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First it was Silk Road. Then there were the money laundering arrests. Late last week, Mt. Gox halted transactions. Not to mention the simultaneous peak-and-valley value fluctuations that more resemble the Himalayas than rolling hills.
Bitcoin has faced rampant issues in the past few months, and the most recent news doesn’t bode well for the online currency. On Tuesday, one of the largest-volume Bitcoin exchanges, Slovenia-based Bitstamp, announced it was halting withdrawals due to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack creating false transactions.
“Currently [BitStamp] has suspended processing Bitcoin withdrawals due to inconsistent results reported by our bitcoin wallet, caused by a denial-of-service attack using transaction malleability to temporarily disrupt balance checking,” says the exchange in a blog post. “As such, Bitcoin withdrawal and deposit processing will be suspended temporarily until a software fix is issued.”
However, the service says no funds were lost or at risk, and money from failed withdrawals on Feb. 10 and 11 would be deposited back into users' accounts.
A DoS attack gets at one of the contentious issues in the Bitcoin world: transaction malleability. Late last week, Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, another one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges, shut down trading due to technical glitches, that some believed were caused by the same attack. In a blog post, Mt. Gox says that a flaw in Bitcoin software causes people to be able to falsely claim a transaction hadn’t gone through and receive a second payment. However, the Bitcoin Foundation says that it is up to individual exchanges to find a way to ensure the transaction is legitimate.
“In simplest of terms, [transaction malleability] is a small window where transaction ID’s can be ‘renamed’ before being confirmed in the blockchain,” says Gavin Andresen, chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation, in a blog post Monday, referring to the moment when transactions can be falsely replicated. “This is something that cannot be corrected overnight. Therefore, any company dealing with Bitcoin transactions and have coded their own wallet software should responsibly prepare for this possibility and include in their software a way to validate transaction ID’s. Otherwise, it can result in Bitcoin loss and headache for everyone involved.”
Is loss and headache the only repercussion? Or is does it spell the beginning of the end for the online currency? Bitcoin advocates say it is just another bump in the road.
“The death of Bitcoin has been prematurely announced so many times already that the obvious conclusion is that Bitcoin is far more resilient than its critics would like to think,” says Andreas Antonopoulous, chief security officer of Blockchain.info, another large Bitcoin exchange, to CoinDesk. “I am confident that in a few days, those who predicted the death of Bitcoin will once again be proven wrong.”
The numbers, however, tell a less optimistic story. According to CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index, on Wednesday Bitcoin was valued at $663, down from a high of $1,203 in December.


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Today, both Acer and Lenovo have announced that they will be releasing new Chrome OS devices within the new few weeks. Lenovo enters this market for the first time with their own Chromebook, while Acer adds a Chromebox to their Chrome OS line-up.
When the Chromebox was unveiled earlier this year the pretty promo pictures showed off the device with a mouse and custom-Chrome keyboard set. The custom Chrome keyboard took a while to materialise, but the mouse has taken even longer to wriggle out of its hiding place...
Chromebox owners waiting patiently for an official Chrome-orientated keyboard can relax: they've gone on sale. Albeit very, very quietly.
Is Samsung's ChromeOS keyboard and mouse set nothing more than vapourware? Recent communication between Samsung and one frustrated Chrome OS user seem to point that way...
A long time overdue: Chromebooks and Chromeboxes are finally going to land into hundreds of retail stores across the US and the United Kingdom. The news, delivered at day two of Google's annual I/O conference, will be the first retail presence for a ChromeOS device.
Google have formally announced the release of Samsung's new Chromebook and Chromebox devices, both of which are available to order from today.
The first ChromeOS PC - the Samsung Chromebox - has inadvertently gone on sale. Plucky perusers of electronics retailer TigerDirect were able to order the $329 device ahead of its official release.

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The research, conducted by Ghent University in Belgium, found Baobab fruit fibre is as powerful a prebiotic as inulin, which has been shown to stimulate the growth of the beneficial probiotic bacteria, but at half the dose.
Despite abundant commercial claims on the health effects of baobab, scientific data to support this are scarce. “To our knowledge, this is the first evidence demonstrating the potential of baobab fruit pulp powder to modulate the human gut microbiota,” the authors of the study wrote. They added the findings strongly support further research toward the potential of baobab fruit pulp powder as a prebiotic substrate.
“This study supports further research toward the prebiotic potential of baobab fruit pulp powder and other pectin-based products, as well as their potential health-promoting effects,” they said.
The research findings were cheered by UK botanical extract manufacturer Blue Sky Botanics, which has launched what it claims is the world’s first organic baobab fruit purée.
Baobab is a tree that grows in Africa, Australia, and the Middle East. Baobab fruit occurs naturally as a dry powder as plant’s fruit pods dehydrate and harden on the branches throughout the dry season. It is thought that this process of dehydration naturally concentrates the nutrients in the pods, producing one of the most nutrient-dense fruits on the planet. Baobab is claimed to be a very rich source of antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and fibre.
Baobab Fruit Powder is known as the African Superfruit due to its nutrient-dense and exceptionally high dietary fibre content, said Blue Sky Botanics, adding: “There are approximately 36,000 plant species which naturally contain inulin fiber, the most abundant source being chicory root. But there is a new kid on the block that may soon be challenging inulin as the most potent prebiotic fibre source.”
The company claimed that the Ghent University finding is supported by multiple studies into the Hadza, a hunter-gatherer tribe in Tanzania who consume large amounts of Baobab Fruit throughout the year. These studies found that the Hadza have one of the most diverse gut microbiomes on the planet, and researchers have suggested that this is due to the high soluble fibre content in their diet.
While baobab fruit occurs naturally as a raw powder, this can be a challenge when it comes to formulation, said Blue Sky Botanics. “The hydrophobic nature of Baobab Powder makes blending into liquid formulations on an industrial scale both challenging and time-consuming without specialist mixing equipment. Baobab Fruit Purée eliminates these challenges as the mechanical forces needed to incorporate the powder smoothly and consistently into a solution have already been applied”, said Caroline Brevitt, Managing Director of Blue Sky Botanics.
“We love the fact that Baobab Fruit comes as a 100% natural raw powder without needing to be processed or modified. But there are times when a formulation calls for a liquid ingredient and we have had many customers ask if we could supply Baobab in this format. The good news is we now have a solution”.
Head of Food and Beverage Division for Blue Sky Daniel Jones added that baobab boasts more dietary fibre than rival fruits. “Consumers and product developers are increasingly aware of dietary fiber’s multiple health benefits particularly with the gut microbiome, but most fruit purées fall short in their ability to deliver on fiber content. Our Baobab Fruit Purée contains over 11g/100g of total dietary fibre, several times more than other fruit purées”, says Daniel Jones, Head of Food and Beverage Division for Blue Sky.
A Pectin-Rich, Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder Exerts Prebiotic Potential on the Human Gut Microbiome In Vitro


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P&G could face a tide of job cuts if profits don't rally
Procter & Gamble will acquire the consumer health business of Merck for about 3.4 billion euros ($4.2 billion), giving it vitamin brands such as Seven Seas and greater exposure to Latin American and Asian markets. Newslook
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble's lagging sales have shaken investors' confidence in its turnaround and may force the company to cut more jobs.
Shares of the maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers are down more than 20% in 2018 after yet another underwhelming quarter reported April 19. The company modestly beat expectations but disclosed shrinking profit margins and a softening sales outlook.
Local analysts say pressure is mounting on CEO David Taylor. If fourth-quarter results don't deliver better results and stronger fiscal year 2019 forecast, Taylor might unveil deeper cuts to mollify investors.
"Shareholders want sales growth and right now they're not getting it," said Jim Russell, principal at Bahl & Gaynor.
But to grow the $65 billion company, P&G needs to restore growth in its razor unit and fix past missteps in China, for starters.
This fiscal year, Cincinnati-based P&G has struggled with rising costs that are cutting into profits. Also, consumers are trading down to cheaper products, such as men who switch from Gillette's pricey FlexBall razor to a disposable Mach3.
To offset those impacts, P&G has continued to trim jobs. In this fiscal year alone, it has reduced more than 1,400 positions, including nearly 600 office jobs. Procter has also consolidated how it advertises, dealing with fewer agencies, cutting roughly $300 million in expenses this year.
A Plan B (or else)?
If meaningful growth continues to elude Procter, the company may be forced to make deeper cuts.
One job not yet quite in jeopardy: Taylor's.
Despite a bruising proxy fight last year that resulted in P&G critic and hedge fund investor Nelson Peltz joining the board in March, local experts believe Taylor has another year to show he can turn the company around.
Is new board member Peltz’s pick for next P&G CEO?
"I think there's intense pressure, but no danger the board will remove him (Taylor)," said Terry Kelly, principal at Bartlett & Co. He said P&G's problems are widespread in consumer products and there's no magic solution (or CEO) that can quickly fix them.
Joe Edelstein, a research analyst at Johnson Investment Counsel, said if Procter continues to produce mediocre results, there could be mounting pressure to replace Taylor late this year or next year.
"David Taylor is on the hot seat and he needs to prove his strategy by December," Edelstein said.
What's wrong – and what had better get better
From the start – six years and two CEOs ago – P&G's restructuring plan was all about cutting costs and reinvesting the savings back into the business to grow profits and sales.
But unfavorable currency rates wiped out most of the early savings. Procter has also jettisoned more than 100 slow-growing brands, but has struggled to grow its remaining business.
Taylor appeared to signal such a move during the latest conference call with analysts.
"We will make additional changes needed to accelerate progress," Taylor said. "We will continue to drive productivity improvement to lower cost and generate cash. This must accelerate even from today's pace."
The "accelerated" cuts could range from extra consolidation of marketing agencies to plans to close another North American plant to a headcount reduction numbering in the thousands. If Taylor chooses to cut management jobs, that could affect some of the 10,000 employees who work in greater Cincinnati.
"If he has a Plan B, he's more likely to announce it sooner than later," said Kyle Moore, a portfolio manager at Mariner Wealth Advisors.


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By most measures, the inaugural season of the Columbia Fireflies (Low A; Sally League) and Spirit Communications Park has been a big success, though there is still room to grow.
Spirit Communications Park opened with a bang in April. The Fireflies drew over 9,000 fans for their first game, and the ballpark was heralded by many–including us–for its stunning design and potential to generate spin off development.
Entering Wednesday’s action, the Fireflies have drawn 162,398 fans through 42 openings, amounting to a per-game average of 3,867 that ranks sixth in the 14-team South Atlantic League. The total attendance figure is already the highest of any professional baseball team in Columbia history, but there is reason to believe that the numbers may rise in the future.
The Fireflies are the centerpiece of the mixed-use Bull Street development, which is being conceived on the site of a former mental health facility. Spirit Communications Park was the first major piece to be completed. While this enabled the team’s arrival from Savannah, the Fireflies are going to have to wait a little while before construction around the ballpark ceases and new development moves in.
For local officials and developers, the goal is to make that happen sooner rather than later. More from the Free Times:
They are in the middle of a construction zone,” at-large Columbia City Councilman Howard Duvall says. “I’m looking forward to the time when the project is to the point that we have things already built there that complement the stadium, where people can come shop, go to the movies and go to the ballgame, too. I don’t think that’s but more than about a year away.”
Hughes or his associates have not yet announced the name of any retailers or restaurants set for the development called Commons at BullStreet. Robert Hughes, Bob Hughes’ son and partner, told Free Times retail announcements are on the way.
“Our retail development partner is continuing to have success signing up retailers who, by contract, will make their own announcements when they feel the time is right,” Hughes says. “We are confident those announcements will start being made soon.”
Hughes also says the development of the Bull Street project, which was slated to be a 20-year job, is ahead of schedule.
Once completed, the Bull Street development is expected to include housing, retail, dining, a tech village, movie theater, and more.
RELATED STORIES: Spirit Communications Park / Columbia Fireflies


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Obviously, Spotify has 100 Million paid users, and Apple Music has 60 Million. But Amazon will not be left in the dust. As per media, the number of users enrolling to Amazon Music Unlimited increased almost 70% in the previous year. As of April 2019, Amazon had over 32 Million users all over its music services, comprising Prime Music and Unlimited. While Spotify heads the pack with the most users, it is increasing at a sluggish rate, almost 25% every year.
Amazon Music Unlimited may have surfaced up late—in 2016, 2 Years after Apple Music rolled out. But the popularity of Echo speakers by Amazon gives it a benefit, as it now has a grip in a increasing number of households. The firm is supposedly operating on a higher-fidelity edition of the Echo, which might better vie against the likes of Sonos devices and can lure more consumers to its streaming platforms.
Amazon has also discovered a following among earlier users. As per Steve Boom, chief of Amazon Music, almost 14% of Amazon Music users are 55 or older. In evaluation, only 5% of Spotify consumers fall into that age group. “We are not battling for the same users as everybody else,” Boom claimed to the media in an interview. “For the sector to reach its complete potential, we can just see at 15–22-year-olds.”
On a related note, Amazon Music may be arriving to a TV close to you shortly. Comcast is conveying the music streaming platform to Xfinity X1 in the weeks to come. It claims that it is the first time you will be capable of accessing Amazon Music using a pay-TV supplier on a TV. Into the remote, you can say “Amazon Music” to use the playlists and library of the service, or find it in the Apps segment of the system.


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The maker of Oreo cookies and Trident gum is seeking the help of Canadian tech startups to take a bite out of rival retail brands.
Mondelez International of Deerfield, IL recently launched Shopper Futures, an open search for innovative technologies that can disrupt the retail experience for consumers. The program is open to Canadian and American startups less than four years old whose technology “is at a stage where it could be live in the market,” according to Mondelez’s guidelines. (Startups can view the complete list of criteria and apply by the June 27 deadline at shopperfutures.com.)
Nine startups chosen by Monedelez will receive some funding from the company, plus the chance to collaborate with a retail partner and a team of Mondelez marketers for brands such as Oreo, Halls and Cadbury. The tech entrepreneurs will also present their ideas at a pitch event in East Hanover, NJ on August 5 and 6. In keeping with the startup spirit, each team will have just 90 days after their selection to execute a pilot of their idea.
It might seem surprising that a global brand with $34 billion in revenue last year would seek the help of fledgling tech firms. But according to a presenter at the recent Shopper Futures launch event in Toronto, large retail brands are increasingly tapping into startups for their agility and innovation.
“It’s going to happen more and more. We want to behave in a small entrepreneurial way but we’re big,” said Kristi Karens, director of media and consumer engagement at Mondelez Canada.
Karens’ fellow panelist, Pema Hegan, reassured his fellow Canadian startups in the room that the biggest brands in the world actually want to meet with them.
“Don’t walk in there like nobody wants to hear from you. They really do want to hear from you,” said Hegan, co-founder of Checkout 51.
Hegan speaks from experience. His Toronto company makes e-coupons for consumer packaged goods (CPG) giants like Mondelez, Unilever and Kellogg’s. Instead of clipping paper coupons, users sign up on Facebook or Checkout 51’s website, which also lists the e-coupons offered each week. If users buy a listed item, they can take a photo of their grocery receipt and upload it through Checkout 51’s website or mobile app. Once their total savings hit $20, Checkout 51 cuts them a cheque.
Hegan and Karens said retail brands are seeking those types of innovations to help them deal with a slew of new challenges. For example, although the growth of online and mobile shopping gives brands more ways to connect with consumers, Karens said it also makes it tougher to market “impulse” items like gum and chocolate bars that are sold mainly in stores instead of online.
Another challenge facing big retailers today is how to offer personalized mobile marketing while keeping in mind “how many hundreds of (marketing) messages you could be getting bombarded with in a store,” said Karens.
“We’re used to targeting large groups of people. Now we’re figuring out how to speak to an individual and scale it for an audience in a relevant way.”
At the Toronto information session, Karens outlined the kinds of ideas Mondelez is seeking from startups. She listed technology related to geo-targeting, packaging, creating or using shopping lists, building brand loyalty vs. one-off up-selling, and engaging customers in small outlets like convenience and gas stores rather than just huge stores like Walmart.
Karens also noted that retailers see data as “incredibly important.” She said Mondelez analyzes data to see which snack foods sell more just before major sports events, then uses it to refine the timing, content and target audience of its marketing efforts.
This isn’t Mondelez’s first foray into the startup world. In 2013 it chose nine mobile startups for its Mobile Futures program. That resulted in the 2014 beta release of products from two U.S. startups, Pransktr and Betabox.
Prankstr is an online tool to customize prank videos and post them on social media. Betabox pairs consumer packaged goods retailers with e-tailers. (In the Betabox pilot, free samples of Mondelez’s Sour Patch gum were put into boxes of T-shirts shipped to customers of online T-shirt vendor Bustedtees.com. Attached materials directed customers to a website featuring a sweepstakes contest and other Sour Patch offers.)
Mobile Futures was later launched in Brazil and Australia, a timely move considering figures released in February. According to the 2015 Shop.org/Forrester Research State of Retailing Online, mobile is the top priority this year for 71 surveyed retailers, named by 58 per cent of those polled. Eight out of ten plan to increase their mobile budgets by at least 20 per cent in 2015.
Other data from the same report makes it easy to see why retailers are focused on mobile. Purchases made from smartphones represented 12 per cent of all online shopping sales in 2014, a 50 per cent jump from 2013. Purchases via tablets also grew, from 13 per cent of all online sales in 2013 to 16 per cent in 2014.


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Natural rubber prices slide as imports get cheaper
India’s rubber imports from Malaysia alone grew by 16.7% in value terms to $29.7 million in 2018 in the last 10 years.
After a brief spell of price recovery up to Rs 152 per kilo last month, natural rubber (NR) has found itself on a slide, following feeble demand from the automobile-driven tyre business. On Monday, the price of premium grade RSS-4 (ribbed smoked sheet) has dropped to Rs 145 per kilo.
“Besides the lukewarm demand from automobile industry, the drop in rubber price in Malaysian and Indonesian markets has triggered NR imports to India,” Siby Monipally, secretary, Indian Rubber Growers Association (IRGA) told FE. Last year, riding on about 1 million tonne consumption, India had imported above 4 lakh tonne NR, according to the Rubber Board of India.
India’s rubber imports from Malaysia alone grew by 16.7% in value terms to $29.7 million in 2018 in the last 10 years, Malaysia’s primary industries minister Teresa Kok had revealed at a seminar on rubber products in New Delhi last week. With the international price of NR bobbing in a low band of Rs 109-112 per kilo this week, the consuming industry has taken recourse to imports, pushing down the domestic NR price.
In Indian Commodity Exchange, the most active August contract had closed at Rs 14,625 per 100 kilos last week. Meanwhile, the Rubber Board had been counting on the current year’s NR production touching 7.5 lakh tonne, according to KN Raghavan, executive director, Rubber Board. Last year, when NR production was 6.6% lower than that in the previous fiscal, the board had explained it citing the havoc caused by the once-in-the-century floods in Kerala and the subsequent abnormal leaf fall disease. By the Rubber Board’s provisional estimates, the production in 2018-2019 was 648,000 tonne, against 694,000 tonne in 2017-2018. There were green shoots in the air that the price revival would lure the farmers who abandoned rubber back to tend to their plantations.
Indian rubber farmers, who saw the price surge 17% in 45 days from the last week of April, had been slowly building confidence in the crop when the slide began. The second round of devastating rains too have dampened hopes. “We are bracing up for the price collapse to the April price of Rs 129 per kilo,” says Josekutty Antony, president, Rubber Nursery Owners Association.
Not surprisingly, both United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) and Consortium of Indian Rubber Growers Organisation (CIRGO) are disturbed by the flow of imports that dictate the Indian rubber price. “The Centre should restrict imports from Southeast Asian nations. Port restrictions are not enough. There needs to be staff and infra support to tight-belt imports or Indian farmers would abandon rubber cultivation altogether,” says Johny Mathew, co-ordinator, CIRGO.


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Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s daily resource for marketers. We’ll be posting the content every morning on Adweek.com for First Things First (like in this post). However, if you’d prefer it straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the email here.
Much damage was wrought during the capital city’s storm last Wednesday: tragic deaths and injuries, the devastation of the building itself and, as many lawmakers have suggested, the reputation of the US government – and the soul of the nation – damaged.
And then, at a level that pales in comparison to the previous editions, there is the continued deterioration of the Trump brand. Twitter’s decision to permanently suspend Donald Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account on Friday is the latest blow to the president and his name, which has long been plastered across his various businesses. Since Wednesday, even Trump’s most loyal supporters have distanced themselves from him, leaving the business world with the question: What will the Trump brand look like when he leaves office?
Robert Klara from Adweek asked experts: Will the Trump brand survive after it’s linked to extremism?
Connected: Conservatives who have fled Facebook, Twitter and other platforms in the past few months have joined Parler. However, the app has been removed from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store because it has not adequately moderated the content of its community.
Media buyers were wary of last week’s events that paused their campaigns – and now some are still wondering when it is safe to resume. After all, understandably nervous audiences don’t respond well to brands marketing themselves in times of crisis. Adweek’s Ronan Shields and Lucinda Southern spoke to several agencies about their strategies for advising clients on ad spend during tense cultural moments.
It is not always easy to call: “Some advertisers right now don’t necessarily have the luxury of shifting their budgets.”
The revamped identity design for General Motors – the fifth in its 113-year history – was unveiled at CES 2021 this year. The new look underscores its commitment to electric vehicles, which includes the introduction of 30 electric models by 2025.
Check out the new design and discover how it fits into the company’s larger strategies.
Unfortunately, Quibi saw its fate less than a year from its launch in early 2020. But fans, fear not – the streamer’s content, including more than 75 scripted originals, reality series and short documentaries less than 10 minutes in length, will live on. Roku acquired the worldwide rights to stream the programs on its dedicated viewing hub, The Roku Channel.
And also new content: Roku will also premiere more than a dozen new shows that never got a chance to appear on Quibi.
More from today’s news:
In an act of extreme social distancing, a handful of brave film fans are sent to remote locations – like a lighthouse on a remote island in the North Sea – to watch the 60 premieres of the Gothenburg Film Festival alone and without a phone to connect them to the rest of the world World.


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Bank Zero account and transaction fees will also remain exactly the same next year, meaning they have been unchanged since the mutual bank went into beta last year.
Browsing: Yatin Narsai
Bank Zero, the digital bank backed by former First National Bank CEO Michael Jordaan, is on track to launch in the first half of next year and is promising innovations to stamp out card fraud.
Bank Zero will be an app-driven bank, not an Internet bank, a digital bank or a virtual bank, and will not rely on physical branch infrastructure, according to chairman Michael Jordaan.
Former First National Bank CEO Michael Jordaan’s new financial services venture, the app-driven Bank Zero, has been integrated with the national payments system and will now begin trial runs ahead of commercial launch.
For most, owning a wine farm on a mountainside close to the sea, surrounded by family and friends, would be all they ever needed. But for Michael Jordaan, former CEO of one of South Africa’s biggest consumer lenders
In this episode, your hosts Duncan McLeod and Regardt van der Berg chat about the week’s biggest technology stories, including Michael Jordaan and Yatin Narsai’s new digital bank. Also in the episode, they delve into Cell C’s plan
Bank Zero appears set to accelerate the evolution of the South African banking industry by offering a fresh take on banking and highly competitive fees. The bank – the brainchild of tech entrepreneurs and banking innovators Michael
Former First National Bank CEO Michael Jordaan on Tuesday revealed in a tweet that he is backing a new digital-only bank, called Bank Zero, to be launched in South Africa later this year. In a post on Bank Zero’s newly launched


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UNCG’s premiere rummage sale, Cram and Scram, will be Aug. 25, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the EUC Cone Ballroom. The goods are made up of items collected from residence halls as students departed campus last spring. The sale is open to anyone, but particularly geared toward UNCG students. All items are only 50 cents, cash only.
Proceeds from the sale, put on by UNCG’s Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, fund environmental educational opportunities for UNCG students and the greater community.
For more information, contact Ben Kunka at email@example.com or (336) 334-5192.


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ARLINGTON, VA. — Ahead of the holiday season, FMI – The Food Industry Association released its U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Tracker: Holidays, a comprehensive report on the impact of COVID-19 on US grocery shopper perceptions and behaviors heading into the busy holiday season.
The report found that despite concerns surrounding the availability and cost of favorite holiday foods due to lingering post-pandemic supply chain and inflation issues, most shoppers plan to celebrate the holidays much the same as they did before the pandemic, while shopping early and observing social distancing measures when getting together with friends and family.
“Consumers remain aware of pandemic impacts on the supply chain, but most are confident that with some planning they will find their favorite foods at reasonable prices and share traditional menu with loved ones this holiday season,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of FMI. “Both grocers and consumers have demonstrated tremendous resilience over the last year, and shoppers are excited about a cautious return to normalcy for their holiday gatherings this year.”
The report revealed that while 58% of shoppers expressed concern about being able to purchase groceries they need for holiday meals, that sentiment hasn’t changed since the summer. To mitigate potential supply chain issues, 18% of shoppers indicate they will plan further in advance when shopping for Thanksgiving meals this year than usual.
Despite concerns about inflation, average household grocery spending has held steady at about $144 per week — down from the $161 per week witnessed at the height of the pandemic last year.
While most shoppers expect to celebrate the holidays the same as before the pandemic, roughly half of shoppers said COVID-19 will have an impact on upcoming holiday celebrations, with some planning to hold smaller gatherings, watch events like sports and parades from home, and enforce social distancing rules.


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US-based Prep U Products will exhibit its new product line and brand design at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, California, taking place on 8 March.
The company said that new packaging and products provide personal care items for active pre-teen boys.
The products are designed to combat body odour and offer parents a better option for personal care items for their children.
Prep U Products founder and CEO Michelle Houp said the inspiration came from her children: “As my boys got older, I realised there was nothing for them in market. Either it was baby products, which my boys wouldn’t touch, or products and brands geared toward a mature, adult audience.
“From the ingredient lists to the messages and values those brands portray, that wasn’t the world I wanted my sons to grow up in.”
Currently, the products available under this brand include the Body Spray, Sport Soak and Active Dry Powder.
Houp further added: “First and foremost was providing all-natural, high-quality products for parents like myself looking for a better option.
“But there was also a bigger mission behind the creation of Prep U, a desire to inspire confidence, cleanliness, independence and honesty in boys when it comes to their personal care and personal development.”
The company’s new products will include Natural Deodorant, Charcoal Deodorant, Body Wash, and Foaming Wash.
According to the Prep U, similarly to all its other products, the new offerings are using limited, safe, natural ingredients and essentials oils, while they are formulated to combat sweat and odours.


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WASHINGTON, DC - Opening windows in your home to enjoy the warmer temperatures may seem harmless, but windows have proven to be sources of injury and death for young children. In recent weeks, several children have fallen from windows and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data indicates that on average, about eight deaths occur yearly to children five years or younger while an estimated 3,300 children five and younger are treated each year in U.S. hospital emergency departments. Hospitalization was required for about 34 percent of these children after falling from a window.
These deaths and injuries frequently occur when kids push themselves against window screens or climb onto furniture located next to an open window.
"The deaths and life-altering injuries we have seen here at CPSC are heart-breaking and in many cases preventable," said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "We want parents and caregivers to think safety before opening the windows where young children are present."
"Window falls increase dramatically during the spring and summer months but they can be prevented," said Chrissy Cianflone, Director of Programs for Safe Kids USA. "It takes active supervision on the part of the parent or caregiver, and a device called a window guard. Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not kids in. Window guards are easy to install and have a release mechanism in the event of an emergency."
"The window fall season is upon us. The harmless act of opening a window to enjoy the beautiful weather can lead to tragedy unless parents and caregivers of young children exercise proper safety precautions," said Mindy A. Bockstein, Chairperson and Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board. "Let's not be lulled into a false sense of security by window screens but properly install window guards and follow other safety measures."
To help prevent injuries and tragedies, CPSC recommends the following safety tips:
-- Safeguard your children by using window guards or window stops.
- Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. (For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that adults and older children can open easily in case of fire.)
- Install window stops so that windows open no more than 4 inches.
-- Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows.
-- Whenever possible, open windows from the top -- not the bottom.
-- Keep furniture away from windows, to discourage children from climbing near windows.
-- Some jurisdictions require landlords to install guards. Check your local regulations.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:


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UK-based EV battery recycling startup appoints CEO ahead of UK launch
UK-based EV battery recycling startup, Gigamine, announces the appointment of Jerry Williams as CEO as it starts operations in the UK.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, August 23, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Gigamine, a UK-based startup developing technology to recycle lithium-ion EV batteries, announces the appointment of Jerry Williams as CEO.
Williams joins a team including Chairman the Lord Sarfraz, Founding Director Ben Goldsmith, Founding Director Ali Erfan and Operations Director Peter Cowan.
Gigamine is today a team of experts from various fields including mining, finance and environmentalism. The startup is continuously hiring with the plan to further grow the team in 2022.
Earlier this year, Gigamine attracted substantial early-stage investment from global VC fund 7percent Ventures, as well as a number of prominent angel investors, including Formula E and Extreme E founder, Alejandro Agag. Williams and the team are planning to raise additional funds this year to start the build of Gigamine’s first battery recycling facility in the UK, at the start of 2023.
Gigamine works closely with leaders in key industries to make the recycling of all kinds of transport-related lithium-ion batteries viable and sustainable. The startup recently partnered with battery R&D and production company, InoBat, and continues to build its network with other leading R&D organisations to improve the efficiency of materials recycling from used batteries.
A trained engineer, Williams has 35 years of experience in leadership roles in the defence, consultancy and advanced engineering sectors. He started his career with 12 years in the British Army – including roles with the Gurkhas and Royal Marines.
Williams left the army as a Major to launch a commercial career leading successful teams at companies including McKinsey, defence technology company, QinetiQ, and advanced technology company, Prodrive.
Williams said: “I am excited to bring my experience in leadership and the advanced engineering sector to help steer the company as it rapidly grows.
“Gigamine is launching in the UK to allow us to leverage its world-class universities and research facilities, but we have our sights set on much more. This EV recycling technology has the potential to make huge strides in optimising the efficiency and effectiveness of the EV battery recycling process, significantly improving both the sustainability of EV battery manufacturing, and accessibility to the critical materials needed for that manufacture.
“I am looking forward to working with the team to make the most of opportunities to innovate with vehicle manufacturers, and battery producers. Gigamine already has a number of exciting partnerships around the world, but we are only just getting started.”
Williams has helped scale SMEs in advanced engineering and motorsport sectors. He adds a wealth of commercial and technical expertise to Gigamine’s growing team as it attracts investment to grow an international Li-ion battery recycling business with a world-leading research and development capability.
Peter Cowan, Operations Director at Gigamine, said: “We are very happy to be joined by somebody with Jerry’s vast expertise across a number of relevant industries. As we take our first steps on the international stage, Jerry’s leadership and business acumen will help Gigamine’s offering reach its key targets.”
Founded in 2021, Gigamine is a UK startup developing the technology to recycle lithium-ion EV batteries efficiently, effectively, and sustainably. Backed by world-leading technology, Gigamine is pioneering a sustainable and globally scalable model for lithium-ion battery recycling, which will radically reduce the world’s reliance on mining rare and expensive materials and move key industries towards a more sustainable innovation model. Gigamine works closely with leaders in key industries to make all kinds of transport-related lithium-ion battery recycling viable.
For more information and news on Gigamine, please visit www.gigamine.co.uk
+44 20 7183 1267
The content is by EIN Presswire. Headlines of Today Media is not responsible for the content provided or any links related to this content. Headlines of Today Media is not responsible for the correctness, topicality or the quality of the content.


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The image above is pulled from a fascinating slide show put together by venture-capitalist Mary Meeker.
It shows long-term trends in personal computer sales based on operating system. In 1983, Wintel machines—effectively PCs running on a Microsoft system—commanded just 25 percent of the market. For a good chunk of the late 1990s through the early 21st century, Wintel machines pulled 96 percent of the market. Those days look like they are gone for good, thanks mostly to Google's Android OS, which is powering an ever-growing variety of smart phones, tablets, and more.
Question: How many of you think that the only thing standing between endless total domination of the PC world by Microsoft was the misguided federal antitrust case focused on Seattle's Evil Empire bundling a free web browser with its OS? How many think that the decline of Microsoft's dominance (and in different way, that of IBM and Intel) was mostly, if not completely due to the dog-eat-dog world of market-driven creative destruction?
Bonus queries: What does it mean that sales of tablets and smart phones are now bigger than those of PCs? What does it mean that Apple, despite its ability to radically transform digital appliances (iPod, iPhone, iPad) can't really crank up its overall OS market share?
Dylan Tweney of Venturebeat summarizes some of the other findings (and posts Meeker's endlessly engaging slideshow too). Some snippets:
- Meeker's data show 2.4 billion Internet users worldwide, a number that's still growing eight percent yearly.
- There are 1.1 billion smartphone subscribers worldwide — but that's still just 17 percent of the global cellphone market.
- 29 percent of adults in the U.S. now own either a tablet or an e-reader.
- Mobile devices now account for 13 percent of worldwide Internet traffic, up from 4 percent in 2010.
- Mobile app and advertising revenue has grown at an annual rate of 129 percent since 2008, and now tops $19 billion.
- Mobile traffic app Waze has been adding users faster than all GPS makers combined have sold personal navigation units, and it's been that way since the beginning of 2012.
Here's Meeker's slideshow:


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Technically Incorrect: Engineers at Stanford build little robots with big pulling power, using a design inspired by a real animal.
The software maker is struggling to make sure its online stores are clean, well-lighted places for apps, even as it readies the update to its Windows operating system.
A video fly-through of a high-definition image of the Andromeda Galaxy helps put the vastness of the universe in perspective.
The Beijing office, which employed about 300 workers in research and development, was Yahoo's only physical presence in mainland China.
If you've wanted a BB-8 droid ever since seeing the first trailer for "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," you can now make one for pretty cheap.
The company hopes to make a name for itself by directly going after consumers with attractively priced smartphones.
The man responsible for Voyager's "golden record" wants to beam crowdsourced data to the New Horizons spacecraft and take it beyond our solar system.
The new operating system can work on everything from wearables to connected vehicles, Huawei said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla wants to speed up the development of 800-mph tube transport. He's willing to pay for testing -- most likely in Texas -- to make it happen.
The automaker gets an early start on the GTI's 40th anniversary with the dramatic GTE Sport concept and a production-bound GTI Clubsport performance special edition.


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During Wednesday's PlayStation Meeting, CEO of Gaikai David Perry came onstage to discuss just what the future of the cloud would hold for the PlayStation Network.
A big point of his time in the spotlight was devoted to detailing how Gaikai and Sony were working together to keep gamers connected to the games that appealed to them.
Perhaps the most important bullet point for PS gamers indicated the PS4 won't play PS3 games natively, meaning there will be no traditional backwards compatibility with Sony's next generation console.
However, all's not lost. According to Perry, plans are in place right now to develop the process of playing any game in the PlayStation catalog on any Sony device.
Old games new
That doesn't just bode well for the catalogue of PS3 games you own, either.
We could see first-gen PlayStation games could be streamed via the cloud to the PS Vita, or PlayStation 2 games streamed to the PS4, and vice versa.
For now, that technology is only but a hope of what Gaikai and Sony can accomplish together, and is far from a guaranteed feature of the PlayStation Network.
It was another in a line of promised potential for the PlayStation 4, but one that should have gamers optimistic about the future of not just cloud gaming, but maintaining deep catalogs of forgotten classics.


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BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, accelerated to 2.7 percent year on year in May, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Wednesday.
The reading, in line with market expectations, moved up from the 2.5-percent expansion in April and hit a 15-month high. On a monthly basis, consumer prices remained flat last month, compared with the 0.1-percent increase in April.
Food prices climbed 7.7 percent year on year last month, up from 6.1 percent in April, and on a monthly basis, the prices edged up 0.2 percent, according to the NBS.
Because of reduced yields of apples and pears last year, understocks of fruits and rainy weather in southern China, the fruit prices hiked both on a yearly and monthly basis.
Fruit prices went up 26.7 percent year on year in May, while on a month-on-month basis, the prices increased 10.1 percent, contributing to 0.2 percentage points to the monthly CPI growth.
The price of pork went down 0.3 percent month on month with lower consumption demands as the weather became hotter, according to the NBS.
However, compared with a year ago, the pork price was up 18.2 percent, 3.8 percentage points higher than that in April.
Non-food prices gained 1.6 percent year on year, 0.1 percentage points lower than that in April.
The CPI in urban areas rose 2.7 percent year on year, while that in rural areas went up 2.8 percent compared with a year ago, the NBS noted.
NBS official Dong Yaxiu said the carry-over effects resulted in a rise of 1.5 percentage points in the CPI growth in May while new factors contributed to 1.2 percentage points.
Wednesday's data also showed that China's producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, rose 0.6 percent year on year last month.


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COLUMBUS — A tight supply of propane is causing concerns for rural Ohio residents who use the fuel to heat their homes, and the governor has relaxed some delivery restrictions to help expedite propane gas shipments.
The Columbus Dispatch reports propane availability is more limited and prices are higher this year for several reasons, including stretches of extreme cold that drained an already depleted supply. In response, some dealers are postponing deliveries and focusing on consumers most in need.
Census data indicates about 6 percent of Ohio households are heated primarily using propane, most of them rural homes. Morrow County has the highest percentage, with about one-third relying on propane.
Gov. John Kasich’s emergency declaration temporarily allows propane shippers to drive more hours and consecutive days than usual.
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Amazon unveiled plans for a 20-for-1 share split last night alongside a $10bn buyback programme as it looks to re energise its flagging share price.
Existing investors are set to receive 20 shares for every share they own, driving down the price per share and widening access to new investors, which sent shares soaring over six per cent in extended trading yesterday.
The move to break up the stock marks the first since 1999 amid the ‘dot com boom’, and will drive down the firm’s price per share to $139.28 from $2,785.58, based on Wednesday’s closing price.
Shares in the firm have taken a battering in 2022 so far, falling over 14 per cent in the month leading up to yesterday’s rebound amid a wider slide in tech stocks.
Amazon shareholders will now vote on the proposal at the firm’s annual general meeting in May, with trading on the new split basis set to begin on June 6 if the move gets the go-ahead.
Bosses said the move to break up the stock will open up the firm to new investors and allow greater equity control.
“This split would give our employees more flexibility in how they manage their equity in Amazon and make the share price more accessible for people looking to invest in the company,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.
Analysts at Hargreaves Lansdown said the move spoke volumes about how the world of trading had changed.
“While such a move doesn’t mean too much for existing shareholders, it makes individual shares more accessible to everyday investors,” said Sophie Lund-yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves.
“The existential rise of low and zero-fee trading apps means stock-splits are more important than they have been for a while.”
The move from Amazon follows a similar move from Google parent company Alphabet which announced in February it would be pushing ahead a 20 to one share split, while Apple and Tesla have both made similar moves in the last two years.


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After becoming a renowned brand in China, AISWEI is now focused on European expansion, with its international brand – Solplanet.
With the European headquarter set up in Amsterdam, Solplanet is right in the heart of a well-established and still rapidly expanding solar market. From here we are able to serve our customers throughout Europe. In addition, a warehouse has been opened in the Netherlands, ensuring fast and efficient deliveries to all European customers.
At the GENERA 2020 exhibition in Madrid, Solplanet, for the first time, presented in the European market. Visitors were enthusiastic about the design of both the inverters and the monitoring app, immediately recognizing good quality in line with EU and German standards. The Spanish market is booming again and Solplanet is entering the market at the right time.
The results of our efforts within the European solar industry are rapidly becoming visible. Solplanet has set foot in the European solar market and the orders are continuously in. Customers are positively surprised by both the high service standards and competitive prices.
In Poland, Solplanet is organizing trainings for installers. These have already begun and installers are impressed by the easy installation process and product quality. The inverters have been delivered to Alledo and products will be available for sale in Poland in June from our Polish distributor: Grodno SA.
Solplanet might be a new brand, but its history and experience go far back, as a former SMA China subsidiary which manufactured many solar inverter products including Zeversolar in China. Now AISWEI’s engineers are still working according to good quality standards in line with EU and German practice. This reflects on every part of the organization: technology, process and service.
Our future is bright. We are ready to explore new markets and expand our horizon.
AISWEI BV – Barbara Strozzilaan 101, 5e etage, kantoornummer 5.12, 1083HN Amsterdam


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Online concert to close ILDP 2020
October 21st 2020, marks the closure of the 14th edition of the International Lasallian Days for Peace. This year’s international ILDP closing event, Voices for Peace, is an online concert featuring Lasallian talents from different parts of the world.
The special event, which is organised by the International Council of Young Lasallians (ICYL), will take place today (October 21st) at 2.45pm BST (and 3:45pm Malta time).
Voices for Peace is an online concert that will feature various Lasallian talents from different parts the world. It is a platform for Young Lasallians to express their commitment to justice, peace and hope through music.
There will be performances and videos from Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Philippines, Singapore, Lebanon, Brazil, Norandino, Bolivia-Peru, Mexico, Greece, Hong Kong, Australia and Argentina.
The event also features conversations with the General Council and the International Council of Young Lasallians and is live on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lasalleorg/) and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/LaSalleChannel).


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An electric Lotus supercar soon?POSTED BY Yamin Vong ON 05 julai 2017
Li Shufu, the chairman of Zhejiang Geely, is famous for his public expressions of passion for Volvo, a Swedish car brand that punched above its weight because of its safety culture and corporate altruism. In the mid-course of negotiations to collaborate with Proton, there were rumours that he actually only wanted to own Lotus.
An English car brand founded by the late Colin Chapman, Lotus won motorsport championships and turned the F1 world on its head with its minimalistic cars that stayed true to Chapman’s philosophy of producing lightweight vehicles.
Chapman was also the discoverer of ground effect, the vacuum phenomenon created by the velocity of a low slung car.
Rumour or not, the fact is that Li Shufu is the majority owner of Lotus and a minority owner of Proton.
What can Li do with Lotus?
Untuk satu, he has the resources to make a Lotus electric car or even an electric supercar.
China is already the world’s biggest market for electric cars and Volvo, which is owned by Geely, will make its first electric car in China.
It’s a logical step for Zhejiang Geely to make Lotus its flagship vehicle for electric sports cars and supercars.
Let’s watch closely. What is your guess?


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BIG Food Group has reported a slowing in like-for-like sales in its fourth quarter.
But the company said margin improvements and good cost control meant full-year profits would meet its own forecasts.
It said like-for-like sales rose 1.4 per cent in the 14 weeks to April 2, down from two per cent in the 13 weeks to December 26.
Chief executive Bill Grimsey said: "Favourable advances in margins and the tight control of costs are expected to result in an outturn in profitability for the year in line with the company's expectations."
Like-for-like sales at its Iceland frozen food chain fell 0.2 per cent in the latest period, after 1.2 per cent growth previously, while wholesale business, Booker, saw sales rise 1.2 per cent, down from 1.6 per cent.
Helped by new promotions and the roll-out of new store formats, Iceland, which targets budget conscious shoppers, has been showing signs of recovery after a three-year sales slump when it lost customers after switching to more costly organic produce and after cutting popular buy-one-get-one-free offers.
Big Food is in a three-way battle to buy mutually-owned convenience store supplier Londis, seen as a good fit with Booker, Britain's largest wholesaler, and an opportunity to cut costs.
Grimsey said Big Food's "strategic expansion into convenience store retailing would be greatly enhanced by the opportunity which Londis represents".
Big Food Group predicts recovery
BIG Food Group has reported a slowing in like-for-like sales in its fourth quarter. But the company said margin improvements and good cost control meant full-year profits would meet its own forecasts.


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Cartoon Network has taken a fittingly adventurous approach to the merchandising and promotion of the hit series ‘Adventure Time.’
Since returning from MIPCOM last month, Nickelodeon shows no sign of slowing down on the sales front.
Cartoon Network has launched its "micro-network" in the EMEA specifically designed for smartphones and tablets, called "Cartoon Network Anything."
Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products has signed multiple deals for its series “The Simpsons,” which premiered its 27th season last month.
Cartoon Network Enterprises and Spanish fashion label Desigual have partnered for a girls' fashion collection featured the animated comedy series "Adventure Time."
4K Media has partnered with Winning Moves International to develop a "Yu-Gi-Oh!"-branded Monopoly board game and Top Trumps card game.
Disney has tapped IMC Toys for a toy line inspired by its upcoming animated preschool series “Mickey's Roadster Racers.”
Fox Consumer Products EMEA is celebrating the growth of “The Simpsons” toy business with new and returning partners as the show enters its 27th season.
Mattel has signed a number of broadcast deals for the upcoming CG animated series "Little People," inspired by its Fisher-Price toy brand.
Cartoon Network EMEA will soon launch a digital service, "Cartoon Network Anything," which allows viewers and users to tailor their entertainment offerings.
DHX Media has sold its TV series “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series” to Turner Broadcasting.
Outfit7 has signed five new licensing deals in territories around the world for its suite of mobile properties, Talking Tom and Friends.
Endemol Shine Group has promoted Marina Williams to chief operating officer of international operations.
Cartoon Network Enterprises EMEA has partnered with Access All Areas Distribution for a line of musical toys featuring the "Adventure Time" brand.
Viz Media Europe has acquired the rights to the Japanese brand "Yo-Kai Watch" for TV, home entertainment/VOD, licensing and merchandising in Europe, Russia and Africa.
Boomerang has released “Make and Race,” the latest mobile app, in EMEA and Latin America.
PGS Entertainment has made a raft of sales for "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" (52x30).
Viz Media has teamed with Viz Media Europe and Anime Consortium Japan to jointly acquire the rights for the anime series "One-Punch Man."
After 18 years at Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA, Bruno Schwobthaler, currently SVP of marketing, sales and business development, is leaving the company.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Ontario Premier Doug Ford he said won’t hesitate to shut “anything and everything down” once he gets the advice from the province’s chief medical officer.
During the province’s daily press conference, Ford was asked whether he would consider the lockdown in Ontario, considering places like the LCBO and shopping malls remain open at this time.
The premier said he is relying on the province’s coronavirus team and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.
“We have to take their advice,” said Ford, adding “I’ll do whatever it takes to take care of the people of Ontario.”
After the province saw the highest number of daily confirmed cases, with 50 announced on Friday morning, Ford also continued to stress the importance of social distancing.
This, especially on a day where Ontarians were seen lining up at EB Games locations for the release of a new game.
In Toronto, a photo was posted on Reddit showing the magnitude of the line.
A similar line-up was also shared in Hamilton, where shoppers are seen standing in close proximity.
People are not taking #Covid_19 seriously. Today there is a line up at Limeridge mall in #HamOnt for a VIDEO game bc @EBGamesCanada is more interested in profit then human lives. This is why we need #LockdownNOW @fordnation @JustinTrudeau you are failing us.#LockdownCanada pic.twitter.com/bsOpl4MEEs
— nancy (@nancyosk1) March 20, 2020
Ford called these lines “unacceptable.”
“Young people, please do not get in line, practice social distancing,” Ford said. “It’s unacceptable, this is what causes the spread, when people gather close to each other.”
Ford said that it’s frustrating to hear stories like this, and is frustrated with the store owner.
“They have a responsibility to make sure we protect each other,” he said. “I am disappointed with the store owner.”
In a statement released on March 19, EB Games said that it is taking action to institute multiple social distancing practices in their stores, such as allowing only 10 customers at any given time.
“To further protect our associates and customers, we will be closing all stores to walk-in traffic on Friday, March 20, allowing only those customers that have reserved Animal Crossing and/or Doom access to pick up their game in store.”
After expressing his disappointment, the premier also added that they will look into sending bylaw officers to the store location.


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The European Union has taken it upon themselves to re-write the rules of the internet. As a result, U.S. Tech companies are facing tremendous hit as their apps are at the forefront of the EU’s target. While these apps have virtually no restriction in the U.S. and in the majority of the world, the EU has set out rules of its own that not only undermines the business model of these companies but also impedes on their creative licenses. In a tit-for-tat exchange, now these Tech giants are setting up new laws that would make accessing these apps more expensive in the EU.
At the forefront of the tirade, is none other than the video content website Netflix. Earlier, EU demanded that Netflix should devote a minimum of 30% of their catalog to European Works, in an attempt to promote regional content rather than the majority of Hollywood orientated movies and TV shows that dominate Netflix. While Netflix acknowledged that catering to a specific audience encouraged more regional original programming for international audiences, enforcing such quotas would have unwarranted negative impacts, like marginally reducing member satisfaction. It could also negatively impact both the customer experience and creativity.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has criticized the ruling, stating that EU is “currently rewriting its audiovisual rules.” He has said that “Netflix believes a more effective way for a country to support strong local content is to directly incentivize local content creators, independent of the distribution channel.”
At the other end of the spectrum is Tech giant Google. Earlier, Google was charged $5 billion antitrust fine by the EU for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system. In return, Google has now reverted to under-the-belt strategies that aim to make a profit out of the plethora of apps that it owns. Google’s apps are usually free and come pre-installed in Android Operating System. Now, it will charge phone makers a licensing fee that wants to pre-install such apps on smartphones.
The biggest discrepancy comes while using the Google search as a default search engine. EU established that Google shouldn’t force Google search upon users as it undermines the search engines of other companies. Thus, Google has responded by unbundling the 11 apps that come together pre-installed on phones. Now separate apps will have an individual licensing fee if a phone maker wishes to install it on the phone. The pressure is now on EU phone-makers to include Google’s apps on smartphones. Failing to do so might not just hamper their sales but also devalue their brand in the long run.
While many security agencies around the world have lauded EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), they have also criticized their control to take over creative freedom. While GDPR effectively protects the user’s data from being used by third-party appliances, knowingly or unknowingly, the laws against Netflix content and Google’s antitrust fine has been seen as a step too far. It’s no wonder that these tech companies are fighting back in their own ways so that their applications could be accessed in the same way as by users around the world.


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The French multinational luxury group LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) will buy a 60 percent share in its menswear designer Mr. Virgil Abloh’s streetwear label ‘Off-White’ and expand his role within the spirits-to-jewelry conglomerate.
According to the official statement from LVMH, Mr. Abloh will retain a 40 percent stake and remain as creative director of Off-White, a streetwear label which the US designer and DJ founded in 2013. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Mr. Abloh was hired to create menswear collections for Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s biggest revenue driver, in March 2018 as the group sought to step into some new labels and attract younger customers.
After completion of the deal Mr. Abloh will continue in that role while also working with the group “to launch new brands and partner with existing ones in a variety of sectors beyond the realm of fashion,” the statement said.
Earlier, Mr. Abloh had collaborated with LVMH-owned Rimowa on a line of see-through suitcases and introduced popular partnerships with brands such as Nike and Ikea.
Commenting on the acquisition, the high-profile designer in fashion stated that LVMH would help him develop Off-White into a “truly multi-line luxury brand” while he hoped his expanded role at the French giant would also help to strengthen diversity in the industry.
“We’re not trying to emulate a model that already exists. It’s more like what Bernard Arnault did when he bought Dior and decided to create a federation of luxury brands,” Mr. Michael Burke, the chief executive of Louis Vuitton, said.
The Off-White brand is known for its luxury urban style, featuring hoodies that start at $570, at a time when some high-end brands are adopting streetwear looks to attract younger shoppers.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to be completed within the next 60 days.


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Best viewed on a device with a bigger screen...
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Source: BioFach Globally
At this point of time, it looks like BioFach Japan can take place again this year, according to Frank Venjakob, Director International Exhibitions, NürnbergMesse. The slight damage to the Big Sight Exhibition Centre from the earthquake in mid March has now been repaired. Official exhibition operation was resumed in May and the hotels and infrastructure are fully available. The first exhibitors have already registered for the fair, which will take place in Tokyo from 1 to 3 November 2011.
The Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) reported that two of the eight German pavilions had been cancelled in connection with the earthquake. Preparations for the pavilions in autumn are continuing, however. According to current reports from the German embassy in Japan, which fully resumed its operations in Tokyo at the end of April, a stay in the Tokyo/Yokohama region is safe from a radiological viewpoint at this point of time. Radiation values determined by the Japanese government are within the natural fluctuation margin and not higher than the average values of natural radiation in German cities. A long-term forecast of the radiation contamination from the reactor accident in Fukushima, however, is not possible.
In 2010, BioFach Japan celebrated its 10th birthday, and more than 17,000 visitors came to the exhibition centre - a rise of 25 % on the previous edition. 258 exhibitors from 17 countries displayed their products and services at the biggest Japanese exhibition for organic and natural products, green cosmetics and eco-textiles. At the oldest daughter of the global organic trade fair BioFach, the new hall structure with the Organic Food Gallery, Vivaness Cosmetic Parlour, Organic Textile Street and Natural Eco Plaza resulted in an even clearer layout and more efficient presentations and visits.


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Decorating Den Interiors continues 2011 expansion, attracts experienced professionals
Easton, MD —Decorating Den Interiors, North America’s leading system of independent design and home furnishings owners, announced three new business openings making a total of 22 in 2011.
The newest units are being opened by Kathleen Bliss Goldfarb, ASID, in the Cleveland area, Karen Volpert in western suburbs of Philadelphia, and Jennifer Manley in the Fort Worth area.
“These new owners add exceptional design experience to our company,” said Carol Bugg, ASID, DDCD, vice president for design. “Kathleen as been a design consultant for Ethan Allen and has had her own design consultancy, Karen also has had her own firm, and Jennifer has travelled the world as a photographer and performed design work.”
“While other segments of the home furnishings business have contracted, we have been consistently recruiting qualified people for business ownership or sales/design positions within our units,” said Jim Bugg, Jr., president and chief executive officer “We are finding that our low-overhead business model that serves customers with value, convenience and a large array of products is attractive to those with previous home furnishings experience.”
“Our concept of designing right in the client’s home and not having the burden of bricks and mortar and inventory overhead is very appealing to those who have previously worked in those environments,” Bugg added. “Also, for the person who was an independent designer previously, we have the training and support for marketing, business management and growing a larger business.”
He further noted that Decorating Den Interiors’ Master License program, in its second year, has added to the company’s formula for growth.
Decorating Den Interiors was founded in 1969 and the Bugg family has provided its leadership since 1984. Jim Bugg, Sr., chairman, is former chairman of the International Franchise Association and a member of its Franchise Hall of Fame. Carol Donayre Bugg, ASID, DDCD, author of five books on decorating, serves as vice president and director of design.
ABOUT DECORATING DEN INTERIORS:
Established in 1969, DDI is the largest home furnishing franchise business in North America. Each interior decorator has access to thousands of samples of designer window, wall, floor covering, furniture and accessory products, all brought directly to the each client’s home or office. Decorating Den’s experts are featured in interior decoratingmagazines, journals and books, such as “Decorating…the Professional Touch,” by Decorating Den’s Director of Design, Carol Donayre Bugg, ASID, DDCD.
Public Relations Counsel


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Honda is currently planing a modular EV for a release in United States markets. The automotive company has previously announced the Honda electric vehicle for Europe, however, the Hond E was never intended for a United States release.
Additionally, the Honda E has a 125-mile range, which could limit any potential success the car could have in North America. Instead, Honda will create an EV platform for the united states, that the company plans to have ready in 2025.
Unlike previous electric vehicles by Honda the modular EV platform will be able to account for a number of different car types, that may range in body and size, as well as being powered by different battery types. The company indicates that this could be especially popular with customers who like the Honda C-segment as well as D-segment vehicles.
Image Credit: Honda


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Is Copilot the best AI companion out there? Help us find out by answering a couple of quick questions!
The year 2020 will see under-the- display-camera smartphone from Samsung, there are other manufacturers that are also rumored to be working on an under-the-display-camera smartphone, one such company is Xiaomi.
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently showcased prototypes with the under-the-display front camera, giving us details about the progress it has made in the technology. Now, a new patent has appeared, which suggests that Xiaomi might place not one but two cameras under the display. While in theory, it should capture quality selfies, the patent doesn’t shed light on the details of their front camera configuration.
While under-the-display-camera smartphones will be cool to look at, there are issues such as distortion that affect the picture quality, and to address the issue, Xiaomi needs clever software algorithms among other things.
We don’t know as to when Xiaomi is going to introduce its first under-the-display-camera smartphone, but rumor has it that it won’t see the daylight before 2020.


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Any fan of AMCs Mad Men can tell you that advertising is a cutthroat industry of big bucks and flashy slogans, and even small-town Durangos local businesses must constantly battle to adapt their advertising strategies to meet the needs of the digital age and attract new customers.
But in a world often dominated by coupons, commercials and online metrics, Durangos advertising experts and business owners say that in this town, a personal touch can mean the difference between survival and shuttering the business.
Everything here is more word of mouth, said Louise Garnett owner of Grow by Design, a local business that focuses on helping other businesses grow through marketing. The smaller environment allows for a personal touch, which is what is important in the Durango community.
That, and a little bit of strategy.
Garnett recently put on a workshop Measurement for Effective Marketing through the Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center to help local businesses better focus on measuring their marketing efforts. Although shes adamant that a personal touch is most important for Durango businesses, smart advertising strategies can go a long way to pulling in extra business.
Businesses need to be more diligent about measuring their marketing efforts. You cant know if it is effective or not if you dont measure it.
Greg Fryback advertising manager of Boomers and Seniors magazine attended the workshop to help businesses that advertise in the publication come up with ways to most effectively spend their advertising dollars.
They support the paper, and of course we want them to be successful, so were working with them to monitor the results as much as possible, Fryback said.
Advertising in the magazine costs anywhere from $90 to $1,100, but the publication is sold at more than 1,000 distribution points for a month, Fryback said.
Some of the businesses will send coupons or ask customers to mention the ad to get the deal, but many of them found that customers would forget the coupon or forget to mention the deal to get the discount.
That strategy has been a huge success for Gazpachos New Mexican Restaurant, though.
The restaurant gets five to 10 people a day for the first month after a coupon goes out in the mail, said owner Matt Arias.
Businesses should be spending about 3 to 10 percent of their revenue on marketing, depending on the industry, Garnett said.
The Mexican cantina can also be found on social-media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and that has been effective. The trick is finding the time balance between learning new technologies and running the business, Arias said.
Its kind of fun to play with it and have customers come in and respond to something you posted on Facebook, he said. But you have to pay attention to organic advertising like word-of-mouth and the relationships you have. In a small town, its really important to focus on that and not get totally caught up in Facebook.
Relationships have been the key for Sunshine Gardens, said Trisha Kellogg, marketing director for Trinity Innovative Group.
Being a part of the community is the biggest thing for us to do. In order to be successful in Durango, you have to have a relationship with the community, she said. The attitude here is: How can we work together and be mutually beneficial.
Kellogg said she has relationships with long-term care facilities in Cortez and Pagosa Springs, and she will call them if she thinks a potential client may be a better fit at their facilities.
Sunshine Gardens diligently tracks their marketing by accounting for where every inquiry came from, and the assisted-living facility maintains a Google analytics account to see who is searching for them, Kellogg said. They also have a survey online that people can take to tell the business how they found it.
The business spends about 7 to 8 percent of its gross revenue each month on advertising, Kellogg said.
But the most important aspect of the facilitys advertising is still word-of-mouth, she said.


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ScS CEO David Knight
The Sunderland-headquartered furniture chain continues to buck the national trend after reporting strong sales and revenue growth during the last quarter.
ScS, one of the UK's largest retailers of upholstered furniture and floorings, reported a 1.5% rise in like-for-like sales during the 26 weeks to 27 January.
The retailer also reported like-for-like order intake growth of 2.2% and two-year like-for-like order intake growth of 5.3%.
This strong growth defies what has ben a gloomy period for the retailer sector and David Knight, ScS CEO, believes the company is well positioned for the future.
He said: “We expect that the retail market will continue to remain challenging in the short to medium term, and we are conscious that the group still faces the key Easter and May bank holiday trading periods.
“Despite the challenging trading conditions, the group continues to deliver profitable growth and the board is pleased with the group's year to date trading, which is in line with its expectations."
Founded in Sunderland in 1894, ScS now employs nearly 2,000 people with stores located throughout the UK as well as operating nine distribution centres.
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A deal to take change hands at a longtime Old Town tobacconist and Scottish gift shop has hit a snag.
Last fall, plans were being set for Old Virginia Tobacco Co. to take over The Scottish Merchant/John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King Street. Merchandise was marked down half-price and the new owner even planned to keep on veteran staffers and keep the shop open while undertaking renovations in January and February.
But no changes have been made since.
“We hit a snag, so we’re still working through it,” Old Virginia Tobacco’s General Manager Brian Ceres told ALXnow without going into finer detail. “It’s by no means dead in the water. We still love those guys and making something happen there.”
The shop, which has been on King Street under the same ownership for more than 30 years, serves a dual purpose. As The Scottish Merchant, it sells Scottish tartans, kilts, hats, jewelry and accessories. As John Crouch Tobacconist, it carries a wide range of cigars, pipes, tobacco and other accessories.
Old Virginia Tobacco, which has locations in Arlington’s Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall and in Seven Corners, is known for its lounge atmosphere, leather couches and big screen televisions. The company has six locations around the region, and its president said last fall that his company was excited to make the move.
What an absorbing week in Alexandria. Just as the ball gets rolling with reopening and loosened restrictions, the pandemic rears its ugly head. With coronavirus transmission levels climbing, Alexandria is…
A new state grant could help fund the city’s expensive, state-mandated RiverRenew project and offset some of the sewer rate increases for Alexandrians. According to a press release, Alexandria Renew…
As it was with the decision to reopen schools, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is a little behind its neighbors in deciding whether or not faculty and students will be…
Featured in the latest Just Listed in Alexandria is a 3 BD/2.5 BA home with a fully fenced backyard and stone patio. Explore more of this listing at the open house this Sunday from 1-3 p.m.


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Butter, or anything associated with a cow, was seen as a sign of wealth, importance and was valuable.
“Butter was seen as a luxury item back then. People made it with the intention of eating it, or selling it to pay their taxes and rent,” Savina added.
Well, those were the days!
Touch the butter…
Read the full story here, courtesy of BBC News:


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The latest new social media site to hit the mainstream - Live Out: The Outdoor Social Network - has recently launched a social media campaign to grow awareness about their website, which helps its members.
Online PR News – 09-May-2014 – Marietta, GA – Live Out: The Outdoor Social Network Launches New Social Media Contest:
The Live Out Summer Giveaway
The latest new social media site to hit the mainstream - Live Out: The Outdoor Social Network - has recently launched a social media campaign to grow awareness about their website, which helps its members to find people with the same interests, and places to go based on the sports and outdoor activities they like - from camping, hiking, and fishing, to mountain biking, skateboarding, and even crossfit. The organization is giving away prizes like the GoPro Hero 3, iPhone 5, Nectar Sunglasses, custom Live Out merchandise and REI gift cards to encourage people to get involved with them on social media.
The Live Out Summer Giveaway began on May 1 and will run through the last day of summer on September 21, to allow plenty of time and plenty of opportunities for people to win. To enter the contest, visit http://www.liveout.org/contest.
Live Out is a free membership-based social network for action sports and outdoor enthusiasts where members can find people in their area with the same interests, find where to go for various sports and activities like hiking, fishing and mountain biking, join meetup groups, find upcoming events in their area, find deals on gear, create a bucket list, enter competitions and more. Connecting people to over 100,000 locations for over 75 different action sports and activities, Live Out is one of the most comprehensive and unique resources out there.
President, Live Out: The Outdoor Social Network
Live Out, The Outdoor Social Network, Summer Giveaway, Social Media, Websites, Contest, GoPro, iPhone 5, REI, Win Free Gear, Places to Go, Places to Visit, Find Local Places, Find Local Events, Find People, Meet People, Meetup Groups, Outdoor Recreation, Action Sports, Sports & Outdoors, Blogs, Forums, Videos, Deals, Competitions


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Innovative Design, Sustainable Results
Aug 01, 2011 - Feature Articles
A new case study on the Gillette Fusion® ProGlide™ launch appears in the August 2011 edition of Brand Packaging magazine.
The article discusses how the most innovative – and successful – packages are a result of many components.
Read the article.


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Blue Diamond expansionThis article was originally published in Foodnews
BLUE Diamond, the world's largest almond processor, has expanded its plant in Salida, California. New sorting lines and additional cold storage space form part of a US$20 million investment, disbursed over three years. The extra capacity is particularly needed, because this year's Californian almond crop is predicted to come in at a record 1.33 billion lbs, and could be as much as 1.50 billion lbs in 2010. The Salida plant, opened in 1969, handles about two-thirds of Blue Diamond's raw almonds and packs them as whole kernels before roasting and further processing.


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Holmdel man who agreed to stop trading foreign currency accused of running similar scheme again
A Holmdel man who agreed less than a year ago not to trade foreign currency for customers has been accused of participating in a similar scheme.
Alex Vladimir Ekdeshman, Edward J. Servider, of Staten Island, and their company, EJS Capital Management LLC, raised more than $2 million from at least 90 customers who wanted to invest in off-exchange foreign currency. Instead of making trades, they used the money for expenses such as vacations to Italy and automobile leases, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The complaint, filed Thursday, came eight months after Ekdeshman and his company, Paramount Management LLC, agreed to pay $2.5 million and to be banned from trading to settle a previous complaint, the CFTC said.
Ekdeshman’s New York-based lawyer, Ronald Fischetti, said Monday he had yet to go through the details of the new complaint, but Ekdeshman maintained his innocence.
Off-exchange foreign currency trading is considered risky, with most of the trading done not on exchanges, but by telephone or electronic trading markets, according to a primer from the National Futures Association.
On its website, EJS Capital Management said it made a gross return of 21.86 percent in 2011; 30.47 percent in 2012; and 76.71 percent in 2013, authorities said. But the company didn’t form a Nevada corporation until Jan. 30, 2013; it wasn’t registered with the CFTC as required by law; and it didn’t manage or trade any customer accounts, according to the complaint.
Instead, the complaint said, Ekdeshman and Servider misappropriated at least $1.1 million for business expenses such as rent, supplies, parking and employee salaries. They spent more than $348,000 on personal expenses such as entertainment, clothing and liquor purchases.
The CFTC said Ekdeshman violated his consent order and charged him with fraud.


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Costco is now open in Maine
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (WMTW) - Maine’s first Costco is officially open.
People waited in long lines to into the store in Scarborough Friday morning. In fact, many people were already in line more than an hour before the store opened.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held before the doors officially opened at 8 a.m.
The store told Maine’s Total Coverage that more than 8,500 people signed up for new memberships before the store opened.
The 152,000 square foot store is on Payne Road in The Downs development. The gas station at the store opened last week, offering gas prices on par with Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale.
Copyright 2023 WMTW. All rights reserved.


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Nintendo France seemingly confirmed yesterday’s rumored November 21 release date for Super Smash Bros. Wii U before removing the release date from its site.
Upon being clicked, visitors to the website were able to scroll through upcoming Wii U titles, among which was a Super Smash Bros. Wii U advertisement.
The date listed on the banner was November 21, which is rather odd considering Nintendo generally releases games on Sunday in North America, with few exceptions. Super Smash Bros. Wii U may be one those exceptions.
Nintendo France has since stated the November 21 release date was posted in errors, but we have a slight feeling the explanation is just a smoke screen.
Super Smash Bros. 3DS releases on October 3.
Thanks, Nintendo Life.


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Former Stoli Group CEO moves to Gruppo Montenegro
Italian spirits manufacturer Gruppo Montenegro has named former Stoli Group CEO Robert Cullins as its regional director of North America.
In his new role, Cullins will lead the development of the company’s marketing, investment and distribution strategies in North America.
Cullins said: “I am thrilled to join Gruppo Montenegro at this critical juncture to develop new strategies and expand our success across North America.
“I’m eager to join US market manager Marco Montefiori, Montenegro portfolio managers Gianni Aslo and Elliot Montero, as well as our distribution partner Total Beverage Solution as we continue to fuel momentum for the brand’s portfolio.”
Cullins brings more than three decades of international spirits industry experience to Gruppo Montenegro’s North American operations.
As well as his most recent work with the luxury vodka brand, Cullins has served in a variety of roles for leading global spirits companies, including Maxxium, Southern Wines and Spirits, and Diageo, where he managed premium brands including Macallan, Rémy Martin, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray.
Marco Ferrari, CEO of Gruppo Montenegro, said: “Rob’s experience and leadership at the helm of our brands in North America will drive the achievements and successes we’ve set out to accomplish.”
Cullins’ position with Gruppo Montenegro is effective immediately and he will initially be based in South Florida.
Cullins acted as CEO of Stoli group until 2016 when he left the vodka producer and became a global spirits advisor at Perfect Brands Capital Partners.


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(Adds analyst comment, details)
SAN FRANCISCO, April 23 (Reuters) - Apple Inc AAPL.O on Wednesday posted a 36 percent rise in quarterly profit, helped by strong sales of Macintosh computers and iPods, but its lower profit margin and cautious outlook disappointed investors.
Shares of Apple fell 1 percent after the company, known for conservative financial forecasts, gave a profit outlook for its current quarter that was below Wall Street estimates.
Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer also told Reuters he expected gross margin to be similar to the March quarter’s 32.9 percent, which was down from 35.1 percent a year ago.
Apple said it expected profit of $1.00 per share on revenue of $7.2 billion for its third quarter ending in June. Wall Street was looking for earnings per share of $1.11 on revenue of $7.17 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
“With the stock up 41 percent since the February low, it is going to take a lot of good news to propel the stock higher,” said Robert Stimpson, portfolio manager at Oak Associates, which owns Apple shares.
The company blamed the gross margin slide on lower sales of its Leopard operating system, a price cut on the low-end iPod shuffle, and higher sales at its iTunes online music and movies store, which runs at break-even or slightly profitable.
Some analysts wondered if Apple’s conservative forecasts may turn out to be on the mark given the weak U.S. economy and component prices that may be stabilizing after months of declines.
“Last quarter they guided margins to 32 percent and people didn’t take it at face value,” said Shaw Wu, analyst with American Technology Research. “This time it sounded like it maybe wasn’t so conservative after all.”
For its second quarter ended in March, net profit rose to $1.05 billion, or $1.16 per share, from $770 million, or 87 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue grew by 43 percent to $7.51 billion.
That beat average analyst forecasts for revenue of $6.95 billion and earnings per share of $1.07, according to Reuters Estimates.
Sales of the company’s main products exceeded or were at the top end of analysts’ estimates, with Mac shipments soaring 51 percent to nearly 2.3 million units.
Mac sales were spurred by what analysts said were sexy new designs, the 'halo effect' from iPods and iPhones, and consumer frustruation with Microsoft Corp's MSFT.O rival Windows Vista operating system.
IPod unit growth of 1 percent, to 10.6 million units, flew in the face of widespread expectations of a modest fall.
“It was a strong quarter in terms of Mac shipments and iPods,” said Shannon Cross, analyst at Cross Research. “IPods, which had been a concern, were above Street expectations and that should hold back some who were speculating that iPod was saturated.”
Apple sold 1.7 million iPhones, at the high end of Wall Street estimates, with Oppenheimer saying he was confident the company would hit its goal of selling 10 million of the devices by the end of 2008.
Apple is widely expected to launch a faster iPhone model in a few months, to address a major complaint about the gadget, especially in Europe. Executives declined to discuss any future products on a conference call with analysts.
U.S. revenue was up 40 percent, while overseas revenue rose 47 percent. Oppenheimer said Apple’s 200-plus retail stores “hit the ball of out of the park” with sales up 74 percent.
“Despite the difficult macro environment, they were still able to show really strong growth,” said Wu at American Technology Research.
The company’s shares initially rose about 4 percent on the report in after-hours trading, but quickly erased the gains to trade at $160.56 versus their Nasdaq close of $162.89. (Additional reporting by Duncan Martell and Tiffany Wu in San Francisco and Calvin Mankowski in New York; Editing by Braden Reddall)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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The finding comes shortly after RIM released the BlackBerry 10 SDK for developers to get serious about bringing their apps to BB10.
One of the new apps that has now come into focus in BlackBerry 10 is “Remember,” a personal information manager. Apart from aggregating emails, contacts and calendars, there is a separate “Notebooks” which is “folder-like object that contains notebook entries.”
With competing platform Apple having a very basic note app and Android lacking a built-in notes application, this could be one kind of a differentiator BlackBerry has nailed right.
source: CNET, BlackBerry Developer


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The New York Auto Show, which bills itself as the biggest in the United States — never mind Detroit and Los Angeles — opens to the public on Friday but reporters, including a team from Toronto Star Wheels, are getting a sneak peek at what's going to make news when the doors open.
As well as improved fuel efficiency, automakers are under intense pressure from an increasingly fickle purchasing public to build vehicles that have standout design, vastly improved performance and advanced technology — not an easy task.
But manufacturers have risen to the occasion and the New York show promises to debut a slew of cars including a new Lincoln Continental concept and the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.
Stay with thestar.com/autos as Toronto Star Wheels correspondents Tweet out the big news. Complete stories will be posted on thestar.com/autos as the week goes along and next weekend's Wheels section in the Saturday Star will include all of the big New York news.