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Germany were crowned world champions for the fourth time thanks to a stunning extra-time winner from super-sub Mario Gotze.
A student has been charged with the murder of a promising young boxer who was stabbed to death.
Five men have been arrested after a baby girl and her mother were struck by a car while on the pavement.
Published: 06 March 2013
Breaking into fashion’s closed ranks isn’t easy. For most fledgling designers, the greatest challenge is to draw attention to their work. Victoria Beckham had the opposite problem: after so many years pouting in the limelight, she knew anything bearing her name would be picked apart by a style set seething with cynicism about celebrity designers (with justification: remember Lindsay Lohan and Kanye West’s brief forays into fashion?).
But it seems Easy V (she’s a real lady) has shrugged off the Spice Girls stigma and the Wag tag. Last month, US Vogue editor Anna Wintour was sitting in the front row at New York Fashion Week as Victoria Beckham sent out another widely praised collection. Natalie Massenet, the Net-a-Porter founder and chair of the British Fashion Council, dubbed the tailored coats and intarsia knits “impeccable”. In recent weeks, actresses Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts have all donned Beckham’s frocks on the red carpet. And now her label is preparing to launch an internet shop later this spring, as well as a greatest hits collection, Icon. So how has she won the credibility she so craved?
“People assume all celebrity designers are dilettantes, dabbling in fashion. But Victoria has stuck at it, delivering something of quality that many women really want to buy,” says Paula Reed, fashion director at Harvey Nichols, which sells the Victoria Beckham label. “We cannot keep her dresses in stock and they never go into a mark-down sale. We’d have more if we could but [the label] keeps production numbers down to preserve quality.”
Reed draws a comparison with the Olsen twins, whose high-end label, The Row, has also won over doubters. She says even Stella McCartney, who had trained at Central St Martins, was once written off as a celebrity designer.
Victoria Beckham’s transformation from the worst singer in the Spice Girls (a spot for which there was considerable competition) to one of the most in-demand designers around has been swift and well-orchestrated. In 2004, a tie-up with Rock and Republic saw her co-designing jeans and knits. Two years later, she split with the label and launched her own denim line, dVb Style, as well as a sunglasses range and perfume — all the major money-makers in the fashion industry. Then, in September 2008, she launched the Victoria Beckham label in New York.
Her first collection of 15 frocks was well-received but cynics noted that the silhouettes borrowed heavily from those of Roland Mouret, the creator of the Galaxy dress and Beckham’s friend. There were snarky mutterings — repeatedly denied — that he was the true designer, fuelled by the fact that Mouret had gone into business with Beckham’s manager, TV and music producer Simon Fuller. Mouret claims he was nothing more than a mentor, though, and helped Beckham find a pattern cutter. He adds that they “still chat”.
Nonetheless, the team of designers Beckham has built around her has been crucial to her success, particularly given that she has no formal training.
“Victoria made sure she hired the best designers and learned from the best, as all the smartest people do,” says Melanie Rickey, the editor and trend consultant behind the fashioneditoratlarge blog. “She acts as their muse or creative director, and has learned on the job. Can she cut a pattern? Probably not. But she can tell when the pattern needs to be tweaked (tighter probably).”
Reed adds that this isn’t atypical: “All designers are backed up by teams. A designer will have various strengths: not all of them can sketch like a dream or cut perfectly.”
It is clear, though, that Beckham’s knowledge runs deep. Reed sat on the judging panel for the International Woolmark Prize recently with Beckham, alongside industry stalwarts Donatella Versace and Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani. Reed says Beckham asked “really searching” questions about how garments were made, the sourcing of fabrics, the pricing and manufacturing: “What she may lack in training, she has made up for by learning on the job and learning from those around her.”
That includes taking note of other designers. “It is obvious she worships at the altar of Phoebe Philo at Céline with her shapes and key pieces but who doesn’t?” asks Rickey. “Albeit [Beckham’s] are tighter and sexier.”
One of Beckham’s clever decisions was to show in New York. Not only did it give her breathing space from the British tabloids (the Spice Girls being less famous Stateside) but the type of garment she favours — commercial, wearable, flattering — is more suited to the US market than London.
Another sensible element decision has been to expand organically: starting with just slim-fit dresses, she has added something new each season: coats, handbags, knitwear. At the same time, Beckham has said she wouldn’t design anything she wouldn’t wear herself — her brand is authentically her.
So who is the customer? “If you are very thin and want to look chic, expensive and be good arm candy for your man, Victoria Beckham clothes will serve you well,” says Rickey.
Reed loves the dresses herself: “If you’re a fashion nerd, you really appreciate the quality. The first time I ordered a dress of hers, I also ordered a dress from another label. The gap in quality between the two was huge. Victoria’s — made in east London — was much better than the one made in Italy. I have two that are particularly figure-hugging, and they pull you in like Spanx. But they’re much cuter, obviously.”
But is her fashion empire making money? Total sales for 2011 were estimated at £60 million but the Beckhams have pumped cash into the top-end label. The money-spinners are almost certainly perfume, sunglasses and jeans ranges but that’s true for many brands.
“The secondary line Victoria by Victoria Beckham sells well,” Rickey adds. “When the Beckhams launch ecommerce this spring, I’m sure there’ll be more items at cheaper price points.”
Part of the transformation, of course, has been in Beckham herself. It is easy to forget that Baden Baden — the height of Wag-mania during the football World Cup in Germany — was only seven years ago. Since then, Beckham has swapped hot pants, vest tops and pneumatic breasts for a long, lean silhouette. That maybe stemmed from an insecurity that the fashion world wouldn’t accept her. The famously unemotional Beckham cried when she won Designer Brand of the Year at the 2011 British Fashion Awards and attracted one of the biggest cheers of the night.
So what next for the designer formerly known as Posh? There are rumours that a London store could be in the pipeline, and even that she might create the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy wardrobe. But Rickey reckons the inner Wag isn’t quite dead. “Just as there is still a bit of Ziggy in Bowie, there will always be a bit of a boob job and hair extensions in Victoria,” she says. “But she wanted to be a fashion diva, and through sheer determination, ambition and self-sacrifice — oh, and an army of help and ditching the boob implants — she did it. I take my hat off to her.”
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Texas AG Ken Paxton Likely Facing Political Pressure to Show A Win Ahead of State AGs Court Date; Consumers Sadly in Crossfire
The recent announcement that State of Texas Attorney General (Texas AG) Ken Paxton has reached a settlement with T-Mobile US, Inc. (T-Mobile) “resolving” the Lone Star state’s antitrust claims against the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint Corp. (Sprint) signifies a sad high-water mark when it comes to public officials caving-in to corporate sweet talk. The Texas AG’s public statement announcing the settlement is drafted so it sounds impressive to a casual reader, but its commitments and promises collapse under close scrutiny. The following statement is attributed to Carri Bennet, RWA’s General Counsel:
The Texas AGs settlement with T-Mobile is beyond vague and is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. First, it contains no specific details of the actual settlement agreement between the two parties. Instead, it merely promises Texas residents that the hidden settlement agreement between the state and the company “is designed” to prevent rising consumer prices and that services and coverage will improve in the future. Importantly, the actual announcement offers no detailed terms describing exactly how the various promises will be accomplished, and just as importantly, what specific economic or regulatory repercussions T-Mobile will face if it violates either the letter or spirit of the settlement agreement. Second, all of the “requirements” T-Mobile has promised to deliver to Texas consumers are described in a manner that regurgitates earlier commitments made to the DOJ (which is subject to a separate court case), or, the requirements open the door for T-Mobile to conveniently side-step or ignore. For example, T-Mobile has repeatedly stated that its unlimited Rate Plans are marketed nationwide, so agreeing to provide Texas residents “the same or better” prices as those in the rest of the U.S. is absolutely meaningless. Additionally, T-Mobile’s promise to provide only Texas residents non-unlimited Rate Plans at prices “far below” existing prices is discriminatory at best and potentially illegal for a common carrier to uphold. Furthermore, T-Mobile’s promise to provide 5G coverage to areas where “most Texans live” is nothing more than T-Mobile saying that Texas’ largest cities and surrounding suburbs will upgrade from 4G to 5G in the next three years – – something T-Mobile would be doing with or without the elimination of Sprint. And finally, what should Texans and especially rural Texans make of T-Mobile’s promise to “expand 5G dramatically within the next six years?” Considering the company has had over two decades to expand 3G and 4G coverage in Texas but has routinely failed to do so speaks volumes.

domain: news


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Bianchi has announced a global, voluntary recall of some of its carbon forks following two failures. This applies to certain 2017 models and owners are being advised to stop riding the affected bikes immediately.
- Merida recalls Scultura forks on 2017 bikes
- Bianchi and Ferrari announce partnership
- Bianchi gets aero with the Aria
Bianchi will naturally be offering free replacements, so owners should get in touch with their dealers. According to a post on the Bianchi UK Facebook page, the new forks will arrive around the end of August at the earliest.
Bianchi UK’s Andrew Griffin has confirmed that although two forks are known to have failed in a manner deemed unacceptable, both had suffered impacts and there have been no spontaneous failures (i.e. ‘just-riding-along’).
Bianchi’s official statement with full details is on its website here. The affected models are as follows:
- Infinito CV / Infinito CV Dama Bianca, colour codes: 1H, BZ, 7Z, BW
- Intenso / Intenso Dama Bianca (non-disc version), colour codes: 1J, 2E, BB, RB, PL


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The future of bankrupt electric motorbike startup Cake is still uncertain, but the majority of its U.S. inventory is going to a guy in Florida.
Michael Joyce, who runs a retail shop in St. Petersburg called Emoto, tells TechCrunch that he bought all of the Cake Makka and Ösa motorbikes that had been shipped stateside as well as accessories and spare parts. Joyce says he didn’t buy any of the remaining Cake Kalk electric motorcycles, as those have been recalled for battery fire risk and steering column problems.
Joyce says he hopes to help keep the Swedish brand alive with the purchase. “The last thing that I want as a dealer is the consumer left alone and not having confidence in the brand,” he told TechCrunch in a recent interview. Joyce also isn’t exactly doing this alone. He’s working with a new Detroit-based startup called Bloom, which will warehouse all the inventory and help ship the motorbikes around the country — a sign of how this corner of the electric vehicle industry is adapting.
Cake filed for bankruptcy in early February after spending more than a year trying to raise a series C funding round. Founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn told TechCrunch that the startup even tried courting the likes of Harley-Davidson and traditional automakers after venture capital options dried up, though to no avail.
Joyce says Cake’s bankruptcy came as a shock, and also presented a risk, since the brand is the only one he currently sells at Emoto. Buying the inventory gives him “six to 12” months of runway, which will give him time to finish negotiating with other companies to sell electric motorbikes.
Joyce is confident he can sell the Cake inventory after spending most of the last year honing in on a good sales and marketing strategy. He started as a straightforward dealer partner and says he had a “tough time” selling Cake’s pricey products in the early going last year. But Joyce says he eventually agreed to start taking the company’s products on consignment, which helped fill out the Emoto retail space and let potential customers interact more with Cake’s bikes, boosting monthly sales into the double-digits.
“Having the bikes fully assembled in front of them with accessories is a big difference,” he says. “Pointing at it and saying, ‘this can be yours,’ — it was something beneficial.”
His bigger immediate concern was what to do with all the inventory he bought. Joyce says he was touring warehouses in Florida over the last few weeks and trying to figure out how to fulfill orders for the motorbikes when he struck up a conversation with Bloom, a company launched last year by the founders of e-bike brands Propel and Vela that is based in the Detroit mobility innovation district known as Michigan Central .
Bloom’s goal is to basically take some of the hardest work off the hands of startups in the space, including offering contract manufacturing, delivery, service and other logistics. It’s an idea that co-founder Chris Nolte thinks will have even more resonance as companies like Cake, or VanMoof, continue to struggle to do it all themselves.
“With these brands, there was a big push to vertically integrate as some of the bigger automotive players have done,” Nolte said in an interview with TechCrunch last month. “But the reality is that nobody really has the appropriate scale on their own, and the market is too volatile to adequately do that.”
Joyce and Bloom aren’t immediately ready to handle new sales — the inventory is currently being trucked from Los Angeles to Bloom’s warehouse in Detroit. Once it all arrives, it will serve as one of the first tests of this new hybrid business model. Joyce hopes to find enough success to build Emoto into a brand that becomes a one-stop-showroom for electric motorbikes, similar to some of the country’s biggest powersports dealers.
In the short-term, if Cake is able to find a way to restructure and continue on, Joyce says he wants to continue being a partner to that new version of the company.


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China is not ready to toe the line that the American president Donald Trump has laid in the import of goods. The country is prepared to fight the protectionism that the United States has undertaken in an effort to boost the consumption of the goods produced in the domestic circuit. The tit-for-tat would only escalate the trade war between the two countries. Things might just get tough for American firms as Chinese market plays a key role, which is the second biggest economy in the globe and growing at a strong pace.
Fight till the End
The Chinese government has categorically stated that it is not backing down and would not budge to the threat of imposing tariffs on imported goods from the country. The American government’s tariffs were predicted to cover goods worth about $50 billion. Aside from that, the United States also wanted relief worth $100 billion from the Asian country on its goods. The tariff war has cast its shadow on the share markets too as the futures were tumbling in the U.S., Bloomberg reported.
Reacting to America’s tariff move, Chinese Commerce Ministry stated, “The Chinese side will follow suit to the end and at any cost, and will firmly attack, using new comprehensive countermeasures, to firmly defend the interest of the nation and its people.” For his part, Trump termed the Asian nation’s retaliation as an unfair one.
The latest developments were viewed as a big setback to those who are engaged in lowering the heat following the unexpected move from Trump on tariffs. The United States and Chinese officials failed in preventing the current situation from intensifying into a big trade conflict between the countries. Officials from the administration have already spent two days to bring down the fears of a trade war.
However, chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, indicated that there was still a possibility of the United States hammering an agreement with China. Though stock futures reacted unfavorably, bonds have increased. On Wednesday, China has slapped a 25 percent tariff on imported goods from America worth about $50 billion. This included aircraft, automobiles, chemicals, and soyabeans. The country reacted to Trump’s planned tariffs on aerospace, machinery, and robotics.
America Risks Isolating Itself
Reacting to the developments between China and the United States, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s strategist in Hong Kong, Patrick Bennett, said that “This is starting to feel like the beginnings of a trade war if simply each proposal is matched with a relation. The U.S. risks isolating itself from global trade in this process, and we think the U.S., USD, and U.S. asset markets have more to lose.”
However, Trump is no mood to budge and struck a defiant tone. He believes that it was time to end Chinese taking advantage of the United States. Though he expects a good long-term relationship with China, he wanted to straighten it out and has some balance. For its part, China is looking at the European to support its reasoning and rebuff the protectionism for upholding the global trade order.


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Samsung has now initiated the shipping procedure of its latest flagship product but looks like the new device has already shown some defects to its new owners. Recently, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra users complained about a strange screen issue. Fortunately, without any delay, the company has responded to the matter.
As per Samsung UK, if you flash a hard light on the display panel of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it might result in the screen being squashed or pressed. The company clarified that this happens due to the pressing process for waterproofing and dust proofing.
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In short, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra screen issue is not a product defect. Notably, all Samsung gadgets have passed through strict internal quality inspections. Although lines after the refraction of light may be seen at certain angles under strong light as the display panel contains a surface of tempered glass, dustproof, and waterproof layer.
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It’s worth mentioning that the company has also published the same issue on its Taiwanese support page last year. The tech maker described that the display panel is composed of many layers, including the surface toughened glass, which is directly covered on the display panel.
Further, it adopts a waterproof/dustproof structural design, which can effectively prevent the intrusion of external objects or liquids.
“If your shine a strong light on the display, some parts may appear to be squashed/pressed, this happens because of the pressing process for waterproofing and dust proofing. This is not a product defect. Everything is fine with your phone.”
(Via – SammyFans)


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Earlier at IFA Berlin 2017, we announced that the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will be available worldwide on October 17.
With the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is introducing new ways to get creative. As part of this update, Microsoft will deliver a new photo experience that will allow users to tell their story like never before using photos, videos and 3D effects; enhancements in gaming, security, accessibility, as well as new immersive experiences made possible by Windows Mixed Reality. Some key features include:
- Enhancements to Windows Inking
- New Photos Application to deliver remixed experiences for users to tell their stories better with photos, videos, music, 3D effects, and event inking
- OneDrive Files On-Demand, which allows OneDrive users to access their files in the cloud, without using up local storage space
- Updated Game Mode which allows games to use fill processing power of their Windows 10 device
- Enhanced security, with updated Windows Defender
- We are also making Windows more accessible for those with Lou Gehrig’s disease
If you’ve missed our announcements on Windows Mixed Reality, we also announced earlier that Windows Mixed Reality headsets will start shipping later this year from our partners which include HP, Lenovo, Dell and Acer. The upcoming Windows Mixed Reality headsets will be the first to deliver VR experiences with built-in sensors to track physical position without requiring users to purchase and install external sensors in their rooms. Users will be delighted to know that Microsoft is currently working with an incredible set of partners such as 343 Industries, to bring the best immersive experiences to the Windows Store. Additionally, Steam content will also run on Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
In addition, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will come to life on our partners’ new premium and modern mainstream devices. Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo introduced new Windows 2-in-1s, laptops, all-in-ones, and gaming PCs that feature Intel’s latest 8th generation Core i7 processors, with the latest NVIDIA graphics cards that enable Windows Mixed Reality experiences, deliver all-day battery life, offer OLED and 4K screens for the most stunning visuals and much more to elevate users’ personal computing experience.
You can find out more about the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update here: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/09/01/create-and-play-this-holiday-with-the-windows-10-fall-creators-update-coming-oct-17/. You can catch up on Microsoft’s IFA 2017 keynote on Windows Blog, and all relevant news from the conference here.
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The USA has seen its prosperity grow with large cities covering miles of country. The cities need food and supplies. Long-haul trucks offer the fastest and most efficient method to deliver food and other supplies quickly and efficiently.
Mike’s Trucking Service, a Dallas-based trucking company, aims to become one of the most important trucking companies in America. Mike’s Trucking Service is initially focused on the food industry, but plans to expand into other industries. Mike’ has selected the trucking business because the growth prospects are promising and stable. This industry is the most important in this country.
Mike’s will utilize three distinct marketing strategies to generate new customers and raise awareness of the company. The first strategy is the use of promotions. This strategy will concentrate on press releases as well as advertising via various media. The second effort will be the use of incentives. These incentives will be available to existing customers. Social media will be the last attempt to reach existing and new customers.
Mike’, Trucking Service is a customer-centric company that aims to be one the most prominent trucking companies within the USA. Profitability is expected to begin in month 3. Mike’’s forecasts sales of $100,000 year one, and $400,000 year three.
Although there are large players in all segments of the commercial trucking market, it remains fragmented. A Google search for Dallas trucking revealed that there are many companies offering different types of trucking services. Companies with similar truck fleets to Mike’s Trucking are major competitors. They also target the food industry.
Market research has shown that customers in this industry are price sensitive. They value fast delivery, special handling capabilities and less-than-truckload deliveries. Referrals from customers and the reputation of the carrier are likely to influence the purchasing decision.
Mike’s Trucking allows you to rent a truck of any size for any purpose. We offer this service to the entire Dallas area and plan to expand beyond this area within the first five-years of our operation.
To finance equipment purchases and meet growing demand, the company has raised $165,000 Management believes that an expanded truck fleet will help the company expand its market and increase its sales.
Financial Highlights by Year
You will need financing
We will raise $165,000. We will invest $105,000 in cash and $40,000 in equipment.


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Back a few days ago we all have been hearing the news of Google secretly working on some glasses and well now they officially launched a teaser or a concept of what they have been working all the time. Before telling you what they actually showed up, let me tell you that if this is true, this is going to be AWESOME! In short the Google would change the concept of our daily life and we would be having more Augmented Reality every time.
So what Google has been working so far is all based on AR and these glasses which they showed up in the video would definitely be working on the same technology. The glasses are capable of taking pictures, making videos, playing musics, connecting to your Google plus accounts, even they pop up you maps and schedules. And last but not least they are having a Siri sounded voice navigator.
Every thing displayed would be on AR. Now we have been knowing the depth of AR previously but to integrate that technology with these type of glasses would be really cool. We would be patiently waiting for these glasses in market but Google hasnt release any details on its launch date or price. What we know is that this type of concept is still far from manufacturing.
Watch out the video and check the amazing Google Glasses.


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By Sahil Patel
Online video news provider Newsy is launching a new TV “newscast” on Portico TV, a connected TV streaming service from Net2TV.
Newsy traditionally produces short news videos, usually two-minutes long, for its website and mobile apps as well as an array of content partners, including most recently MSN News. Per the deal, Net2TV will package these original videos into a 30-minute “show” called “Newsy in 30.” The coverage will span world and domestic news, politics, science, health, entertainment, and sports.
“Newsy in 30” will be added to Portico’s programming lineup beginning next month, and will be updated throughout the day as news stories break.
Net2TV’s Portico TV service is designed to bring web video content to the TV screen, but in a way that aligns with how people watch TV — longer individual viewing sessions due to programs being traditionally 30-, 60-, or 90-minutes long. Net2TV packages short video clips into longer television-length “shows,” which are made available via interest-based channels like food, science and technology, and entertainment. Some web video providers that Net2TV has deals with — like Discovery’s Revision3, CBS Interactive’s CHOW.com, and now Newsy — get their own branded channels.
Net2TV monetizes Portico via custom-ad packages available for each channel. Net2TV splits ad revenue with its content partners.
Portico TV is available on Philips Smart TVs and in late July will arrive on Roku devices. Last month, Net2TV announced the deal with Roku, saying at the time that Portico was scheduled to launch on Roku in late June. That date, obviously, has been pushed back.


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Apple, forced to open access to its payment system
is the headline of the news that the author of WTM News has collected this article. Stay tuned to WTM News to stay up to date with the latest news on this topic. We ask you to follow us on social networks.
Apple is famous for its reluctance to allow competitors and third-party developers into its own ecosystem, and so far, the Apple Pay service, which allows purchases to be paid at terminals with a single touch, remains under its complete control.
European antitrust is already preparing to break this state of affairs by giving other companies access to the profiling function of Apple devices. As Bloomberg explains in a recent publication, Apple is already considering the possibility of providing third-party applications with the ability to accept payments on brand devices through the NFC interface.
There is no talk of making payments yet, but the NFC data exchange function can already be used to scan information from various types of tags and unlock electronic locks. Gradually, the EU antitrust authorities can persuade Apple to fully open the NFC infrastructure in devices of this brand.
EU antitrust authorities may persuade Apple to fully open NFC infrastructure on its devices
Until now, payments through Apple Pay can only be made through a proprietary application. Initially, Apple claimed that such exclusivity was a matter of security and privacy. Some sources believe that commission deductions from this service raise Apple as much as $1 billion a year.
Considerable by general standards, the amount for the company itself is not so great, because in just one quarter it accounts for at least 20 billion dollars in the services segment. However, contactless payment service is showing a growing trend in popularity, and now in the US up to 20% of all Visa card transactions are contactless.
In a few years, this share can grow many times over, and Apple’s revenue will increase proportionately. The company is not ready to miss out on the opportunity to earn on contactless transactions on its own.
However, given the history of clashes between Apple and antitrust authorities, the liberalization of the conditions of access to NFC in the company’s devices is only a matter of time.


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Growth Continues for China’s PV Glass Industry
The comprehensive competitiveness of China’s photovoltaics (PV) industry has continued to improve in recent years, and the whole PV industrial chain has showed the rapid development trend. China has formed a relatively complete solar PV industrial chain, including the production of polycrystalline silicon, manufacturing of solar cells and modules, the installation of PV systems, and the related supporting industries.
In 2012, the cumulative PV installed capacity was 8.3 GW in China; as of the end of August, the PV installed capacity reached 8.98 GW in China. It is estimated that China’s PV installed capacity will reach 9.5 GW by 2013, with a new increase of 1.2 GW.
On the premise that the proportion of crystalline silicon cells in PV is 85%, the demand volume for the crystalline silicon cell will be 1.02 GW by 2013. According to the 12th Five-Year Plan, China will increase about 10 GW of PV installed capacity per year after 2014; then, the crystalline silicon cell will have the average demand of 8.5 GW. As per 100 w of cell module will use about 1 M2 of patterned glass, China’s ultra-white patterned glass will exceed 102 million M2 by 2013. According to the 12th-Five-Year Plan, China’s average demand volume for ultra-white patterned glass will reach 850 million M2 in the next few years.
Compared with developed countries, China’s thin-film cells have a very low ratio (about 6%) in total PV output. If calculating by the new increased PV installed capacity of 1.2 GW in 2013, the demand volume for thin-film cells will be 0.072 GW this year; if calculating by the 100W of thin-film cells with 1.5 M2 of TCO glass, China’s TCO glass demand volume will be 10.8 million M2 by 2013. According to the 12th Five-Year Plan, China will have the demand volume for TCO glass of about 90 million M2 in the next few years.
In China, there is strong demand for PV anti-reflective glass; the proportion that PV cells use the anti-reflective glass is expected to rise to 80% by 2015 from 35% currently. It is estimated that the domestic demand volume will be respectively 68.67 million and 102.14 million M2 during 2013 to 2015, but the proved production capacity of domestic enterprises is limited: the effective production capacity was respectively 27 million, 38 million and 54 million M2 during 2011 to 2013, which was less than the market demand volume in the same year.
For more information, visit www.researchandmarkets.com.


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NBV Client Christine Spencer and her staff were delighted to win Tea Room of the Year Award on Tuesday 10th October at the Select Lincolnshire Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards. The annual awards are organised by Select Lincolnshire – who champion, celebrate, showcase and recognise the people and businesses behind Lincolnshire’s billion pound food and farming industry. Having fought off some stiff competition, Christine Spencer announced the win on the business’s Facebook page, commenting “I would personally like to thank the girls for all their hard work and commitment. This was a huge team effort and I am so proud we have got this Award.”
Speaking at the event, Simon Beardsley, Chief Executive at Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce commented “The judging process was tough as there are so many new up and coming businesses all doing great things….We are proud to..showcase Lincolnshire’s finest when it comes to local food, farming and hospitality.”
Receiving the award is especially inspiring for Christine and her team as they have only been open to the public for six months. The sewing inspired coffee shop and eatery provides locals and tourists with light lunches, homemade sewing themed cakes and the ubiquitous afternoon tea. Customers can eat at tables made from treadle sewing machines and there are lots more vintage sewing machines on display.
To find out more about this award winning Lincolnshire tearoom visit their Facebook page @coffeebobbins


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- COVID-19 Necessities is a series of eight shops that promote high-end devices and equipment geared toward surviving the pandemic is comfort, luxurious, and elegance.
- We visited its Brief Hills, New Jersey location, and located a preferred retailer stuffed with themed masks, metallic door openers, and masks pouches.
- Customers in search of Clorox wipes and disposable surgical masks needn’t enter as they will not discover them right here.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
COVID-19 Necessities is likely one of the latest additions to The Mall at Brief Hills, a high-end shopping center close to Morristown, New Jersey.
A brief drive from New York Metropolis and mere ft from the freeway, the suburban mall boasts practically 200 shops with manufacturers akin to Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, and Gucci, simply to call a couple of. Peloton and Tesla even have storefronts right here.
And whereas common customers may be accustomed to seeing the thousand-dollar purses of Louis Vuitton or red-bottomed sneakers of Christian Louboutin, COVID-19 Necessities is undoubtedly an eye-catcher amidst a sea of luxurious. Nonetheless geared in direction of the rich, the eight-store chain, in keeping with the New York Times, markets the so-called necessities for surviving the pandemic past the usual face masks and hand sanitizer.
The excessive worth tags that among the objects put on would in all probability flip the typical shopper away at a mall in Center America however its reputation in Brief Hills and elsewhere reveals that the wealthy live by way of the pandemic somewhat in another way.
Have a look inside COVID-19 Necessities.


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While the commercial sector is a pretty lucrative one, the enterprise sector can be too and it seems that HTC might be interested in getting their foot in the door. According to reports, HTC has made a $35.4 million investment into Magnet Systems, which for those who are unfamiliar, is a US-based developer of a platform for building enterprise apps. This investment is expected to give HTC a 17.1% stake in the company. Of course it is a bit early to tell what HTC might have planned for the enterprise sector – could it be just software or hardware or maybe even both? With HTC’s investment in OnLive taking a dive due to the company undergoing a restructure, some are saying that this move of HTC’s reeks somewhat of desperation. In any case it will be interesting to see what HTC can take away from this, so stay tuned for more updates in the future.
Filed in HTC.. Read more about


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The sculpture field at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities will be the site of the new Arts and Ales Festival scheduled for Sept. 16 and 17.
“We’re so excited to be able to launch this fun new event for the community — and our …
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WHAT: Arts and Ales
WHEN: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17
WHERE: Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
TICKETS: $5 for those wanting to enjoy the art, music and food; children under age 12 are free. Those age 21 and over wishing to sample local craft brews can purchase a souvenir beer mug, which includes admission and unlimited tastings, for $15 online in advance or $20 at the gate. Beer taste tickets are $2 each and do not include the souvenir mug. Buy advance tickets at ArvadaCenterArtsandAles.com.
This fall, the Arvada Center hosts two gallery exhibitions from Sept. 14 through Nov. 12. In the Main Gallery, “Art & Conflict” explores the role of art in response to conflict. And in the Upper and Theatre Galleries as part of the project “Where Do We Go From Here?: America in the First World War,” the exhibit "The Great War: Visions of a World Conflict" highlights the propaganda posters of World War I.
The exhibitions open Sept. 14 with a free public reception from 6-9 p.m.The exhibitions are sponsored by Lutheran Medical Center.
An exhibition lecture will be held 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 28.
“We’re so excited to be able to launch this fun new event for the community — and our sculpture field is the perfect location,” said Philip C. Sneed, Arvada Center’s executive director. “Attendees can sample great local beer and food, pick up some quality local art from the artists’ booths, and also check out some of Colorado’s best outdoor sculpture — all in a family-friendly environment with activities for the kids.”
The two-day festival will feature ongoing entertainment and activities, including live painting demos from local artists, art booths and main stage entertainment throughout each day.
Musical entertainment will include Avifauna, Ethyl and the Regulars, Wild Mountain Greengrass and The Beloved Invaders.
Local brewers including Odyssey Beerwerks, Grand Lake Brewing, Kokopelli Beer Company, Spice Trade Brewing, SomePlace Else Brewery, Liquid Mechanics Brewing, and New Image Brewing will be offering samples for those age 21 and over who have purchased a souvenir beer mug or beer taste tickets.
“We’re excited to be able to provide beer for the community and get people excited about New Image Brewing,” said New Image co-owner Sean Fisher.
New Image will bring two specialty beers with them: Dyad, a saison blended with Rowdy Mermaid kombucha; and East Coast Transplant, a double Indian pale ale.
The event is a fundraiser for the Arvada Center and will help support all operating programs including performing arts, educational programs and the fine art galleries, which primarily feature Colorado artists and are free and open to the public.
For many years, the center held a holiday craft fair, which helped raise funds. Collin Parson, director of galleries and curator at the Arvada Center, said that in some ways, the new event will make up for revenues lost by the absence of that event.
In its 40th year, the Arvada Center is now a private nonprofit organization with the majority of its funds coming from ticket sales. While not under the operation of the city of Arvada anymore, the city, Parson said, is still a big donor. Other funding for the center comes from grants including one from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.
The event will feature more than 20 art vendors ranging in medium from jewelry-making and metalsmithing to glassware and ceramics and fine art painting.
One artist who will be showcasing her work is Arvada resident Pamela McCann, who specializes in fused glass. In her home studio, McCann creates a range of art pieces including large bowls, jewelry and wall art. Prior to working with fused glass, McCann worked with stained glass.
She shows her work regularly at the Lightrail Gallery in Olde Town Arvada.
Parson said the prospect of combining beer and art, two of his favorite things, is exciting because it has the potential to draw a new set of people to the center.
“I think it’s going to be a really fun event,” said Parson. “Drinking beer, checking out great art and listening to music… it crosses all by boxes off.”
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Bharti Airtel on Tuesday reported a net profit of Rs 284 crore for the April-June quarter.
The company had posted a loss of Rs 15,933 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.
It posted quarterly revenue of Rs 26,854 crore during the quarter under review, up 21.2 per cent YoY.
The company continues to garner a strong share of the 4G net adds in the market.
4G data customers increased by 33.4 per cent YoY to 184.4 million compared to the previous year. Over the last 4 quarters, the company has added 46 million 4G customers to its network. ARPU continues to be the best in industry, with average data usage per data customer at 18.5 GBs/month, while voice usage was at 1,044 mins per customer per month.
Amidst Covid, the company said it remained committed to serve its customers and keep the nation connected and invested to strengthen its technological and digital core. The company rolled out additional 2,400 towers and 55,000 mobile broadband base stations in the quarter, further expanding network coverage.
The company also deployed additional spectrum across 900, 1800, 2100 and 2300 band in multiple circles to improve network availability and data speeds, delivering the best network experience to its customers. Several initiatives have also been undertaken to improve network quality – leveraging digital tools/probes to monitor and improve customer experience and scaling up Vo-Wi-Fi adoption to improve indoor experience.
ARPU for the quarter came in at Rs 146 as compared to Rs 138 in Q1’21, an outcome of focus on acquiring quality customers as well as secular upgrading of customers to data, it said.


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Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is in the process of recalling some of the cattle feed products manufactured at a company facility in Columbus, Nebraska after discovering a production malfunction.
The Belgian authorities recently notified the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) over their identification of the presence of an unauthorized genetically modified strain of bacteria - Bacillus subtilis KCCM-10445 - in vitamin B2 (80% feed...
DSM said its move to innovate, to extend its eubiotics platform underlines its commitment to support industry’s efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics, as it launches a new poultry targeted essential oils product.
Several US feed crop grower organizations said they hope to see positive trade outcomes from a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Argentina.
Chinese animal feed maker, Tangrenshen Group, confirmed on Tuesday this week that independent analysis of feed made by one of its units had ruled out the presence of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus, according to Reuters.


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Apple's inevitable sequel will lap up honours, according to you
Last week’s T3 poll results are in and the Apple iPad 2 is in first place as the predicted winner of the 2011 Gadget of the Year award. With 38.41% of the votes it seems that you, our discerning readers, believe that Apple will continue its stylish winning streak next year.
One reader commented: “I would say either the iPad 2 or the iPhone 5! Apple will pull out all the stops with their new devices next year to bounce back from a bad launch of the iPhone 4!” It seemed that the majority of you agreed as the Apple iPhone 5 came in second place with 22.54% - only marginally less than the iPad 2 love.
Our third place position went to the hi-tech and extremely fashionable HTC Desire HD with a vote of 16.19%, which isn’t all that surprising with the recent success and hype surrounding its launch. It seems not that many of you have faith in the sensor-tech-aided add-on that Microsoft believes will change gaming, as the controversial Microsoft Kinect came in fourth place with 9.21% of the vote.
The PSP 2 came in fifth place with a minute 7.62%, but still managed to fend off support for the Nintendo 3DS, which came behind it in sixth place with just 6.03% of the votes. Apparently you think the future in tech doesn’t lie with handheld 3D gaming.


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Bounce raises $3 million from venture debt firm InnoVen Capital
Two-wheeler rental service provider Bounce today said it has raised $3 million from leading venture debt firm, InnoVen Capital. The funds will be used to fund the expansion plans of the company. The company, which recently rebranded itself from Metro Bikes to Bounce, had last month raised $12.2 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Accel Partners.
Impressed with InnoVen's expertise, understanding of business: Bounce Co-Founder
Vivekananda HR, Co-Founder, Bounce, said, "We're delighted to have partnered with InnoVen. We're particularly impressed with the team's expertise, understanding of our business, industry knowledge and quick turnaround.'' Ankit Agarwal, Director, InnoVen Capital, said, "Bounce's innovative offering in two-wheeler segment is well poised to fill a critical void for Indian commuters. InnoVen is very excited to be part of this ride with Bounce."
Very interesting and useful for last mile commute: Agarwal
"Bounce is creating a very interesting and useful category for last mile commute in Indian cities, characterized by a dense population, infrastructural issues and lack of convenient and affordable commuting options. The shared mobility segment has tremendous potential," Ankit Agarwal said.


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A rising number of international visitors will aid domestic tourism, including water parks.
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) September 11, 2013
The Water Parks industry has made a big splash during the past five years. After a recession-induced slip in 2009 when revenue fell 5.8%, the industry has made an impressive and sustained recovery. “Driven by encouraging growth in both domestic and international tourist numbers, the industry has grown at a faster rate than the overall economy since the recession,” according to IBISWorld industry analyst Andy Brennan. Increased consumer spending, which is estimated to rise 1.3% per year on average during the five years to 2013, has also played into the industry's growth as consumers have splurged on discretionary items like water park tickets. In the five years to 2013, industry revenue is expected to grow an annualized 2.5%, including impressive growth of 5.7% in 2013, reaching $4.3 billion.
The Water Park industry's biggest parks are owned and operated by global players such as SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and The Walt Disney Company. According to the Themed Entertainment Association, the top 20 water parks in the United States recorded attendance of 15.4 million people in 2012, up 2.2% from 2011. “These destination parks attract visitors from out-of-state and overseas who sometimes make the trip for the specific purpose of visiting a water park,” says Brennan. Disney and SeaWorld's parks alone attract more than 5.0 million visitors each year. Outside of these major operators, the industry consists of a wide range of local water parks run by local municipalities and independent firms. These smaller water parks serve the local area and tend to be less profitable than major parks due to their limited economies of scale.
The Water Parks industry exhibits a moderate level of market share concentration. Large-scale water parks are able to attract a significant number of visitors because of the variety of activities they provide alongside their water parks. While there are more than 550 enterprises operating in this industry in 2013, the majority of these water parks are small regional locations that serve local markets. Major players include SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Universal Parks & Resorts and Six Flags Inc.
The Water Parks industry's recent growth is set to continue during the next five years. Growing consumer confidence in the United States, which will boost discretionary spending, will help the domestic tourism sector. Additionally, the number of international tourists visiting the United States is expected to grow during the five years to 2018. In an increasingly saturated market, water park operators will try to bring in revenue year-round through indoor attractions and winter shows, decreasing the reliance on the peak summer period. IBISWorld expects industry revenue to rise during the five years to 2018.
For more information, visit IBISWorld’s Water Parks in the US industry report page.
Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189
IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics
This industry includes amusement parks that feature waterplay areas, such as waterslides, splash pads, spraygrounds (water playgrounds), lazy rivers or other recreational bathing, swimming and barefooting environments. These parks may be indoor, outdoor or a combination of both.
Key External Drivers
Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets
Products & Services
Globalization & Trade
Market Share Concentration
Key Success Factors
Cost Structure Benchmarks
Barriers to Entry
About IBISWorld Inc.
Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.


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San Diego legalizes marijuana cultivation, manufacturing
The City of San Diego legalized marijuana cultivating and manufacturing on Sept. 11, limiting their locations to industrial zones.
After a lengthy hearing with hours of public comment, San Diego City Council voted 6-3 to approve an option to allow testing labs, cultivation, distribution and production of marijuana products with approval of a conditional use permit. Councilmembers Lorie Zapf, Chris Cate and Scott Sherman voted against it.
In voting in favor, District 1 Councilmember Barbara Bry said regulating the marijuana supply chain will ensure that consumers have a safe and vetted product and will deter an illegal black market.
“By allowing for local government oversight of the cannabis industry, we can benefit from new jobs and a new source of much-needed tax revenue for the general fund. San Diego voters overwhelmingly turned out to pass Proposition 64 and it is our responsibility to put reasonable regulations in place that protect public safety and enhance our local economy,” Bry said. “If we don’t allow all parts of the supply chain in San Diego we are merely enabling a large black market and San Diego consumers are counting on us to provide them with a safe product.”
San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman and Mayor Kevin Faulconer were in favor of another option on the table that simply allowed testing labs in those same industrial zones. At the Sept. 11 meeting, Zimmerman said that expanding marijuana facilities will have “enormous” consequences on public safety. She said over the past two and a half years at the legal dispensaries in the city, officers have responded to 272 radio calls, including thefts, armed robberies, assaults and shootings.
“As the chief of police I have the privilege of speaking with thousands of community members,” Zimmerman said. “Overwhelmingly they have asked me to be the voice of the voiceless…I urge you not to allow any further marijuana facilities in our city.”
In voting against the proposal, Zapf said she was listening to her police chief.
“(Chief Zimmerman) said this option is detrimental to our public safety and I think we are going down the wrong path,” Zapf said. “I can’t believe this is the message this council is sending to our youth and I’m not going to have any part of it.”
Per the new regulation, there is no cap on facilities per district as few of the council districts have the appropriate zoning for the facilities — the cap on retail marijuana outlets is four per council district.
The council did approve a citywide cap of 40 and currently there are 27 business tax certificate (BTC) holders who have been allowed to operate to supply the existing medical cannabis market, including one in District 1.
City ordinance requires that the facilities be 1,000 feet from public parks, churches, childcare, playgrounds, libraries, residential care facilities and schools. The facilities also must be 100 feet from marijuana outlets and retail sales are strictly prohibited.
During public comment, those in favor of the regulations said that the 1,000 feet policy should not apply to the manufacturing and cultivation facilities because there is no public access to them. Phil Roth, executive director of United Medical Marijuana Coalition, said the 100-foot limit from retail outlets also seemed “unnecessary” as it eliminated some of the limited available industrial-zoned lands throughout the city.
Alex Sherer, president of United Medical Marijuana Alliance Coalition, said that the legal supply chain needs to be able to compete with the black market.
“If we don’t have a robust production market, prices will skyrocket and this will give the black market an enormous competitive advantage which we are already having a hard time dealing with,” said Sherer.
At the hearing, councilmembers heard input from local businesses who look to benefit from the new regulations, from the owner of a wholesale bakery in Miramar who is interested in exploring cannabis edibles to Dr. Jason Poulos, the CEO of Librede, a life science company that has developed the world’s first yeast-based cannabinoid production platform.
“We have an opportunity to make San Diego a leader in the multi-billion dollar cannabis industry just like has been done in the biotech and pharmaceutical markets,” Poulos said. “We want to construct a state-of-the-art production facility and hundreds of high-paying biopharma jobs, develop premium therapeutics and make the city the center of a global industry. This is what San Diego is all about, improving lives through innovation.”
Several residents spoke out against allowing marijuana facilities in their communities, citing concerns about health and public safety, and the impact of more marijuana available in areas that are already “stressed and struggling.”
Some representatives from the San Dieguito Alliance for Drug Free Youth expressed concerns about the commercialization of marijuana’s impact on youth and the necessity of expanding the supply chain when so much marijuana is already being produced. According to Scott Chipman, California already produces six to 12 times the amount of marijuana that the state consumes: “We are the drug cartel for the United States”.
“San Diego is our home and marijuana continues to destroy our neighborhood and quality of life,” said a 14-year-old City Heights resident. “Please protect us from this lawless, profit-driven industry.”
District 9 Councilmember Georgette Gomez said she appreciated the concerns expressed by several of her district members but reminded them that facilities will be limited to industrial zones that must be 1,000 feet from “sensitive receptors,” such as parks and schools, and 100 feet away from residential areas.
Councilmember Chris Ward stressed that what they are looking to do is strike a balance between adults’ rights to access marijuana safely without placing harm on San Diego’s neighborhoods, children and public safety officers.
He likened the discussions to the city’s process of building the regulations and framework for its $900 million craft beer industry — there were similar issues with land-use constraints and manufacturing, and distribution being concentrated in certain districts. He said they wouldn’t tell Stone Brewery to manufacture everything in Riverside County or tell Ballast Point to only grow hops in Humboldt County. Ward said if done properly, the same can be done with cannabis.
“Having sound policy and regulations in place will allow the city to enforce its rules and assist the cannabis industry in regulating itself,” Ward said.
Public comment and memos distributed by Councilmembers Cate and David Alvarez demonstrated that there are a number of concerns that the council still needs to tackle regarding quality of life (including the odor from facilities), advertising and delivery services. Those issues will be referred to the council’s public safety committee.
“It’s an evolving process,” Bry said. “This is only the beginning and I look forward to broad participation from the community as we look forward to regulating this industry.”
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Tilray Shares Skyrocket After New Partnership and Shopify Shares Rise After “Shop Pay” Announcement
On Tuesday, shares of Canadian cannabis company Tilray skyrocketed, closing up 40.74%.
Shares of Tilray are rising amid an increasingly positive outlook for Marijuana legalization in the United States. Yesterday, Virginia lawmakers voted to legalize marijuana use for recreational use, with plans to open dispensaries in 2024.
On Monday, Tilray also announced a partnership with pharmaceutical company, Grow Pharma, to import and distribute their medical cannabis products in the United Kingdom.
Shares of Tilray have exploded over 215% in the past month.
On Tuesday, shares of the Canadian e-commerce company, Shopify, closed up 6.53%.
Shares of Shopify rose after the company announced that its payment option “Shop Pay” will be available to use on Facebook and Instagram. This is the first time Shop Pay will be available to use outside of Shopify’s platform.
According to Shopify, in 2020, Shop Pay completed over 137 million orders and gained over $20 million in gross merchandise value by the end of 2020 since its launch in 2017. Shop Pay is now available to sellers on Instagram, and the service will be available to sellers on Facebook in the coming weeks.
Shares of Shopify are up over 20% in the past month.
I am not a financial advisor and my comments should never be taken as financial advice. Investments come with risk, so always do your research and analysis beforehand.


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Their state of California’s suggestion for liquor store licenses is certainly one for every single 2,500 residents.
“They saturated south Fresno with alcohol shops to the level that alcohol shops and convenience shops need certainly to offer liquor at a less expensive price than they offer water in bottles. Now, i really could head into Wayne’s Liquor and get a 40-ounce of malt liquor for 89 cents while a bottle that is 12-ounce of would price me personally $1.30 or $1.25. ” — Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias
In Fresno, it is one liquor license for each 1,000 residents.
And, in south Fresno, it is one per 300 residents.
“once you drive down the street in south Fresno, there’s an alcohol shop for each part of an intersection, ” claims Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias.
In reaction, Arias is proposing a more powerful liquor-license ordinance compared to one passed away last year by the council.
Their objective: Turn the tide and offer a far more equitable solution for the whole town.
Alcohol Store Proliferation
“For years, Fresno leaders justified saturating south Fresno with alcohol shops beneath the guise of work creation, ” Arias claims.
“They saturated south Fresno with liquor shops to the stage that alcohol shops and convenience shops need certainly to offer liquor at a cheaper rate than they offer water in bottles. At this time, i really could head into Wayne’s Liquor and get a 40-ounce of malt liquor for 89 cents while a bottle that is 12-ounce of would price me $1.30 or $1.25. ”
Furthermore, Arias states, the large number of alcohol shops helps it be incredibly hard to attract grocery that is full-service to south Fresno.
“The areas for which they run, and so they turn into a magnet for criminal activity, a magnet for demands solution, ” Arias states for the alcohol shops.
An Advance America payday lender sits within the shadow of a alcohol shop on Fresno Street in Southwest Fresno. (GV Wire/Jim Jakobs)
Arias claims one of many “worst” alcohol stores inside the region is Wayne’s Liquor near Edison twelfth grade and Franklin Head begin.
“We fined them this present year maybe once or twice for running away from their conditional usage permit, ” the councilman stated.
GV Wire? attempted to get hold http://signaturetitleloans.com/payday-loans-wa/ of Wayne’s alcohol by phone but could perhaps maybe not locate a number that is working.
The Fresno City Attorney’s office offered this range of complaints about Wayne’s alcohol going returning to Jan. 1, 2019. (the town attorney’s workplace claims that an incident is closed as soon as the company is in conformity)
- April 5, 2019 – junk/rubbish, high grass and weeds, graffiti (case closed)
- Sept. 17, 2019 – graffiti complaint (addressed)
- April 14, 2020 – violations of FMC and CUP pertaining to liquor product sales (instance closed)
- Jan. 2, 2020 – violations of FMC and CUP pertaining to liquor product product sales (instance closed)
- June 8, 2020 – graffiti problem (addressed)
Wayne’s Liquor is simply a couple of hundred legs from Edison highschool and Franklin Head begin. (GV Wire/Jim Jakobs)
“Parkway alcohol can also be among those locations where have experienced the best calls for solution, ” says Arias. “It’s additionally a known meeting location for the pimps on Motel Drive. That’s in which the intercourse employees have deployed from. ”
GV Wire? contacted Parkway Liquor. A person responded the telephone and said, ” “We don’t have to work well with the city. We now have no nagging issues at all. ” He hung up before offering their title or name.
The city attorney’s office provided this range of complaints about Parkway Liquor dating to Jan. 1, 2019.
GV Wire? contacted Parkway Liquor. A person answered the telephone and said, ” “We don’t have actually to do business with the town. We now have no dilemmas after all. ” He hung up before offering their title or name.
- Feb. 13, 2019 – inoperable vehicle parked in a driveway on jack appears (case closed)
- Sept. 26, 2019 – non-permitted electrical, junk/rubbish (situation closed)
- June 5, 2020 – graffiti problem (addressed)
Parkway Liquor sits from the south side of motel row in west Fresno. City Council Member Miguel Arias claims it is a meeting that is known for pimps dispatching intercourse employees over the roadway. (GV Wire/Jim Jakobs)
Secure Market Neighborhood Ordinance
The council in 2019 passed a recommended ordinance — the Safe marketplace Neighborhood Ordinance — requiring that brand brand new companies attempting to offer alcohol in Fresno must buy a preexisting permit rather than add another.
With regards to the size associated with the establishment, numerous alcohol licenses may be required.


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Apple has reportedly ditched Amazon's Web Services and is now in the process of migrating a big part of the iCloud infrastructure onto Google's Cloud Platform. Apple is also a Microsoft Azure client.
...of Windows updates, more Marshmallow, and the Edge of glory
Nokia Lumia Icon finally gets Windows 10 Mobile upgrade
Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14372 out now for PC and Mobile
The Oukitel C3 is an entry level device that ticks all the right boxes
99% of Windows 10 Mobile devices are Lumias (and other Windows phone insights)
Microsoft is busy improving its presence in the cloud technologies area and to keep potential customers aware of their release cycles, the company has launched a roadmap website.
Google announced various changes to its Cloud Platform at the recently concluded Cloud Platform Live event which include reduced pricing and support for more web technologies than before.


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Sega pegs Wii U for spring/summer 2012 launch
Sega’s Alan Pritchard said in an interview with GameSpot about Sonic Generations (which he also deconfirmed for the Wii U) that Nintendo’s new console is coming to store shelves in either the spring or summer of 2012. If anything, this fits with everything we’ve heard about the system’s release date so far, including Iwata’s statement that it was coming after April and an earlier rumour of a June launch.
We can deliver all the latest Wii U news straight to your inbox every morning. Want in?


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Under pressure to deliver on revenue targets before the end of the year, income tax officials have found a new source of revenue -- the Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) export benefits given out each year in the form of Duty Entitlement Passbook Benefits.
Taking a their cue from a recent judgment by the Bombay high court in the Rohan Dyes case, the taxman has started sending notices to various pharmaceutical companies, steel exporters, and a host of other industries, asking for taxes to be paid for the past seven years on DEPB benefits claimed by these units as tax exemptions.
The matter has been taken up by the commerce ministry, the finance ministry as well as the Prime Minister's Office.
Exporters are allowed to take their benefits in the form of advance licenses, duty drawback or the DEPB. But Section 28 Para iii(a) of the income tax Act was not amended to take into account the fact that DEPB benefits will also be tax-exempt as was done in the case of duty drawback.
Exporters have been arguing that since DEPB is nothing but a substitute for advance license or duty drawback, and is a refund of actual Customs duty paid on imports made for the purposes of export, it cannot be taxed.
Former FIEO chief Ramu S Deora has sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister, arguing that "in every platform, including WTO and Parliament, the government clarified that DEPB and duty drawback is a reimbursement of Custom duty, but not any subsidy".
Tax officials, however, have been treating DEPB income as local sales in some cases, and argue that this is taxable.
The dispute centres around the fact that in most cases, exporters show two types of accounts. One to do with manufacturing and the other to do with exports.
Since exporters know that they will get certain export benefits, they often sell their products at below-cost and make this up through export benefits. So, the 'manufacturing' account shows losses while the 'export' account shows profit.
As per a recent ruling of the commissioner, appeals of income tax, "If there is a positive profit before export incentive, then only the assessee is eligible for deduction U/s 80HHC . . . (if there is) negative profit or loss ... before considering export incentive . . . the CIT (has) disallowed the deduction U/s 80HHC."
In other words, the taxman is challenging the authenticity of the claim by exporters that they sell below cost and make their profits through various incentives like DEPB.


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- Gran Turismo 6 earns its final license, now in stores, online for PS3
- Sega launches 3D Sonic the Hedgehog, 3D Altered Beast on eShop
- Covenant combat revealed in new Dark Souls II screenshots
- Zen Pinball 2 launching for PS4 on Dec.17 with free, paid DLC tables
- New Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII making-of video released
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Daily Archives: May 1, 2013
Activision has officially revealed Call of Duty: Ghosts. Rumblings about the next entry in the Call of Duty series picked up recently after sales ads listed it for pre-order, and now it’s official. Ghosts is being developed by series creators Infinity Ward, the lead studio behind Modern Warfare 3, and marks the start of a new run, with new characters, a new storyline, and a new engine.
“… a tremendously well-made horror game.”


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Sony Corporation has announced plans to launch four new models of its Blu-ray high-definition optical disc recorders in Japan. The new models, capable of storing up to 16 hours of high-definition programs on a dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray disc, will go on sale on November 8. Sony's previous models, launched last year, were unable to record on a dual-layer disc. The top-end machine of the four, which comes with a 500GB hard disk drive, is expected to sell for about $1,752, roughly in line with Toshiba's flagship HD DVD recorder. Outside its home market, Sony is considering offering Blu-ray recorders in Europe, but the launch timing has yet to be decided.
"With high-definition TVs spreading rapidly and more digital cameras and camcorders are becoming HD-ready, time is ripe for household recorders to move onto a next generation. We intend to make all our recorders in the domestic market Blu-ray compatible," said Sony Executive Deputy President Katsumi.
News source: MSNBC


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Approved in China, Cancer Vaccine Gets Dropped in America
A cervical cancer vaccine that took more than a decade to approve for use in China has been dropped from the U.S. market by its manufacturer.
Cervarix, the world’s first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, is produced by British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). HPV infections are the main cause of cervical cancer, among the most common types of cancer in women worldwide.
In July, GSK announced that Cervarix had been approved by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and will be available in China beginning next year. No other HPV vaccines have ever been available on the Chinese market.
The approval came eight years after trials of the drug began in China — and a decade after it was widely available elsewhere around the world. China has more than a quarter of the world’s cervical cancer patients, and over the years many women have opted to travel to places like Hong Kong to obtain the HPV vaccine.
But although the drug has yet to become available on the Chinese market, it appears to have fallen out of favor with American consumers, who instead are turning to variations of the drug that they consider more effective, and which are produced by other pharmaceutical companies.
In a note to customers, GSK said it stopped selling the vaccine in the U.S. in late August, citing very low market demand as the reason for its withdrawal. While the official announcement was made that month, media reports on the issue have only recently come to fore.
Whereas Cervarix only protects against two types of HPV, Gardasil 9, produced by competitor Merck, covers 9 strains. Gardasil is also licensed by the U.S. government for both men and women, but Cervarix has only been approved for women.
In a written statement sent to Sixth Tone by GSK China media officer Song Xinrong, the company said that the decision to no longer supply Cervarix in the U.S. would not affect other markets, where it said it is still widely used. “[Cervarix] has largely contributed to the reduction of cervical cancers worldwide,” it added.
Merck is currently waiting for the CFDA’s approval for Gardasil. The drug is already available in Hong Kong. Apart from GSK and Merck, several domestic companies are also conducting clinical trials for their HPV vaccines.
The news that a drug not yet available in China has already fallen out of favor abroad was met with incredulity by some on Chinese social media. “What they can’t sell in America, they’re selling in China,” commented one net user under a news article.
But others were quick to point fingers at China’s approval process. “There are many good medications you can’t buy in China,” wrote another net user on microblog platform Weibo. “They cannot enter the Chinese market because of all the policies that are blocking the road.”
The lack of availability of certain medicines on the Chinese market has given birth to a cottage industry of travel agents who arrange trips abroad for the sole purpose of buying medicine. In an earlier interview with Sixth Tone, one such company said they had helped hundreds of hepatitis C patients travel to India in search of drugs that have yet to be approved in China.
The World Health Organization said in July that better access to hepatitis treatments could save 10 million Chinese lives by 2030.
“Our country is often criticized for its long approval process,” said Liang Hong, Beijing director for GlobalMD, a worldwide platform for medical professionals. Liang told Sixth Tone that one reason the approval process is unduly time-consuming is because the CFDA lacks personnel. Another reason, she added, is China’s high bar. “Our standards are quite strict,” she said.
Additional reporting by Li You.
(Header image: Keith Brofsky/UpperCut Images/VCG)


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NICK BUBB  PALI INTERNATIONAL
Weak comparatives may well be making like-for-like sales look less bad, but gross margins and profits are still falling and there is no disguising the structural or management problems that M&S faces, so we suspect we are not going to hear “game, set and match to Stuart Rose” in the near future.

RICHARD HUNTER  HARGREAVES LANSDOWN
M&S was initially slow to react to the changing economic backdrop, although is now making strides to rectify its value offerings. On balance, and following a 43 per cent rise in the share price over the last six months, the general view is that the shares are up with events and remain a hold.

TONY SHIRET  ORIEL SECURITIES
The results are better than expected but certainly clothing has been boosted by the weather. Plus there has been a lot of promotion around their 125th anniversary in the period. So I am not really reading too much into the general merchandise figures. The food numbers are more interesting, and could perhaps be indicative that they are starting to turn it around.


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Tabcorp all set to buy West Australian TAB in a deal of $500 million dollars
In a recent news it was announced that the West Australian TAB is set to be sold to Australian wagering giant Tabcorp, after the WA Government announced it would push ahead with the sale of the state-owned agency. The deal could be worth up to $500 million to the WA Government, with 35 per cent of the proceeds of the sale set to be put towards a new racing industry infrastructure fund.
According to Treasurer Ben Wyatt, the future of the racing industry in Western Australia was front of mind for the government and the TAB is using its cash reserve to keep it going. Note that Western Australia’s current gambling rules forbid virtual animated horse and greyhound racing products that are available in other states and territories around the country. But the proposed sale would allow TAB outlets to offer these products.
According to Investec, TAB is at huge risk of losing its relevance, but its privatization could prevent that from happening. The betting agency reported A$5-million loss on revenue of A$340 million for the 2016-17 financial year. It is yet to release its results for the 2017-18 financial year.
The government of West Australia is planning to introduce a piece of legislation that would clear the way for TAB’s sale early next year, as it has also emerged the government plans to use 65% of the proceeds from the sale to pay down state debt. The remaining 35% will be contributed to an industry infrastructure fund.
Tax reform is also part of the government’s plan, with two existing taxes replaced by a single point of consumption tax. The point of consumption tax is expected to start at 15 per cent. This allows foreign-owned corporate bookmakers to be liable to pay tax in Western Australia for the first time. The existing tax structure includes a tax for racing and wager, as well as a bookmakers’ betting levy. The WA racing industry is set to receive almost a third of the total revenue collected from the consumption tax.
The deal to benefit country and racing
According to the state’s Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia, the 35 per cent infrastructure fund proposed by the WA Government will benefit country and regional racing. There has been plenty of industry uncertainty in Western Australia since the sale was first mooted in 2014.
Racing and Wagering WA CEO Richard Burt has welcomed the recent decisiveness of the government’s intentions, stating that the industry has been in flux since privitisation talks began in 2014. Legislation will be introduced into WA Parliament in this month to have the new taxation system in place by January 1, 2019.
Tabcorp to be the new owner of WA TAB
Heavy competition from national and international companies has meant the state-owned model is no longer viable, with the TAB in it’s current operations in Western Australia likely to ‘lose its relevance’ according to financial services company Investec.
Tabcorp currently manages totaliser betting in all other Australian states and has a monopoly over retail sports betting in New South Wales and Victoria after a merger with the Tatts Group in 2017. Local brands such as Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and BetEasy have also been interested in purchasing TAB. Its value has halved in recent years, after being valued at $1 billion dollars.


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- Anna Piaggi Exhibition on Hold
- Courrèges Unveils Collection for La Redoute
- Madonna to Appear at Chime for Change Event
SCOTT FREE: Sometimes fashion week just sneaks up on you. Due to the timing of New York Fashion Week in September, L’Wren Scott has decided to buy herself more time and show in Paris this season. She was originally scheduled to show on Sept. 13. A new date and time in Paris is to be determined.


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Derek O’Carroll, CEO of Brightpearl investigates the highly competitive world of ecommerce.
The behind the scenes battle going on between the two biggest ecommerce platforms in the US – Amazon and Shopify – could have significant implications for merchants.
Amazon’s real customer is the end consumer – rather than the merchants that make up its Marketplace business. The ecommerce king keeps its eye on its most successful merchants and often introduces its own similar products – sometimes at lower prices – in direct competition.
It’s a strategy that’s starting to see Amazon lose ground to Shopify, with New York Times Magazine recently revealing that some merchants are starting to leave Amazon in favour of the ecommerce platform which focuses on merchants as its only customers. This trend raises the stakes, and while, for now, Amazon and Shopify occupy different roles in the ecommerce ecosystem – the two might soon become direct competitors.
Here’s three reasons why this budding rivalry matters to online merchants:
- Amazon and Shopify Could Launch Competing Services
It’s simplistic to think that merchants either sell on the Amazon marketplace or run their own stores on the Shopify platform. But, with increasing overlap between these players, things are starting to get interesting.
There remains speculation about whether Amazon might launch a service to go head-to-head with Shopify. In January, Australian web store platform Selz announced that Amazon was acquiring the company. Industry analysts think Amazon could use Selz to try again with web store services.
On the other hand, Shopify’s focus is on helping its retailer customers cultivate their brands. Right now, about a million small-and-medium-size businesses pay Shopify $29 a month for the basic software and 7,100 Shopify merchants subscribe to Shopify Plus — a more customisable, upgraded version.
Could Shopify be thinking of creating its own marketplace? Well, Shopify has recently added a Shop app and Shop Pay to help customers search its merchants and check out easily across its stores and on social media. That moves Shopify into Amazon’s patch.
Amazon remains the first stop for so many product searches, but if Shopify could make inroads into this area, it could potentially be very beneficial for merchants using its services.
- Shopify is Now Connecting Merchants With Major Back Office Providers
Amazon sells more than half of its products through independent merchants. Merchants can handle packing and shipping items on their own, but many use Amazon’s expansive delivery service – Fulfillment by Amazon – which stores, picks and packs the merchant’s inventory, and ensures customers receive their items in a timely manner, via rapid order fulfillment.
Shopify has been expanding its so-called ecommerce back office services – including logistics, shipping and fulfillment. Last year, it introduced Shopify Fulfillment Network, a direct competitor to Fulfillment by Amazon. The Ottawa, Ontario-based business continues to seek improvements in this area – via key partnerships. Interestingly, Shopify has recently launched a new Global ERP Program, allowing some select major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) partners, like Brightpearl, to build integrations into the Shopify App Store – allowing Shopify to connect large merchants’ back office and commerce capabilities.
This could be beneficial for Shopify’s largest merchants who typically have different needs from smaller entrepreneurs. They usually require more advanced retail operating systems ‘under the hood’ to centralise key business data to streamline and optimise their operations and key ecommerce workflows and to automate the greater levels of operational complexity involved in running large multichannel enterprises. This move could transform how larger Shopify merchants provide commerce experiences with greater end-to-end capabilities, more in line with the services Amazon offers and it means merchants have two ways to excel at reaching e-commerce customers.
- Shopify vs Amazon: Will They Go Head to Head?
As it encroaches on its territory, at some point, Shopify will need to decide on its strategy for competing with Amazon – and vice versa.
Shopify could look to compete head-on but this would imply that Shopify would play Amazon’s game and seek to acquire consumers on behalf of its merchants. It’s a risky strategy and would set up a David versus Goliath battle for merchants’ business. Shopify revenue grew by 82% in 2020, but even as the second-largest ecommerce platform, it’s still smaller than Amazon. Amazon’s 2020 revenue topped $386 billion, while Shopify’s was $2.9 billion.
Competing head on could force Amazon to re-enter the ecommerce platform space, and would see Shopify competing with Amazon at their own game – one Amazon is well positioned to dominate with their extensive resources.
It’s much more likely Shopify will seek to invest in tools and services that help its merchants acquire consumers more effectively.
Investing in Shopify Fulfillment serves as an example of Shopify’s commitment to helping merchants improve customer experience and stand out from the crowd, in a way that no single merchant could do on their own.
Competing indirectly with Amazon in this way has proved successful for Shopify so far – and could well prove to be a winning strategy in the long run.
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Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 vaccinations in parts of the nation that, to date, have been behind in vaccinations.
The drug store chain said vaccine administrations are up more than 30% during the past several weeks in areas of the country that have previously been slower to vaccinate, including Florida, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana. Walgreens has administered more than 29 million COVID-19 vaccines to date — approximately eight months after beginning the effort on Dec. 18, 2020.
In addition, demand for COVID-19 testing across Walgreens stores doubled chainwide in June and July. Florida, Missouri and parts of the Gulf Coast are seeing the largest increases, up 30% in testing week-over-week.
Walgreens also said it is bringing back its mask mandate for U.S. workers — regardless of vaccination status — in its stores, distribution centers and offices nationwide, effective Aug. 4. Its move comes as other retailers are also updating their mask requirements in the wake of the updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Also, staffers in Walgreens’ U.S. support offices will be required to be vaccinated by Sept. 30. Employees in these locations who are unable to be vaccinated will be required to enroll in a COVID-19 testing program. So far, only one other major retailer, Walmart, has made vaccinations a requirement for some employees.
[Read More: Walmart to require all HQ staffers to be vaccinated]
The vaccination mandate does not apply to the company’s U.S. employees working in stores, distribution centers or other facilities. But Walgreens noted it “strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination for all team members.”
Walgreens operates more than 9,000 stores across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


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Apple agrees to an out-of-court settlement in $840 million e-book price-fixing trial
Five publishers settled last year with US courts after they were found guilty of conspiring with Apple to fix the price of e-books to counter Amazon
Tuesday 17 June 2014
Apple has agreed to end its long-running legal battle over e-book price-fixing with an out-of-court settlement that could see the iPhone-manufacturer paying out hundreds of millions to US consumers.
The terms of the settlement have not been revealed and are still awaiting court approval, but the complainants are seeking up to $840 million in damages - triple the amount that it’s estimated Apple gained by price-fixing.
The lawsuit began in April 2012 when the US Department of Justice sued Apple and five publishers (Hachette, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Shuster) for illegally working together to raise the prices of e-books and challenge Amazon’s dominance in the market.
The DoJ was then joined by 33 US states and territories, including individuals consumers in other states that filed a class action lawsuit.
The five publishers eventually reached a settlement last year and agreed to pay more than $160 million in antitrust charge, but Apple continued to battle on until July last year when US District Judge Denise Cote found that the tech company had conspired to raise prices along with publishers.
Apple is still appealing this latter decision and the payment of this week’s out-of-court settlement will rely on the outcome of that appeal.
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National and local retail stores have made needed changes in the past year that have allowed them to stay open during the pandemic. But retail experts say the next few months will be a barometer for how many brick-and-mortar stores can survive the rest of the year if restrictions continue and fewer people shop.
Chains like Yankee Candle, Bed Bath and Beyond, Christopher Banks, Macy’s and Godiva have announced store closures in the past month, but it has not been the larger tidal wave predicted by retail analysts.
“With the pandemic and as vaccines start to roll out, we might see increases in consumer confidence,” said University of Dayton marketing professor Riley Dugan.
The National Retail Federation projected holiday related sales would increase between 3.6% and 5.2% bringing in between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. Retail sales saw an 8.3% increase or $789.4 billion according to their report.
“The holiday season was better than anyone had guessed,” said Ohio Council of Retail Merchants CEO Gordon Gough. “I will say that the economy is really unique right now.”
Macy’s, along with L Brand’s Victoria Secret, which experienced a 3% decline in sales in 2019, had plans to close some of their stores prior to the pandemic but COVID-19 expedited the process. Macy’s announced early last year its plans to close 125 stores throughout the country by 2023, 45 during 2021 with four of them in Ohio.
The Tri-County Mall location in southwest Ohio will close this year as part of the company’s plan to downsize to promote growth. Macy’s plans to move away from debilitating shopping malls while opening smaller retail locations.
“Anytime you’re basically saying we’re going to have a smaller footprint, that’s kind of a sign of defeat in many respects,” Dugan said.
On the flip side, Gough said that companies moving to have a smaller footprint even before the start of the pandemic is simply moving from one house to another.
“I think all retailers were looking at their online versus brick and mortar footprint and making corrections. Maybe I don’t need as many stores because my online traffic continues to grow. What may have happened in 2020 to some retailers is that accelerated,” he said.
Department stores like J.C. Penney have served as anchor tenants in shopping malls, but with many shoppers opting for the customer service provided by boutiques and the convenience of online shopping, the need for physical locations have seemed to dwindle.
As department stores are pushed out Dugan said malls should reconsider department stores as anchor tenants.
“I think malls are going to need to start getting more creative…you could start thinking about gaming centers, bowling alleys, maybe even a micro-breweries,” Dugan said.
Having an online presence has been beneficial throughout the pandemic but it also poses a significant threat to physical locations for retailers, especially department stores. Dugan predicts e-commerce will continue to grow but will depend largely on the condition of the economy.
The NRF reported online and non-store sales were up 23.9% at $209 billion during the holiday season.
With vaccine distribution underway, this could be the last hope for some stores to have shoppers return to their physical locations. But that could be a ways away as the vaccine is currently being given to front liners in health care and the elderly.
The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO.com


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MMI Hotel Group Appoints Executive Team for The Memphian
The Memphian, a boutique hotel located in Midtown Memphis' Overton Square, is set to open this spring as a member of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio. The project features 106 guest rooms including 9 suites in its 73,523 square feet of space, as well as two on-property food and beverage outlets, the neighborhood's only full-service coffee shop, a 24-hour state-of-the-art exercise studio, curated retail experience, and rooftop event space.
Management company MMI Hotel Group is excited to announce the leadership team who will serve as ambassadors of The Memphian brand with a keen attention to every detail and a rich understanding of the guest experience.
Kristopher Colig joins The Memphian as General Manager. His extensive experience in the hospitality industry assures a driven team focused on achieving excellence. For more than 13 years, Colig served at a number of Hyatt Regency-properties as Assistant Director, Director of Food & Beverage and Director of Hotel Operations, where he successfully managed all aspects of hotel operations including food and beverage, catering, culinary, and engineering through a team of managers and service associates. In 2016, he was honored by Hyatt Hotels and Resorts as "Food & Beverage Director of the Year" while serving as Director of Operations in the Dallas / Fort Worth, TX metro area. That same year, Colig also took on key business responsibilities as owner of San Daniele Restaurant, where he played an active role in the brand's launch, budgeting, and business plan development.
Director of Sales Bobbie Peppers also brings an accomplished skillset and unwavering passion to The Memphian. With a 15-year proven track record of increasing sales for properties including Omni Louisville Hotel, Sheraton Music City Hotel, Tunica Properties, Hilton Memphis Hotel and Marriott Downtown Hotel in Memphis, The Memphian is more than confident with putting its growth in Peppers' capable hands. Most recently, Peppers served as Director of Sales and Marketing at Hu. Hotel in downtown Memphis, making her no stranger to the city's boutique hotel scene or its community.
President of MMI Hotel Group Micajah Sturdivant oversees the hotel's brand positioning and its operations team. "We couldn't have chosen a more talented and hospitable leadership team to welcome guests to The Memphian," said Sturdivant.
MMI Hotel Group has owned and operated more than 50 hotels around the American South since 1956. Now led by the third generation of the family, MMI Hotel Group has interests in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee.