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Smartphone brand Poco will launch two new smartphones in a mega event today. This includes Poco F4 5G and X4 GT. According to the company, both these smartphones will not be very expensive. The launch of the smartphone will happen in an online event which will be hosted on the company’s YouTube…
Smartphone brand Poco will launch two new smartphones in a mega event today. This includes Poco F4 5G and X4 GT. According to the company, both these smartphones will not be very expensive. The smartphone will be launched at an online event which will be streamed on the company’s YouTube channel. This event will take place today at 5:30 pm. According to tech experts, the Poco F4 smartphone will be an updated version of the Redmi K40S. This smartphone is an advanced version of Poco F3. At the same time, Poco X4 GT has been developed by developing Redmi Note 11T Pro.
Expected Specifications of Poco F4 5G Poco F4 5G smartphone can get 6.67 inch Full HD + AMOLED display. With this, its refresh rate will be 120 Hz. The smartphone will be powered by a Snapdragon 870 processor, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
The smartphone will have triple cameras at the back, with a 64-megapixel (MP) primary camera with OIS support. Apart from this, there will also be an 8-megapixel (MP) ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel (MP) macrosensor. It also has a 20-megapixel (MP) front camera for taking selfies and making video calls. The smartphone could have a 4500 mAh battery, which would be equipped with the feature of 67W fast charging.
Expected Specifications of X4 GT
The Poco X4 GT smartphone can have a 6.6-inch Full HD + IPS LCD panel. Also, there can be a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The smartphone can also have 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage with Dimensity 8100 chipset. In this too, there will be a triple camera setup like the Poco F4 5G and a 20-megapixel (MP) front camera. This smartphone will have 5080 mAh battery with 67W fast charging feature.
The price of Poco F4 5G will start from Rs. This model has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. At the same time, its second model has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Its price is Rs 42,650. This smartphone is available in Moonlight Silver and Night Black color options.
The price of Poco X4 GT will start from Rs.33750. This model has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Its second model has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Its price is Rs 35500. This smartphone is available in Black, Blue and Silver color options.
These smartphones will be launched in India in the same smartphone market, these smartphones will compete with Iku Neo 6 and OnePlus Nord 2T. OnePlus Nord 2T has also not been launched in the market yet. The company will launch it in the Indian market. At the same time, Poco X4 GT will initially be sold in Europe. And later the company may launch it in India. Poco F4 5G will be available in the market from June 27. At the same time, Poco X4 GT will also be available for buyers from July 4.
Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Prachand.in. Publisher: Bhaskar News


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U.S. pop-singer Madonna announced plans on Thursday to open a second Hard Candy Fitness Center in Moscow by mid-March 2011.
"It's especially exciting to have the second Hard Candy Fitness open in Moscow as I really enjoyed the city and the people when I visited during my 'Sticky & Sweet Tour'," Madonna said in a press release on her website.
The gyms aim to reflect Madonna's vision of what an ideal gym should be, including music, lighting and overall design. The new 35,000 square foot center will be located near the Red Square.
The pop-singer founded the concept gym in partnership with her manager Guy Oseary and the New Evolution Ventures (NEV) company.
The new Moscow center will also include a partnership with Irina Razumova, founder of the popular Russian chain Planet Fitness, the press release said.
Following the successful opening of a Hard Candy center in Mexico City last week, the pop singer plans to open gyms in Argentina, Brazil, Europe and Asia.
MOSCOW, December 9 (RIA Novosti)

domain: news


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Tesla owner Elon Musk tweeted that he will probably open a factory in India if successful with imported vehicles. According to sources, Tesla had written to the ministry for reduced import duties on electric vehicles. "We are hopeful that there will be at least a temporary tariff relief for electric vehicles," Musk wrote. Others had previously have persuaded for reduced duties but were always met with resistance from the government.
The fire which broke out in a shoe factory in Peeragarhi Udyog Nagar has led to the disappearance of six employees, and no bodies have been found so far. Notably, fire control room had received a call around 8:22 AM. Reportedly, 31 fire tenders and more than 50 firefighters indulged to extinguish the fire. The police have added five-six persons in the godown to the suspect list.
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
In a raid at two factories in Delhi’s Narela region, the Rescue Foundation with the help of local authorities freed 61 child labours including 13 girls. Aged between 12-17 years, the children were trafficked from Bihar and employed as bonded labourers in a footwear and geyser manufacturing firm. Moreover, they were forced to work at the factory for Rs 100-150/day. Reportedly, police have filed a case against the owners and sealed the units… read-more
In a tragic incident, four people have been killed after a factory's roof had collapsed in New Delhi’s Khayala area on December 19. In addition to it, two people have been critically injured due to the accident. Police have confirmed that around six labourers, including three women, were in the building during the accident. Moreover, the cops have charged the factory's owner Mahendra Pal regarding the accident.
Courtesy: Zee News
Toyota Kirloskar has termed the strike at its Bidadi factory as illegal. Reportedly, the company claimed that the sit-in-strike by over 1200 workers at the company premises was unlawful. Consequently, the company has conveyed its dealers and suppliers that they have to declare lockout until further notice due to unfavourable work environment. It confirmed that the strike was held for opposing a disciplinary action taken against an employee… read-more
Courtesy: Economic Times


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STEM professionals need a math software that is accurate, clear, secure, adaptable and fast
Savio Tovar Dias, senior director - Sales Engineering, Avaya International EMEA and APAC, talks about the company’s UC leadership and how it is baking engagement, empowerment and optimisation into its DNA.
Keri Gilder, vice president and general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ciena on why we need networks that can take advantage of software automation without relinquishing complete control
GDPR could improve data handling, if companies implement it properly and break old habits, says Sergey Ozhegov of SearchInform
Collaborative environments that focus on innovation are key to driving digitisation, writes Hussain Al Mahmoudi of Sharjah RTI Park
Raj Mistry, group director of retail at Dimension Data, looks at how regional retailers can leverage their data to transform their businesses.
Developers can add value with smart real estate, says Spyros Salpeas of Orange Business Services
Christian Reilly of Citrix explains how CIOs need to build the culture and talent to harness new technology
Sergey Ozhegov, CEO of SearchInform, discusses how the biggest security risk may well be the insider
Chen Lifang, corporate senior vice president and director of the board, Huawei on how technology can help us build a more equitable, sustainable world
Necip Ozyucel, cloud & enterprise business group lead, Microsoft Gulf on how human intelligence can exist with AI for mutual benefit
Nassir Ghrous, SVP, banking & payment for CISMEA region for Gemalto discusses why digital payments will not kill the humble EMV card
Florian Malecki, international product marketing director, StorageCraft, on how businesses can handle the explosion in unstructured data
As smartphone sales slip, Isaac Ngatia of IDC asks what next for the region’s mobile market
Harb Bou-Harb, senior education director, Microsoft Middle East & Africa argues that we must prepare today’s youth for our digital future


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Fixed price of Rs. 75 for coconut through Lanka Sathosa – Bandula
Consumers can purchase coconuts at a fixed price of Rs. 75 per nut from Lanka Sathosa outlets throughout the year, Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said.
He said consumers would be able to purchase five nuts as the sale is based on retail and not wholesale.
With the rise in coconut prices, the Ministry of Plantation Industries and the Coconut Research Institute (CRI) collaborated with the Ministry of Trade and Lanka Sathosa to sell coconuts at a lower price, he added.
The agreement was signed by Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris, Chairman of Lanka Sathosa and Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma, Chairman of CRI.
Accordingly, the pilot project will be implemented in the Colombo District.
Those who are unable to buy coconuts can buy export quality coconut milk instead, amounting to the price of two coconuts at Rs.150, he said. Minister Gunawardana stated if coconut prices crash in the market, the savings will be passed on to the consumers through Sathosa.
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From sleek smartphones to the latest tablets and next-generation gaming consoles, David Phelan picks his favourite devices
Like this page on Facebook for updates
Thursday 18 October 2012
These speakers – whether mini or massive - combine great sound quality and a pleasing lack of wires to tangle with...
Sunday 07 October 2012
Days after announcing her departure from the helm of Financial Times owner Pearson, Dame Marjorie Scardino is preparing to give up a second high-profile role.
Saturday 06 October 2012
Booming sales of Galaxy smartphones put Samsung on course for another record quarter as the South Korean giant shrugged off its recent legal defeat to rival Apple.
Wednesday 03 October 2012
Superfast 4G services will be available in 10 cities across the UK by the end of the month, the owner of Orange and T-Mobile said today.
Tuesday 02 October 2012
Crunch talks will be held tonight between mobile phone operators and regulators in a move that could result in superfast 4G services being launched within weeks.
Tuesday 28 August 2012
The South Korean electronics giant Samsung took a $12bn (£7.6bn) body-blow yesterday as investors dumped its shares in the wake of its defeat by rival Apple in a bitter US patent row, which could lead to some of its models being banned.
Saturday 28 July 2012
Samsung's Galaxy smartphones are outselling rival Apple's iPhones by nearly two to one, leading to record second-quarter profits for the Korean technology giant.
Friday 20 July 2012
Nokia has admitted to another quarter of massive losses as it watched Apple and Samsung continue to ride roughshod through the smartphone market.
Thursday 19 July 2012
Nokia's net loss more than tripled in the second quarter on sagging sales of smartphones, a market in which the company is struggling to regain ground lost to rivals including Apple and Samsung.
Friday 15 June 2012
Nokia is to slash 10,000 – or one in five – jobs and sell its luxury mobile phones brand Vertu to EQT Partners in the latest blow to the once-mighty Finnish telecoms company.
Thursday 14 June 2012
Nokia has announced it will lay off 10,000 workers worldwide by the end of 2013 in a further drive to save costs.
- 1 Hundreds arrested as Canadian police smash worldwide paedophile ring
- 2 Sherlock series 3: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman provide teasers for the biggest comeback in British television
- 3 The man who made Femen: New film outs Victor Svyatski as the mastermind behind the protest group and its breast-baring stunts
- 4 Mass murder in the Middle East is funded by our friends the Saudis
- 5 Japan cracks down on leaks after scandal of Fukushima nuclear power plant


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By Danielle Wiener-Bronner, NCS Business
McDonald’s celeb meal technique and revamped hen sandwich lineup is working.
Sales at US shops open not less than 13 months jumped 25.9% previously quarter, which ended on June 30, beating analysts’ expectations. Sales at these shops grew 14.9% in comparison with the identical interval in 2019, earlier than the pandemic.
The chain began promoting the BTS Meal, named for the favored Ok-pop band, in May for a restricted time. It included a 10-piece order of Chicken McNuggets, medium fries and Coke in addition to two dipping sauces — candy chili and Cajun flavors — impressed by McDonald’s South Korea recipes and new to the United States. It was the primary celeb collaboration to go on sale globally.
To help the promotion, McDonald’s introduced a limited-edition line of merchandise and ran a tv industrial, amongst different issues.
McDonald’s has seen success with its line of meals named for musicians and impressed by their preferences. Prior to the BTS collaboration, McDonald’s partnered with J Balvin and Travis Scott. The Travis Scott meal was so profitable, some places ran out.
The firm launched its much-anticipated line of hen sandwiches in February. Competition within the hen sandwich house has been heated, with Wendy’s, Burger King and others revamping their choices this yr. Popeye’s just lately launched a brand new spin by itself sandwich, which has been wildly successful, with bite-sized nuggets.
In addition to the menu gadgets, McDonald’s stated larger order sizes and greater menu costs helped its US enterprise develop within the quarter. Increases in supply and digital orders additionally helped.
The firm has tried to keep the momentum in on-line orders going with a national rewards program, launched in July. When clients order on-line, eating places find out about their preferences and have extra alternatives to maintain them engaged.
McDonald’s revenues reached $5.9 billion within the quarter, additionally beating Wall Street’s expectations. Globally, sales at eating places open not less than 13 months grew 40.5% because of looser pandemic restrictions, amongst different issues.
-— NCS Business’s Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


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Google has actually long been understood to cherished customers and also to this author as practically the only search engine with individuality, to internet as well as tech speculators as an organisation as well as market trendsetter, and also to early supply investors as a definitely boon for their retirement accounts. Probing all 3 can offer us some insight into the huge G’s think tank as well as whatever the huge announcement the firm is anticipated to launch today at the Gallery of Modern Art in San Francisco, and also could result in a great bump in the supply price.
You have actually undoubtedly seen as well as delighted in the “Google Doodles” on holidays, which describe the cute and celebratory animations that show up on Google’s homepage simply over the search box regularly. Whether it be Santa on a sled overtop a home with the Christmas lights spelling out the firm’s name, or much more recently, their April Fool’s joke logo designs (this year Google “announced” on July 1st they would be changing names with Topeka, Kansas, pointing out, “Topeka elected to bring super-fast broadband to the citizens of the Funding city through a program Google has released; Google was flattered and intended to return a nice gesture. Topeka, in return, would rename themselves Google, Kansas”), Google loves to display those doodles.
The Google Doodles go to it once again, but with no particular holiday or event to connect the brand-new doodles to, Internet-wide speculation has been triggered as well as the rumors are flying. You may have noticed yesterday on the Google homepage the flash animation over the search box of little displayed balls that would fly in every direction when a mouse barreled with them, only to clear up right into the acquainted Google logo design we’re used to on boring and also uneventful days.
The Google logo design is all grey upon impression. Beginning keying, however, and the letters start to colorize. So, why all the initiative?
Today, Google is taking control of the Gallery of Modern Art in San Francisco for a search occasion led by some of the company’s magnates and engineers. The occasion was introduced last Friday, as well as via a Twitter message, Google hinted the company has a news to make, but it’s truly any person’s hunch.
It’s evident to me that Google has some attribute or item or update they will certainly be presenting, and also the doodles and also Twitter messages is their means of claiming “it’s something huge”. The computer animations have one point alike – an instance of exactly how the user interface and also elements of a website can be adjusted without actually clicking anything. While that may be old innovation (Adobe pioneered Flash years ago), it’s innovation that Google has never especially embraced.
We’ll simply just have to wait and also see what Google claims at the Gallery of Modern Art later on today. In the meanwhile, it deserves noting what a disruptive and effective firm Google has actually been because its 1998 launch and subsequent preliminary public providing a year later on. The firm’s supply cost has multiplied five-fold in simply over ten years, an almost unusual task of excellent growth.
Early this year, Google also changed the company landscape not simply for American firms yet for an entire abroad country, as well as every person that watched the fiasco. The business made a public and also strong departure from China, with Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt claiming in a Newsweek article, “this isn’t an organisation decision.
From a corporate duty and values standpoint, it’s an absolute accomplishment. On among the last web pages in its IPO, Google composed a stipulation disclaiming that the company may not always act in the interests of the shareholders; that there might come a time when it will choose based upon its personality precepts as well as requirements for working. To choice to take out of China as well as defend what the firm counts on is a breath of fresh air in our scandal-plagues period or company irresponsibility.
You have actually definitely seen and delighted in the “Google Doodles” on vacations, which refer to the adorable and commemorative computer animations that show up on Google’s homepage just over the search box regularly. Whether it be Santa on a sled overtop a residence with the Christmas lights spelling out the company’s name, or extra just recently, their April Fool’s joke logo designs (this year Google “revealed” on July 1st they would certainly be switching over names with Topeka, Kansas, citing, “Topeka voted to bring super-fast broadband to the locals of the Resources city via a program Google has launched; Google was flattered as well as desired to return a great gesture. Topeka, in return, would certainly relabel themselves Google, Kansas”), Google enjoys to display those doodles.
Early this year, Google Google building also altered the company landscape not just for American companies however for an entire abroad country, Google building and everybody that watched the debacle. On one of the last web pages in its IPO, Google created a provision disclaiming that the company may not always act in the interests of the shareholders; that there may come a time when it will make choices based on its personality precepts as well as requirements for doing organisation.


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The crisis of Corona has shaken the economy of the whole world. Ever since the era of Corona crisis has started in the world, the possibility of most of the world’s economies going into recession has increased. And the war between Russia and Ukraine has added to this threat. This is the reason that now market experts believe that after just a few months, the world’s markets may see a recession like 2008.
Corona and Russia Ukraine war main causes of recession
Market experts have expressed the possibility that once again there is going to be a heavy downpour in the markets of the whole world. Corona and Russia-Ukraine war clouds have increased the chances of this downpour. Where the whole world was battling Corona for more than two years, the markets around the world were disturbed by the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Even though the fight is going on between two countries, but since this war has started. Since then its negative impact is being seen on the economies of the whole world. This war has created a new supply crisis in front of the already sluggish economies due to Corona.
The war has affected the supply chains of countries in Asia including America, Europe. This is the reason that now market experts are feeling that once again a recession like 2008 can knock in the world markets.
Till here Elon Musk, the world’s richest industrialist is also worried about this apprehension, and uncertainties continue in the Indian markets as well.
What is an economic recession?
The meaning of meaning is taken from money i.e. finance, so is lack of money an economic madness? No, actually the progress of any country depends on the economy of that country. The rapid development of the economy is an indicator of the progress of that country.
But when the country’s economy stagnates for at least three consecutive quarters, unemployment starts increasing in the country, inflation starts rising, people’s earnings start decreasing more than expected. So this situation is called economic recession.
The possibility of economic recession has been greatly increased by Corona and the subsequent Russia-Ukraine war. This is the reason that now market experts are predicting the possibility of economic recession like 2008.
Which countries will be hit more by the recession?
Various institutions and firms working in such a field have alerted the world markets about the recession. It has been said in a report that within the coming one year i.e. within 12 months, most of the economies of the world will be in the grip of recession.
Further in this report it has been said that the central banks of the world are adopting strict policies to curb inflation, and the cost of living which is increasing day by day. This is what is pushing the world markets towards recession like 2008. And the big economies of the world like America, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Britain, etc. are increasingly at risk of falling into recession.
Strict policies of central banks are also leading towards recession.
These days, when the supply chain around the world is disrupted, when inflation has reached its peak. So at this time strict policies are being adopted by the central banks all over the world, so that they are able to control inflation by any means. But the positive impact on the economies is not visible due to their strict policies.
Global growth has been negatively affected by strict policies of central banks. This is the reason that there is a decrease in jobs in the markets of the whole world, there is a decrease in earnings. And due to rising inflation, the amount people are earning is also getting less.
Different countries will be affected differently by recession
According to the report, right now the world is not going to get rid of inflation. And now its pressure is visible not only in the commodity market, but also in the job sector. According to the same report by Nomura, inflation in America is breaking the record of the last 40 years. It is meant to say that in the last 40 years there has not been so much inflation in America as it is now.
The effect of economic slowdown can be different in different countries. And in many other countries including America, there is a possibility of economic slowdown between October and December. And once the recession hits, its impact is not going to end before six months.
If Russia stops gas supply, the whole of Europe may fall into recession
In the same report, it has been said that in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, the way European countries are seen making rhetoric against Russia. Such statements may have adverse effects in the times to come. And if Russia decides to take any action against European countries such as stopping gas supplies. So the whole of Europe will not be able to save itself from falling into recession.
It is expected that within the coming one year, the economy of European countries may see a decline of up to 1%. And countries with strong economies such as Australia, South Korea, Canada may see an adverse effect of increasing interest rates. It is even being estimated that the economy of South Korea may decline by 2 to 2.5% this year.
What will be the effect of economic slowdown on India
According to the report, India’s market will also not remain untouched by the economic slowdown. But the impact of this slowdown is expected to be less in large markets like India and China compared to European countries. The report believes that China will be able to deal with the economic slowdown on the basis of government policies. But the impact of Kovid 19 on China is likely to continue.
As far as India is concerned, the rate of wholesale inflation here has reached the highest level of the last sixteen years. In 1991, the rate of wholesale inflation had reached 16%, it is the same today. However, to control inflation, the Reserve Bank of India has increased the repo rate on two. But even this does not seem to reduce the problems of the common man.
The Indian rupee is also depreciating against the dollar, and is currently at the lowest level. But despite all this, the report believes that India will be able to deal with the economic slowdown.
What will be the condition of the stock markets
The same report also talks about the stock markets. In which it has been said that there is an environment of uncertainty, volatility in the markets around the world. And this is going to be their condition for some time to come. That is, there is no hope of any improvement in the condition of the stock markets as of now.


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LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of law enforcement officers on Friday raided Southern California auto parts shops and other businesses suspected of illegally selling nitrous oxide for use as a recreational drug, in what federal authorities said was the nation's largest such raid ever.
Authorities served search warrants on 17 businesses and nine delivery vehicles during the simultaneous raids in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
|The article you requested is no longer available on BostonHerald.com.|
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- nitrous oxide


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Netflix spent an estimated $8 billion on content this year in an effort to have 1,000 original shows and movies on the service. The show streams exclusively on Netflix in the USA, but in Australia, it streams through Stan and not Netflix. And in the meantime, it's reportedly squeezing $100 million out of Netflix to allow the company to have Friends for one last exclusive year, in 2019. Indeed, while Netflix's renewal of the license allows them to keep Friends in their library at least through the end of 2019, exclusivity is not guaranteed for the length of the deal.
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos told THR that Friends leaving Netflix soon was only "a rumour". And while Netflix squashed the cancellation rumors for now, it is widely believed the show will eventually move on to a streaming service to be launched by WarnerMedia next year, according to the Hollywood Reporter. However representatives for Warner Bros.
If you're a Friends fan who already has Netflix, what's the incentive to add on another subscription service just to get more of the same?
However, "Friends" may be entering its final year on Netflix, given that the show's owner, WarnerMedia, is debuting its own streaming service towards the end of 2019. It's possible that "glitch" was a premature sign of things to come.
Later in the day Netflix US cleared the air assuring fans that Friends will still be available throughout 2019 and the expiration date was removed. They may not be there for you forever.


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A new Lumia phone from Nokia, this year’s Google I/O and BlackBerry Live — yep, it was a pretty hectic week for us, but also a good seven days for tech news. Even if Google didn’t have any truly new hardware for us, it’s started up its own on-demand music service, gave us more details on Google Glass, redesigned its Maps and, well, it was a very long keynote. Join us after the break for a numerical breakdown of that and the rest of the week’s big news.
A new Lumia phone from Nokia, this year’s Google I/O and BlackBerry World — yep, it was a pretty hectic week for us, but also a good seven days for tech news. Even if Google didn’t have any truly new hardware for us, it’s started up its own on-demand music service, gave us more details on Google Glass, redesigned its Maps and, well, it was a very long keynote. Join us after the break for a numerical breakdown of that and the rest of the week’s big news.
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
Eyes in the design world turned to New York City this week as New York Design Week officially launched. We hit the floors of International Contemporary Furniture Fair today to bring you the best new green designs from one of the largest contemporary design shows in the US — including Blackbody’s gorgeous OLED light trees and Tat Chao’s ethereal LED lamps made from recycled wine glasses. We also checked out the locally focused BKLYN Designs show, where design duo Bower unveiled an awesome magnetic LED lamp, made from discarded pieces of scrap wood. Lighting designer Adam Frank unveiled three inspiring new designs at BKLYN Designs: the LED Lumen lamp, which casts tree-shaped shadows from a little candle holder; the incredible Reveal Projector, which projects an image of outdoor foliage and sky through a window on a blank wall (good for tiny NYC apartment dwellers); and the 3D Hologram-ish LUCID Mirror, which displays a 3D image of illuminated clouds over your head!
There’s a new kid on the Arduino block, and it’s called the Arduino Robot. Launched yesterday at Maker Faire Bay Area, it’s the company’s first product that extends beyond single microcontroller boards. The Roomba-like design, which we first saw in November 2011, is the result of a collaboration with Complubot. It consists of two circular boards, each equipped with Atmel‘s ubiquitous ATmega32u4 and connected via ribbon cable.
The bottom board is home to four AA batteries (NiMH), a pair of motors and wheels, a power connector and switch plus some infrared sensors. By default it’s programmed to drive the motors and manage power. The top board faetures a color LCD, a microSD card slot, an EEPROM, a speaker, a compass, a knob plus some buttons and LEDs. It’s programmed to control the display and handle I/O. Everything fits inside a space that’s about 10cm high and 19cm in diameter.
Pre-soldered connectors and prototyping areas on each board make it easier to customize the robot platform with additional sensors and electronics. It even comes with eleven step-by-step projects and a helpful GUI right out of the box. The Arduino Robot is now on sale at the Maker Faire for $275 and will be available online in July. Take a look at our gallery below and watch our video interview with Arduino founder Massimo Banzi after the break.
Gallery: Arduino Robot at Maker Faire 2013
There’s nothing more frustrating than watching a product or service get announced, then having to wait an age to try it out. Nintendo hears that, and has announced via Nintendo Direct, that during E3 week, Best Buy will have playable demos of as-yet released Wii U games in 100 stores across the US and Canada. Given that no one was likely expecting any new hardware from the firm, it’s clear the gaming stalwart is looking for other ways to stir-up some interest. There’s no mention of titles, so we’re left to assume they’d be the games announced at the show. Either way, scratch out that week in June to make sure you find out first hand. Scrub right to the end of the video past the break to see the announcement for yourself.
Virtual football enthusiasts excited for Madden 25 (it’s technically Madden 2014 marking 25 years of the franchise) may want to head over to Amazon if they’re serious about watching actual NFL games. The online retailer has an exclusive Anniversary Edition of the game up for pre-order, which comes bundled with a 17-week pass for both Madden Ultimate Team cards and computer and mobile access to NFL Sunday Ticket. On top of getting all the 2013 regular season’s out-of-market matches, DirecTV subscribers can also snag a $10-a-month discount on the TV version (normally $225) for one year with a pro bono MAX upgrade. Joystiq notes that only 100,000 copies are up for grabs, split evenly between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. All it takes to get in on the action starting August 27th is $100 — $40 more than the standard edition, which can net you up to $400 in total savings on the services. Hit up the source link if you’re ready to secure your copy.
A good acronym also hints at what it does, and Visteon‘s new intelligent in-car concept, HABIT, is a good example of that. The Human Bayesian Intelligence Technology system — to give it its full name — learns the behaviour of drivers so it can automatically change the temperature, heat the seats and drop that Biohazard album just when you need it most. Factors such as weather, time of day and real-time road conditions all play a part, plus, of course a log of all your typical in-car interactions. It promises to go above just warming your behind on a cold morning though, offering intelligence that would be able to divine local radio stations that play your kind of jam when you’re out of town. It could also seamlessly mix these with your local / tablet / smartphone library and internet sources. Sound a little too creepy? Wait until you see the computer-generated demo video presenter past the break.
We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Xan, who wants Cintiq functionality without paying Cintiq prices. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
“I’m a student and I’m considering staying on to do graphic design, and I really like the look of Wacom’s Cintiq devices. Unfortunately I couldn’t afford one even if I sold a kidney, so I was wondering if I could turn an Android tablet into a cheaper version? I figure a device like the Galaxy Note 10.1 with its Wacom digitizer would be a good fit, so is there a way to do it? Thanks!”
We’re sucking in air through our teeth, as we’re sorry to say, we can’t think of a way this could be done successfully. There’s a few problems like no software, a lack of bandwidth and doubts over the accuracy of a tablet to replicate such a sophisticated piece of hardware. That said, perhaps the forthcoming Surface Pro software update might solve this problem altogether, but an Android tablet? We’re not so sure. But if there’s anyone out there who has made it happen and wants to share their revelation, why not leave a note below?
Filed under: Peripherals
If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a new handset from Sony to the US and UK, updates to Nokia Creative Suite and three new (and very inexpensive) smartphones from Blu Products. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that’s happening in the mobile world for this week of May 13th, 2013.
The quantified self movement’s gaining steam, with companies creating all sorts of gadgets to track our activity levels, sleeping habits and even what’s going on inside our heads. Melon’s an EEG headband that taps into your brain’s inner workings to show you how well you maintain mental focus. We actually saw Melon’s prototype predecessor last year when it was called Axio, and while this new band packs largely the same components, the design’s been refined to a much thinner profile. As before, its got a trio of electrodes for sensing brainwaves, a NeuroSky chip for filtering out extraneous electrical noise and Bluetooth 4.0 for offloading data wirelessly. It sends data to iPhones (Android’s in development) running the Melon app, which translates that info into a focus graph — generally speaking, the higher the neural activity in your pre-frontal cortex, the higher your level of focus. Users then input contextual data tags like time of day, type of activity and the surrounding environmental conditions to allow them to track variables that may affect their focus.
Filed under: Wearables


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In a blog post today, Google laid out future plans for Google Play, touching on subjects like how they’ll bring clarity to billing policies, what they think can be done to help developers communicate with customers, and how they’ll bring equal treatment to all apps that are promoted on the platform. One of the other topics specifically addressed developer concerns over 3rd party app stores and how Google hasn’t always made them easy to install. With Android 12 next year, that should change.
Google acknowledged feedback from developers about the process while pointing out that they fully support distribution of apps outside of Google Play, noting that apps like Fortnite (lol) can be distributed directly to users or through another marketplace, including Samsung’s app store.
Still, installing a 3rd party app store that didn’t come preloaded can come with its own set of issues. With Android 12 (which is launching in 2021), Google plans to “make it even easier for people to use other app stores on their devices while being careful not to compromise the safety measures Android has in place.” They say they are “designing all this now” and will share more details in the future.
It’s an interesting idea for Google to now so openly acknowledge after all these years this is something they are super cool with. Not that I’ve ever thought Google was against 3rd party markets (many phones come with more than Google Play pre-loaded), but part of the reason no one promotes them is that you have to worry about security issues. And we all know how big of a deal security and public perception can be with mobile.
Anyway, Android 12 news!


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At ISE 2020 in Amsterdam, tvONE is launching CORIOmaster2, an all-in-one, multi-window video processor delivering "unprecedented processing power with more pixels than you will ever need."
The new fiber optic transmitter and receiver kit is designed for extending uncompressed 4K 60Hz HDMI 2.0 signals over long distances.
tvONE has begun shipping a new compact HDMI 2.0 splitter and distribution amplifiers series, the Magenta Research MG-DA-61x.
Bigger, brighter, and blending better into their environments, we examine how video walls are transforming the way we look at everything from entertainment to critical data.
tvONE is now shipping new enhancements to its CORIOmaster (4RU), CORIOmaster mini (1RU), and CORIOmaster micro (1/2 RU) video wall processors.
tvONE’s CORIOmaster has been chosen to drive projection walls at a 200-seat lecture theater at the University of Kent.
Ultra-thin 4x1 HDMI 2.0 switcher supports video resolution up to 4Kx2K@60Hz 4:4:4: HDR and provides 18Gbps of high bandwidth
tvONE has launched the CORIOmaster app, a control tool for CORIOmaster video wall processing systems.


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Realme 9i debuted in Vietnam earlier this week, and now India is about to welcome it. The Snapdragon 680-powered phone will arrive on January 18, according to the local branch of the company.
The screen of the affordable midranger is a 6.6” LCD with FullHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. Other highlights include a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging and a 50MP main camera.
The Realme 9i was announced with two memory options – 4/64 GB and 6/128 GB, and we’re wondering whether the company will bring them both to India. The company is promising more teasers in the upcoming days, but since specs are already known, we are mostly interested in the pricing of the phone.


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- Is AT&T the same as Sprint?
- Is Sprint being bought out?
- What happens to Sprint stock if merger?
- Is AT&T the worst carrier?
- Who has the best cell phone coverage?
- What happens to Sprint customers after merger?
- What happens to Sprint stock after merger?
- What’s the worst phone carrier?
- Is Sprint coverage as good as AT&T?
- Is switching to Sprint worth it?
- Is Sprint the worst carrier?
- How can I get AT&T to lower my bill?
- Is Sprint a good carrier?
Is AT&T the same as Sprint?
The fundamental difference between Sprint and AT&T is that they are CDMA and GSM respectively.
However, all LTE networks in the US are using GSM technology, which means that newer Sprint LTE-enabled handsets include a SIM card and may work on all GSM networks like T-Mobile and AT&T..
Is Sprint being bought out?
T-Mobile US has completed its long-pending acquisition of Sprint, the company said on Wednesday morning. … The deal combines the previously third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers, after Verizon Communications (ticker: VZ) and AT&T (T).
What happens to Sprint stock if merger?
And it is still the fourth-largest cell network by subscribers, and that certainly has at least some value. Under the original merger agreement, every 9.75 shares of Sprint would convert to one share of T-Mobile, translating to 81% upside for Sprint shareholders if the deal happened today.
Is AT&T the worst carrier?
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — AT&T remains the worst carrier in the United States, according to an annual customer satisfaction survey compiled by Consumer Reports and released on Tuesday. The mobile provider ranked dead last for the second year in a row, and its rating fell from 2010.
Who has the best cell phone coverage?
Who Has the Best Coverage? Verizon has the best cell phone coverage in the country (70%), followed by AT&T (68%), and T-Mobile (62%). Verizon boasts great cell phone plans and customer service, while AT&T is a good choice for its included perks (like free streaming subscriptions) and international privileges.
What happens to Sprint customers after merger?
Do Sprint customers need to do anything now that the merger is official? For now, all customers will stay with the same Sprint and T-Mobile network and service they’ve been using. Plus, Sprint customers now receive extended roaming capabilities on T-Mobile.
What happens to Sprint stock after merger?
T-Mobile shareholders will now get about 11 shares of Sprint (S) each in exchange for one share of T-Mobile. … After the merger is completed, Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank will be the largest owners of the new T-Mobile, with approximately 43% and 24% stakes in the company respectively.
What’s the worst phone carrier?
In a separate J.D. Power study, the 2020 U.S. Wireless Purchase Experience Full-Service Performance Study, Sprint also ranked lowest of the four major carriers….This Cellphone Carrier Has the Worst Network Quality, Customers…T-Mobile: 863 out of 1,000 points.Verizon: 838.AT&T: 837.Sprint: 808.
Is Sprint coverage as good as AT&T?
AT&T offers superior network coverage compared to Sprint. Sprint’s 4G network only reaches about 30% of the entire nation while AT&T’s reaches about 68% – that’s more than double Sprint’s coverage. Sprint does have the upper hand when it comes to pricing.
Is switching to Sprint worth it?
To be fair, Sprint’s service used to be notoriously terrible, but it’s gotten much better in the last few years. Nowadays, if you live in a city or a big suburb, Sprint will probably work fine for you. Still, for many people (especially those in rural areas), Verizon’s premium network will be worth the extra cost.
Is Sprint the worst carrier?
Sprint’s had a rocky few years. The carrier has the smallest network of any of the “big four” nationwide carriers, and thanks to T-Mobile’s Uncarrier strategy, its status as the number-one cheap cell company is under threat.
How can I get AT&T to lower my bill?
7 Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone BillOpt for autopay. Most wireless carriers will knock $5 to $10 off your bill if you sign up for automatic payments. … Switch to prepaid. … Change or remove your cell phone insurance. … Skip the phone upgrade. … Cash in on discounts. … Add lines. … Update your service address.
Is Sprint a good carrier?
Recap. Sprint may not be the best mobile carrier for everyone, but it does offer some unbeatable prices that frugal customers won’t be able to ignore. Here’s a quick recap of the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Unlimited plans: Sprint’s unlimited plans aren’t as cheap as they used to be before the T-Mobile merger.


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COMPANY NEWS; Nabisco to Sell Pet Snacks Division
Published: April 14, 1990
BUFFALO, April 13— Nabisco Brands plans to sell its pet snacks division, which makes Milk Bones dog biscuits, to concentrate on making ''human foods,'' a company official said. John Manfredi, a senior vice president of the RJR Nabisco Inc. subsidiary, said the company had not yet received offers.
The pet snacks division employs about 275 people at a plant in Buffalo and 12 at a kennel in Sherburne, 40 miles southeast of Syracuse, where its products are tested. The pet snacks division had sales of about $150 million last year. Nabisco decided to sell the division because it was not a ''strategic fit'' with the rest of its business, Mr. Manfredi said.


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NAIROBI, September 15 – Local supermarket chain Nakumatt Holdings has been ranked among the top 30 retail outlets in Africa and Middle East.
A survey released by Planet Retail puts Nakumatt at position 25 in the 2007 overall rankings, which are topped by South African giant Shoprite.
The annual report released by retail research and strategy power house Planet Retail group reveals that Nakumatt Holdings recorded sales of $350 million in 2007.
“The ranking by such an authoritative organisation as Planet Retail confirms Nakumatt’s world-class positioning and benchmark, which has seen us significantly grow our customer footage to more than 10 percent up from 7 percent last year,” said Thiagarajan Ramamurthy, the retailer’s Operations Director.
“The ranking firmly places Kenya high on the global retail market roll of honour thanks to our customers, staff and suppliers.”
Planet Retail is the leading provider of intelligence on the global retail and foodservice industries, monitoring more than 5,000 "banner" operations as well as market developments in 211 countries.
In the report titled: Africa and Middle East Rankings: All set to make the difference, Planet Retail Analyst Manu Ghai explains that the year (2007) saw retailers launch a plethora of new formats, announce ambitious expansion plans and carry out a number of market entries and exits.
In its citation for Nakumatt’s ranking, Planet Retail forecasts that the chain will enhance its ranking this year due to increased sales in new markets such as Rwanda.
“Continentally, we expect the large and well established South African retailers to continue the lead especially in the southern and western part of the continent, but we strongly forecast that Nakumatt will keep the lead and domination in Eastern Africa, including the islands,” Planet Retail’s analyst for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mathew Mue explained.
The report notes that a majority of retail companies in the AME region are family-owned businesses and are pursuing ambitious expansion plans as they raise capital through IPOs.
“Saudi Arabia-based Al Othaim has achieved IPO ownership and is aiming to plough funds into new stores across the Kingdom,” Ghai notes in the report.
“These retailers are also beginning to offer financial services to lure in consumers. This last strategy extends to the African continent where Kenyan retailer Nakumatt has an ambitious expansion strategy for East Africa and has partnered with financial institutions to offer customers credit cards and cash back facilities.”
To further improve its presence in the region, top ranked South African chain Shoprite has earmarked US$80 million to set up supermarkets in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
With the South African retailers continuing to lead this year’s rankings, the Planet Retail report notes that French hypermarket operators, Carrefour and Casino, have made considerable investments into the Middle East.
Both companies have spread their retail operations across Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Middle Eastern countries with their respective franchise partners.
Carrefour already operates in North African countries while Casino is currently present with its franchised banners in markets ranging from Morocco to Comoros and Benin.
With Casino operating across such a large number of countries in the region, Carrefour might well look to accelerate through additional market entries.


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Fed Beige Book: Economic activity has modestly increased
Businesses in multiple industry sectors in the Federal Reserve System’s Sixth District, which includes Orlando, are optimistic about the economy and expect moderate near-term growth.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta recently released its latest beige book analysis of economic conditions, which covers a six-week from mid-February through March.
Here are a few highlights from the report:
Consumer spending and tourism- Retailers cited increased activity after sluggish sales at the start of the year, but expressed concerns about the potential impact of increased health care premiums on consumer discretionary income.
Real estate and construction- Home sales were mixed, with low sales growth attributed to higher price appreciations, limited inventory and higher mortgage rates. Builders were positive on their outlook for sales and construction activity since construction activity and new home sales were ahead of last year’s level. The commercial real estate demand improved with construction activity continuing to grow at a modest pace.
Manufacturing- Manufacturers saw significant improvements in production and new orders, despite the negative the weather conditions.
Banking and financial services- Bankers reported increased loan demand that fueled aggressive loan terms and pricing from competing lager banks and other community banks. Some contacts indicated a loosening of credit due to the competition. Bankers also said their cost of doing business increased because of rising compliance costs.
Employment and prices- Firms are implementing technology to increase output as opposed to adding staff. Concerns around health care reform was the primary reason some employers were hesitant about hiring on a large scale. The only sector across most of the district to increase hiring was construction.
Antrenise Cole covers banking, finance, small business lending, venture capital, accounting and law for the Birmingham Business Journal. Click here to follow her on Twitter.
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Baldur’s Gate: Darkish Alliance Change Launch Date Introduced
After a sequence of points which have delayed it, the Baldur’s Gate: Darkish Alliance Change launch date has lastly been revealed by Black Isle Studios. You’ll decide up Baldur’s Gate: Darkish Alliance on Nintendo Change this Thursday, Might twentieth.
In a assertion addressing the delay, the corporate stated,
We all know you may have been upset in regards to the delay. So have we. It has been an unlucky set of circumstances out of our management.
However the wait is almost over!
Initially Baldur’s Gate: Darkish Alliance was alleged to launch on Nintendo Change similtaneously the PlayStation, and Xbox model on Might seventh, however on the day of launch they introduced a delay because of an ‘unexpected situation’ with the Nintendo Change retailer, and that it could be delayed a number of days. Avid gamers have been bugging them on Twitter for a number of days however they have been solely capable of, till in the present day, inform people that they have been engaged on fixing the issue and that every one updates launched within the meantime would additionally go stay with the Change launch.
At the moment, precisely what the difficulty was with the Nintendo Change model is unknown. They’ve shot down any concepts that it was a problem with certification, however in any other case remained mum on the reason for the delay. Given the difficulty was stated to be with the Change Retailer, and their ongoing quiet, it might be they’re unable to say what the difficulty is because of an NDA with Nintendo.
The Change launch is the second launched model of Baldur’s Gate: Darkish Alliance that we’ve got seen this 12 months, even when it wasn’t initially deliberate to be a separate launch occasion. It will not, nevertheless, be the final as PC and Cell variations have been introduced to be within the works and releasing later this 12 months – the PC model on Steam with Black Isle hoping to get Distant Join working with the sport.
As for these hoping for Baldur’s Gate: Darkish Alliance 2, you may proceed to hope as Black Isle has stated that the sequel is on the desk sooner or later for getting an up to date launch.


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- 26 May 2015 12:53 Skoda takes wraps off new Superb Combi
- 26 May 2015 12:28 Ford starts public testing of London GoDrive car sharing scheme
- 26 May 2015 12:06 UK's used commercial vehicles seeing increased demand from overseas buyers
- 26 May 2015 11:43 New real-world emissions tests to bring “marked reduction” in NOx emissions
- 26 May 2015 11:35 Audi fast-tracks connectivity in China with Baidu & Huawei agreements
2011 ALD Automotive / Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon begins on October 5 and 6
With participants set to cross the starting line in Cirencester on October 5 and 6, the MPG Marathon will provide businesses and consumers with an insight as to how economy driving can be both enjoyable and cost effective.
Previous competitors have included everyone from celebrities, academics and motoring journalists to senior figures in the automotive industry, with coverage across regional and national press.
www.mpgmarathon.com contains all the main details about this year’s event, along with tips on how to improve your own driving style and save money in the process.
Vehicle positioning, statistics and updates can be followed LIVE thanks to TomTom’s Webfleet telematics facility, and can be accessed via the website and the Official MPG Marathon Twitter.


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Ellen DeGeneres Again Targeted By One Million Moms For JC Penney Christmas Ad
1:51 pm, December 7th, 2012VIDEO
Last February, the conservative group — a project of the American Family Association – called for JC Penney to fire DeGeneres as its spokesperson because she’s openly gay.
Now, the organization has renewed its campaign against the TV personality after JC Penney began airing a new Christmas ad featuring DeGeneres.
One Million Moms wrote on its website on Tuesday, “Since April, JC Penney’s has not aired Ellen DeGeneres in one of their commercials until now,” adding, “A new JCP ad features Ellen and three elves. JCP has made their choice to offend a huge majority of their customers again.”
“Christians must now vote with their wallets,” continued the statement.
At the time, the host responded to the attack on her talk show, saying “haters are my motivators.”
Check out the commercial below.
What do you think about One Million Moms targeting DeGeneres again?
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Adults in the U.S. will spend an average of 5 hours and 31 minutes watching video each day this year, according to eMarketer, and digital video viewing across devices is driving growth — especially via smartphones and media tablets.
Winning companies will embrace four mutually reinforcing market imperatives in order to become a customer-obsessed company: 1) For speed, tap into mobile connections; 2) for intelligence, set up systems to gather customer knowledge; 3) for impact, build a better customer experience; and 4) to become flexible, embrace digital transformation.
Revenue from OTT television program advertising — that is, commercial advertising placed in full-length TV-quality programming delivered via broadband — is expected to grow nearly four fold between 2015 and 2020, according to TDG.
Japan is one of Asia-Pacific’s more mature digital advertising markets, but ad spending growth is still in double digits — at least for one more year, according to eMarketer’s latest estimate.
The volume of mobile and online ticketing in both the developed and developing parts of the world is increasing. Online ticketing, along with the increasing adoption of smartphones and tablets, has revolutionized the way consumers purchase e-tickets.


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After its initial stubborn refusal to accept wrongdoing and attacking the integrity of Spinoff reporting, the NZ fashion retailer WORLD has changed its tune, accepting a likely breach of law over clothing labels, following a Commerce Commission investigation.
New Zealand fashion label WORLD has accepted the Commerce Commission’s view that labelling on some imported clothing was liable to mislead consumers about the place of origin of the clothing. WORLD’s acknowledgment that it was likely to have breached the law stands in stark contrast to remarks by the label’s founder Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, who called the Spinoff’s reporting “not truthful” “trash” and “gutter journalism”.
WORLD has agreed that it will not use any tag or labelling with the phrase “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande” on any imported garments, and will refund any customers who return garments at issue bought under the impression that they were made in New Zealand, the Commerce Commission said.
From 2009 to May 2018, WORLD estimates that it offered just over 1,100 t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants for sale in retail stores which were manufactured overseas but claimed “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande”.
In essence, WORLD has undertaken to not put their “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande” tags on clothing manufactured overseas, but apparently escaped any greater sanction.
The inquiry was launched after a Spinoff investigation, published in May, revealed that t-shirts manufactured in Bangladesh had WORLD labels attached saying Fabriqué En Nouvelle Zelande, ‘Made in NZ’. Following the story’s publication, the Commerce Commission received nine complaints regarding WORLD’s labelling.
The Spinoff found that t-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants manufactured in Bangladesh and China were being sold by WORLD with “Fabriqué En Nouvelle Zelande”, which translates as “Made in New Zealand”, printed on the tags.
The actual place of manufacture could be found low on the inside seam, near the hem and out of sight.
The t-shirts sported sequin patches made in Hong Kong and available for purchase from Chinese online market, AliExpress.
It is mandatory for all new clothing or footwear sold in New Zealand to state the country of origin where the consumer can clearly see it. The Commerce Commission has previously explained: “The label must be a permanent label which the buyer can see when examining the clothing. In the commission’s view origin labels in side seams of garments are unlikely to meet this legal requirement. Origin labels should be clearly positioned in the neck area of the garments.”
Despite multiple claims from L’Estrange-Corbet that their garments did have the country of origin clearly stated in the neck area, the Spinoff visited WORLD stores the same day to find all t-shirts with no such thing. The only country mentioned was ‘Nouvelle Zelande” on the swing tag.
WORLD’s Dame Denise hotly disputed the Spinoff’s reporting at the time, insisting that because the labels themselves were made in New Zealand, attaching them to clothing made in Bangladesh was not misleading.
L’Estrange-Corbet, a longtime, vocal critic of clothing companies that manufacture off shore, said WORLD had no choice but to purchase their t-shirts through AS Colour, who manufacture offshore. “We were unable to manufacture the garments here,” she told The Spinoff, “as there are specialist machinery required, which we did not have access to any longer.” Soon after, a number of New Zealand clothing companies such as Cactus made it known that they continue to manufacture t-shirts locally.


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First Saks, then Bloomingdale’s and now Neiman Marcus. The Twin Cities is losing another high-fashion luxury retailer. Dallas-based Neiman Marcus said Monday, July 23, that it will close its downtown Minneapolis store by next July, saying the store was underperforming. That will leave Nordstrom at the Mall of America as the only high-end department store in the metro area.
Neiman Marcus, famous for its exclusive designer offerings and such exotic Christmas gifts as his-and-hers hot-air balloons, has operated the 118,000-square-foot store in Gaviidae Common on Nicollet Mall since 1991.
Locally, the store was perhaps most known for the $75,000 wardrobe upgrade the Republican National Committee bought there for vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin in 2008 when she made her debut on the national scene at the party’s convention in St. Paul.
But the store may have intimidated some Twin Citians. Less than two years after it opened in Minneapolis, Neiman Marcus said it was bringing its off-price outlet, now known as Last Call, to the fourth floor to boost traffic.
So, about 20 years later, Monday’s store-closing announcement did not exactly take retail expert Jim McComb by surprise.
“Finally,” he said. Neiman Marcus was always a poor performer, he said, but initially had an operating covenant that required it to operate here for 15 years. Then the company extended its lease when it was considering opening a store at Southdale, McComb said, but that never happened.
The retail landscape in downtown Minneapolis has changed dramatically in the past two decades, he said. Dayton’s has been replaced by Macy’s and Target. Saks Fifth Avenue decided to leave in 2004. “Neiman Marcus is sort of all alone downtown” among high-fashion stores, McComb said, so there’s less cross-shopping.
Was the store nicknamed “Needless Markup” just too expensive for the Twin Cities?
No, McComb said. “There is a market for luxury, and Galleria (in Edina) does very well in that area,” along with places like St. Paul’s Highland Park and Grand Avenue. Our median income is well above average in the United States, he said. “It’s more of a lifestyle issue.”
Minnesotans are “tremendously casual,” he said. “You can go almost anywhere in casual clothing or business casual.” Other places have more events where you need to dress up, he said. “Dallas is a party town. We’re not. If you don’t have the events, you don’t need the clothes.”
People here also tend to be more traditional in their dress, McComb said, while designer-focused stores like Neiman can be a bit more “out there.” “Neiman Marcus is selling to a small segment of our community,” he said.
“We’re losing one of the nation’s fashion retailers,” McComb said.
Nordstrom, while beloved by shoppers for its shoe selection and customer service, is not seen as quite as fashion-forward or high-end as Neiman Marcus by retail experts. Carol Spieckerman of newmarketbuilders, a retail strategy firm, said, “Although they have a luxury component, (Nordstrom) does a really good job of ‘riding the fence,’ ” between luxury and accessibility.
“Neiman Marcus is expensive,” Spieckerman said. “Their whole proposition is to carry higher-end goods.”
That segment has been shrinking in the Twin Cities.
Bloomingdale’s, which is owned by Macy’s, announced in January that it would leave the Mall of America because the store was underperforming. Its space is being subdivided into five stores, including Forever 21.
When Saks Fifth Avenue closed its Nicollet Avenue store, it left its lower-priced Off 5th store behind.
But Neiman Marcus is closing both its marquee brand and Last Call. The store employs 107 people, who will be offered transfers to other stores or receive severance packages, the company said in a press release.
“As it is so rare that we close a store, the difficult decision was based on a great deal of thought, and a careful study of the maker as we very much value the relationships we have established in this market,” said Karen Katz, president and chief executive officer of the Neiman Marcus Group.
Overall, Neiman Marcus has been doing well lately. Sales at stores open at least a year at Neiman Marcus, Last Call and the uber-deluxe Bergdorf Goodman have been up 7.9 percent so far this fiscal year, to $3.3 billion, and profits are up 63 percent. Online, sales are up double digits, which may have made the decision to close the Minneapolis store a little easier.
“Neiman Marcus has made big strides in e-commerce,” Spieckerman said. It is a destination for a very particular type of customer, who may well be able to get what he or she needs at the store’s website.
Retailers used to think they needed to have a presence in every major city, Spieckerman said. But now they are learning they don’t have to have a physical store to have a robust business.
It’s unclear what will fill the Neiman’s space. “There are so few mid- to big-box stores,” Spieckerman noted.
Ann Harrington can be reached at 651-228-5556. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ AnnHarringtonMN.


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Study claims it's 'frighteningly easy' to obtain card details
RESEARCHERS at the University of Newcastle have published research showing that credit card details can be easily stolen by hackers using a "Distributed Guessing Attack".
Writing in the IEEE Security & Privacy journal, they claim that working out "the card number, expiry date and security code of any Visa credit or debit card can take as little as six seconds".
Criminals obtain such details by using software that spreads guesses over a number of different websites, thereby avoiding being blocked out by any single site.
And the authors also theorise that this method - which is viable only with the Visa payment system - was most likely used in the November cyberattack against Tesco Bank, something which underlines the serious nature of the threat it poses to personal financial security.
Distributed Guessing Attack
Going into more detail on the nature of the attack, they note that it "exploits two weaknesses that on their own are not too severe but when used together, present a serious risk to the whole payment system".
As explained by lead author Mohammed Ali, the first is that "the current online payment system does not detect multiple invalid payment requests from different websites". This means that criminals have a potentially unlimited number of guesses, since they're able to jump from one website to another.
Added to this, "different websites ask for different variations in the card data fields to validate an online purchase". As such, rather than simply obtaining only one piece of information attached to a particular card (e.g. expiry date), thieves can put together a complete picture.
The other important element in the paper's account is that this Distributed Guessing Attack begins with a card's first six digits, which "tell you the bank and card type and so are the same for every card from a single provider".
It's because the first six numbers are identical for a single bank's cards that the paper's authors believe distributed guessing was used in the attack against Tesco Bank on the weekend of November 5-6th.
This attack resulted in a total of £2.5 million being stolen from around 9,000 of the bank's customers, who were refunded in full shortly after this money had been siphoned from their accounts.
However, even though compensation was provided and normal service restored, neither Tesco Bank nor any of the security agencies working on the incident have reported the precise nature of the attack.
One recurring explanation was that it was simply an inside job, yet the possibility that it was the result of a Distributed Guessing Attack raises serious questions about the strength of the security system used by the bank.
Yet more disturbingly, it also raises serious questions about the robustness of the Visa payment system, since as the authors report, they "found it was only the Visa network that was vulnerable".
When it came to MasterCard, their "centralised network was able to detect the guessing attack after less than 10 attempts - even when those payments were distributed across multiple networks".
This therefore puts enormous pressure on Visa to update their system so it can detect multiple guesses across more than one website, yet the financial services corporation argue that the study did "not take into account the multiple layers of fraud prevention that exist within the payments system".
Outlining some of these layers, their spokesperson informed us that their system "offers enhanced security using Verified by Visa".
This is based on the 3DSecure standard, which "means entering an extra password when paying online".
As secure as it does make e-commerce, it isn't mandatory and therefore isn't used by every online retailer. As a result, there remain considerable holes in the VISA system, which doesn't seem to pick up the slack left by some less careful merchants.
Still, Visa affirm that they're "actively developing Verified by Visa to incorporate the advances in security" being offered by, among other things, the new 3DSecure 2.0, which will incorporate one-time passwords and biometrics to make payment more secure and more seamless.
As always, aside from simply waiting for new security technologies and payment safeguards to emerge, customers can always do a few things in the here and now to lessen the chance of fraud.
As the paper's co-author Dr Martin Emms advises, we can "use just one card for online payments and keep the spending limit on that account as low as possible".
And more generally, we should simply "pay attention", checking our balances and statements regularly just in case some fraudulent payment has been made.
Other than that, we can at least rest assured that, if we fall victim to fraud through no fault of our own, our banks will always reimburse us. Or to put it differently, they'll always pay for their own laxity.


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Is this a problem you find when you go shopping? Maybe that’s because the shop that sells it has closed. A report by the Local Data Company has revealed that one in eight shops stand empty on Britain’s high streets, after the recession saw vacancies shoot up by 24% in the second half of 2009. The number of empty town-centre shops climbed to 17,880 in the second half of 2009, equivalent to 12% of the 149,000 shops covered by the research.
Margate in Kent and Wolverhampton in the Midlands were two of the worst-hit areas, where vacant shops stood at 27% and 24% respectively. Take a stroll down a high street in almost any city or town in the UK and you are bound to see ‘Shop for let’. We’ve seen Woolworths and Borders close down and Threshers’ parent company collapse. But these stores have largely remained empty.
Empty houses have also been a problem as the number of repossessions increases. Statistics show an average of 126 people a day were thrown out of their homes in 2009. What is the explanation behind this?
An obvious answer is the recession. As shops felt the strain of low demand, some were simply unable to cope and they shut down as a result. At the same time, new firms were reluctant to take the risk and enter the market during an economic downturn – and who can blame them?
However, are there other reasons why Britain’s high streets are seeing more and more empty shops? The following articles look at the reshaping of our high streets and some of the explanations behind it.
Shops ‘empty due to recession’ The Press Association (11/2/10)
UK recession has left one in eight shops empty Telegraph, Graham Ruddick (11/2/10)
Bradford second worse for empty shop premises Telegraph and Argus, Will Kilner (11/2/10)
25% of town shops now empty Express and Star (11/2/10)
British town centres in crisis, conference told Reuters, Sinead Cruise (10/2/10)
Empty shop numbers continue to rise in UK Property Week, Laura Chesters (10/2/10)
Empty shops caused by more than recession Startups (12/2/10)
Buy-to-let: Landlords blow as tenants struggle to pay Telegraph (11/2/10)
Housing Minister says repossession is the ‘best thing’ for homeowners Telegraph, Myra Butterworth (11/2/10)
Home repossessions at highest since 1995 This is Money (11/2/10)
- What are the main factors behind the high number of empty shops? Use a demand and supply diagram to illustrate these factors.
- In the Startups Article, the BRC Director says: “High street shops are often battling big bills for business rates and rents, parking and access difficulties, as well as failure to manage and invest in the area.” Illustrate this on a diagram and explain how this effect has contributed to empty shops.
- To what extent is more internet shopping the main cause of the problem? Why is it cheaper to run a business via the internet than on a high street?
- Why have some cities and towns been more affected than others?
- Is there a link between empty shops and repossessions?
- What more could the government and local councils do to try to encourage businesses to set up on the high street?


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Cultivating more consumers who buy more, more often, & tell their friends!
A recent AdvertisingAge article about the launch of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has me…Continue
A recent Advertising Age magazine included an ad for a conference entitled "What Women Want From Brands". In it were the jaw dropping and gargantuanly…Continue
Added by Michael B. Moore on May 6, 2013 at 10:30am — No Comments


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As businesses adapt to the evolving government restrictions amid the spread of Covid-19, one major fast food chain has taken an innovative approach to drawing in customers.
After the federal government placed a ban on all in-restaurant dining, McDonald’s was reduced to take-away, drive-through and home delivery of its range of burgers, sides and McCafe range.
However, not to keep a good burger chain down, the restaurant has found a new way to lure in customers and are now offering milk and packs of English muffins and bread rolls through both drive through and home delivery.
Meaning customers can pick up 2L and 3L skim or full cream milk bottles and bread staples while picking up breakfast, lunch or dinner. And thanks to their now contactless-only payment system, there is minimal human contact required.
As C&I reported last week, many businesses have adapted quickly to the changing conditions, offering new products such as grocery staples and fresh produce direct to consumers in an effort to stay viable through the crisis.


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RAC launches in-house insurance intermediary
The RAC has launched its own inhouse intermediary as part of a strategy to achieve GWP targets. Reports suggest RAC Insurance plans to exceed £300m GWP by 2023.
Already, RAC’s foray into the insurance market has proved fruitful, with more than 650,000 in-force policies in 2020. The company’s core car insurance product currently handles more than £200m GWP.
The news follows on from the RAC’s announcement last month that it plans to provide a new pay-by-mile service to its customers. The new insurance intermediary’s telematics product has been available since 30 March. Van and home insurance products are scheduled to follow in quarter two of this 2021.
Currently, RAC Insurance offers a range of motor insurance policies that include car, multi-car, learner, classic car, motorbike and van cover. It also provides other insurance products such as home, travel and business policies.
RAC technology partner
The new brokerage has appointed CDL as its technology provider while Europa Group will provide policy administration services and an RAC-branded contact centre.
Speaking about the latest initiative, Marcus Latchford, head of RAC Insurance, said the development “represents a material shift in our insurance strategy” following the business successfully running “a fully outsourced insurance operating model for many years”.
He continued, “By setting up our own broker and taking direct control of key parts of the value chain, we now have far greater ability to differentiate our propositions and pricing to unlock the significant growth potential we see for RAC in these markets. Innovation in pricing and data are central to our plans for the new broker.”
Latchford said RACs services would be offering its users a raft of benefits. He explained, “By developing our own pricing models and working directly with insurer partners, we’re able to utilise the RAC’s wealth of unique data assets to improve risk selection and offer customers much more competitive prices.
“We will also benefit from a digital-first operating ethos with simpler, more intuitive journeys that are optimised for customers purchasing online and via the aggregator channel, as well as a new self-service centre enabling customers to better manage their policies online.”
CDL’s chief executive Nigel Phillips said the partnership with RAC prese nted the technology company with the opportunity to support RAC’s development. “CDL’s investment in game-changing platforms for data insight, product personalisation and customer engagement, combined with our track record in supporting high volume retail operations, means that our insurance ecosystem offers the perfect fit for the RAC as it targets growth.
He continued, “We’re delighted to be working with such a long-standing brand that has constantly evolved to meet developing consumer expectations.”
Jonathan Dixon, Europa’s commercial director, added: “It’s a great accolade to the skill s of our people and our operational excellence that Europa has been selected to be the RAC’s administrative partner.
“Being responsible for the RAC’s customers is a huge endorsement of our capabilities. We are committed to making this a long and very successful relationship.”


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The first fully synthetic ribeye of veal has recently been introduced. Their appearance? Completely appetizing.
The laboratory meat has been developing for years. What was once a millionaire eccentricity now looks like the future of meat products. There are still significant obstacles to overcome. Economic feasibility and scalability are not optimal yet. But if we base ourselves on the advances experienced in recent years, we can venture to conclude that they will be.
It is difficult to predict what awaits us for years to come. However, everything points to the fact that cattle farming could contract without the demand declining.. The volume of product necessary to satisfy the clientele could be out of the cell cultures and bioreactors of industrial buildings dedicated to the production of laboratory meat.
Flavor, suitable smell and textures have already been achieved. Synthetic lamb meat is served punctually in private tastings organized by companies in the synthetic meat sector.. Gastronomic critics who have had the pleasure of tasting it openly assure that it is indistinguishable from traditional meat.
In the case at hand, the one with the beef ribeye that has mobilized headlines in recent months, those responsible for the project are the startup company Aleph Farms and the biotechnology division Technion from the Faculty of Biomedicine and Engineering of the Israel Institute of Technology.
Aleph Farms has a extensive experience in the world of laboratory meat. Induced the perplexity of meat lovers for the first time in 2018, when he presented a cut of beef extracted from his laboratories. At that time they did not use the 3D printing food, a methodology that, on the contrary, if applied to the recently announced steak.
3D printing of food with cell cultures allows the differentiation of tissues by imitating their arrangement in butcher cuts. A) Yes, Aleph Farms ribeye has a lean body surrounded by layers of fat, infiltrated fat and other details that equate it to the steak with which we are all familiar.
This means that in the Israeli company they can now produce high-quality pieces of meat without having to slaughter animals. Something that will make vegans and vegetarians happy for ethical reasons.
The evolution of Aleph Farms has been amazing in the last three years. The business initiative has gone from a criticizable prototype to a ready-to-mass-produce product. It's more, the company has the relevant technology to develop fillets to suit the consumer. In the press release that Aleph Farms published in Medium indicate: "We now have the ability to create any type of steak and we plan to expand our portfolio of quality meat products".
One of the most interesting aspects of 3D food printing, especially in the case of laboratory meat from cell cultures, It is the possibility of customize fabrics, textures and flavors to suit the demands of each client. A) Yes, It would not be strange that in the future the meat was segmented not only by the cut and the animal of origin, but also by the fat content, the hardness, juiciness or presence of certain tissues.
The CEO of Aleph Farms, Didier Toubia, comment about it: "This achievement represents our commitment to meet the unique preferences and tastes of our consumers". The attributes of the meat could also vary between markets to better suit the needs of each region.. The possibilities are practically unlimited.
Meat Lab, or synthetic meat as it is sometimes called, presents organoleptic characteristics equivalent to the meat products we are used to. It has nothing to do with plant-based alternatives that use proteins from legumes or cereals to recreate a similar food.
The plant-based meat substitutes have been repeatedly reviled for not reaching minimum similarity standards. In fact, some influential voices within vegetarianism and veganismo recommend to those who try these products for the first time to do so assimilating that it is a completely different product, independent of animal meat. In this way, consumers are not disappointed and accept the article more easily..
So that, laboratory meat has options to dominate this market. There is a whole ecosystem of start-ups around this technology. A technology that, in addition to moving huge amounts of money, democratize meat consumption, it will reduce our environmental footprint and make the food industry more ethical and humane.
In the Californian city of San Diego (OF. UU.), BlueNalu intends to market synthetic shellfish from cell cultures. The legislation of the North American country has not yet been updated, so it is not clear if the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration will give the go-ahead for commercialization..
In Silicon Valley there are many other companies with similar objectives. Aleph Farms competes in Israel with Future Meat Technologies and others. In Holland Meatable and Mosa Meat want to put their products on the supermarket shelves in 2022.
There are many companies working to revolutionize the meat market, but all their efforts could be in vain if national governments do not look at the pioneering movement of a small island country. Singapore approved the 11 March 2020 an Eat Just product based on a chicken cell culture. Under the brand GOOD Meat, this meat is supplied on a small scale to metropolitan restaurants.
The go-ahead from the Singaporean administration may be related to the strategic plan 30 by 30, whereby the government of the country wants to ensure that at least he 30% of the food consumed in Singapore is produced on its territory. To achieve this they have a demanding deadline: 2030.
Despite the initiative of the Asian nation, in the rest of the planet administrative silence is absolute. The position in EE. THE. and in the European Union it seems to point to caution. Sales plans of some companies in the laboratory meat sector may have to be postponed. It won't take long to find out.


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Rail Explorers, an eco-tour company featuring pedal-powered rail bikes, will offer specially priced tours in May for Newport County residents.
Looking for a new job? The following businesses and organizations, including the Melville Ponds Campground, are looking to hire for the following jobs.
The Zoning Board voted to postpone a hearing on a special use permit, which, if approved, would result in a new 7,250 sq.-ft. auto parts store.
Looking for a new job or a better one? The following businesses and the Portsmouth school district are looking to hire for the following 4 jobs.
Should the Zoning Board approve a special use permit to build a new auto parts store? Tell us your opinion in the poll below.
A couple Portsmouth restaurants are currently accepting reservations for Easter this Sunday, April 16. Where are you having Easter brunch or dinner?
If you watch Food Network’s 2017 Spring Baking Championship, you probably recognized the executive pastry chef who visited Portsmouth Publick House Friday.
Looking for a summer job? The town of Portsmouth is seeking applicants for the following summer employment opportunities.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream will offer up free scoops of ice cream as part of Free Cone Day this Tuesday, April 4, at participating shops throughout the world.
The following businesses and the Portsmouth school district are looking to hire for the following 4 jobs, including Dean of Student Life.
Looking for a new job? The following local businesses are looking to hire for various jobs, including Outdoor Tour Guide for the new Rail Explorers program.
Spring is here! A number of local favorite eateries, including Anna D’s ice cream and Schultzy’s Snack Shack, will open for the season this week and weekend.
Two Portsmouth restaurants will take part in Newport Restaurant Week from March 27 to April 7.
More than 30 restaurants, including Portsmouth restaurants, will offer special menu selections during Quahog Week featuring the native Rhode Island clam.
A brand new outdoor activity for exploring Narragansett Bay, Rail Explorers, is expected to start this April in Portsmouth.
Quahog Week, which made its debut last year, returns Monday, March 20, and continues to March 25, celebrating the state’s shellfish industry.


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Getting a Handle on Gas Power
by Tina Vasquez
Monday, July 14, 2014 -
Canada is the world's third-largest producer of natural gas, and just south of its border is one of the most energy-hungry countries in the world. The US Energy Information Administration is reporting record natural gas consumption levels, and as Americans continue to pursue the substance as a cleaner power source, those numbers will only climb. Alan Shulman knows this.
As the vice president of marketing for Just Energy Group Inc., Shulman has spent the bulk of his career in product management, including as part of the team that launched the first iPhone in Canada. Today, he's helping his latest employer, a top gas, electricity, and green-energy retailer operating in markets across North America and the UK, by finding ways to promote its unique pricing programs to consumers less sure about the future of gas. The products might not be as tangible as iPhones, but Shulman hopes to make them just as titillating....
Click here for full article.


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What will the Smart Home Industry look like in a post COVID-19 world?
27th May in The Smart Home
Life has changed rapidly in the last few months, with the world facing the biggest interruption to our way of life arguably since the Second World War. What that does mean is that rapid change is needed to adapt to the new normal and to protect ourselves in the future.
It’s our belief that a lot of these changes were on the horizon anyway, and that the COVID-19 has simply accelerated their arrival, but, there are a lot of new areas in which the smart home industry can respond and improve for the benefit of our global community. We wrote about some of the ways the smart home is supporting communities during the pandemic here for techUK.
For this blog post, we wanted to get a broader view on how smart home technology can support communities, what challenges might be faced, and where the industry should be focussing their efforts to make a difference to people’s lives.
We approached a few members of the smart home industry to get their opinion on the following question:
What is the one challenge or opportunity facing the Smart Home market since COVID-19?
Here are their responses:
Charlie Higgs – UK Smart Home Country Manager, Bosch
“That sounds interesting, I guess the most challenging thing for us since the virus outbreak and subsequent lockdown is getting consumers to think about the industry and how it may benefit them as a consumer. I think it’s very difficult to imagine having a smart security system for example while we are going through these times. Where the industry was doing well in terms of communicating the possibilities of the Smart Home, it’s now facing a problem of getting that message to hit home again because everyone is home all the time. I think there is also the issue of spending, there will be some people with more money in their pockets due to savings on things such as petrol or going out to restaurants but then there will also be people who are left much worse in terms of their disposable income. Both groups will re-evaluate how they spend their money and this could be to not just the smart home markets detriment but also the retail industry as a whole.”
Jenny Parkinson – Key Account Manager, Signify
“Interesting question. There are many possible answers. I believe the biggest hurdle we all now face, beyond imminent supply issues and changing retail landscape, is consumer confidence. With uncertainty about their futures, incomes, safety, routines, and ongoing stability of brands/retailers, their impulse purchases or tech funds are likely to decrease. This poses the challenge to manufacturers to find ways to install more confidence in consumers, and to do so without incurring enormous marketing budgets. Consumers want to know if they invest in an ecosystem for their home, that it’s there to stay, and will be supported for the duration of their time inhabiting a home.”
Caroline Laurenson – Director TL Tech, Smart Home Solutions
“There is a huge opportunity to redefine the role of the smart home. Showing how it can offer support to enhance wellbeing and bring families closer. We believe very passionately that smart homes should be accessible to all regardless of age, technical ability, or finances.”
Stephen Pattenden – Secretary, Smart Home and Buildings Association
“In many ways, COVID-19 has presented the Smart Home Market with an opportunity since almost everyone is forced to be at home and they have time to think about home improvements and if they are thinking about home improvements one improvement is how can smart home systems make the home easier to live in, more efficient and provide better entertainment. Thus this is an opportunity for almost anyone selling to people at home.
From the point of view of “bricks and mortar” retail outlets they have to find ways to get to their potential market and this has to be virtual or on-line. So excellent websites with good marketing and good explanations and specifications are now a must. It’s also likely that if your equipment needs an installer, for people over 60 this is going to be problematic for a long time into the future. So things need to be easy to install and set up because installers probably cannot have access.
From our perspective in SH&BA, not much has changed except our costs of delivering meetings and information have lessened but we will need to spend more on our web presence. This too is an opportunity.”
The one thing that is clear from all these responses is the opportunity and responsibility that the industry has in shaping a post-COVID-19 world.
We’d love to hear your opinion on this too! Please either comment below, on our social pages, use our contact form, or email us at email@example.com to get involved in the conversation.


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Finsys ERP software company is always making efforts to do something extra for the society planting more trees is another visible step in that direction
Finsys has joined hands with label manufacturers Association of India in planting 20000 trees in the NCR Delhi this would include regions like Noida Greater Noida and Faridabad
These photographs above are dated 18th March 2018 where 163 plantation drive was conducted and trees of various varieties like kadam and mango were planted at a public park in Greater Noida
We also took measures to set up a system that ok at IIFA takes care of these plants and water them regularly
If you know of any park which can sustain a similar ecosystem please get in touch with us let us make our country and our earth more green together
Save the trees they will save you
LMAI – Label Manufacturers Association Of India
LMAI – Label Manufacturers Association Of India – is a central body incorporated to promote the Label manufacturers and their suppliers across India.
Founded in 2002 by Mr. Amit Sheth and lead by the renowned personalities of the Industry like Mr.Surender Kapur, Mr.Bhavin Kothari, Mr.Vivek Kapoor, Mr.Sandeep Zaveri, Mr.Kuldip Goel, Mr.Rajesh Chaddha and Mr.Manisha Desai who have their success script till date worth reckoning.
It has of over 270 profound members with its Administrative and Registered office in Navi Mumbai.
LMAI is a hub where individual manufacturers confer to emerge with better governance techniques, foreign investment decisions, laws, technology and management strategies
The association is blessed with the support of highly experienced professional team on the board who keep on organizing technical Seminars / Workshops and various CSR events towards restoration of the vital natural resource I.e. our FORESTS
In March’18 FINSYS along with LMAI came to sponsor the Tree Plantation drive in Noida


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Some observers of the fall in US consumer spending have noted that despite the overall contraction, some merchants, such as Wal-Mart, are reporting solid sales gains. They infer that buyers are still spending, but have downtraded radically so as to reduce their total expenditures.
While one needs to take care in generalizing from the US experience, one might assume recessionary spending patterns elsewhere: a reduction in discretionary purchases, greater focus on the basics, a cutback on durables as they are traded in less frequently.
What seems surprising is that cotton, which is used primarily for staples rather than luxury items, has seen a sharp fall in demand. From Bloomberg:
Cotton users are halting orders from the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter, at the fastest pace in at least a decade as the economic slowdown erodes demand from China and sends prices to a six-year low.
Delays, cancellations and order reductions of U.S. upland cotton by foreign buyers rose almost sevenfold from a year earlier to 329,600 running bales (74,752 metric tons) in the first 13 weeks of the marketing year that started in Augus….The level is the highest since at least 1998. A bale weighs 500 pounds.
Cotton prices fell 54 percent from a 12-year high in March, and Barclays Capital says demand is so weak no rally is likely to last…..
“We are seeing quite a few delays,” said Andy Weil, president of Weil Brothers Cotton Inc. in Montgomery, Alabama, and past president of the American Cotton Shippers Association. “Demand is in a terrible state of affairs. When Chinese exports depend on American and Europeans economies, which are now in a recession, they have no demand for raw materials.”
China, the world’s biggest cotton importer, canceled or delayed 34,100 bales of U.S. orders in the week ended Oct. 23, or 4,100 bales more than its new orders, according to the USDA. Total reductions reached 41,300 bales that week, including buyers in Bangladesh and Indonesia. A week later, cancellations and delays were 11,500 bales from buyers in China, Turkey and Indonesia, government reports show….
Global cotton use will drop 3.3 percent to 119.3 million bales in the current marketing year, the USDA estimates. China will consume 51 million bales, down from an initial estimate of 55 million and the first annual decline in a decade, as consumer spending falls, the USDA said…
Jiangsu Yulun Textile Group Co., a yarn spinner in Jiangsu province, buys cotton to last less than a month, compared with three months of inventories in the past.
“We are having difficulty with financing,” Zhang Jianhong, manager of materials at Jiangsu, said by telephone from Qingjiang. “The risk of importing cotton is very high. The downstream businesses, the clothing manufacturers, owe us money. All we have are bunch of IOUs. It’s a very difficult time.”
Cotton consumption will be lower than previously expected in Pakistan and Turkey, the largest importers after China, according USDA forecasts.
“For my company, the demand is fairly non-existent,” said Angie Goodman, president of Lubbock, Texas-based ACG Cotton Marketing LLC, which ships cotton mainly to Turkey. “They are buying in a hand-to-mouth method.”