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Taking another step towards users’ privacy with ease, Signal has now announced a new feature. As revealed, Signal has introduced Signal PINs to prevent users’ data from a possible loss. With this, Signal reiterates its stance to ditch phone numbers to use as user IDs.
Signal Launches Signal PINs
In a recent post, the private messaging app Signal has announced a new security feature for the users. As announced, Signal has now launched Signal PINs – an addressing method not based on phone numbers.
With Signal PINs, the app ensures that the users’ data remains private to the users. Yet, they won’t lose access to their data in case of damage to their phone. As stated,
Signal PINs are based on Secure Value Recovery… to allow supporting data like your profile, settings, and who you’ve blocked to be securely recovered should you lose or switch devices.
According to Signal, this feature has come into action considering the demand from the users. While other apps store users’ data in plain text to let them recover or restore their data, this isn’t true for Signal.
Other apps and platforms – even if they support some form of encrypted messaging – store this kind of data in plaintext on their servers, so that when you lose or switch phones this information isn’t lost along with it. That’s not good for your privacy, though.
But since Signal does not store such data, it became impossible for the users to restore their app data when lost. Yet, with PINs, they can now have their data back with complete privacy.
PINs Aren’t Recoverable, But Users Won’t Lose
With this feature, users can set up a PIN for their account through which they can access their accounts whenever they want. In case of theft or damage to the phone, Signal PINs save the user from losing access to their data.
This PIN can be anything longer than or equal to 4 digits. Either the users can set simple numeric codes or long alphanumeric strings as their PINs.
While it’s a convenience, Signal has explained that the users may not be able to recover their PINs when forgotten.
Because Signal doesn’t have access to your keys – or your data – your PIN isn’t recoverable if you forget it.
However, the users do not require to share their PINs with anyone or note it down somewhere. It is because the app itself will send periodic reminders to the users regarding their PINs.
For more details and instructions regarding Signal PINs, users can visit the Signal support page.


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Microsoft’s big day is today. The company is expected to reveal new hardware, including new Lumias, a new Surface device (maybe two), a new Band and more at its event. We are live on the scene, liveblogging, uploading photos and bringing full hands-on videos for you to enjoy.
In case you don’t know, the event starts at 14:00 GMT. And here’s our live blog!

domain: news


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Korean makeup brand The Face Shop has launched a range of Coca Cola cosmetics in an unusual collaboration with the US soft drink brand.
The makeup range includes cushion compact, powder pact, five cream lip tints, five lipsticks, three gel lip tints, and an eyeshadow palette – all in Coca Cola pattern packages.
Not only are they sold to look a little like Coke products… they even smell like Coca Cola.
The Face Shop says the lip tints and lipsticks really do have a scent similar to “the real thing”…
The lip tint packaging also features a cute polar bear image on the cap.
The Coca Cola cosmetics collection by The Face Shop is sold online and at retail chains in Korea.


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The company has announced that both the new Huawei Honor smartphones will be up for pre-order starting Saturday, while will be available on June 5. For now, no details about global availability have been released.
Unwiredview reports that Huawei Honor 3C 4G will be available in two variants - one with 1GB of RAM and 8GB inbuilt storage priced at CNY 998 (Rs. 9,350 approximately), and the other with 2GB of RAM and 16GB inbuilt storage at CNY 1298 (Rs. 12,100 approximately). The Huawei Honor 3X Pro has been priced at CNY 1698 (Rs. 15,900 approximately).
The Honor 3C 4G, unlike its 3G variant that runs dated Android 4.2.2, runs the latest Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box with Emotion 2.3 UI. It comes with a 5-inch (720x1280 pixels) HD LTPS display, and offers a pixel density of 312ppi. It is powered by 1.6GHz quad-core Kirin 910 processor coupled with Mali-450 GPU, seemingly better than the Honor 3C's 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek (MT6582) processor with a Mali 400 GPU.
As mentioned above, the Honor 3C 4G comes in two storage variants and supports expandable storage (via microSD card); however, no word on maximum storage capacity. Much like the 3G variant, Honor 3C 4G sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and BSI sensor, while there is a secondary 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The smartphone packs a 2300mAh battery.
Huawei Honor 3X Pro, on the other hand, runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Emotion 2.0 UI on top. There is no word whether the smartphone is upgradeable to Android 4.4 KitKat or not. The smartphone supports dual-SIM functionality with dual standby.
It comes with a 5.5-inch (1080x1920 pixels) HD IPS LTPS display. The Honor 3X Pro is powered by 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek (MT6592) processor alongside Mali 450-MP4 GPU and 2GB of RAM.
The Honor 3X Pro comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable up to 32GB via microSD. On the connectivity front, the Honor 3X Pro includes 3G, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth options.
The smartphone sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and Sony BSI sensor, while also houses a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The phablet packs a 3000mAh battery.


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The influential human rights activists – Reporters Without Borders have released an article naming five companies deemed to be ’digital mercenaries’. The businesses involved are deemed to be selling their products to countries and regimes who use them to further erode human rights. the five businesses involved are all technology companies operating in the private sector mainly – Gamma, Trovicor, Hacking Team, Amesys and Blue Coat.
The organisation stated that –
“All these companies sell products that are liable to be used by governments to violate human rights and freedom of information.”
The products include things like surveillance systems (hardware and software), filtering devices and other associated products. Selling advanced surveillance software to regimes like Syria, Egypt, Bahrain and Iran for example could be for only one real purpose. These authoritarian regimes are dependent on technology firms and their products in order to spy and monitor dissidents and human rights activists. In a digital context it’s not so very different from selling them arms. People’s lives are certainly put at risk by the surveillance products.
There is certainly a lack of legislation and directives against where technology like this could be sold to. Of course some regimes have specific trade embargos against them, but often digital products and technology are not specified. It is also much harder to police the sale of such items especially when often the trade is completely digital. Remember some of these countries it is difficult to even keep in touch with the outside world, like watch the BBC or CNN.
Countries who abuse fundamental rights of free speech and heavily monitor internet access should not be sold technology which can be used in this sort of behaviour. Europe seems to be taking some lead in the with the Union banning the export of surveillance technology to Syria in the last few weeks. Internet censorship is still remarkably common throughout the world and many countries imposing very strict filters on their web access. Last month Iceland announced it intended to block the majority of pornography sites being access from the country – read about it here.
Only one of the companies named has so far replied, with Blue Coat making a statement. They have claimed that it respects and supports freedom of expression and ensures it’s products are only sold with respect to an individual country’s laws.


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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Think it was bad news that U.S. businesses lopped thousands of jobs from their payrolls in September? Not necessarily.
While last month's drop of 43,000 jobs from non-farm payrolls might have been bad news for the labor market, some people made money on it, thanks to a new market in economic derivatives established by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Deutsche Bank AG.
In the new system, for now available only to hedge funds and institutional investors, participants are able to buy options that place bets on economic data. Orders are placed in a Dutch auction, affecting the price of other orders -- almost exactly like the kind of parimutuel betting that takes place at racetracks.
"We opened a new frontier in risk management: direct, 100-percent-correlated exposure to macroeconomic risk," Peter Gerhard, head of macro trading at Goldman Sachs, said in a release last week.
Goldman and Deutsche held auctions on Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 for the payroll data, which were released Oct. 4. More than 120 orders were placed, creating more than $19 million in options.
Interestingly, participants in the Oct. 1 auction expected non-farm payrolls to drop by about 38,000 jobs, while participants in the Oct. 3 auction thought 18,000 jobs would be cut. Both forecasts were much closer than the consensus expectation of economists, according to Briefing.com, that 6,000 jobs would be added.
The next auction is scheduled for Oct. 29, when bets will be taken about the change in non-farm payrolls in October. Another payrolls auction will be held on Oct. 31, when bets will also be taken on the outcome of the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing survey for October. All those data are scheduled to be released on Nov. 1.
At first, the new market will take bets only on payrolls data, the ISM manufacturing survey, Germany's IFO business-confidence survey, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), the Conference Board's consumer confidence index, and the U.S. consumer price index.
Goldman and Deutsche plan to expand later to other indicators, to add more auctions for each indicator, to issue options for cumulative indicators (such as a year's worth of GDP growth), and to issue longer-dated options.


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From game-changer to game over?
NOT long ago Netflix was a stockmarket darling. The California-based firm transformed the video-rental market by renting out DVDs through the post, and by streaming films and television shows over the internet. On October 23rd, though, it announced an 88% fall in third-quarter profits and its market capitalisation, $15 billion in July 2011, shrivelled to $3.3 billion.
Netflix has been a victim of its own success. For about $8 a month, the company woos subscribers with programmes and films that normally require a pricey pay-TV subscription. Consumers love it: the average Netflix subscriber watches more than five TV shows and nearly three and a half films per week, according to a report from GfK Media, a market-research firm. But this threatens the producers of the programmes that Netflix rents out. Broadcast and cable networks earn a great deal more from licensing deals with pay-TV companies than they do with outfits such as Netflix—some $41 billion in 2012 with the former, against $3.5 billion with the latter. So any sign that Netflix is hurting a broadcast or cable network’s bottom line quickly leads to higher licensing fees or curbed content sales.
As if that were not enough, deep-pocketed copycats are chipping away at Netflix’s market share. Amazon is increasing its streaming-content library, most recently with a pact with Epix, a film channel. Networks and pay-TV companies are trying to create their own “TV Everywhere” services online. PC and tablet-friendly offerings such as HBO Go and Sky’s NOW TV are providing more video-on-demand options, including content that Netflix lacks or increasingly cannot afford.
It and other streaming services are responding by making original programming themselves. The company is working with directors such as David Fincher (who made “The Social Network”) and underwriting new episodes of “Arrested Development”, a show with a cult following. But producing new programmes is riskier than licensing existing ones.
Netflix’s deals were made on the assumption that the company would keep growing. It hasn’t. American subscriptions have slowed, and its international push has been wobbly. “They’re really going to have to pull a rabbit out of their hat,” says Brahm Eiley at Convergence Consulting Group.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "Looks bleak"
From the October 27th 2012 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
More from Business
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Employment in the technology industry has reached an inflection point
Big tech and the pursuit of AI dominance
The tech giants are going all in on artificial intelligence. Each is doing it its own way
Can Adidas ever catch up with Nike?
The German firm’s new boss has his work cut out


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C114 News June 23 (Le Si) "Now on the land of the motherland, every week it is about to increase more than 10,000 5G base stations." On May 25, the second plenary meeting of the three sessions of the 13th National People's Congress After the end, Miao Wei, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, introduced the speed of China's 5G network laying to the outside world on the "Ministerial Passage".
The rapid development of 5G is also reflected in the user scale. Recently, the three major operators released the May operation report. The data shows that the sum of 5G users of China Mobile and China Telecom exceeded 80 million. In May, China Unicom still did not announce the number of 5G users. However, considering the volume of China Unicom and Telecom and the mutual establishment and mutual sharing of 5G base stations, Its 5G user data will not differ much from the latter. In other words, the total of 5G users of the three operators may have exceeded 100 million.
Except for 5G users, other operating data of operators has improved significantly compared with the previous months, especially China Telecom has won the "Grand Slam", the main business users have achieved growth, and the net increase in mobile users is even more Against the trend increased 2.68 million.
In May, China Mobile's 5G subscribers continued to be arrogant, and China Telecom's mobile subscribers were completely crushed. In comparison, China Unicom's performance was slightly inferior. In the face of future user competition, China Mobile held 700MHz weapon before, and China Telecom continued to eat Unicom's share. The loss of China Unicom users may have just begun~
User growth presents a dynamic balance and the effect of number portability has begun to show
With the advent of 5G, more and more operators around the world have released 2G/3G network withdrawal plans. Some countries in North America and Asia-Pacific are at the forefront of the global 2G/3G network withdrawal process. Other regions also have 2G/3G network withdrawal processes. Intensive.
Among domestic operators, China Unicom is the most active. China Unicom plans to completely shut down its 2G network by the end of the year. Based on the current proportion of mobile phone users of the three major operators, it is roughly estimated that the number of China Unicom’s 2G users on the network is 50 million, that is, about 50 million Users will be affected by China Unicom's shutdown of 2G networks.
The withdrawal of 2G usually requires a long time to prepare, but China Unicom is a bit too hasty. In addition, the convenience of porting numbers to the Internet now seems to be developing in a direction that is not conducive to China Unicom.
In terms of specific data, China Unicom's mobile billing users decreased by 540,000 in May, reaching a total of 309 million. Mobile billing users accumulated a net decrease of 9.73 million this year. Among them, 4G users had a net increase of 1.905 million this month, reaching a total of 258 million, and 4G users had a net increase of 4.472 million this year.
In this regard, China Unicom said that from January to May 2020, facing the challenges of market saturation, fierce market competition and the new coronavirus epidemic, the company self-discipline adheres to rational and standardized competition, strengthens differentiated and Internet-based operations, innovates communications supply, and strengthens Integrate operations, strictly control user development costs, actively clean up inefficient and ineffective products and channels, maintain company value, and actively promote new information application products, and strive to promote high-quality development.
As a partner of China Unicom's 5G co-construction and sharing, China Telecom's performance is a different prospect. Statistics show that the number of mobile users of China Telecom has increased by 2.68 million, and the number of mobile users has accumulated to 341.2 million. Under the premise that the existing users have been exhausted, China Telecom's mobile user growth has increased month by month. It has continued to top the list of mobile user net additions for several consecutive months. Obviously this is the majority of users lost by Unicom.
Among the three major operators, China Mobile is still the most dazzling one. According to the data, China Mobile's monthly net increase in customers in May was 252,000, and the total number of users reached 946,979 million. The number of 4G customers increased by 3.809 million, a total of 757.534 billion.
For the fixed-line business, the overall situation is set. Since China Mobile won the first place, the number of net added users has maintained a steady growth. In May, China Mobile’s cable customers increased by 2.015 million customers that month, reaching a total of 195195 million. China Telecom's wired broadband subscribers increased by 680,000 in May, and the cumulative number of wired broadband subscribers was 153.35 million. China Unicom's fixed-line broadband users increased by 402,000 in May, reaching a total of 85.543 million. Fixed-line broadband users increased by 2.065 million this year.
5G commercial acceleration users may exceed 100 million
On June 6, last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology officially issued 5G licenses. On September 30, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the official start of commercial use. Over the past year, the pace of 5G commercialization has continued to accelerate. The 5G package customers of domestic operators also achieved rapid growth.
In May, China Mobile's net increase in the number of 5G package customers was 11.864 million, and the cumulative number of 5G package customers reached 55.609 million. China Telecom's 5G package users in May increased by 8.35 million, and 5G package users totaled 30.05 million. It is worth noting that China Unicom has not disclosed the number of 5G users. However, according to predictions, the 5G subscribers of the three operators together may have exceeded 100 million.
The rapid development of 5G users is inseparable from the construction of 5G base stations. At present, the cumulative number of 5G base stations in my country has exceeded 250,000. According to Miao Wei, the former Minister of Industry and Information Technology, 5G has accelerated the construction rate since the beginning of the year, and now more than 10,000 5G base stations are added every week. It is expected that by the end of this year, my country will build more than 600,000 5G base stations, covering cities above the prefecture level in the country. At the same time, the continuous maturity of terminals and industry chains is also paving the way for operators to develop 5G users.
The three major operators are also vigorously giving discounts to the 5G package tariffs that users actually have. Recently, the news of discounts for 5G packages has caused heated discussions. The monthly fee, which started at 100 yuan, was reduced to 88 yuan after discount. In the future, as the price of 5G mobile phones dips and the coverage of 5G networks expands, the lower 5G entry package may be launched within the year, and the threshold for consumers to enjoy 5G networks will be further reduced.


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Why Packaging Prices Continue To Increase
During these days, one of the most common questions that we are receiving from customers is, "why do packaging prices continue to increase"?
And, it goes without saying; that we are living through unprecedented times.
As we all still collectively try to adapt to the world that COVID has changed for the foreseeable future, new challenges continue to press an already struggling supply chain.
And while the global supply chain had already been complicated enough from the months of shutdowns due to the pandemic, other factors are driving these cost increases.
From trucker strikes and protests to disruptions in the plastic resins market as a byproduct of the issues seen in the petroleum industry. These and other problems have led to these price increases that we are seeing now.
But, what exactly are the issues that are causing the prices of packaging materials to rise continually?
Today, we will explore why the price of packaging materials continues to climb higher as the costs of many products also continue to soar.
Packaging Prices Increase Due To Global Supply Chain issues
Global supply chain disruptions have continued to plague consumers for months on end as the prices of many things, including food, gasoline, plastic packaging, and countless other consumer goods rise.
And while many people assume that the pandemic is primarily to blame for these issues, the truth is that various other events have compounded the continued stress on the supply chain. This has resulted in further packaging price increases.
Below, we will look at some of the most significant black swan events that have led to these continued increases year over year and, in some cases, month over month.
Packaging Prices Increase Due To The Pandemic
While COVID is only one of the problems that have led to significant hikes in packaging prices, it is one of the most important events that have caused these problems.
So it is still an essential item of consideration when we look to provide a list of reasons for these often astronomical prices.
But, how exactly did the pandemic cause packaging prices to increase? Well, it's all about supply and demand.
When the COVID pandemic was in full swing starting back around February 2020, many businesses, including those who sell the raw materials to make plastic packaging, shut down.
In some cases, these shutdowns lasted for months. However, the demand for plastic packaging only increased as months of back-orders began to pile up.
While we live through the spring of 2022, the effect of those shutdowns can still be felt as companies struggled to fill orders that continued to flow in even as they were shut down.
So, even though many producers of plastic resins and the plastic packaging manufacturers who rely on them have been up and running for several months now, many still continue to struggle to fill orders that came in during the pandemic's peak.
As such, many packaging distributors are now turning to their competitors to source the materials that they cannot find for their clients elsewhere.
With demand at an all-time high and supply still not being back to normal, we will continue to see lead times for specific products ranging from 7-14 months in some cases.
With demand, this high, plastic packaging manufacturers attempt to source the resins they need to create their products. Still, they are waiting on their back-orders from the companies who produce the resins.
And while the ripple effects of the pandemic will still be felt for months, there are other contributing factors to packaging price increases as well.
Looking to outsource your packaging?
Packaging Prices Increase Due To The War In Ukraine
The war between Russia and Ukraine has compounded the problems of the pandemic, particularly for plastic-based packaging materials.
But, you are probably wondering, how is the war in Ukraine causing packaging prices to continue to climb?
The short answer is petroleum.
You see, plastic resin is a byproduct of petroleum. And because Russia is a significant player in the petroleum industry, the war has dramatically disrupted the supply of gasoline from that part of the world.
Prices continue to skyrocket on and offshore of the United States of America. And, when gas prices increase, it's only a matter of time before plastic resin prices go up.
As president Biden has placed severe sanctions on Russian oil imports, the cost of gas and, by extension, plastic resin is once again climbing to new heights.
With the logistics complications and shipping issues we see as a byproduct of the war, this trend may continue longer than expected. This is especially true as the COVID pandemic is once again tearing through China with a significant increase in Omicron cases.
It is also worth mentioning the tariffs that are in place on goods purchased from China. Many companies buy some of their components from China and are paying a 25% premium for those items due to the tariffs. This is causing many companies to look into bringing things state side again.
However, it is not just the pandemic or the war that hamper the supply chain. Worker strikes and trucking protests have added more complications to the mix, increasing costs.
Packaging Prices Increase Due To Trucker Protests And Shortages
What eventually became known as "The Freedom Convoy" was a large protest of truckers who gathered in the hundreds for 23 days in January 2022 in downtown Ottawa.
The truckers, which included both Canadian and American drivers, were protesting Justin Trudeau's (Prime Minister of Canada) vaccine mandates that the drivers felt were an affront to their personal freedoms.
Regardless of the politics of the situation, the fact remains that the event further compounded an already burdened supply chain.
About 25% percent of food and consumer goods, in addition to packaging, ingredients, and related items, are transported by truckers across the Ambassador Bridge, which was all but shut down during the days the protests occurred.
This caused additional problems for the supply chain regarding food, packaging, and automobile manufacturers who relied heavily on the route most affected by the protests.
In addition to another trucker protest thought to be inspired by the event, many truckers all over the United States of America are striking or refusing to work.
According to the American Trucking Association, in 2021 alone, trucking companies throughout the USA had to contend with a major deficit of 80,000 truckers.
However, for the drivers themselves, the deficit is due to the hardships of the job and a general sense of unappreciation from those who rely on their skills.
It would appear that unless more truckers are offered better positions and shown the respect that they are seeking and deserve, these problems will likely persist.
And if that is the case, we can likely expect continued packaging price increases associated with these events.
Packaging Prices Increase Due To The Cost Of Shipping
When the cost of gasoline goes up, so does your cost of goods. And that goes for packaging as well.
To cover the ever-increasing costs of transportation, the cost of your packaging materials will go up when the price of gasoline rises.
You will also find that the shipping costs for your packaging machinery will also get higher as the price of petroleum goes up.
Packaging Prices Increase Due To Container Ship Delays
While one of the most substantial container ship delays ever to happen was the spectacular disaster of the Ever Given container ship, which became stuck in the Suez Canal, it is but one of many ships that have caused global supply chain issues.
With the COVID pandemic being more or less of a problem at various ports worldwide, ships are sometimes delayed by issues revolving around the virus.
Other headaches associated with the ongoing effects of the virus will continue to hinder the container ship industry. To this day, ports are struggling with solving backlog issues. These issues, which stem from the pandemic, will continue to result in blank sailings and stalled container ships sitting unloaded for weeks or longer.
How Much Does The Packaging You Need Cost?
After reading this article, you probably wonder if any supply chain disruptions have or will affect the cost of the packaging materials, machinery, or services you need.
If you have any questions about the price and availability of packaging materials, machinery, and services such as primary packaging and contract packaging, please contact one of our packaging experts.
They will be able to inform you about the availability and price increases or decreases happening within the industry and can assist you in sourcing the items that you may need.
About Nathan Dube
As the Digital Marketing Specialist at Industrial Packaging, I am honored to create content for such a phenomenal company and work with one of the greatest teams in the Packaging Industry. Whether creating a video, writing blog posts or generating other pieces of content and multimedia, I am always excited to help educate and inspire our prospects and clients to reach their highest potential in regards to their packaging processes and needs.


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Drought conditions in Texas and throughout the U.S. continue to take a toll on cattle numbers, with higher calf prices and less beef production projected for 2023, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist.
“Most of the country is in some form of drought,” David Anderson, AgriLife Extension economist in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station, told attendees at the recent South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Brenham.
“Drought affects all aspects of the cattle business. The reason we have culled so many cows this year is because of drought and the cost of corn. High corn prices will lead to a high feed cost environment into next year. Production costs have also increased faster than calf prices.”
Drought-related culling affects future calf prices
Anderson’s price outlook calls for tighter supplies of cattle going into 2023.
“In a couple of years, we will be talking about record calf prices again,” he said. “We will likely see over $2 a pound in 2024 for 550-weight calves simply because there are fewer cattle, tighter supplies.”
Anderson said that’s being driven by more cull cows and heifers being slaughtered due to the drought.
“Drought is really affecting where wheat pasture is planted,” he said. “That’s also affected calf prices. Right now, there’s more value in heavier-weighted calves. Why? Feed is expensive.”
This is resulting in the biggest slaughter since 2012, which is about 80,000 cows a week, Anderson said. U.S. beef production is on track to eclipse 28 billion pounds.
“Right now, we are producing a record amount of beef,” he said. “We are getting a little more beef from dairy, and with regards to beef cows, we are culling a bigger percentage of the herd. When the January U.S. cattle inventory number comes out, I think we will have at least 3% fewer cows.”
“We’ve placed a lot more light-weight animals, and there are fewer total cattle on feed than a year ago,” he said.
Strong consumer demand
Consumer demand continues to be steady as these record amounts of beef are being produced due to the forced selling in drought-stricken regions. That demand is helping keep cattle prices high and helping to offset the higher production costs.
However, Anderson said, the effects of inflation have caused some consumers to cut back or become choosier with grocery purchases.
“You do have some consumers in a bind,” he said. “When do people quit buying because the price point is too high?”
Attendees throughout region
The South Central cow-calf clinic, sponsored by AgriLife Extension, drew hundreds of beef cattle producers from Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, Grimes, Lee, Waller and Washington counties.
A scholarship raffle with $34,000 in prizes was also held to support youth in sponsoring counties and the cow-calf clinic youth program. Keynote speaker was Temple Grandin, Ph.D., Colorado State University, who discussed grazing cattle, sheep and goats that are part of a sustainable agriculture future.


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While Apple Inc. gets major hip points with smartphone owners for its smartwatch, it might be pricing itself out of the market.
A new study of around 2,000 U.S. and U.K. consumers from Juniper Research reveals just one in five consumers are willing to pay more than $175 for a smartwatch. With the Apple Watch starting at around $350, that means most consumers won’t shell out the cash required for the wrist gadget and accessory—even if they think it is it the coolest.
Apple was named the “coolest” brand for wearables by consumers polled. It was followed by Samsung, Google Inc., LG and Sony. However, when it comes to smartwatches, more than 75% preferred those manufactured by either Apple or Samsung.
In its report, Juniper says the value proposition for wearable devices still remains fuzzy. One exception is fitness wearables, such as the FitBit activity tracker, which have a clear purpose. They consequently have become the most popular wearables category. They are also less expensive than multipurpose smartwatches like the Apple Watch, says Juniper Research analyst James Moar.
“As well as a more definite use, fitness devices also win on value,” Moar says. “They are the least costly wearables in the market, and the only category consistently under $175, which our survey identifies as the price ceiling for most consumers.”
Other new research on wearables and mobile technology from Argus Insights finds that Apple users are the happiest with their devices—particularly with the iPad and Apple Watch. In its research combing 942,000 consumer reviews from January to September 2015 it finds that after Apple, Microsoft has the next highest consumer delight score. Microsoft reported a steady increase in satisfaction in early 2015, driven by satisfied smartphone, Microsoft Band activity tracker and Surface Pro customers. The Surface Pro is Microsoft’s hybrid between a laptop and a tablet.
“Over the past year we have watched Microsoft’s success in devices poking holes in Apple’s walls with their tablet and wearables offerings, “ says John Feland, CEO, Argus Insights. “Unlike Google and Amazon, which offer inexpensive hardware offerings meant to entice more consumers, Microsoft has focused on crafting new experiences built on solid hardware that is delighting consumers.”
While not as highly praised as Apple iPads, consumer reviews of the Apple Watch are more positive than those of other wearables from Motorola, Samsung and Fitbit. Apple Watch users report the most positive feedback for the 38mm Apple Watch Sport, while the more expensive Apple Watch and Edition get more lukewarm reviews, Argus says.
The Argus report also says:
- Consumers have high praise for the Amazon Echo, a smart speaker that answers commands and that is increasingly able to control other connected devices around the home. Smart home products produce the lowest reviews across brands, with the exception of Amazon’s Echo.
- Samsung users tend to be pleased with their tablets, but report frustrations with smart home devices.
- Early analysis of the iPhone 6S, which launched in late August, finds that consumer adoption of the 6S line is considerably slower than that of the iPhone 6.
Sign up for a free subscription to Mobile Strategies 360, a newsletter reporting on how businesses in all industries use mobile technologies to communicate with and market and sell to their consumers. Mobile Strategies 360 is published by Vertical Web Media LLC, which also publishes Internet Retailer, a business publication on e-retailing.


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Due to the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, Singapore had to revert to tightened social interactions and the default state of working from home under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).
Dining in at food and beverage (F&B) establishments is disallowed, and eateries can only offer takeaways and deliveries. Furthermore, people will be allowed to gather in groups of up to two, down from five.
Hooi Kok Wai, co-owner of 47-year-old dim sum restaurant Red Star said in an interview with TODAY that the 80-table restaurant had seen a drastic drop in business since the start of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).
The heritage dim sum restaurant has been popular among Singaporeans for many years, and even used to be regularly booked out for events on 15 out of 30 days each month.
However, despite being listed on delivery platforms, the brand has seen a 90 per cent drop in earnings during this period.
The 82-year-old chef said that the restaurant only gets around S$2,000 worth of orders on weekends, and at most S$1,000 on weekdays.
To add on, the 80-seater restaurant’s operating costs stand at more than S$100,000 each month, especially since it started paying for the accommodations of the Malaysians amongst its workforce.
Red Star employs around 50 employees, and has not retrenched any of them since the Malaysia-Singapore border closed in March 2020. Hooi said that the restaurant had only cut 20 to 30 of its part-time and adhoc staff so far.
However, he told TODAY that if the current Covid-19 restrictions are extended, he did not think “it is possible to continue without taking more drastic actions.”
Many hawkers and F&B businesses are suffering
Older hawkers who are neither IT-literate nor social media-savvy have been at a great disadvantage since the rules that prevented dining in kicked in.
There have been many reports on older hawkers who struggle with making use of social media or online delivery platforms to extend their reach. These hawkers are also seeing a huge decline in footfall due to the Heightened Alert measures.
A report by Channel News Asia highlighted how a BBQ seafood stall at Bedok’s 85 Fengshan Food Centre could not even achieve S$100 of sales in one day.
Most recently, it was reported that heritage brand Swee Kee Eating House was forced to close down after being in operation for 82 years.
Featured Image Credit: Seth Lui


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OnePlus pulled the Avengers: Infinity War teaser trailer from its Facebook page
OnePlus 6 could arrive with a limited edition Avengers: Infinity War design, according to the latest teaser trailer from the company.
OnePlus shared a brief nine-second clip that quickly cuts between its own logo and that of the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War feature film.
It ends with the release date of the new Marvel film, which is scheduled to launch April 27th 2018.
The short teaser was first shared on OnePlus India’s Facebook page, before it was quickly taken down – which suggests OnePlus has a little early with its announcement.
However a number of users managed to download the video before it was pulled and has subsequently shared it on YouTube.
The teaser trailer implies some kind of link between OnePlus and Avengers: Infinity War.
It’s unclear what form this will take, however, given that the Chinese smartphone start-up has previously partnered with Marvel to launch a limited edition Star Wars The Last Jedi handset, it’s possible this will follow a similar pattern.
The latter was only available in India, Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
It’s possible a limited edition vengers: Infinity War OnePlus 6 would only be available in select markets worldwide.
The news comes as OnePlus shared a four-second teaser for the new flagship handset.
The Shenzhen-based company tweeted the short teaser trailer this week.
Interestingly, despite the all-new design of the OnePlus 6, the first trailer for the new handset instead focuses on speed and performance.
“The Speed You Need,” teases the trailer.
The feverishly-anticipated smartphone is the latest flagship handset from Chinese smartphone start-up OnePlus.
The company confirmed it was working on new hardware during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, back in January.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau revealed that a new handset was in the works in an exclusive interview with CNET.
OnePlus has previously confirmed its new flagship handset will feature a notch in the display
He confirmed the new OnePlus hardware would launch late in the company’s second financial quarter, which runs from April 1st to June 30th.
Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line SnapDragon 845 processor was also confirmed to feature in the new flagship.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has also revealed the new handset will keep its 3.5mm headphone port, and will introduce an edge-to-edge display with a small notch, like the iPhone X.


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HP Indigo has expanded its software solutions with a new PrintOS SW Suite that helps users benefit from the capabilities of integrating software and data-driven tools into the print production floor.
The new HP PrintOS Software Suite simplifies HP’s application portfolio, which will now consist of four modules called Power Packs.
The HP PrintOS Suite is a cloud-based operating system that drives productivity. Following the latest development, the PrintOS Suite will concentrate on press monitoring and productivity management tools, applications for consistent quality across jobs, presses and sites, unique personalisation and customisation creativity modules, and digital site automation flow from submission to shipping.
To support business challenges and enhance its offering, HP has appointed Petar Obradovic as its director of industrial software solutions and deployed a new dedicated software sales team.
“Our most successful and advanced customers are relying on software to maximise their production efficiency, make smart decisions quickly and expand their offering,” HP Indigo and Scitex general manager Noam Zilbershtain said.
“We understand that prosperity in the digital print production business is data-driven and software-driven, and we want each one of our users to leverage these resources to grow their business.”
Obradovic explained that the PrintOS Software Suite enables customers to monitor their production in real-time, increase productivity by up to 50 per cent, automate processes like quality control and colour matching, and produce consistent prints across jobs, presses and sites.
“PrintOS has more than 22,000 HP Indigo users, and more than 4,000 of them use it daily. These are staggering numbers,” Obradovic said.
“Any print service provider, whether or not they aspire to become a global online supplier if they are managing high volumes of data efficiently with consistent quality – requires our software solutions to optimise their digital transformation.”
The PrintOS Suite Power Packs will be offered on a subscription basis as of 1 July.
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Washington [US], January 15, (ANI): After American tech giant Google recently announced that it will be winding down its Stadia service, speculations became rife regarding its controller’s future, which was tied to the service.
According to GSM Arena, a tech news-related outlet, the company has now announced that it will be releasing a self-serve tool that will allow customers to enable Bluetooth on the Stadia controller.
This was a dormant feature of the controller that was disabled in firmware. Once enabled, the Stadia controller can then be used as a standard Bluetooth controller with other devices.
It is something that cannot be done presently as the Stadia controller was meant to connect and work directly with the Stadia cloud service, reported GSM Arena.
The update should allow Stadia customers to keep using the controller with other devices instead of it becoming useless after January 18, which is the date given by Google.
Google also released one final game, ‘Worm Game’, for Stadia players before the service shuts down next Wednesday. This was a game that has been in use internally for years and was used by the team to test Stadia’s features.
It’s an intentionally no-frills, minimal title that likely would have never seen the light of day had the service not shut down. In a way it is a cool Easter egg to experience the game that was used to test and build the service, as per GSM Arena. (ANI)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)


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E3 will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center next year with the help of PAX organizers ReedPope.
The most iconic event on the gaming calendar will make its comeback to a live audience in the second week of June 2023, for the first time since 2019.
After the last few years have been filled with a strange and neverending summer of game trailers, spread scattershot across every month until September, the ESA will be going back to an in-person venue, reportedly focused mostly on industry attendees rather than a consumer focus like PAX or ReedPop's other conventions, including Star Wars Celebration.
After four years – including one in which the ESA disastrously attempted to run an online event which didn't quite work out – partnering with ReedPop to get back into the physical realm following a long period of Covid disruption seems smart.
In the announcement of the partnership, ReedPop's VP of gaming Kyle Marsden-Kish said: “For years, we’ve listened, heard, and studied the global gaming community’s feedback. E3 2023 will be recognizably epic - a return to form that honors what’s always worked - while reshaping what didn’t and setting a new benchmark for video game expos in 2023 and beyond.”
That sounds like a good outlook to have for a convention that even before the pandemic some were questioning the worth of, in an age of streaming showcases and dwindling industry access to developers.


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The crypto industry step-by-step became part of the modern world. However, it is not easy to spend cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to pay for various goods and services. Retailers prefer to deal with cryptocurrencies due to crypto’s volatility.
One crypto startup from Switzerland decided to make life easier for the people who would like to use cryptocurrencies on a daily basis. The name of this startup is Eidoo. Recently, this crypto startup introduced a new Visa crypto debit card. Interestingly, the so-called Eidoo Card uses regulated stablecoins for a crypto-to-fiat transaction.
It is worth noting that the payment giant Visa approved the Eidoo Card. Thanks to this decision, millions of Visa merchants will be able to accept crypto-derived fiat currencies, including British Pound and Euro.
Bitcoin, Eidoo Card and Contis
Interestingly, this startup from Switzerland worked with Contis. Thanks to their collaboration, Visa accepted the Eidoo Card. Notably, Contis is a principal member of Visa Europe and it holds a U.K. e-money license.
According to Eidoo’s CEO Thomas Bertani, Visa approved the entire flow of Contis-led card issuance and crypto-to-fiat conversion. Interestingly, crypto-to-fiat-conversion involves regulated stablecoins issued by Moneyfold. Moreover, Moneyfold is a U.K. based financial services firm focused on fiat-pegged stablecoins.
A principal member of Visa Europe acts as the issuer of the Eidoo Card. At the same time, Moneyfold’s Ethereum-based stablecoins Moneyfold Euro and Moneyfold GBP are going to offer a high degree of decentralization. Moreover, they will offer transparency in the process of converting between crypto and fiat.
However, people who would like to use Eidoo Card should take that into account; they need to stake or burn Eidoo’s native EDO token. Moreover, an Eidoo Card requires that the user burn 100 EDO tokens or stake 25,000, depending on the plan.
Last but not least, thanks to Eidoo, Card owners of various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, will be able to use them on a regular basis.


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With more Americans getting vaccinated and the economy reopening, many thought the boom of goods-buying during the pandemic would slow down, however, it seems as loud as it was last summer, with no sign that it will ease off any time soon.
It has always been known that consumer behavior is always at the center revolving around supply chain activity, but even more so today. According to Freightwaves, businesses are continuing to struggle with backlogs and stock outs. Inventory levels remain at or near record lows. Transportation networks, overrun with demand that no one expected, have been forced to take extreme measures such as shutting down core eastbound intermodal lanes to catch up with volume surges.
Lee Klaskow, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence said the only exceptions that he has seen, were products such as beer, wine, and spirits, where the demand today is lower than it was during the summer of last year. It’s looking like relief for shippers, third parties, and carriers living with overworked supply chains will not be happening any time soon.
Data from Phil Levy, an economist with Flexport, shows from January 2016 to February 2020, the ratio of personal expenditures on services and goods was remarkably consistent. With about 70% of spending went to services, and about 32% to goods. When the lockdown happened in early 2020, the shift in ratio began, which for many, made goods-buying the only outlet for their dollars. Levy attributes the current trends to a sea-change in consumer behavior triggered by COVID-19’s extended duration. It is important to note that the raw numbers are not perfect, as the government’s data has a two-month lag time. As well as Flexport’s own projections do not extend out more than two months.
The pandemic has also exposed how interdependent the world’s major trading partners are on each other, and how big of an impact an event of such magnitude can have. If you have any questions, please reach out to our team today!


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Kochi: Bajaj Electricals, the country’s leading Consumer durable and Lighting Company, on Monday opened an exclusive company showroom 'Bajaj World' here.
This is the first Bajaj World Store to be opened in Kerala and has a display area of 600sq feet.
It will be a one-stop-shop for Fans, Lighting and Appliances.
To expand the company?s network, Bajaj World is being launched in tier II and tier III cities like Raychoty and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh and Shivpuri, Satna and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
'We have already launched 55 showrooms Pan India and plan to open 100 stores by the end of the financial year', C G S Mani, Executive President and Head Fans BU, said.


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PARSIPPANY — A township councilman said Monday a government study calling Parsippany a food desert is "ridiculous."
"That's absolutely stupid," Mike dePirro said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture study focused on poverty in census tracts and supermarket locations, and it determined that Parsippany is among 134 New Jersey municipalities where many people have a much more difficult time getting access to the healthy food generally available in supermarkets, rather than the processed foods of convenience stores or fast-food joints.
While Parsippany has three supermarkets and a handful of grocery stores, they're too few and far between, said the study, which used data from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing and a 2006 directory of stores.
DePirro said he disagreed.
"We've got 7,000 apartments in Parsippany, and some (residents) might have to walk a distance, but a large majority live near" supermarkets and grocery stores, the councilman said.
Two of Parsippany's supermarkets are on Route 46. Another is just a few miles away on the highway.
The study said low access to a "healthy food retail outlet is defined as more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store in urban areas and as more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store in rural areas."


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Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft have climbed for three straight months just one other time in the past five years, from May through July 2011.
A report on Jan. 30 may show GDP expanded at a 1.1% annual pace in the final quarter of 2012, helped by growth in consumer spending, corporate investment and housing, according to the Bloomberg survey median. Capital spending dropped at a 2.6% annual rate in the third quarter, the first decline in more than three years.
Automobile purchases remain a source of strength for factories. Cars and light trucks sold at a 15.3 million annual rate in December after 15.5 million the prior month, the best back-to-back showing since early 2008, according to Ward’s Automotive Group.
Rising demand for plastics used in autos helped DuPont, the biggest U.S. chemical maker by market value, to report fourth- quarter earnings that exceeded analysts’ estimates. The company, based in Wilmington, Delaware, also said sales in 2013 will climb to $36 billion from $34.8 billion.
“The U.S. is experiencing a weak recovery with bright spots and pent-up demand for housing and autos,” Chief Executive Officer Ellen Kullman said on a Jan. 22 earnings call.
Manufacturers are also gaining from improving overseas markets led by China, where economic growth accelerated in the fourth quarter for the first time in two years.
General Electric’s fourth-quarter profit topped analysts’ estimates as demand in emerging markets fueled the aviation and health-care divisions, which helped build a record $210 billion order backlog for the Fairfield, Connecticut-based company.
“We saw real strength in the emerging markets and the developed regions stabilized,” Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said on a Jan. 18 conference call. GE “entered 2013 with substantial momentum” following “solid order growth in five of the six businesses,” he said.
Caterpillar Inc., the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment, today reported fourth-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates.
“We’re encouraged by recent improvements in economic indicators, but remain cautious,” Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman said in a statement.
Businesses still face the risk that lawmakers fail to avert across-the-board government spending cuts scheduled to begin March 1, even after the fiscal pact passed by Congress on Jan. 1 avoided sweeping tax increases that had threatened to crimp consumer spending.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Venture capital deals poured more money into Africa in 2021 than the previous seven years combined, breaking all sorts of records.
650 venture capital (VC) deals raising $5.2 billion in total recorded in 2021, a 104% increase from 319 reported in 2020. This reflects a welcome maturation in the African entrepreneurial space. The number of venture capital deals recorded last year corresponds to 70% of the total venture capital deals recorded on the continent between 2014 and 2020, and 41% for the period 2014 to 2021.
Did you read?
Analyze how COVID-19 has changed access to finance in Africa
261 Unique businesses were backed by at least one impact investor, 75% of investors active in Africa in 2021 were international and 25% were based in Africa. Africa is one of the fastest growing venture capital markets in the world and according to the African Private Venture Capital Association (APVCA), this trend shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
In their last Venture capital in Africa report, APVCA says that while each investment stage has seen year-over-year growth, late-stage deals have seen triple-digit acceleration. West Africa was the regional winner, driven in large part by significant trade activity in Nigeria.
Politics, technology and venture capital
Governments across Africa have really stepped up their political legislative game around entrepreneurship in 2021 with a wave of FinTech-related regulations. Egypt has introduced legislation allowing its Central Bank to issue banking licenses to Fintech and digital commerce companies, a first for them.
The Capital Markets Authority of Kenya has instituted a Regulatory Sandbox platform to which it has admitted nine FinTech startups to live test their products and services in a controlled environment, free from the constraints of existing regulations.
Did you read?
New venture capital fund for cleantech companies in Africa
The Uganda Capital Markets Authority has partnered with the European Union and FSD Uganda to establish the Deal Flow Facility. This technical assistance/matchmaking initiative aims to bridge the gap that emerging businesses in Uganda face when trying to access growth capital.
The South African government has introduced a start-up visa program to stimulate private sector growth. The proposed initiative would allow entrepreneurs to live and start a business in the country, potentially attracting investors and high-impact entrepreneurs to its shores.
The Nigeria Startup Bill has been endorsed by the country’s executive and is now awaiting parliamentary approval. Co-created as a joint initiative between the Nigerian tech ecosystem and the presidency, this law shows a way to create a bottom-up enabling regulatory environment. “Nigeria’s example paves the way for other regulators across the continent to strive to keep up with the momentum of ecosystem expansion, to ensure legislation is enabling, adaptive and inclusive,” reads -on in the report.
Change in venture capital funding encourages growth of fintech startups
Fintech dominates but mobility is growing
Finance was the most active sector by volume (32%) and captured the largest share of deal value at 60%. African tech really pulled out all the stops in 2021. 81% of venture capital deals closed in 2021 in Africa were either for tech companies or tech companies operating in various sectors.
“Africa’s tech ecosystem continues to thrive, with a growing number of African entrepreneurs pioneering and adapting tech solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges.
“Harnessing disruptive technologies has become common practice in Africa’s nascent ecosystem. Digital tools are increasingly integrated into the formulation of business models, bringing much-needed products and services to largely underserved markets,” reads the report.
Data analysis to plan reliable electrification of health care in Nigeria
APVCA sees the FinTech sector dominating the share of long-term venture capital deals, but stresses that technological innovation is not limited to this sector alone. E-commerce and HealthTech also saw significant growth, as did Mobility Tech.
“2021 has seen a proliferation of startups offering practical yet innovative solutions to address urban mobility challenges in African cities. Startups such as Kenyan electric vehicle transport company NopeaRide. Togo’s transport technology platform Gozem and Nigeria’s moto-taxi app Max.neg are all leveraging technology to improve accessibility and affordability of mobility services, and each has raised funds in 2021,” the report said.
A new solar hub to power email fleets in Kenya
Unicorns are coming to Africa
15 companies closed deals worth more than $100 million in 2021 – 13 in financials, 2 in industrials and one in consumer discretionary. Five of the large transactions involved companies headquartered in the United States (Chipper Cash, Tala, Andela, Zipline International); three in Nigeria (Palmpay, TradeDepot and OPay); two in South Africa (MFS Africa and Tyme Bank); one in Senegal (Wave Mobile Money); one in Egypt (MNT-Halan) and one in Great Britain (Zepz).
The first nine months of 2021 have seen a record number of African startups reach a valuation of over $1 billion. Five high-profile deals in 2021 have seen the companies achieve unicorn status. With the exception of Andela, they were all in the fintech sector. Egyptian startup Swvl and Nigerian digital banking startup Kuda could reach unicorn status by 2023.
With the exception of MFS Africa whose $100m Series C investment was led by AfricInvest and MNT-Halan whose $120m fundraising was led by the Africa Development Partners International, the other large deals that took place in Africa in 2021 were led by international private equity and venture capital fund managers from the United States, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. United. ESI
APVCA Venture capital in Africa report is available online.
Alternative funding mechanisms will be discussed at Enlit Africa


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Schools are asking parents to supply a lot more than crayons, scissors and glue sticks, reports the New York Times.
When Emily Cooper headed off to first grade in Moody, Ala., last week, she was prepared with all the stuff on her elementary school’s must-bring list: two double rolls of paper towels, three packages of Clorox wipes, three boxes of baby wipes, two boxes of garbage bags, liquid soap, Kleenex and Ziplocs.
This has been a trend for several years, but it’s worse this year, reports the Times.
OfficeMax is featuring items like Clorox wipes in its school displays and is running two-for-one specials on cleaners like gum remover and disinfectant spray. Office Depot has added paper towels and hand sanitizer to its back-to-school aisles. Staples’ school fliers show reams of copy paper on sale, while Walgreens’ fliers are running back-to-school discounts on Kleenex.
At Pauoa Elementary School in Honolulu, students are asked to bring a four-pack of toilet paper.
If parents don’t bring supplies, teachers often buy them out of their own salaries, a superintendent admits.


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With pressure from online and cheaper brick-and-mortar competitors, some former retail giants will have to cut its losses by closing stores to turn a profit in the future.
For instance, Barnes & Noble plans to close about 20 stores a year over the next decade in order to stay in the race against competition from Amazon.com and the increasing popularity of e-books.
The folks over at 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the weakest large U.S. retailers and picked those that likely will not be profitable next year if they keep their current store count. They crunched some numbers and provided a forecast on how many stores each retailer will need to close this year to increase its prospects financially.
Click through the slideshow included with this post to see which eight retailers need to cut locations and why.


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Famed foodie magazine Food & Wine has announced that it will shut down its New York offices and move operations to Birmingham, Alabama. The magazine joins sister titles from Time Inc. in Birmingham, including Cooking Light and Southern Living. Along with a new address, Food & Wine will get a new editor. Hunter Lewis, who oversees Cooking Light, has been named Editor in chief.
Sophisticated food and drink consumers are everywhere now," Lewis said. "Bringing the center of Food & Wine's operations to Birmingham while maintaining a strong presence in New York allow us to super serve the sophisticated and influential Food & Wine audience as we continue to grow the brand's reach."
Three things I love in life...butternut squash, @cookinglight & editor @notesfromacook ?? I'll be sharing more on the @thesouthernc blog next week but had the best visit yesterday at @timeincfoodstudios Now off to make a butternut squash soup! #cookinglight #hunterlewis #butternutsquash #timeincfoodstudios #PR #ForestHomeMedia #nashvilleinfluencers #rockstarcook #latergram
Time Inc. is excited about the move explaining that it is a strategic one. Nathan Lump, Time Inc.'s editorial director of luxury and lifestyle said of the move:
"We are leveraging the best of both our Birmingham and New York food operations to strategically position ourselves for future success. Given our talent, cross-platform content capabilities and passionate audiences, we believe we can bring even more clout, scale and creativity to this popular and important category."
The company owns and operates a multimillion dollar complex in Birmingham that includes 28 test kitchens (one is an outdoor one) and and full photo and video studio.
The existing test kitchen in downtown NYC will stay open to accommodate the Food & Wine digital team who is not making the move with the mag.
John T. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, as well as other media pros believe the move will bolster Time Inc. and Food & Wine's place in digital food media. Reduced costs mean better content.
"The arrival of Food & Wine in Birmingham signals a moment of democratization for food media ... in that a base in New York is no longer required to cover the dining scene. The American dining scene is vital in Birmingham, in Chicago, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. It's vital across a broad swath of the nation."
This move is a big step in the right direction to celebrating the classic foods of our Heartland.


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Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year announced by AJAC
The Mazda3 was the top car. Jaguar’s I-Pace won back-to-back utility awards, the first battery electric vehicle to do so
Mazda recalls more than 200K cars in U.S., Canada due to failing wipers
Recall covers cars from the 2016 through 2018 model years.
Air bag danger: Ford, Mazda add pickups to do not drive list
Test results show the trucks had inflators that ruptured or recorded high internal pressure readings.
UPDATE: Confirmed, Alabama picked for new $1.6B Toyota Mazda plant
Will produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda.
Toyota, Mazda plan $1.6 billion US plant, to partner in EVs
The plant will have an annual production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles; it’s due to begin operations by 2021.
Toyota, 3 other automakers settle Takata air bags suit
Settlement compensates owners for things like lost wages or child care while they were taking their vehicle in for the recall repair.
Toyota, Mazda partner on technologies
Japanese automakers will focus on green, safety, products.
Japan says recall system overhaul needed for global auto woes
Global problems highlighted by Takata air bag debacle, top safety official says.
New vehicle mileage hits record, but pace of improvement is slowing
EPA says fuel economy last year rose 0.21 km/l over the 2012 model year.
Chrysler, Ford report increase in June sales
The month was a generally positive one for most Canadian automakers.
2014 car brand quality survey rankings from J.D. Power and Associates
Porsche, Jaguar and Lexus top this year’s list.
Auto sector will help Canadian economy less than in US, Mexico in Q2
Scotiabank says Canadian auto sector will only add 0.2 percentage points to overall growth, compared to 0.7 in the US.
Most automakers report increased sales in September
Analysts suggest if sales continue at their current pace, 2013 will be a record year for auto sales, topping 1.7 million units.
Ford to manufacture Fusion sedan in US for the first time
Mexico plant wasn’t keeping up with demand for mid-size vehicle
Mazda adds engine machining factory to Mexican plant
Factory will produce up to 230,000 SKYACTIV engines once operations begin in October 2014.
Mazda starts construction on $272M Thai transmission plant
Plant is expected to employ more than 500 people when it goes online in early 2016
Fiat, Mazda to design roadster based on iconic MX 5
Cars will be based on the same platform, but will feature different styling and engines.
Mazda boosts capacity at new Mexican plant
Japanese automaker will produce up to 230,000 vehicles annually by 2016 at Salamanca City facility.
Mazda to produce Toyota-brand subcompact in Mexico
Japanese automakers team-up to 50,000 units based on Mazda2.
Ford adds 1,200 jobs at Detroit plant
The automaker is investing $555 million in new equipment at the facility, where it will build its Ford Fusion sedan.
Ford breaks ground on new plant in Chongqing
Ford Motor Co. is building a sixth plant in China as part of an effort to increase its sales in the world’s largest auto market.
Canadian auto sales up 4.7% in July
Automakers boost incentives, Japanese brands rally.
Honda recovers from disasters: $1.7B quarterly profit
More vehicles sold in key regions except Europe.
Fiat, Mazda buddy up for new roadster
Automakers will develop and manufacture vehicle, but use separate engines and styling.
Mazda halts rotary engine production
Rotary engine still the only Japanese car to win the Le Mans endurance race
Electric cars not in the cards for Mazda
Gas engines will power almost all of the world’s cars Mazda says
New Ford engine goes small
Michigan automaker will introduce one-litre, three-cylinder engine by 2013


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Christopher Gorham says some people should avoid social networks. [Video]
Boston-- USA Network's "Covert Affairs" star Christopher Gorham says his fans and followers are typically not interested in hearing him complain. So he tries to keep his communications upbeat or humorous.
"Everyone has their own problems. And no one is interested in my problems," he said in an interview after speaking at Hill Holliday's TVNext summit.
Gorham said some people should not participate in social networks. In particular, he singled out people who half-heartedly participate and those who don't know what topics should be off-limits. "It's really not for everybody. But if it's something you can embrace and enjoy and are good at, it can be very valuable," he said during a question-and-answer session with Hill Holliday's Co-Media Director Adam Cahill.
On the heels of a fantastic event in New York City, ClickZ Live is taking the fun and learning to Toronto, June 23-25. With over 15 years' experience delivering industry-leading events, ClickZ Live offers an action-packed, educationally-focused agenda covering all aspects of digital marketing. Register today!
Anna Maria Virzi, ClickZ's executive editor from 2007 until 2012, covered Internet business and technology since 1996. She was on the launch team for Ziff Davis Media's Baseline and also worked at Forbes.com, Web Week, Internet World, and the Connecticut Post.
Hong Kong, May 5-6, 2015
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce
This Magic Quadrant examines leading digital commerce platforms that enable organizations to build digital commerce sites. These commerce platforms facilitate purchasing transactions over the Web, and support the creation and continuing development of an online relationship with a consumer.
Paid Search in the Mobile Era
Google reports that paid search ads are currently driving 40+ million calls per month. Cost per click is increasing, paid search budgets are growing, and mobile continues to dominate. It's time to revamp old search strategies, reimagine stale best practices, and add new layers data to your analytics.
May 6, 2015
12:00pm ET/9:00am PT


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Whenever you launch a new business, an element of risk is unavoidable. Everything you could think of might be in place for success: a great idea, an excellent new product, the right location, adequate financial backing and support. Yet, failure is still a distinct possibility, for all manner of reasons. The economic shockwaves caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused thousands of companies (some of them household names) to go out of business, brought about hundreds of thousands of redundancies and has required the Government to prop up millions of jobs with furlough and business loan schemes.
Although the roll out of various vaccines commenced in early 2021, we are far from able to roll out the flags of celebration – it is clear there will be heavy turbulence in the economy and our lives for some time to come yet. Certainly, logically speaking, at this time at it would seem a very brave move to launch a start-up. Yet, data released by Companies House shows that small businesses have been created at an enormous rate since the pandemic struck. Towards the end of 2020 analysis of this data indicated that it was likely the year would witness record levels for new business creation, possibly as much as 12% up on 2019. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic and accompanying steep recession, these are miraculous and welcome numbers. But what is causing the large spike in start-ups?
Unemployment and furlough
When the COVID-19 pandemic exploded in March 2020 it had a cataclysmic effect on employment. Data released in December 2020 by the Office of National Statistics showed that UK paid employment fell by almost 650,000 from March through to June as the crisis initially bit. Although the situation stabilised after that (undoubtedly underpinned by Governmental support schemes and subsidies), by the end of the year a total of 819,000 jobs had disappeared from the payrolls of British companies. Meanwhile, furloughed employee levels rose from 1.3 million at the end of March to an enormous 9.6 million by August. From the very outset of this situation, there was evidence that Britons were viewing being made redundant or being placed on furlough as an opportunity to relook at their lives, to take the plunge and start their own venture, either as a full-time business or a side-hustle. Research released in June showed that five new businesses were launched every day in April 2020, an increase of 60% on April 2019. Meanwhile, a September survey of new business owners by website builder group GoDaddy found that 15% of new UK entrepreneurs had launched due to redundancy or extended furlough related to COVID-19.
Working from home
The pandemic has witnessed a momentous shift in work habits for millions of people. Strict social distancing rules and various levels of lockdown have meant businesses of all sizes have been forced to adapt, often moving entire workforces from the office to their homes. Research released in September 2020 showed that 60% of the UK’s adult working population were working from home due to COVID restrictions – in real terms 23.9 million people. Many have found that they have not only saved on travel expenditure but also have made huge savings in time previously taken up with commuting to and from the office. This, coupled with the freedom working remotely offers, has led to entrepreneurially-minded employees having the time to spot gaps in the market and the opportunity to launch a start-up. Tori Lancaster, the founder of Book and Play, launched her business early in the crisis. Working from home gave her far more time to spend with her young daughter, and this enabled her to identify a business opportunity from which she launched her start-up:
“Starting a business in lockdown sounds absolutely bonkers but like many others, I bit the bullet and launched ‘Book and Play’, a book and activity subscription service for little ones aged 0-5. The idea was sparked while I was looking for a great value book subscription and couldn’t find what I wanted. I took the chance to start my own, and it allowed me to give back to local charities and connect with lots of fellow start-ups. I’m now excited to grow the business and inspired to try to shop local and support brilliant independent businesses in 2021.”
Post-pandemic it seems certain the phenomenon of working from home will continue – a survey by CIPD last summer found that employers expect that the proportion of employees working from home on a regular basis when COVID-19 abates would be 37% compared with 18% before the crisis, and that they also felt around 22% of workers would do it all the time. It is likely that many of these workers will take the opportunity to launch their own ventures and use strategic marketing channels to promote it .
The rise of the COVID-19 economy
Where there is crisis there is also opportunity, and while COVID-19 has disrupted and destroyed many businesses across the globe, entrepreneurship has not been stifled, but has risen to the occasion, with start-ups rising in direct response to the changes the crisis has wrought. Firstly, demand for COVID-related products such as medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, cleaning and disinfecting materials and PPE workwear has skyrocketed over the last year, and businesses have launched to cater for the need. According to data released by Companies House and analysed by the Centre for Entrepreneurs, June 2020 saw enormous year on year increases in business formation amongst disinfecting services providers (+400%) and cleaning preparation manufacturers (+178%). Meanwhile, similar surges were seen in businesses handling the retail (+317%) and manufacture (+243%) of medical goods and the manufacture of workwear (+228%). The pandemic has also seen a boom in e-commerce businesses as consumers switch from brick and mortar retail to online spending during the lockdown. The Companies House data for June revealed significant increases in general internet retail businesses (+110%) and online sports retail and games and toys retail (both tracking 89% up on June 2019). Thousands of online-only start-ups have been created to meet the need – eBay announced in September that they saw a +335% increase in start-ups on their site in the first three months of the crisis and a Royal Mail study revealed that entrepreneurs were creating new companies to take advantage of the boom in home deliveries. From April to the end of August, the Royal Mail found parcel volumes rose 33% year on year with a similar rise in revenue, and that the growth was being driven by e-commerce and B2C. Without a doubt, entrepreneurs have reacted speedily and decisively to the “new-normal” world created by the crisis.
Interesting Related Article: “Opportunities for Startups in the New Normal“


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It appears that Facebook has fallen out of favor with younger generations. According to a survey by Piper Jaffray, only 14% of teenagers consider Facebook to be the most important social network currently operating. The poll, which is completed yearly, has noted a pattern, and it doesn’t spell good news for Facebook.
In 2013 33% of respondents agreed that Facebook was the top social network. The following year that number slid to 23%, and the 2015 results show that both Instagram and Snapchat have overtaken Facebook as the most popular social network among teenagers.
Alexei Beltyukov said the slide can be attributed to the rising popularity of other social networking sites. This year, Instagram took the top spot with 32% of respondents picking it as the most important social networking site. Instagram’s popularity has been significantly raised over the last two years, with the company jumping from a favorite among 17% of respondents in 2013, to 30% in 2014, and 32% this year.
Snapchat was included in the poll for the first time this year, but its popularity among teens and young adults seems to be growing exponentially. Snapchat was released in 2011, but didn’t reach a fever pitch until sometime in 2014 among its core demographic. Additional features bolstered Snapchats popularity, and has made it a true social network.
Respondents were also asked to rate the importance of Pinterest, Google + and Tumblr. Their numbers remain relatively low, but steady over the same two year period.


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Celiac.com 10/23/2018 - As if being on a gluten-free diet for medical reasons weren’t hard enough already, with it’s numerous logistical and social challenges, now comes a new study that spells out the thoughts of the general public about gluten-free dieters, and the picture it paints isn’t pretty.
Nearly half of people who responded to a recent survey said that they would judge someone on a gluten-free diet as "selfish, demanding and difficult to please." Another 44 percent say that people who eat a gluten-free diet are "high maintenance," while more than 30 percent call gluten-free eaters "selfish" and 14 percent presume they must be "arrogant." When it comes to questions of dating, More than 40 percent of those surveyed would be reluctant to date someone who was gluten-free, while 10 percent of respondents feared that they would be judged poorly by their gluten-free date.
Researchers had another group of 132 people participate in an online dating scenario in which they were told to "imagine going on a first date with an individual who discloses adhering to a gluten-free diet." Participants then rated their prospective date on factors such as perceived kindness, mood, pickiness, and femininity or masculinity. Interestingly, women on a gluten-free diet were perceived to be more feminine.
Some participants claimed they would be more understanding if a person cut out gluten due to an allergy rather than just as part of a fad diet.
The good news is that six percent of those surveyed view gluten-free eaters as "understanding," while three percent see them as "happy," "energetic," and "self-disciplined."
Its unclear how closely the results of this particular survey reflect the sentiments of the general public, but you can read more results in the DailyMail.com.


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According to the lawsuit, there is “no safe level of benzene” exposure, meaning the defendant’s products are unsuitable for human use and could even endanger users’ health.
Have you gotten an email or a postcard that says something about a Blue Cross Blue Shield class action settlement? Or maybe you’ve seen an ad about it?
The attorneys handling a group of 13 class action lawsuits that alleged certain DevaCurl products can cause scalp irritation and hair loss have asked a federal judge to approve a proposed $5.2 million settlement to end the litigation.
July 26, 2021
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July 29, 2021 — If you’ve tried to return or exchange a product lately and were denied for unknown or unspecified reasons, a new lawsuit might hold the answer as to why.
July 28, 2021 — The attorneys handling a group of 13 class action lawsuits that alleged certain DevaCurl products can cause scalp irritation and hair loss have asked a federal judge to approve a proposed $5.2 million settlement to end the litigation.
A proposed class action filed on Wednesday claims certain Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans were built with a defective door latch system.
A proposed class action filed this week in California claims subscribers to HP’s “Instant Ink” program have received far less than they bargained for.
A proposed class action has been filed this week on the heels of a June 14 recall of certain Philips sleep and respiratory care devices after it was discovered that the “sound abatement” foam used in the products could pose a health risk to users.
Packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) systems sold by LG Electronics in Hawaii are defective in that the condenser, evaporator and connective tubing all have a propensity to fail in the state’s tropical climate, a proposed class action alleges.
Single-use plastic water bottles sold by the Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé Waters successor BlueTriton Brands and Niagara Bottling are not “100% recyclable” as the companies claim—and may be barely recyclable at all, a proposed class action says.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed this week claims Allbirds, Inc., maker of the popular “sustainable” wool running sneakers, has misled consumers regarding its carbon footprint and animal welfare claims.


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With Black Friday rapidly approaching, parents may want to get up early Friday morning to find deals, as a recent survey shows their kids are eyeing some wallet-stretching electronics this holiday season.
Across a multitude of electronic offerings, the Apple iPad leads all devices (31% interest in future purchase) among American kids ages 6-12, according to a new survey from the Nielsen research group (http://en-us.nielsen.com/content/nielsen/en_us/expertise.html). Apple’s iPod touch is also popular choice among kids, generating similar levels of interest as computers.
In fact, the iPod Touch outpaces the perennial handheld gaming favorites Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable. Among gaming consoles, kids indicate they will be requesting the Sony PlayStation 3 the most this year; however, the platform will be competing with a variety of equally-popular mobile devices, notes Nielsen.
For the rest of U.S. consumers, electronic upgrades look to be a popular trend this year, with future interest in commonly owned devices such as computers, televisions, and smartphones outpacing other electronic offerings among consumers ages 13+. Kids aren’t the only ones interested in the iPad: fully 18% of the 13+ population is also eyeing this hot new offering. The emerging technologies offered by Blu-Ray players and eReaders also have good traction with teens and adults, notes Nielsen.


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With ongoing genocide at Gaza, finger pointing goes towards the direction of the culpable leader and his evil soldiers. Seeing that there are still eight fingers to point, the commercial brands, boasting popular products which have contributed directly or indirectly to the ethnic cleansing, are now given the aggressive silent treatment.
While human beings in Gaza suffered loss of life and limbs and displacement from the destruction of their homes, the ones who profited from it the most were naturally the merchants of death.
While governments like Israel and Russia, especially their respective leaders, prime ministers Bibi Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, get trashed for the atrocities in Gaza and Ukraine, respectively, watching from the sidelines, eyeing the gas-rich off-coast and mineral-scattered terrains, are the circling corporate vultures.
While the remains of women and children get combed out of rubble and concrete slabs, on the other side, architects and engineers would come running with their construction tripods, peering through the viewfinder like pirates eyeing treasure islands.
While, not too far away, these commercial entities, the military industrial complex, peer hungrily at the warzones like sharks around sluggish seals or vultures over dying wildebeests.
While it has been four months since Israel’s 3-in-1 incursion, genocide, and ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and some of those bigwigs in commerce are already complicit. The said industry players, which gleefully participate in defence exhibitions around the world every year (about 40 odd shows this year) showing off their deadly wares, have already played significant roles in the genocide, and that includes big names like Boeing, BAE System, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin, among others.
While they would have used these trade shows to show off their market size and potential ones, they now get easy PR as news, footages, and reels of the devastation caused by these products run on screen 24/7. Only they would lack testimony, considering that those who experience the might of these products have already been shot at, blown off, or crumpled under the weight of crumbled blocks of concrete.
Gaza: The First Genocide of the 21st Century
Considering that genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war are ongoing and have been so since the beginning of the last century, one would be curious to know how many bags of cash are involved when commercial enterprises take part in the war. Fret not, take note of these numbers crunched based on the Sudan 2003 mayhem, often highlighted as the first genocide of this century (first of many sequels and spin-offs):
But Sudan is no longer making the headlines. The chewing gum had run out of flavour. Even this article in The Economics concurs with this subheading: America is distracted, and the UN is not interested.
Coming back to the latest genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, what follows and should be expected is the lash back against such atrocities, perpetrated directly and indirectly by the merchants of death and brands of destruction. The helpless and hapless citizens around the world—already being constantly bombarded by social media commentators calling for boycotts of anything Israeli or any companies that have shook hands with the commerce sector of that dastardly state—would react compassionately by properly boycotting whichever products and services linked to Israel. And preaching it.
Thus, we now have BDS, perhaps the baddest boy in the block for movements. For now, that is. It stands for boycott, divestment, and sanctions. Look, campaigns to save the environment are passe. Animal rights activism has to wait backstage. Alas, Greta Thunberg is nowhere to be seen. Shame that she could have boosted BDS as the flavour of the season (“How dare you, Bibi?”).
Consumers, especially in Malaysia, are now very gung-ho embracing the boycott move. It makes them proud to have contributed to the pervasive outrage by not contributing to these Zionist sympathising scumbag brands. To them, there’s spiritual satisfaction in not stepping into a McDonald’s or Starbucks. Let alone stepping on Lego (ouch, and yes, they are also linked; see the picture below, nestled above Nestle).
But only two segments of society are adhering to the call for boycotts of these products in Malaysia. The Muslims and anyone else who are sympathetic to the victims in Gaza. That leaves quite a big section who are impartial, not being able to relate and prefer instead to ponder over other matters like the promised drop in fuel prices tomorrow.
This is because it has been proven that Malaysians prefer fantasy to brutal reality. When the Gaza news slowly slips down the slippery slope of editorial preference and when the advertisers start piling up pressures to bring hard-hitting news several notches down, the BDS will mean nothing.
Not especially when, after the now yearly Prosperity Burger tease, the briefly loathed McDonald’s has the next festive season specials lined up. Plus, there are just too many brands, some intertwined with local products, owned by God-fearing locals. They are halal too. Then, there are livelihoods to consider. Therefore, these brands and products will continue to linger, prosper, with or without blood on their hands. Or would they? – NMH
A movie buff, as opposed to film connoisseur or aficionado, because the last two words are hard to spell, Rakesh has been in the field of writing for more than two decades and hopes that one-day movie “buff”ing is lucrative enough to afford him a Batmobile, the Michael Keaton one.


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BMW's ‘new dimension in luxury’ X7
German auto maker says its new seven-seat SUV is adept at cruising, charging down a road and even delving offroad
After months of teaser images BMW has finally unveiled the production-ready X7 SAV. Describing it as a new dimension in luxury, at 5,151m from nose to tail, 2,000mm wide and 1,805mm tall, it’s 159mm longer and 60mm higher than the X5. It’s the Airbus A380 of BMW X models thus far. With 3,105mm of wheelbase reserved for carving out an interior, the production X7 remains true to the concept car’s tantalising glimpses of flagship living hallmarks fused in with room for seven atop a high-riding platform wrapped around BMW’s boldest expression of its current corporate look. Built at the Spartanburg plant in the US, the vehicle sporting BMW’s largest kidney grille yet is set to be rolled out from March 2019. The seven-seat configuration is a standard feature across the range but the middle row can be optioned with two individual comfort seats, which offer similar adjustability as the front pair. A third row of seats — an historic Achilles’ heel of seven-seat cars — is said to provide func...


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Stories Report on Business is following today:
Dow closes below 10,000
The Dow Jones industrial average fell below 10,000 for the first time early February, slipping late in the day after surging higher earlier. The S&P 500 was down marginally, and the S&P/TSX composite also fell back from a hefty surge to close up just more than 25 points. The Canadian dollar closed just slightly higher than yesterday, at 93.58 cents U.S.
OECD warns on household debt
Bloated debts among Canadian families pose a threat to the economic recovery, the OECD warns in a new report today. In its semi-annual outlook for the developed countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation Development, the Paris-based group says Canada's economy is rebounding strongly from the recession, buoyed by government spending and recovering trade. The jobless rate should continue to fall and inflation should remain tame, it added.
The OECD warned, however, that "the high rate of household indebtedness is a source of risk to the outlook." The report did not go into further detail, but consumers heavily in debt would no doubt pull back their spending to meet higher debt servicing costs, among other issues.
The group is not the first to warn about the high levels of consumer debt in Canada. Just recently, the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada said household debt now stands at $41,740 per person, or 2.5 times above 1989 levels. Debt hit a record $1.41-trillion in December, and, according to a survey, Canadians don't have a problem taking on still more.
While interest rates have been at historic lows as the Bank of Canada battled to bring the country out of recession, the central bank is expected to soon begin changing course, possibly raising rates as early as next week. Indeed, the OECD urged the central bank today to begin pulling back from its extraordinary recession-era measures "without delay."
While unemployment is projected to continue falling, higher rates could still be a problem for consumers who took on more debt than they can juggle should rates rise rapidly.
The OECD report today illustrates how the global economy is sitting on a razor-sharp knife edge. It said the economy is rebounding from the recession faster than anticipated, but the government debt hangover in some countries and the potential for overheating in others, such as China, puts the recovery at risk.
In its forecast for the world's developed economies, the OECD pegged global growth at 4.6 per cent this year and 4.5 per cent. And, in a particularly bright note, said unemployment may have topped out at about 8.5 per cent, well shy of its previous forecast.
Apple leaps past Microsoft
Apple Inc. today overtook Microsoft Corp. as the most valuable technology company in the world. The overall value of shares of the manufacturer of the iPod, iPhone, iPad and desktop and laptop computers put the company's market value atabout $222-billion (U.S.), while stock of Microsoft carried a value of $219-billion.
The New York Times noted that Apple's surge marks a remarkable comeback, given that the company was believed close to dead 10 years ago. It also illustrates how consumers, who have made the iPod and iPhone wildly popular, have surpassed businesses as the shapers of technology, the newspaper said.
Flaherty unveils plans for regulator
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty today unveiled details of a new national securities act, his blueprint for the creation of a new national regulator to replace the system of 13 different provincial and territorial commissions. The new regulator, opposed by Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba, would have greater powers to punish criminals and protect investors. "We need to lower barriers, not multiply them," Mr. Flaherty said in Ottawa. Read the story
EU unveils bank tax proposalReport Typo/Error


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Datsun Go Colours
- Ruby Red
- Opal White
- Crystal Silver
- Bronze Grey
- Amber Orange
- Vivid Blue
Datsun Go News
The BS6 Datsun Go starts at Rs 3.99 lakh while the Go+ MPV carries a sticker price of Rs 4.20 lakh for the base variant. Both cars continue with the same 1.2-litre petrol motor as before and come....
Datsun has launched the CVT versions of the Go and Go+ at Rs 5.94 lakh and Rs 6.58 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively. With this, these two models become the first models in their respective segment to....
Nissan’s budget arm, Datsun, is preparing to launch the CVT (automatic) versions of the Go & Go+ models in the country soon. The manufacturer will reveal the new automatic variants later this....
Datsun has launched the GO and GO+ with its Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) technology, which is essentially the addition of traction & stability control. With this, the GO and GO+ become the only....