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Manufacturing in America can produce high quality results at lower costs than overseas efforts.
There was a time when American manufacturing was the gold standard throughout the world. Products made in the United States were highly valued and dominated the globe. American manufacturing was critical during World War II, subsequently helping rebuild Japan and Europe, and at the same time meeting all of the American people’s material needs.
The exodus of manufacturing jobs to developing countries in Asia has long been documented. As a share of the American economy, manufacturing has been dropping since 1965, when it accounted for 53 percent, to around 2004, when it accounted for only 9 percent.
The Case for Reshoring
The past few years, however, have shown signs of a very beneficial and encouraging trend—manufacturing jobs are coming back to the U.S., reversing decades of companies taking their business to developing Asian countries like China, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Now, manufacturing giants like General Electric, Ford, Whirlpool, and Wal-Mart are redoubling investment in reshoring. A 2013 study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group found that over half of executives at U.S.-based companies earning more than $1 million in sales either plan on or actively are bringing back production to the U.S. from other countries.
So what do GE, Apple, and Wal-Mart know about the state of American manufacturing that is compelling them to focus on investing on production right here at home? These are the main reasons why U.S. reshoring is making a comeback.
The most obvious benefit to manufacturing products right here in the U.S. is the fact that transportation costs are drastically lowered. Since the 2008 financial crisis, American manufacturing companies have seen smaller order sizes while those for overseas companies have grown.
Along with larger order sizes, however, come longer lead times, especially since goods have to travel long distances, typically via cargo ship. As Fortune Magazine put it, when importing overtakes exporting, there is a gradual erosion of wealth.
By manufacturing in the U.S., you can eliminate the cost of transporting products over long distances. In turn, this frees up capital that can be used to focus on quality in all final products, which an American manufacturer can ensure and get to you much faster than an overseas company.
Higher quality and attention to detail
Typically, manufacturing products overseas involves a tremendous amount of risk. There is a lot that can go wrong, from legal and regulatory risks to political or cultural risks, from poor training to poorly designed responses to disasters.
One of the biggest problems with offshoring, however, is the lack of control you have on the entire process. There can be any number of complications with communication, feedback, and quality control, especially with the time overseas shipping adds to the approval process.
American manufacturing has long been synonymous with ingenuity and quality. Furthermore, as Forbes reported, it’s a reputation that the country never really lost. Although a lot of manufacturing jobs have indeed left the country, these have been low value and low productivity jobs like electronics assembly.
Instead, the U.S. has been manufacturing advanced technology products like jet engines, defense systems, life-saving medical devices, and highly specialized solutions for government, medicine, and the military. These are all high value products, demanding lots of skill and training, and as a result pay good wages.
Manufacturing here at home allows you access to this level of expertise and attention to quality. By not being in a different country, you have a lot more opportunity for constant communication and feedback, which greatly improves your chances of receiving a final product that meets all your requirements.
Higher quality reduces costs
In addition to a making a product that meets your requirements and exceeds in its application, U.S. companies can help you save maintenance and replacement costs. Whether a component or complete machine, American-made products will break down far less often than products made offshore, which eliminates the cost of finding replacements.
American-made products also perform far better than foreign-made products, which reduce the potential for accidents or malfunctions, leading to higher employee safety, efficiency, and productivity.
Boost to the U.S. economy
Ultimately, reshoring efforts are a tremendous benefit to the American economy. By bringing back jobs to the U.S. and investing heavily in domestic manufacturing, corporations can generate wealth that can spread to every other industry, which most importantly stays in the U.S. and makes us competitive worldwide.
Precision Metal Industries has long championed the quality and attention to detail that can only be achieved here in the U.S. Visit our portfolio and find out how PMI is doing its part for the American economy.


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Like mother, like daughter! Christie Brinkley and Sailor Brinkley-Cook are soaking up the sun during their Turks & Caicos vacation — and they’re doing it style.
The 67-year-old model took to Instagram on Wednesday, January 12, to show off her sporty swimsuit — and stellar accessory game. “I never brush my hair, I just beach comb!
It’s the #beachlife for me,” the star, who paired her wetsuit with a printed sarong and wide-brimmed hat, captioned her post.It didn’t take long for fans to jump into the comments section, many applauding the fact that Christie abides by a brush-free lifestyle. “I’ve decided not to brush my hair either #bedhead,” a user wrote, while another said, “I wash my hair once a week.Read more on usmagazine.com

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Independent traders have put the idea at the top of their ‘wish-list’ for the new year as they seek to build on the good work already being done by the council to help them.
A new ‘AppyParking’ system will launch in the town next month which is designed to make parking easier, while greater focus has also been placed on promoting our many and varied ‘indie’ shops and businesses.
Now the traders hope that more incentives can be found to draw shoppers into the town centre, starting with cheaper, or even free parking on certain days of the week.The newly formed Business Improvement District (BID) team has shown support to the idea and says it wants to work with the local authorities to prevent parking in the town centre from being used as a ‘cash cow.’
Georgia Duffy, owner of the Imagined Things bookstore highlighted the plight of Harrogate’s independent stores this summer when a Tweet about ‘her worst day’ created huge publicity.
Now she is keen to make the most of shops like hers being in the spotlight.“I know the council wants to make money from parking charges but surely more money will be fed into the economy by encouraging more people to use the town centre and spend money here, rather than on parking,” she said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things where something could be done. People talk about rents and rates but the council doesn’t really have much influence. “Parking is something that could be easily achieved here, and Sundays were free not that long ago.”
Pam Lewis of Cold Bath Road’s Tilly Peppers cafe agrees: “I think the main thing that needs to be done is looking at parking fees, especially on a Sunday. It’s greedy and discourages people from coming into the centre of town, and people are instead going outside the area where it’s free.”
Chairman of BID, John Fox, says he is keen to address the situation. “For independent retailers the main area of concern is car parking and its cost,” he said.
“Our own surveys found that customers’ experience of coming into town and moving around was putting them off. “The Harrogate BID in its Business Plan states the BID can deliver and support tactical parking and public transport incentives/promotions to attract people into the town centre. “The BID will support and work with partners to investigate the application of technological innovations such as ‘Smart Parking’ to ensure ease of access into Harrogate, and for on-street and off-street parking in the town centre. We want to investigate the use of technology to allow customers to take advantage of user based, discounted car parking.
“We want to work with both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to get away from using parking in Harrogate town centre as a ‘cash cow’, we need to encourage people into Harrogate to spend more time here."
Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said the district council would be happy to speak with BID on initiatives it wished to bring forward, 'so long as they aligned with the BID's manifesto and had evidence to prove that it was likely to be successful.'
He said: " "Harrogate Borough Council is one of the largest contributors to the Harrogate BID, putting in tens of thousands of pounds. We are happy to talk to the BID about any initiatives they wish to bring forward, as long as they align to the BID manifesto and have evidence to prove that they are likely to be successful.
"Our preferred solutions to congestion and parking are always to favour sustainable transport and we are waiting for discussions with the BID as to how we can move this vision forward together.”
North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said previously Sunday parking had resulted in drivers 'having great difficulty' finding spaces in the centre.
He said: “Sunday parking charges were introduced in November 2016 for traffic management reasons. Unrestricted parking from 6pm on Saturday evenings until 8am Monday morning was leading to town centre streets being fully parked up over that period with drivers travelling to the town centre having great difficulty in finding a space to park. This was acting as a deterrent to visitors who wished to come to our shops, coffee shops, tea rooms and restaurants.
“The situation now is much improved. Whilst the town centre is very busy on Sundays, parking controls mean that spaces turn over regularly and we see far fewer cars driving round looking for somewhere to park. Sunday on-street charging has also provided encouragement to drivers to use HBC’s off-street car parks. It's recognised that for traffic management purposes, and to improve the street scene, using car parks specially provided for the purpose is better than using town centre streets except for short periods.
"Parking charges in Harrogate compare very favourably with those in nearby competing retail centres like Leeds and York. There is a great deal of evidence that reasonable parking charges do not deter visitors. Difficulty in finding parking spaces is much more off-putting. Additionally, the town also has a very large number of disc parking spaces close to the town centre where drivers can park free of charge for up to three hours within a short walk from the town centre.
"NYCC uses all its parking surpluses to fund various transport improvements, including on the Harrogate Rail Line, on sustainable transport projects, on air quality schemes, and in contributing towards the Â£8m a year cost of bus passes issued under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme.
"The County Council is also aware from its work on the Harrogate Congestion Study that a significant number of residents are of the opinion that parking charges have a role to play in changing people’s travel behaviour by encouraging the use of public transport and sustainable travel means like cycling and walking.”


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CVS, Target, Wal-Mart and Albertsons, in a hyper-competitive under-one-roof race, have quietly begun testing small-scale health clinics in partnership with for-profit health providers inside their stores. These clinics offer not just flu shots, but strep-throat tests, ear infections and even sports physicals.
"This is a wonderful branding opportunity, to take the emotional currency of the nurse practitioner/patient relationship and provide a service for consumers in a place and time they really need," said Michael Howe, who until January of 2004 was CEO of fast-food chain Arby's but now serves as CEO of MinuteClinic, whose tagline is: "You're Sick. We're Quick."
MinuteClinic operates 59 locations in seven states through nonexclusive licensing agreements with Target, CVS and the Seattle-based drugstore chain Bartel Drug. Growth plans call for 90 locations by the first quarter of 2006 and an additional 150 by the end of next year. By 2007, Mr. Howe said he expects that number to rise to almost 500.
The Minneapolis-based company is backed by private investors and Bain Capital, a Boston venture-capital group. Mr. Howe would not disclose revenue.
With so-called consumer-driven health care sweeping the insurance industry-a trend that includes higher deductibles and tailored coverage aimed at making patients pickier-on-site retail clinics will no doubt only push this idea further. After all, a typical visit at a doctor can run upward of $100, while costs at on-site retail clinics run about $60. Even so, only about 3 million of 186 million insured Americans are enrolled in consumer-driven plans.
Statistics indicate demand will explode if current trends continue. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 66% of full-time workers at private firms have health insurance, a steep decline since 1989 when more than 80% did.
But the clinics aren't just for the uninsured. In fact, some 85% of MinuteClinic patients have health care insurance. And more insurance providers are covering the service, including UnitedHealthCare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and Tennessee.
MinuteClinic isn't the only player racing to win retailer favor and access to the heavy foot traffic a big-box retailer affords. As for the retailer, the advantage for is clear: Some 90% of prescriptions written by MinuteClinic nurse practitioners are filled immediately on site.
Wal-Mart already operates 3,600 pharmacies nationwide, including Sam's Clubs locations. For now, though, it's moving cautiously, carefully testing concepts with four different providers, including Interfit, Solantic, MedExpress and QuickQuality Care. Only five Wal-Mart locations, mostly in Bentonville, offer the service.
All about convenience
"This isn't Wal-Mart getting into the health-care business," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sharon Weber. "This is very convenient and affordable health care and could enhance the entire community by having this available in such an affordable and convenient manner."
Dr. Michael Barr VP-practice advocacy and improvement at the American College of Physicians, said the growth of specialized, niche players leads to more fragmentation and hinders the development of long-term patient/physician relationships. "We believe in a true patient/physician relationships as the best way to get care," Dr. Barr said. "Physicians ideally should be there when patients have these acute, emergency needs, but the system of reimbursement we are under doesn't promote that."


text: NintendoDude: The Wii U just launched a few weeks back, and we’ve already pulled together a list of our top ten favorite Wii U games of 2012. Now that we’re in 2013, there’s a whole lot of excellent stuff to look forward to as well. Keep in mind that this list only includes titles that are officially confirmed for Wii U. As the year progresses, even more games will be announced, and some of the games listed may end up cancelled or worse – turn out to be duds. But for now, we’ve got high hopes for Nintendo’s shiny new console, and these are the games we’re most excited about.


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The earnings reports this week by retailers that stayed open through the COVID-19 pandemic have surpassed many investors' high expectations. Walmart (WMT 2.18%), Target, and Lowe's all announced record sales growth despite more-limited operating hours. The companies took the opportunity to further establish their multichannel selling platforms and cement their positions as essential shopping outlets.
BJ's Wholesale (BJ 2.90%) was no exception to those positive trends, reporting on Thursday that e-commerce sales jumped over 300% to push comparable-store sales far higher in the first quarter of 2020.
Let's look at those metrics with an eye toward what they might mean for the upcoming earnings report from Costco (COST 1.16%), due out on Thursday, May 28.
Booming sales growth
BJ's comps (excluding gasoline sales) soared 27% year over year during the COVID-19 disruption after having risen by less than 1% in the prior 12 months. That result blew past the 10% spike that Walmart's Sam's Club reported earlier in the week.
Like Sam's Club, BJ's business benefited from surging demand in the digital channel, which rose 350%. Costco already revealed a more modest bump, saying in early May that its e-commerce sales rose 90% in April. The bigger trend to watch on Thursday is Costco's customer traffic. Transactions jumped 12% at Sam's Club in the quarter as members turned toward bulk shopping. A similar spike for Costco would show steady market-share growth through a challenging selling environment.
BJ's reported solid membership-fee income growth of over 8%, yet profitability was pressured by a few COVID-19-related issues that might show up in Costco's report. BJ's saw demand shift away from seasonal apparel early in the quarter, for one. It also lost high-margin revenue from temporarily closed ancillary services like the food court and optical center. Gasoline sales slumped as well.
These challenges pushed gross profit margin down, as operating costs rose due to increased wages and higher cleaning and sanitation expenses. Costco shareholders should brace for a similar hit to the warehouse giant's gross and operating profit margins next week.
Two major differences between BJ's and Costco's business will ensure gaps between their relative performances in the quarter. BJ's is a smaller retailer with no exposure to regions like the West Coast, and that focus likely amplified its sales volatility in recent weeks. As a result, Costco's comps growth might land in the high single digits rather than shooting up by nearly 30%.
Costco also sells a higher proportion of consumer discretionary products like electronics, home appliances, and garden and patio equipment. If Walmart's recent sales results were any guide, that factor might have produced a big demand boost for Costco late in the quarter and into the start of the fiscal third quarter that began in mid-May. Walmart noted surging sales volumes for products like televisions and home furnishings, especially in late April and early May.
As a result, look for Costco executives to make some cautiously optimistic comments about the chain's growth opportunities as it wraps up its fiscal year and starts planning for fiscal 2021.


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Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced an effort to make the World Wide Web available to the 5 billion people worldwide without Internet access late Tuesday, the latest in a series of like-minded projects.
The initiative, Internet.org, is a partnership effort comprised of tech giants Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung, aimed at developing and adopting new technologies that will make mobile Internet connectivity more affordable for consumers worldwide.
"Everything Facebook has done has been about giving all people around the world the power to connect," Zuckerberg said in a news release. "Internet.org brings together a global partnership that will work to overcome these challenges, including making Internet access available to those who cannot currently afford it."
According to the release, 2.7 billion people, just over one-third of the world's population, have access to the Internet. Adoption has been growing at a rate of only 9 percent per year.
"It's something of a misnomer that five billion aren't connected," Dr. Michael Jennings, chair of African studies at SOAS, University of London told BBC. "Most people have made a call or used a mobile phone, and the success of things like mobile money service M-Pesa has shown just how many people are using these things."
According to a 2011 McKinsey & Co. report, the Internet has accounted for 21 percent of gross domestic product growth in mature economies over the last five years. If the Internet were treated as its own sector, it would be a greater contributor to GDP than agriculture or utilities.
Zuckerberg's initiative is the latest in a series of efforts to expand Internet access. President Barack Obama has proposed a plan to extend access to 99 percent of schools within five years by raising mobile fees. It must be approved by the independently operated Federal Communications Commission in order to come to fruition.
In June, Google announced Project Loon, a plan to launch balloons carrying small servers powered by a series of solar panels into the stratosphere to provide Internet access to rural and remote areas. The project utilizes software algorithms to determine which areas are in need of coverage, and moves balloons to those areas along the stratosphere's slow winds.


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Packed open houses. Listings selling in days. Bidding wars.
It’s a seller’s market — especially in New Jersey where inventory is low but closed sales were up more than 17% this January over last January and the average sales price on a single family home has jumped 22% to $504,585.
But if you’re looking to put your house up for sale there are still things you can do to draw more interest, get more money and save yourself headaches during the home inspection process.


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Computer Associates CA, +0.14% on Monday said it will spend $24 million to build its business abroad in Europe, the Mideast and Africa. The software company is targeting small- and medium-sized firms with a new customer center in Spain and an advertising campaign that begins Monday.
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It seems like India hasn’t had enough of their smartphone enthusiasm fulfilled. As we head deeper into 2019 and as the Indian population continues to move online, demand for smartphones are at their all-time high right now. Smartphone companies from China, namely, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Huawei and others have been keeping the competition competitive and exciting for the past few years and seem to show no signs of slow-down anytime soon in the region.
India remained one of the bright spots in an otherwise declining global smartphone market in 2018. Smartphone shipments in the country were up by more than 12 million at 137 million, the best growth of any market in absolute volume terms. India now accounts more than 10% of the world’s smartphone market, up from 6% five years ago. It is one of six markets in the top 20 that posted positive full-year growth, with its performance outshone by Indonesia (17.1%), Russia (14.1%) and Italy (10.0%). Of these four markets, India is the only one that has seen consecutive growth for the past three years, noted Canalys
The report published by Canalys clearly shows how the trends in India continue to snowball. According to the report, it seems like Xiaomi is continuing to lead the shipment charts covering 29.9% of India’s smartphone market share.
Xiaomi’s 1st place ranking in the Indian was definitely what we had expected. After all, Xiaomi had surpassed its goal last year with two months to spare. On top of that, additions like the Poco F1 and the likes of the new Mi 8 lineup simply put Xiaomi in a strong place.
Towards the end of the year, Xiaomi had branched out two brands that would act as separate entities under Xiaomi’s provision, Poco, and Redmi. And while Xiaomi is trying its best to keep the two garner their own shine, there definitely seems to be a whole lot of Xiaomi in them given how much Xiaomi promotes their two new branches compared to Huawei’s Honor sub-brand.
To put Xiaomi’s success into perspective, Xiaomi saw a monstrous 59.6% Y-O-Y growth from 2017 to 2018. Shipments landed in the 25.7 Million range in 2017 with 2018 shipment trailblazing their goal to 41 Million units in 2018, that too accounting for the Indian market alone.
Following Xiaomi’s reign, we get to see the likes of Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo making out the second, third and fourth place in the market. Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo recorded 20.4%, 14.3%, and 5.2% YOY growth during the same duration.
With Xiaomi dominating 2018 with such a monstrous margin, we would doubt that Xiaomi would be able to replicate the same success throughout 2019 in the Indian market. Doubts arise from the shifts that occurred in late 2018 with the introduction of Oppo’s highly-competition Realme brand and Samsung’s new Galaxy M20 series setting a tone to disrupt Xiaomi’s empire in the region.
Reports from Malaysian e-commerce websites had already reported the massive success Realme had garnered in Malaysia, at least from online sales, and it seems like the trend is very likely to continue if Xiaomi doesn’t put some juicy steaks on the table again.
By the looks of it, Xiaomi’s success for 2019 would hugely depend on their upcoming releases such as the Xiaomi Mi 9, Poco F2, Mi A3, Mi MiX 3 5G Edition, Mi MiX 4and Redmi Note 7. While that is a mouthful, Xiaomi’s timely releases do make a huge impact on how Xiaomi tilts the market with all the competition surrounding it.


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Our work with USA Today’s site redesign is featured in a 5-page spread in this month’s issue of Web Designer, the UK publication for creative web design enthusiasts and professionals. If you’re not familiar with the work yet, check out the award-winning site in the video below.
Go ‘behind the scenes’ with the team responsible for the publisher’s digital rebrand and walk through the timeline of work. Follow our strategy, design and development of how we took a content-heavy publishing site and re-engineered it to make online news reading simple, intuitive and usable.
We love how the editor colorfully displays the story in the same fashion the USA Today site experience delivers.
Get to know two nuances that helped define the work: the design and launch date.
For the full digital March 2013 issue, you can purchase and download it here.


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One of the two float furnaces at AGC Glass Europe's site in Boussois, France will be closed.
The flat glass manufacturer said the furnace had been on hot hold since April 1 as a result of the decline in glass demand due to the coronavirus.
The closure will result in 90 job losses out of the 220 staff. The group said it was now feeling the full impact of the economic crisis which has affected the construction and automotive glass manufacturing industries.
This has led to acute overcapacity, falling prices and a marked deterioration in the group's result overall.
It said: "In the absence of prospects for recovery in the medium term, and despite the remarkable efforts towards productivity and diversification made by all the Boussois personnel, the group sees itself forced to bring its manufacturing capacity into line with the current market situation."
The Boussois site (pictured) celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2018.


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MAYFIELD, Ohio -- Mark Young of Bedford and his daughter Brianna spent their Thanksgiving outside Toys R Us, waiting for their chance to buy electronics at Black Friday prices.
Sixteen-year-old Brianna had herheart set on a PSP game and a 32g iPod Touch, and her father didn't want her to wait alone.
No one was at the store when they arrived at 3 p.m., six hours before it opened, but when Michael McMillon and Rodescu Hopkins and Artelia and Michael Johnson all got in line after them, they were too afraid of losing their place to go get something to eat.
"We skipped everything to be here," Young said. "Thanksgiving dinner, football games, our time with family. But we'll make up for it when we get home."
And what did his wife think of him doing that?
"Oh, she's over at Walmart with our other two daughters, Brittany, 17, and Bria, 16. They're waiting to get a Knect game over there. Karen's been doing this [Black Friday] for 25 years."
By the time the store opened at 9 p.m., more than 300 people were in line.
Inside, store manager Chad DeGennaro gave the staff a last-minute pep talk.
"This is the Super Bowl for us," he said, as the staff cheered. Some newer employees looked a bit scared. He pointed out one employee who was working his 17th Black Friday, "so it's apparently not that bad."
Before the doors opened at 8:59 p.m., he issued one last charge: "Make sure you're standing at your registers and you're locked and loaded. Here we go."
Within 20 minutes, more than 950 walked through the doors, and the early birds were already at checkout lines that snaked nearly to the back of the store. Hundreds more shoppers, many with babies and toddlers, waited outside for their turn to go inside.
"There are people who look forward to the experience of being in a Toys R Us store on Black Friday," said Neil Friedman, president of Toys R Us, U.S.
Early birds get first crack at limited-quantity items, which still might be available online after they run out in the stores. Doorbuster deals that started at 9 p.m., including hundreds of in-store mystery specials, will be followed by another round of toys that go on sale starting at 5 a.m. today, he said.
But Toys R Us isn't the only retail chain eager to post good numbers on Black Friday.
"Most retailers, with a few exceptions, are under a lot of pressure -- especially the public companies -- to do well on Black Friday," said retail expert Robert Antall, managing partner of Consumer Centric Consulting LLC in Shaker Heights.
"This is especially true for highly promotional chains" that rely a lot on promotional pricing, he said. "The exceptions are ones who have done well this year [high-end stores] and ones who do not have much of a holiday peak [party stores]."
Sears Holding Corp., for example, "is struggling mightily to stop a long-term decline in sales and prof- itability at both Sears stores and Kmart stores. This is literally a life- or-death struggle for them."
For Walmart Stores the challenge is "how do we top last year's excellent sales to placate Wall Street and their shareholders," Antall said.
If it seems as if more retailers are more aggressively fighting for a share of the consumer's holiday budget this year, it may be because the stakes are a bit higher.
The holiday shopping season is critical for retailers because it's when they make "at least 31 percent of their total sales and oftentimes 40-some percent of their earn- ings," said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C., and founder and principal of Klein- henz and Associates consulting firm in Cleveland.
Last year's holiday season, when sales soared 5.2 percent over 2009, exceeded expectations because the economy was bouncing back nicely from two years of negative numbers and consumers were out spending with gusto. This year, the retail fed- eration is projecting a more modest 2.8 percent increase to $465.6 billion -- still better than the 10-year average of 2.6 percent but nowhere near last year's numbers.
Retailers are still trying to figure out what channels are going to do the best job, whether in-store, online or via outlet stores, he said.
Consumer surveys sometimes suggest shoppers will do one thing, and then consumers do something else, "so it's hard to figure out exactly what they're going to do," he added.


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Is Now The Time To Short Tesla's Stock?
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares took another big hit on Friday and are now down 9.8% since the company reported second-quarter earnings on Wednesday. The sell-off has eased some pressure of a short squeeze in the stock that has endured throughout 2020, and some traders are speculating now may finally be the time to short Tesla stock.
The Numbers: Prior to Tesla’s earnings report, short sellers had endured a $20.9 billion year-to-date mark-to-market loss in their aggregate positions, according to S3 Partners analyst Ihor Dusaniwsky. Tesla’s meteoric rise has forced a steady short squeeze throughout the year, triggering more than 13.8 billion shares worth of short covering year-to-date.
“TSLA’s short covering has been relatively consistent throughout the year with only a 2 month stretch of time, in March and April, when short selling increased or remained flat,” Dusniwsky said.
However, even after the huge losses and mass exodus of short sellers, Dusaniwsky said Thursday that Tesla still has the single largest outstanding short position of any U.S. stock at around $19.9 billion in short interest.
Kass Going Short: While other short sellers are throwing in the towel, Seabreeze Partners Management president Doug Kass said Thursday he initiated a short position in Tesla at $1,642 after waiting patiently for an opportunity to short the stock for years.
Kass said Tesla’s potential inclusion in the S&P 500 is more than reflected in its recent share price.
“Tesla, with a market capitalization of over $300 billion, reached profitability by virtue of a heavy dose of regulatory credits, so it was a poor quality report,” Kass said of this week’s earnings report.
Kass said Tesla will be facing EV market competition in the years ahead, and the stock is finally easy enough to borrow that short sellers won’t bleed to death paying fees.
“It is my view that Tesla will trade at $1,000/share before it trades at $2,000/share,” Kass said.
Benzinga’s Take: At this point, Kass’ call has been spot on with Tesla trading at around $1,432 on Friday. Tesla bears are hoping its S&P 500 eligibility continues to be a textbook example of a buy the rumor, sell the news trade.
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Cybersecurity firm’s 30th anniversary a milestone of continuous technological progress
Today, cybersecurity leader ESET announces the launch of a global campaign commemorating its 30-year anniversary. The year-long campaign titled “ESET’s 30 years of Continuous IT Security Innovation” will take place at all company locations world-wide. These will include multiple global technology and consumer events to celebrate how ESET will flourish, innovate and grow in the next thirty years.
“For the past thirty years we have been addressing security challenges of digital worlds by pioneering the use of proactive technologies and artificial intelligence,” said Richard Marko, Chief Executive Officer at ESET. “We remain focused on innovation and delivering the best security solutions on the market.”
ESET has come a long way since 1987. From its humble beginings as a small startup, it quickly grew into a strong and stable cybersecurity vendor conducting business in over 200 countries and territories globally. In every year since, ESET has recorded steady growth and currently stands as one of the largest privately owned security vendors in the world. Moreover, the company still develops the majority of its software in one of its 12 in-house development centers. What ESET stands for as a company is deeply rooted in its DNA. “We firmly believe that technology is only as good as the people behind it,” says Juraj Malcho, Chief Technology Office at ESET. “With almost 1500 employees, we still attract the most talented, ethical and passionate people set out to use their full potential.”
In the continued pursuit to develop the best protection possible, the company has broadened its portfolio from malware detection and into new areas of security – threat intelligence, encryption, data backup, two-factor authentication and patch management among others. These offerings not only add depth to ESET’s growing catalog of security services, but they confirm ESET’s laser-focus on delivering security solutions for the future.
The campaign to commemorate 30 years of innovation in the cybersecurity industry will run for 12 months and includes celebrations at all of ESET’s and ESET’s partners’ offices. All anniversary activities will be held under the umbrella campaign “ESET’s 30 years of Continuous IT Security Innovation” visualised through the ESET 30th anniversary badge, which will be omnipresent in all materials and activities for the upcoming year.
Apart from events and conferences, a significant component of the 12 month-long celebration will be focused on ESET fans all over the world. Throughout the anniversary year, ESET will be offering both current and future customers a seasonal discount for both consumer and business products within ESET’s growing portfolio.
The celebrations will extend to social media as well, where ESET fans can share their favorite things about the company by using the hashtag #ESET30. Make sure to be part of the conversation to get the latest updates and be there to celebrate the big jubilee with ESET.
To get more information about the celebrations or the discount campaign, please follow official ESET channels:
 IDC, Worldwide Endpoint Security Market Shares, 2015, Doc #US41867116, November 2016


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Bell Sports Profiting From
Summary: A 1996 article about Bell's profits after acquiring Giro.
An article from
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
May 15, 1996
(used with their permission)
SCOTTSDALE, AZ Recent strategic moves, including the acquisition of Giro Sport Design and SportRack, a Canadian roof rack
manufacturer, have apparently paid off for Bell Sports.
The company's profits totaled $624,000 in its third quarter, which ended Mar. 30.
During the same quarter last year, Bell lost $231,000. This year the company posted net sales of $67.4 million in the
quarter, up 8 percent from last year.
"Fiscal 1996 has been a year of transition and foundation building. The strategic actions have begun to produce the
desired results-profitability," said Terry Lee, Bell's chairman and chief executive officer.
In the last 12 months, Bell has merged with American Recreation, introduced the Bell helmet brand into the mass market,
bought Giro and SportRack, embarked on an aggressive advertising campaign that includes television spots, and began
consolidating its U.S. operations in Northern California.
Bell also restructured its Canadian operations, ending its 12year relationship with Norco, a Canadian distributor.
Bell products, including those sold under the Bell, Blackburn, Rhode Gear and VistaLite brands, will be distributed by
CycleTech starting Aug. 1.
Norco will continue to sell and service Bell products until July 31. CycleTech recently moved its corporate office from
Calgary to Bell's new Canadian headquarters in Granby, Quebec.
American Recreation bought CycleTech in 1994. When Bell merged with American Recreation last year, Canadians said it was
only a matter of time before Bell pulled its products from Norco and gave them to CycleTech.


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Online gaming companies will be brought under the new IT Act (Information Technology Rules).
The ministry has sought public opinion till January 17 on the draft of these rules related to the regulation of online gaming.
In the draft of the new rules, some additional provisions related to due diligence have been made for gaming companies.
new Delhi. The central government has prepared a draft of new rules for online gaming companies. Accordingly, along with creating a self-regulatory system for these companies, a provision has been made to make mandatory the verification of their addresses located in India.
According to the draft of the new rules, online gaming companies will be brought under the new IT Act (Information Technology Rules). These rules were issued in the year 2021 for social media companies.
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Opinion sought on draft rules till January 17
The ministry has sought people’s opinion on the draft of these rules related to the regulation of online gaming till January 17, after which the new rules are expected to be ready by the beginning of February.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has made it necessary for online gaming companies to comply with the laws applicable in India in the draft rules. Along with this, it has been said that all the laws related to gambling or betting will apply to these companies.
Will not be able to bet on sports results
Regarding these draft rules, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that gaming companies will not be allowed to place bets on the results of any game. He said, ‘As per the principles laid down under the rules, betting on the outcome of the game will be prohibited.’
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In the information issued by the Ministry of MIETY, it has been told, ‘The purpose of these new rules is to ensure the growth of online gaming activities as well as to conduct them in a responsible manner.’
Users will have to give information about all transactions
In the draft of the new rules, some additional provisions related to due diligence have been made for gaming companies. These include displaying the registration symbol for all online games registered with a self-regulatory body and informing participants of online games about deposit withdrawals or refunds, distribution of winnings, and fees and other charges. is included.
According to the information issued by the ministry, ‘The self-regulatory body will have to be registered with the ministry. This body will register the intermediate (middleman) companies offering online games on the basis of their eligibility. This regulatory body will also deal with the complaints coming through the complaint redressal system.
First read breaking news in Hindi News18 Hindi| Read today’s latest news, live news updates, most reliable Hindi news website News18 Hindi.
Tags: Android Games, games, portable gadgets, tech news, tech news in hindi
FIRST PUBLISHED : January 03, 2023, 13:49 IST


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It might only be July, but it's never too early to start planning that statement look for the Christmas party.
And Manchester-based fashion retailer Boohoo.com has staked an early claim for THE big festive fashion trend - by unveiling its Christmas jumper for two.
Designers have taken the kitsch knitwear trend of recent years and stretched it into a double-headed "Twinny" jumper to be worn by two brave souls.
Keeping with the festive spirit, you will need to be prepared to cuddle up to a friend or relative to wear the sweater, as it has just two arm holes.
The wacky woolly was unveiled at Boohoo's Christmas in July press day last week and was one of the biggest talking points.
The quirky jumper, which will initially come in two unisex styles, was created by Boohoo menswear designer Shane Chin.
He said: "At Christmas time everyone wants to have a bit of fun with what they wear, and this is the sort of outfit that brings everyone together - literally, I can see guys wearing it on nights out and on festive bar crawls as well as to the office party.
"The Christmas jumper has become a staple piece for us and is always a big seller - it was one of our biggest selling items of last year. So each year we try to think of a different twist on the big sellers. Last year we did onesies that you could join together, so this "Twinny" jumper was the logical next step for this year."
There are two designs, both priced at £20, one featuring a a male and female elf, while the other features "been naughty" and "been nice" slogans.
Those eager to snap up the Twinny ready for the festive season will have to have a little patience - as Boohoo's winter collection will not be released for sale until October.
The Christmas jumpers were unveiled as part of the full winter fashion collection from global online retailer Boohoo, one of Manchester's biggest employers, which is based in the city's Northern Quarter.
The range will include a host of glitzy, sequin-encrusted party dresses and separates as well as a full range of quirky Christmas slogan jumpers.


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If a medication is strong enough to help us…it’s strong enough to hurt us,” says Dr. Oz.
Highland Park, IL (PRWEB) February 24, 2012
Well known Surgeon and Talk Show Host, Dr. Mehmet Oz spoke of the dangers of mixing medications during a February 23, 2012 appearance on ‘The View.’ His words have resonated in a culture where alternatives to pills are very much needed. New recovery sleepwear called Goodnighties is poised to fill the gap for better sleep.
According to Sleep Psychologist, Gregg Jacobs, “Over 30% of the medical problems that doctors are faced with stem directly from sleep deprivation.”
Sleeping restfully is a necessity that can’t be taken for granted. As many as 70 million U.S. adults suffer from sleep disorders. Poor sleep can lead to a compromised immune system, hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer. (The Institute of Medicine, Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation). The collateral damage from this is an estimated $15.9 billion to National healthcare costs. (National Commission on Sleep Disorders).
U.S. manufacturer, Goodnighties, Inc. is making great progress in a new sleepwear category of “functional apparel.” The patented fabric used to make Goodnighties sleepwear is proven to stimulate blood flow to tired muscles helping one relax in a deeper restorative sleep.
Senior Retail and Apparel Analyst, Alison Lipson from Mintel, a leading market research company reported recently that “Many women are seeking solutions for discomfort and restless nights. Retailers and manufacturers have the opportunity to target these consumers by promoting functional, yet affordable sleepwear,” said Ms. Lipson. According to her research; “The Goodnighties recovery sleepwear is designed with IonX fabric, typically used for athletes, to help restore muscles and reduce pain. An added bonus for wearers who suffer from hot flashes, the fabric is also moisture-wicking, reducing the effects of night sweats." Ms. Lipson continued.
Women with unavoidable hormone changes due to menopause are twice as likely as men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep. Recently ABC WorldNews Anchor, Diane Sawyer announced that “30% of women with sleep issues are taking serious prescription medication to find relief.” Continuing this message with warning; Dr. Oz stated today that “medications are not taken seriously” and “if a medication is strong enough to help us…it’s strong enough to hurt us.”
Those who have worn Goodnighties pajamas for better sleep agree. Reviewed by Chicago Tribune Syndicated reporter; Seka Palekuca “If you’re a skeptic, as many of us are, you might be wondering how fabric can possibly help you sleep better. Well, we put it to the test and found the fabric ultra-soothing and ultimately relaxing. There was also no waking up in the middle of the night to throw off the covers. Bottom line – we slept better.”


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Six years ago, Alissa Anderson opened Foggy Notion (275 6th Ave.) as a sewing studio for her own work, but after building a reputation as a top Inner Richmond destinations for gifts and home goods, she's relocating to a larger location.
Next month, Foggy Notion moves to 124 Clement St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues), a move that will triple the shop's square footage.
The new space will allow her to stock a wider range of handmade products largely sourced from the West Coast and hold larger customer events.
"I'll be expanding the lines of makers I already carry," said Anderson, "and bringing in more brands and types of products. And I'll have ample space to host the workshops, pop-ups, and events that I don't currently have room for."
Anderson said she's looking forward to holding down Clement St. with her neighbor merchants, and to being closer to the Clement Street Farmers Market, which she helped bring to the neighborhood.
"It's been fun having a shop off the beaten path, but the reality is we'd be discovered by far more people if we were right on Clement Street," she said. "I feel extremely grateful that I finally found this space to move into and that the owners loved the idea of an existing neighborhood small business moving in."
Anderson said she's hosting a grand opening event on Saturday, April 21st, with festivities to be announced and a live DJ set by her partner, Andy Cabic, of Vetiver.
'Foggy Notion' Prepares For Clement St. Expansion


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Eight food trucks will begin operations on February 2, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, at tourist attractions.
A number of food trucks have completed the approval process and undergone vehicle examinations. They will hit the road once the necessary licenses and agreements with the operating venues are obtained and signed, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung said on Wednesday.
In July, the government chose 16 winners from a cooking contest held by the selection panel of the Food Truck Pilot Scheme. The remaining trucks will launch within February.
According to So, the date was picked because the start of Lunar New Year symbolises good luck.
He said the government will also launch a mobile app for tourists and the public to locate the food trucks. The two-year scheme will be adjusted based on market responses and the public’s views towards it.
“Food trucks will bring a breath of fresh air to the tourism industry,” he said.
The food trucks will stationed at eight tourist attractions, including Hong Kong Disneyland, Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and the Central Harbourfront Event Space.
The introduction of gourmet trucks was proposed by Financial Secretary John Tsang in his budget early last year. 51 applications were chosen to participate in the contest out of 192 applicants in the initial round of screening.


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New Zealand's largest internet retailer is now selling ultra-fast broadband services but a consumer advocate says there is still not enough legal online television and movie content available to encourage people to switch to the fibre network.
Telecom, which has about a 50 per cent share of the broadband market, announced its ultra-fast broadband (UFB) plans yesterday.
It is the first of the big internet players to do so, with smaller companies Slingshot, Orcon and Snap entering the market last year.
Vodafone, which merged with TelstraClear last year, has not yet announced its UFB network plans.
Although Telecommunications Users Association chief executive Paul Brislen said he hoped Telecom's entrance would mark a turning point for fibre uptake in New Zealand, he feared this may be stymied by the lack of video content.
"We've got partial access to movies today but it's really television and movies that will drive this thing," he said.
At the end of last year, the Government said only 2.8 per cent of those able to hook up to UFB had connected to the network.
Telecom retail chief executive Chris Quin said the company "would be quick to market" if it landed any partnership with a content provider.
Telecom's entry-level plan costs $95 a month, offering download speeds of up to 30Mb a second, upload speeds of up to 10Mb a second and a data cap of 50GB.
This is more expensive than Orcon and Slingshot's entry-level plans but comes with a higher data cap.
The company is not initially imposing data caps to let customers learn how much they will consume over fibre, Quin said. Customers will eventually be able to pay more for higher caps.
The company also announced plans for small businesses and schools yesterday.
Telecom's UFB plans will initially be available only to customers in areas where Chorus is rolling out its portion of the country's fibre internet network, which will cover 75 per cent of New Zealand by 2020.
Telecom said it was still running trials with the UFB network builders in areas outside Chorus' footprint.


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Models walk the runway during the finale at the Pronounce show during LFW September 2020. Getty.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, more than 400 executives and creatives said that the current agreement with the European Union will decimate the £35 billion fashion and textile industry, with new taxes and tariffs, as well as travel restrictions, making it increasingly difficult to conduct business.
Signees include supermodels Yasmin Le Bon and Twiggy, according to The Financial Times.
Fashion entrepreneur Samantha Cameron, whose husband called the 2016 Brexit referendum when he was prime minister, said last week that she was having difficulty conducting business in a post-Brexit world.


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Publicly listed Microstrategy has bought $242 million worth of 5,005 bitcoins according to its CEO Michael Saylor.
Saylor said the coins were bought at an average price of $48,000, so it would have been during bitcoin’s recent dip from $51,000.
Bitcoin rose today back to $46,000 from $44,000 with this announcement seemingly contributing to its price rise.
Saylor further said the company now holds 114,042 bitcoins, worth some $5.2 billion at the current price, acquired mostly this year.
The cost of acquisition was $3.16 billion, Saylor said, at an average price of $27,700. That means the company has made some $2 billion on bitcoin.
Saylor has stated he is a holder, with Microstrategy buying dips throughout this year as it continues to increase its bitcoin holdings.


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On October 23, 2007, Vancouver's Burgerville chain announces that the firm will expand its pilot composting and recycling program in an effort to redirect 85 percent of restaurant-generated waste.
Company president Tom Mears said, “We all must take responsibility for reducing the waste we produce. Our four-month-long pilot program proved that a passionate commitment from our employees and small, sensible adjustments to the daily routine will allow us to successfully launch this recycling model into all our restaurants” (Press Release).
On July 25, 2008, Treehugger, an international online media outlet “dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream,” featured Vancouver’s Burgerville fast-food chain in an article headlined, “How about a Burger and Some Renewable-Resource Packaging With Those Fries?” Treehugger’s April Streeter wrote, “Burgerville seems to be putting some pretty cool best-practice ideas out there for the rest of the fast-food industry ... . (Burgerville) wants to eventually keep 85 percent of its waste out of the waste stream via source reduction, recycling and composting” (Treehugger website).
By September 2008, the company’s Jack Graves said, “We have reduced our landfill impact by about 50 percent in the past two years; we will do more” (Gregg Herrington interview with Jack Graves).


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European Commission, Plastics and Circular Economy
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PREPARED A NEW PLAN FOR THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS INDUSTRY AND ECONOMY POLICY.
The report titled “A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy” sets forth various tar-gets and policies. After touching on the place of plastics industry’s place in the European econ-omy, the ways plastics simplify daily life, and its contributions to human health and wellbeing, the plan goes on to emphasize that the plastics industry needs to be made more productive and sustainable. The plan is also part of Europe’s low carbon and circular economy transition plans.
Turning Challenges into Opportunity
The plan will also provide for the implementation of the Paris Treaty and the EU’s 2030 Sustain-able Development Goals. According to this, all plastic packages will be reusable or recyclable by the year 2030. In order to achieve these goals, the EU has earmarked resources for areas like circular economy, plastics and recycling, and has been dispensing them through various projects, scholarships etc.; hence, the transition has already started to take place.
The circular economy plan leads the EU towards a more sustainable economy while at the same time creating new jobs and investments. According to the circular economy philosophy, produc-tion and design processes must satisfy the requirements of reuse, repair and recycling.
The EU’s strategy focuses in four areas. Improving the economics and quality of plastics recy-cling, reducing plastic waste, directing investments and innovations toward circular solutions and encouraging acting globally.
A Strong and Sustainable European Plastics Industry
The European Plastics Industry employs 1.5 million people and has a turnover of about 350 billion euros. Recognizing the importance of plastics for its economy, the EU aims to strengthen the industry in every sense by modernizing the plastics economy.
80% of the environmental impact arises during the design process, so product design is one of the most important issues for the EU. According to this, better designs can create a profit of 77-120 euros for every ton of plastics collected.
Although the quality of recyclable plastics is increasing gradually, it is still low on the whole, and this constitutes a serious window of opportunity for the plastics industry.
Protecting Citizens and the Environment
The use of plastics is steadily increasing and not recycling plastics can have grim consequences for human health and the economy. For this reason, modernization of plastics is a must. Like-wise, a vast majority of the citizens of EU member states do have similar expectations; hence, EU politicians seem determined to take steps in this direction.


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Siri, Alexa and Cortana all started out as female. Now a group of marketing executives, tech experts and academics are trying to make virtual assistants more egalitarian.
Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images/Blend Images
Tim Cook visited the NPR offices in Washington, D.C., in 2015. On Monday, he spoke with NPR about Apple users' privacy and the importance of trade to global relationships.
A child plays with a mobile phone while riding in a New York subway in December. Two major Apple investors urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone use among children.


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Guerral online dating Credit card free sex video chats
In her spare time, Amanda is an avid sports fan and you can often find her cheering at Rangers, Stars, Mavericks and Cowboys games.
She’s a fierce animal lover, a mom to her bulldog Molly and an advocate for pet shelter adoption.
“Dearest customers — I have made the decision to convert my store to 100% online,” Guerra wrote in a Facebook post Sept. With the exception of Rose Ann Hall glassware, the entire store is marked down 20 percent.
While growing up, she entered several fashion shows modeling swim wear, and has appeared in music videos.
Guerra's first national exposure came when she appeared in a lingerie spread for FHM in December 2002.
While fulfilling her daily news coverage, during tornado season you could find Amanda in the plains of Oklahoma tracking tornadoes and reporting back to her station.
Amanda landed back in North Texas in 2011 when she was hired as a reporter for KXAS-TV, NBC 5.


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“Ever since social media appeared in the mid-2000s, publishers and authors (and marketers) have argued about whether social media actually sells books.
I thought this was an open-and-shut case, but every so often it has to be re-litigated.
YES, social media sells books. See what’s happening on TikTok for the most recent example of how and why.
But does an author’s personal social media following sell books?”


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In the beginning of the recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), prices of surgical masks spiked by at least 500%, with a box of 50 surgical masks being sold at about five dollars pre-COVID-19 which soon raised to around $30 during (Chiang, 2020). The drastic increase in price of surgical masks is caused by the sudden increase in demand of surgical masks in Singapore as the Singapore government made the wearing of masks mandatory for all individuals who are outside of home. This report uses Prices and Markets concepts to address the following questions: Why did the prices of surgical masks spike in Singapore? How did COVID-19 affect elasticity of surgical masks? What did the government do to regulate price of surgical masks as well as what else can be done?
Why did the prices of surgical masks spike in Singapore?
Demand of surgical masks increased drastically in Singapore in the beginning of COVID-19. The percentage of people wearing masks increased from 25% in February to about 75% in April (Statista, 2020). This increase in demand of masks caused demand curve to shift rightwards from D0 to D1, as shown in figure 1. Increase in demand results in an increase in quantity demanded from Q0 to Q1 at the original price point, P0. Q0 is the quantity supplied while Q1 is the quantity demanded. Since quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied, Q1>Q0, shortage of surgical masks occurs. Surgical masks became scarce in the market and in a free market economy driven by self-interest, firms will try to maximise their benefits by increasing the prices of surgical masks to highest level possible. Hence, price of surgical masks spiked from P0 to P1.
How did COVID-19 affect elasticity of surgical masks?
Pre-COVID-19, surgical masks were goods of elastic own-price elasticity (PED), PED>1, as it is only needed by a specific group of people for instance, doctors, nurses and the ill. As shown in figure 2, an increase in price of surgical masks from P0 to P1 would lead to a more proportionate increase in quantity demanded by consumers from Q0 to Q1. However, during the COVID-19 situation, surgical masks became a necessity in every household as it was made mandatory by the Singapore government for every individual who’s leaving the house to wear a mask. Hence, PED of surgical masks have become inelastic, 0<PED<1, whereby an increase in price from P0 to P1 will cause less than proportionate increase in the quantity demanded by consumers, Q increases slightly from Q0 to Q1 , as shown in figure 3. In addition to that, there is almost no substitutes for surgical masks in the current market, hence, consumers are willing to purchase surgical masks at a much higher price. According to Today, consumers were willing to spend $100 on a box of 50 surgical masks (Ong, 2020).
Own-price elasticity of supply(PES) of surgical masks during the start of COVID-19 situation is price inelastic, PES<1, as the supply of surgical masks available is limited and businesses are unlikely to be able to increase quantity supplied in a short period of time as time is needed for masks to be produced by factories. Hence, increase in price of surgical masks from P0 to P1 would result in a less than proportionate increase in quantity supplied from Q0 to Q1, as shown in figure 4. According to the Straits Times, Singapore government soon started to boost production of surgical masks by searching for new imports of surgical masks and stockpiling reusable cloth masks (Yang,2020). This increase in raw materials and labour causes PES to be
more elastic than before, from Si to Se, as shown in figure 4.
What did the government do to regulate price of surgical masks as well as what else can be done?
According to a CNA report that the Singapore government has started exercising its authority under the Price Control Act to inspect e-commerce businesses and has sent out numerous letters of demand to request for an explanation of their profit margins and cost price. It was reported that a fine up to $10,000 would be given to companies who fail to do so (CNA, 2020). However, surgical masks have yet to be recognised under a price-controlled item. The government cannot list surgical mask as a price-controlled item as setting a price ceiling for it would result in a remain of shortage and higher welfare lost (shaded area) as shown in figure 5.
The Singapore government can provide a subsidy incidence on businesses. As shown in figure 6, government subsidy increases supply of surgical masks from S0 to S1. Even though subsidy is paid to the suppliers, however, it is enjoyed by both supplier and consumer as supplier receive prices at Ps while consumers pay a price of Pc for each unit of surgical mask consumed. The price difference between Ps and Pc is the subsidised by the Singapore government. This would ensure that consumers consumer at an affordable price and at the same time, suppliers receive a reasonable pay
In conclusion, the COVID-19 situation has spiked the demand of surgical masks, making it a necessity, resulting in a shortage. Suppliers who want to increase their
private benefits would increase the price of surgical masks drastically to increase sales revenue. Government can intervene by providing subsidies to suppliers, which will benefit both suppliers and consumers. However, some limitation of subsidies includes the fact that government has to contribute a huge amount of funds to subsidize the cost of surgical masks, hence, might end up increasing the amount of tax revenue. In addition to that, the government may have insufficient information to determine how much to subsidize.
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Nearly every Android device available has NFC these days, but how often do you have a tag around to take advantage of it? Maybe this realization is what drove last year's NFC Ring Kickstarter campaign into multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. Well, the rings have been making their way out to backers and pre-orders are going live for everyone on March 11th. Let's take a look at how this unusual accessory works.
It's no mystery that Google has been poking around wearable gadgets for quite some time. The list of projects seems to keep growing as we hear about rumors of an LG-made smartwatch, another prototype watch designed by Motorola, and of course, Google's own Glass. Earlier today at SXSW, Sundar Pichai took to the stage to announce plans to release a brand new SDK for Android-based wearable devices in about two weeks.
Another week closer to HTC's big New York event, another huge leak from the indefatigable Evleaks. This time he's taken to Google+ to show off what looks like a first-party case for the HTC M8 (a.k.a. "The New HTC One"). This case it unlike any we've seen thus far: instead of a transparent "window" like the ones that Samsung and LG have been using for their flagships, this one appears to be covered in tiny holes, allowing the screen below to flash simple messages.
If you didn't get enough coverage of Samsung's new devices from our own Mobile World Congress posts, Sammy has posted its own official hands-on videos for the three new gadgets introduced at the show. The Samsung YouTube page now has in-depth videos for the Galaxy S5 and the Gear 2 and Gear Fit. They're pretty exhaustive: the phone video clocks in at just under eight minutes and the watch video is over nine minutes.
Competition is a wonderful thing. As the market continues to react to a push for lower prices from T-Mobile and other cellular service companies, customers are getting more and more economical options. AT&T's latest reactionary price change to its Mobile Share Value plans drops the base price by $15 for single-user plans and family plans with up to two smartphones. That makes the price $65 a month and $90 a month for one and two people, respectively.
The Galaxy S5 is but a short month away from release, and at this point, it seems like we know most of what makes it special at this point - both from the hardware and software ends of the spectrum. There are still some things we'd like to know - what the wireless charging situation is, for example - but there is otherwise plentiful information out there on the web about Samsung's latest and greatest Galaxy.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a Grim take on platforming, a quiz game revolving around the Chromecast, and a detective-themed adventure puzzle game.
Quick: what do a magical novelty fortune-telling arcade machine and a device-focused online media store have in common? That's right: absolutely nothing. Which is exactly what we came up with when we asked ourselves why Google would give away the 1988 comedy Big staring Tom Hanks. Honestly, we're drawing a huge blank here.
MyScript Calculator is essentially the magical oracle of mathematics many of us always wished we had in school. If you're still in school, well, you're probably using the hell out of this app. Either way, good news – MyScript Calculator just got an update with a ton of new stuff.


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New shops, more tourists, healthy footfall in the Wednesday market and a real optimism in the town: that's the verdict of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce as Knaresborough emerges from Covid-19 restrictions.
The Chamber also points to the good news too that the Knaresborough Christmas Market is scheduled to be going ahead, while Harrogate unfortunately formally had to cancel theirs.
Knaresborough has pulled together since Covid struck in March and the Chamber has been involved in helping both the residents and business community cope with the shockwave of lockdown.
a Chamber Spokesman."This period has shone a light on the work of the Chamber and we are now well placed to help Knaresborough take full advantage of the publicity and increased profile which the Town is receiving."
Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce runs an energetic campaign on social media, posting, liking and sharing posts from local businesses and voluntary organisations, and this, plus user generated content from visitors, for example family selfies in rowing boats under the viaduct in the sun, has really raised Knaresborough's profile throughout the summer.
A spokesperson said: "The future is looking good for the town. We are reaching out to other towns, and other Chambers in this country and abroad spreading the message about what a fabulous place Knaresborough is to live, to work, to visit and to stay.
"We've seen how we can act on the local stage such as with Covid social distancing plans, lobbying local and national government on changes we want for the town, as well as changes we don't want.
"We're here as we have been for decades to provide a voice for the town and for business.
"Our competition to find new events for the town to join the Knaresborough Bed Race, for example, has attracted more than 30 quality ideas so far, and we want to keep them coming in."
To find out more about Knaresborough Chamber of Trade visit: https://knaresboroughchamber.org/
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In an surprising put up on Fb, the corporate’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, stated that he is about to announce a brand new product in a livestream at 10 PM PT. Mark additionally requested his followers on Fb to make a guess on what the brand new product could be.
Many individuals gave a shot and prompt new VR glasses, an area rocket or perhaps a new Fb-related characteristic or app. For the reason that new Ray-Ban glasses with the digital camera got here out the opposite day, this clearly is not the brand new product. Mark gave a unfavorable reply to all of these besides one – Portal.
In keeping with one of many Fb customers, the almost certainly new product is a Portal successor because the present model is already on low cost and the vacation season is approaching. All of it provides up.
Both method, we’re about to be taught extra about that fairly quickly.


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In August 2013, the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the European Union was established. The main objectives of the Free Trade Agreement were to cut back on trade barriers, further the development of the Andean region and its economic growth.read more
The secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCDE), Ángel Gurría, reported last week that the Colombian economy will reach a growth rate of 3.4% this year and is expected to reach 3.5% in 2020.read more
Just weeks ago, protests erupted in Quito, Ecuador that left 7 dead, several hundred wounded, and over 1,000 arrested. In several major cities in Chile, protests that began over two weeks ago have cost the local economy more than $300 million while the death count has risen to 15 and upwards of 6,000 protesters have been detained.read more
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The demand for warehouse space is at record levels. Retailers are on the hunt for more warehouses to help meet their growing e-commerce needs and fulfill online orders at quicker speeds, according to a new report from JLL, a commercial real estate services firm.
Big box retailers like Walmart, Target, Big Lots, TJX, and Costco are aggressively competing for more warehouse space, trying to catch up to Amazon who has long been buying up warehouses across the country, JLL notes.
“We’ve been on a long-term journey of shifting consumer behavior from buying in stores to online,” Craig Meyer, president of JLL Industrial for the Americas, told CNBC. “That’s the existential driver for demand in the U.S.”
Warehouse demand is notably surging in places like Columbus, Ohio. Industrial real estate demand in Columbus is expected to jump 61% in 2021 compared to 2020, according to JLL. The firm notes that Columbus is an attractive market to retailers because nearly half of the nation’s population is within a one-day drive.
The demand for more warehouses is also reaching record levels in Savannah, Ga., where demand has increased by nearly 10 million square feet over the past year, JLL’s report notes.
As demand surges, rents are rising fast. Industrial taking rents surged nearly 10% in the first five months of 2021 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to CBRE data.
“Momentum in the marketplace is really strong, and this is against a backdrop where there’s very high scarcity in our business,” Chris Caton, head of Prologis, one of the largest firms of logistics real estate, told CNBC. “Vacancy rates in the U.S. are four-and-half percent, basically 40-year lows. There has never been less available to lease, at a time when customers really, really need it.”


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Federal agents said Thursday they shut down a factory that made marijuana-laced barbecue sauce, chocolate-covered pretzels and other "enhanced" snacks intended for medical users of the drug.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said it arrested three people Wednesday and was looking for a fourth who operated Oakland-based Tainted Inc.
Agents also seized 460 marijuana plants and other laced products including candy bars, cookies, marshmallow pies, ice cream, peanut butter, jelly, energy drinks and "Rice Krispy treats."
Tainted Inc. was launched by Michael Martin, 33, of El Sobrante as a small operation that made laced chocolate truffles. When it was raided Wednesday, the company was shipping products to medical marijuana dispensaries throughout California and in Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Amsterdam.
Authorities said the operation also had ties to Los Angeles pot clubs and believe it has ordered four tons of chocolate over the past two years to make marijuana-laced candy.
Those arrested were Jessica Sanders, Michael Anderson and Diallo McLinn. Martin is a fugitive, authorities said.
The raids of the factory and four Bay Area houses came after a two-year investigation and growing police concern that the legalization of medicinal marijuana in several states has caused a proliferation of large-scale marijuana-lacing operations.
Laced snacks are often more potent and longer lasting than smoked marijuana. Federal authorities contend that marijuana is an illegal drug, no matter how it used or who uses it, and they don't honor the state laws.
"This appears to be represent, once again, the federal government taking umbrage with the fact that California has legalized medical marijuana for medical patients," Sanders' attorney, Randolph Daar, told the San Francisco Chronicle. Lawyers for McLinn and Anderson had no comment.
A call to the company Friday was not returned.
Several people who ran a marijuana-lacing operation called Beyond Bomb that produced such products as Stoney Rancher, Rasta Reese's and Keef Kat pleaded guilty this year in Oakland federal court to marijuana charges. Beyond Bomb's founder Kenneth Affolter was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.
"These items could have harmful effects on a user, especially the unsuspecting ones," DEA agent Javier Pena said. "We will continue to shut down these production lines, one marijuana-candy factory at a time."


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Consumer spending on household goods has been flat for the past few years but sales have been gradually improving since the start of 2012.
Trend estimate for household items retailing rose 0.4 per cent in August, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Consumer spending on hardware, building and garden supplies increased by 1.1 per cent in the month, while sales of furniture, floor coverings, houseware and textile goods was flat, with a 0.1 per cent increase. Sales of electrical and electronic goods fell by 0.1 per cent, the ABS found.
BIS Shrapnel senior project manager Maria Lee said that like other parts of the retail industry, the bulky goods sector has been in the doldrums over the past few years.
Leading up to 2007, consumers were spending a phenomenal amount on furniture, televisions and household electrical appliances. That boosted demand from retailers of bulky items for floor space which in turn triggered a construction boom in the sector.
At that time, retail space for bulky goods was being added at a rate of about 440,000 square metres a year, according to BIS Shrapnelâs research.
âThat was a one-off period that we canât expect to go back to,â Ms Lee said. âThe sector was in its infancy then.â
BIS Shrapnel puts out an annual outlook for the bulky goods sector. It will release the next report in late November.
Ms Lee said itâs likely that over the next five to 10 years consumer spending on bulky items will grow at a much slower rate than it did in those days.
Expenditure growth will be stronger than it has been since 2009 when the global financial crisis shot holes in consumer confidence, leading them to curb spending, but it certainly wonât be anywhere near the double digit rates posted before the bust, Ms Lee said. Lower consumer appetite will restrain demand from retailers for space.
âPut weaker demand together with a supply side that is fairly well covered that means that the prospects for rental growth and value growth are lower than they used to be,â Ms Lee said.
The home hardware market might be the exception.
Last year, the two retailers added a total of between 300,000 and 350,000 square metres of floor space to the supply of bulky goods properties, according to BIS Shrapnel estimates. Add to that the expansion plans of IKEA, which opens 35,000 square metre stores every now and then, and thatâs a lot of development in the sector, Ms Lee said.
Almost 900,000 square metres of new bulky goods multi-unit space was added to the market between 2006 and 2009.
Since that time few projects have commenced and (excluding the hardware giants) there is little in the planning stages, Jones Lang LaSalle national retail analyst Andrew Quillfeldt said.
âNew supply is likely to remain constrained over the next few years and this will support a rebalancing of market conditions,â Mr Quillfeldt said. âWe believe that it will take some time before competitive pressure builds in the leasing market and for rental growth to recover.â
The key drivers of demand for bulky goods space â housing construction and consumer confidence â have been under pressure.
âWhile conditions remain challenging at present, we maintain a relatively positive outlook for the bulky goods sector over the medium term,â Mr Quillfeldt said.
Listed home builders
Households are rebuilding their balance sheets, having paid down debt and are using the reduction on home mortgage rates to accelerate repayments. The job market remains firm and wages are rising. Population growth is also reasonably strong.
âThe household goods category is likely to receive an additional boost when the housing recovery gets under way. This will have a positive flow-on effect to demand for bulky goods space,â Mr Quillfeldt said.
Knight Frank Australiaâs associate director of capital transactions in Adelaide, Guy Bennett, said investorsâ appetites for bulky goods retail centres were returning with yields between 9 and 11 per cent.
âBuyers, including some major international players, are now reconsidering the sector,â Mr Bennett said. âCharter Hall recently sold their Mile End Homemaker Centre for $43.8 million, which they owned for a short period of time and sold it for more than what they paid, which is another positive sign that the sector is gaining momentum again.â
The Australian Financial Review


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‘Their crops are so good they open new markets year after year’
Russia is strengthening its leading position in grain trade and eyeing new markets
Abundant harvests and reasonable investment helped Russia to turn from net importer of wheat into the world’s top exporter. It may soon increase supplies to Algeria, which is one of the largest buyers of grain, thanks to new smoother rules adopted by the African state.
Russia looks set to cement its place as the dominant force in the wheat world, considers Bloomberg adding that cheap supplies have helped the country grab export-market share from the US to EU in the past decade. While 20 years ago, Russia was reliant on wheat imports, now it accounts for a fifth of the global market selling grain to more than 100 countries and constantly increasing volumes.
“You can see the staggering increase in both production and exports from Russia,” commented Managing Director of CRM AgriCommodities James Bolesworth. “Russia has invested heavily in order to increase market share, and it’s still growing.” The country is seeking to extend the list of its partners by entering markets that didn’t accept its wheat before. This year, it has started supplies to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom relaxed its rules on the level of bug damage in cargoes. On 18 September, Algeria’s state grains agency also announced relaxing bug-damage rules. From its next tender, the world’s third-biggest buyer will start accepting offers from all countries including Russia.
Although Russia’s agriculture officials haven’t confirmed any changes yet, shippers have been already invited to Algerian tenders. Earlier this year, a trial shipment from Russia passed Algerian quality tests. Currently, Algeria is the largest customer of French wheat, so an increase in Russian supplies may seriously undermine France’s position, as the country’s exports outside the EU are already expected to halve this season.
Low prices have helped Russia grab significant market share from other market players in the past decade. In Egypt, Russian suppliers have won about 80% of tenders so far this season. To increase their crops, Russian farmers invested rising incomes in fertilisers and top-of-the-line equipment to further boost output as well as expanded storage to have an opportunity to hold grain until higher prices. “Their crops are so good they open new markets year after year,” said Head of Research at Marex Spectron broker Georgi Slavov. “Russia’s low supply-chain costs have helped to grab more business from suppliers like the US,” he added.
This season, Russia is expected to ship out 37,5 million tonnes and reclaim its ranking as the world’s top exporter thanks to the second-largest harvest ever.


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Amazon finds fulfilment on banks of Grand Union
Britain’s insatiable appetite for online shopping has prompted Amazon to pledge 2,000 jobs at three new warehouses sorting parcels of books, music and gifts.
Expansion plans were disclosed by the American retailer at the opening of a so-called “fulfilment centre” on a 450,000 square foot industrial estate in Hemel Hempstead, within earshot of the M1.
Amazon describes the new warehouse as being on “the banks of the Grand Union canal” in a town “stretching all the way back to Roman times”. It is yet to disclose the location of its further openings.
Christopher North, the managing director of Amazon.co.uk, said: “Our recruitment team has been exceptionally busy, hiring hundreds of employees.” The world’s largest online retailer is advertising for staff in human resources, IT, facilities


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Google's Allo messaging app has only been available for a little over a week, but it appears the app is already pretty popular among Android users. Only a few days ago it was reported that the messaging app had been downloaded more than 1 million times from the Google Play Store. Now, the messaging app's popularity has surpassed the next marker, reaching over 5 million downloads on the Play Store since its release.
Although the Play Store listing states that the app has surpassed 5 million downloads, there's now way to be sure what the exact number is, or even downloads that come from users who have downloaded the app on more than one device. What is sure though, is the fact that the app has got off to a relatively good start. hitting the top of the Play Store within a couple of days and surpassing the 5 million downloads in a similar time-frame to Duo, which took about a week to reach 5 million downloads, although Duo has now surpassed the 10 million mark.
Without a doubt, the standout feature for Allo is the preview version of Google Assistant, which is essentially a bot that allows you to interact with Google and is similar in a way to Google Now. Users have the ability to ask Google's Assistant questions regarding more or less anything and the virtual assistant will search Google in order to provide a result. Also, users can set up subscriptions such as a daily weather forecast and can even play games such as Solitaire within the app. All of this is rumored to eventually be combined with the integration of Google Duo, meaning Allo users could easily start a video call with any of their contacts without needing to leave the app.
Allo currently sits alongside Hangouts, which Google plans on turning into a business-focused messaging app, and Messenger, the company's simple SMS messaging app, which it encourages users to use for SMS instead of Hangouts. With Google Allo still in the early stages and the hype still relatively high, it remains to be seen if Google can capitalize on this period and create a true competitor to the likes of WhatsApp.


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By PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
The year-on-year trend for the Philippines was up 2 points, however.
While consumer confidence across a number of Southeast Asian markets took a dip in the third quarter, the other countries in the region that remained the world’s top 10 most optimistic were Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
After the Philippines, Indonesia closely follows as the market with the fourth-most-confident consumers, with a score of 116 (the Philippines scored 115), dropping 4 points from the second quarter and down 9 points year on year.
Thailand (ranked fifth globally) was flat quarter on quarter with 111 and down 2 points compared with the same quarter a year ago.
Vietnam ranked 10th globally with a CCI score of 105, up 1 point quarter on quarter and up 3 points year on year.
Meanwhile Malaysia, which posted the region’s lowest score (78), also posted the region’s steepest decline, down 11 points quarter on quarter and 21 points year on year, largely driven by consumer concern around currency devaluation and rising food prices.
Globally, consumer confidence rose slightly to 99 in the third quarter, up 3 points compared with the second quarter.
The survey further revealed that recessionary sentiment among Filipino consumers was down by 1 percentage point in the third quarter, along with Singaporeans (minus 5) and Vietnamese (minus 3).
In contrast, recessionary sentiment rose in Malaysia (16), Indonesia (10) and Thailand (8).
Job security, a work and life balance and health feature prominently in Filipino consumers’ list of key concerns. Similar with other consumers in Southeast Asia, Filipinos continue to give financial security top priority.


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CSH ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF PUTNAM LADDERS
Solidifying CSH's position as USA's leading rolling ladder manufacturer
Cedarburg, WI—Custom Service Hardware (CSH) is acquiring Putnam Ladder Co., Inc. and adding their rolling ladder options to CSH’s own Quiet Glide and E-Glide ladder lines to give customers even more custom options and flexibility. The acquisition will be finalized Feb. 5th.
Putnam Rolling Ladder Co. (based in Hoboken, NJ) has been in business since 1905 and is the oldest company producing rolling ladders in the US. They offer a fully customizable product, allowing customers to choose the wood type and the hardware, which is available in everything from chrome to oil-rubbed bronze to satin nickel.
CSH has been manufacturing their own brand of premium rolling ladders in Cedarburg since 2007 under the name Quiet Glide and has seen widespread success selling to contractors and retail DIYers across the country and around the world. More recently, CSH has pursued means of reaching a wider audience with more varied options and price points.
“With even more offerings now, Custom Service Hardware has become the nation’s leading manufacturer of rolling library ladders,” says Tim Stepanski, Director of Sales and Marketing at CSH. “Putnam will join CSH’s already very successful Quiet Glide line as well as our other recent addition–the E-Glide.”
Putnam Ladders will continue to be sold through putnamrollingladder.com, while CSH’s Quiet Glide and E-glide ladders will remain on cshardware.com.
CSH is a manufacturer of premium rolling ladders, rolling barn door hardware, and hidden bookcase doors, as well as a supplier of over 30,000 products to builders, contractors, and homeowners worldwide. With 100,000 square feet of warehouse space and 50 full-time employees, CSH has become a leader in the wholesale hardware industry.


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Superstar Salman Khan who is known to be the ultimate friend in Bollywood took to his Instagram to promote her close friend Katrina Kaif's newly launched make-up brand. Sharing the picture, Salman wrote, 'Congrats @katrinakaif for the launch of ur new makeup line. To all my fans, ab aap bhi Make up ke liye line mein khade ho Jao. . . pls follow karo . . @kaybykatrina'
Earlier Katrina shared a video that offered a sneak peek into her new line of makeup products, Kay beauty. Sharing the video on her Instagram Katrina wrote, 'its finallyyyyyyyyyy ready ......... ARRIVING October 22, 2019 Two years ago i dreamt of creating a beauty line ........So excited to finally share it with you ...... can’t wait And it’s all on @kaybykatrina'
Katrina said her new beauty line will be a bridge between glamour and care. Katrina said that she came up with this idea of a new beauty line almost two years ago. Katrina shared a letter telling about her new beauty line
"I'm always on the clock, always on the run, with endless shoots that involve me wearing make-up all the time. As much as I love the look and feel of it, I do wish my skin felt as comfortable, as I did wearing it."
Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif who have been seen together in films like Maine Pyar Kyu Kiya, Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai were last seen together in this year's Eid release Bharat. Katrina will next be seen teaming up with Akshay Kumar for Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi.