘Digital transformation’ implies a focus on the technology itself, and I think that’s where people can get hung up,” says Seth Robinson, senior director for technology analysis at industry group CompTIA. “Those questions are pertinent, but it’s also the ability to think beyond the technology acquisition. Part of the way you get there is ensuring you have some good technology literacy so when the new technology comes in, you have people who are asking, ‘What does this mean for security and for data privacy? What does this mean to us for a new way of doing things? That thinking is the real point.”
Most organizations give themselves low marks in this area. When asked about their organizations’ efforts toward digital transformation, only 6% of respondents in Computerworld’s Forecast survey gave themselves an A, noting that they’re ahead of the curve. Some 39% gave themselves a B, for well into the process; 39% rated themselves at C, for keeping pace, despite some roadblocks; 11% listed D for the process not going well; and 5% earned an F for making no progress at all.
Myth 5: The CIO role is safe because digital transformation relies on technology.
Yes, technology drives DX. However, Deloitte found that many CIOs aren’t ready for that role. Deloitte’s Briggs says his firm puts CIOs in three categories: first, trusted operator, where the CIO drives a traditional efficiency play; second, business co-creator, where the CIO is more of a strategist with the business and aligns with the leadership; and third, change instigator, where the CIO is the one leading the charge. “A significant percentage of CIOs are still in that first category,” he says, adding that IT leaders, however, should be aiming for the third category.
CIOs need to be visionaries, otherwise they’ll be tasked with handling the technology plumbing while their companies carve out new positions (notably the chief digital officer role) to handle the more exciting areas around transformation.
Don’t let that happen, says Scott Strickland, Global CIO at Denon + Marantz Electronics, maker of audio and video equipment.
“If you’re sitting with the business, product development, marketing and sales, and you’re bringing to them the art of the possible, ‘here’s how we can use technology to do things differently,’ then it’s exciting. Then you won’t be passed by or marginalized,” he says.
Like other CIOs, Strickland says his IT shop has transformed over time by implementing a range of cutting-edge technologies. These ongoing investments, he says, have been instrumental in radically changing customer service and product development.
He points specifically to the rise of the internet of things. He says most of his company’s products are now IoT-enabled, so when consumers buy them and boot them up at home, they’re also able to easily register them. Because of that, Strickland says, the company now has a connection to that customer – a relationship that wasn’t easily made in the past when customers dealt only with retailers selling the equipment.
Strickland outlines how IT, and IoT in particular, has transformed what his company can offer, pointing to a recent issue with a consumer product. One of its HEOS speakers developed a memory issue. Taking advantage of the IoT capabilities built into the speakers, the company was able to push a test out to all its products in that line – even those that were already sold and in customers’ homes. This test identified some 300 speakers that needed to be replaced. Strickland says the company contacted the customers, alerting them to the issue and sending them replacements before the customers themselves ever experienced a problem.
In another example, Denon + Marantz analyzed data coming from its IoT-connected devices. Customers, when booting up their products and connecting with the company, have the option to name their speakers. D+M noticed that many customers were naming their speakers “bathroom speaker.” Strickland says the company took that insight and developed a new wireless, compact waterproof and humidity-resistant speaker with that market in mind. Moreover, he adds, the company through its IoT platform could reach out to existing customers – all those people who had clued in the company on where they were placing their speakers when they registered the products – with the news.
“You take all of that together and it feels transformative. It feels like our business will be different, and it is different and it will continue to be different,” he says. “There’s the key. CIOs have to be able to say here’s the new technology and here’s how we can apply it to the business. You could be wrong, but you have to get the conversation going.”
In fact, PwC’s 2017 Global Digital IQ Survey, released in February, found that, of 2,216 IT and business leaders from 53 countries, only 52% of companies rated their Digital IQ as strong.
That’s down from the past two years; 67% rated their Digital IQ as strong in 2016 and 66% the year prior.
PwC, which defines Digital IQ as “an organization’s abilities to harness and profit from technology,” acknowledges that that’s no easy task.
“Enterprises aren’t so much falling behind as struggling to keep up with accelerating standards,” the report states. “And looking ahead, it is clear most are not ready for what comes next – and after that – as technologies continue to combine and advance, and new ways of doing business go from inception to disruption seemingly overnight.”


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A plan to amend Deerfield’s zoning requirements to encourage retail use in the Lake Cook Road corridor took a step closer to reality Monday at the regularly scheduled Village Board of Trustees meeting.
The Board also finalized the Village’s portion 2012 real estate tax levy which will require the owner of a $500,000 home to pay approximately $77 more in taxes than was expended a year ago, according to Finance Director Eric Burk.
“Almost all of this (the increase) reflects the Water Reclamation Plant debt service,” Burk said.
After the Board unanimously passed the 2012 property tax levy and a series of abatements reducing it by $1,387,226, the total aggregate levy for the Village and the Deerfield Public Library will be $9,222,542, according to Burk.
After an extensive effort in workshops and meetings, the Plan Commission unanimously sent to the Village Board changes in the zoning ordinance to encourage retail use at and other commercial buildings in the Lake Cook Road corridor.
“This will enhance opportunity for retail expansion as well as somewhat limiting expansion of non retail for larger store fronts,” Village Manager Kent Street said. Property owners will still have the opportunity to talk to the Village about other uses, according to Street.
The Board directed the Village staff to prepare an ordinance to memorialize the proposal. One of the effects of the change will be to keep buildings which have been retail continuing to generate sales tax.
“Borders could have not become a health center under the new ordinance,” Plan Commissioner Rob Nadler said.
Patch will have more detailed stories later this week on the proposed changes, the tax levy and other matters decided by the Board.


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The First Six Months of Italia Independent 2018-09-27
Italia Independent’s sales for the first half of 2018 were down compared with the previous year, due to two factors:
- the sale of several assets that contributed to the consolidated revenue —namely the company Independent Ideas Srl, (a 26 per cent shareholding was sold to Publicis Groupe S.A. in April 2018, while the remaining shareholding of 25 per cent was sold to Laps To Go Holding Srl in May 2018), and the company Alialux Srl, (the sale of the entire shareholding of 70 per cent in May 2018), and
- the reduction of non-strategic operations whose costs exceeded the benefits generated. In particular, as previously described in the recovery plan and as demonstrated by the results for the first half of 2018, the company has refocused its resources to achieve a significant improvement in EBITDA despite the reduction in sales. This indicates that the restructuring plan was able to eliminate underperforming operations and focus resources on higher-value operations, while also generating efficiency and margin improvements.
The company is continuing to implement its business recovery plan, which consists of the following main initiatives:
- the strengthening of the product offering for the Italia Independent brand, with the development of new, highly-innovative collections (e.g. the “Laps Collection”);
- the improvement of product quality and customer service. In the coming months the company will launch major partnerships with international brands, such as Hublot (full license for both sunglasses and eyeglasses), Disney and Billionaire Boys Club that will give further visibility and momentum to the brand in foreign markets;
- there will be significant investments in communications, in support of the new marketing campaign;
- the company will develop clothing capsule collections to increase the brand’s appeal and distribution in the fashion stores channel.