text:
War on 'bogus' sales: Stores told low-price promises and giveaways could be banned
Stores and travel firms have been warned they could be prosecuted over bogus claims of low prices, savings and 'free' giveaways.
Price reductions of 'up to 75 per cent' promised in shop windows and advertising face being outlawed if only a few items fall under this heading.
Similarly, deals that claim big savings against a recommended retail price, which is often an invented figure, could be banned by the Office of Fair Trading.
Not what they seem: Some sales really are too good to be true
The watchdog has published studies highlighting how a series of pricing ploys could be illegal under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
Any crackdown would be a huge blow to stores which boost sales by using psychological 'retail warfare'.
Scams under the spotlight include:
- Drip pricing: Customers are tempted by a low headline price for a flight or television and internet package, only to find there are also many other compulsory charges.
- Bait pricing: For example, fashion retailers advertising 'up to 75 per cent off' when no, or very few, items are available at this discount.
- Free offers: Where consumers can receive a free item only if they pay a series of other fees or charges.
- Reference pricing: Where a store and manufacturer agree an artificial price as a benchmark for claimed savings, for example a carpet at £7 a metre against a bogus RRP of £14.
- Three-for-two offers: Some stores charge more for a bulk buy deal than for items bought individually.
- Time-limited offers: Stores, such as furniture outlets, advertise that a deal is available for a short period when this is not the case.
The OFT is halfway through its investigation into such practices. This is due to end in the autumn, and when it is completed the watchdog will decide what action to take.
It has published two independent reports which show these ruses fool shoppers into buying products they do not want, or paying too much.
One, from Mountainview Learning, a business consultancy that advises retailers on the psychology of customers, concluded: 'Under certain circumstances, the pricing practices can have a substantial impact on consumer behaviour and valuations.'
Experts at the consultancy London Economics, which conducted an experiment using 166 volunteers, found people were fooled by these tactics. Drip pricing and time-limited offers were 'the worst culprits' for misleading shoppers.
Generally, customers ended up paying too much and failing to shop around for a better deal.
Most watched News videos
- Valedictorian slams counselor, teacher, and administration in speech
- 'I waited 30 years!' Orioles fan steals a baseball from kids
- Toledo woman twerks while being arrested for pole dancing
- Woman allegedly at the center of Ortiz shooting in catfight at hospital
- Sweet moment boy with Down Syndrome meets Donald Duck
- Campaigner welcomes Blue Badges for mental health issues
- Hands Up! Cute kitten has adorable reaction after being tickled
- Jo Brand bats away questions on her 'acid attack' remark
- Old Navy employee accused of racially profiling a black woman
- Trump gets visit from next generation Marine One helicopter
- Giant octopus attacks wraps tentacles around deep sea diver
- Couple who were violently beaten in homophobic attack speak out


text:
Soft-Tex acquires Natures Rest license
September 9, 2009-- Home Textiles Today,
New York – In its second such deal in two weeks, Soft-Tex announced it has licensed the Natures Rest brand for several bedding categories.
Soft-Tex Manufacturing will manufacturer and distribute bed pillows, toppers, comforters and other natural filled sleep products, including a new collection of Talalay Latex bedding items under the name said, Robert O’Connell evp of sales and marketing for the Soft-Tex.
“We are very excited about this latest opportunity as it will allow Soft-Tex to better service North America in a growing market segment of all Natural Latex, Down, and Feather Filled bedding products,” said O’Connell.
The new product line will be featured at the New York Home Fashions Market, which begins Sept. 14.
In early September, Soft-Tex signed the license with the Sona Anti Snore Pillow. Other licenses include Therapedic, Royal Velvet, Sensorpedic and HealthGuard,
Related Content By Author
New homes for Indo Count, Trident

domain: news


text:
Check out this Magnum Photos gallery of cows.
On Monday, Huntington Meat Packing Inc. recalled a whopping 864,000 pounds of beef thought to contain a particularly nasty strain of E. coli bacteria called O157:H7. Coming shortly after the recall of 248,000 pounds of beef by National Steak and Poultry on Christmas Eve—and dozens of other scares over contaminated beef and pork—this latest news reminds consumers yet again that the mass production of meat can be very dangerous indeed.
Consumers who still have an appetite for burgers and sirloins have been pushed toward alternative food sources. In particular, they've started to seek out more wholesome meat from animals raised in accordance with their natural inclinations and heritage. According to Patricia Whisnant, president of the American Grassfed Association, there's been a dramatic rise in demand for cattle reared on a pasture diet instead of an industrial feed lot. Grass-fed beef should account for 10 percent of America's beef consumption overall by 2016, she says—a more than threefold increase from 2006.
The comparative health benefits of grass-fed beef are well documented. Scores of studies indicate that it's higher in omega 3s and lower in saturated fat. But when it comes to E. coli O157:H7, the advantages of grass-fed beef are not so clear. In fact, exploring the connection between grass-fed beef and these dangerous bacteria offers a disturbing lesson in how culinary wisdom becomes foodie dogma and how foodie dogma can turn into a recipe for disaster.
Could grass-fed beef ever be afflicted with the sort of E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that led to the December recall? Not according to the conventional wisdom among culinary tastemakers. This idea rose to the top of the journalistic food chain in the fall of 2006, when food activist Nina Planck wrote about the bacteria strain on the op-ed page of the New York Times. At that time, people were getting sick from bad organic spinach, but the contamination seemed to have originated with herds of conventionally raised cattle that lived upstream. Not every animal excretes this nasty type of E. coli, she argued. "It's not found in the intestinal tracts of cattle raised on their natural diet of grass, hay, and other fibrous forage. No, O157 thrives in a new—that is, recent in the history of animal diets—biological niche: the unnaturally acidic stomachs of beef and dairy cattle fed on grain, the typical ration on most industrial farms."
The Times speaks, the world listens. Planck's appraisal of grain- vs. grass-fed beef was highlighted on the Web sites for the Organic Consumers Association, the Center for a Livable Future, Grist, and Culinate.com, among other enviro-foodie venues. A few months later, Hannah Wallace of Salon warned that "a cow's corn diet can also make us sick" on account of the acidic environment it creates for bacteria. Even Michael Pollan, perhaps the most widely read food writer on the planet, explained in a New York Times Magazine piece, "The lethal strain of E. coli known as 0157:H7 ... was unknown before 1982; it is believed to have evolved in the gut of feedlot cattle." These animals, he added, "stand around in their manure all day long, eating a diet of grain that happens to turn a cow's rumen into an ideal habitat for E. coli 0157:H7."
For many consumers, the case was closed: To avoid E. coli O157:H7, just eat grass-fed beef.
Unfortunately, the scientific evidence tells a very different story. Planck's assertion seems to be based on a 1998 report published in the journal Science. In this study, the authors fed three cows a variety of diets in order to ascertain how feed type influenced intestinal acidity in cows and, in turn, how intestinal acidity influenced the concentration of acid-resistant strains of E. coli. They hypothesized that these strains would be especially dangerous to humans, since they could survive the low-pH environment of the human stomach. It turned out that grain-fed cattle did indeed have a much more acidic stomach than those fed grass or hay. And sure enough, they had a million times more acid-resistant E. coli in their colons.


text:
While plug-in vehicles are catching on in Europe, representing 21 percent of all new registrations in the first quarter of 2022, they’ve been less popular in the United States. Only about 5.2 percent of American registrations were of the plug-in variety (representing hybrid and purely electric vehicles) during the same timeframe. Despite the industry spending billions to develop and market these vehicles, with some progress being made, the overall take rate within North America remains underwhelming.
Ardent fans of battery based powertrains will undoubtedly disagree. But a couple of studies came out this month that drove the point home. Autolist’s Annual Electric Survey dropped earlier this month, effectively outlining why EVs haven’t been able to make more headway in the states.
With electric vehicles getting a lot of press, you might be wondering which models are scratching consumers in all the right places.
According to J.D. Power’s U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study, the Kia Niro EV is the best thing the mainstream BEV market currently has to offer. The Korean model garnered a satisfaction rating of 744 points out of a possible 1,000. However, it wasn’t the top dog overall. That honor fell to the Tesla Model 3, which achieved a score of 777 points — besting the industry average for premium electrics by a whole seven points.
If you ask any terrible motorist how skilled they are behind the wheel, the response is often the same. “Oh, I’m a great driver,” they’ll say with a self-assured smile. Meanwhile, you’re left holding back a series of screaming rants that involve first-hand accounts of why their claim couldn’t possibly be accurate. But what about the rest of the country?
As it turns out, the general consensus in the United States is that most people think they’re a fine driver. But things get a little more complicated when you drive into people’s habits behind the wheel. In a recent survey, Driving-tests.org found that 60.8 percent of surveyed Americans thought they were an above-average driver. While that percentage can only be an impossibility, some of the claimed behaviors were slightly better than a comparative sample of international respondents.
Despite some disparaging typecasting to the contrary, Millennials do know how to drive and aren’t a population of unmitigated phone-addicted car haters.
People under forty even have purchasing preferences associated with automotive ownership. However, some stereotypes ring especially true when compared to their nearest generational counterpart: Generation X.
Latest Car ReviewsRead more
Latest Product ReviewsRead more
- ToolGuy "We’ll see what happens with Haas." I wonder what happened with Haas?


text:
Singapore – Marina Bay Sands inks multi-year deal with Scuderia Ferrari ahead of Singapore night raceBy Phil - 1 August 2023
Marina Bay Sands is proud to announce a multi-year partnership with Scuderia Ferrari, the Formula 1 team of the renowned Italian luxury brand, Ferrari.
This collaboration sets the stage for an exhilarating night race series, bringing together the world of motorsport and luxury hospitality to offer a suite of adrenaline-fueled activations and exclusive hotel packages that capture the essence of both iconic brands.
In celebration of the deal with the iconic team, a replica of the SF90 will be on display at the lobby of Hotel Tower 1 at Marina Bay Sands from 11 to 18 September. The spectacular showcase will offer motorsport fans and visitors an opportunity to see up close the Scuderia Ferrari car that raced in the Formula 1 World Championship in 2019.
Another highlight of the collaboration includes a light-up of the iconic facade of Marina Bay Sands, which will see the three cascading hotel towers and underbelly of Sands SkyPark illuminated in the vibrant hue of Ferrari red throughout the duration of the night race. From 14 to 17 September, this visual spectacle will stand against the backdrop of the city’s stunning skyline to create a dazzling focal point amidst the city skyscrapers.
The collaboration will also see official drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, as well as Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager of Scuderia Ferrari, involved in partnership activations at the integrated resort.
“We are delighted to unveil our brand partnership with Scuderia Ferrari, the most successful F1 team in history. This collaboration unites two iconic brands centred around our joint pursuit of excellence. We look forward to offering thrilling activations that immerse our visitors in the excitement of this remarkable partnership during the upcoming night race in Singapore,” said Paul Town, Chief Operating Officer, Marina Bay Sands.
Paul Gandolfi, Head of Partnership Development – Scuderia Ferrari, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Marina Bay Sands to our family of partners. Our two brands, united in luxury, ambition and the pursuit of quality and excellence, look forward to developing meaningful and memorable experiences for our fans and customers starting with the hugely popular Singapore night race.”


text:
Controlled prescription drugs found in sports supplements
Sports supplements containing controlled and prescription drugs have been pulled from shelves following a Consumer NZ investigation into the products.
A mystery shop of six sports supplement stores found six products containing seven illegal drugs, ranging from amphetamine-type stimulants to prescription drugs used to treat ADHD and Parkinson’s disease.
Gemma Rasmussen of Consumer NZ told Breakfast there were “pretty incredible claims” on the packaging.
“Things like increased energy, weight loss, appetite suppression, all of those things, so we wanted to look at those. And also there is a real lack of legislation in this area, so it can be a bit of a wild west in terms of what is sold,” she said.
In New Zealand, sports supplements do not need to be tested or proven safe before being sold.
Instead, the responsibility rests with the seller to ensure that the product is made of acceptable quality and is safe to use.
Rasmussen said there was a bill that was scrapped in 2017 regarding supplements, which was disappointing.
She warned that in the absence of regulations, the products were available to everyone, even teenagers, which could be dangerous.
“Because part of the stream on the effects of certain drugs could be increased heart rate, blood pressure, strokes and even death in the worst case scenario, so this is a very serious issue. and we encourage consumers to look at what’s on the back, and know what’s on the ingredient list.
Without legislation, the onus is on the seller to act responsibly and verify products. But Rasmussen said some did not and some did not even respond to Consumer NZ after sharing the results.
“The responsibility lies with the seller to ensure that the product is made to an acceptable quality and is safe to use. We believe there needs to be stricter regulation to ensure that potentially dangerous ingredients are not don’t end up on shelves in New Zealand,” Rasmussen said.
What the investigation revealed
The prescription drug products included Liberty Labz’s Lit the F%#k up, a so-called fat burner that claimed to increase energy, metabolism and suppress appetite.
Consumer NZ found it included Octodrine, a prescription drug which is an amphetamine-like stimulant. It was removed from sale by Supplements Solutions after Consumer NZ contacted them.
Other supplements included high concentrations of levodopa, which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease, gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is a class B drug, and hordenine, a class C drug.
Rasmussen encouraged anyone concerned about their sports supplement product to check the ingredient list on the Consumer NZ website or speak to their GP.


text:
A report on global mobile app markets notes that Apple's iOS App Store remains the world's largest by revenues and is predicted to hold onto its crown as "the most lucrative" through 2021, although all of the world's competing Android software markets combined are expected to exceed the App Store in total revenues at some point later this year.
Apple's App Store profit lead keeps growing
The report, by App Annie, looks at total revenues (split by the store and its developers), as well as initial downloads of apps. It does not appear capable of tracking first party apps or subscriptions, which would include revenues from titles such as Apple Music, Keynote and Garage Band, nor does it appear to count downloads of bundled apps such as iOS Maps, News and Wallet. Many Android phones do need to download compatible titles on that platform, although these do not count toward much, if any, revenue.
In January 2016, App Annie reported figures for 2015, noting that despite a large jump in Android app downloads from Google Play fueled by the company's expansion into developing markets, Apple's iOS App Store continued to bring in more money and actually increased its lead in profitability over Android's official store.
By the beginning of 2016, iOS was reportedly earning 75 percent more than Google Play— an increase over Apple's 2014 lead of 70 percent greater trackable revenues than Google Play.
While downloads in Google Play were growing, App Annie reported that its "revenue lags," and warned that "Android market share needs to grow at the high end of the smartphone market to meaningfully drive more revenue share."
Despite serving twice the trackable downloads of the App Store, Google Play had only half the revenues of Apple
At the time, Apple's downloads were also growing: 20 percent in the U.S., 30 percent in Japan and fully doubling in China.
By July, App Annie was reporting that despite serving twice the trackable downloads of the App Store, Google Play had only half the revenues of Apple.
In particular, Apple was reported to be seeing a huge jump in revenues related to streaming music (Spotify and Apple Music) and entertainment (Netflix and HBO Now), while Google wasn't benefitting nearly as much from growth in those areas.
The Death of Apps Lie of 2016
Around the same time, a media narrative began to unfold that apps no longer mattered and that users didn't care about software anymore. The new thing was supposed to be AI chat bots.
Peter Kafka gravely warned via Recode that "the app boom is over" as total U.S. app downloads reportedly declined year over year by 20 percent. Dan Frommer had earlier written for Quartz that most users weren't downloading any apps at all, on average each month, based on data from comScore.
Something wasn't true. During Apple's "very bad / second best quarter in history" that ended last March, the company's Services revenue grew by 20 percent, making it nearly a $6 billion business quarterly. That Services growth was specifically detailed in Apple's 10Q as being "due primarily to higher App Store, licensing and AppleCare sales."
Nevermind the pundits, apps are actually growing rapidly
Not even a year later, App Annie is now predicting massive growth in App Store downloads and revenues over the next four years. Rather than apps being dead— as various pundits have been grousing about since 2014— the site says that growth is picking up and will occur even faster than the group earlier predicted just last summer.
In the same report from July referenced above, App Annie pointed to a 20 percent CAGR (compound annual growth rate), calling for $102 billion in worldwide gross revenues from mobile apps by 2021.
The group now calls for a 25 percent CAGR in global mobile app revenues, assisted by App Store subscriptions, leading to total revenues of $139 billion in 2021. Games are predicted to account for $105.2 billion, while other apps are expected to amount to $33.8 billion in revenues.
Google Play and other Android app markets are expected to far outpace Apple in the number of apps downloaded (above). The group says Apple distributed 29 billion app downloads in 2016 and predicts that number will grow to 42 billion by 2021. However, Google Play users reportedly downloaded 63 billion apps last year and are predicted to reach 196 billion by 2021, while other Android app markets are expected to grow from last year's 55 billion to 112 in five years.
Apple's App Store will remain the world's largest mobile software market
In terms of direct, app-related revenues, however, Apple's App Store will remain the world's largest mobile software market. App Annie reported $34 billion in revenues for 2016 growing to $60 billion in 2021, while Google Play is expected to grow from 2016's $17 billion to $42 billion in five years, while other Android stores grow from $10 billion to $36 billion.
Add Google Play together with all the stores in China and other markets that compete against it, and you have a number larger than Apple's App Store revenues. Adding Chinese Android stores to Google Play is important because much of that growth is expected to come from China, where Google does little business on its own. Conversely, Chinese app stores do very little business in the West. Only Apple earns massive revenues in both of the world's largest mobile markets.
Developers make most of their money on the App Store, too
Beyond revenue, Apple also earns greater profits from the App Store because its demographic of users are far more willing and likely to pay for software.
Last year, Ustwo Games reported 40 percent of its iOS users paid to install its award-winning title "Monument Valley," while only 5 percent of Android users paid. The rest were largely downloading pirated copies.
Of the 2.4 million sales of the game, 1.7 million were on iOS while less than 0.3 occurred on Google Play. Over 80 percent of the developer's revenue came from iOS users. Those statistics play a major role in why gaming, productivity apps and other mobile software tools are commonly built exclusively for iOS or are released on iOS first, and are commonly brought to Android only later in a version with ads.
One notable departure is Apple Music, which offers an ad-free version of its subscription-based service as an Android app.


text:
Gur chakku prices rise in Delhi, Muzaffarnagar
Prices of gur Chakku strengthened by Rs 100 per quintal on paucity of stocks amid speculative buying.
Muzaffarnagar gur market also registered a gain of Rs 100 per quintal in gur chakku prices amid shortage of stocks.
Marketmen said, paucity of stocks due to negligible arrivals from manufacturing belts amid speculative buying by stockists and retailers, especially pushed up gur chakku prices in Delhi and Muzaffarnagar.
In Delhi, gur Chakku prices rose by Rs 100 to end the day at Rs 3,400-3,500 per quintal.
At Muzaffarnagar, gur Chakku prices spurted by Rs 100 to close the day at Rs 3,100-3,200 per quintal.
Elsewhere, other gur varieties ruled quiet in Muzaffarnagar and Muradnagar.
Following are today's rates (in Rs per quintal): Gur chakku Rs 3,400-3,500, pedi Rs 3,500-3,600, dhayya Rs 3,600-3,700 and shakkar Rs 3,800-3,900.
Muzaffarnagar: Rasket Rs 2,600-2,650, chakku Rs 3,100-3,200, khurpa NA and Ladoo NA.
Muradnagar: Pedi Rs 3,150-3,250 and dhayya NA.
(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.


text:
Jan 08, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC – Trade policy in 2019 felt like a roller coaster, but the numbers show that U.S. rice exports coasted to an increase over 2018 sales. While 2019 census data is one month short of completion, data though 11 months shows a boost over the 12-month total for 2018.
2019 trade successes came in all shapes and sizes, including:
• Mexico: USA Rice executed a quality samples trip to Mexico in early 2019 and a trade mission in fall 2019, and hundreds of promotions throughout the year that have helped boost U.S. sales 15 percent over 2018 levels - this includes a 20 percent increase in rough rice sales to Mexico.
• Nicaragua: Nearly 14 years since the U.S.-Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) was ratified, Nicaragua began purchasing significant quantities of rice from the U.S. American export sales to Nicaragua increased tenfold in 2019 over 2018 and nearly hundredfold since 2016.
• Korea: After five years of advocacy and negotiations, the U.S. reached a deal for a guaranteed country specific quota for rice with Korea, ensuring competitors do not erode this important market. The deal was signed on December 30, 2019, and will ensure USA Rice and the U.S. government coordinate closely with the Korean government on tender schedules and any technical issues that may arise.
• Iraq: Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017, there have been starts and stops to trade with Iraq, however, Iraq purchased more rice in 2019 than in any year since 2010.
• China: After more than a decade of negotiating a phytosanitary protocol and several years of developing an inspection regimen for U.S. mills, 2019 saw the certification of 32 U.S. milling facilities for export to China. USA Rice hosted three trade seminars, attracting more than 100 interested rice importers, participated in two trade shows in China, organized a reverse trade mission of Chinese rice importers to the U.S., and registered the first private sale of U.S. rice in history. In December, the Administration announced that China would begin purchasing U.S. agricultural products, such as rice, and come into compliance with World Trade Organization requirements around domestic subsidies and their tariff rate quota administration.
In December 2019, USDA revised their 2020 export projections for U.S. rice to 3.125 million tons, up from 2.78 million tons in 2018.
“USA Rice is ramping up efforts for another year of aggressive promotional activities through our USDA Market Access Program, Foreign Market Development, and Agricultural Trade Promotion Program funding,” said USA Rice vice president of international Sarah Moran. “We are looking forward to investments in new markets and exciting opportunities for additional access in 2020 through the combined efforts of the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and USA Rice.”


text:
Turkey and Jordan will hold a "quadruple ministerial meeting" in the capital Ankara on Sept. 18, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
"Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan will come together with Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi and Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Tariq Hammouri on Sept. 18 in Ankara for a ‘quadruple ministerial meeting,'" the ministry said yesterday in a statement.
During the meeting an assessment will be made of the Turkey-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and bilateral relations and views on regional developments will be discussed, the statement added.
Economic and commercial relations between the two countries have been on an increasing trend as of late. The trade volume between the two countries stood at $962 million in 2015, according to official figures. Export from Turkey to Jordan stood at $835 million, while imports reached $127 million.
Mineral fuels, boilers, machinery, electric/electronic equipment and textile products topped the list of Turkey's exports to Jordan, while inorganic chemicals, fertilizers, textile products and plastics led the way in imports from Jordan.


text:
The credit industry is still financing business if you know where to look. Here’s everything you need to know about getting your company a cash infusion.
A surging economy is bringing mixed news to small companies financing business with fast cash advances.
Approval percentage for merchant cash advances hit a record high of 27.2% in March 2019, according to Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index.
This means over $10 billion in assets flowed to small business owners, in a single month, up one-tenth a percent from February.
There’s a reasonable match between small businesses seeking capital and investor confidence in borrowers. This all bodes well for the strength and stability of the US economy as a whole.
But unfortunately, this also means over two-thirds of applicants interested in financing business are unable to secure the cash they need.
There is however a positive trend for borrowers with less than ideal credit who have been denied merchant cash advances in the past. A growing but stable economy means lower rates for everyone and more investors willing to take risks – thanks to the Fed.
The Federal Reserve is now again encouraging cash flow, backing off incremental rate hikes, and even tantalizing Wall Street with prospects of a cut.
The cost of cash will remain reasonable as long as the Fed keeps its word on target rates between 2.25% and 2.5%, according to Forbes.
Cheap money means smaller financial institutions are able to fill the gap, financing businesses that larger banks deem too risky.
But surprisingly, the primary reason businesses fail to secure financing is not about interest rates or credit scores at all.
For the over 70% of firms who can not initially secure merchant cash advances from big banks, Forbes reports the main pitfall is literally clerical.
If a bank has already rejected your request for capital, smaller institutions are open to financing business at reasonable rates, but that means having your proverbial ducks in a row.
Borrowers with bad credit are rarely ineligible for cash infusions, it’s more a matter of clearly outlining the case a business deserves funding and then submitting the appropriate documents. According to Forbes, always include the following:
- Personal tax returns
- Business tax returns
- Balance sheet
- P&L report
- Personal bank statements
- Business bank statements
- Reporting of personal investment
- lease or building mortgage
- incorporation documents
Looking for alternative financing? Look no further.
Apply Now With Velocity Group USA
Experts also recommend a professional business plan including realistic projections. A clear road map on future performance will help smaller investors decide they want to finance your business with the billions in capital now available in US markets each month.


text:
Yahoo’s corporate culture is about caution and measured risks. And so it is perfectly in keeping with the way the company has been run that it announced today that it has been chosen to sell advertising in the United Kingdom and Ireland for Bebo, the most popular social network in Britain.
These days the competition to sell ads for big Web sites is a very dangerous game. Google right now can earn more selling ads on a given site than any of its rivals. It has better technology, more sites and more advertisers bidding, which creates a virtuous circle bidding up prices. The only way for Microsoft and Yahoo to break in is to build better advertising systems — which they are doing — and get bigger networks, which in turn will draw more advertisers.
Google knows that its rivals have an incentive to lose money on some big deals just to get scale, so it too has been overbidding to keep plum sites out of their hands. The biggest example was MySpace, where Google promised $900 million over three years, far more than it expected to earn, according to people involved in the negotiations. Microsoft, which has more cash than Fort Knox, later won the contract to sell ads on Facebook.
Yahoo looked at these deals, but just couldn’t face saying goodbye to so much money. It’s hard to imagine that the underlying economics are any different in the case of Bebo — I’m sure both Google and Microsoft would bid. The terms were not disclosed, but the scale is smaller, so what I assume will be a loss for Yahoo will be easier for it to swallow.
Kara Swisher, at AllThingsD, sees this deal as a sign of new energy brought to the market by Toby Copel, Yahoo’s longtime dealmaker who is now running Yahoo Europe. Doubtless that’s true. Yahoo has been trounced in the search business in Europe by Google, far more than in the United States.


text:
Ubisoft is heading into virtual reality for delivering two new games from the Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed universes. The announcement arrived during the Facebook Connect keynote today, and confirms a report from last year that revealed Ubisoft is working with Facebook for developing two new games.
Unfortunately, the announcement was lacking any details about these upcoming VR games. Not even their names were revealed. This also means it's unclear what will be the scale of these entries. They could be AAA releases akin to Half-Life: Alyx or simpler experiences that might serve as spin-offs.
Ubisoft's Red Storm Entertainment studio is leading the development of both projects, which has previously worked on VR games such as Star Trek: Bridge Crew and Werewolves Within. As usual for Ubisoft games, other studios from within the company are helping with the development as well, with Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Mumbai, and Ubisoft Reflections joining in on the efforts.
"We are always exploring new ways we can leverage technology to help us create memorable gaming experiences," said Red Storm VP of product development, Elizabeth Loverso. “Oculus’s state-of-the-art hardware will enable us to bring the worlds of Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to life for fans in a new way. These games will take full advantage of Oculus’s technology to deliver immersive, visceral experiences that players won’t be able to find anywhere else."
While Assassin's Creed sees consistent releases from Ubisoft - with Valhalla coming in November -, a new Splinter Cell has not seen the light of day since Blacklist released in 2013.
The VR Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell games will be Oculus platform exclusive when they launch, meaning only Rift, Quest, and the newly announced Quest 2 owners will be able to jump in.


text:
Our selection of the best bits from around the web this month…
After landing on the cover of Time Magazine, the Pussy Hat has taken over the runway of Missoni Fall 2017 show last Saturday during Milan Fashion Week. For the finale, all the Missoni models came back on stage wearing pink pussy hats which featured the couture house signature zig-zagging stripes. Although the project was guaranteed to make the headlines and so bring a maximum of free advertising to the company, the political inclinations of Angela Missoni are undeniable, as some proceeds of the collection will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union and the UN Refugee Agency.
Since the pattern was first released for the the Washington Women’s March of 21st January, millions of pink Pussy Hats have been knitted and crocheted across the globe, becoming a symbol of resistance and feminist solidarity. To discuss the success of the Pussy Hat Project and the future of craftivism, Anna Maltz will host a live panel discussion – Knitters in the Round: Pussy(C)hat – on Saturday 4th of March 2017 at 5pm. The discussion will be available via Pom Pom Quarterly website.
To finish, Ezgi Pamir is a Turksih illustrator, stage and costume designer who amongst her many talents, creates sumptuous embroidered portraits and illustrations with a level of details and use of colour that is absolutely incredible. Her copy of Vincent Gogh Self Portrait 1889 left us speechless.
Until Next Time… Happy Knitting!


text:
Since the revolution, many books have been published on former President Hosni Mubarak, his son Gamal, and their entourage. Everyday, the genre seems to grow, with newspapers and books bombarding the readers with what they call the “real truth.” But how can a discerning reader find the best book with which to educate themselves on a regime they helped eradicate?
A few days after Mubarak left office, scores of previously banned books about the regime began appearing for sale. “The Replacement President,” “A Red Card for the President” and “The Last Days” by Abdel Halim Qandil were a big hit, selling for a very reasonable 10LE in stalls around Tahrir Square and elsewhere in downtown Cairo. The same books could be found for double the price in big bookstores; in wealthy Zamalek, “The Replacement President” would cost readers interested in previously hidden secrets 35LE.
“My books are the fruit of a long crusade against the former President Hosni Mubarak that started in July 2000,” said renowned journalist and writer Qandil. His books often aim to raise the ceiling of criticism against a rotten regime.
“My aim was to put the ruler under the spotlight and combat the myth of the untouchables,” said the journalist. Qandil’s books and articles began a moral eradication of the president before the fall of his regime.
Qandil’s second message is to convey that revolution is possible.
“I predicted a revolution born in Tahrir in an article written in al-Karama newspaper in July 2006 called ‘Mubarak falls in Tahrir Square,’” claims the writer.
Qandil’s third aim involves Egypt post-revolution, battling the lack of awareness and combating religious currents.
“Egypt paid the price for Mubarak once while under his reign, and they are paying a second time after his fall,” said Qandil.
“My books are now public property. Many entities sell, print and republish them. I aim my words like bullets to target the mind and the heart,” said Qandil. The success of his books, according to the author and his growing audience, is based on courage, honesty, integrity, and style. Regarding the trend of books on the revolution, Qandil said, “These books are a natural response to the political and economic state of the country. Victory has a thousand fathers but no one wants to be associated with defeat,” he added.
But Qandil has little regard for the majority of these books, published in haste to capitalize on the current political state. His writing, which predated Mubarak’s ouster, is much more legitimate, he asserts.
“These commercial books are like paper tissue, to be used once then thrown away in the garbage,” he said. “Saying the truth in the right time when it is needed has a price and I paid it. Now, more and more people are trying to catch up with the wave."
Qandil does not think the revolution is over. “The wells of anger are still buried under Egyptian lands, and more and more will erupt over time,” he said.
This comes as good news to Tahrir-area book vendors, who say their sales have doubled since the revolution.
“Abdel Halim Qandil books are a hit,” said Ahmed, one vendor.
Many consider these books to be a textbook for the revolution.
"These books predicted what happened,” said a book vendor in Bab al-Louk. Regarding other books that have been published post-revolution, he said, "Those sell as well, but not as much as the others,” pointing to "The Last Days." He rarely reads, he said, but after the revolution he has started skimming through what he sells. “Definitely more people are interested in revolution books these days; I see new faces every day."


text:
Fashion is hurting the planet
If the world’s population increases as expected, there will be 8.5 billion people by 2030. People are getting richer too, and as 1.7 billion people enter the global middle class over the coming years, demand for clothes will grow.
But producing even more apparel will have significant negative impact on land, wildlife, water supplies, CO2 emissions, plastic pollution and chemical use and cause even more waste. If trends hold, the world is on track to consume 160 million tonnes of textiles every year by 2030, with almost all of it ending up in oceans, landfills or incinerators. It’s just not sustainable. Something has to change.
Under pressure from a new generation of consumers, NGOs and politicians, brands are starting to act. Going sustainable is a question of survival for the industry now, and for all of humanity long term.
Let’s close the loop
Renewcell’s technology offers brands a single solution to two of the fashion industry’s major challenges: resource use and waste.
If one kilo of clothing is recycled instead of being produced from virgin cotton, oil or wood, it saves thousands of liters of water and decreases land use, waste, plastic pollution and emissions of both CO2 and chemicals. It helps brands deliver on their promises to reduce their negative impact.


text:
Kanye West has once again ignited controversy with his latest business move. As he prepares to release his highly anticipated album, Ye has caused a stir by appointing controversial Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy as the new Head of Design for his Yeezy brand.
Ye Welcomes Gosha Rubchinskiy To Yeezy
In a surprising announcement on Dec. 13, Kanye West shared the news of Gosha Rubchinskiy’s appointment on his social media platform, Twitter (X). The post stated:
“YEEZY welcomes Gosha Rubchinskiy as its new Head of Design today. The arrival of this legendary Russian designer at Yeezy, the pre-eminent global brand in music and fashion, is a milestone in design history.”
This bold statement emphasizes the significance Kanye sees in Rubchinskiy joining the Yeezy team.
Users on Twitter (X) quickly reacted to the news. One user named @Ininidi__ commented, “The Anti Semetic is back,” and one other user named @Ecoreactionair commented, “ Gosha x Ye is so funny because of both of their histories. Tryna make the most ‘problematic’ collaboration of all time lmao.”
Additionally, he faced accusations in 2018 when a teenage boy claimed that Rubchinskiy had pressured him into sending explicit photographs.
Interestingly, Rubchinskiy’s involvement with Yeezy goes beyond his position as Head of Design. He has also contributed to the design of the album cover for Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s upcoming album, Vultures, set to release on Dec. 15.
More Ye News
In a similar move within the fashion industry, Kanye West appointed Canadian entrepreneur and Senior Partner of American Apparel, Dov Charney, as the new CEO of YEEZY. This decision occurred in July 2023 after Kanye had previously owned the company.
In other news related to Kanye, he recently previewed his upcoming albumVultures in Miami on December 10, featuring collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Durk, Freddie Gibbs, Offset, and others. The album’s cover art and tracklist were subsequently revealed, further building anticipation for its release.
Rihanna Steps Down As FENTY CEO
Superstar songstress Rihanna also made a significant change to her company when she stepped down as the CEO of her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, appointing Hilary Super, the former CEO of Anthropologie, to take her place in June 2023.


text:
10 August 2020
By Tom Collins
New .ie domain registrations in Cork surged by almost 30% in first half of 2020 as businesses move online in response to Covid-19 pandemic
- A total of 2,734 new .ie domain registrations in Cork in first half of 2020, according to new IE Domain Registry report
- 33,286 new .ie domains registered overall in first half of 2020, up 26% year-on-year
- Over 40% of all new registrations in Ireland occurred in May and June, as businesses reacted to the Government’s closure orders
- .ie now accounts for 50.7% of all of Ireland’s hosted domains versus 32.6% for .com
IE Domain Registry CEO: “Irish SMEs’ ability to cater to consumer choice and comfort, by providing both an online experience and an in-store shopping experience, will be key to Cork and the country’s economic recovery.”
A total of 2,734 new .ie domains were registered in Cork in the first half of 2020 (H1: 1 January–30 June), a 29.63% year-on-year surge, according to new figures released today by IE Domain Registry in its latest .ie Domain Profile Report.
There were 6,303 new .ie domain registrations in Munster (up 32.00% year-on-year) and 33,286 across the island of Ireland, a 26% year-on-year increase. Over 40% of all new registrations in Ireland occurred in the two months of May and June, as businesses reacted to the consequences of the Government’s first closure orders.
IE Domain Registry, which manages and administers Ireland’s country domain name, .ie, said the increase suggests that more companies, self-employed business owners, and independent professionals have gone online since the lockdown to maintain their revenue streams, stay in contact with customers, and expand into new markets.
Commenting, David Curtin, Chief Executive of IE Domain Registry, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a noticeable effect on new .ie registrations in Cork and the island of Ireland.
“This significant digital expansion suggests that all business owners and entrepreneurs, whether they’re in urban or rural areas, understand that having a trusted, uniquely Irish online presence is absolutely crucial in a time of lockdown, when nearly all physical premises are shut and footfall is extremely low or non-existent.
“Having an online presence means that these businesses can stay in contact with their customers, build on their relationships, and, most important of all, continue to sell to them through an online store, click-and-collect service, or voucher booking system.
“Irish SMEs’ ability to cater to consumer choice and comfort, by providing both an online experience and an in-store shopping experience, will be key to Cork and the country’s economic recovery in 2020 and beyond.”


text:
Humax implements Opera Devices SDK to advance the web experience
Amsterdam, Netherlands – September 10, 2012
Humax, a world leading set-top-box manufacturer, showcases its web-ready Freesat+ box at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2012 in Amsterdam. With the implementation of the Opera Devices Software Development Kit (SDK), Humax’s Freesat+ box provides Freesat’s newly launched service, <free time>, a HTML5-based backwards EPG. Through <free time>, viewers can navigate back through the EPG and choose to watch content on-demand.
The Opera Devices SDK has delivered the power of the web to millions of TVs, set-top boxes, portable media players and other devices across the world. It empowers Humax to build HTML5 and CE-HTML rendering into its Freesat+ box and supports the Open IPTV Forum (OIPF) and HTML5 browser technology, which have been adopted by the next-generation Freesat+ receivers. In addition, this tool kit includes a full web browser using hardware acceleration with DirectFB, and supporting WebGL, to speed up rendering and animations.
Humax chose the Opera Devices SDK for its <free time> services and Humax platform, ensuring a better and interactive web experience.
Freesat is a subscription-free, high definition digital TV service with over 150 channels, available throughout the United Kingdom. As of today, more than 2.6 million Freesat boxes and TVs have been sold. Humax offers a range of award-winning set-top boxes and recording boxes for Freesat. This week at IBC 2012, Humax showcases the new set-top box with the Opera Devices SDK inside, which supports the specifications of <free time>.
“Web services delivered to TV are increasingly moving to HTML5, so it makes sense to have one engine to drive the browser and power all applications,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. “Freesat brings HTML5 technology to its next-generation products. People can browse the web, run apps, play music and games – and most importantly – watch what they want, when they want it, on their TVs. This is the power of the web. For set-top-box and device vendors, adopting web standards can reduce the barriers of deployment and shorten the time to market.”
Tae Hun Kim, head of the Business Division at Humax adds: “Humax has always been dedicated to creating the best viewing experience for Freesat viewers through our products. To take it to the next level, we decided to make our Freesat+ products more interactive and future proof. Opera is playing a central role in creating an intuitive web experience on TVs. We are working very closely with Opera to successfully make Humax Freesat+ boxes available in the market within our targeted time frame.”
The new Humax Freesat+ products will be available in the United Kingdom in late September 2012.
Humax Co., Ltd. (Humax), founded in 1989 in South Korea, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of digital set-top boxes, exporting its products to over 90 countries across the globe. The company has built a solid reputation as a leading supplier of high quality, feature-rich digital TV set-top boxes and digital video recorders (DVRs), for cable, satellite, and terrestrial, IPTV, and IP-Hybrid broadcasting.
Humax is positioned as a leading brand of set-top boxes in retail markets in UK, Germany, and the Middle East. As a leading brand, Humax participated in the digital switchover projects, Freeview HD and Freesat digital TV service in the UK. Also in 2009, Humax launched the IP-Hybrid platform in Germany. In the Middle East, Humax continues to expand its reputation by leading the HD switchover movement.
The company’s headquarters and R&D facility are based in Korea, with 16 offices worldwide including UK, US, Germany, France, Dubai, Germany, France, Italy, India, Japan, Thailand, and Australia. Humax exceeded KRW 1 trillion in revenue in 2010 and employs more than 800 people worldwide.


text:
As part of the partnership, the Delhi Capitals team will be sporting the Acko General Insurance logo on their helmets and caps.
Acko General Insurance has announced its association with Delhi Capitals for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. As part of the partnership, Acko will be the official insurance partner of the team.
Acko’s maiden innings with IPL sponsorship last season saw it registering a surge in awareness levels and transactions on its platform among a newer audience. The goal with this year’s collaboration with the Delhi Capitals team is to strengthen brand value and recall. The brand logo on the team’s helmet is aligned with the overall brand narrative of ‘protection’ being a necessity. The association will be amplified with a 360-degree campaign across television, digital and social media platforms in the coming weeks.
To further drive consumer engagement Acko will be running a series of entertaining contests over a period of 5-6 weeks throughout the IPL season. Aimed at capturing the interest of the Delhi Capitals’ fans and making it a memorable experience for them, the contests will be held on the Delhi team’s game days. A fun lead film featuring popular members from the team will be used to announce the contests across television, digital and social media.
‘Catch the Acko logo’ is one such contest that will be held during the Delhi Capitals’ first game of the season. Aimed at aiding brand discovery and engagement, the contest will be simple — all that one needs to do is count the number of Acko logos present in the stadium (on caps, helmets, perimeter boards etc.) during the match and post it on Acko’s website. Prizes for the winners will include team merchandise and a mega prize of a 30 minutes virtual meet and greet with DC players.
Ashish Mishra, Executive Vice President – Marketing, Acko General Insurance, said, “We are excited to partner with the highly talented Delhi Capitals team. Our goal is to drive brand awareness and brand discovery among new customers pan India. IPL being the biggest and most popular sporting event in the country makes it an exceptional avenue for a branding exercise for a young brand.”
“We are thrilled that Acko has come on board as a partner for us in the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Acko is a distinguished, young and upcoming brand and there is a strong alignment as both partners are constantly striving to scale new heights. We look forward to having a very successful association this season,” added Dhiraj Malhotra, CEO, Delhi Capitals.


text:
AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN – Get Rating) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $146.86.
A number of analysts have weighed in on AN shares. Truist Financial upgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $130.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, April 25th. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on AutoNation from $137.00 to $153.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on AutoNation from $103.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $140.00 to $130.00 in a report on Thursday, April 7th.
In related news, CAO Christopher Cade sold 8,627 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.69, for a total value of $989,430.63. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David B. Edelson sold 13,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.00, for a total value of $1,425,600.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 314,419 shares of company stock worth $33,168,013. 0.64% of the stock is owned by insiders.
AutoNation stock opened at $119.74 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $109.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $113.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The firm has a market cap of $7.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.22 and a beta of 1.14. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $88.32 and a twelve month high of $133.48.
AutoNation (NYSE:AN – Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 21st. The company reported $5.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.25 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $6.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.51 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 59.93% and a net margin of 5.60%. AutoNation’s revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that AutoNation will post 22.01 earnings per share for the current year.
About AutoNation (Get Rating)
AutoNation, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and parts and services, such as automotive repair and maintenance, and wholesale parts and collision services.
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on AutoNation (AN)
- Tractor Supply Stock Should Plow Ahead
- MarketBeat Podcast: Investing In Innovation, Robotics, AI and Healthcare
- It’s Time to Book an Appointment for Teladoc Stock
- GitLab Stock is Trying to Put in a Bottom Here
- Saia Growth Accelerates But It May Not Matter
Receive News & Ratings for AutoNation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AutoNation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
Daily NewsView All News
Sweden-based recruiter Wise Group (WISE:STO) posted a +70% increase in net sales for the fourth quarter totalling €15.1 million (SEK 128.0 million), compared to €8.9 million (SEK 75.3 million) a year ago.Operating profit improved to €1.3 million (SEK 11.3 million) from €1.2 million (SEK 10.2 million).
The strong sales growth was buoyed by the acquisition of rival staffing firm Resurs in November 2011. On an organic basis, the company’s sales increase would have been +17%. Resurs has since undergone a name change and is now called Wise IT.
CEO Roland Gustavsson said in a press statement that “during the year, there has been much talk in the media about the recession, but our operations have not been affected to any significant extent by this.”
The company also announced that in the fourth quarter it had merged its two business units Wise Online and Talentum HR to form a joint venture, now known as Edge HR, at the start of January.
In January 2013, the company opened its first overseas office in Copenhagen, Denmark and plans to investigate opportunities in other markets. They have also recently launched a new brand, KIMM, which provides recruitment services for communications, information, media and marketing professionals.
In early trading, the company’s share price was up +6% to SEK 1.67, a +35% increase from a year ago. Based on its stock price, the firm has a market value of €27.6 million (SEK 233.55 million).
Wise Group AB is the parent company of a number of brands providing specialist recruitment and HR services. Wise has offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Linköping and Boras. The company’s shares are traded on NASDAQ OMX First North.


text:
The Drone Racing League (DRL) this week announced new first-time partnerships with sports drink BODYARMOR, apparel brand Champion Athleticwear and gaming furniture brand RESPAWN as part of the 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season.
Throughout the season, DRL pilots battle it out in the DRL SIM, the immersive drone racing video game available on Steam and XBOX.
“DRL continues to attract incredible partners, including BODYARMOR, Champion, and RESPAWN,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson. “Our sport delivers the next generation of fans that are difficult to reach through traditional channels. We are scaling professional drone racing together with bold, forward-thinking partners that embrace the new playing field of sports.”
Read more at Drone Racing Life
Jason is a longstanding contributor to DroneLife with an avid interest in all things tech. He focuses on anti-drone technologies and the public safety sector; police, fire, and search and rescue.
Beginning his career as a journalist in 1996, Jason has since written and edited thousands of engaging news articles, blog posts, press releases and online content.
Subscribe to DroneLife here.


text:
fossil has officially opened its new european headquarters in basel, switzerland. it acquired the building, located only a few hundred yards from the halls of the annual baselworld , the world’s largest watch and jewelry trade show, in january. its watch brands include fossil, adidas, callaway golf, diesel, dkny, emporio armani, marc jacobs, michael kors, michele, philippe starck, and zodiac.
Metals: Contemporary Alternatives
surveys of jewelry consumers reveal that more than 80 percent of jewelry purchasers are women, and 70 percent of those buy jewelry for themselves. cathy calhoun, owner of calhoun jewelers in royersford, pa., recalls a client who came in to restyle some existing jewelry and bought 10 more pieces for herself.
are you being held hostage by a top-performing employee? in other words, is a successful employee ignoring duties or regulations you expect to be honored? in the worst-case scenario, requests to change behavior are ignored, and frictions with other employees arise. the tension can even be picked up by customers, hurting both service and your brand.
a $10 million gift from canadian mining firm teck cominco ltd has allowed the renaissance royal ontario museum project to establish the teck cominco suite of earth sciences galleries, the teck cominco endowed chair in mineralogy, and the teck cominco digital education module in earth sciences, as well as create a new home for the canadian mining hall of fame at the museum.
the summerlike april weather in basel, switzerland, was a fitting backdrop for the hot business and sunny optimism of 2,100 watch and jewelry exhibitors at baselworld 2007, who enjoyed record-breaking attendance (topping 100,000), continuing strong demand for luxury products, and heavy international media coverage.
one year ago, palladium alliance international introduced itself to the u.s. market at the jck show ~ las vegas. since then, pai has been working to educate the industry and its consumers about palladium’s properties and benefits. “it’s a phenomenal program for pai,” says marketing director dawn mccurtain.
diamond magnate lev leviev and his africa israel co. have increased their purchases of new york real estate. in the span of a month, he purchased new york’s landmark clock tower at the metlife building for $200 million, the famed new york times building for $525 million, and the upper west side apartment complex the apthorp for $430 million.
we all consider ourselves good listeners. but maybe we are not as good as we think. when we surveyed jck retail panel members about the importance of listening, we got an earful about how bad listening caused bad customer experiences. there was the store where an employee asked an overweight woman when she was giving birth.
jewelry designer judith ripka recently addressed attendees of the annual women in the know conference organized by the women’s jewelry association. her success is due in part to her passion, persistence, and performance in the industry, according to michael o’connor, senior vice president, marketing communications and public relations, platinum guild international.
what do a bunch of people standing hip deep in freezing water wearing rubber pants and funny hats while trying to catch little fish have in common with an upscale jewelry promotion? quite a lot, if you appreciate the promotional skills and efforts of a certain jewelry-store chain known for its robin’s egg blue gift boxes.
former gia gem instruments executive director howard pomerantz has joined gem certification & assurance lab as executive vice president. pomerantz will help develop gcal’s business strategy, but is unlikely to start an instrument division “in the fashion his former employer did,” said gcal president don palmieri.
when industry leaders approached jck’s former publisher charles bond about creating a new show in las vegas, we on the editorial staff were a bit bemused. las vegas? but there’s no jewelry industry there! at the time, new york was the center of all things jewelry in the united states. there’s no jewelry industry in basel, either, replied then-editor george holmes.
after living and working on both coasts, george walton has struck gold in alaska. walton is the owner of george walton’s gold & diamond co., a successful jewelry store based in anchorage. founded in 1977, the guild retailer specializes in exclusive diamond jewelry, designer goods, and custom pieces.
marion halfacre, the well-known founder and owner of traditional jewelers in fashion island, calif., died in june of a heart condition. he was 58. halfacre was president of the california jewelers association, a member of jewelers of america’s board of directors, and a member of the jck show advisory board.
the spring 2007 international luxury watch shows in geneva posted some of their best results ever, in business and attendance, propelled by strong global demand for luxury products, especially from growing affluent classes in china,india, russia, europe, and north america. the 17th edition of the invitation-only salon international de la haute horlogerie, the best-known geneva show …
i’ve been home from the jck show a week now, and the immensity of it all is still sinking in. it’s amazing that we’re “on” for nine consecutive days—from 8 am to 1 am—with maybe a half hour of personal time a day. whew! in this hyperdigital world of pdas, e-mail, and youtube, it’s fantastic what happens when almost 30,000 like-minded people get together in the same build…
an important element in promoting gems and jewelry over the years has been instilling aspirations to ownership of ever better jewelry. de beers, for one, has always held that developing such aspirations—diamond addiction, they would call it—is a key part of their marketing. this is a well-conceived notion, and it plays a part in those primordial urges we all get in coveting certain…
the recent purchase of bel-oro and aurafin by berskhire hathaway, the investment arm of billionaire warren buffet, will create “one of the largest” jewelry suppliers in the united states, mark hanna of bel-oro told jck. “the combination of the two of us together probably makes us the largest volume supplier in the trade, but i don’t like making absolute claims,” hanna said.
an anticipated annual event in the watch industry is the prestigious “watch of the year,” sponsored by publishers of armband uhren, a widely read watch magazine, and the national german newspaper welt am sonntag. the top 10 men’s and women’s watches are chosen by votes cast by tens of thousands of readers from german-speaking countries and areas of europe, and announced at the ann…
corum, the swiss-made luxury watch, and vaucher manufacture fleurier, one of switzerland’s finest mechanical movement makers, have signed an agreement to develop new movements exclusive to corum. the contract is something of a coup for corum, located in la chaux-de-fonds, swit-zerland, with u.s. offices in irvine, calif.
for swiss watchmakers it’s the best of times—and the worst. “swiss watch manufacturers have never had it so good, especially the major prestigious brands,” says veteran swiss watch executive jacques j. duchêne, vice president of the federation of the swiss watchmaking industry fh.
sequel a.g., the maker and world-wide distributor of guess and guess collection watches, has launched a new global charitable program, called “faces to watch – time to give.” this is “an opportunity to expand upon all of the positive elements that have made our company [parent firm callanen international, owned by the timex group] and our brands respected around the world.
that’s the impression from watch trends seen at 2007’s international watch shows this spring in basel and geneva, switzerland, and in june at the jck show ~ las vegas. whatever category—color, new calibres, more diamond and sport watches, or those with complications—watchmakers are catering to women self-purchasers.
with the title words of this article and with due respect to ben franklin, who first said them, ron harder concluded his last talk to friends and industry colleagues, capping a successful 34-year career at jewelers mutual. when he finished his brief talk, the audience gave ron a standing ovation. mild mannered and sincere are appropriate words to describe harder.
there was a fellow standing on the beach, looking out over the atlantic ocean for the first time, seeing water as far as he could see to the left, to the right, and straight ahead. after a moment of deliberation, he said: “i really thought it would be bigger.” after visiting the preview for christie’s magnificent jewels auction on april 25, i find that i am that fellow.
designer: judith murat, palm beach, fla.; (561) 366-4893; www.judithmurat.com jewelry: the deep blue necklace is 18k gold and features a 90 ct. aquamarine pendant and diamond accents. suggested retail prices start at $1,000. inspiration: tropical waters designer: stephen kris, new york; (212) 242-1964; www.
the jck shows came roaring into las vegas may 28 through june 5, producing strong reviews for the high-end luxury by jck and the new premiere show, good reviews for the appointment-only swiss watch by jck show, good-to-mixed reviews for the flagship jck show, and weak results for its new outpost at the las vegas convention center.
the gemological institute of america is letting more diamonds qualify for its diamond dossier reports and changing its fee structure. beginning in june, gia lowered the minimum size of diamonds eligible for the reports to 0.15 cts. and raised the largest size to 1.99 cts. dossiers include the same information as gia’s standard reports, but without a diagram.
retail jewelers reported an overwhelming increase in grab-and-run theft crimes in 2006, says john kennedy, president of jewelers’ security alliance. according to jsa statistics, recorded incidents increased from 170 events in 2005 to 419 last year. a grab-and-run thief enters a store during business hours and runs off with merchandise after a salesperson removes a piece to show.
organic gems expert maggie campbell pedersen has introduced an online periodical called organic gems featuring articles on pearls, amber, shell, coral, ivory, jet, bone, and horn. each issue will include an information piece, discussing one particular organic gem material in detail; a feature presentation written by a guest author; and a readers’ forum where subscribers are invited to contrib…
scientists from the scientific & research institute of experimental physics lab at the russian federal nuclear center, along with directors from kristall production corp., diamond manufacturer in smolensk, russia, say they’ve developed a machine that can measure a diamond’s charm. according to the smolensk gemological center, the charm index is defined “on the basis of measured opti…
dorotea liguori remembers the unusual “baptism” over 50 years ago of her first child, a son, born in naples, italy. a mountain of pearl strands rested on a table in her father’s office. “my father took the baby, undressed him completely, and placed him in the middle of the pearls,” she says.
frank dallahan, chief executive officer of mjsa and former publisher of jck, will become president and chief executive officer of the american gem society laboratories, effective july 15. “this is a new position created to bring ags laboratories to the next level,” clayton bromberg, chairman of ags laboratories’ board of managers, said in a statement.
i read in a jewelry trade magazine recently that up to 60 percent of bridal customers don’t buy their wedding bands from the store where they purchased the engagement ring. this is a startling statistic. there are several actions that will increase the likelihood that a customer will come back to us.
for five years the hottest segment of the colored-stone market has been high-end unenhanced ruby and sapphire. prices increased dramatically for the fine and extra-fine categories. a major factor in the price volatility has been consumption in emerging markets. with prices at record levels, sales of truly gemmy natural ruby and sapphire are limited to the wealthiest consumers.
in the second conflict diamond–related bust in the span of a few months, federal agents seized 957 diamonds in wilmington, ohio, allegedly imported in violation of the 2003 clean diamond trade act. the diamonds, worth $10,848, were discovered during a routine inspection, reports say. the diamonds were allegedly sent from a company in spain to another in indiana.
de beers plans to spend less money on generic advertising, according to a comment by de beers’ cfo stuart brown at a recent diamond conference in london. “[de beers’] marketing spend in the past year reached $220 million, primarily focused on the generic market,” brown said. “this has proved to be a very successful strategy for both de beers and the diamond industry as a whole…
when the opportunity arose for veteran jewelry executive ed dayoob to take over the reins of ailing whitehall jewelers, dayoob jumped at the challenge. despite a myriad of issues facing the chicago-based chain of 326 stores, he believed the retailer was salvageable—and his faith and efforts have started to pay off in a dramatically improved corporate performance.
the de beers retail chain will open stores in houston, washington, d.c., and san francisco before the end of the year, according to guy leymarie, chief executive officer of de beers diamond jewellers (formerly de beers lv). the chain, a joint venture of the de beers group and lvmh, also has stores in new york, los angeles, and las vegas.
tanzaniteone ltd, the tanzanite mining and marketing firm, has named two new sightholders, ag color, of new york, and paul wild, of germany. adding the sightholders is in accordance with tanzaniteone’spreferred supply strategy, announced in february 2005, and brings the total number of sightholders to eight.


text:
Holdings PLC will exit its retail and small business banking operations in the United States as the bank focuses on wealth management and international banking services, particularly in Asia.
The banking giant announced Thursday night that it would be leaving 90 of its 148 branches in the United States through a series of transactions. HSBC has reached agreements to sell part of its business to Citizens Financial Group Inc. of
Cathay Bank. It also plans to close around 35 to 40 branches.
As such, the bank will no longer serve bank customers with balances below $ 75,000. It will also cut ties with all of its retail business customers, including small businesses, he said.
“This next chapter of HSBC’s presence in the United States will see the team focus on our competitive strengths, connecting our global wholesale and wealth management clients to other markets around the world,” said the director. HSBC Group General Noel Quinn in a prepared address. He said the bank’s mass retail operations in the United States “are good businesses, but we lack the size to be competitive.
The London-based lender, which makes most of its profits in Hong Kong and mainland China, has been in the process of redesigning much for more than a year to refocus its operations in Asia. In February, the bank said it plans to sell its unprofitable retail operations in the United States and inject around $ 6 billion of investment in Asia over the next five years.
HSBC is also in talks to sell its unprofitable French retail bank.
The bank said it had agreed to sell its East Coast mass banking and retail banking business, which includes 80 branches and around 800,000 customer accounts, as well as its online banking portfolio to Citizen Bank. Those accounts had about $ 9.2 billion in deposits and $ 2.2 billion in loans outstanding at the end of March.
HSBC’s west coast retail banking operations, which include 10 branches and approximately 50,000 accounts receivable, would be sold to Cathay Bank.
The transactions, which are subject to regulatory approval, are expected to close in the first quarter of 2022. HSBC said it expects to incur around $ 100 million in pre-tax costs for the transactions.
Write to Kimberly Chin at [email protected]
Copyright © 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


text:
At just 21, Rahul Ramakrishnan is a co-founder and the COO of Iota Labs. The startup, which makes IoT devices, has already scored $100,000 in angel investment, giving it a valuation of about $2 million. Iota's flagship hardware product, a connected sensor for smartphones called Dot, has raised $115,401 from more than 1,700 backers on Kickstarter.
That's just his side job. Ramakrishnan is also a senior at U.C. Berkeley, where he studies electrical engineering and computer science. "The thing about Berkeley is that the resources are kind of hidden," he says. "As a freshman, I had no clue that we had four on-campus accelerators, or that they were creating a multimillion-dollar fund just for U.C. Berkeley startups."
According to a recent study from PitchBook, the California-based public university has produced as many as 997 entrepreneurs since 2006. Collectively, they've started 881 companies (including Cloudera and Zynga), and raised as much as $14.2 billion in funding.
The report, called "Universities Report," ranks the top 50 schools that have produced the most VC-backed entrepreneurs. Berkeley came in at No. 2 behind Stanford University this year, though it ranked No. 1 for serial founders.
"Berkeley has long enjoyed a unique relationship by geographic proximity to the center of venture capital, and that enables more tight relationships," explains Garrett Black, a senior analyst with PitchBook, of the results.
To get a larger sample size, the research team looked at the companies started between 2006 and 2016. Previously, it had considered only companies launched after 2010, which partly contributed to the rise in serial entrepreneurs detected this year. It's also worth noting that in the fall of 2014, Berkeley enrolled nearly 30,000 undergraduates, a number much larger than its private counterparts. Stanford, by contrast, currently has 7,000 undergraduates, while Harvard (No. 4) and the University of Pennsylvania (No. 5) count 6,700 and 9,726, respectively.
On-campus resources abound
Ramarkishnan says he's benefited greatly from resources like Venture Strategy Solutions, a student-run consulting group that works with tech startups, like T-Spring and Fieldwire, to provide strategic consulting services to entrepreneurs.
"Being in this organization and seeing the executives struggle with their businesses has really helped me learn a lot," he says. "It directly ties into how I got started in creating my own startups."
Other resources include LAUNCH, an accelerator program, as well as grants of up to $5,000 from the Dean's startup fund. The school further encourages entrepreneurship through student competitions and clubs, including the global social venture competition. Iota Labs recently won a $30,000 seed investment through the Foundry, a hardware focused on-campus accelerator.
Networking opportunities across Silicon Valley
Through the school, Ramakrishnan had the opportunity to connect with partners at the renowned Mountain View startup incubator Y Combinator. A conversation with investor Sam Altman, for example, led the entrepreneur to change the way he was marketing his product.
"He helped us shape the product a little bit," he says. "He encouraged us to change how we're attacking the problem and the solution."
It certainly helps budding entrepreneurs that Berkeley is located near high-profile venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Benchmark Capital.
A "scrappy" environment
For Ted Hong, a co-founder of business courier service Dropoff who helped launch actress Sarah Michelle Gellar's Foodstirs, Berkeley simulated the environment of a startup. The anonymity afforded by the sheer size of the school, he says, forced him to think like an entrepreneur.
"You definitely have to be a do-er to survive the large nature of the school. It's not for the faint of heart," says Hong. As the child of immigrants, Hong says, this environment was one that he could relate to.
"It makes you scrappy," he adds.


text:
Luxury luggage brand TUMI has recently opened a new store on
London's Regent Street. To celebrate the opening, the brand has
teamed up with American Airlines to launch a social media
competition. On 1 May, five limited edition golden suitcases were
hidden across the capital. To be in with a chance of winning an all
expenses paid trip to Los Angeles, entrants just need to locate one
of the golden cases, take a photo and post it on Facebook,
Instagram or twitter with the hashtag #TumiGoldenTicket. Each case
found, photographed and posted will enter you into the draw. There
are five cases dotted around the city.
The winner of the Golden ticket competition will fly business
class on the new American Airlines 777 to Los Angeles. After a
three day stay at the London West Hollywood hotel, you will then
fly business class on the new A321 transcontinental flight to New
York and stay at The Surrey Hotel, Manhattan. You will then fly
first class over the Caribbean Sea to the luxury Rosewood Little
Dix Bay luxury resort in the British Virgin Islands.
The competition closes on Saturday 31 May. For more information,
All flights, hotels, transfers plus a spending allowance will be
paid for by Tumi and its promotional partners.


text:
NVIDIA is not in luck during this week, because, if we add to the news of their vulnerabilities the demands filed by patents of this article, we could say that the month of May is not being propitious. Up to five patents are being challenged within the NVIDIA processors, where the technology would be used for games and supercomputers.
A subsidiary of Xperi Corp in charge of granting intellectual property licenses has been the author of the lawsuits against NVIDIA in the US District Court of Delaware. UU This process is mainly due to the company's belief that Huang's are using their semiconductor technology and their patents on their processors, where they have not really specified what they are referring to specifically.
Apparently, it has tried to avoid the demand for these patents, since for several years both companies have been talking to try to reach an agreement, where apparently the negotiations have been finally broken and the litigation will give way to a trial that is foreseen complicated for both parties.
The patents violated, according to Xperi, would be:
(5,666,046; 6,232,231; 6,317,333; 6,849,946 and 7,064,005) all related to the design and implementation of semiconductors. The dispute seems to turn into silicon itself and at the same time into the design, where the problem is that NVIDIA is not a manufacturer of microchips, but the orders are entrusted to an external company, in this case with the RTX to TSMC.
Xperi does not justify this, since although it is true that the chips depend on another company, the design is totally integral to NVIDIA, where the architectural designs are executed and studied by their engineers. Obviously, Xperi develop technology and patent it, where they have their audio and image codecs brands, such as DTS: X, IMAX or Virtual: X, but at the same time they work together with companies such as Sony, LG, Samsung, Tencent and Alibaba.
We can not say that Xperi does not fight for its interests, since the demand to NVIDIA is not the first one that faces them against a giant of the technology. Companies such as Samsung or Broadcom have already succumbed in the courts before it, where both companies reached an undisclosed agreement through significant sums of money and patent licensing agreements for several years.
This has much merit, since currently the capitalization in the Xperi market is only 1.2 billion dollars. If we compare it with NVIDIA and its 102.7 billion, we can understand the significant differences that surround each other.
Having set the precedent for Samsung and Broadcom, where of the five currently infringed patents 3 are shared in these lawsuits against NVIDIA, it does not appear that Xperi is going to be very questioned and may have easy to prove that NVIDIA has used its patented intellectual property.
NVIDIA for its part has kept silence, but given that they have not reached an agreement after years of dialogue, they are sure to have their lawyers up in arms preparing for their defense.


text: Good news: most of us are satisfied with our beauty! A study by market research company GFK found that 55 percent of 27,000 people surveyed were fairly satisfied with their appearance with 12 percent saying they're completely satisfied. Among those pleased with their looks, Latinas are the happiest, with Mexico ranking the highest among the 22 countries studied with a whopping 74 percent gratification. Brazil and Ukraine followed closely with 65 percent saying they liked their appearance, and Argentina, Spain, and Germany closed the top of the list with 62 percent. Nothing makes us happier than seeing people embracing their individuality.


text:
A new offer from Papa John's Pizza franchises in Russia is making some people sick, but it's not the pies themselves.
As part of a new promotion, customers can save money on pizza by entering the name of the long-deceased former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
See also: WTF? Russia bans swearing in jails
News of the promo code was first published on Facebook by Ilya Klishin, editor-in-chief at the independent TV Rain channel in Moscow.
"Papa John's Pizza has introduced a Josef Stalin promotion code. Enter the name of the dictator and get a Hawaiian or pepperoni pizza," wrote Klishin, who said his great-grandfather was one of tens of millions of people repressed by the brutal dictator.
Klishin shared two images of the Stalin code being used on the pizza chain's mobile site.
As the Russian tech news site TJournal points out, the Papa John's campaign, launched at the start of January, was not to promote Stalin himself, but, in this case, refers to the name of a specific tank in the online World of Tanks game popular in Russia.
But that didn't stop Russian Internet users who found the move to be insensitive from bashing the pizza chain online and even urging for a boycott of its pies.
Russian journalist @Sparkhom calls for a boycott of Papa John's pizza network for its JOSEPHSTALIN promo code. Why not worldwide.
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) January 16, 2016
Some reacted with dark humor.
— BadExampleMan (@BadExampleMan) January 16, 2016
"Enter promo code Josef Stalin and get a free pizza. Enter promo code Adolf Hitler and get a pizza with pepperoni," wrote Maxim Katz, a Moscow city councilman.
Пришли промо код Иосиф Сталин и получи бесплатную пиццу. Пришли промо код Адольф Гитлер и получи пиццу с пепперони
— Максим Кац (@max_katz) January 16, 2016
For decades, Stalin's era was seen as one of the darkest and bloodiest chapters in Russia's history. But in recent years, the dictator who killed tens of millions and ordered millions more to labor camps in Siberia, is enjoying a resurgence of sorts in the hearts and minds of Russian nationalists, thanks to the words of President Vladimir Putin and others inside the Kremlin who have celebrated his prowess as a strong leader.
The dictator seems to be enjoying popularity even among young Russians born after the fall of the Soviet Union who are using a new app to superimpose his mustachioed face on their own Instagram photos.
Hours after users on social media began commenting on the Stalin promo code on Saturday, Papa John's responded. Inundated with critical comments, the Louisville, Kentucky-based pizza chain released a statement in Russian on its verified Facebook page to "apologize to everyone whom we — albeit unconsciously — offended."
The goal was never to reframe or encourage people to reevaluate Stalin's role, the company added. "We always try to be apolitical."


text:
This year, WNPR’s Small Business Project is taking apart what it means to be a small business owner. As part of our coverage we’re showcasing the huge diversity of the state’s small businesses and what they’re accomplishing. Most businesses start very, very small—even at the kitchen table. For the first of our small business profiles, WNPR’s Harriet Jones visits a tiny commercial kitchen in Griswold.
Jennifer Chominski is spending the morning pressing out piecrust for her baking business, Gracie Mae’s Kitchen.


text:
San Diego-based Mitek, a firm that specializes in capturing mobile data for customer acquisition, has acquired Dutch identity verification company IDchecker.
The purchase price is up to $10.6 million, subject to performance metrics to be met by IDchecker, with $5.85 million in cash and $2.75 million in Mitek stock guaranteed. Mitek will give IDchecker $2 million more in common shares if it achieves certain revenue and profit goals.
"By expanding our product portfolio, we will transform Mitek into a global provider of mobile capture and identity solutions in the multi-factor authentication market which is projected by the global market research firm MarketsandMarkets to be worth $10.75 billion by 2020," Mitek president and chief executive officer James DeBello said in a statement accompanying the company's announcement of the acquisition.
IDchecker specializes in verification of the identity of cloud-based users. Customers who use cloud services, which include international payments, can be authenticated through a service that recognizes approximately 3,500 different identification documents from across the world. IDchecker also provides employment verification, ecommerce, and gaming services.
According to its release Mitek plans to incorporate IDchecker's products into photo verification of documents to accentuate the mobile deposit and account opening service the company says it already offers to over 3,700 banks and financial services firms.
"Consumer preference for shopping and opening accounts via the mobile channel is not just a U.S. phenomenon - it is a rapidly growing worldwide trend," said Mitek's DeBello. "This acquisition enables Mitek to provide ID capture and authentication to companies who operate in highly regulated markets around the world."


text:
Ellen DeGeneres is launching a new lifestyle collection for your home. Not content to be one of the world’s most popular talk show hosts, a real estate mogul (she owns a ton of houses!), a vegan website owner, and a New York Times bestselling author, DeGeneres is going one step further. She’s partnering with entrepreneur J. Christopher Burch to create a new lifestyle collection called simply E.D.
The E.D. lifestyle line will include products in categories such as furniture and home accessories, ready-to-wear clothing and, of course, pet accessories (DeGeneres is a huge animal lover). Sounds like it’s going to be a massive undertaking.
Interestingly, the E.D. line of products will also be easy to pick up no matter where you live, as you can expect to see them on a website soon to be launched by Ellen DeGeneres, as well as in retail stores and for wholesale purchase.
Look out for the first items in the Ellen DeGeneres E.D. line ready for purchase right before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season this year. The rest won’t be available until sometime in 2015.
I’m excited as Ellen definitely has great taste yet understands the financial constraints of most people, so it should be fascinating to see what she comes up with for the E.D. line.
You can find out more about Degeneres’ plans and the E.D. line in a press release about the new venture.
Meanwhile, it’s hardly fair to mention Ellen DeGeneres without also showing a clip of her fabulous TV show. This is from The Ellen Show last week, in which she talks about her wife Portia and her new found love of cooking. Yep, it’s funny.
- Listen to Bob Dylan’s ‘Girl from The North Country’ from Black Cake E7 as Covey looks for her daughter - November 30, 2023
- Listen to Nancy Wilson’s ‘How Glad I Am’ from A Murder at the End of the World Ep 4 as Bill listens to Darby’s music - November 30, 2023
- Death’s Game stills of Kim Jae Uck as sexy genius painter who is one of 12 reincarnations released - November 30, 2023


text:
Martin SFP BryantFounder
Martin SFP Bryant is the founder of UK startup newsletter PreSeed Now and technology and media consultancy Big Revolution. He was previously Martin SFP Bryant is the founder of UK startup newsletter PreSeed Now and technology and media consultancy Big Revolution. He was previously Editor-in-Chief at TNW.
“I have few average days,” says Horace Dediu, one of the most well-respected watchers of the mobile industry, and Apple in particular, when asked about how he fills his time while running the Asymco blog and consultancy.
“Right now it’s 2am and I’m in Australia. If I am at home my work is usually a few hours of reading and email followed by about 2 to 3 hours writing a post. If I have time, I read and look at data. Ideally I would prefer to have a regular schedule but travel is making it impossible.”
Indeed, later this month Dediu’s international speaking schedule takes him to the Thinking Digital conference in Gateshead, UK, an event we described last year as “The UK’s answer to TED.” The Next Web is a media partner for the event and we caught up with him to discuss analysts, Apple and emerging markets.
TNW: Some Apple analysts attract derision for, say, predicting an Apple-branded TV that never appears. What makes a good analyst and how are analysts’ predictions different in importance from those of a good tech blogger?
Dediu: Apple analysts vary. If you refer to “sell-side” analysts who are working for financial services companies, their paychecks are not tied to accuracy or foresight. They are sold as a resource to clients of the firm and their work is meant to manage client expectations. They depend on access to management and supply chain managers for any differentiation. It is not a recipe for understanding a company’s resources, processes or priorities.
Another set of analysts are market analysts like Gartner or IDC that try to measure the market or industry. They make fewer predictions about a single company but they too can be forced into a blunder by suggesting that Apple or any other company behaves like any other.
There are other observers who are often more insightful. They are not called analysts because they don’t have that job title. They are bloggers or people who may have worked in the industry and can make informed opinions. They are typically more insightful because they are motivated to provide accurate predictions to establish credibility and reputation with a wide audience who is not expected to pay for their work.
So paradoxically, the opinion of those who are highly paid should be treated with suspicion while the opinion of those subject to peer review should be treated with respect. It brings to mind the difference between highly paid fortune tellers and pundits whose methods are obscure vs. poorly paid graduate students whose methods are open to all. Whose opinion is worth more?”
TNW: There has been much talk recently on the ‘decline’ of Apple, as reflected in its stock price. What’s your take on this ‘decline’ and the suggestions that Tim Cook should be fired?
Dediu: I’ve written about the perception of decline several times. The quick answer is that as Apple has risen, the number of people who have taken it upon themselves to give commentary on how Apple should improve itself has increased. If the increase in commentary is in proportion to Apple’s sales then it has risen ‘exponentially’.
Similar to the notion that half of all Apple users became Apple users last year then perhaps more than half the comments on Apple are from people who never commented on Apple before. Therefore these new comments come from people who did not observe Apple prior to its most recent ascent. Therefore the current dip in share price is the first they’ve ever observed first-hand. They give it disproportionate significance. I’ve pointed out that there have been massive declines in share price in the last decade. Most of them rooted in forgettable reasoning.
“My rule of thumb is that investors should expect a 40% drop in Apple shares at any time and for no reason. Warren Buffet seems to agree. There can be a long discussion about why that is but I think it suffices to say that there are too many institutional owners, and hence too much concentration of homogeneous thought about the company.”
“Anyone suggesting Tim Cook should be fired is a neophyte. This would apply to anyone suggesting the firing of any CEO’s. The process of hiring and firing CEOs is complex, political and varies widely by company and reason.”
TNW: Apple is seeing revenue from China rise despite a relatively modest position in the country’s smartphone market share which Samsung now leads. Would you classify the company’s operations in the country as on the right road for success, or is it under-performing?
Dediu: Apple’s China revenues for Q1 have increased nearly four-fold in two years. China share of Apple’s global revenues more than doubled going from 9% to 19% in the same two years. I’m unsure of what level of performance should be considered good enough but Tim Cook said it will be their biggest market. He should know.”
TNW: At what point do you believe that the majority of people in emerging markets will own smartphones (if at all)?
Dediu: The question is academic. The more important question is when will mobile broadband be available to all those who own smartphones. The economics of providing bandwidth are out of sync with the economics of providing terminals that can consume it. If it continues this way, all those smartphones will not be used for mobile data and will thus be essentially dumb. (Broadband is only a proxy. Mobile app usage, messaging, mobile media and payments will all have to be served over a broadband network which may not scale.)
“The phenomenon of ownership without usage was all too common years ago when Symbian and BlackBerry dominated smartphone share. The result was a lack of “stickiness” of ecosystems and a wholesale replacement when alternatives were presented.”
Horace Dediu will be talking about the future of computing at Thinking Digital, a conference we described last year as “The UK’s answer to TED.” The conference takes place on 21-23 May 2013 in Gateshead and other speakers include Facebook’s Maria Giudice; Aza Raskin, VP of Design at Jawbone; UX designer, Aral Balkan and the BBC’s Maggie Philbin.
The final few tickets are available now.
Image credit: AppWorks2012 / Flickr
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.