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Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) has seen a polar divide form on Wall Street. When it comes to the electric car space though, polar division is nothing new. Despite its lacking fundamentals, Nikola stock continues to push higher and higher.
The company now commands a market cap of $27 billion. That’s bigger than Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU), maker of Dodge pickups and Jeep. It’s also larger than Ford (NYSE:F), which makes the most popular vehicle in the U.S. with its F-Series pickup.
How in the world can Nikola, which has no real revenue, have a larger market cap than either of these other automakers?
The simple truth is it shouldn’t. But it does and that’s something that investors and traders have to respect until the trend begins to change. In short, investors are looking for the next Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), which just topped $1,000 per share earlier this month and became the world’s largest automaker by market cap.
First of All
There’s a few “first thing’s first” points we need to cover.
They get mad that these unworthy stocks trade at such a high valuation, then short them simply because the valuations are not supported. The funny thing is, they are generally correct in some way, shape or form, but often pay the price by being too early.
Case in point, investors also did not like Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY), which rallied from $20 to $300, as short-sellers who sold blindly were burned badly even when they turned out to be right.
Second, the momentum is with Nikola and the group. Nio (NYSE:NIO) continues to charge higher, up 240% from the March low and more than 100% over the last month. We don’t even need to highlight Tesla to know well it has done.
In the case of Nikola stock, fundamental investors will be right at some point too. But to short blindly would be a violation of my final point, which is price action. For that, let’s turn to the charts.
Trading Nikola Stock
Nikola stock continues to trade incredibly well. The 10-day moving average is holding as support, while this “high and tight” formation is resolving to the upside. Tuesday’s 7.2% rally created a weekly-up rotation, putting the $75 to $80 gap in play. Over $80 and the all-time high up at $94 is possible.
Above that puts the obvious mark of $100 in play. I’m not saying it will get there, but there’s a road map for it to happen.
Keep in mind, shares pulled back, the company had negative news and there are simply no fundamentals to back up its price. And yet, here we are, with bears unable to crack the 10-day moving average.
Arguments are worthless, but price pays. So far, that battle is being won by the longs and until the technicals fade the other way, I’m not going to get too bearish on Nikola.
Breaking Down NKLA
At the end of the day, this action can’t last forever, though. While the technicals look wonderful, the fundamentals just won’t support such a valuation. In the last three years combined, Nikola has less $1.5 million in sales. Operating expenses continue to grow and I’m sure you can guess at what side of zero free cash flow sits on.
There is no business here because Nikola is still in the R&D phase as it continues to work on its electric pickup truck and its semi-truck vehicles.
Now keep in mind it will be competing with Tesla’s futuristic Cybertruck — which has more than 650,000 pre-orders — and Tesla Semi, as well as Ford, Dodge and a whole host of others. While it may not repeat some of the same mistakes that Tesla did in its earlier days, it’s bound to run into a few issues of its own — that is, assuming there is demand for its product.
Investors are betting on this being the next Tesla and maybe it will be. For now, I would be cognizant of the charts, but realize that once the technicals crack, there are not yet any fundamentals to lean on.


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FDA has issued orders to stop the further sale and distribution of four tobacco products currently on the market. The action marks the first time the FDA has used its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act to order a manufacturer of currently available tobacco products to stop selling and distributing them.
The products, Sutra Bidis Red, Sutra Bidis Menthol, Sutra Bidis Red Cone, and Sutra Bidis Menthol Cone, were found to be not substantially equivalent to tobacco products commercially marketed as of February 15, 2007. This means they can no longer be sold or distributed in interstate commerce or imported into the United States.
“Historically, tobacco companies controlled which products came on and off the market without any oversight,” said Mitch Zeller, JD, Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “But the Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA, a science-based regulatory agency, the authority to review applications and determine which new tobacco products may be sold and distributed under the law in order to protect public health.” ■
For more information, visit www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/

domain: news


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Tesla hires solar industry executive to lead ‘Tesla Energy’ in Europe and Africa
While doing some related LinkedIn research, we found out that Ben Hill, Trinasolar’s President of Europe and Africa, recently left the company to lead Tesla’s Energy division in same the markets.
Trinasolar is one of the largest solar module manufacturers in the world. The company shipped 3.6 GW of modules last year and over 11 GW since its inception in 1997. Expand


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If ever there was a reason to binge on tortilla chips, this is it, friends.
It just became a lot easier to taste the rainbow. On Thursday morning, chip giant @doritos put their snacks where their mouth is by showing their support of theLGBT community with the launch of Doritos Rainbows. For a donation of $10 or more to the @itgetsbetter project hungry hands can get a bag of these vibrant chips inspired by the colors of the pride flag. #BoldandBetter
Judging from the above, the chip colours aren’t nearly as vibrant as the packaging makes them out – but it’s all for a good cause so STFU, us.


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Final Fantasy XV on PC Will Support Cross-Play With Xbox One
Ferrari 488 Pista unleashed with 711bhp
Google's Reply app is here and works surprisingly well
Apple's Excellence In Design Leads To Employees Smacking Into Glass Walls
Microsoft launches Photos Companion app for Android and iOS
YouTube TV debuts new app for smart TVs
31 October 2017, 12:48 | Jenny Fowler
YouTube TV App for Android TV Now Official, Rolling Out This Week to Select Devices
Asked about a YouTube TV app for Fire TV, a YouTube spokesperson told GeekWire that "we're starting with the devices mentioned, and we'll continue working to expand the list of partners".
On Monday, Google said that the new app is immediately available for use with its Android TVstreaming devices as well as Microsoft's Xbox, with YouTube TV planning to roll out versions of the app for a larger range of streaming TV devices in the coming weeks. Last week, the company aired a two-minute ad spot that featured live footage of its service before the first pitch of Game 1 of the World Series, and has scheduled to run at least two 30-second ads along with six-second ads throughout each game of the series.
The native YouTube TV app will start rolling out this week to select Android TV devices, such as the NVIDIA SHIELD TV, select Sony TV models, as well as the Xbox One family. Meanwhile, there will be a dark background for what YouTube calls a "cinematic look". The YouTube TV app for TV also includes a Live guide that will inform you about what is to begin airing soon.
Samsung to release Oreo updates in Q1 2018 A message in Spanish on the Galaxy Note 8 box reads: "A year ago we asked you to turn it off, we welcome you today on board". At the moment, we can expect the update being rolled out first to the Galaxy Note 8 , Galaxy S8 , and the Galaxy S8 Plus.
YouTube TV is a relatively new streaming service having been launched by Google back in April. "In fact, over half the time spent watching YouTube TV is consumed through Chromecast on the big screen".
Google is also aggressively promoting its new TV streaming service. This way, YouTube can spread its network even to the older demographics by connecting with traditional pay TV.
Up until now, YouTube TV has been available on smartphones, tablets and computers, as well as on TV sets through Chromecast. Let us know in the comments.
De Kock sets South Africa up for T20 triumph
Miller hit nine sixes, including five off successive balls from Mohammad Saifuddin , and seven fours at Senwes Park. Saifuddin pushed the last ball of his over wide of the off stump and Miller mistimed it for a single.
Eric Bolling teenage son's cause of death revealed
Bolling Sr. was officially fired from his anchor position at FOX News on Friday due to inappropriate text messages to co-workers. The coroner's report confirms that the overdose was accidental, and that the younger Bolling had a history of substance abuse.
Pedrosa takes pole, Marquee to start at 7th
Marquez has no problem getting to the front, and if he can sustain his usual speed, he'll clinch the title one round early. But we'll see, maybe tomorrow during the afternoon, rain changes everything so we need to see how we can manage.


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A prototype for Lamborghini’s upcoming Urus SUV has been spotted carving up the Nürburgring.
The sighting comes just weeks after Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed some of the SUV’s details.
The prototype reveals for the first time the shape of the Urus in production trim, and as was expected the vehicle is a bit bulkier than the rakish Urus concept unveiled at the 2012 Beijing auto show. The production model also appears to have lost the concept’s pumped fenders, although at least the Countach-style wheel arches remain.
Lamborghini has done a good job of hiding its prototypes for the Urus. Development is almost complete as the first pre-production examples are already rolling off the line at Lamborghini’s plant in northern Italy. Sales aren't expected to start until the third quarter of 2018, meaning we'll likely see it arrive as a 2019 model.
The Urus is based on the SUV-spec MLB platform found in fellow Volkswagen Group SUVs such as the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga. However, to extract the performance one would expect of a Lamborghini, engineers are thought to have used lighter carbon fiber in place of some of the steel and aluminum sections.
Under the hood will be the VW Group’s familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 which in the Urus will be tuned to deliver 650 horsepower. About a year after launch, the Urus will receive a plug-in hybrid option pairing the twin-turbo V-8 with an electric motor. A similar setup features in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, where it delivers 680 hp.
Lamborghini Urus concept, 2012 Beijing auto show
And though the focus of the Urus will be on-road performance, Lamborghini has confirmed there will be modes to handle off-road conditions such as sand, snow, gravel, etc. The automaker has also hinted that there will be a personalized mode similar to the Ego mode introduced on the Aventador S.
Pricing for the Urus is expected to start below $200,000, and the vehicle is expected to be Lamborghini’s most popular model. Lamborghini is predicting sales of around 3,500 units annually, which is roughly equal to the total number of supercars the marque sold in 2016.
And in case you were wondering, Urus is taken from a form of the name for the aurochs, the ancient wild ancestor of modern cattle.


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YouTube’s brand new tool Director Mix can now create multiple versions of ads based on a viewer’s profile. It will have a huge impact on consumers ensuring them a personalized experience.
“YouTube is offering to take on the heavy lifting. Director Mix is built to let a marketer upload multiple ad building blocks, like different cuts of commercial video footage, voiceovers, and copy variations – and the tool will automatically create thousands of ads, said Tara Walpert Levy, vice president of agency and media solutions at Google.”
Brands can now derive data from Google’s search history for this ad targeting option. For example, a person who has downloaded a Thai cooking app and used Google Maps to find local Thai restaurants could see an ad for a one-pot cooker on YouTube.
Advertisers can also show different ads in a specific sequence. For example, a brand can show a person three different ads in a particular order to tell a complete story. Advertisers can also make sure that they don’t pound people over the head with the same ad too many times.
“We’re leaning into our success with these tactics, and expanding the range of signals brands can use make its ads more customized,” mentioned Levy.


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Pokemon Go is one of the most greeted and successful video games based on Pokemon. Even though it has nearly beenfour years since its arrival yet, it is persisting in acquiring new gamers. The major credit goes to Nintendo for their perseverance in adding modern updates, events, and aspects. Recently, the game has received a new challenge known as the Elite Challenge that allows gamers to navigate to the whereabouts of Team Go Rocket.
Sources : https://accountsupport697459633.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/how-to-beat-giovanni-in-pokemon-go/


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Markets in America fell slightly on the first day of the new quarter as doubts over faith in US President Donald Trump continue to sharpen.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 13.01 points, or 0.06%, to finish at 20,650.21. The Nasdaq was down 0.29% at closing, or 17.06 points, to finish at 5,894.68; the S&P 500 fell 3.88 points, or 0.16%, to end the day at 2,358.84.
Investors now fear that quarterly earnings are not as strong as once hoped.
Trust has been weakened by the president's failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act and pass Paul Ryan's replacement act - a signal that the business friendly regulation roll backs and tax reforms could take much longer to manifest, if they come at all.
A chief market analyst, Wayne Kaufman, told MarketWatch.com that he foresaw "softness" until earnings reports come out:
"Right now we're positioning for earnings to be strong, particularly in the tech, financial and health-care sectors, but there is a broad concern about valuation."
Amid the uncertainty, weak sales reports for Ford General Motors (GM) saw the car giant notably slump behind electric car manufacturer Tesla.
Tesla's impressive increase in vehicles shipped during the first quarter of 2017 saw its stocks jump a staggering 7.26% - meaning it is now the second most valuable car manufacturer in America after GM.
This rise, combined with GM's bad sales and own drop of 4%, means the the crown could soon be in Tesla's sights.


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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced a critical step forward in making egg products safer for Americans, adults and children, to eat.
FSIS is proposing to amend the egg products inspection regulations by requiring official plants that process egg products to develop Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) and to meet other sanitation requirements consistent with the meat and poultry regulations. FSIS is proposing that official plants will be required to produce egg products in such a way that the finished product is free of detectable pathogens. The regulatory amendment also uses agency’s resources more efficiently and removes unnecessary regulatory obstacles to innovation.
FSIS is proposing to eliminate those current regulatory provisions not consistent with that of the meat and poultry regulations. The proposed rule aims to modernize food safety inspection systems at egg products plants. Under the HACCP system, plants will be able to tailor a food safety system that best fits their particular facility and equipment. Furthermore, by removing prescriptive regulations, egg products plants will have the flexibility and the incentive to innovate new means to achieve enhanced food safety.
“As we continue to modernize inspection systems and processes, we are committed to strengthening consistency across the services that FSIS inspection personnel carry out for the consuming public,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Carmen Rottenberg. “This proposed rule will ensure the same level of inspection and oversight of all regulated products as we carry out our public health mission.”
In addition, FSIS will be further fortifying the safety of the American consumer by taking over jurisdiction of egg substitutes, which pose the same risk as egg products and will be treated with the same level of scrutiny and care.
The impact cost for the proposed rule is mitigated by the fact that 93% of egg products plants already use a written HACCP plan that addresses at least one production step in their process, while also alleviating the unnecessary costs associated with the current prescriptive regulations.
There will be a 120-day period for comment once the rule is published in the Federal Register.
To view the proposed rule, visit the FSIS website at: fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a63034b9-2204-45ca-a35d-bbb0345b86eb/2005-0015.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
This complete press release was issued by United States Department of Agriculture.


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Launceston has a sparkle in its step, thanks to all the delicious sparkling wines on the nearby Tamar trail.
Brian Johnston seeks out the top 10 overseas science museums, guaranteed to fire the imagination.
Leisa Tyler samples salmon ceviche, lily bulb veloute and rare whiskies as fresh places race to open in Asia's world city.
Sally Macmillan The worldwide popularity of the TV drama Downton Abbey has apparently caused a rise in demand for butlers in the style of Mr Carson.
Fireworks illuminate ice castles and sculptures of fairytale characters at the opening ceremony of the 14th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in north-east China's Heilongjiang province.
Major tourist destinations around China are witnessing travel peaks as 1.3 billion Chinese go on holidays for 'Golden Week', the eight-day Mid-autumn Festival and National Day holidays that run...
We've trawled the globe to find this year's 10 most compelling cultural events.
Flight Test A 747 jumbo on the way there, an A380 superjumbo on the way back.


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According to the ACM, this calls for measures to maintain a level playing field for all providers of payment services and to prevent this market from tipping in the future. Immediately after publishing the market study, the ACM launched an investigation into payment apps’ ability to access NFC technology, including through the use of smartphones.
In recent years, an increasing number of Big Tech companies have started to offer payment-related services in the EU, attracting the attention of competition authorities and other regulators. The purpose of the ACM study, carried out at the request of the Ministry of Finance, is to examine the current role and potential impact of Big Tech companies’ activities in three specific sub-segments of the Dutch payment market: point of sale (POS) payments, online payments and payments between consumers.
The Big Tech companies subject to the ACM’s market study are Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Ant Group, and Tencent.
According to the ACM, although Big Tech firms currently have a limited position in the Dutch payment market, use of their services is growing rapidly (Apple Pay is cited as an example). Each of the Big Tech companies subject to the study offer online payment solutions and services facilitating POS payments.
The market study reports that most Big Tech companies did not enter the market as payment service providers themselves, but instead chose to offer technical services in cooperation with and relying on existing payment infrastructure and applications provided by banks and other payment service providers. As a result, the ACM concludes that the access rules introduced by the second Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) are not the main driver behind market entry. According to the study, Big Tech companies instead became active in the payment space as a means to further expand and increase the attractiveness of their ecosystems.
Risks of Big Tech firms on the payment market
The study identifies multiple potential threats to competition resulting from Big Techs firms’ entry into the payment market. According to the ACM, such firms may leverage their market power in other markets, causing the payment market to “tip”. The ACM is worried that once Big Tech firms establish a gatekeeper position on the payments market, they will engage in self-preferencing or exclusionary behaviour. The ACM also highlights concerns raised by traditional banks that they will lose customer contact to Big Tech firms, and that these firms will charge increasingly higher access fees for their services.
The market study focusses on four specific types of exclusionary behaviour. First, Big Tech firms could deny other payment service providers access to their platforms (or only allow access against unreasonable terms). Some banks, for example, claim that their choice to cooperate with Big Tech firms is driven by obstacles to rolling out their own services on Big Tech platforms. Second, bundling and tying would allow the Big Tech firms to leverage market power on a separate market to distort competition on the payment market. Third, Big Tech companies could use the technology of their platforms to favour their own services above those of competitors (known as self-preferencing). The question raised here is to what extent the Big Tech platforms compete with each other in their primary activities on their platforms, as some seem to complement each other (Apple and Amazon for example), making self-preferencing less likely. Lastly, to the extent Big Tech firms obtain a dominant position in the market, the ACM identifies potential abuse in the form of demanding excessive data and combining payment-related data with other data already in their possession, giving them an advantage over, for example, banks which have only payment data at their disposal.
Although the study does not find any current competition concerns on the Dutch payment market, the ACM stresses the importance of maintaining a level playing field in the future. It proposes two solutions to avoid any potential risk to competition on the payment market.
First, it suggests amending the PSD2 so that Big Tech firms that only facilitate payment services fall within the scope of the Directive if they obtain a gatekeeper position. According to the ACM, Big Tech firms should be subject to the same rules (e.g. access requirements) that currently apply to payment service providers, thereby preventing self-preferencing and maintaining a level playing field.
Second, the ACM suggests a new ex-ante tool for gatekeeping platforms. This is in line with the Commission proposal to introduce an ex-ante instrument as a new competition tool (see our newsletters from July 2020 and December 2020) and the joined proposal of the Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg competition authorities supporting such an ex-ante tool.
The study seems to welcome Big Tech companies on the payment market, as long as a level playing field is maintained in the future. On the one hand, Big Tech firms act as suppliers facilitating the distribution and use of existing payment instruments issued by banks (Apple Pay provides an example). Interestingly, however, the ACM also contends that the services offered by Big Tech companies compete with those offered by banks (e.g. contactless payment cards).
The role and power of Big Tech firms in the digital economy remains a hotly debated topic. The interest in their role on the payment market fits into this broader debate and has already triggered further investigations. Based on the results of the market study, the ACM opened an antitrust investigation on 4 December 2020 into payments apps’ access to NFC communication, while the European Commission already started a formal investigation into Apple Pay and NFC restrictions in June 2020.
This article was published in the Competition Newsletter of January 2021. Other articles in this newsletter:


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Cuba will “soon” start selling a biotech sweetener substitute for traditional sugar, produced at the island’s Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB). The fruit-oligosaccharide (FOS) is made from sorbitol and an enzyme obtained in that center, Prensa Latina (PL) news agency reported.
Developed in conjunction with the AzCuba sugar group, it is a prebiotic and hypocaloric fiber “with great beneficial actions for health,” said Mario Estrada, director of agricultural research at CIGB, who, however, did not detail when or where the new product will be sold in Cuba.
PL does not specify whether it will be sold as a substitute for traditional sugar, which is marketed on the island freely and on the ration book, or if it will be a complement to the sugar already sold this way.
Estrada also announced the intention to export the sweetener, since “it constitutes an exportable product” which in the international market “has 10 times more value than traditional sugar.”
He said that, in that sense, it could become “another source of income for the country,” at a time when the government of President Miguel Díaz-Canel is calling for increasing exports and diversifying the industry.
The news is important at a time when Cuba is in the middle of the sugar harvest, a traditional campaign on the island that in recent years has suffered delays and failures, and that last year produced only 1.3 million tons of sugar, one of the lowest figures in the last century.
For this reason, the island went from being an exporting nation to importing sugar from countries like France.
This Thursday President Díaz-Canel also warned of possible effects on the current harvest due to “the eventual lack of fuel,” PL also reported.
The president advised “redesigning productive strategies in sugar production” and said that “in case of shutdowns due to lack of energy carriers, it would be necessary to take advantage of the maintenance of the plants in order to be in better conditions when they restart operations.”
According to the official press report, 56,000 tons of the planned sugar have not been produced in 68 days of harvest due to weather problems, breakages and “difficulties with fuel, parts and spare parts.”
Cuba is going through a complex economic situation, intensified by the recent measures of the United States government against the island which in the second half of 2019 caused an “energy situation” that forced the Cuban government to readjust productions, services and sectors such as transportation.


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Monthly Archives: February 2014
Nearly 9 million… yes, MILLION pounds of beef products produced by a Northern California company has been recalled. Rancho Feeding Corporation in Petaluma, California has issued a recall because the products processed are “unsound, unwholesome or otherwise are unfit for human food” without undergoing a full federal inspection, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Saturday.
The products were produced between January 1, 2013 through January 7, 2014.. yes, nearly an entire years worth of meat. Products were shipped to distribution centers and retail establishments in California, Florida, Illiniois and Texas. They include beef carcasses, oxtail, liver, cheeks, tripe, tongue and veal bones. A list of the recalled products can be found here.
Last month the company recalled more than 40,000 pounds of meat products produced on January 8 that also didn’t undergo a full inspection. The problems were discovered as part of an ongoing investigation, the FSIS said.
The FSIS has not received any reports of illness. Because some of the products could still be frozen and in storage, a Class I recall was issued because the meat product could cause serious, adverse health consequences.
Consumers who have questions about the recall can contact the plant’s Quality Control manager, Scott Parks at (707) 762-6651.
As if we didn’t have enough reasons to hate Monsanto.
The monarch butterfly’s life cycle has always been synchronized to the seasonal growth of milkweed, the only plant its larvae will eat. Successive generations of monarchs follow the springtime emergence of milkweed from Mexico to Canada. The hardy plant once flourished in grasslands, roadsides, abandoned lots, and cornfields across much of the continent. It fueled a mass migration that ended each winter with more than 60 million butterflies converging on pine forests in the Sierra Madres.
This week, the World Wildlife Fund announced that last year’s migration from Canada and the United States to Mexico had reached a record low since scientists started to monitor monarch butterfly colonies in 1993. This winter, butterflies were found in 1.7 acres across 11 sanctuaries, down from a high of 45 acres in 1996.
The monarch population began to steadily sink as more than a million of acres of grasslands rapidly are being wiped out in favor of corn and soybean fields, a rate of loss comparable to the deforestation of Brazil and Indonesia. Monsanto’s Roundup Week Killer is largely to blame for the decline, since it kills everything, including milkweed, which is down by 80%. The butterfly population has decreased by the same amount. Some states, such as Iowa, is losing more than 98 percent of their milkweed population. The weed doesn’t even grown on the edges of farmland anymore and the disappearance of the plant poses a huge risk to the insect’s survival.
There are other possible scenarios for the butterfly’s disappearance, including two years of unusual spring weather in the United States. 2012 was hotter than normal and the following year it was colder, disrupting the insects’ northward migration. Illegal logging has dwindled away the butterfly’s winter habitat. But nothing can match the lost milkweed in the Midwest, birthplace of roughly half of all the monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains.
This isn’t new news though. Declines in the population of Monarch butterfly’s have been reported for a number of years. Honeybee populations have been sliding downhill as well. Who are we going to listen to? An evil corporation preparing to take over the world? Or the beautiful living insects on this earth that keep everything else in sync?


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The bull market’s future may come down to just one economic chart.
According to economic forecaster Lakshman Achuthan, the trend between income and spending growth is signaling trouble is already here.
“These are two of the key coincident indicators of what defines the economic cycle,” he said Monday on CNBC’s “Trading Nation.” “What we see today is that real consumer spending growth has fallen to a four and quarter year low. That’s even lower than the lowest point we saw at the end of the 2015 slowdown.”
The co-founder of the Economic Cycle Research Institute is hyper-focused on it — calling it the single most important chart out there right now because it suggests inflation is already corroding spending power.
“Here’s 70 percent of the U.S. economy which is slowing,” he added.
It’s not the first time Achuthan has addressed the chart on “Trading Nation.” In late May, the former self-proclaimed super bull said the economy was “cruising for a bruising.” His latest data show the trend is deteriorating.
“It’s actually happening — kind of a stealth slowdown,” he said. “I think it becomes more apparent in the next quarter or two. … If it continues to slow, you have the window of vulnerability opening up where negative shocks that we can weather when the economy is growing becomes a lot more problematic in that kind of scenario.”
Achuthan’s latest thoughts came the same day the government posted June retail sales numbers that suggested robust economic growth. But the data aren’t swaying him in a more positive direction.
“Retail sales, the headline numbers that are making the rounds today [Monday], those are all nominal. So when you adjust for inflation, the shine comes off,” Achuthan said, adding real consumer spending growth is broader than retail sales.
This chart may be predicting the bull market's demise


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Turkey becomes top destination for Iranian travelers
The number of Iranian tourists visiting Turkey is expected to continue rising this year, the report said, adding that Turkey may see a strong rise in visits by Iranians particularly in March during the Nevruz holiday in Iran.
Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Armenia followed Turkey as most popular destinations for Iranians last year.
In 2016, a total of 1.7 million Iranian tourists spent their holidays in Turkey.
The report noted that Iranians on average spend six nights in Turkey and spend $1,000 per person versus $630 other foreign tourists spend per capita.
Turkey’s largest city Istanbul, the eastern province of Van and the southern province of Antalya are the most popular destinations for Iranian vacationers, according to the report.
Iranians visit Turkey also for shopping and business purposes.
The banking system in Iran is not fully compatible with that of Turkey, which discourages some Iranians from travelling to Turkey, TÜROB also said in the report.
Since credit cards are not used in Iran, Iranian tourists have to carry considerable amount of cash with them when they travel, the report noted, adding that this limits their expenditure.
TÜROB proposed the introduction of DEBIT cards as a solution to the problem. “Iranians can easily make their payments with DEBIT cards if this payment system is put in place,” the association said.
The number of foreign arrivals in Turkey rose to 32.4 million in 2017 with a 27.8 percent year-on-year increase, data from the Tourism Ministry showed on Jan. 31.
Russia became the top tourist market of Turkey in 2017 with a 14.6 percent share in total arrivals, according to the ministry data. Russia was followed by Germany with nearly 3.6 million visitors and an 11.1 percent share in the total arrivals. Iran became the third market for Turkey’s tourism sector, as 2.5 million Iranians visited Turkey last year. Iran took a 7.7 percent share in total arrivals.


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Tesco is trialling an initiative that ties up its Clubcard loyalty scheme with social media.
The supermarket is offering Clubcard points as a reward to shoppers who act as advocates by promoting Tesco Direct products on Facebook. Online shoppers can earn double Clubcard points when they like, share or buy products on Tesco’s Facebook page in the four-week trial.
“More and more of our customers are using Facebook to chat about and recommend products they like from Tesco Direct,” said Matthew Entwistle, marketing director for general merchandise online at Tesco. “And we know our customers also like to collect extra Clubcard points, so we’re really pleased to offer them a fantastic way to do both things at the same time. It’s our way of saying thanks for supporting us online.”
To earn the extra points, customers register for the Share & Earn Facebook app through Tesco’s Facebook page. Customers can then post any products they ‘like’ to their Facebook wall. If their friends buy products by clicking through the Facebook post, the sharer and the purchaser will both earn Clubcard points for the purchase. Each customer can earn a maximum of 7,500 Clubcard points through the four-week trial.
Tesco currently has more than 800,000 followers on Facebook, and sells more than 120,000 products through Tesco Direct.
Our view: With the size of following that Tesco has on Facebook this looks set to be an interesting experiment in whether Tesco can leverage its followers’ Facebook pages as, effectively, mini-online shops. This is also relevant to the recent news that Tesco is using its data to promote to shoppers according to their previous spending patterns. Will Clubcard points be enough to persuade shoppers to promote Tesco’s products to their friends, while also sharing personal data? We’ll be interested to find out, since if if it works this could signal a real shift in the way that retailers use social media.


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Lynx International subsidiary, of the Chinese e-commerce monolith Alibaba, recently announced that it has successfully integrated blockchain technology into the company’s cross-border logistics business. According to the company, its blockchain-based system keeps track of all relevant information regarding an imported shipment, including details about production, transport method, customs, inspection and third party verification.
The company’s technical leader, Tang Ren, told a Chinese news outlet:
“Although the concept of blockchain has only recently started to emerge, it has a very wide range of applications. We firmly believe that this is an Internet-based technology, not a tool for speculating on currencies.”
Blockchain’s immutability is one of the primary reasons it has seen overwhelming use in cryptocurrencies. Therefore, by extension, any system employing the technology can enjoy the security benefits and trustless nature.
The exploration of the Alibaba private consortium in blockchain technology does not necessarily indicate that the company has a weak point for cryptocurrencies. In December 2017, the company’s founder, Jack Ma, said that while he had no personal or commercial interest in the asset class at that time, his company was making significant progress in blockchain technology. The Lynx announcement is likely one of the few early results of Alibaba’s foray into the field.
As it is known Alibaba owns Taobao and AliExpress, two huge online shopping websites catering to China and the rest of the world respectively, it makes sense that the parent company is attempting to streamline its logistics process. Alongside the import business, Alibaba has also launched blockchain-based programs for the healthcare and food quality control industries.
Some media reports indicate that Taobao’s mobile app has been updated with links to “View product logistics traceability information” at the bottom of some items. When clicked, any information available for the product will be displayed, presumably allowing the user to ensure that the object in question has been imported from a legitimate source.
It is currently estimated that over 30,000 imported goods from ports in Shangai, Shenzhen, Guangzhuo, Hangzhuo and Tianjin among others have had their details logged on the company’s blockchain system. Tang also confirmed that the information tracking process begins before the products even reach the country.
“When these goods are shipped from overseas to China, the logistics data have already begun to go on the blockchain.”
Disclaimer: InfoCoin is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this article and is not responsible for their products and / or services. This press release is for informational purposes information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest.


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SC diesel ban is a temporary phase: Arun Jaitley
Is of the opinion that the car market is large enough for manufacturers to survive the sales slump
Arun Jaitley has recently stated that the SC diesel ban is in a transient phase and the Indian car market is large enough not to adversely affect the auto companies. Jaitley is currently in Japan for six days in an effort to bring Japanese investors into the country. He is scheduled to meet Osamu Suzuki, chairman of Suzuki Motor, the biggest Japanese investor in automobile sector in India.
In his statement, Jaitley said, “I think the Indian auto sector is extremely comfortably placed. This is all transient phase which happens and I...
Rakesh Asthana, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer and former CBI Special Director, appointed Delhi Police commissioner
In 2018, Asthana was in the news when he was engaged in an unsavoury spat with the then CBI Director Alok Verma
Goods and Services Tax collection in July 2020 was Rs 87,422 crore. Sequentially, it slipped below Rs 1 lakh crore mark to Rs 92,849 crore in June 2021
Delhi Police sends reminder to Twitter to share details of accounts used to circulate 'child pornography' content
The Delhi Police has sought details like the links shared on Twitter, accounts used to circulate such content, location and server details from where such content was posted, etc.


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With WWDC just around the corner, some of the new features offered by iOS 5 have started to leak. One of them is automatic over-the-air updates, to allow your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to automatically download and update your apps without having to do anything, or sync your device with your Mac or PC. The new feature, that briefly appeared on iTunes but has since then been removed, is one of the main capabilities users have been requesting since the launch of the iPhone. Until now, users had to go through a somewhat painful process to keep their apps up to date: sync or manually download the updates themselves.
Or if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps, your updates will download to your device without having to sync.A new setting available in the Settings app is expected to be made available when iOS 5 is released, to toggle the option on or off. While Steve Jobs’s keynote on Monday will be focused on Apple’s new cloud services, with the launch of iCloud, many expect the Apple CEO to also offer a sneak peak of iOS 5, a revamped version of iOS expected to be released later this Fall. [via MacRumors]


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Home Basics has had a base in the town for near on a decade, but it fears that many Teries don’t even know that it exists, including some living just a few streets away from its premises at Annfield Mills in Teviot Crescent.
That obscurity persists despite charity staff staging open days at Hawick’s Sainsbury’s and Morrisons supermarkets and also setting up a pop-up shop in the town.
Now a bid is being made to raise its profile and highlight the support it provides to people in need.
Christine Gillespie, shop manager at Home Basics in Hawick, said: “It seems that although we have been here for a number of years, the word still hasn’t got out that we are here, despite promotions and setting up a pop-up shop in the town centre.
“I have been manager here for the last four years, and we have been at our current location since 2011. Before that we were at Weensland, and even people who live just down the street from us don’t seem to know that we operate here.
“We are anxious to reach as many people as we are can because the service we provide can be vital to improving lives.
“The role of our social enterprise is to provide low-cost furniture which has been donated to us by local people in the Borders for people with not such a great deal of money.
“These could be working people who also need to claim benefits. With proof of benefits, tax credits or pension credits, they get a 25% discount on quality furniture.
“We’d also appeal to people who are getting rid of furniture to consider donating to us. We get gift aid on each donated piece of furniture.
“We also need electrical items in good working order, and there is a cabin in Mansfield Road where things like fridges and cookers can be dropped off. If anyone can help out, we have a van which goes about the Borders collecting these items.”
The charity’s premises in Teviot Crescent are open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday. For more details, call 01450 363974 or go to [email protected]cs.org.uk


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It goes like this: Sony releases a console, the first year or two is fine, but it really starts to hit its stride in year three.
By year five, we are swimming in quality games, and there are different models of the console to choose from. Over the last seven years, Sony produced the PS4, the PS4 Slim, and the PS4 Pro, the latter of which released at the end of November 2016. Now that we’re nearing the end of the seven-year cycle, we’re finally getting some more details about the PS5.
The PS4 Pro was a decent bridge between last-gen and the next; after only a few years in the wild, the standard PS4 had already been left lagging behind by high-spec PCs. Players needed something to show off the image quality of their 4K TVs, and the PS4 Pro acted as a mid-generational stopgap. Sony will probably want to close this gap as soon as possible with the PS5, especially now that the CEO of the company, John Kodera, is openly admitting that the console is approaching the final phase of its life cycle.
The console is still having a record-breaking run. By the end of June 2019, Sony had sold 100 million PS4 consoles and the jury is still out on whether the PS5 will ever hit such high numbers. Time flies like an arrow and it won’t be long before you’ll be able to pre-order the PS5, so let’s take a look at everything we know so far.
PS5 Release Date
The PS5 will be released in time for this Christmas and the PS5 website is now live, though there’s not much to look at right now.
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida was recently asked about the possibility of the next generation of PlayStation, saying: “At this point, what I can say is it’s necessary to have a next-generation hardware”.
There’s already the hint of a new next-gen console lurking in the code of the Unreal Engine, codenamed Erebus which is likely the PS5 given its Greek codename.
Will the PS5 be shown at E3 2020?
The short answer is no, Sony will not be attending E3 this year. Sony is still leading the console race this generation, beating everyone on hardware sales and, most importantly, releasing the most exciting exclusives.
While there’s no E3 showcase to look forward to, you should still keep an eye out for smaller events, like the Experience PlayStation event, throughout the year to show off new games.
PS5 Games and Exclusives
Godfall, a fantasy “looter-slasher” developed by Counterplay Games, was confirmed at The Game Awards as the first PS5 exclusive – though you’ll also be able to play it on PC. We don’t have a release date for it yet, though it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume it’ll be dropping close to the PS5’s launch date. More recently, it was announced that People Can Fly’s sci-fi shooter Outriders will be coming to the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
According to one respected industry analyst, Sony has now shifted first-party studios to focus on the development of games for the PlayStation 5. Clearly, Sony is deep into the creation of new games for the PS5. According to that report, some unannounced games may straddle the PS4 and the PS5 to become cross-gen releases. That leaves the question of what games already announced will arrive on the PS4 and PS5, or just skip ahead to become PS5 exclusives?
It’s likely that titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Death Stranding will receive a remaster of sorts when the PS5 launches. Ubisoft confirmed that Rainbow Six Quarantine, Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters will all be coming to the PS5, though they may release early on the PS4 before the PS5 launches. We can also confirm that the PS5 will support 8K resolution, and will be backwards-compatible with PS4 games.
Photos of the leaked PS5 dev kit started doing the rounds back in October and it was confirmed that they were the same design feature in patents uncovered last August.
PlayStation’s lead architect Mark Cerny discussed the internal components in PS5, which will use a third-generation Ryzen CPU with eight cores, based on the 7nm Zen 2 architecture.
The “Oberon” GPU is a custom chip based on Radeon’s Navi family, with support for ray tracing. If you’re looking for an explainer on ray tracing and its significance, we’ve got one for you right here. The SSD inside the console is super fast. According to Wired, it took around 0.8 seconds to fast travel in Spider-Man compared to 15 seconds on PlayStation 4 Pro.
In fact, a video showing just that SSD speed in action has leaked. Here’s a demonstration – really the first look at the PS5 in action – of PS4 game Spider-Man loading on a PlayStation 5. It’s really worth seeing to get a good idea of how much of a game-changer this is going to be.
Sony's official video comparing performance of PS4 Pro vs next-gen PlayStation pic.twitter.com/2eUROxKFLq
— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) May 21, 2019
PS5 will support 8K resolution and will contain a disc-tray, 3D audio integration, and will be compatible with the current PSVR model. Images of the PS5’s controller have also been leaked via Reddit and the patent design for the new controller shows that Sony plans to ditch the light bar and they’ll have bigger triggers, similar to an Xbox controller. Cerny also mentions that controllers will come with improved haptic feedback that will better simulate tension, if you’re wondering how the PS5 is going to add to your immersion.
Sony launched the PS3 at $499 for the cheapest model and sales suffered as a result compared to the Xbox 360. This is a mistake Sony will not want to repeat since the money lost can easily be clawed back via online subscriptions and software sales. The PS4 and the PS4 Pro launched at $399, so expect the PS5 to be similarly priced.
CFO Hiroki Totoki revealed this month that factors out of Sony’s hand include competition with other platforms, which prevents Sony from revealing price and other plans right now, as it may want to alter some of them later.
PS5 Backwards Compatibility
Sony went all-in on its streaming subscription service PlayStation Now this generation, while Microsoft took a different tactic with the Xbox One. Particularly with the Xbox One X, backwards compatibility has been extremely popular – with the console upscaling games and making them look like they have a new lick of paint.
As we said earlier, it has now been confirmed that the PS5 will be backwards-compatible with PS4 games.
Changing PSN ID to be ready for PS5
You can now change that ultra edgy PSN ID to something cooler now. Be warned: if Sony deems the new ID to be offensive, it’ll be changed to a placeholder to give you the opportunity to revert back to your own one or change it to something more appropriate.
Games published after April 1, 2018, should show your newly updated name, but there’s no guarantee. You can switch back if needs must, but if you want a change before the PS5 launches, we suggest doing it soon.


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Journalists and experts await this event with horror: given the remoteness of the Frankfurt exhibition pavilions have a feeling that the champion in race walking for the conquest of «gold» have to be a smaller distance. But for heaven avtogurmana here: can one of the first to see the world car industry news, look to the future by looking at the concepts and, eventually, to see the entire current range.
huge area, hundreds of cars, thousands of visitors - all this celebration of global automobile industry, who visited the business capital of Germany in September of each odd-numbered years. Given that the exhibition is held at the largest automobile market in Europe - more than three million vehicles annually - its world premiere here not only «masters» - the Germans, but Frenchmen. Although they have their September autoshow - in Paris, it is held in even-numbered years.
Frankfurt Motor Show - it is also a lot of business meetings. At each booth there is a special meeting, the journalists met with the newsmakers, the representatives of the various car companies - with each other every time some new acquaintances and new information.


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Ecuador triumphs as greenest destination in South America
After being nominated 31 times in 22 categories of the World Travel Awards, Ecuador won eight awards at the recent South America Gala Ceremony. At a ceremony held at the Swissotel Lima in Peru, the western South American country was named as the Greenest Destination in South America, and its capital Quito was named as South America's Leading Destination.
The prestigious World Travel Awards Latin America Gala Ceremony 2016 took place earlier this month showcasing the best of the region’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry. With 31 nominations across 22 categories, Ecuador was one of the big winners of the event, scooping eight awards.
Ecuador won the title of the Greenest Destination in South America for the third year in a row. The country has also been named as the World’s Greenest Destination for the past three years, an accolade that it has been nominated again for the World Travel Awards Grand Final Ceremony later this year.
Ecuador’s capital Quito was named as South America’s Leading Destination, and its Mariscal Sucre International Airport won the title of South America’s Leading Airport. Hotel Plaza Grande Quito was named as the Leading Boutique Hotel in South America, while Finch Bay Eco Hotel won the award for South America’s Leading Green Hotel. The title for Leading Luxury Train in South American was awarded to Tren Crucero, a series of electric-diesel, and restored, antique steam locomotives that take passengers on journeys across Ecuador, from the Pacific Coast to the beautiful Andes.
The business and conference sector in Ecuador was also recognised at the ceremony, and Swissotel Quito was awarded as South America’s Leading Conference Hotel. The country’s largest city Guayaquil was named as South America’s Leading Business Travel Destination.
The WTA South America Ceremony was held at Swissotel Lima in Peru and was attended by hundreds of representatives from the region’s leading tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as government officials and leaders. Winners from the South America Ceremony will go on to the Grand Final Gala event that will take place in December, 2016 at the Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort in the Maldives. The ceremony will host finalists from the world’s regional ceremonies and will declare the world’s winners in the travel industry.
Ecuador is a country that is situated in western South America, straddling the equator. Its natural landscapes includes miles of lush Amazon jungle, a Pacific coastline with beautiful sandy beaches, the huge Cuyabeno Wild Life Reserve and Yasuni National Park, the idyllic Galapagos Islands, and the soaring snow-capped Andes mountain range. The capital city Quito boasts preserved Spanish colonial architecture, and is located 2,800 metres above sea level. Find out which are the top holiday destinations in Ecuador showed by MJ Lopez.
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April 13, 2021 to April 13, 2021
05:00 PM untill 07:00 PM
Leadership NEXT, a monthly program for advancing business professionals, will host a networking program from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13 at The Wine Room in Fort Myers. Sarah Newcomb, founder of The Wine Room, will share her entrepreneurial experience, and the challenges of opening a new business during the COVID pandemic. Guests will also hear from Ali Strauss-Eck, owner and operator of Grazing Haus, who will share her own experience launching Southwest Florida’s first concierge cheese service. The program on April 13 will be held at The Wine Room, located at 1544 Broadway in downtown Fort Myers. Admission is free for Chamber members and $10 for future members and includes one complimentary drink. Advanced registration is required for all attendees as capacity is limited to allow for social distancing. Attendees can register at FortMyers.org or call 239-332-2930.
LocationThe Wine RoomView map
Fort Myers, 33901, FL, 1234


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Are you ready for an amazing dining adventure on board Disney’s newest cruise ship, the Wish? It’s going to be pretty epic! Read on for the exciting details.
Not too long ago, Disney had some exciting announcements about the Disney Wish. Disney’s newest ship is promising to bring all sorts of exciting entertainment, dining experiences like never seen before, fun kids clubs, and Disney’s first ever attraction at sea.
One of them was that the ship will have the first ever Marvel cinematic dining experience. All we knew at the time was that it was going to be a top secret mission. Now we know more details, so let’s take a look at what is to come, courtesy of Disney Parks Blog.
Avengers: Quantum Encounter
This exclusive Avengers adventure will assemble some of Earth’s Mightiest — and tiniest — Super Heroes in a larger-than-life showcase of revolutionary quantum technology and world-class cuisine. It’s more than a meal and more than a show: It’s something that’s never been done before in a restaurant on land or at sea!
For a first look at Avengers: Quantum Encounter, check out the video right here.
“Avengers: Quantum Encounter” will follow Ant-Man and The Wasp as they embark on their first public speaking engagement on behalf of the Avengers. They are hosting a special presentation of the most powerful Super Hero technologies — such as Captain America’s shield, Iron Man’s arc reactor and Ant-Man’s Pym Particles — giving the audience an up-close look at holographic models, field reports and iconic scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe displayed on the screens surrounding the room.
Every table at Worlds of Marvel will feature its own Quantum Core, “a brand-new device that can cause objects to shrink and grow remotely.”Disney Parks Blog
The highlight of this special event is a hands-on demonstration of the latest and greatest Pym Tech, the Quantum Core, which uses cutting-edge (and highly unstable) technology to shrink and grow targets at the push of a button. A few “misfires” will result in hilarious Ant-Man-style hijinks, but the real trouble begins when an unexpected villain shows up with a fearsome army in tow, eager to get their hands on this powerful quantum technology.
Disney has also shared the following about this amazing experience, “When enough of the Quantum Cores are activated at the same time, the entire venue will become supercharged as energy pulses through the power channels in the walls and ceiling.”
The menu will feature items from the “Worlds of Marvel”. Guests can expect to see dishes inspired by African Wakanda, Eastern European Sokovia, and New York City.
I am looking forward to see all of the amazing dishes on the menu! It’s sure to be impressive.
What do you think of the new dining experience on Disney’s Wish? Will you be booking a cruise on the Disney Wish? Will you eat at Avengers: Quantum Encounter? Tell us about it in the comments below or on our Facebook page.


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Nikki Beach, the global luxury lifestyle and hospitality brand, is set to reopen its renowned Nikki Beach Saint Barth location for the first full season following the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
After full-scale efforts by staff and neighbors to restore the beloved property, Nikki Beach guests will once again be able to sit oceanfront and revel in the brand’s unique mix of music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film and art “Nikki Beach is about the Celebration of Life and creating lasting memories with friends and family” says Jack Penrod, Chairman and Owner, Nikki Beach Global. “We are very excited to continue this long-standing celebration at our newly-renovated property in Saint Barth.”
Over the years, the iconic Nikki Beach Saint Barth property has hosted the world’s most beloved celebrations, offering jetsetters and fun-lovers alike an incomparable mix of gourmet cuisine, creative mixology and signature entertainment for a truly once-in-alifetime celebration.
This season, Nikki Beach clients will be able to create memories in the newly-built outdoor restaurant, bar, boutique, kitchen and rotisserie—all in a picturesque setting. The property showcases the signature Nikki Beach look with an inviting design of all white with wood accents and open-air lounges for relishing the fresh sea breeze and sipping delicious cocktails.
Nikki Beach Saint Barth’s culinary team will continue to elevate the gourmet experience this season with a globally-inspired menu incorporating approachable cuisine that is healthful, and beautifully presented and prepared. Guests will enjoy ocean-side the brand’s world-famous sushi boats, truffle pizza, chicken satay, tartares, and more.
From buzz-worthy events and incredible guests, Nikki Beach Saint Barth will continue to impress guests, starting with its classic signature celebration, Amazing Sundays, as well as its annual and long-anticipated, star-studded New Year’s Eve Bash, which has previously featured personalities such as Mariah Carey, John Legend and Beyoncé.
Upon opening, DJ’s Philippe Paris, Patris Gero, and Jerome Barthelemy will be spinning alongside saxophonist Jimmy Sax, to bring guests the funky and happy house tunes that Nikki Beach is known for. Nikki Beach Saint Barth will be open daily for lunch from 11:30 am to 7 pm starting Friday, October 26th. Dinghy and valet service will be available, too. For more information, please visit http://www.nikkibeach.com/stbarth/ or follow the location on Instagram and Facebook at @NikkiBeachSaintBarth.
Nikki Beach, Plage de St. Jean, 97133 Saint Barth, French West Indies Tel: +590 590 27 64 64


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With Minnesota's Stay At Home order expiring Sunday, malls have begun to announce their plans for reopening.
Anyone planning on shopping at them can expect significant changes to ensure social distancing, and also expect not all stores to be open immediately.
Here's a running list of what malls are doing, which will be updated as more make announcements.
Albertville Premium Outlets
– Reopening Monday, May 18. Hours 11-7, Mon-Sat and 12,6, Sun.
Apache Mall, Rochester
– Opening Monday, May 18. Hours 11-7, Mon-Sat, and 12-6, Sun.
Burnsville Center, Burnsville
– Opening Monday, May 18. Hours 11-7, Mon-Sat, and 12-6, Sun.Open stores here.


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Those who take their old furniture to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore during their annual spring cleaning will be in for a bit of a new feel.
The ReStore, 201 E. Pickard Street, recently underwent an entire remodel of its showroom.
“We are 90 percent complete,” ReStore manager Nathan Hainstock said. “Before the new spring season, heavy donation season, we kind of wanted to just improve the interior and make a better shopping experience for a lot of our customers.”
Executive Director Jeremy Murphy said the ReStore started cleaning up the back room back in September, and started cleaning the show room in January.
The store still has to do some slight cosmetic adjustments and a little bit of clean-up, the two said.
The remodel is the second remodel the ReStore has done since it opened about five years ago, the two said.
One of the ReStore’s board members designed and constructed a new cashiers counter. The counter, bright wood with navy and kelly green colors, is more reflective of the ReStore’s brand, Hainstock said.
The relocation also adds more space to the show room, and a TV will be added to the new room.
The entire remodel cost less than $500.
“Most of it was items that we had at the store for sale or use,” Hainstock said. “We had a really nice volunteer painter come in.”
The two said the remodel exceeded the expectations they had set, considering the two had really just jumped in without a detail-for-detail plan.
“It’s much cleaner,” Murphy said. “It’s much more store like rather the barn that … we used to have.”
“You’re a flea-market to more traditional shopping in here,” Hainstock added.
The store is cleaner and easier to navigate and so far, customer feedback has been incredibly positive.
It’s a lot brighter, Murphy said, and customers that have stopped in for the first time in a while have been really enthused with the new look.
Hainstock said the ReStore typically sees an influx of donations once weather breaks and the mid-Michigan community starts cleaning out houses.
“People are getting new furniture, and then donate their old,” Murphy said.
The ReStore gets pretty busy with pick-ups as well.
The store offers free pick-up of unwanted furniture.
Not only does the ReStore offer furniture, it also offers used appliances, rugs, sinks, toilets, artwork and discount home improvement materials.
All of the money raised at the ReStore goes toward Habitat for Humanity.
The money raised is used to provide quality, affordable housing for low-income families.
“Through the sale of donated, used items, we’re able to raise the revenue to build those houses,” Hainstock said.
The ReStore covers its own overhead costs, Murphy said, and then contributes the rest to the building of the homes.


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The volume of diamonds traded in Dubai rose by more than half in the first six months of the year.
A total of 206.1 million carats were traded, 57 per cent more than the 131m carats traded in the same period last year, according to figures from Dubai Diamond Exchange. Values increased to US$25.3 billion (Dh92.9bn) from $16.3bn.
"This year's record diamond trading volumes are testimony to Dubai's global standing in the diamond industry," said Ahmed bin Sulayem, the executive chairman of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority, of which the exchange is a subsidiary.
The emirate's status as a centre for trade of diamonds has grown this year. In April, Dubai hosted the first World Federation of Diamond Bourses Presidents' Meeting in the Arab world.
The emirate is also the UAE's only entry and exit point for rough diamonds. The rough diamond trade in Dubai in the first six months nearly doubled to 108 million carats, also exceeding last year's full-year trade of 105.1 million carats.
Dubai's diamond trade was mainly driven by India, Belgium, Hong Kong and Switzerland, highlighting the emirate's position as a trade centre linking consumer and producer markets. It is also experiencing growth in volumes traded from newer markets such as Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"In addition to a stellar infrastructure, trade is driven by increasing visitor numbers thanks to Dubai's tourist initiatives, exhibitions and trade shows such as Gitex and the Motor Show," said Amit Dhamani, the chief executive of Dhamani Jewels Group.


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Teradata has made its third acquisition of a company specializing in big data within about a month, with the latest deal involving consulting firm Think Big Analytics
Teradata has bought the assets of Revelytix and Hadapt in a bid to grow out its capabilities for the Hadoop big-data processing framework.
Teradata is hoping to gain ground in the hotly competitive data-warehousing and analytics market with QueryGrid, a new product that allows users to run a single SQL-based query across multiple data stores, from Teradata's own system to Hadoop and riv...
Teradata is adding an appliance option for its Aster analytic database, giving it another potential weapon against rivals such as Oracle's Exadata, EMC's Greenplum and SAP's HANA.
Relatively few colleges and universities around the world offer dedicated degree programs for BI (business intelligence), despite the rapidly growing popularity of analytics technology among businesses, according to a study announced Monday.
Cloud-based marketing automation vendor Marketo's plans to raise up to $75 million in an initial public offering, which were revealed this week, could influence larger companies to acquire the company, including Salesforce.com and SAP.
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Mekari, an Indonesian SME-focused SaaS startup, has raised $50 million in a funding round led by Money Forward Inc as it expands its capabilities into financial technology (fintech) services, the company said in a statement on Friday.
Money Forward had led Mekari’s $21 million Series D funding round last year. In total, Mekari has raised more than $70 million to date form investors including East Ventures, Beenext, Mandiri Capital, Alto Partners, and Prasetia.
The startup provides SaaS solutions such as human resource management, payroll, billing, and accounting, among others, helping companies digitise and automate their operations efficiently. Last May, it acquired Qontak, a technology firm that provides customer relationship management (CRM) software to clients.
Mekari plans to spend its fresh funding to expand its fintech capabilities, which could be tailored to its customers’ needs. It will also hire more people, especially in product and engineering teams who will create new solutions for its clients.
“We have started offering services such as earned wage access and business loans. We cooperate with banking partners to be able to provide a contextual service to our customers,” CEO Suwandi Soh told DealStreetAsia.
Earned wage access (EWA) is an employee benefit that allows workers to access their wages on any day of the month. This feature helps workers to manage their financials better and prevents them from falling into the trap of predatory loans.
In Indonesia, there are some dedicated EWA startups such as GajiGesa and East Ventures-backed Wagely.
“We realise that Indonesia has huge potential, as seen from the surge of business and people who are increasingly tech-savvy. We have been working with Mekari for several years and our positive experiences have strongly convinced us that Mekari would be able to tap into its full potential and drive the digitalisation growth in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. We believe that they will become a pivotal platform in empowering businesses and professionals in the country,” Yosuke Tsuji, Money Forward Inc president and CEO, said in the statement.


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In addition to lucrative shale expansion, a growing population is leading to another kind of boom in Houston – in specialty retail.
The growth of new and current retail businesses is currently most concentrated in and around the 610 Loop, especially in the Midtown, EaDo, Heights and the Galleria.
Eado will soon be home of the East Village mixed-use project, containing up to 100,000 square feet of retail, office and residential space.
A gastropub known as Champan & Kirby was the first retail tenant to secure its spot at the location, with a series of restaurants and night spots set to follow over the next two years.
Rice Village, the long-established Inner Loop shopping destination, is also undergoing a makeover:
The upgraded shopping center will soon house some of Texas’ favorite restaurants, such as Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Shake Shack, as well as an open space for public art installations.
Residents just outside 610 will also see a transformation at Bellaire Town Center, with plans for revitalization and expansion from a one-level, 39,000 square-foot space, to a two-level, 72,000 square-foot space.
The space will also include a two-level H-E-B grocery store, which is scheduled to open later this year.
Additionally, Midtown and Montrose will see new retail options in the coming months:
Spenga, a Chicago-based chain of fitness centers, will open on Lower Westheimer in late 2017, taking over the space held by Michelangelo’s Italian restaurant, which is planning to relocate.
The gym will feature yoga studio, spin classes and strength training facilities.
Real estate developer and restaurateur Fred Sharifi are further working on plans to develop a multi-use project at Fairview and Taft, just a few blogs away from Spenga.
The project is expected to include retail, restaurant and office spaces, as well as a five-story parking garage.


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By Marco Rabinowitz
There has been a lot in the news Monday regarding positive Black Friday sales numbers. The market responded favorably to the bright start for US holiday sales. Retail sales on Black Friday were 6.6 percent higher this year than last year.
On MarketWatch, Nick Hastings raised the question to Bruce Orwall, London Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, regarding if the rise in the market is going to last.
Hastings: "Those figures over the weekend, is that just a case here of the US consumer being more confident or is it a case that [retailers] were just slashing prices more?"
Orwall responded that retailers have come out of Black Friday optimistic in years past only to fizzle out. Orwall also suggested that the bounce from Black Friday retail sales came from online sales rather than individuals shopping at stores and malls. Thus, according to Hastings, the current rise in stocks is "more than likely going to fizzle".
(Check out six ETFs for Cyber Monday here.)
As the Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up 300 points Monday morning, traders who anticipated a kind bounce for Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Macy's (NYSE: M), Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD), Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE: DDS), and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) were surely not disappointed early in the trading day. Even so, comparatively, Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) had a healthy spike at the opening, but experienced a quick decline early in trading.
Though Monday's increase in stocks may only be temporary, at the very least it somewhat reflects that the US consumer is still willing to spend money in the middle of a troubling economic situation. But in light of Black Friday, even aside from consumer confidence or retailers slashing prices, there may be another dimension to the increase in retail sales that some are overlooking.
Even after the holiday season, reality will have to set in sometime. As such, the tone of consumer purchases in the US may be changing. With the prospect of mild economic growth in the US for the foreseeable future and high unemployment, the attitude of consumers (though they may be making purchases) may very well still be negative.
Far from consumer optimism, the rise in retail sales may reflect a situation in the US where consumers are making purchases merely because they can. This could be thought of as a materialistic hoarding of sorts in preparation for some possible socio-economic calamity. I personally have noticed this in my own life and with respect to individuals close to me that there is this subtle feeling in the collective consciousness that we should purchase (if only on credit) various goods and services while they are still in existence. In other words, you better buy that TV, laptop, and/or PS3 while there is still commerce flowing within the country, because you don't know if that TV, laptop, and/or PS3 is going to be around next year.
It's as if before we might see Rome burning, consumers are saying, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Buy that book or CD that you always wanted while you still can. Go to that restaurant or diner while it still exists. Watch that movie or TV show while it still exists. I think personally the collapse of Border's Books & Music strongly contributed to this collective-consciousness notion that our sense of American consumeristic culture is fleeting -- akin to a consumeristic shopping panic. The fall of Border's was enough to make one think, "I must buy books...while there are still books to be bought!"
Even in the context of holiday shopping, if you look carefully at the data, you can see that 46 percent of consumers on Black Friday were purchasing "gifts" for themselves, up from 35 percent last year. Aye, 'tis the season for giving indeed. In other words, in taking into account holiday shopping, people still have to buy gifts for family and friends. 46 percent of shoppers were buying for themselves... 46 percent!
That statistic is a heavy one because it reflects a consciousness in society where individuals are contemplating that the consumer culture in the US is not going to last; thus, we better shop and buy while we still can. As I said, this reflects a sort of materialistic hoarding just in case a disaster strikes; it's not like individuals were without TVs, toys, video game systems, computers, or other various items prior to last Friday.
(Not sure where the market is heading? Check out Benzinga's full line of professional investor services here.)
To contribute to this idea that the collective consciousness is shopping pessimistically, the Drudge Report recently featured a story regarding how stores that sell survival food and gear are experiencing a jump in sales. Where some consumers may fear that the US will face the complete collapse of society in the near future, increased sales do not always reflect heightened consumer confidence or optimism going forward.
On the contrary, the recent rise in retail sales may suggest the complete opposite. Far from getting ready for the holiday season, maybe increased retail sales are telling us that consumers are preparing for the worst.


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Topshelf Records turns to Kickstarter after mail-order partner folds
Spare a thought for independent label Topshelf Records today, which is scrambling to deal with the after-effects of its mail-order fulfilment partner going bankrupt.
September 15, 2022
Musician Frank Carter launches Kickstarter… for a card game
Artist Frank Carter has launched a new Kickstarter project, but it's not for his music.
July 6, 2022
Kickstarter’s ‘decentralized crowdfunding’ plans get backlash
The plans are for "the development of a decentralized crowdfunding protocol that will make it possible for people to launch and fund creative projects anywhere".
December 17, 2021
Jellynote launches Kickstarter for collaborative karaoke app
"Think of Play as a recording and production studio, with a large library of pre-arranged songs to choose from," it explains.
November 12, 2021
Educational composition app Hyperscore launches a Kickstarter
Developed by a team at the M.I.T. Media Laboratory, it's a web app designed to run across desktop and laptop computers as well as other devices.
October 18, 2021
Sandbox Issue 261: The return of the fanclub? Crowdfunding in 2020
Lead: Crowdfunding in 2020 – Crowdfunding is not a new idea – but following the nosedive of recorded music sales in the early noughts, crowdfunding became a tantalising concept: fanbases could be leveraged into...
September 30, 2020
Music app Endlesss hits Kickstarter target for desktop app
We’ve reported regularly on British music-making app startup Endlesss: from our interview with its CEO last year to its recent launches of an iOS app and its own record label. Now Endlesss is turning to crowdfunding...
June 4, 2020
Today’s positive coronavirus-related industry news (24 April)
Start today with the announcement that Beyoncé’s BeyGood foundation is donating $6m to various community-based organisations, UCLA and the National Alliance in Mental Illness. “Communities of color are suffering...
April 24, 2020
Crowdfunding is still effective – and it’s still not begging (guest column)
This article is an excerpt from Ari Herstand's second edition of How to Make It in the New Music Business: In 2009, I was co-managing one of my favorite Minneapolis bands with my girlfriend. I was actively touring, playing...
November 8, 2019
Liz Longley smashes Kickstarter total to buy album back from label
When crowdfunding platform Kickstarter first started making waves in the music industry in the early 2010s, the pitch from artists was often ‘help me to make my new album independently’. In 2019, in the case of...
October 23, 2019
Roli launches Kickstarter for Lumi educational instrument
British startup Roli has launched a series of inventive musical instruments. Its latest has been unveiled with a Kickstarter pre-orders campaign. The instrument is called Lumi, which is pitched as “the illuminated keyboard,...
June 19, 2019
Kickstarter’s Drip follow-up has been canned before launch
Crowdfunding platform Drip began life as a project out of independent label Ghostly International: a way for indie labels and artists to raise money from fans through ongoing subscriptions. In early 2016 its founders announced plans...
June 17, 2019


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In recent weeks there have been a handful flights that have reported passenger disputes over reclining seats. While the reclining seat issue is no doubt a forward and back debate, one thing is for certain: there’s a real sense of recline rage that’s emerging among today’s passengers. But is this to be expected? After all, seat legroom is shrinking, most flights continue to operate at capacity, and let’s face it – people aren’t getting any nicer.
According to Independenttraveler.com, the standard airline seat once had 33 to 34 inches of room between a seat and the one in front. That measurement, known as the pitch, has fallen in many airlines to about 31 inches.
Additionally, many first-class seats run about 21 inches wide, about the same size as a typical Amtrak train seat, but still smaller than many movie seats. However, seats in economy are just 17 inches wide. Airlines thus are able to put more seats in each row, so that the coach section not only feels more cramped, it looks like a sardine can.
That said, if you’re not up for being packaged like a sardine – and traveling makes you a little “salty” to begin with – you may want to consider purchasing a seat with extra leg room. For example, Virgin Atlantic will give you an extra 3 inches for $60 each way. Sanity, after all, comes at a price.
Here’s some more travel news you can use:
- The Aloft hotel in Cupertino, California – located directly across the street from Apple’s corporate campus – has started testing a pair of robotic bellhops named “Botlrs” – wheeled service vehicles designed to deliver small items from the front desk to a client’s room autonomously. They’re designed to look like none other than R2D2 from Star Wars. Okay, so these may be the droids you’re looking for.
- According to Bloomberg-BusinessWeek, Southwest is also no longer the low-fare leader in many cities, having steadily raised prices in recent years. Southwest’s average one-way fare rose 8 percent, to $163, over the past year. The lowest nonstop one-way fare from Chicago to Los Angeles on Southwest, American, United, and Virgin America, for instance, was $156.10 on Sept. 10. That was $44 more than Spirit’s cheapest.
- You may have heard or seen the hit TV series “Storage Wars” or “Auction Hunters” where people bid on the unknown contents of storage lockers. Well, now mystery luggage auctions have also become big business. Scores of suitcases are routinely found abandoned by absent-minded travelers at Heathrow Airport in London. The airport is unable to trace around 200 of them a month, and most of the time they end up at Greasby’s auction house in south London, which takes a commission from sales then passes the proceeds to the relevant airline. Be looking for it on the the next auction reality series.


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Huawei to start demanding 5G royalties from smartphone makers
The move could create a potentially lucrative revenue source for the beleaguered Chinese firm
Huawei has announced it will charge royalties for the use of its 5G phone technology as it looks to open up new revenue streams.
Jason Ding, the company’s head of IP, said that Huawei hopes to raise around $1.3 billion in revenue from patent licensing between 2019 and 2021, as reported by Reuters. He added that for every phone that uses Huawei’s 5G technology, the company will receive up to $2.50 in royalties.
This move could affect companies like Apple or Samsung if they choose to use Huawei's patented 5G technology in their smartphone devices.
The company added that by the end of 2020, it had over 100,000 active patents in over 40,000 patent families worldwide.
Huawei, along with its rivals Samsung, Nokia, Ericsson and Qualcomm, is one of the leaders of 5G technology. Although the company has achieved positive growth for both 2020 revenue and profit, the company’s smartphone business remains under pressure because of the US trade ban.
At the start of the month, it emerged that the Biden administration was set to continue with the tough restrictions on Chinese tech firms implemented in the Trump-era. Huawei had been labelled as a security threat based on perceived ties with the Chinese government, with a concern that its telecommunications business will be used for surveillance.
In January, the Trump administration also decided to revoke certain licenses that allow US firms to sell to Huawei. In September, Huawei had to stop the production of its most advanced smartphone chips as a result of other US sanctions.
As a result of not being able to access US software and hardware supplies, the company was forced to develop its own mobile operating system and find alternative chip manufacturers. Since mid-2019, Huawei smartphones have also been devoid of Google apps like Gmail because of the Trump administration’s blanket ban of the networking giant.
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There’s no question about it: Smartphones are a massive time sink. According to a study by psychologists at Nottingham Trent University, young adults use their phone roughly five hours every day, and it isn’t just young people. Researchers at Deloitte found that Americans of all ages check social media apps, email, and texts a collective 8 billion times each afternoon.
The reasons why each of us reach again and again for the buzzing handsets in our pockets differ, of course, but some psychologists believe it’s an urge rooted in instinctual curiosity. Others argue it’s a form of addiction, and that our phones scratch a habitual itch to know what our friends, family, and acquaintances are up to at any given moment. No matter the cause of our smartphone attachment syndrome, though, most agree it’s a problem — and one that Jorge Selva set out to solve with Siempo, a “new class” of phone that limits distractions.
A distraction-free smartphone
Inspiration struck Selva on a phone-free trip to Peru. “I remember I was sitting out one morning with coffee, reading my Kindle, and thinking to myself, ‘Why do I need my phone?'” he said. “It buzzes for my attention and sucks me into a rabbit hole. I thought I’d have this anxiety or stress, but I didn’t really miss anything,” he said. “I felt productive, present.”
The Siempo is a smartphone at its core. It has a 1GHz quad-core processor, a camera, 8GB of internal storage, a fast-charging 1,600mAh battery, a 4-inch high-resolution screen, and an Android-based operating system. However, it’s unmistakably nontraditional. Unlike flagship phones from the likes of Samsung, LG, Apple, and others, the Siempo doesn’t do a whole lot, and that’s sort of the point.
The design process was evolutionary, Selva said. “We started as a minimalist phone — a dumbphone,” he said. “Then we realized that by migrating to a smartphone design, it gave people more of the ‘nice to haves’ — email, for example. When you’re going after young people, that gives them what they need for a primary phone.”
The Siempo is organized around the idea of “intentions,” or the digital tasks and goals you want to accomplish you unlock your phone. It lacks a home screen and instead serves up what Selva called the Intention Field: A blank search box that uses intelligence to guess at what you want.
It’s as impressive — and clever — as it sounds. Enter a name in the Intention Field, and it’ll pull up the person’s details if they’re in your contact list (or let you add them if they aren’t). It recognizes notes, too, so typing “Buy the milk” will prompt you to save a reminder to Siempo’s memento app. You can even send texts directly from the Intention Field to the recipient number of your choice.
The Intention Field’s just the beginning of Siempo’s minimalist suite. The phone packs a simple email client, calendar app, web browser, and mapping service powered by Google Maps.
Just press pause
However, the undoubted highlight is the Siempo’s “Pause” button, a physical key on its side that temporarily disables incoming notifications.
Pause is a little like Android’s Priority mode. For a block of time, which you specify beforehand, the Siempo blocks text messages and other alerts that aren’t from contacts you’ve chosen to let through.
“It kind of prevents our lizard brain from taking over,” Selva said. “If you see a notification, you’re going to check it.”
“We’ve always had trouble living intentionally and exercising control, it’s human nature”
Mindful Morning, another of the Siempo’s “focus features,” works in much the same way. When enabled, you won’t see any of the notifications you received overnight. Instead, you’ll get the alarms you set the night before and a list of preparatory, meditative, or wellness tasks to complete.
“We realized that our phones weren’t serving us — that they didn’t benefit us,” said Selva. “It’s the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ — taking chunks of time to accomplish specific activities.”
It isn’t a new problem, Selva said. “We’ve always had trouble living intentionally and exercising control,” he said. “It’s human nature.”
Selva said the decision to design a smartphone rather than release an app for devices on the market was motivated by logistics, in part. “We couldn’t quite deliver on [notifications],” he said. “we tried to hide things and bring them back up, but it didn’t work properly.”
The inefficacy of app-based solutions was the another sticking point — the team wanted to make sure Siempo delivered on its distraction-free promise. “We did extensive research into people who’ve set up phones and found that overwhelmingly, people start strong but fall back,” he said. “Most apps are too easy to circumvent.”
Are people rejecting smartphones?
Siempo seems to have tapped a nerve. One of the most buzzed-about phones this year is the Nokia 3310, a 2G dumbphone. So-called digital-detox camps like Camp Grounded, which charge as much as $600 for phone-free excursions in the Northern California wilderness, have exploded in popularity, too, and it’s no wonder. Studies show that putting down your smartphone for a few extra hours can reduce anxiety and depression.
The Siempo may fall short of a true cure to the problem — it’s a smartphone, after all — but Selva sees it as a half-step toward more mindful living. “People yearn for a better way to be,” he said. “We want to offload that mental stress however we can.
Siempo launches on Kickstarter for $350 this month, and you can sign up for updates here. The first prototypes will become available in May, and the launch target’s Christmas.
- Samsung plans two more folding smartphones, and one could be out this year
- The iPhone Do Not Disturb While Driving feature cut down on distracted driving
- If you’re after a smartphone bargain, OnePlus has taken out its price-cutting scissors
- The PuzzlePhone is the modular smartphone that will satisfy your inner geek craving
- Watch out, Apple: Huawei has become the world’s third-largest smartphone vendor


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Huawei AppGallery has become the third-largest app marketplace in the world. The company is competing right up against Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. In order to offer Huawei and Honor smartphone users with a huge app library, the company has now announced its tie-up with MapmyIndia to offer maps, GPS navigation and other solutions. This will basically give users a great alternative to the already popular Google Maps.
Commenting on this, Charles Peng, President, Honor and Huawei India Consumer Business Group, said, “We at HONOR and Huawei believe in empowering our consumers with ground-breaking innovations that make their smartphone journey more worthwhile and meaningful. We are proud to announce our liaison with India’s dedicated and leading digital map provider, MapmyIndia. With the flagship mobility app, Move, we aim to take our AppGallery users’ experience beyond navigation to an enhanced mapping ecosystem. Our users can now access hyperlocal real-time updates, accurate locations, live traffic and ETA from a truly Made in India application.”
Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director, MapmyIndia, said, “MapmyIndia is pleased to partner with Huawei. This will benefit millions of Huawei & HONOR users as they will now have access to MapmyIndia Move app - India's super app for maps, navigation, safety and more. The Move app is already a big hit among Indian users as it is high on utility and comes loaded with exciting features viz. hyperlocal real-time updates, doorstep navigation with live traffic and ETA, augmented reality to explore nearby places, IoT device tracking for safety, and eLoc (India's first 6-character digital address system). The MapmyIndia Move app will come preloaded on Huawei & HONOR phones and will be available on the Huawei AppGallery. With Huawei Mobile Services, we are happy to see a localized app store and app service alternatives being made widely available to Indian users. I am sure that MapmyIndia Move app will prove to be a key differentiator for Huawei in the India market, across its offerings - phones, services and developer ecosystems.”
As a part of the partnership, Honor and Huawei smartphones will now come preloaded with the Move app from MapmyIndia. In order to bring high precision maps to the table, the app will offer features like high definition 3D, house and building-level detail, superimposed with live traffic and safety information. The app will also bring Smart Mobility Platform to address safety, convenience and efficiency in the automotive industry as well as among vehicle owners.


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The odds of landing a part-time job at department-store operator Bealls Outlet Stores this holiday season are slimmer than getting into Harvard: It's one out of every 45.
NEW YORK — The odds of landing a part-time job at department-store operator Bealls Outlet Stores this holiday season are slimmer than getting into Harvard: It’s one out of every 45.
Don’t think the chances are any better at 7-Eleven. One California store received more than 100 applicants in a week and a half for jobs that pay $8.50 per hour — and the retailer doesn’t even usually hire holiday workers.
From department stores and convenience chains to call centers, managers who only a year ago had to scramble to fill holiday jobs are seeing a surge in the number of seasoned applicants — many of them laid off in other sectors and desperate for a way to pay the bills.
The flood of job seekers comes even as the retail industry drastically cuts back on holiday hiring because of the drop-off in consumer spending, and the applicants — who differ from the usual pool, teens or stay-at-home moms looking for extra spending money — reflect the nation’s fast-deteriorating job market.
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“I thought it was going to be pretty easy, but I am not the only one looking for a job. There are thousands of us going for the same thing,” said Kimberly Caparo, of Chesterfield, Mich., who has applied for part-time jobs at Toys “R” Us, Home Depot and Lowe’s in recent weeks since she and her husband were laid off by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings.
At UPS, which is just starting to ramp up its holiday hiring, as much as 30 percent of the seasonal hires in the Northeast are coming from the ranks of the recently laid off, said spokeswoman Ronna Charles Branch. In the past, she said, applicants for holiday jobs at the world’s biggest shipping carrier were largely students.
Since the financial meltdown intensified in September, leading to massive layoffs across several industries, a growing number of the unemployed have been turning to lower-paying jobs in the retail sector, which they thought could help them get by until they found full-time work in their specialized fields or retrain in other areas.
But given the shakiness of the retailing industry amid a series of bankruptcies, store closings and liquidations, laid-off workers are having a hard time finding any jobs. The situation got even tougher Monday, when consumer-electronics chain Circuit City filed for bankruptcy and said it would be laying off more people than previously announced.
John Challenger, chief executive of Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, noted that holiday hiring will fall significantly below last year’s total, which was the lowest since 2003. And those with pink slips shouldn’t count on new job opportunities even after the holidays, since even more retailers are expected to file for bankruptcy.
What’s so striking, store executives say, is how desperate the applicants are.
Rob Duncan, chief operating officer of Alpine Access, a “virtual” call-center provider with 7,500 employees working from their homes across the country, estimated a 10 to 15 percent rise in applicants from a year ago. In the past, they were mostly stay-at-home moms looking for part-time work. Now the company, which handles customer service for stores such as J. Crew as well as tech support, debt collection and financial services, is seeing more men and more midlevel managers looking for at least 35 hours of work.
“They are looking for replacement income instead of supplemental income,” Duncan said.