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WASHINGTON - U.S. banks are ending the year with their best profits since 2006 and fewer failures than at any time since the financial crisis struck in 2008. They're helping support an economy slowed by high unemployment, flat pay, sluggish manufacturing and anxious consumers.
As the economy heals from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, more people and businesses are taking out - and repaying - loans.
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Rotorua's new Mitre 10 Mega is the last of four new mega stores built around the country this year.
The doors of the Rotorua store open will open at 7am on Friday with 70 local staff.
Mitre 10 New Zealand chief executive John Hartmann said home improvement was a big part of New Zealand culture.
"We're kiwis, so DIY is in our DNA and we're not afraid to get stuck in with a job,'' he said.
"The completion of the fourth Mitre 10 Mega store to open in 2012 has also brought up to 200 new jobs to locations in Whangarei, Rotorua, Manukau and Christchurch. The focus on the expansion and construction of large format Mitre 10 Mega stores has been driven by customer demand and the popularity of the format.''
He said the mix of trade and retail facilities and their focus on improved products and ranges was bringing customers to the store.
"Rotorua has trusted Mitre 10 to supply the region with everything required to complete home DIY projects for
many years and in response to Rotorua's growing demand for DIY, we're opening the Rotorua Mega store,'' he said.
"The store will offer huge product variety at the prices New Zealanders have come to expect from Mitre 10.''
Mitre 10 Mega Rotorua features an undercover drive-thru for trade customers sourcing their timber and building
materials, a large garden centre, children's play area, café and extensive paint department.
Mitre 10 Mega Rotorua general manager Jim McCall said the store had included all the elements needed for DIY home improvement projects.
"We have a massive, extended seasonal outdoor furniture area, as well as an extended range of tools and display kitchens,'' he said.
"Mitre 10 Mega store number 34 has been a long time coming but we are going to make a big impression in Rotorua.''
Mr McCall said staff were looking forward to the opening, and helping Rotorua locals with any upcoming projects they had.
A Maori blessing will take place at the store on Thursday morning.
Public celebrations will continue throughout the weekend with the Mitre 10 Mega man in store on Saturday and
Sunday mornings performing truck pulls, strong arm and brick squeeze events at various times during the day.
Face painting, bouncy castles and sausage sizzles are also part of the weekend of entertainment and in store bargains. A grand prize of $5000 of products will be up for grabs and anyone spending over $25 goes into a draw to win 1000 Fly Buys points.

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Shoppers walk through the Urbanspace Union Square Holiday Market in New York, U.S., on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A lack of foreign tourists opening up their wallets and another wave of coronavirus cases in some major U.S. cities weighed on shopper turnout on the final Saturday before Christmas, preventing it from bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels.
Visits to retail stores dropped 26.3% on Saturday compared with the Saturday before Christmas in 2019, according to preliminary data from Sensormatic Solutions, a division of Johnson Controls. Year over year, though, retail traffic jumped 19.4%, Sensormatic said.
The day known as Super Saturday is viewed as the second-busiest shopping day of the holiday season, behind Black Friday, according to Sensormatic.
In some cities over the weekend, lines were long at Covid-19 testing sites — not at retail counters. But consumers did leave their homes to shop for last-minute gifts, holiday decorations and ingredients to cook up homemade meals. Many braved the pandemic to head to the movies, too, as “Spider-Man: No Way Home” enjoyed a blowout-weekend haul.
“Americans have shown that they will not let this get in their way of sort of getting back to normal as fast as they can,” said Peter McCall, senior manager of retail consulting at Sensormatic. “Super Saturday is a good example of that.”
There were some signs that shoppers are being more cautious in how they shop. McCall said that since Black Friday weekend, open-air shopping centers and outlet malls have been increasingly preferred over enclosed venues among U.S. consumers.
“I can’t necessarily tell you that it’s omicron-related, but we are seeing a preference that looked similar to what it looked like a year ago,” McCall said.
One expert said that visits to both enclosed shopping malls and outdoor outlet centers over the weekend were stronger in regions of the country that are typically less crowded. Craig Johnson, founder of retail consulting firm CGP, called shopping patterns on Super Saturday “a tale of three cities.”
In major metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco, store traffic compared with 2019 was depressed due to a near absence of foreign tourists and heightened fears over the highly contagious Covid omicron variant, Johnson aid.
The state of New York has now reported three consecutive days of record new Covid cases. On Sunday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced 5,731 new cases. By comparison, the city was averaging fewer than 1,000 cases daily in early November. The uptick has led to a number of Broadway shows being called off at the last minute, as cast members test positive, and some restaurants are temporarily closing down again.
But in smaller U.S. cities and more suburban areas, visits to shopping centers improved over the weekend — even amid inclement weather in some regions, Johnson said.
“For areas with rain on Saturday, the traditional indoor malls were jammed and online sales were robust,” he said. “And on Sunday, with the rain gone, the outlet malls were packed.”
Johnson noted, however, there were widespread out-of-stock reports for some popular toys, women’s shoes, holiday decorations and Sony’s sought-after PlayStation 5 unit. The supply chain bottlenecks could have led some shoppers to buy non-affected gift items or head home empty-handed.
The National Retail Federation, a leading industry trade group, has projected that retail sales over the holiday season could increase by as much as 11.5% from the year-earlier period, excluding spending at automobile dealers, gas stations and restaurants. That would notch a new record for growth.


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How Runners Are Helping People in Houston
Here is a round up about how runners are helping those affected by Harvey in Houston, as well as ways that you can get involved.
In the wake of the unprecedented flooding in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey, many runners are coming together to help those in need.
When Virginia runner BethAnn Whittaker saw the devastation in Texas, she wanted to find a way to help, even though she wasn’t local. She reached out to her friend Kelly Vigil, who has experience setting up virtual runs. Within an hour, they had a registration page ready for Run For Texas 5K and 10K virtual runs. In addition to registering for the races, runners can also donate through the registration page. Whittaker and Vigil are asking participants to track their runs on social media using #RunForTexas.
“We launched the registration site on Tuesday around noon,” Vigil said. “So in less than 48 hours we have over 1,000 runners and have raised over $19,000 and it’s still going!”
100 percent of the funds raised will go to the Texas Diaper Bank and the American Red Cross. Both Whittaker and Vigil are mothers, so providing the essentials needed for young children was very important to them.
“We can’t imagine not having diapers and necessities for our children in a time like this,” Vigil said.
Both women have been in awe of the response, but are not surprised by the altruistic nature of the running community.
“I think ultimately when tragedy strikes, people naturally want to help, we’re just unsure of what to do, especially if we don’t live in the immediate area,” said Whittiker. “Our project gave people an avenue to do something tangible from their own place in the world. We may have created the spark with our little idea, but the spirit of the running community is what has caused this project to spread like wildfire.”
The IRONMAN Foundation, the charitable arm of IRONMAN and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, is calling upon their athlete community to assist in their Harvey Relief Effort. They are offering athletes three different ways of helping those affected by the storm.
Runners can donate money directly to the IRONMAN Foundation’s Harvey Relief Efforts. The IRONMAN Foundation will match all donations made by Sept. 30, 2017, up to $10,000. A custom Humanitarian Harvey Relief Effort shirt is also available for purchase. 100 percent of the proceeds will support the IRONMAN Foundation’s Harvey Relief Efforts.
Finally IRONMAN will be organizing volunteer efforts in the Texas area in the next few months. At Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio (Dec. 2-3), IRONMAN 70.3 Texas (April 8, 2018) and Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas (April 28, 2018), athletes can volunteer at local service projects during race week. IRONMAN is hoping to provide hands-on rebuilding assistance. You can register to volunteer now.
Other Ways To Help
Many specialty running stores are finding ways to help victims of the hurricane. All Fleet Feet Sports are accepting donations of new or gently used shoes and new pairs of socks. Runners can drop them off at their nearest store location. Fleet Feet is asking that runners write the gender and size on the heel of the shoe.
Mike Rouse, who owns Run Texas in Frisco, Texas, is organizing a group run from the store on Monday, Sept. 4. He plans to donate $1 for every mile each participant runs. Since announcing the event, runners not local to the store reached out asking how they can help. Rouse set up a Just Giving page to accept monetary donations. All proceeds will be used to purchase clothing and shoes to be donated to hurricane victims.
#HoustonStrong #ForTheCity #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/aAlkkcNqnE
— Coach Kelvin Sampson (@CoachSampsonUH) August 28, 2017
Runners can even help with donation efforts to those outside of their sport. Kevin Sampson, men’s basketball coach at University of Houston, came up with a plan to get clothing to those who need it while involving many sports teams. He’s asking any team—men’s and women’s; high school, college, or beyond—to send 20 of their team or school shirts and ten pairs of shoes to him. Sampson will then donate these items to rescue efforts around Houston.
If you want to share other ways that runners are helping those affected in Texas, tweet it to @RunCompetitor.


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New research from ICM conducted to coincide with Record Store Day on the 20th April has found that the vinyl resurgence is not being driven by generations who grew up with the technology, but under 25s.
We found that one in twenty people had purchased a vinyl record in the last month, but this rises to 14% when looking at the young age demographic (18-24). Younger people are also far more likely to have bought Luxury or Special edition records in the last month as well as just over one in ten stating that they had bought an audio cassette in the last month.
As well as this, we found that many people, especially vinyl buyers, prefer to buy their music from independent record stores as opposed to other purchase methods. Two in five of those who had bought any music in the last month would prefer to purchase their music from an independent retailer, whilst 85% of vinyl buyers would prefer to buy limited or special edition vinyl records or CDs from an independent store.
It also seems that engagement with music in general and independent record stores is much higher amongst vinyl buyers than the general music buying public. Almost nine in ten vinyl buyers were aware of an independent store local to them compared to just over a quarter of the whole population. Vinyl buyers were significantly more likely to have bought other formats in the last month as well, with 52% purchasing CDs, 31% buying an MP3 and a fifth (19%) purchasing an audio cassette.
When it comes to listening to the records they buy, only 51% of vinyl buyers have a record player or turntable which they use with a small percentage citing that they do not have a record player and do not want one, yet continue to buy vinyl.
Knowing this, we went to Berwick Street in Soho on Record Store Day to investigate why young people were leaning towards vinyl, and why people prefer to shop in independent stores for their music. The findings suggest that the vinyl resurgence has no sign of stopping, and that it could give a much needed boost to music retailers on the high street, though will it be enough to prevent the further demise of music retail institutions in the UK?
A nationally representative online survey of 2030 18+ GB adults was run between 12th and 14th April 2013. The qualitative interviews were conducted in Soho, London on Record Store, 20th April 2013.
To find out more, please contact Natalie Compas or Maurice Fyles on 020 7845 8300.


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Suburban Adelaide shops and supermarkets will be required to revert to their pre-COVID-19 hours of operation from this Sunday, with the State Government announcing it will not be granting a further 30-day exemption to support physical distancing.
Under the 30-day exemptions – the first of which came into effect on March 21 – supermarkets and shops, regardless of their size, were permitted to open two hours earlier from 9am on Sunday and four hours later (until 9pm) on a Saturday and Sunday – if they chose.
For the past 4 months, the SA Government has followed SA Health advice and supported extended shop trading as an effective way of promoting physical distancing within stores – which has proven necessary to help stop the spread of COVID-19. With recent significant lifting of other restrictions in South Australia, public health advice no longer considers this extra measure necessary.
This means that from this coming Sunday, all non-exempt shops and supermarkets will be required to revert to their normal hours of operation, for example, they won’t be allowed to open until 11am on a Sunday morning.
To review all trading hour regulations per state and territory, click here.
The National Retail Association Trading Hours Committee is a group of regulatory compliance specialists from many of Australia’s major retailers who come together to discuss policy regarding trading hours and public holidays. The Committee communicates regularly with government, conveying the issues and concerns of the retail sector.
If you are interested in becoming a Committee Member, meetings are held twice a year in Sydney or Melbourne. Please contact David Stout, Director Policy, at email@example.com for more details.


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Stackers in Swansea serving up fast food made fresh
SWANSEA — Stackers owner Al Monte is “banking” on his vision for a fast-food restaurant taking off with customers.
And if they like juicy burgers that taste like a burger cooked at home on the grill, savory hand-cut potato wedges, crispy fried chicken, or chili, Monte’s plans might pay off.
The new fast food restaurant at 2388 GAR Highway at in a former bank already came equipped with a drive-up window. And the bank vault? That’s now the walk-in refrigerator for the fast food restaurant in the shopping center where his son operates the Gridiron Sports Bar.
“What we’re doing here is fast food, but we’re making it fresh. And we’re definitely making it better,” Monte said. “Our country fried chicken is made with 12 or 13 seasonings and its made fresh all day.”
The menu is a mash-up of his favorite foods from the franchise fast food chains: burgers and fried chicken both of which are available singularly or in meal combos. There’s several sides: Joe Joe’s hand-cut potato wedges, real mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, baked beans, side salads and chili. “The chili’s been a big hit. It’s my wife Karen’s secret recipe,” Monte added.
Stackers is named for its signature stacked burgers. The hefty two-ounce griddled Angus beef patties are available as a single burger, or as double or triple stacked burgers with dill pickles, ketchup, mayo and romaine lettuce. “We slice our own dill pickles. I love them, and customers seem to love them too. You get a pickle in every bite,” Monte said.
The burgers are all served up on freshly made buns delivered daily from Fall River’s Gold Medal Bakery.
“When you bite into our burger, you know you’re eating a hamburger. Our meat is fresh Angus beef. When its delivered, it’s a beautiful, red color,” Monte added.
Since opening last week, customers have praised the burgers, said Monte and Manager Jeff Pearson. “People say it tastes like meat,” said Pearson of the flavorful burger.
A Swansea native, Monte said he always dreamed of owning a fast food restaurant. He looked into buying one 25 years ago, but he didn’t have the money to do it then. Over the years, he took part in various fast food restaurant seminars for potential franchisees and to learn all about the business.
Monte said he made a big investment in the same type of cooker used in the franchises to get the chicken crispy and the kitchen itself is setup exactly like the chains so to serve up hot food fast.
“Our ticket time runs 3½ minutes after only a week; I think McDonalds runs at 2½ minutes so we’re getting there,” Monte said. “This is the culmination of a 25-year dream.”
Check out the menu at stackersburgers.com.


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Blockframe using sealed bid auctions for NFT price discovery
Blockframe will launch ‘Bulk Semaphore’, a program that enables anonymous bidding to establish fair NFT prices
Bushko Oleksandr/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks
A new NFT marketplace that enables users to anonymously bid on NFTs has landed on zkSync Era, Polygon PoS and Ethereum.
Blockframe is designing an NFT platform that innovates proprietary features and wants to ensure that creators are being prioritized.
In an interview with Blockworks, Mohamed El Tahawy, the president and CEO of Blockframe, said that existing barriers to entry to crypto are insurmountable.
“It’s very difficult for people to figure out how to get a MetaMask wallet, then once you have a MetaMask wallet, what are all these currencies and how do I make swaps,” El Tahawy said.
To resolve this, El Tahawy explains that Blockframe, backed by Matter Labs, will simplify this process for its users.
“At Blockframe, we’ve implemented a single sign-on, which means users can sign in with Google, Discord, Twitter, and we would automatically create a wallet for them,” he said.
Once a wallet is created, users can use the same interface to on-ramp, send and swap cryptocurrencies. User private keys will not be stored or accessible by Blockframe, El Tahawy notes.
Honest price discovery
To ensure NFT prices on Blockframe remain reliable, the team is introducing sealed bid auctions.
Rather than relying on oracles to determine NFT pricing, multiple bidders will be able to place collateralized bids anonymously to establish the value of a given digital collectible. It’s made possible by zero knowledge (ZK) technology.
Using zkTrees designed by Polymer Labs, the team has created “Bulk Semaphore,” a protocol designed to form market consensus for the price of an NFT through mass unidentified membership and signaling.
Using this protocol, an unlimited number of participants will be able to bid on auctions at a consistent cost. El Tahawy said the tool can also be used for anonymous voting in DAOs.
“Our partnership with Matter Labs was very strategic for their mission of scale and their contributions in creating the Block Semaphore protocol,” El Tahawy said.
Simplifying NFTs for creators
Creators looking to launch their own NFT collections can do so directly on the Blockframe user interface (UI).
“The idea is that creators can come here and claim royalties for their collection, thereby tokenizing it,” El Tahawy said.
Creators can create royalty contracts for their own NFT collections, which will later represent all future cash flows. Once a royalty token is created, they can set parameters for royalty revenue.
At launch, NFTs without claimed royalties will have a 0% royalty rate. The exception: the top 200 collections, which impose automatic royalty contracts.
Once pricing for NFTs is standardized, Blockframe plans to ensure royalties on new collections created are applied across different marketplaces — a problem that has yet to be resolved.
Updated Aug. 31, 2023 at 10:13 am ET: Clarified context throughout.
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Carpetright struggles with £19m order backlog as it revamps chain and fends off new rival
Struggling retail chain Carpetright is sitting on £19 million of unfulfilled customer orders as it presses ahead with a refinancing.
The company last week agreed a restructuring plan that means dozens of landlords will take a cut in rent payments and 92 stores will close down.
Tomorrow it faces a shareholder vote on the plan and next month it will ask investors for up to £60 million as it battles to fend off rival stores.
Struggling: Retail chain Carpetright is sitting on £19 million of unfulfilled customer orders
Carpetright has complained that new rival Tapi, run by the son of its founder Lord Harris, has made business more difficult.
The company has more than 42,000 customer orders on its books – worth an average of £444 each.
The company has won the support of Meditor Group, which last week almost doubled its stake to 29.99 per cent. Meditor has also lent the company £12.5 million.
A spokesman said: ‘It is business as usual and all customer orders will be fulfilled.’
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Investing.com – Beer could gain popularity again in America, with Constellation Brands (NYSE 🙂 reporting an increase in Corona and Modelo sales in the region.
During the fourth quarter of the year, the company reported results above estimates with beer sales increasing 9.3% to $ 1.09 billion.
Constellation Brands jumped 4% Thursday at the noon trading session.
The company announced Wednesday that 30 of its less expensive brands of wines and spirits would be donated to E & J Gallo Winery for $ 1.7 billion, while it focused on high-end brands.
Anheuser Busch Inbev (NYSE 🙂 up 1% and Molson Coors Brewing (NYSE 🙂 wins 1.6%.
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Digital TV News: Kaon Media
KAON and SeaChange demonstrate RDK-based DOCSIS3.0 cable gateway STB at IBC
Sep 11, 2014 – KAONMEDIA (KOSDAQ : KAON MEDIA) has announced that it will demonstrate during IBC2014 its RDK-based DOCSIS3.0 Cable Gateway Set-top Box with integrated SeaChange Nucleus video gateway software.
News categories: KAON, SeaChange, Hwa-Seop Lim, Shiva Patibanda, Cable TV, Digital TV, DOCSIS, Gateway, IBC2019, RDK, Worldwide
KAON STBs selected for Online.nl IPTV service
Sep 11, 2014 – KAONMEDIA (KOSDAQ:KAON MEDIA) has announced that M7 Group has selected KAON to supply IPTV set-top boxes for its Online.nl platform. M7 launched the IPTV service on Kaon boxes in the Netherlands earlier this year.
News categories: KAON, M7 Group, Ron Paans, Digital TV, IBC2019, IPTV, Netherlands, Set Top Box
Eutelsat KabelKiosk selects HTTV open middleware for HbbTV IPTV wholesale network
Jan 3, 2014 – HTTV has announced that httvLink, its HbbTV open-middleware for connected TV STBs, has been selected by Eutelsat KabelKiosk to power its new wholesale HbbTV IPTV offering.
News categories: HTTV, KabelKiosk, Regis Saint Girons, Martina Rutenbeck, Digital TV, Germany, HbbTV, IPTV, Middleware, Set Top Box
SK broadband launches Android IPTV STB from KAON
Nov 13, 2013 – KAONMEDIA (KOSDAQ: KAON Media) has announced that it has provided Android set-top boxes, with the latest Google services for TV, to SK broadband (KOSDAQ: 033630) - the world’s first commercial launch of IPTV with the latest Android OS (Jellybean 4.2).
News categories: KAONMEDIA, SK broadband, Peter Ahn, Digital TV, IPTV, Korea, Middleware, Set Top Box
SoftAtHome, Zappware and Kaonmedia to demo hybrid end-to-end cable solution at IBC 2013
Sep 11, 2013 – SoftAtHome, Zappware and Kaonmedia have teamed up to demonstrate a hybrid end-to-end cable platform allowing viewers to zap between cable and OTT content. The companies will offer demonstrations of their HEVC enabled platform during IBC 2013.
News categories: SoftAtHome, Zappware, Kaon, Patrick Vos, Michel Degland, Cable TV, Digital TV, Gateway, IBC2019, Middleware, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart Home
KAON to launch Android STB with major Korean operator in 3Q 2013
Sep 9, 2013 – KAONMEDIA (KOSDAQ: KAON Media) has announced that it will launch an Android Set-Top Box with the latest Google services for TV to a major TV operator of Korea in 3Q 2013. The Android 4.2 box will be demonstrated in the KAON booth at IBC2013.
News categories: KAON, IBC2019, Korea, Middleware, Set Top Box
Kaon Media selects MaxLinear for Latin America hybrid satellite-terrestrial STB
Jul 9, 2013 – MaxLinear (NYSE: MXL) has announced that Kaon Media has selected its MxL683 silicon tuner-demodulator device for a new, hybrid direct-to-home (DTH) satellite + terrestrial set-top box (STB) platform for the Latin America pay TV market.
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THE highly-anticipated Center Parcs Longford Forest will officially open its doors to holidaymakers on July 29.
Families eager to be among the first ever to experience the holiday spot are now able to make bookings from its opening date.
Construction workers put the finishing touches to Longford Forest’s Subtropical Swimming ParadiseCredit: Naoise Culhane The Woodland lodges in the park can sleep up to eight peopleCredit: Crispin Rodwell – The Sun Dublin The park will provide 470 lodgesCredit: CRISPIN RODWELL – THE SUN DUBLIN
Final preparations are now being made Ireland’s largest ever purpose-built holiday village.
Center Parcs have several resorts open across the UK but the Longford site is the first to open on Irish soil.
The €300m investment made by the company is one of the largest ever recorded in Irish tourism.
The resort includes 466 self-catering lodges and 30 apartments across 400 acres of woodland.
There are three types of lodges for families to choose from – Woodland, Executive and Exclusive.
These open-plan lodges can sleep four, six or eight guests and have flat-screen TVs in all bedrooms – and some have a games room and sauna.
For an extra touch of luxury, staying at an Executive Lodge offers you a daily housekeeping service.
Plus Center Parcs can also provide adapted executive lodges for wheelchair users as well as dog-friendly lodges.
Once the red ribbon is cut on July 29, the resort will be open for 365 days a year.
Across the site there is more than 100 indoor and outdoor activities to choose from including nature activities and adventures for little ones.
IRELAND’S LARGEST WATER PARK
However, the park‘s main attraction is the Subtropical Swimming Paradise – which is set to be Ireland’s largest indoor water park.
The luxury pool is heated to a tropical 29.5C all year round.
For the mammies and daddies, the Aqua Sana Spa offers 21 hot, cold, herbal and meditative experiences across four zones – Nordic Forest, Hot Springs, Volcanic Forest and Treetop Nesting.
From saunas to outdoor hot tubs to rainforest showers and reflexology footbaths, it looks set to offer the perfect spa experience.
Nine restaurants will be on site with eateries serving up Italian, Indian, European, Asian fusion and Irish fare.
But guests don’t have to dine out every night – as each lodge has a fully-fitted kitchen for self-catering, as well as barbecue facilities.
Weekend, midweek and seven-night breaks are all on offer at Longford Forest.
Prices for family breaks at the Center Parcs Longford Forest Resort start from €529 for a weekend break (Friday – Monday) and €299 for a midweek break (Monday – Friday).
The cost of your break includes unlimited entry to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, outdoor and indoor play areas and free events.
But another 100 indoor and outdoor activity options – from pottery painting to quad bike safari – will be extra.
Punters are not able to head to Longford Forest for the day – unless you’re visiting a guest who’s already staying.
Center Parcs bosses confirmed: “Visitor passes to visit a staying guest are available to book online in the Little Extras section.”
For more information and bookings visit www.centerparcs.ie.
With less than 50 days staff are working around the clockCredit: Naoise Culhane Some of the lodges have their own jacuzzi The resort includes 466 self-catering lodges and 30 apartments across 400 acres of woodland


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Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn., has acquired Accel Corp. (also known as Accel Color) of Avon, Ohio.
Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn., has acquired Accel Corp. (also known as Accel Color) of Avon, Ohio. Both firms produce color and additive concentrates. Accel has plants in Ohio, Illinois, California, and Tennessee. Techmer also has a facility in California. “Accel strengthens our national manufacturing presence by giving Techmer two well-established sites in the Midwest, which will be added to our nationwide network,” said Techmer president and CEO John Manuck. He noted that Accel also brings proficiency in producing small orders of custom color concentrates. “Transaction velocity and small-order capability are increasingly important to North American molders who have been battered by global competition,” Manuck added.


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According to information shared in the Official Gazette, the IMEI registration fee for devices brought from abroad has been increased greatly. In November of last year, we told you that the IMEI registration fee increased from 170 TL to 500TL. In June, 500 TL to 618TL, the IMEI registration fee again came up with a big increase.
According to information published in the Official Gazette, the IMEI registration fee has risen from 618 TL to 1500 TL. In short, the IMEI registration fee has been increased more than twice. With the increase applied, it has become much more difficult to bring smartphones from abroad.
Smartphone prices in our country are very high due to taxes. That’s why bringing in smartphones from abroad was a more affordable solution. However, with the IMEI registration fee increased to 1500 TL, there seems to be no point in bringing a smartphone from abroad.
Let us also remind you that this is not the only decision that makes it difficult to bring smartphones from abroad. Last May, we told you that the deadline for bringing smartphones from abroad increased to 3 years and that the era of registering IMEI on someone else’s passport was over.
It is a fact that smartphone prices are quite high due to taxes in our country. People who want to own a smartphone for less than prices buy phones from abroad. But in order to use these phones in our country, you need to register them in a passport.
This is where the IMEI registration fee comes in. In order for this registration to take place, a passport and IMEI registration fee, which have not exceeded 120 days to return from abroad, must be paid. If this registration is not carried out, the smartphone will be switched off within 120 days. Below you can find the decision published in the Official Gazette.


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Band singer and presidential advisor, Catherine Kusasira has sold off Toyota Land Cruiser V8 registration number, UBF 610S that she received as a gift from president Museveni.
Catherine Kusasira and Bebe Cool received Toyota Land Cruiser V8 cars as reward for their strong support for the NRM government. It is alleged that Eddy Kenzo’s V8 also came from the government.
A year down the road, Catherine Kusasira has decided to sell off her gift. Netizens rushed to a conclusion that she could not afford its maintenance while others claim she had a lot of debts.
In an interview with NBS TV ‘UnCut’ gossipmonger, Isaac Kawalya aka Kayz, Kusasira said she decided to sell off the car because the public was not happy with it.
She told Kayz that everywhere she went, people complained that the money used to buy her car would have helped in building hospitals and that forced her to sell it and buy a car which they will be comfortable with.
On allegations that she sold it because she could not afford its maintenance, Kusasira defended herself and argued that she always drives big cars.
Since president Museveni banned concerts in March 2020, most artistes have been struggling financially because performances were their main source of income.
Some have resorted to begging the government for bailouts while others have ventured into side businesses to support themselves.
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By the time he was 16 in 1936, Sam Perricone was picking and packing lemons in Corona and Riverside and then hauling them to Los Angeles in his small pickup truck to sell at the Grand Central Market.
Perricone, who became a giant of the citrus industry, died of congestive heart failure July 8 at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, said his daughter Lucy Perricone. He was 91.
A resident of the Orange County community of Sunset Beach, Perricone owned or was a partner in approximately 25 businesses related to agriculture.
That included owning some 500 acres of avocados in Pauma Valley in San Diego County and numerous orange groves in California and Arizona. He also was a partner in a company that grows Cuties brand mandarins and owned packinghouses in California and Arizona.
For many years beginning in 1960, Perricone oversaw management of the Sunkist Citrus House on Main Street in Disneyland — as well as a second location in Adventureland — where his children and grandchildren worked over the years.
Perricone was one of the largest independent growers for Sunkist and was one of the first exporters of citrus to the Asian market.
“My dad also was the first person to package oranges in plastic bags for retail consumption,” said Perricone’s son Joe, recalling family excursions to his father’s groves in Redlands to pick and bag oranges to be sold in retail stores in the late 1950s.
“He’d have us all go down there; there might be two or three carloads of us on a Sunday,” he said.
He said his father joined in picking, too — as did his grandmother and aunts.
To say his father loved the citrus business, Joe Perricone said, “is an understatement. It was more an avocation than a vocation. It was his life.”
The oldest of four children, Perricone was born Jan. 8, 1920, in Pueblo, Colo., where his parents ran a neighborhood grocery store.
His father died when Perricone was 13, and the family moved to Los Angeles in 1935 after a family vacation in Long Beach.
Perricone stopped going to school after the eighth grade and went to work to help support his family.
When Perricone began selling lemons at the Grand Central Market in the 1930s, son Joe said, “most of the people with the stands were Japanese.”
When Japanese Americans were put in internment camps during World War II, he said, “my dad and my uncle Tony took over two of the stands and managed them until the war was over and gave them back to the original owners. That’s the kind of person he was.”
In the late 1940s, Perricone launched the Sam Perricone Citrus Co. Inc. of Los Angeles, which became one of the nation’s largest wholesale distributors of oranges, lemons, tangerines and grapefruit.
In 1967, he helped form American Produce, a general wholesale produce company,
Perricone continued working until he was hospitalized last week, showing up at his office in the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market at 6 a.m. every weekday.
“He’d actually walk the market before he went to his office at 6,” said his son. “He’s an icon there.”
Bob Witt, one of Perricone’s many business partners, agreed.
“He helped many people get started in business, and he was an outstanding partner to all of them,” said Witt, adding that “Sam was one of the driving forces to get the new Wholesale Produce Market built.” It opened in 1986.
Perricone, Witt said, “was also very, very charitable. One quote I’ll never forget. In the ‘70s, we were starting to raise money for the City of Hope in the Wholesale Produce Market. I was having a discussion with him about it, and he made a comment. He said, ‘Well, if we don’t do it, who will?’”
He died 15 years to the day after his wife, Mary.
In addition to his children, Lucy, Joe and Sam, Perricone is survived by a sister, Mary Santoro; a brother, Tony Perricone; 18 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.


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Ios 10 News
How to use your Android phone as a 2FA key to sign into Google on an iOS device
If you own an Android and an iOS device, here's how you can set your Android phone as a 2FA key.
Apple iOS 12 has seen the fastest adoption rate, running on 50% of iPhones and iPads
iOS 12’s adoption rate is at par with iOS 10’s which reached 54 percent active devices by this time.
Twitter is ending support for all iPhones and iPads running on iOS 9 or lower
Which means, only if you have upgraded your iPhone, iPad to iOS 10 or above, will you get the app updates.
WhatsApp version 2.18.80 introduces a media preview extension for iOS users
As per a blog post, the WhatsApp Preview extension only supports previews for images and gifs.
iOS 11.1 adoption is slow with just 52 percent of devices running Apple's latest software
Meanwhile, iOS 11.2 update is currently being tested in beta programme and will be the first major update to bring a new feature named Apple "Pay Cash"
Apple iOS 11 has been installed on 55 percent of supporting devices within a month of its launch
With iOS 11, a month after its public release, around 55% of Apple devices are seen to be running it. Compare this to the woeful 0.2 percent on Android O.
Apple iOS bugs: A three-finger tap is all you need to freeze an iPhone
Once you know how to activate the bug, you can freeze any Apple iPhone in seconds, but it wouldn’t have been easy to discover.
Apple iPhone Theater Mode hinted as the new important feature in iOS 10.3 along with bug fixes
The new update is iOS 10.3, and the company is working on the project under the code name 'Erie' which makes it the 8th update for iOS 10 in four months.
The Apple iOS 10.2 Public Beta 2 is now open to everyone. Here are its features
Apple has released the iOS 10.2 public beta 2 for anyone to try. Available for all devices that support iOS 10, the beta brings with it a bunch of new emojis and some usability tweaks.
Snapdeal teams up with American Express to offer Rs 10,000 off on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
E-commerce major Snapdeal has partnered with American Express to offer the latter's card members a discount of Rs 10,000 when they buy the latest edition of iPhone from its platform.
Shoto now available for iOS 10, integrates into iMessages
Photo discovery app Shoto has been officially announced for iOS 10 and iMessage for all Apple devices. According to the company the app leverages Apple’s Messages framework to make all of your Shoto discovered photos, albums and trips available quickly and easily to share.
Five iOS 10 features motorists can benefit from
Five reasons why you should upgrade to iOS 10
Designer creates Apple Mirror, a smart touchscreen mirror based on iOS 10
New York-based designer and web developer Rafael Dymek has created a smart mirror based on iOS 10. The smart mirror looks like a gigantic full sized iPhone with intuitive details like the time, weather forecast widget and icons with full-fledged apps.
Skype update for iOS adds Siri integration, supports iOS 10 features
Skype has announced an update for its iOS client through Apple iTune App Store adding iOS 10 features.
Ola updates iOS app to add support for iOS 10 features; adds Siri and Map integration
Ola, one of the most popular ride-hailing platforms in the country is rolling a significant update for iOS users. The latest update adds iOS 10 specific features like Siri and Apple Map integration to the app.
Tinder launches Stacks for iMessage, lets users swipe on anything
The swiping gesture is a defining experience in Tinder, and Tinder is now allowing iMessage users to swipe user created Stacks of anything.
Apple macOS 10.12 Sierra is out, and there’s more to it than just Siri
Apple went to great lengths to explain the upcoming features in macOS, the highlight being Siri integration. Digging deeper into the OS however, one realises that there’s more to it than just Siri integration.
iOS 10: Apple begins filtering porn and Nazi GIFs on iMessage
Apple has finally begun blocking porn and Nazi GIFs that appeared in search queries within its revamped iMessage app.
Apple iOS 10: Here are 10 great apps for Apple's updated Messages app
What's the point of a store for Messages if you don't know what you can do? Here are 10 apps to get you started!
iOS 10 update: The best new features Apple has included in the Messages app
The Messages app just got a significant update in iOS 10, one that lets users instantly dive into and experience richer conversations.


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New York Fashion Week wouldn’t be complete without a Kardashian appearance and Kanye West debuting his latest collection from his clothing line, Yeezy. This year, Kim Kardashian will jet off to New York before her husband’s big show.
Kanye West is gearing up to debut his new collection with Adidas at New York Fashion Week. His wife, Kim Kardashian West is heading to the Big Apple on a private jet. It’s a little late into NYFW, but we will finally see a Kardashian at the trendsetting runways of New York. Kim no doubt wants to make it to the show on time and probably wants to spend Valentine’s Day with her husband. So, she’s chartered a private jet for her trip to New York. The mother of two is sharing her excitement for New York Fashion Week on Instagram. Check out the latest from Kim Kardashian West right here.
Kim Kardashian Travels to the Big Apple in Style
If you can believe it, Kanye West has dyed his hair an even brighter blonde. The rap mogul is set to launch the latest collection of Yeezy season 5 at New York Fashion Week, and he’s making sure he’s fashion-ready from head to toe. Literally.
Let’s be honest; NYFW wouldn’t be complete without the Kardashians. Kendall and Kylie Jenner were spotted at New York Fashion Week with Kylie’s boyfriend, Tyga. The younger Kardashian-Jenner sisters were attending the fashion presentations as well as celebrating the success of Kylie’s second pop-up shop for her cosmetics company.
After a long hiatus from social media since her traumatic Paris robbery, Kim is getting back to mainstream life and exercising caution online. But she’s still treating her fans to occasional posts on Instagram, including her latest where she’s pictured inside a private jet. The reality queen is on her way to New York and looks luxuriously comfy in her fur coat and loose pants as she lounges in the jet.
Kim chartered a plane from LA to New York so she could make it before Kanye’s show on Wednesday, and perhaps be with him for Valentine’s Day. Kris Jenner, who was the guest host on E! Live from the Red Carpet Grammys broadcast on Sunday, explained that her son-in-law’s absence at the Grammys was because of his appearance in a NYFW show, where he will debut new designs from Yeezy season 5. She also said that the family would be heading to New York to support him.
Meanwhile, Kim posted her love for working out wearing Waist Gang Society trainers. Nakeitha “Premadonna” Felder started the line of women’s shapewear that was endorsed by the three Kardashian sisters, Kylie Jenner, Amber Rose, Blac Chyna, and Real Housewives cast members.


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After unveiling its powerful 2022 IS 500 F Sport V8, Lexus is back giving more shine to its sports line of vehicles.
This new presentation heads to a new route as Lexus enlists RTFKT to translate its 2021 Lexus IS 350 into a one-off sneaker. The sports car’s bold lines and spindle grille are replicated using 3D printed panels that give texture to the shoe while other elements like the carbon spoiler appear as an exaggerated strip at the heel. Lexus branding is found at the tongue as a hood ornament deubré along with an F SPORT tag at the medial side. This color closely resembles “Grecian Water,” a new color for Lexus in 2021.
Check out the image above of both the sneakers and the car to see how the vehicle was morphed into a shoe.
In other footwear news, check out our latest Sole Mates with Nigel Sylvester and the Air Jordan 1.
Source: Read Full Article


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The out of home industry has been making the headlines recently – but sadly for all the wrong reasons. I am referring to the truly tragic case of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who collapsed and died after doing something as seemingly innocuous as grabbing the ‘wrong’ baguette from Pret A Manger. She was just 15.
Pret has been criticised since for adopting a food labelling procedure that some believe is more appropriate for an independent outlet than a large chain. As we go to print, Pret has promised to change its policy, with CEO Clive Schlee saying: “We will start trialling new labels which show full ingredients, including allergens, on packaging from next month. This will be rolled out to all UK shops as quickly as possible.”
I don’t wish to wade into such a sad issue that clearly has no winners, so I’ll just leave you with the advice I have received from Dominic Watkins, global head of food group for legal business DWF, who points the way forward for the industry: “It is highly likely that other food companies will follow in Pret’s footsteps in voluntarily providing allergen information on the labels of freshly prepared products, despite it not being legally required. And those that don’t jump on board might not have a choice in the matter for much longer.
“It’s appearing increasingly likely that the government will remove the ‘pre-packed for direct’ classification from regulations, meaning that all types of food in packaging will be required to declare any allergens on the packaging, rather than providing it orally or by a sign as the law currently allows.”


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Did you know that in the U.S. alone, people use and discard over 500 million plastic straws every day? That’s enough straws to fill 125 buses. These straws are not recyclable and no matter where it goes, that plastic represents a whole lot of non-renewable petroleum going to waste.
Local businesses in Bedfordview have taken note of a growing call for the reduction in plastic use and have stepped up to meet the challenge.
Doppio Zero is doing more than just tackling the issue of single-serving straws and are committed to going greener in other aspects of their business. “While we are trying to reduce the number of straws we use at Doppio Zero, we are committed to reducing our plastic waste footprint as a whole, and we are making progress with other green initiatives such as biodegradable packaging, and biodegradable cleaning products,” said Doppio Zero Marketing Coordinator Tarryn Nash.
Tashas Bedfordview has also stepped up to the plate;
“We are overwhelmed with the positive response to our move to do away with plastic straws. While the biodegradable ones are more expensive, they take 6 months to a year to decompose while the plastic straws never do. We are passionate about our entire business moving away from single-use plastic and will be launching new packaging shortly,” says Natasha Sideris, Managing Executive for Tashas.
“While it will cost more to our business in the short term, we feel that we must do our best to do what we can to reduce plastic waste. It is a move that we encourage and challenge all businesses to take,” Natasha concluded.
Plastic drinking straws fall into the category of “single-use plastics”. These items are typically used just once – on average for only 12 minutes – before being discarded and are estimated to be about 50% of the plastic we use today. Much of it is not recyclable nor does it break down in the environment. As much as 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year. It hurts wildlife, threatens the safety of the ocean, fisheries, and human health. In shoreline litter clean-ups, plastic straws are consistently one of the top 10 items collected.


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Retail Giant Apologises For Inappropriate Christmas Sweater
Ho ho ho or no no no?
American retail giant Walmart has issued an apology over a Christmas sweater meant for adults which showed Santa Claus with cocaine.
The sweater appeared on their Canadian website, reports Global News Canada.
After the sweater was attacked on social media for being inappropriate, along with other questionable sweaters, the retail store decided to pull the range from sale.
“These sweaters, sold by a third-party seller on Walmart.ca, do not represent Walmart’s values and have no place on our website,” a spokesperson told the outlet.
We have removed these products from our marketplace. We apologise for any unintended offense this may have caused.
The sweater depicted Santa sitting down along with three lines of a white substance, assumed to be cocaine and was accompanied with the phrase 'let it snow'.
“We all know how snow works. It’s white, powdery and the best snow comes straight from South America,” the description read according to Twitter.
“That’s bad news for jolly old St. Nick, who lives far away in the North Pole. That’s why Santa really likes to savor the moment when he gets his hands on some quality, grade A, Colombian snow.”
Other sweaters depicted Santa roasting his 'nuts' as well as being whipped by a white-haired dominatrix, resembling Mrs. Claus.
While some shoppers found the range inappropriate, others suggested people are too easily offended, pointing out the sweaters were clearly meant to be humorous for adults.
"Thanks for ruining the fun. Would have liked to purchase this nice sweater," wrote one.
"Hilarious!" commented another.
Featured image: Walmart


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Lamborghini’s show-stopper of a concept car wasn’t ever meant to preview a production vehicle, but that might be about to change. Continue Reading...
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Hyundai has finally decided that its Sonata Hybrid doesn’t need dramatic styling differences from the standard gasoline model. Continue Reading...
Toyota has a lot riding on the new Prius, and its design is major part of the upcoming car’s package. Continue Reading...
The next-generation BMW 5 Series has begun testing on roadways. Continue Reading...
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BMW’s lightweight plug-in hybrid i8 sports car is the 2015 AutoGuide.com Reader’s Choice Green Car of the Year. Continue Reading...
Jaguar Land Rover has filed to trademark a new nameplate in the U.S. and Europe that could signal plans for a new model. Continue Reading...
Porsche’s limited run of 918 Spyder supercars is almost completely sold out. Continue Reading...
The Toyota Prius will hold technology in common with the company’s hybrid race cars. Continue Reading...


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Cisco Systems and LexisNexis Group were social media marketing headliners at BtoB's second annual Social Media Marketing Awards presentation, held May 24 in New York. Both topped their categories in “Peo-ple's Choice” awards balloting as the top b-to-b social media marketing programs of the year, joining a lineup of award winners in a variety of social media segments.
Communications technology company Cisco took its second straight People's Choice award in the tech company category, recognized this year for a viral video campaign in support of its ASR 9000 network router.
While watching a live streaming video, viewers were able to operate a robot arm to yank a switch processor card out of the ASR 9000—essentially, to break it—to observe the impact on video performance.
The 100-second invitational video was posted on YouTube in October 2010 and promoted through banner ads, blogs, email blasts and social networks. In the first four months, the promotion drove nearly 6,000 video impressions, 500 contacts from interested users, 216 demos and 60 qualified leads.
“Our goal was to empathize with customer challenges in producing high-quality video delivery,” said Stephen Liu, director-service provider marketing at Cisco. “We wanted to make high-definition video delivery synonymous with our product.”
Cisco also was able to attribute more than $80 million in revenue to the effort.
Cisco has had continuing success with social gaming. Last year at BtoB's inaugural
Social Media Marketing Awards, the company took home a People's Choice award for its myPlanNet campaign, a downloadable simulation game in which participants played the role of a corporate CEO solving business problems using Cisco products.
Database information company LexisNexis won People's Choice in the non-tech category for its closed community, the LexisNexis Investigators Network, designed to provide peer-to-peer networking between law enforcement investigators who subscribe to the company's Accurint law enforcement database service.
The company not only wanted to drive engagement but also distinguish itself from rival database products. The solution was to provide an exclusive community where local, state and federal law enforcement officers could swap ideas, track evidence and share best practices.
“We wanted our law enforcement customers to "entrench' with us, stick with us,” said Terri Beck, senior director-marketing for the company's government and healthcare division. Introduced last April, the community currently boasts more than 6,200 members.
“The community provides a venue for officers to talk to each other, helping them solve crimes,” Beck said. “Our C-suite kept urging us to add members, and we did; but I kept urging engagement—how many people are continuing to come back to the site—and their time on the site.”
Other People's Choice finalists were EMC and Microsoft Corp. in the tech company category, and Firehouse.com and Omni Hotels in the non-tech category.


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Software Development Trends to Watch in 2021
The end of this unprecedented year is around the corner, so the time is right to try and predict what lies ahead in the foreseeable future in the realm of software development. As 2020 has shown us, no one can see how the future will unfold, but it’s best to be prepared. In this article, we will discuss technologies and software development trends that are likely to gain momentum in the upcoming year. Let’s dive in!
Online meetings have become the necessary evil during the pandemic. Meetings come in all shapes and forms (standups, brainstorm sessions, water-coolers, one-on-ones), and understandably, this sphere has become extremely lucrative for startups. Entrepreneurs now come up with different ways to optimize meetings. Some offer automated scheduling, slide share tools, and interactive backgrounds. Others provide a way to gauge the participants’ morale using facial recognition techniques. As virtual work keeps its expansion, we will probably see the rise in software that boosts our meeting experience.
Progressive and hybrid development
Progressive web applications (PWA) is a popular approach to app development where applications can work across all platforms. Hybrid applications are usually handled by one team of developers, while for native apps, you typically need two separate teams, iOS and Android.
Today’s popularity of React Native (42% of developers use it for their mobile apps, according to JetBrains’ The State of Developer Ecosystem 2020) can underpin the fact that hybrid development isn’t likely to lose momentum next year.
Our developers from NCube work with React Native to create a real-time data analytics product, such as the case of FRST.
The most significant benefit of a hybrid approach is that the products turn out to be lightweight, adaptable to any screens, and are on the major search engines’ radar. It’s advocated by big names like Pinterest, Twitter, Forbes, among others.
ALIBABA, the world’s leading online trading B2B platform, is making an excellent use case of PWA. After a futile attempt to divert users to the app, they decided to go with a browser experience, which many of their users preferred. It resulted in:
- 76% higher conversions across browsers
- 14% more monthly active users on iOS; 30% on Android
- 4X higher interaction rate from Add to Home Screen
On the other hand, native app development isn’t going anywhere. According to Forbes, the financial and banking industry will continue to rely on native development since it offers top-notch mobile experience, the highest security levels, and flawless performance. These parameters are critical for this industry.
Internet of Things
IoT has permeated our lives, and it continues to ingrain in it deeper and deeper. The world of connected cars, smart homes and cities, and industrial IoT will continue its global expansion in 2021. There is a handful of cases for IoT implementation that will be trendy, including the next:
Connected cars – we can hardly call this year a successful year for this industry, but it’s expected that the revenue will break from its flat state in late 2021.
Virtual healthcare – The new demands imposed by the pandemic fueled finding the solutions to regulatory and infrastructure challenges that had previously been insurmountable. That will remove all the barriers to telemedicine that, at its heart, relies on IoT. As such, we can expect a rise in IoT-powered devices that track patients’ healthcare.
Virtual education – In times of pandemic, IoT can add value to the academic process with a wide range of connected devices that help bring teachers and students closer.
IoT and AI convergence – the duo of AI and IoT (AIoT) refers to making the Internet of Things perform intelligence tasks by integrating Artificial Intelligence. The Artificial Internet of Things helps connect IoT devices with sensors that are integrated with AI capabilities, all without bringing a human into the loop.
Human Augmentation embraces technologies that help people replicate, supplement, or exceed their natural abilities. These technologies are a set of devices and implants built into the body. Some of them can replicate an amputated limb, translate sign language into speech, restore sight or hearing, create organic tissues. Others enable us to do things beyond human ability, like exoskeletons providing artificial strength and endurance or earbuds that translate from foreign languages. New human augmentation technologies are underway.
Processing and analyzing sizable datasets is still a challenge for many organizations. However, a set of tools appeared that allow for immediate data processing, taking out the problem of storing data after calculating. Thus, data processing framework skills will be in high demand. Big Data is also a cornerstone in discovering new medicines, combating climate change, and NLP (Natural Language Processing).
Virtual reality experiences
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies are firmly established on the market, and it has been so even in pre-pandemic times. But during this unprecedented year, when the amenities of the physical works became unavailable, the immersive tech came to the rescue, helping simulate the real world and let customers shop the way they used to.
Accenture reports that immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality and 3D content can enhance consumer purchasing confidence and increase online sales. In fact, 64% of leading consumer brands are starting to invest in immersive experiences.
Virtual reality technologies have been on the rise during the lockdown, especially in tourism. Many tourists have gotten an alternative with AR/VR’s help – immersing themselves in locations they couldn’t visit otherwise, such as museums, thematic parks, landmarks. We can say that the global lockdown drives virtual reality adoption, and it looks like this business will be on the rise next year.
More affordable AI
AI will continue permeating all aspects of our lives, and we will see its capabilities implemented across healthcare, education, finance, and entertainment. AI is the force that helps businesses automate their mundane tasks and workflows, provide personalized experiences, and optimize the budget. As a matter of fact, the AI market promises to reach $156.5 B in revenue by the end of this year. Thus, it looks like there is going to be considerable demand for AI software development skills in the next few years.
There is an increasing need to double down on cybersecurity. As technology advances, the number of cyberattacks proliferates. This year, businesses suffered data breach losses worth of $3.86M, according to IBM. The number will inevitably go up in 2021, given that more and more companies are joining the virtual work movement. That puts cybercriminals in a good position to attack using malware, phishing, and other means. Companies can safeguard their data by eliminating vulnerabilities in their firewalls (and outside it) and implementing machine learning algorithms for fraud detection. A good solution to ward off cybercriminals is to use Blockchain capabilities.
Building a software solution requires a large team of software developers, which poses challenges for smaller companies. Low code development platforms significantly cut investments into software development and let businesses quickly build a good solution.
Hence, the global low code development platform market size is anticipated to reach USD 83.5 billion by 2028 with over 36% CAGR.
Low-code platforms are the driving force that can transform the software market by providing simple interfaces to help people build apps quickly and with minimum investment.
2020 has shaken up our lifestyle, prompted new buying behavior, and fueled new software development trends. Businesses that compete in the saturated market must embrace the challenges and adjust to the continually evolving IT industry. Trends are always hard to adopt, and starting with novel technologies can be a challenge. If you want to make the most of them in the upcoming year, building a skillful software development team is necessary. Contact us to talk about your development needs.


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It’s not just the iPhone 5 Apple (AAPL) has been selling like crazy ; a bunch of older iPhones are still selling as well. And the prove of that is Verizon’s (VZ) latest financial results for the third quarter of 2012.
The nation’s second-largest carrier revealed in its earnings call Thursday morning of activating a total of 3.1 million iPhones in the 3rd quarter, only 651,000, or 21%, of which were the new iPhone 5 that saw supply constraints. That means the remaining 2.5 million iPhones sold by Verizon were older models like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.
“The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S should continue to be good drivers in the fourth quarter given their recent reduced pricing and some potential continued supply issues related to the iPhone5, so their contribution to the total iPhone activations should not be underestimated,” Julien Blin, an analyst at Infonetics was quoted as saying to CNET.
According to AllthingsD’s John Paczkowski, “the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S will continue to drive sales at the lower end of the market, as the iPhone 5 drives sales at the higher end.”
Paczkowski’s observation echoes that of Fran Shammo, Verizon’s chief financial officer, who said on a conference call with analysts that the company expects sales of the iPhone to accelerate in the fourth quarter.
Of the 6.8 million, Verizon reported selling 3.4 million Android smartphones in the 3rd quarter, underscoring the carrier’s diversification strategy of its portfolio of mobile products.
Verizon recorded earnings of $1.6 billion for the quarter, up 16% from a year ago, on revenues of $29 billion on a consolidated basis, an increase of 3.9% y/y. It activated 400,000 more iPhones in Q3 compared to Q2.
It remains to be seen how many iPhones rivals AT&T (T) and Sprint (S), sold in the period, with both companies set to report their earnings next week.
Apple, for its part will report its fourth fiscal quarter on Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET
AAPL traded lower on Thursday, ending the session at $632.64 (52 wk range: $354.24 – $705.07), down $11.97, or 1.86 percent. Volume: 17M.
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China’s e-commerce market rose a stunning 45.3 per cent to 4.98 trillion yuan ($807 billion) during the first half.
If online sales continue to grow at this pace for the full year, China could overtake US as the largest online market by the year’s end.
Retail sales through the web grew 7.7 per cent while sales from mobile devices increased 55.8 per cent.
Sales via mobile are expected to grow more as smartphone recorded sales of 244.4 million units in the first half.
E-commerce is particularly booming in Chinese small towns. Taobao’s report in July showed that people in counties and townships spent an average of 5628 yuan per person online, almost 1000 yuan more than their urban peers.
McKinsey Global Institute’s report revealed that for every 100 yuan spent online, 57 yuan is spent by consumers in third and fourth-tier cities.


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Several months into the current COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed the effects of unprecedented government and central bank policy responses that have sought to protect lives and support economic growth. Trillions of dollars have been spent to support unemployed workers and credit-constrained businesses, asset markets have been flushed with liquidity, and physical-distancing measures have been instituted to keep society functioning safely albeit with reduced economic throughput and economies of scale.
While the timing of suitable vaccine discovery and deployment is uncertain (the joint Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine currently shows promise) – and it will take months for vaccines to reach the planet’s billions – the economic consequences of the pandemic are becoming clearer.
In my April Market Watch article, I argued that we would not see a V-shaped economic recovery and that, absent a miracle cure, we would see rolling lockdowns as waves of the virus re-emerged. Since then, US initial jobless claims and unemployment levels continue to remain stubbornly high and the rapid initial rebound in economic growth is now starting to wane. This trend will likely continue as parts of the world once again lock down.
For example, Melbourne, parts of Catalonia in Spain, and parts of Xinjiang in China have recently entered into new lockdowns while US state governors in California and Texas have rolled back measures to reopen society. And where governments have prioritised economics over health safety, businesses and individuals are self-imposing measures to maintain physical distance.
What is becoming clear is that we are not experiencing a V-shaped economic recovery even though we are witnessing a V-shaped market recovery despite numerous risks lurking in the background (e.g., faltering trade relationships with China, uncertainty over Brexit, etc.). While the world awaits vaccine deployment, governments and central banks plan to spend more to support economic growth; the IMF forecasts that global debt-to-GDP will increase by 19 percentage points in 2020 alone. With this continued public spending, investors are asking whether higher inflation will follow.
The answer is probably no in the shorter term and potentially yes in the longer term.
Inflation in the shorter term
Aware of the large bill coming due post-pandemic, governments are beginning to identify ways to more carefully spend money in preparation for future waves of the virus. Meanwhile central banks, taking the lead from the Bank of Japan, are exploring policy options such as yield curve control (i.e., capping longer-term interest rates through episodic rather than regular bond purchases) to help curtail balance-sheet growth.
Mindful of government and central bank budget constraints, consumers are pre-emptively saving as insurance against unemployment expanding beyond the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. It is not inconceivable that job cuts will expand to more economic sectors as companies combat profit-margin compression, which has resulted from lower spending and rising costs related to supply chain disruptions, physical-distancing measures, and reduced economies of scale. More unemployment could pose new challenges just as economies start to heal.
With lower private sector, and potentially less incremental public sector, spending in the shorter term, price increases should remain subdued over the next few years. Furthermore, new waves of the virus will almost guarantee that more people will stay at home and spend less, forcing producers to discount prices. If people have ventured out this summer while the virus has remained present, the upcoming flu season will certainly give them pause as they face challenges distinguishing between cold symptoms and those of COVID-19. Masks will increasingly become ubiquitous and responses to sneezes could evolve to “bless you…and please bless all of us too!”
Inflation in the longer term
Predicting inflation dynamics in the longer term is tricky due to many moving parts.
From a debt-management perspective, it is unclear what combination of reduced spending, tax increases, debt defaults, and artificially suppressed interest rates below rates of inflation, will keep government debt loads manageable.
With voters potentially staring at some form of wealth destruction in their rear-view mirrors coupled with rising societal pressures to eschew economic inequality, reduced government spending and personal tax increases will not be popular amongst low and middle-income voters. Instead, the world will likely see some combination of higher inflation, debt forgiveness, and higher wealth and corporate taxes to offset rising debt loads.
Thus, absent a boost in productivity growth, which has remained elusive over the last several years, higher inflation may be a palatable solution to reduce public debt.
Higher productivity growth, however, cannot be ruled out. Provided that zombie companies, supported by artificially low borrowing costs, do not lower productivity, increasing cooperation between public- and private-sector organisations along with improved adoption of remote working technology, could finally lead to improved productivity. Rising consumer confidence post pandemic, coupled with higher productivity growth could lead to consumers deploying precautionary savings, leading to significant upward price pressures. Meanwhile, central banks, having undershot inflation targets for years, may be reluctant to hike interest rates despite rising inflation. Thus, higher inflation, with or without higher productivity growth, is likely.
Protecting against inflation and wealth erosion
Investors seeking protection against higher inflation may want to reconfigure their portfolios. With current bond yields extremely low, if not negative, in most developed economies, longer-term bonds no longer offer sufficient protection in multi-asset portfolios and investors may need to explore fixed-income substitutes.
While valuations may be lofty in some areas, residential real-estate investments with high occupancy rates may offer fixed-income like characteristics and protect against higher inflation provided that investors are comfortable with less liquidity (i.e., it is harder to quickly sell real-estate assets than developed world government bonds).
Adding gold to portfolios is another option although, at current levels, a lot of future inflation is already priced in.
On the contrary, inflation-linked bonds are not pricing in high future inflation and may be good substitutes for traditional bonds. Unlike traditional bonds, inflation-linked bonds make payments that are tied to inflation indices such as the Consumer Price Index. While gold prices have risen to above US$1,800 per ounce in response to high public spending, inflation-linked instruments are still pricing in 10-year average inflation below 2% as seen in Figure 1. Finally, shares of companies selling mostly inelastic goods (i.e., goods purchased regardless of price) may fare well in an environment of higher inflation and could be suitable investments if purchased at appropriate valuations.
Navigating the complexities of protecting against higher inflation is not easy but something that should be top-of-mind for investors preparing for a post-pandemic world. Consulting a financial advisor in the current environment would be well advised.
Zafrin Nurmohamed is a Senior Portfolio Manager, Asset Management, at Butterfield.
Sources: Bloomberg, Economist, Financial Times, Forbes
Disclaimer: The views expressed are the opinions of the writer and whilst believed reliable may differ from the views of Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited. The Bank accepts no liability for errors or actions taken on the basis of this information.


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Pro-life organisation, Faces of Choice has been denied a commercial place during the Super Bowl ads.
After initial approval of the story board months ago, the Fox legal department then used delay tactics to censor the pro-life ad.
Lyric Gillett, founder of Faces of Choice said, “We were told over and over again ‘you’re going to get an answer’, but we never got anything.”
Eventually, after months of follow up Gillett was informed that the advertising slots had sold out.
“I think it’s very clever what they’re doing. If they directly said ‘no’ then we could say ‘this is asinine, look at the suitable ad that Fox rejected’, but they haven’t directly said ‘no,’ they’ve ignored us, wasted our time, refused to give an answer and refused to either give us clearance or simply say ‘no,’” Gillett said.
When asked about her motives for creating an ad featuring abortion survivors, Gillett explained, “We simply want to tell their forgotten stories and there’s no larger mega-phone than the Super Bowl.”


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Qualcomm Investor Day 2021: Accelerating Market Success through Portfolio Diversification
For this vignette of a recent episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, Part of the 5G Factor series, analysts Ron Westfall and Shelly Kramer delve into the Qualcomm Investor Day 2021 event highlighted by CEO Cristiano Amon’s Keynote that talked about his vision for the company and propelling Qualcomm’s ongoing success through market diversification.
Futurum Tech Webcast
Featuring hosts Shelly Kramer and Daniel Newman
The Futurum Tech Webcast is a weekly podcast/webcast covering the latest in tech news, new products and services from leading technology companies, mergers and acquisitions, regulations and policy, and more. From startups to industry leaders, and from emerging tech to the latest in AI and cyber security, our team here at Futurum Research is covering it. The Futurum Research webcast, led by founders and principal analysts Daniel Newman and Shelly Kramer, also features analysts Fred McClimans, Olivier Blanchard, and Ron Westfall, and they can be counted on to have lively discussions on a variety of relevant, timely topics.
You will also find the Futurum Tech Webcast featuring guests from some of the world's most interesting technology companies.
Subscribe now and stay connected to this exciting journey into the world of technology and the future of work.
For inquiries or more information on the show, please email the Futurum Research team at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow us on Twitter @FuturumResearch or visit us online at www.futurumresearch.com.
As a reminder, the Futurum Tech Webcast is intended as an informational webcast/podcast only. While publicly traded companies and equities are frequently discussed, the analysts on this show are not in any way offering financial or investment advice.


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Raast comes from the Urdu word “Raasta” which means “Direction or Way”, and so is the program launched this Monday, is anticipated to serve its purpose for the “Digital Pakistan Vision” of PM. It is the first major practical step taken to implement the “National Payments Strategy 2019” which State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) planned with help of World Bank. Raast initiative is also built in collaboration of SBP with Karandaz Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program will be rolled out in three phases till 2022. The first phase will focus on “bulk payment module which will include digitization of dividend payments, salaries, pensions and other payments of government departments”. While the next phases will focus on micro businesses and “person to person” payments. With Raast we can now expect digital cashless payments from government organizations who will be linked like never before with other financial institutions.
So why to be optimistic about Raast Initiative?
Raast is anticipated to shift Pakistan from a cash based informal economy to a digital one. Through digital formalization, government of Pakistan could target more in tax collection from a country where less than 1% of the population pays taxes while 0.15% of the taxpayers contribute to 70% of the total taxes.
“Raast will take the country away from addiction of cash economy”–PM Imran Khan in launch ceremony
One of the major hurdles in tax collection is the informal economy of Pakistan which is estimated to be 1/3 of it’s GDP and employs around 67% of urban employment (Dawn). This informal sector also complements the underrepresentation of the documented sector by providing undocumented resources such as labor outsourcing. Not only tax collection, Raast will also curb “illegal financial transactions” for which Pakistan has always been under international scrutiny (e.g. FATF).
Raast will also provide “digital, easy-to-use, efficient and cost-effective payment options to people of Pakistan” (SBP). These real time payment transactions will benefit businesses especially micro retailers, merchants, financial and monetary institutions in the private sector. But now through Raast, Government institutions would also be able to make such transactions. One can now expect digital cash transfers of government salaries, pensions and income support programs like BISP and Ehsaas programs. There are many avenues which will open for both private and public sectors and Raast will expect to pave direction for a better Digital Pakistan in the coming future.


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New Zealand Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker said he will hold talks with his Pacific Alliance counterparts in Mexico next week to “seek further progress” on a free trade agreement with the four-nation trade bloc, the world’s sixth-largest economy.
Last month, the Pacific Alliance—established in 2011 and made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru—admitted New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Canada as associate members.
Parker will attend the Pacific Alliance Summit in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, this weekend, he said in a statement, followed by a trip to Mexico City to promote the government’s new Trade for All agenda.
With a new government in Chile, and recent elections in Colombia and Mexico, the summit is an opportunity to engage with new political leaders in the region, Parker said in the statement.
“We see significant potential to promote integration within our region, demonstrate our shared commitment to free trade and reject the rising tide of trade protectionism in the world,” Parker said.
“A progressive, high quality and comprehensive trade agreement with the Pacific Alliance will create new opportunities by reducing barriers and levelling the playing field while deepening connections with all four countries,” according to Parker.
In Mexico City he will meet Mexican and New Zealand business representatives.
“This visit will be an important opportunity to grow our relationship with Mexico and look for new opportunities opened up by the CPTPP and the Pacific Alliance,” Parker said.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade pact signed by 11 countries in March following US withdrawal under President Donald Trump from an earlier version, will take effect 60 days after at least six countries complete their domestic procedures to ratify the deal.


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Which Car Seat Best Buys
Which?, the consumer focused watch dog, has just released (26th May 2011) its latest report on the best and worst car seats. There are some surprises with big name brands appearing as “Don’t Buys”. In one instance, Which? found a group 0+/1 seat that did so badly that they recommend you steer clear of it.
This year is the first time that Which? has also awarded a rear facing group 1 car seat as a best buy.
If you are thinking about buying a car seat then you should definitely read this report. However, if you already have a car seat I would certainly recommend reading their report too to make sure that you are not using one of the car seats classified as a “Don’t Buy” (there are 18 Don’t Buy recommendations)”.
Car seat brands reviewed include Bebe Confort, BeSafe, Brio, Britax, Chicco, Concord, Cosatto, Cybex, Graco, Hauck, I’Coo, Jane, Kiddy, Mamas & Papas, Maxi Cosi, Recaro, Safety 1st and Volvo


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The 2017 Detroit Auto Show is just around the corner and, as it happens before each major event, automakers are already teasing the cars that are set to debut at the Cobo Center. Honda is the latest to join the ranks by releasing a teaser picture of the fifth-generation Odyssey. Set to replace the current, six-year-old model at the end of the 2017 model year, the new minivan takes its cues from the JDM-spec version, which has been available in Japan since 2013.
The teaser shot suggests that the upcoming Odyssey will also retain some of the familiar styling cues of the existing model, including the lightning-bolt character line under the side windows, the V-shaped D-pillar, and the large taillights. However, the latter appear to be larger and heavily based on the Japanese model, while also featuring a new C-shaped LED signature. The side panels also seem to have a more sculpted design just above the side skirts, while the vehicle feels lower and wider overall. On the other hand, this is a conceptual rendering and likely depicts a car that’s more aggressive than the actual production model.
Honda has yet to launch a photo of the front fascia, but the Odyssey should carry a sportier design here too. Here, I expect it to borrow some cues from the Pilot SUV, including the angular headlamps and the large grille that descends deep into the front bumper. It should also have a more aggressive bumper design with LED daytime running lights and a wide mesh grille between them.
Inside, the Odyssey will get Honda’s latest technology and a design based on what we’ve seen in recently launched vehicles, including the Pilot. Hopefully the fifth-gen minivan will also get a vacuum cleaner integrated into the trunk. Under the hood, look for a revised version of the current 3.5-liter V-6 connected to either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic transmission. Output should see a mild increase over the fourth-gen models’ 248 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque.
Continue reading for the full story.


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Market Place; Taking On F.D.A. Is Costly to Barr
By Milt Freudenheim
Published: June 16, 1992
BARR LABORATORIES INC., a generic drug maker that was one of the first companies to blow the whistle on corrupt Federal drug officials three years ago, is still standing up to the Food and Drug Administration. And it seems to be paying heavily for its feisty attitude, even though a number of F.D.A. officials were later found guilty of taking bribes and manipulating the drug approval process.
In the latest of several simultaneous court battles involving the company and the Federal agency, the F.D.A. says Barr's manufacturing processes are "fundamentally flawed," and it is seeking to shut down Barr, which had $94 million in sales in the year ended June 30, 1991.
Barr announced in April that it was stopping production of some products and reducing its work force by 25 percent to try to settle its dispute with the F.D.A., which had been pressing since last winter to close the company completely while the company's asserted problems were straightened out. Barr said it lost $2.4 million on sales of $21.8 million in its third fiscal quarter, which ended March 31, compared with a profit of $1.3 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.
Analysts said the Government seemed set on showing that it would not tolerate challenges from drug companies. "It's like a policeman giving you a speeding ticket," said Hemant K. Shah, an independent analyst in Warren, N.J. "You don't punch him."
Barr shares have plummeted from a 12-month high of $37.50 last year to $6 yesterday on the American Stock Exchange, down $2.50 for the day.
Last Friday, the United States Attorney's Office asked a Federal district judge in White Plains to issue an injunction prohibiting Barr, based in Pomona, N.Y., from making and selling drug products "until Barr demonstrates that it is complying" with F.D.A. regulations. The Government contended that there were flaws in Barr's processes for making and testing low-priced versions of prescription drugs.
Barr said in a statement yesterday that the "F.D.A.'s allegations are either untrue or misrepresentative." Barr said that it "welcomes an opportunity to bring resolution to more than a year of F.D.A. investigations and three years of harassment," that began when Edwin A. Cohen, Barr's president, told Congress about corrupt regulators.
The company asked a Federal court in Newark on April 27 to require the F.D.A. to publish consistent rules for its enforcement actions and to stop maintaining an "alert list" of generic drug companies with possible manufacturing problems. An F.D.A. spokesman said the list had been quietly discontinued but Mr. Shah said the agency was still withholding approval of new products for companies like Barr.
In a third lawsuit in Federal court in Washington, Barr has accused F.D.A. officials of improperly showing its application for a generic version of Premarin, an estrogen treatment for problems after menopause, to the Wyeth-Ayerst unit of the American Home Products Corporation, which makes Premarin. Barr said the F.D.A. later rescinded approval that it had given for the Barr version.
And in a fourth lawsuit, Barr is asking a Federal court to invalidate patents on AZT, an AIDS treatment, of the Burroughs-Wellcome Company, a unit of the Wellcome Foundation Ltd. of Britain. Barr has filed for F.D.A. approval of a low-priced version of AZT. In a related development, Canada recently approved a generic version of AZT made by Apotex Inc., based in Toronto. Both Barr and Apotex are controlled by Barr's chairman, Bernard C. Sherman, a Canadian financier.
Jerry Treppel, an analyst with Furman Selz, said that recent Government attempts to close Barr and Zenith Laboratories, a generic drug maker based in Northvale, N.J., were "unprecedented." He noted that the Government did not try to shut several large drug companies even after people who used some of their products had died. Barr said all its products "are safe and effective." It said the Government's inspections "uncovered no incidents of fraud, misrepresentations, deception or any similar unlawful acts."
Mr. Treppel said he had begun advising investors "that it was time to leave" Barr when the stock was still in the high teens. He prefers generic drug makers that do not fight Federal regulators. These companies include Mylan Laboratories, based in Pittsburgh, (although Mylan also helped uncover corruption among the regulators three years ago); Moleculon, based in Elizabeth, N.J., and the Lemmon Company unit of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of Israel. Teva's American depository receipts are traded over the counter.
Mr. Shah also likes Mylan and Moleculon as well as Biocraft Laboratories, Fair Lawn, N.J., and Zenith, which agreed in April to fix the problems cited by Federal regulators. Zenith said yesterday that F.D.A. officials in Newark had rejected the previously agreed procedure, which the company followed, and told it to stop work at Northvale. Zenith said it was appealing that decision to senior F.D.A. officials.