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HP's news that it would lay down $US2.7 billion to acquire network switch maker 3Com not only causes industry watchers to look ahead at what could come of such a deal, but also reminds many of the IT vendor's long history of billion-dollar acquisitio...
Hewlett-Packard has agreed to buy 3Com for about US$2.7 billion, pushing forward the giant IT vendor's strategy for combining computing, storage, services and networking under one roof.
That accelerometer in your new iPhone 3GS must seem pretty cool, switching the phone to landscape view and steering you through racing games and all. But it's nothing compared with what Hewlett-Packard has come up with.
Windows 7 users may find there are no drivers yet for their Hewlett-Packard printer, although the company said it expects to release some new compatible drivers soon.
Hewlett-Packard's CEO, Mark Hurd, is raising issues with cloud computing, on everything from its name to its ability to offer a secure environment.
HP last night introduced its ENVY notebooks to the Australian market. The ENVY range of notebooks will be available from 22 October and consists of a 13.1in model and a 15.6in one. The notebooks will be available in different configurations.
Reinforcing its lead in the nascent touchscreen PC market, Hewlett-Packard Co. announced three new touch-enabled Windows 7 PCs on Tuesday, including two all-in-one desktops that let users control Web videos from Hulu and Netflix by tapping on the scr...
Hewlett-Packard sees businesses in the future adopting touchscreens, but the technology needs further development to be an alternative to keyboards and mice in corporate environments, a company executive said.
Some laptop makers are trying to outdo each other with colorful, personalized laptop designs, but analysts say the trend is unlikely to take off and that price and size remain the top priorities for buyers.
Brocade Communications Systems Inc. has hung a "for sale" sign on its door, according to a report today in the Wall Street Journal. Brocade declined to comment on the report.
Hewlett-Packard will make some significant updates to its Integrity server line next year to coincide with the launch of Intel's first quad-core Itanium processor, known as Tukwila, an HP executive said.
Hewlett-Packard on Monday formed a new print services division with a focus on managing print and imaging hardware and software in enterprises.
Dell has agreed to buy Perot Systems for around US$3.9 billion in cash, and intends to make the company its global services delivery division, the companies said Monday.
HP has announced it will offer 60GB and 120GB solid-state disk (SSD) drives as an option across the full range of HP ProLiant G6 servers, as well as in select ProLiant G5 servers.
Realizing the potentials of the MPS (Managed Print Services) market especially in the enterprise space, IT print solutions provider HP on Wednesday announced the creation of a new business unit that will focus solely on managing the MPS function of t...
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Used for medicinal purposes, careful Cannabis Storage is key for quality assurance. Find out the best methods for the safe storage of Cannabis.
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Websites offer secondhand clothes, accessories
Websites facilitate buying, selling gently used goods
Published 4:22 pm, Sunday, March 23, 2014
"Oh, my metallic Zara shoes just sold," she said.
Ensign fingered her heavy gold charm bracelet: "This is vintage Chanel. I paid $700 for it; it would have been $3,000 retail."
"Closet sharing" - a highfaluting term for selling used clothes - is flourishing on a bevy of new online outlets for secondhand fashion. More than three dozen companies offer online marketplaces where women become "closet entrepreneurs," hawking their surplus purses and pants.
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Liza Kindred, founder of New York's Third Wave Fashion, which consults on fashion and technology, calls the space "re-commerce." The Web and smartphones enabled "a sexy new way to monetize" products that previously were the domain of consignment shops, thrift stores and yard sales, she said.
The potential is huge. Used women's clothing and accessories in brick-and-mortar stores are a $2.25 billion market, according to Linnea Kirgan, an industry specialist at First Research. She sees several factors spurring online closet-shopping: a do-it-yourself mentality, thriftiness and environmental awareness.
Ensign was using Menlo Park's Poshmark, a mash-up of eBay, Pinterest and Instagram. The smartphone app lets women post photos of items for sale and offers filters to make them extra snazzy looking.
Started in late 2011, Poshmark processed 1.5 million orders last year and boasts 350,000 sellers, who pay a 20 percent commission on each sale. Buyers pay a flat $4.99 shipping fee. The company won't disclose average order size, but a competitor, Tradesy, said its average order is about $200. By that measure, Poshmark theoretically generated about $60 million in revenue last year.
Poshmark has $20 million in funding, primarily from Mayfield Fund and Menlo Ventures. The company boasts celebrity backers like actor/investor Ashton Kutcher, style maven Rachel Zoe, and Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary.
CEO and founder Manish Chandra conceived Poshmark after noticing the many unopened shopping bags his wife left in their closet. Now "every two weeks, (the equivalent of) an entire Nordstrom store gets uploaded on Poshmark," he said. In other words, Poshmark users post $1 million worth of goods a day. (Chandra sold social shopping site Kaboodle for a reported $30 million to Hearst Corp., which owns The Chronicle.)
Poshmark users open its app seven to nine times a day, totaling 20 to 25 minutes, the company said. Many form relationships and often chat about clothes and their personal lives. The company throws in-person events to facilitate that sense of community.
"We're mixing community, content and curation, both offline and online," Chandra said.
Shopping on phones
Ensign was at one such "posh party" last week. More than 200 women crowded into Chambers Eat + Drink to network with fellow fashionistas, get free manicures, watch a fashion show - and shop on their phones. Four "party hosts" had selected items that fit the evening's theme of Urban Glam.
Poshmark also hosts online "posh parties" three times a day. These two-hour events, like pop-up sales in cyberspace, focus on themes - say, "hot handbags" or "leather and lace."
"A personal social twist that makes shoppers feel like they are in a community of like-minded shoppers" is a big plus for closet-shopping sites, Kirgan said.
Lauren Smith of San Francisco spends 30 to 60 minutes a day on the app, both to buy and sell, and brings in an extra $200 or $300 a month that she puts toward buying more clothes
Her best score? A $2,000 Burberry cashmere sweater coat for $300.
"I have great girlfriends on Poshmark," she said. "As I got to know people and got more friends and followers, my sales definitely increased."
Both sellers and buyers say the app is easy to use. Poshmark processes payments and mails sellers prepaid shipping labels, which cover up to 5 pounds worth of goods.
Most sellers don't make a living on Poshmark, although the site's top seller makes over $200,000 a year, and some women operate boutiques that gross $80,000.
"It's my fun money," said Brenda Schuler, who flew out from Green Bay, Wis., for the Tenderloin posh party - financing her trip by mining her overflowing closet on Poshmark.
Heather Choi said she follows sellers she admires as trendsetters. That approach helps curate her experience "as opposed to having to dig through everything at an actual store," she said.
Online markets for secondhand clothes are proliferating.
Peer to peer
High fashion, luxury
The Real Real
Bib + Tuck
Shoes: Bootleg Market
Handbags: Bag Borrow or Steal
Weddings: Nearly Newlywed; Hustle Your Bustle
Kids: Swap; thredUP
Source: Third Wave Fashion


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GNC Holdings is partnering with the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on a new omnichannel strategy.
Atlas Technology Group, one of the fastest growing retail technology solution providers in the consumer goods industry, has named a new president.
Mars has announced a number of leadership changes, which include the departure of Todd Lachman, current president of the company's global pet care division.
While Walmart continues to fine tune its small format Express concept, ample opportunity awaits in the C-store space.
Digital and interactive agency Rosetta said Wednesday it has teamed with appliance and electronics retailer Hhgregg to launch a mobile e-commerce site to complement the re-designed Hhgregg.com website.


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A quick note on Rand Worldwide, which just released results for the quarter ended December 31.
Q2 revenue was $23 million, up 4% from a year ago and essentially flat with its fiscal first quarter. For the six months ended December 31, 2011, total revenues were $44 million, up 15% from a year ago, a sign that business is definitely slowing. One major positive: net income for the first six months was $1.4 million, a nice reversal of the nearly $1 million loss reported last year.
For the December quarter, product revenue was $12.8 million, up 18%; services revenue was flat at $5.3 million but commissions were down sharply, falling from $5.4 million a year ago to $4.4 million this quarter. Rand says that it labels as “commissions” its share of the money paid by customers to Autodesk under the subscription program as well as what non-accounting types would call commissions, the more traditional software resale. Rand’s 10Q says commission revenue declined year/year because a single large sale in the 2010 quarter was not repeated last quarter; because commissions decreased on government sales (I’m not sure if that’s because government sales were down or because the commission structure changed) and because a single large annual subscription renewal slipped into the current quarter of the current year.
CEO Marc Dulude said that the majority of the product revenue increase is due to the “growing popularity of the Autodesk Suite products” and sales of the company’s ASCENT courseware that result from “the continued development of global distribution channels for our courseware.”
Shareholders were clearly expecting something different, sending the share price down 10% in the day’s trading.
I’m still at SolidWorks World so will update this if warranted once I listen to the earnings call. Happy Valentine’s Day!


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Flights platform secures six-figure funding following 800% enquiry increase
A tech firm that specialises in selling flights directly to consumers has secured a six-figure funding package to continue trading throughout the COVID-19 disruption.
Alternative Airlines has secured £250k funding from Barclays through the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
The platform aims to give travellers the choice to pick flights and prices from over 650 airlines, accepting international currencies and a number of different payment solutions.
The funding has enabled the Surrey-based firm to continue paying salaries, helping to meet increased demand for its customer services.
Sam Argyle, managing director, Alternative Airlines said: “COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our revenue, which decreased 92 per cent in April compared to February. At the same time, we saw an 800 per cent increase in enquiries for our customer service team.
“Through our Barclays relationship director, Toni Burton, we were able to apply for a loan under the CBIL scheme. The process was very slick: all done over the phone within an hour, and the funds were released shortly after that.
“The loan will help us continue to pay staff wages, and it’s been vital in helping us maintain security and certainty through this period.
Toni Burton, relationship director for South East London and Kent at Barclays Business Banking, added: “Alternative Airlines is an innovative travel business that was doing really well before the pandemic hit. Between 2016 to 2019, they saw rapid growth with revenue doubling year on year.
“The business wanted to ensure its customers were still receiving the highest possible quality of service, and with access to a CBIL, it has been able to do this.
“The loan will also go towards paying its employees’ wages and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support their business during this time.”
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Verizon Wireless has introduced a new service to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the construction, delivery, security, transportation and utilities industries.
Called Fleet Administration, the offering consists of a wireless device in the vehicle and a software application installed on the office computer. It can track vehicles’ locations, stops and mileage, as well as create reports that managers can use to make business decisions.
The service sells for $49.99 per month, and devices cost between $549.99 and $599.99, including installation and support.
The service should make SMBs “more efficient and effective by reducing employee downtime, achieving fuel savings, improving route planning and increasing customer responsiveness and satisfaction,” Bill Stone, Verizon
Wireless vice president of marketing, said in a statement.
Brenda Raney, a Verizon Wireless spokeswoman, said that Fleet Administration is consistent with the company’s previous efforts to serve business customers of all sizes.
“Many of these customers were voice customers who are rapidly deploying wireless solutions that may include field teams with laptops and air cards or a telemetry solution where the customer transmits data wirelessly,” Raney said.
Verizon Wireless, which has 43.8 million customers (second only to Cingular), will market Fleet Administration through its business sales team, Raney said.
The technology was developed by New Zealand’s Navman Wireless, which is a subsidiary of (global positioning satellite) specialist Navman Limited.
This is the latest move by wireless firms to move beyond traditional voice service. At last month’s CTIA Wireless trade show, industry executives said they want to be the link connecting IP-based networked phones, computers, audio and video entertainment systems and appliances.
Adapted from Internetnews.com.
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Recently filed accounts for Deliveroo have revealed that sales at the Irish arm of the company increased by over 76% last year.
The Irish Times reports that turnover at Deliveroo Ireland rose from €2.9 million to €5.1 million during the year ending on December 31, 2017, while the company's profit before tax came to €136,747, representing a turnaround from a loss of €2.4 million the previous year.
"Strength To Strength"
Commenting on the statistics, a Deliveroo spokesperson said, "Deliveroo is going from strength to strength, with revenue increasing by over 76% in Ireland last year. Our parent company is investing heavily in our expansion and our technology, both in Ireland and across the world."
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.


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The business transformation opportunity for the Internet of Things (IoT) is substantial. McKinsey Global Institute reported that the number of connected machines has grown 300 percent over the past five years, thanks in large part to new IoT solutions that help companies make more efficient and productive use of their assets and processes against an estimated $36 trillion in total operating costs.1 Intelligent gateway solutions are a key ingredient for making IoT real for businesses today.
Gateway solutions are platforms that enable companies to seamlessly integrate, aggregate, share and filter data from legacy devices to the cloud and back—without having to replace or upgrade existing infrastructure. This is critical when you consider that 85 percent of all legacy devices and systems remain isolated and unconnected2 and that legacy commercial and industrial applications are very expensive to replace.
By attaching gateways to existing devices, companies can capture and utilize data to optimize factory efficiencies, conduct cost-saving predictive maintenance and create new value-added services. For example, Daikin Applied, the world’s largest HVAC manufacturer, is connecting its Rebel* rooftop units with Intel® processor-based gateways to avoid expensive repairs with proactive maintenance. Daikin Applied estimates that adding intelligence to its systems can reduce energy consumption within a building by as much as 50 percent.
Intel is bringing solutions to market based on the Intel® Quark™ SoC X1000 and Intel® Atom™ processor E3800 product family, supported by a McAfee and Wind River software stack to connect, manage, and secure gateways. This enables device designers to prototype and deploy services faster and focus on creating new, value-added services.
Download the Solution Brief for more information about connecting legacy devices to the IoT and stay tuned for more on how Intel is accelerating the Internet of Things.
1 Source: McKinsey Global Institute, Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy, May 2013, http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/technology_and_innovation.
2 IMS Research.
3 Intel® Gateway Solutions for Internet of Things Product Brief, 2014.


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FLORENCE, Italy – Public transparency is critical for brands looking to inspire customers, said the CEO of Tiffany & Co. at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference April 22.
Articles Tagged ‘Tiffany’
Today in luxury marketing – Stores that sell luxury get stingy about energy costs; Bernard Arnault’s business lessons; At Tiffany, something new inside the blue box; Labour to burst luxury London property bubble just as 8,000 swanky pads go on sale.
Brands took advantage of the approaching holiday and used romance and special Valentine’s Day offers to promote purchases.
Jeweler Tiffany & Co. is doling out Valentine’s Day advice in a sponsored countdown calendar on New York Magazine’s The Cut.
Will Tiffany’s “Concierge of Love” be the ticket to a strong performance in early 2015? I am skeptical.
Luxury brands took the opportunity last week to craft partnerships, events and advertising campaigns that resonate deeply with consumers by easing luxe consumers’ traveling and shopping experiences and creating clever and memorable campaigns.
U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co.’s spring 2015 advertising campaign features a same-sex couple for the first time in the brand’s history.
Luxury marketers this holiday season aimed to amuse consumers by creating playful initiatives that led to greater campaigns.
Luxury Daily’s live news from Nov. 25 – Hermès targets comic book fans with superhero scarves; Lanvin boosts family campaign via Instagram contest; Tiffany Q3 report falls short of estimates, remains strong; Penhaligon’s unveils exclusive fragrance bottles for Paris boutique.
Jeweler Tiffany & Co. is giving consumers an immersive experience surrounding its T collection through an installation at the Dia:Chelsea Gallery in New York.


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What is known about the Ford F-150 electric pickup? First imagesFebruary 27, 2020
The official presentation of the all-electric version of the full-size Ford F-150 pickup will take place next year. In the meantime, look at the render of the novelty, which is based on the latest “spy” images of the prototype of the brand new Ford F-150.
The latest “spy” images capture a test sample of a completely new generation of the American F-150 pickup truck, and now we present a rendering of its future electric performance. As you can see, when creating the render, the artists used exactly the photo of the updated Ford F-150. Introduced electric truck F-150 was created by independent designers Drivable Designs.
Ford has officially confirmed plans to start mass production of the all-electric F-150 at the Detroit Auto Show in 2019.
“Spy” images showed that the test prototype of the car is at one of the early stages of development in Michigan (USA). It looked basically the same as the current version of the truck, except for a place to connect a charger and a bit more ground clearance, which is needed to install batteries under the cab.
The biggest hint of the electric F-150’s capabilities came last July when an American company released a video about a truck towing heavy wagons. However, the press service of the brand refused to provide details about which power plant was under the hood of the pickup.
Both the range of the novelty and its price are also unknown at the moment, but we have official data confirming that 483 km is the new minimum range for any of the future electric models of the automaker, and in particular the electric F-150.
- Gelandewagen was knocked over several times during a ride on the beach
- Why an old Ford without a run is sold for only $ 1400
- Renault hybrid price close to Toyota
- Geely plans to open new plant for Polestar in China
- South Korea’s Luxury Import Car Sales Break Record


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Fans abound for 'Door-knocking Code of Ethics'
IRVING, Texas--ADT chief legal officer David Bleisch's call (See page 1)for a 'door-knocking code of ethics' struck a chord with some who believe a code would be beneficial.
Jeremy Pixton, owner of Platinum Protection, one of the larger summer-model security companies called the idea "long overdue."
He noted that all alarm companies want to "satisfy our customers while protecting their homes and families. But unfortunately the door-to-door industry is riddled with stories about sales reps who don't share the same goal," Pixton said. "Even though Platinum has focused on training our sales reps to sell ethically, adopting an industry-wide code of ethics can only help us achieve more, and we would love to help however we can."
The NBFAA code of ethics does not specifically address door-to-door sales. NBFAA president Mike Miller called Bleisch's idea "a powerful suggestion." He added: "the NBFAA would like to help where it can ... to help bring a solution [to the problems associated with door-to-door sales] to the industry."
Miller said that enforcement of a code of ethics is not something within the purview of the NBFAA, but said another entity, such as a coalition of companies, may be able to address compliance with a code of ethics.
Bleish's suggestion came about as the result of lawsuits that ADT has filed against several door-to-door salespeople who ADT says used deceptive sales tactics. Monitronics, which is also suing several door-to-door sales people, also indicated its support for a code of ethics.


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Times are changing and brands are looking to switch it up when it comes to following the current fashion calendar, by opting for a “see now, buy now” model, instead of having consumers wait months to purchase their latest collections.
With a handful of brands like Public School and Vetements already on the band wagon, Olivier Rousteing of Balmain says the brand is next to follow suit with this model.
Just yesterday, at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference in Seoul, South Korea, Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing shared his views on what he says may be in the French fashion houses’ immediate future.
“I believe in ‘see now, buy now’ — we have to stay connected and go faster,” Rousteing said, according to Vogue UK. “We are probably going to head for [that system], for sure. But it’s important to keep key pieces that you will sell later and also have pieces that are available immediately after the show. It’s good to have a mix of price points too.”
The switch makes a lot of sense for a brand like Balmain seeing as Rousteing has 1. preached the importance of social media since his appointment in 2011 and 2. he has also basically revolutionsed the brand thanks to his use of social media (with his account coming close to having 3 million followers) with the help of his uber-famous friends.
“You can reach so many people through Instagram,” Rousteing said at the conference. “Now, after a show I can invite people to understand the Balmain world. If they want the Balmain world they can have it and follow; if they don’t like it, they can unfollow.”
Although the concept has been unpopular in Paris: it was considered and rejected in February by French fashion’s governing body, the Fédération Française de la Couture du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, based on discussions among executives at top fashion houses including Chanel and Hermes. Their argument was based on the fact “that luxury consumers have no problem waiting for a truly high-quality garment”. This is probably why Rousteing has also decided to keep “key pieces that you will sell later”.


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Metro Brands Q3 results: Net nett up 53% to Rs 102 crore
The company's gross grew 59 per cent to Rs 484 crore, portion EBITDA roseate 69.8 per cent to Rs 169 crore.
Metro Brands' PAT roseate 53.3 per cent to Rs 102 crore.
Footwear retailer Metro Brands connected Saturday reported a 53.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) emergence successful consolidated nett net for October-December 4th astatine Rs 102 crore.
The company's gross grew 59 per cent to Rs 484 crore, portion net earlier interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) roseate 69.8 per cent to Rs 169 crore.
"Q3 FY22 was the archetypal 4th station Mar'20 without immoderate large Covid related restrictions. Robust betterment successful lawsuit sentiments witnessed
since Aug21 continued successful Q3 FY22 - Helping america registry our champion ever quarterly sales," the institution said successful a release.
(More details to follow)
Copyright©2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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HCMC pays heed to rubber, plastics industry development - HCMC pays heed to rubber, plastics industry development - Website Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan July 15 required industry development agencies to quickly build a project for development of the rubber and plastics industry.
He said while meeting with businesses to grasp the industry’s situation and find solutions for their difficulties in production and trade.
The agencies should choose a suitable land which conquers over 50 hectares to form a specialized area for the industry’s development, increase cooperation among businesses and value added of products, he added.
Chairman of the HCMC Rubber and Plastics Association Nguyen Quoc Anh said that the country has about 3,000 companies in the field. Seventy percent of them are located in HCMC, most are of small and medium scales.
In general, the industry has been able to meet domestic demand, he said.
Most rubber and plastics companies were profitable thanks to low material prices in the first half this year. However their revenues slightly increased by 2-5 percent due to weak purchasing power.
The association proposed the city authorities to help businesses access low interest loans to renovate their technologies. Most machines were imported from China at low prices but poor quality.


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2018 Aston Martin Vantage Teased
Clad in camouflage but clearly showing a fair bit of near-production bodywork, a prototype of the next-generation Aston Martin Vantage was spotted during shakedown testing in Europe. Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer said the car will be officially revealed sometime before the end of the year. Given that timing, the new Vantage could make its debut as early as the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.
Reflecting cues seen in the one-off DB10 model that James Bond drove in the movie “Spectre,” mixed with a bit design flourish inspired by the limited-edition, track-focused Vulcan, the new Vantage melds distinctive visual character with aggressively elegant Aston Martin cues. Underpinned by a version of the automaker’s aluminum-intensive platform introduced on the new DB11 model, the upcoming Vantage promises to be a more capable handler than the car it replaces.
The new Vantage will launch packing some version of the new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 Aston sources from its tech partner Mercedes-AMG. Also found in the expanded 2018 DB11 model range, the engine is expected to make about 500 horsepower–roughly 70 more ponies than the current V8 Vantage--and provide brisker acceleration whether backed by a manual transmission or dual-clutch automatic. At some point, anticipate seeing both a hotter V8 S and a range-topping Vantage V12 model join the family.
More Aston Martin News:


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Many Amazon Prime members were already waiting for confirmation of the dates of this discount event. Amazon announced that the famous Amazon Prime Day discount days will be July 12 and 13, 2022 in the United States and Mexico. The 48-hour event will kick off on July 12 at 3am ET and last through July 13 for Amazon Prime members. In any case, You can start taking advantage of important discounts from June 21, 2022.
It will also operate on those days and times in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and, for the first time, in Poland. and Sweden. Later this summer, Prime Day sale events will take place in India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Egypt for the first time.
As reported by the company, customers will be able to buy products from major national brands and from more independent sellers than on Prime Day last year, including many small and medium-sized businesses.
The new deals will be released during Prime Day and will offer savings on products across categories including Customers’ Most Loved, Internet Famous and a selection of Climate Pledge Friendly products.
“We are excited to deliver some of our best Prime Day deals yet, to more customers around the worldincluding the small businesses and national brands our members love and trust,” said Jamil Ghani, Vice President of Amazon Prime. “This year, we’re making it easy for members to find the best deals, from personalized recommendations to Alexa reminders. It’s never been easier for Amazon Prime members to shop, save and make the most of Prime Day.”
Amazon Prime Day, with discounts and benefits from June 21, 2022
But Prime members don’t have to wait: first and new member-only offers start June 21. Right now you can get discounts of up to 55% on some technology products. We tell you what’s in the portfolio:
Prime Discounts on Amazon Devices
Deals available starting June 21 with savings of up to 55% on select Amazon Devices, including Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) and Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) Kids, Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon Glow with Tangram Bits, Halo Band, Luna Controller, Fire 7 Tablet (2019 release), Echo Dot (4th gen) with a free Smart Bulb, 8-piece Ring Alarm Security Kit (2nd gen), Blink Video Doorbell, and eero mesh WiFi routers, among others .
Prime Discounts on Fire TV
You can already find Fire TV smart TVs from brands like Toshiba, Insignia, Pioneer and Amazon.
–24-inch Flagship, HD Smart Fire TV
–32-inch Flagship, HD Smart Fire TV
–Amazon Fire TV 55-inch, Omni Series 4K UHD smart TV, hands-free with Alexa
–Amazon Fire TV 43-inch, 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV
–Amazon Fire TV 50-inch, 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV
–Amazon Fire TV 55-inch, 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV
–Toshiba 55-inch M550-Series 4K UHD Smart Fire TV
–Pioneer 43-inch 4K UHD Smart TV
Buy on Amazon Live along with celebrities
Starting June 21, customers will have the opportunity to shop early deals alongside their favorite celebrities and influencers, including Porsha Williams, Joe and Frank Mele, and Lala Kent.
On June 28 at 1pm ET, Hilary Duff will meet with some of her handpicked small business owners on Amazon Live, who will showcase their products and share the inspiring stories behind their brands. You can also download the Amazon Live Shopping app on Fire TV.
Deferred payments with Affirm
From June 28 through July 11, Amazon Prime members can earn 0% APR in three equal monthly payments when you spend $50 or more on eligible products on Amazon with Affirm credit approval . For example, a $300 purchase could cost $100 per month for three months at 0% APR.
New Amazon Prime Benefits in Amazon Fresh Stores
Starting June 29, Amazon Prime members will save 20% on select everyday essentials at Amazon Fresh stores in the US. Prime members will be able to enjoy this new benefit throughout the year by scanning their Amazon app at checkout or paying with a credit card already registered to their Amazon Prime account.
Rewards with Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card
From July 1 to July 29, 2022, Amazon Prime members will be eligible for a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card approval. Additionally, Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card holders with an eligible Amazon Prime membership can get 6% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market on Prime Day, and 5% cash back all year long. Plus, they also get 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and pharmacies, and 1% cash back everywhere Visa is accepted.
Amazon supports small businesses on its Prime Day
As part of a program called Prime Day Small Business Sweepstakes, as a way to support small businesses, from June 21 to July 11, 2022 for every $1 spent on eligible small business products, customers will have a chance to win prizes
In the US, this includes a pregame experience and tickets to Super Bowl LVII, VIP passes to music experiences in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, tickets to a special screening in New York, and the chance to meet the cast of Prime Video’s upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, and a VIP trip to Amazon’s first clothing store, Amazon Style, near Los Angeles.
Additionally, Amazon has designed a badge to mark small business products as part of its Support Small program, so customers can easily discover and purchase small business brand products on Amazon.
Amazon offers a personalized Prime Day experience
This year, Amazon prepared a series of extra benefits for Prime members: they will be able to earn credit for their Prime Day purchases, receive personalized product recommendations and set up notifications of offers and online reminders via Amazon Prime Day:
-Create offer alerts for personalized recommendations: Amazon Prime members can sign up now to receive alert notifications for deals related to their recent Amazon searches and recently viewed items. You can do it on the Prime Day event page in the Amazon app, from now until Prime Day. Once Prime Day rolls around, members will get notifications about any available deals.
-Get a $10 credit through Prime Stampcard: From June 16 through Prime Day, members are invited to explore the benefits of being a member and receive a $10 credit toward a Prime Day purchase or future Amazon purchase. To participate, members receive a stamp for completing each of four Amazon Prime activities: streaming Prime Video, listening to Prime Music, borrowing or adding a Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited book to your library, and making a purchase. Amazon Prime eligible for Prime shipping.
–Tune in Ultimate Crown: On July 9 starting at 7pm ET, Amazon Prime members can tune in globally for the Ultimate Crown summer gaming event on Twitch.tv/Crown and on Prime Video. An all-star lineup of gamers and streamers will compete live from Las Vegas at the HyperX Arena. Amazon Prime members will have the opportunity to attend in person or participate in live chat for a chance to win exclusive giveaways and subscriptions.
Many benefits and great discounts will happen almost over a month for Amazon Prime memberssomething that comes more than well in times of inflation, to enjoy the summer a little more and prepare for the next part of the year.


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A video showing a Beijing dance instructor physically and verbally abusing her students in a studio went viral on Chinese social media. The video has been played 1.83 million times since it was uploaded just 4 days ago, according to Youku. The woman can be heard shouting at her class of female students, who appear to be aged 13 to 15 years old. The clip shows she was striking students with a cane, kicking them and slapping and shoving their heads. Chinese netizens slammed the teacher as “crazy”, “immoral” and “unworthy of being a teacher.” Previously, we have seen how an unqualified Chinese teachers abused kindergarten kids, by holding up a child by his ears. Sometimes, the characteristic of the Chinese can be freaking sick, thanks to Chairman Mao and his Cultural Revolution. Communism may be part of the reason for this kind of immorality in Chinese society.
It seems HTC has some poor judgment on tablet market two years ago and they’re now trying to clear their excess stock. HTC chairwoman Cher Wang announced an initiative at a World Bank roundtable last week to donate 100,000 HTC tablets to young women in Asia-Pacific countries, which is dedicated to promoting women’s rights. The tablet will be distributed to schools, in an effort to establish a technology-enabled learning platform to aid education among young women throughout the region. According to the Taiwanese company, the tablet selected for distribution is the HTC Flyer. The device features an all-metal chassis and comes with a stylus. It is equipped with a 7-inch capacitive touch screen rated at 1024×600 pixels of display resolution. The model debuted in May 2011 and was discontinued in December of 2011. The introductory price is US$499 for 32GB Wi-Fi models. HTC was the only Asian private business invited to attend the forum sponsored by the World Bank at its headquarters in Washington DC. Wang’s commitment to donate tablets drew applause at the meeting. A booth displaying HTC’s lastest products was also set up at the World Bank roundtable venue, drawing many visitors.
In China these days, Apple’s iPad is the middle class child’s companion of choice. It is becoming commonplace for a family gathering to feature parents playing mahjong, while their children tapping Angry Birds on the tablet device. Chinese parents often encourage this trend. They have considered the iPad a good choice, since it provides interactive visual and audio content to entertain their kids. However, experts have pointed out that the iPad is not a perfect tool for early education and may function negatively on children if used improperly, particularly when it comes to children’s eyesight. A 2-years-old kid in Wuhan city Central China, has got a 500 degrees of nearsightedness, thanks to Apple’s technology and his ignorance parent. The little Chinese kid started to use iPad while he was one and a half years old. His parent has downloaded lots of children apps for their child to learn and play, and they’re happy to have an easy job on taking care their kid …
What is it like to live in a place where you can’t breathe fresh air ? People in Beijing are already finding new ways to cope. Two international schools has built two “pollution domes” to protect their students during physical activity. The domes are giant pressurised canopies that can cover sports fields, playgrounds or tennis courts, so that children can have recess and play sports outside without breathing the toxic air. The school monitors air quality and limits outdoor sports on days when the air is too dangerous. The physical instructor said the domes were built so that children weren’t stuck inside on days of severe pollution …
Children should never be treated like this. Parents across China were shocked when two separate stories of gross physical abuse against kindergarten-aged children made national headlines. Closed-circuit TV video from inside the classroom confirmed a teacher was slapping, kicking, hitting and verbally abusing kindergarten kids. Another school abuse scandal broke out after a picture taken in a kindergarten showing a teacher holding up a child by his ears — the boy obviously in pain and the teacher was grinning widely. Fxxking hell, the Chinese society is seriously freaking sick !
Looks like Apple has managed to change the way Chinese students access education material and help them learn and study. A high school in China — Jinling High School — has equipped its senior students with iPads in a bid to replace textbooks and help students in their studies. And best of all, the school has managed to help students to reduce the burden of school bags from at least five kg to less than one kg while saving book expenses by thousands of yuan a year.
A group of children living in Zunyi, a prefecture-level city in Guizhou province in southwestern China, have been guided by adults on how to smash a Japanese car when they see it parking on the street. The photo was uploaded to Chinese social network, and before it goes viral, the authorities have already suspended the user account. The Chinese government has taught the young kids to be anti-Japanese at school and their parents seem to be encouraging this. The anti-Japanese protest which is happening in China right now has become totally inconceivable and with crazy bad ethical behavior … One more picture after the break.
‘Back-to-school’ gadget shopping seems very difficult for parents and students in China, which provided galore options in promotional offers, types of items, specifications and market trend. Freshmen have been arriving at Chinese universities one after another, quite a lot of them have been acquiring electronic gadget for their upcoming college life. Here are some pictures of Chinese college freshmen with their personal electonic gadgets. Surprisingly there isn’t too much Apple i-products, no iPad. We can see quite alot of Android phones, there are even Blackberry and Nokia features phone … and portable gaming consoles are almost dead.
Electronic products are a must for new generation of college students in China. Stores across China have seen a rush to buy the gadgets in the run-up to the new school year, particularly among college students. An incident has happened in one of the Apple authorised reseller shop in Beijing last month, a freshmen made a fuss demanding to her parents, insisted on buying an iPhone 4S, new iPad, and Macbook which cost over 20,000 yuan (US$3,129). The three i-products are described as “Apple 3-Piece Set”in China retails market. The girl said to her parent, “if you don’t buy me these, just go ahead and let me lose face in college”. Her mother was in tears because she couldn’t afford the luxury Apple products …
This is not a photoshopped work, it’s real. A group of college students from Dalian, a major city at Northeast China, recently shot their graduation photos against a unique backdrop, their school building engulfed in flames. The university is located next to a warehouse. The warehouse caught fire and the flames spread to a student dormitory nearby. Many students first had the opportunity to use the burning dorm as the background for their graduation photos. It’s too big of a coincidence to see the university on fire on a graduation day and the students were filled with excitement. Two more photo after the break. UPDATE: new photo and video
You Can Buy Fresh Crocodile Meat in China Supermarket
Lenovo First MediaTek-based Smartphone Teased by Kobe Bryant (Video)
Chinese Employees Ordered to Crawl Like Dog in Public to Cope with Stress (Video)
Chinese Scientist Only Interested in Porn and Pirated Movies, Not NASA Secrets


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The rise of Alibaba
As the Chinese internet giant Alibaba releases its latest figures, we look at its rise.
As the Chinese internet giant Alibaba releases its latest figures, we look at its rise. Duncan Clark wrote Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built, and explains the origins of the firm. Catherine McKenna of antique shop McKenna and Co discusses the growing popularity of Alibaba's payments system Alipay. And Rui Ma who runs Tech China Biz in San Francisco tells us what is driving the company's growth.
Also in the programme, as the global African swine fever continues to spread, threatening a quarter of the world's pigs, we speak to European pig farmer Gert van Beek about what this means for the pork industry.
Plus on Halloween, our reporter finds out about innovative ideas for dealing with all those leftover pumpkins.
(Picture: An Alibaba building. Picture credit: Getty Images.)


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Hot Toys has released two new “behind the scenes” pics of its upcoming movie Batman figure. The takeaway from these shots: the packaging contains a PVC bat signal transparency. It will release in February. It’s also up for pre-order here.
Gamestop gets the exclusive on an Assasin’s Creed vehicle, The Dark Knight gets a new wave of vinyl figures and new pics from Hot Toys of it upcoming Captain Jack Sparrow. This is Articulation Times.
Hot Toys has just posted new images of its upcoming 1/6 scale figure of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack. It features a TrueType body with over 30 points of articulation, two interchangeable faces with different gestures with a real-like beard and plaits on chin, the Parallel Eyeball Rolling System (PERS) patented by Hot Toys Limited for both faces, nine interchangeable hands, a cloth and leather-like costume, two flintlock pistols, a saber, scarf, compass, a small telescope, a head sculpt of his mother, a movie-accurate rudder with base and movie nameplate, a figure stand and much more. It will go on sale by the end of spring. It’s up for pre-order here.
Celebrate the holidays with Yoda, Hasbro has new G.I. Joe Renegades figures on the way and the Italian Stallion returns to toy shelves. This is Articulation Times.


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The Semi-conductor Industries Are In Trouble As Shortages Hit Many Firms Worldwide
23rd March 2021
The worldwide shortages of micro-chips that are built into most products these days is leading to layoffs and reduced supplies for many products from computers, laptops, cell phones, cars and affecting anything you can think of that has internal controls.
Covid has affected production but other issues are combining to create a perfect storm. Water shortages, storms, transport issues all coming together to affect production and distribution.
It looks like many products will increase in price and availability times have lengthened especially for computers and laptops. The car industry has had to reduce production.
Read more at
Global shortage in computer chips reaches crisis point
There's a global shortage of computer chips - what's causing it?


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The names may sound alike but the U of T Anthropology department doesn’t sell overpriced look-alike heirlooms or pseudo-bohemian blouses.
That doesn’t stop people from calling the university’s Anthropology department on a fairly regular basis looking for Anthropologie, the clothing and lifestyle store in West Queen West, according to U of T administrative and communications assistant Matt Blair.
“Yes, it’s true that we do periodically get calls from Anthropologie customers who have Googled the wrong number,” Blair told blogTO in an email. “It’s never an inconvenience or a disruption.”
But after getting the latest call on Wednesday this week, Blair decided to put out a tweet to clear up the confusion.
“I thought I’d tweet a quick disclaimer for fun before getting down to work,” he said.
The tweet ended up generating discussion, nearly 2,000 retweets and more than 20,000 likes.
The comments ranged from intellectual to humorous.
“What if I want to return an ill-fitting cultural expectation? Which manager can I speak to?” one person joked.
“I am sorry, the manager responsible for cultural expectations is no longer with us,” another person responded.
Most commenters mixed the store’s style and the university’s academia.
“But I need a peasant blouse now…and the analysis of the ‘bohemian’ trend of the last twenty years and how it can maliciously appropriate different marginalized communities,” one person posted.
Other people worried students were calling the store mistaking it for the university.
Most people just found the tweet really funny.
And people congratulated Blair for a job well-done.
For Blair’s part, he never expected all the attention for one tweet.
“We did not at all expect it to take off in the way that it did,” he said.


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American automotive manufacturer ford have announced the return to Formula 1 in 2026, when the new engine regulations come into play.
ford Motor Co. reported Thursday that its fourth-quarter net income fell 90% from a year earlier, leading company officials to say the automaker's costs are too high and to pledge more belt-tightening this year.
ford executives have indicated they are willing to hold talks with labour representatives over planned structural changes at the U.S. carmaker's plants in Germany, the head of the worker's council at ford's Cologne plant said on Saturday.
ford will return to Formula One in 2026 when the sport enters a new engine era, the U.S. carmaker said on Friday ahead of a launch in New York by world champions Red Bull.
The news came amid fears in the EU that companies could shift their operations to the United States because of the recently passed landmark Inflation Reduction Act that offers tax cuts for US-made electric cars and batteries. A spokesman for the IG Metall union told AFP the cuts will be mainly in Cologne, where ford has a major plant, but all sites across Germany are threatened.
ford price cut: ford is cutting prices on its Mustang Mach-E electric SUV by as much as $ 6,000 just weeks after market leader Tesla took similar steps. The Detroit automaker is increasing production of the Mach-E this year and is taking advantage of streamlined costs to reduce prices across the board, it said Monday.
The U.S. government's road safety agency has closed a more than six-year investigation into exhaust odors in ford Explorer passenger cabins, determining that the SUVs don't have high levels of carbon monoxide and don't need to be recalled. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it reviewed more than 6,500 consumer complaints, tested SUVs in the field and called in automotive, medical, environmental health and occupational safety experts before making the determination.
ford is recalling nearly 3,83,000 SUVs in the US because the touch screens may not display a camera image when backing up. The recall covers certain 2020 to 2023 ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators, and some 2020 to 2022 Lincoln Corsairs. All are equipped with 360-degree cameras. The company says it has more than 2,000 warranty reports about the problem. It's aware of 17 minor crashes but no injuries.
General Motors has shelved, for now, plans to build a fourth U.S. EV battery plant with partner LG Energy Solutions. News of the decision to slow investment in EV battery production broke the same day that GM announced plans to invest $854 million to retool plants in Flint, Mich.,
U.S. closes ford SUV exhaust order probe without seeking recall
Tucked in the back corner of an outpost paddock at Daytona International Speedway stood the chief executive of ford, leaning against a cart having a casual conversation with the heads of The Wood Brothers Racing team.
GM goes slow on EVs as rivals fight a price war
General Motors rode a strong performance in North America to higher fourth-quarter profits and said Tuesday that an easing in logistics problems has helped brighten its outlook for 2023. GM, which regained the title of top US automaker last year after losing the status in 2021 to Toyota, reported fourth-quarter profits of $2 billion, up 14.8 percent from the year-ago period on revenues of $43.1 billion, up 28.4 percent.
On August 7, 2022, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (a subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited) and ford India Private Limited entered into an agreement for the transfer of ownership of ford's manufacturing plant located in Sanand, Gujarat. This includes the transfer of the entire land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant, machinery, and equipment, as well as the transfer of eligible employees of ford's vehicle manufacturing operations at Sanand. The total cost of the acquisition, exclusive of taxes, is Rs 725.7 crores.
Tata Motors is currently facing manufacturing constraints which are leading to long waiting periods for its customers. The Sanand manufacturing plant will boost capacity by 300,000 additional units per annum which will help bring the waiting periods down. The plant can further be scaled to output 420,000 units per annum.
Actor Giancarlo Esposito is the latest addition to the all-star cast of Francis ford Coppola's upcoming feature 'Megalopolis'.
ford India employees who accepted severance packages have been requesting job security from the company. A small group of employees has refused to accept the severance package and has approached the labor commissioner for a resolution. The next meeting with the labor commissioner is scheduled for January 5. ford India employees say if there is no resolution this group may even move court over the matter.
Actor Xosha Roquemore has been roped in to play a pivotal role in Marvel Studios' upcoming feature "Captain America: New World Order". The film marks Mackie's returns to reprise his role as Sam Wilson who has been tapped as the new Captain America following the series finale of "Falcon and the Winter Soldier".
ford has released a new teaser of its upcoming electric SUV, which will be based on Volkswagen's MEB platform - the same one that underpins the India-bound VW ID.4.


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The 2017 Ford Fiesta will be revealed today in around 10 hours time in Cologne, Germany, during Ford’s Go Further event. The company will also announce its Smart Mobility strategy, the latest news on fuel-saving technology and also reveal several new commercial vehicles.
While the other news is all well and good, we know that most eyes will be on what the next generation Ford Fiesta will look like. While to would be nice for the carmaker to go radical, some would say that would be to admit that the model was having a few issues, which we know it is not, and so therefore do not expect any major changes.
Ford is more than likely to make the new Fiesta subtly different to the current model, so expect tighter headlights a more angular front grille and horizontal rear lights.
The size of the new Fiesta is to also increase, but not by much. However, just a slight increase in size could make all the difference and allow people to choose the Fiesta over the Focus, which is the larger, more expensive sibling.
If you would like more of an idea of the new styling, then you might want to look at the new Focus, as it’s said to take inspiration from that model, which is not a bad thing at all.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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The question facing Mark Robertson, the principal of PRG Realty, was not whether to redevelop the northwest corner of Hillcrest and Northwest Highway. The question was why it hadn’t been done years before.
“What was most compelling is that this was the finest never-developed site in North Texas,” says Robertson, whose company built the three-story office and retail Hillcrest Crossing on land that had been home to a couple of restaurants. “This is a neighborhood that is receptive and mindful to this kind of upscale development.”
Which is about the sort of thing you’d expect a developer to say about our neighborhood. But what’s different this time — and what may be even more different in the future — is the kind of development and its scale.
What will almost certainly change over the next decade is the way retail development is done in Preston Hollow. Projects will become smaller, more neighborhood-focused, and more dense, part of a trend called “New Urbanism”. In addition, the recession and several trends in retailing, including a drop in mall traffic, will affect what happens here.
“You have to be mindful of what’s going on around you,” Robertson says. “This is a sophisticated neighborhood with an affluent demographic. The appeal has to be timeless.”
Preston Hollow’s demographic advantages dovetail with the new development trend of New Urbanism. It’s a philosophy that emphasizes retail and residential development focusing on density in cities instead of sprawl in suburbs, and its projects are designed so people don’t need cars to use them.
Robert Bagwell, who developed West Village in Uptown, calls these projects “pedestrian villages”; urban planners call them “traditional neighborhood developments,” because they mimic the best features of older development from 40 and 50 years ago.
New Urbanism, says Tre Jordan, a research associate with the American Planning Association, requires older neighborhoods that are close to the city center, where the street system was laid out before cars were commonplace, and the buildings are best suited for re-developing up instead of out.
“There isn’t much future in [suburban-style] lifestyle centers,” says Ken Hughes, a longtime Dallas developer. “The baby boomers and the Gen Ys want something else, so development is going to be different, without a doubt.”
What they want instead, and what our neighborhood is situated to give them, is what Hughes calls an activity center.
Think of it Preston Royal for the 21st century — small but dense developments, a dozen acres instead of a hundred, and an environment that is walkable, without massive parking lots and the stores that need them (like the Walmart center on the other side of LBJ). The retail mix leans heavily toward casual restaurants and services like banks and dry cleaners, things people need to get through the day.
And since there is less empty land here, we’re going to see more redevelopment than development, says Chris Buehler, who represents Preston Hollow on the city plan commission. That’s tearing down older buildings to put up new ones, like Hillcrest Crossing. Through trial and error, the city has learned how to do this more effectively.
Back to the city
New Urbanism coincides with the trend that has seen high-demographic consumers moving back to in-town neighborhoods like ours because they’re tired of long commutes and suburban sprawl. Their need for gated communities has been replaced by the appeal of a corner restaurant, which is a 10-minute walk — and not a 30-minute drive — away.
This helps explain the city’s emphasis on what’s called “form-based zoning”, which reflects many of the tenets of New Urbanism. The City Council must still reach a compromise on the specifics, but few disagree with the principle behind it: That Dallas retail and residential development needs to be more like Manhattan and less like the intersection of the Tollway and Highway 121.
This, in fact, can be seen in a host of projects — most of which residents never would have dreamed of a decade ago:
• The Glen of Preston Hollow, a $300 million so-called urban village off Walnut Hill and Central Expressway. This 42-acre site will have multi-family housing, retail, offices, a hotel and a retirement community. Developers like retirement residences, in fact, because they give current residents a chance to stay in the neighborhood.
• University Crossing, owned by SMU near the Mockingbird DART station. Though not in our neighborhood, it’s an example of what developers are considering in urban, already developed areas. Plans call for a mixed-use development with dining, retail, and apartments.
• The Hillcrest Crossing development. Its tenants include Paradise Bakery, Luxury Day Spa, and Toni & Guy salon.
• Park Lane Place, on the other side of Central from NorthPark. It seems huge, but at 33.5 acres, it’s just the size of five city blocks and fits neatly into the New Urbanism guidelines with its density and mix of shopping, offices and residential. By comparison, the proposed Lake Highlands Town Center a couple of miles to the west is some 80 acres, and NorthPark is more than 100 acres.
Overcoming the economy
Yet, as wonderful as this all sounds, there are obstacles. The biggest is the recession.
Generally, says Thompson & Knight attorney Misty Willcox, if a developer hasn’t started construction yet, don’t expect to see construction any time soon.
Developers borrow money in two stages — for land and for construction. They may still be able to get land loans, though requirements have increased, but “it has to be a special, special project to get the interest of lenders and tenants,” Bagwell says. The one exception to this is apartment construction, which generates enough cash to meet the new lender requirements.
Says Robertson: “The suburbs are clearly taking a hit, because of the uncertainty of the moment. And if you’re starting new in this part of town, there is definitely a pause. There has been a lot of reconsideration and rehashing of portfolios by lenders and equity groups.”
In addition, the smaller, mom-and-pop retailers who should benefit from New Urbanism may not have the financial wherewithal to withstand the recession. These operations are traditionally undercapitalized and survive on cash flow. If the cash dries up, they won’t have money in the bank to pay their bills and might be forced out of business.
Which leads to a bigger, and potentially more divisive, issue. There aren’t a lot of mom-and-pop retailers left, especially in Dallas. Over the last 15 to 20 years, one goal for national retailers was aggressively eliminating small local and regional competition, says SMU professor Ed Fox, a leading authority on U.S. retailing.
Walmart came in, and the corner drug store left. Home Depot arrived, and the hardware store closed. That’s one reason why the definition of neighborhood retail has changed so much, from bookstores and drug stores to dry cleaners and restaurants.
This presents developers with a dilemma. If they build a center that’s too small for Target or a 75,000-square-foot grocery store, where are they going to find tenants? There are also potential challenges from technology, which has made the video store, long a staple of neighborhood retail, increasingly obsolete. It may do the same for something like Radio Shack. And then what will fill those spaces?
Finally, many people in neighborhoods like ours would rather see a local coffee shop than a Starbucks, which further complicates the developer’s job. This is one reason why academics and urban planners are more excited about the New Urbanism than most developers.
“The retailers are still going to be looking north, where they’re going to see growth rates,” Fox says. “I’m not trying to be negative, but you aren’t going to see a lot of new retail inside LBJ because the retailers don’t yet see any reason to be there. They might, but that’s a long time away.”
Hence the need for developers who are going to pay close attention to what neighborhoods like ours need and want. Hughes, in particular, has advocated this approach for years, and he’s disappointed that more developers don’t use it.
“The way of the world since World War II has been size,” he says. “That’s exactly the way it has always been, and the minute the economy comes back, then centers will move back up in size.”
Still, Robertson is more optimistic.
“I think what’s going on here now is the maturation of the market west of the Mississippi,” he says.
“In the northeast, in world class cities, this has been going on for a long time. You see the need in a particular neighborhood demographic as we had, on an underutilized property, and you turn it into something better.”
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Growing ambition with Nationwide Window Cleaning
NWC cleans the windows of more than 20,000 buildings a year. In 2012, founder and CEO Thornton Tasker started to think about scaling up the business to create one of the biggest commercial cleaning companies in the UK.
Download this interview with Thornton and BGF investor Neil Inskip as they explore how BGF funding became the transformational point for the business, driving revenue growth of close to 100 percent.
Business funding news
BGF invests £10 million in specialist engineering company, Polar Technology
BGF has announced a £10 million investment in Polar Technology, an Oxfordshire-based business which manufactures high-performance carbon and metal components…
BGF invests £14m in tech-led procurement business Bloom
BGF has invested £14 million in Bloom (Bloom Procurement Services), based in the North East and headquartered in Gateshead. Bloom…


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Gordon Murray Group - HQ Piazza
Surrey, UK, 11 May 2021 The Gordon Murray Group has announced plans to significantly expand its operations to create further global success and a commitment to invest £300M over the next five years.
An exciting roadmap for future expansion of the Gordon Murray Group, has been announced today and masterminded by company Founder and Chairman, Professor Gordon Murray. It is underpinned by the philosophy of creating long term growth through increased research and development, the introduction of a new division, investment in Gordon Murray Design, bolstering the leadership team and talent across the business, plus cementing the ethos, core competencies and ongoing product portfolio of Gordon Murray Automotive.
There is set to be renewed and sharper focus on designing and engineering future electric vehicles and the ambitious expansion includes significant investment in Gordon Murray Design. The globally leading design and engineering business is already in the early phases of creating a revolutionary, lightweight, ultra-efficient electric vehicle architecture for future urban passenger vehicles and delivery vans.
Gordon Murray Design is also directing substantial investment towards a ‘superlight’ Research and Development facility to further progress weight and complexity reduction of both vehicle architectures and manufacturing processes.An additional facility at Dunsfold, Surrey is being planned to manufacture ‘superlight’ frames for Gordon Murray Design, and Gordon Murray Automotive vehicle programmes.
A new business unit, Gordon Murray Electronic which is being formed by newly appointed CEO Richie Sibal, will support GMD in developing advanced electrified powertrains for global automotive manufacturers and technology companies.
Professor Gordon Murray, Chairman Gordon Murray Group: “While recently the global spotlight has been on Gordon Murray Automotive and the T.50 models there has been extensive progress and developments made within the wider Group. Today we are taking this to a new level announcing new investments, a strengthening of our leadership team, enhanced R&D, a new Division and a reaffirmation of our philosophy. Core competencies that differentiate us and set us apart in the industry as we build the Group to meet the challenges of the future.
“The Gordon Murray Group has a clear mission: pushing automotive and technology boundaries to be the best there is. These new developments are dedicated to pursuing this ambitious agenda. We are building a philosophy and enhancing a team for increased growth and future success, staying true to our vision.
“The automotive future will be increasingly electrified and it’s essential that we design the world’s lightest, most efficient and advanced EVs. This significant investment in Gordon Murray Design and the formation of Gordon Murray Electronics will be realising that goal. Advanced work is already underway and we will be sharing more news on our exciting all-electric platform soon.”
The Gordon Murray Group is announcing a series of new appointments to strengthen its leadership team, including Phillip Lee as a Director, Group Chief Financial Officer and CEO of Gordon Murray Automotive. Prior to joining GMG, Phillip was CFO at Group Lotus plc and has been Finance and IT Director at LEVC and has extensive experience in growing automotive businesses internationally. In addition, John McLaren, Chairman of Rouse, is joining the Gordon Murray Group board as a Non-Executive Director and Jean-Philippe Launberg has been appointed as Strategy and Business Director of Gordon Murray Design.
Philip Lee, Group Chief Financial Officer: “It’s an honour to be joining the Gordon Murray Group at this pivotal moment in the company’s journey. With such significant investment behind the ambitions of the Group, there is real impetus to expand and play an even bigger role in the global automotive industry. I am looking forward to playing a role in the company’s future success.”
The T.50 supercar development remains on track and Gordon Murray Automotive is now conducting prototype testing. Production will start in 2022 at a new facility in Dunsfold, Surrey, UK with the first customer cars being delivered early in the year, being overseen by newly appointed Head of Global Sales, Henry Winkworth-Smith.
Future Gordon Murray Automotive vehicles are also now in development, and all will stay true to the ethos and exclusivity shown by the T.50.
Professor Gordon Murray: “The T.50 supercar clearly shows the path that we will take for future Gordon Murray Automotive products. All future models will be strictly designed to deliver these principles as part of our mission to be the world’s most exclusive automotive brand”.
Exclusivity – we will manufacture no more than 100 of each model or variant
Driving perfection – they will be the most driver-focused cars in their sector
Lightweight – we will achieve optimum performance through obsessive weight reduction
Engineering Art – we will have absolute attention to detail, constantly pushing the boundaries of materials and technologies
Premium – we will produce hand built cars to the highest possible quality
Beauty – we believe in a return to beauty with balanced, timeless designs
Customer service – when customers join the GMA family they will receive unparalleled levels of service and attention, and we will continue to pride ourselves in including them in the entire journey
“The T.50 will be significant in other ways. Much of our learning about advanced lightweight materials and construction from the T.50 will play a key role in the electric vehicles that we develop. But we are not abandoning internal combustion power. We will continue to create the pinnacle of driver’s cars – with V12 petrol power as long as the regulations allow and in future we will develop our own hybrid and electric powertrains.”
The Gordon Murray Group is set to move its global headquarters to a new site in Windlesham, Surrey, UK where a new technology campus, Heritage and Customer Centre, and bespoke design and engineering facilities are being created. Construction will commence in July 2021 and the first facilities will be ready in 2022, with the entire project completed in 2024.
Professor Gordon Murray: “Our new technology campus and global headquarters is another major investment but it’s also where the power and capabilities of our expanding Group will really be seen. It will be a fantastic new home and create a truly unique culture of collaboration, innovation and interaction. I am convinced it will take us to even greater heights and become a globally renowned centre of excellence for vehicle design and creation.”
Notes to Editors
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About Gordon Murray Group
The Gordon Murray Group incorporates Gordon Murray Design, Gordon Murray Automotive,Gordon Murray Electronics and Gordon Murray Heritage.
Gordon Murray Design is a visionary design and engineering company, established in 2007, with a focus on developing an innovative and disruptive manufacturing technology. It has since built a global reputation as one of the finest automotive design teams in the world, with a highly innovative approach from concept and design, through to prototyping and development for production.
Gordon Murray Automotive creates exclusive low volume sports cars – the T.50 supercar will be the brand’s first model with customer cars delivered from 2022. The company is a sister company to Gordon Murray Design and was first announced in November 2017 during an exhibition, named ‘One Formula’, which celebrated Murray’s 50 years of car design.
About Professor Gordon Murray, CBE
Having spent 20 years as Technical Director to two Formula One teams from 1969-1990 Gordon Murray has a wealth of technical, design and engineering experience. At Brabham he was instrumental in two world championship wins (1981 and 1983) before three consecutive championship wins with McLaren Racing (1988, 1989 and 1990). In 1990 – after 50 Grand Prix wins – Gordon moved away from Formula One to concentrate on establishing a new company for the group, McLaren Cars Limited.
His first project there, the F1 road car, is still regarded as one of the world’s best-engineered cars. A racing version won two world sports car championships and the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1995. McLaren Cars then completed several other successful projects culminating in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Gordon left McLaren in 2005 to set up a Gordon Murray Design Ltd (in 2007), of which he is Chairman. The innovative British company is a world leader in automotive design and reverses the current industry trend for sub-contracting by having a complete in-house capability for design, prototyping, and development.
In 2017, Gordon Murray Design celebrated the company’s 10-year anniversary at a special event, named ‘One Formula’. Gordon also marked the 25th production anniversary of the McLaren F1 road car, and his 50th year of design and engineering.
In May 2019, Professor Murray was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, in recognition of his contributions to the motorsport and automotive sectors over the past 50 years.
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Posted: November 1, 2019
Speech delivered by Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina at the Launch of the Procter & Gamble’s Always Manufacturing Plant
|Premier of Gauteng.
Deputy Minister of Department of Women in the Presidency.
The Economic Advisor to the President.
The Presidential Envoys.
Captains of Industry.
P&G regional and local executives.
P&G Partners and Suppliers.
Staff of P&G.
Members of the media.Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am delighted to address you at this event which I consider as historic today. The launch and commissioning of the new Always manufacturing facility, which is an additional line to the existing facility here in Kempton Park is a giant step forward.
Today we are giving practical implementation to our investment mobilization drive. In early 2018 we announced an investment mobilisation of $100 billion over a five-year period.
In our inaugural investment conference in October 2018, we made 31 investment announcements totaling R 300 billion. I am pleased that we are now seeing the fruits of our investment mobilization drive and that, throughout the year, there have been a number of projects completed and launched.
Recently in eThekwini, KZN, the President launched a smart phone manufacturing facility at Dube Trade Port; a week earlier, Toyota launched its R454 million investment as an additional capacity for its Hiace plant in Prospecton. A number of projects are in construction phase and will be launched soon. All of this highlight the enormity with which the investment conference has had impact, giving real meaning to the President’s imagination on our economy.
Today we celebrate a special project, the commissioning of the new R300 million Always manufacturing facility. This investment is a testament to P&G continuing and increasing investments into South Africa and the region. It demonstrates the commitment of P&G to continue to grow and contribute to the growth of our country and region in addition to over R1 billion that has already been invested by P&G since 2009.
We are seeing a new additional manufacturing facility being introduced for the Always sanitary pads, and we are also witnessing an additional line being added to the Pampers production line bringing the latest in the innovation and technology to South Africa.
The 300 jobs being created will be seen throughout P&G and the product value chain.
A number of additional investments was made to the plant as well which included facilities modernisation to ensure that the capacity to produce and export, maintaining and becoming a world class facility aligned to the P&G global standards and significant investments were also made in training and logistics.
As part of P&G’s global manufacturing blueprint, the company is committed to use alternate sources of energy, reducing emissions and reducing the waste and water in the facility. It is pleasing and encouraging to see the company making strides to maintain energy efficiencies as well as plans to reduce energy, waste and water. It is also encouraging to see that the company maintains its zero waste to landfill sites since 2017. Key to P&G’s strategy as a company is sustainability, a key pillar that we as government are encouraging from all of the companies investing in SA in line with global practices.
In demonstrating government’s commitment, National Treasury this year announced zero VAT rate on sanitary pads which P&G advocated strongly for and through the robust and dynamic partnership between government and industry, government was able to implement that regulation this year. What has that meant for the citizens and consumers? It has allowed the women and girls in the most rural of areas to be able to afford the sanitary pads, it has allowed for women and girls to be able to access these pads.
We are pleased to see the commitment of P&G to the empowerment of women and girls. As the dti we are pleased to see that there is a strong focus on women entrepreneurship, investing in SMMEs and a partnership with WEConnect to empower women entrepreneurs, the backbone of the SA economy. We congratulate the Vice President for the foresight in committing even further in tripling government’s spend with women owned businesses over the next three years.
A number of products that we, as consumers, use in our homes are manufactured by P&G (Pampers, Always, Ariel Washing Powder, Vicks, Olay, Gillette, Pantene, etc). The company impacts daily on hundreds of thousand lives globally. Government is committed to its partnership with an impact investor like P&G and values the relationship it has with P&G. The mutual areas of collaboration has also resulted in P&G being a very strong advocate in promoting SA as an investment destination amongst US firms.
We want to take this opportunity to welcome the release of the 2019 edition of the WEF Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), which indicates South Africa’s overall ranking improved from 67 out of 140 nations in 2018 to position 60 out 141 nations in 2019.
In this sixth administration, Government is committed to working in partnership with the private sector, labour and civil society to unlock growth, create jobs and build an inclusive economy.
I would like to congratulate the Vice President of South Africa, Mr. Vilo Trska, for having the foresight in taking up the investment challenge and increasing its footprint in SA and the region. I urge the company to continue increasing its product portfolio in the country and the region.
Thank you very much.


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Small business minister Margot James has reiterated her support for measures that will encourage better payment practices towards small firms, in a letter to signatories of the Prompt Payment Code (PPC).
Writing to some 1,800 UK businesses, James, along with the letter?s co-author ? chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) Philip King ? reminded PPC signatories of their commitment to paying suppliers, most of which are small firms,?within 30 days.
Highlighting the success of the code to date, the letter acknowledged some of the challenges faced by its signatories, which it said had been ?hugely successful in achieving fast settlement of invoices, creating dialogue between parties, improving contract terms, and providing constructive assistance welcomed by suppliers?.
Administered by the CICM on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the PPC is one of a series of measures tackling late payments introduced by the government as part of its Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.
The letter urged the code?s signatories to increasingly make 30-day payment terms to UK suppliers the norm, and that although 30-day terms would not be actively enforced by the PCC?s compliance board, paying invoices within 60 days may become a requirement unless ?exceptional circumstances? were accepted on a case-by-case basis ??for example if a business owner could demonstrate that different payment terms would be beneficial to their smaller supplier.
In the letter, James said: ?Prompt payment can make all the difference to small business owners, boosting their cashflow and allowing them to invest in growth for the future.
?Although we have seen some progress, there are still too many business owners across the country who have not been paid on time by their customers.?
In 2016, Britain?s smallest firms were found to be hit more disproportionally by late payments than ever before. According to the latest statistics from the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), micro firms now wait up to six weeks longer than big companies for invoices to be paid. Indeed, the average waiting time for payment by UK businesses with less than ?1m turnover jumped to 71 days this year, while firms with a turnover of more than ?500m waited only 38 days.
James added: ?We need a culture change to stamp this out and the Prompt Payment Code continues to play an important role in bringing this about, alongside a package of measures taken forward by government. The businesses signed up to the Code commit to demonstrating the gold standard of payment practices.?
Also re-confirmed in the letter was the government?s commitment to appoint a small business commissioner ? a role designed specifically to tackle late payment culture ? and the introduction of the statutory duty for larger businesses to report on industry payment practices, due to come into force in April 2017.
Read more about measures in the Enterprise Act and how it could impact small businesses.?
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To win an economy that works for people and planet, we need a new approach to inflation
Headline inflation figures don’t tell us which prices are changing, in what direction, by how much, for what reasons, or to what effect | British Retail Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
David Barmes-1 February 2022The UK’s cost of living crisis is taking its toll, particularly on low-income households. The anticipated change in the energy price cap in April is set to plunge an additional four million families into ‘fuel stress’, where 10% or more of their income is spent on energy. As the latest headline inflation figure hits 4.8%, the Bank of England is set to continue raising its base interest rate, increasing the cost of borrowing in an effort to exert downward pressure on prices by reducing demand for goods and services. But this will fail to address current sources of inflation, and could even exacerbate the cost of living crisis by lowering future output and employment. A search for alternative solutions is generating much-needed debate about how we should think about, measure and navigate price changes.
As we lurch from one crisis to the next, misguided monetarist views that treat inflation as the result of excess demand driven by growth in the money supply are more dangerous than ever. Prescribing higher interest rates and lower government spending threatens the prospects for achieving a sustainable and socially just future. Senator Joe Manchin’s use of rising inflation to justify quashing Joe Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ bill – intended to tackle climate change, create jobs, and improve welfare and social services – is a case in point. If fallacious arguments about prices are left unchallenged, they will contribute to an inadequate response to the cost of living crunch, and continue to undermine much-needed efforts to invest in social safety nets and green infrastructure.
So as inflation rears its head, how should we respond? There are seven key points that should underpin new approaches to thinking about and managing price hikes.
1) Headline inflation figures don’t tell us much about the economy
The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) headline inflation figure – the Consumer Price Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) – is a weighted average of price changes across a ‘representative’ basket of approximately 700 goods and services. Tracking and presenting price changes of these items is a vital job, which ONS statisticians carry out laudably, but headline inflation figures alone don’t tell us specifically which prices are changing, in what direction, by how much, for what reasons, or to what effect.
This is important because prices don’t move up and down in perfect synchrony, but rather tend to vary wildly across sectors. For example, in the early stages of COVID-19, prices plunged for many recreational activities, package holidays and meals out, but skyrocketed for pandemic-related essentials such as masks, rubber gloves, disinfectants and many food items. In addition to sectoral variations, prices also move in divergent ways within sectors and even within specific categories of goods and services, often in ways that even the ONS’ vast dataset of 700 items does not capture. A rather jarring example of such a variation: funeral service prices on average decreased in 2021, but the price of cremations without a service – the cheapest type of funeral – rose by 6%.
Due to these divergent changes, big price changes in individual sectors or categories of goods can significantly pull the headline inflation figure in one direction or another. For example, in August 2021, used cars and the end of the UK government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme the previous year accounted for a sixth of the 3% CPIH figure. Although price rises have become slightly more broad-based recently, a full third of December’s 4.8% CPIH figure came down to motor fuels, used cars and household energy.
Even if all goods and services were displaying similar price increases, making the index more reflective of a ‘general’ rise in prices, one would still have to look beneath the headline inflation rate to grasp that dynamic.
Ultimately, CPIH inflation is just one inflation rate, based on questionable concepts of a ‘representative’ basket of goods, a ‘typical’ spending pattern, and an ‘average’ household. In practice, there are as many different inflation rates as there are patterns of consumption. The idea of one true inflation rate for the whole population is not all that meaningful or useful for informing policy. To understand how price changes are affecting different households and what an effective policy response might look like, it’s necessary to look beneath and beyond existing headline inflation figures, as the ONS itself recently acknowledged.
2) Increases in the prices of essential goods and services hit the poorest the hardest
While the distributional consequences of price increases can be complex and varied, one constant is that low-income households are far less able to absorb increases in the prices of essentials, such as energy and cheap food items. This should be obvious, but multiple economics journalists seem to be missing this basic point, claiming that “higher earners will be worst hit by rocketing inflation” and that the story of recent inflation is “one of shared pain rather than concentrated pain among the poorest”. In reality, there’s no doubt that those struggling to pay rent and put food on the table are feeling the surge in energy bills and cheap food items far more acutely than wealthy households.
Furthermore, essential items that make up the vast majority of poorer households’ budgets are highly ‘inelastic’, meaning that their consumption cannot be easily substituted or deferred to a later date. Simply put, people need to eat, stay housed, and use energy and water on a daily basis. On the other hand, the purchase of non-essential items, which feature to a greater extent in wealthier households’ consumption baskets, can be more easily substituted or deferred. Buying cheaper wine, staying in for dinner instead of eating out, or delaying the purchase of the latest iPhone may be irritating and inconvenient to some consumers, but it won’t put their lives at risk or threaten their basic human dignity.
3) Price changes are driven by many economic and political factors
Even central bankers, whose main job is to target a given inflation rate (usually 2%), are starting to admit that they have no reliable theory of how ‘inflation’ works. Attempts to develop simple models of inflation have papered over the fact that companies’ price-setting behaviour is affected by a wide range of factors often entirely unrelated to the money supply, such as exploitative pricing by companies, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions.
Looking into the key items pushing up recent CPIH figures offers a good example of how myriad economic and political factors feed into price changes. Energy price pressures since late 2021 have resulted from Britain’s reliance on depleted European gas stocks, high demand for liquefied natural gas in Asia and Latin America, and a drop in gas supplies from Russia. Heightening tensions between Ukraine and Russia could exacerbate this situation. Meanwhile the price surge in second-hand cars, another significant contributor to CPIH inflation, has largely been caused by a shortage in microchips preventing the production of new cars earlier in the pandemic, meaning there are fewer second-hand cars on the market today. Other drivers of recent price rises include COVID and Brexit-related worker shortages, disruptions in the global shipping network resulting from the shuttering of factories followed by changes in patterns of consumption, and corporate profiteering as the likes of BP and Shell have grown their profit margins while ordinary families struggle to pay their energy bills.
Monetarist views that focus on high government spending and loose monetary policy as drivers of inflation ignore all of these far more important supply-side dynamics. This failing results in regressive policy outcomes that aim to reduce consumer demand by increasing unemployment and making people poorer. Understanding what forces are driving particular price changes is a necessary prerequisite for designing an effective policy response that minimises, and protects the most vulnerable from, increases in the cost of living.


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I received a call yesterday inquiring if we recycle plastic straws. I am always happy to answer questions.
The answer is no.
Most single-use plastic items are not recyclable so create a lot of garbage. The exception is plastic cups that are either #1(PETE) or #5(PP) plastic.
Single-use plastics have been in the news lately. A few weeks ago I saw the headline ‘Costa Rica Becomes the first country to ban single-use plastics’. More recently the Canadian Minister of the Environment stated the federal government will be working towards removing all single-use plastics from their operations.
The picture of the sea turtle with a straw stuck in his nose had a significant impact.
It changes the conversation from plastic bags to all single-use items.
Many places have banned plastic bags, although a closer look at the details shows that it is really single-use plastic shopping bags that are banned.
Some municipalities allow heavier weight plastic shopping bags. Most allow the single-use bags that bread and other products are packaged in, bags for fresh produce or items purchased in bulk, dry cleaning /laundry bags and garbage and other bags for waste and recyclables.
All single-use plastic includes all plastic bags, straws, cutlery, Styrofoam plates/cups, and wrap, to name a few.
These things, plus larger things like fishing nets, are creating the islands of plastic in the oceans, damaging sea creatures and the food chain.
A good place to start is to carry a reusable fork and straw to use when needed.
Flin Flon considered a plastic bag ban a couple of years ago and decided against it. It may be time to reconsider. Is this an issue for the municipal election?


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Prince of Persia News
Balloon popping, puzzles from Nikoli, princely acrobatics and crazy hunting
It's time for another Nintendo Download update, and we reckon that no-one should be able to complain of a lack of variety. We have two new 3DS eShop titles, a stone-cold Super NES classic on Wii Virtual Console and a wacky sounding DSiWare title. Check out the details below...
It's a bit of a slow month this time for Japan, as only two new games will be released. Neither are big surprises: Europe already got one a while ago and the other has already been announced for European release. Both of them are pretty nice games though, so although the offerings are slim compared to normal, at least they're of good...
Wii Virtual Console is back!
It seems like forever since we last got a Virtual Console game on Wii, but the service is back from the dead with a new Super Nintendo title from Ubisoft. Not only that, there's a Game Boy Color game too. Let's get to it. Wii Virtual Console: Prince of Persia (Super NES, Ubisoft, 800pts) — The rather good Super...