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Bought by Amazon:
Amazon’s most recent earnings:
Record profit of $2.88 billion
If more consumers become Prime members and Whole Foods shoppers, the organic market could continue to transform into a go-to grocer.
When Amazon bought Whole Foods a little more than a year ago, there were a lot of predictions and expectations about what the organic grocer would become under the tech giant and how it could threaten the grocery business.
After a year of evaluation, this acquisition has spurred a wave of changes big and small to both Whole Foods and the broader grocery industry. But just looking at Whole Foods, the grocery store is in a much better place than it was before the buyout. Looking back, the grocer was just barely hanging on, with sales falling each quarter while stakeholders grew increasingly frustrated with the company’s performance.
Today, the specialty grocer's reality is a bit brighter. Sales and traffic are up slightly and the store has launched numerous Prime promotions and discounts this year. The grocer has also cut ties with small suppliers to shift the focus to bigger brands and just increased minimum wage for store employees — a lot of change for just a year.
"It's been an incredible year. Our increase in sales has been far greater than I anticipated, and it's continuing," Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said earlier this year at a town-hall-style company wide meeting.
The Prime discounts are intended to bring in new consumers that wouldn't have otherwise shopped at Whole Foods and increase Prime memberships. Yahoo finance reported that 41% of Whole Foods' new customers were Prime members compared to 34% in June of last year.
"That has served as somewhat of an incentive, but in the grocery business, percent can be very tricky so it all depends on what the price is," Victor Martino, founder of Third Wave Strategies and a grocery columnist, told Grocery Dive.
In addition to Prime discounts, Amazon has honed and expanded Whole Foods e-commerce push. The grocer now offers same-day delivery for online orders, which includes free two-hour service for Prime members. The grocer also kicked off curbside pickup this year for online grocery orders, which are only available to Prime members through its app.
"It's been an incredible year. Our increase in sales has been far greater than I anticipated, and it's continuing."
Whole Foods CEO
Whole Foods is trying to lead the pack when it comes to the shift to online grocery shopping. A report from Brick Meets Click found that online orders make up 5.5% of U.S. supermarket sales. While the Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen predicted that grocery e-commerce could become a $100 billion market in just four years.
The grocer's e-commerce expansion has pushed other retailers, like Kroger and Walmart, to accelerate their e-commerce investments. Martino said Whole Foods' digital evolution has advanced significantly with Prime and has pushed other grocers to keep up.
"The biggest impact is on the industry in terms of accelerating digital grocery," Martino said. "The impact that the jury is still out on is whether or not Amazon owning Whole Foods has any competitive pressure on the grocery business in terms of sales."
A spokesman from Whole Foods declined to comment for this article.
But Amazon-Whole Foods hasn't been without its trials and tribulations. The grocer cut ties with small suppliers and imposed merchandising fees that some argue has shifted the chain’s focus to bigger name brands. Experts and insiders have said that Amazon is pushing to supply Whole Foods with even more products with artificial sweeteners and mainstream foods. This shift could lower prices and bring in a different type of consumer, but may also risk the loyalty of longtime shoppers and organic lovers.
"Some of the Amazon people want to sell more conventional items like Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Tide, whereas the Whole Foods folks don't think that's a good idea for obvious reasons because they won't be Whole Foods anymore," Martino said. "Can they make up what they lose by a more mass customer base? Maybe they can... I don't know if anybody knows, but I think that's their challenge."
The changes could be positive and bring in a slew of new customers. David Diamond, president of David Diamond Associates in New York, told Grocery Dive that this transition to offer more mainstream items is "just at the beginning." He said that soon customers will probably be able to buy any of the items that Amazon sells in Whole Foods using in-store lockers.
Will the tension between organic values and mainstream promotions hurt Whole Foods over the long run? Mackey revealed during the town hall this year that conflict between him and Amazon’s executives was common. But he seemed to imply that the back-and-forth will make the grocer stronger over the long run.
"I'm sure that Amazon has probably gotten more disagreement from me than any other single person, and possibly more than everyone else combined," Mackey said. "I have the least amount to lose. I have done this for 40 years. I am financially secure. I love Whole Foods."


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Nostalgia seems to go a long way these days with many Dragon Ball Z fans chomping at the bit for more immersive experiences now that Dragon Ball Super has had such huge success.
Goku’s dad and a big buff angry man are coming very soon as paid DLC.
After what felt like a lack of game variety for Nintendo’s newest console in it’s first year, Nintendo Direct solved that problem on Thursday!
Activision is back with their annual COD release! On Tuesday, Activision revealed that they are releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 later this year. I don’t think anyone was surprised that this is happening, but ...
Get ready to visit Yharnam and the Solana Galaxy for free (if you pay the $60 annual fee)!
Two new characters are coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ in the first DLC character pack, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled.
Hopefully this becomes reality! Recently, Sony has sent out a survey to random PSN players, asking if users would be interested in a feature that would allow players to change their PSN gamertag. An anonymous ...
The popular dragon is long overdue for some HD love, and it turns out it is actually going to happen this year.
CRYING? WHO’S CRYING?
Plus summons, party members, and when we’ll learn the release date.
Next month, Rainbow Six’s third season kicks off with Operation Chimera, and along with that comes a unique “Outbreak” event that brings monsters to the battlefield.
One talented competitive gamer has caught media attention after making the Top 8 in a local tournament of DBFZ while using a piano keyboard controller.
The age-old question of whether or not Toad is wearing a mushroom hat has finally been answered. Now maybe we can stop arguing about it.
PC players have already begun to dig around in the game files and make some neat changes that see new character designs for some of your favorite Z-Fighters and series villains.
All four turtles join the playable roster in what appears to be one shellshocking addition with wild ninjutsu skateboarding combos and a lot of pizza.
The Switch online service will also finally launching this fall.

domain: news


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As part of its quarterly Business Liaison Program, Treasury met and held teleconferences with businesses and organisations during February and March 2012. Treasury greatly appreciates the commitment of time and effort by the organisations that participate in this program.
Liaison discussions suggested uncertainty around the global outlook continues to weigh on business sentiment. Firms in the mining and mining related sectors report a strong pipeline of investment and activity, while contacts in retail and manufacturing generally had a more downbeat outlook.
While labour market pressures had eased over the course of 2011, there are some niche areas where skills shortages and wage pressures are likely to remain.
Strong demand was again evident in the resources sector. Activity and investment continue to be supported by strong demand from emerging Asia, in particular China. On the east coast, firms reported that coal production had yet to fully recover from the adverse weather events in early 2011.
Activity continues to remain uneven across the rest of the economy. Contacts in the retail sector reported that the trading environment was challenging with some retail lines (such as women’s fashion) deeply discounted over the Christmas period. Contacts cited the elevated Australian dollar as a key source of pressure with customers increasingly shopping online and greater numbers of Australians holidaying overseas instead of domestically.
Contacts in the manufacturing sector noted that trading conditions continued to be difficult and highlighted the sustained high Australian dollar as a key source of pressure. However, firms noted a lowered cost of imported capital equipment as a positive effect of the high exchange rate. Contacts in the consumer goods areas of manufacturing also highlighted weaker domestic demand as a concern and expected this to continue in the near term.
Overall, contacts reported an easing in hiring conditions, though the story was mixed across sectors. Recruitment in the mining and energy sectors remains at record levels, with the recent global downturn having no material impact on hiring. An excess of demand for skilled employees has also seen firms in the mining and related construction sectors being less selective in recruitment, but spending more on training.
Contacts in the mining sector continued to report strong use of fly-in-fly-out workforces with some contacts in Western Australia noting that they are increasingly flying in workers from the eastern seaboard, as well as from Perth.
In the non-mining sector, firms reported a noticeable slowdown in recruitment through the second half of 2011. Some businesses reported that, as a response to global uncertainty, they had increased the utilisation of their existing workforce rather than taking on new employees.
Strong wages growth is expected in the mining and mining related sectors of the economy, particularly in professions where skills shortages are being felt most acutely. Overall, contacts in non-resources related sectors reported a softening of wage pressures since the middle of 2011.
Overall, contacts reported that credit conditions remained largely steady this round. Large firms generally noted that credit was available at reasonable rates, despite challenging capital market conditions in 2011.
There were some concerns regarding the availability of credit in the construction sector, with contacts in the non-residential sector reporting that, particularly for office space, lenders have required higher levels of pre-commitment before providing finance.
In the manufacturing sector, several firms noted the importance of productivity improvement and innovation programs to their business.


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This initiative has been taken in an effort to accommodate the increased demand from companies across the pharma supply chain
CPhI Worldwide, organised by UBM EMEA, announced the opening of the annual CPhI Pharma Awards for 2016 – with four additional categories covering the entire pharmaceutical supply chain. Now in their 13th consecutive year, the CPhI Pharma Awards will honour companies and individuals driving the pharma industry forward through innovations, new approaches, technologies and strategies.
This year’s awards are open to applications from across the pharmaceutical industry and are split into 12 categories, four more categories than in 2015, in an effort to accommodate the increased demand from companies across the pharma supply chain.
Following the trends in the market, and the growth in APIs and Excipients, this category has now been split into two separate awards: ‘Excellence in API Development’ and ‘Excellence in Formulation and Excipients’. A new category is also being created to acknowledge achievements in drug delivery devices – ‘Excellence in Pharma: Drug Delivery Devices’.
Additionally, new categories include ‘Excellence in Pharma: Regulatory Procedures and Compliance’, ‘Excellence in Pharma: Analysis, Testing and Quality Control’, and ‘Excellence in Pharma: Corporate Social Responsibility’.


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Sunday, June 09, 2019
"So which choice is the least bad? Well, it depends whom you ask.
In April, Quartz published an article titled “Your cotton tote is pretty much the worst replacement for a plastic bag.” The story was based on a 2018 life cycle assessment of grocery bags from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, which found that single-use plastic was less detrimental than cotton totes or even paper bags when it comes to how their manufacturing affects climate change, ozone depletion, water use, air pollution and toxicity for humans.
“Cotton bags must be reused thousands of times before they meet the environmental performance of plastic bags — and, the Denmark researchers write, organic cotton is worse than conventional cotton when it comes to overall environmental impact,” according to Quartz."
Are Plastic, Paper Or Reusable Bags Better For The Environment?


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As founder and CEO of Denterlein, Geri leads a strategic communications firm known for enhancing and protecting the reputations of some of the country’s best known brands. Drawing on 30 years of experience, Geri personally advises C-suite executives and boards of directors preparing for or responding to adverse events. From cyber security breaches to leadership changes, regulatory investigations and contentious litigation, Geri expertly guides clients through the key stages of crisis response. A former TV journalist and editorial director, Geri expertly shifts the public narrative to one that underscores the company’s commitment to its employees and customers, reestablishing the most valuable asset: trust.
CEO confidence in future business conditions fell 6% in August from July, according to Chief Executive’s most recent polling. At 6.2 out of 10 on our 1-10 scale, confidence is at its lowest level since October 2016.


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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu has said the nation’s refineries produce only 22 per cent of the daily national premium motor spirit (PMS) requirements.
The Minister who spoke yesterday in Abuja noted that the poor production from the refineries accounted for the huge cost of importation of petrol in 2016 approximated at N3.35trillion, adding that it is this reason that government wants private sector entrepreneurs to fix the refineries and make the country exit importation and subsidy payment by 2019.
Kachikwu said: “The Federal Government made an approximated 20 metric tons of importation of petroleum products valued at about N3.35trillion last year (January to December, 2016). As a result of this we are trying to make the refineries work at full 100 per cent nameplate capacity.
“Currently, national average refining output is at six million litres daily as against daily consumption of 35 million litres of PMS (petrol) reflecting an output of 22-24 per cent.
“Also close to 30 per cent of foreign exchange allocation given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) goes to the petroleum sector imports, which is a huge drain on the nation’s foreign exchange. Current reality is that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) takes responsibility as the last resort importer takes upfront payment of subsidy to do this and there is a huge amount of job losses that arise when refineries are not utilized.
“What we are doing is to target cease of importation of petroleum products by 2019 and get advantage in terms of foreign exchange conservation, job creation, stability of market in terms of price and production. We want to transit from an OPEC member that imports to local processing hence we seek financing to repair the refineries.”


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The popular Shenmue 3 kickstarter has added a surprise new option for backers to pursue. If a contributor puts forth $60, they will now receive a physical copy of the game for Playstation 4.
Previously, a disc-based version of the highly anticipated game was only going to be available on PC. However, due to the tidal wave of support for the title, PS4 owners will now receive similar treatment.
Shenmue 3 was unveiled at Playstation’s E3 conference last month and went to smash a Guinness World Record by meeting its Kickstarter goal in under nine hours.
Are you excited by the prospect of getting a physical version of the game? Will you be putting down the $60 required? Let us know in the comments below.


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The city of Mandan has launched its first-ever business podcast series called “Made in Mandan”.
The podcast will feature six local business owners as they discuss their experiences in starting, operating and growing a business in Mandan. The purpose of the podcast is to inspire entrepreneurs, provide resources, and create mentors in the community.
The podcast is part of Mandan’s joint community marketing program, that Mandan’s Business Development and Communications Department participates in.
Organizers say the city is becoming popular for business and they say it shows in the records.
“We are very much working to grow our base of businesses in the community and we are seeing that growth happen. Evidence is showing up in the increase of our commercial property tax base, we are also seeing sales tax collections have grown over the years,” said Ellen Huber, business development & communications director.
The first podcast was released on July 29th and new episodes will be every other week until late October.
To listen to the podcast click here


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- This event has passed.
March 9, 2022 - March 10, 2022
Experience the most dynamic trade only event in the world’s largest market:
In 2010 the US became the largest wine consuming nation, and is a net importer of wine.
2016 marked the 24th consecutive year of growth for US wine sales, with 1-3% annual growth rate in volume and 2-4% in value.
Wine sales in the US reached more than $59 billion in 2016, a 4% increase over 2015.
36% of US adults drink wine, and 38% of US wine consumers drink wine weekly.
As of 2016, there were more than 550,000 retail outlets selling wine in the US.


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Hero Cycles to make chassis for BMW
Hero Cycles will make chassis for German automobile giant BMW. The production will start at the bicycle maker's Chennai plant that goes operational in January 2015.Updated: Mar 02, 2014 23:30 IST
Hero Cycles will make chassis for German automobile giant BMW. The production will start at the bicycle maker's Chennai plant that goes operational in January 2015.
Hero Cycles co-chairman and managing director Pankaj Munjal confirmed this on Sunday the at the "Future of Bicycle Industry" conference here during the three-day India International Cycle Exhibition. The company will inaugurate its Bihar plant in June.
For increasing the sale of bicycles in the country, especially among the poor class, the company has in collaboration with non-banking financial institution Fullerton India floated a micro finance scheme in the rural belts. At the exhibition organised by United Cycles and Parts Manufacturer Association (UCPMA), Munjal said Hero Cycles would also takeover a German company in March to serve the bicycle industry in the US and Europe.
The company has to diversify now because in the past six years, Chinese bicycles have eaten into the market share of the Ludhiana industry. Since the deal with Fullerton in September last year, Hero Cycles has been able to sell 8,000 bicycles a month.
Bicycle for Rs 80
"The average down payment is Rs 2,500 for a motorcycle and Rs 50,000 for a car, yet many people in the country don't even earn Rs 100 a day. We give them a bicycle for a down payment of only Rs 80," said Munjal, adding: "The company opens a zero-balance account for these consumers."
First Published: Mar 02, 2014 23:28 IST


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Advent International and Bain Capital have entered exclusive talks to acquire payment processing group WorldPay from RBS.
Advent International reportedly is out of the auction for Italian software company TeamSystem, which is being sold by Bain Capital. Remaining bidders are Cinven, HgCapital and Sage.
Alberta Investment Management Corp. has ended talks to acquire British private equity firm Candover.
Alliance Boots, a UK-based retail pharmacy group owned by KKR, has acquired Turkish drugs wholesaler Hedef Alliance. No financial terms were disclosed.
American Standard Brands, a portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners, has acquired Safety Tubs LLC, a maker of walk-in bathtubs for those with limited mobility. No financial terms were disclosed. Safety Tubs was represented on the deal by Cross Keys Capital.
Axela Inc., a Toronto-based provider of DNA, RNA and protein analysis, has acquired local rival Xceed Molecular. No financial terms were disclosed. Axela is backed by VenGrowth Private Equity Partners.
Birds Eye Iglo, a portfolio company of Permira, has agreed to buy Italian frozen foods group Findus from Unilever for €805 million.
The Blackstone Group and TPG Capital reportedly are “unlikely” to keep pursuing RadioShack Corp. The firms had been working together on a joint bid for the electronics retailer, which has a market cap of around $2.7 billion. Bain Capital also has dropped out of the process.
The Carlyle Group and TPG Capital have agreed to buy Australian hospital company Healthscope Ltd. for US$1.73 billion.
The Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire nutritional supplements maker NBTY Inc. in a $3.8 billion leveraged buyout. NBTY stockholders would receive $55 per share, while debt financing has been committed by BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital and Credit Suisse. The deal includes $2.4 billion in debt financing.
The Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire Qualicorp, a Brazilian health insurance plan administrator. No financial terms were disclosed. Sellers include private equity firm General Atlantic, which bought a minority stake in 2008.
Cerberus Capital Management has offered to acquire building products distributor BlueLinx Holdings Inc. The $3.40 per share offer represents a 36% premium to Wednesday’s closing price, and would value BlueLinx at around $111 million.
Clorox Co. has received more than a dozen preliminary bids for its STOP and Armor All auto care brands, according to Bloomberg. Suitors include The Blackstone Group, Castle Harlan and Golden Gate Capital.
Colony Capital and Cogsville Group LLC reportedly have won a $1.85 billion portfolio of distressed commercial real estate loans auctioned off by the FDIC. The two firms would hold a 49 percent stake in the loans, for $445 million (including a $218m up-front cash payment).
Crescent House Publishing Inc., a Carlsbad, Calif.-based provider of multimedia technologies to the retail market, has raised an undisclosed amount of mezzanine funding from Huntington Capital.
Energy Future Holdings Corp. (fka TXU), a portfolio company of KKR and TPG Capital, has launched a new, multi-billion dollar debt exchange.
Genco Distribution Systems Inc. has agreed to buy engineering and logistics firm ATC Technology Group for around $512.6 million in cash. The deal will be partially financed via a $125 million investment from Greenbriar Equity Group.
GenNx360 Capital Partners has acquired Maine Machine Products Co., a South Paris, Maine-based maker of precision components and assemblies for the defense, oil and gas, and semiconductor industries. No financial terms were disclosed.
Graphite Capital has sponsored a 45 million pound management buyout of Teaching Personnel, a UK-based provider of teachers and support staff to schools. The seller was RJD Partners.
Harvest Partners has made a “major investment” in Seminole Energy Services LLC, a Tulsa-based provider of natural gas services. No financial terms were disclosed.
Hugh Hefner has released text of a letter sent to the Playboy board of directors, regarding his bid to take the company private.
J.C. Flowers & Co. has agreed to purchase €450 million worth of convertible bonds in Spanish bank Banca Civica, according to Bloomberg.
Lion Capital reportedly has offered to buy French convenience-food company Picard Surgeles from BC Partners, at an enterprise value of approximately €1.5 billion euros.
Lion Capital and Permira reportedly are the frontrunners for Findus, the Italian frozen foods unit of Unilever. BC Partners also is expected to bid, with a winner being selected within the next few weeks.
Mason Wells has completed its acquisition of Appleton’s Performance Packaging operations. The deal was valued at around $58 million. The newly-independent company will be named NEX Performance Films Inc., and will make single and multilayer polyethylene films.
Morgenthaler Private Equity announced that is has acquired Enginetics Aerospace, a Huber Heights, Ohio-based maker of metal components for commercial and military aircraft engines. No financial terms were disclosed. The firm also disclosed that it has sponsored a recapitalization of Satellite Logistics Group, a Houston-based provider of reverse logistics solutions and related services to the beer and beverage industry.
Navigation Capital Partners has acquired LEPService Inc., a provider of infrastructure-related data services to electric utilities in the Southeastern United States. The Atlanta-based company marks the second in a series of acquisitions planned by Navigation Capital in the so-called smart-grid sector. The buyout shop plans to merge LEPService with existing portfolio company, Specialized Technical Services Holdings Inc. No financial terms were disclosed.
Oaktree Capital Management and Toll Brothers have won a $1.7 billion portfolio of distressed residential loans auctioned off by the FDIC.
One Equity Partners has offered to buy out remaining shareholders of Austria’s Constantia Packaging at €47 per share. One Equity already holds a 91.5 percent ownership position in Constantia, and its “squeeze-out” offer would value the remaining 8.5 percent at €67 million.
Onex Corp. and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have offered to buy UK auto parts maker Tomkins Plc for $4.5 billion.
Primary Capital has completed its $31 million purchase of stationary retailer Paperchase Products Ltd. from Borders Group.
Revelry Brands has acquired a minority stake in Siggi’s, a New York-based maker of Icelandic-style thick yogurt. No financial terms were disclosed.
Riverside Partners has made a “significant investment” in Tech Valley Communications, an Albany, N.Y.-based CLEC and provider of fiber optic telecom services. No financial terms were disclosed.
San Miguel Corp., a Philippine conglomerate, said it has received multiple offers for its Pure Foods unit. Bidders reportedly include The Carlyle Group, CVC Capital Partners and Universal Robina Corp. San Miguel has shortlisted two bidders for a minority stake in the subsidiary, after receiving five offers.
Sara Lee Corp. reportedly has reached out to private equity firms about a sale of its North American bakery business, which had $2.2 billion in 2009 sales.
Sun Capital Partners has acquired Bar Louie Restaurants, a Chicago-based casual-to-upscale restaurant chain, from an affiliate of Restaurant America. No pricing terms were disclosed.
Sverica International has acquired Syscon Justice Systems, a Vancouver-based provider of software solutions to domestic and international corrections facilities and police departments. No financial terms were disclosed.
Syncsort Inc., a Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based provider of data management and data protection software, has secured a $125 million credit facility. The refinancing was arranged by Golub Capital. Syncsort is a portfolio company of Insight Venture Partners.
Thoma Bravo and Teachers’ Private Capital have completed their take-private acquisition of IT security company SonicWall Inc. The $11.50 per share deal valued SonicWall at around $717 million.
Thompson Street Capital Partners and Charterhouse Group have acquired Colo4 LLC, a Dallas-based provider of carrier-neutral colocation data center services. No financial terms were disclosed.
TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners have agreed to buy Belgium-based diaper-maker Ontex from Candover, for €1.2 billion, in the year’s largest European leveraged buyout deal.
Virgin Active, the UK health and fitness chain controlled by Virgin Group, has met with several private equity firms about a sale that could be worth over $1.5 billion. The company also continues to consider a public floatation.
Vision Solutions Inc., a portfolio company of private equity firm Thoma Bravo, has completed its acquisition of recovery software provider Double-Take Software Inc. The deal was valued at $242 million in cash, or $10.55 per share, a 21 percent premium to its closing price on last day of trading before Double-Take said it was considering alternatives.
Wingate Partners has acquired Dunn Paper Acquisition Inc., a Port Heron, Mich.-based specialty paper manufacturer, from Meriturn Partners. No financial terms were disclosed.
Yellowstone Landscape Group Inc., a portfolio company of Gridiron Capital, has acquired Forest Hills Lawn Service, a Dallas-based provider of landscape maintenance services for government and municipal customers. No financial terms were disclosed.


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BY COLLEEN GOKO for BDLive
MR PRICE Group reported a 17.1% increase in full-year earnings, reaping the rewards of its focus on cash sales in an environment that is becoming credit unfriendly.
Mr Price’s low exposure to credit proved to be a boon in the face of weak economic growth and a rising interest rate cycle. Retailers whose sales are credit driven have had to contend with changes in the National Credit Act, that have made it more difficult for lenders to extend credit to new customers.
About 83% of Mr Price’s sales are for cash. The Foschini Group derives just more than half of its sales on credit, while credit sales at Truworths stand at about 60% of total sales.Lentus Asset Management chief investment officer Nic Norman-Smith said the company’s results were solid in what was becoming an increasingly difficult trading environment.
“On the supply side, competition in the retail sector is increasing with the entry of new global competitors.
“At the same time, consumer demand is under pressure, due to the current lacklustre economic environment.”
Norman-Smith said the industry was likely to come under more pressure, as the weaker rand would force retailers to push prices higher.
“Mr Price is clearly faring well and their position in the ‘value’ sector should enable them to benefit from consumers trading down. Whilst the business continues to generate fantastic results, it is going to be difficult for them to justify the current share price rating placed on the stock,” he said.
In the 53 weeks to end April 2, Mr Price, led by CEO Stuart Bird, reported diluted headline earnings per share of 1012.9c, from 865.1c in the year-earlier period.
The group’s cash sales were 9.2% higher, while credit growth rose 2.3%. Total revenue grew 8.4% to R19.6bn, compared with a year ago. The group declared a final gross cash dividend of 419c per share, up 13.7% compared with the year-earlier period.
Cratos Wealth senior analyst Ron Klipin said the results had been within expectations.
“What I find quite interesting is the strength of the apparel line, with the profit up nearly 13% under difficult market conditions. The home division’s operating profit increase of 22% is also a good result.”
In January 2016, the share price was at about R150, but it has since recovered to close at R184.50 on Tuesday.


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RICHARDSON, TX – (BUSINESS WIRING) – RealPage, Inc., a leading global provider of software and data analytics for the real estate industry, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire G5 Search Marketing, Inc. (“G5”), a leading clean company. is a provider of digital marketing, advertising and real estate analytics solutions. RealPage plans to combine the industry-leading G5 solutions with its end-to-end real estate platform, dramatically accelerating RealPage’s vision of optimizing marketing and ultimately improving rental conditions for its clients. The deal is subject to normal closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.
The G5 serves over 8,300 properties and has a strong presence in the multi-family, senior living and self-service sectors. Since its founding in 2005, G5 has invested in a data-driven SaaS platform that uses machine learning to automate marketing decisions and scale customization. Customers are deploying the G5 to improve property efficiency, reduce tenant acquisition costs, and minimize tenant friction, resulting in higher net operating margins.
“We’re seeing a significant transformation in marketing as our customers move from focusing on lead generation to optimizing the overall tenant experience,” said Steve Wynn, CEO of RealPage. “It takes forward thinking to both measure and optimize a tenant’s ROI for our clients. RealPage is at the forefront of innovation in this area, driven by our acquisition of LeaseLabs in 2018. The G5 will help us take it one step further. Their AI / ML based decision making engine leverages a data platform to automatically optimize marketing strategies and improve operational efficiency at the PMC level. ”
Wynne continued, “We are thrilled to join forces with the G5 team and welcome them to the RealPage family. Over the past 15 years, the G5 has earned an exceptional reputation in the industry, an incredible team of technologists, engineers and marketers, and a rich culture that perfectly complements what we have created at RealPage. ”
Dan Hobin, CEO and Founder of G5, added: “We are thrilled to begin the next chapter of the G5 and times have never been better. The industry is undergoing a massive transformation and it is time for the next generation of marketing platforms and opportunities. I believe that together with RealPage we will become a leader in this sector and will set the quality standards for tenants and marketing optimization for many years to come. ”
RealPage plans to retain G5 employees and operations in Benda, Oregon.
RealPage provides a technology platform that enables property owners and managers to change the way people perceive and use rented space. Clients use the platform to gain transparency in asset performance, leverage analytics, and monetize space to generate additional revenue. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Richardson, Texas, RealPage currently serves over 19 million units worldwide from offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information visit RealPage.com…
G5 is the leading digital marketing software and services platform for apartment buildings. The G5’s mission is to empower customers to outsmart and surpass their competitors with smarter marketing, unrivaled marketing technology, and an extensive workforce that puts marketing efficiency first. Founded in 2005, G5 currently provides marketing solutions for over 8,300 websites in the US and Canada. Based in Benda, Oregon, G5 is backed by private investor PeakEquity Partners. Find out more at GetG5.com…


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China's growth as the factory of the world requires ever increasing amounts of raw materials. Latin America has become a strategic source of raw materials for China's manufacturing process. It is also a supplier of agricultural goods to feed China's people.
This has led to an increasing involvement by the Chinese in Latin America's Economy. The Chinese government and its oil company, CNOOC, have invested US$400 million in gas exploration in Venezuela. China Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co. has invested US$2 billion in a joint venture with Chile's state copper giant Codelco. Baoshan Iron and Steel has invested US$1.4 billion in a joint venture with Brazilian iron-ore giant CVRD for the construction of a new steel plant in Brazil. Yanguang Group has created a new coal company in Brazil in a joint venture with CVRD and Japan's Itocho Corp. Chinese petrochemical corporation Sinopec has an alliance with Brazil's state oil company Petrobras.
The Chinese also are beginning to move higher into the supply chain itself. This is the next natural move. What is the point in investing in raw material if you cannot get it back to China quickly and profitably? Chinese and Korean companies are lobbying for a new Pacific freight port in Baja California at Punta Colonet. This is a US$1 billion investment, aimed at reducing congestion at U.S. Pacific ports, and most importantly, at increasing the efficiencies of getting Chinese imports into the Americas.
As long as China wishes to maintain its economic growth rate, it will depend on raw materials from Latin America. This will drive commodity prices, which will remain strong through 2009, leading to strong currencies in South America. The influx of liquidity will continue upstream into the supply chain, galvanizing the logistics segments of the major Latin American countries.
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LG Energy Solutions to Invest $4.5 Billion in Electric Vehicle Battery Production in the U.S. Through 2025
【Summary】LG Energy Solution said on Thursday it plans to invest more than $4.5 billion in its U.S. battery production business through 2025 and add 4,000 jobs as it considers building at least two new U.S. plants. LG said the investment will add an additional 70GWh of U.S. battery production capacity.
LG Energy Solution said on Thursday it plans to invest more than $4.5 billion in its U.S. battery production business through 2025 and add 4,000 jobs as it considers building at least two new U.S. plants, Reuters reports.
The South Korean company is a unit of LG Chem.
LG said the investment will result in an additional 70GWh of U.S. battery production capacity.
The company declined to say where in the United States it is considering a new battery manufacturing plant, but said it would decide on the new location in the first half of the year.
Denise Gray, president of LG Energy Solutions Michigan unit, told Reuters that the investment would indirectly create another 6,000 jobs during construction and was being made to respond to the growing electric vehicle market.
"We are eager to expand our production capacity so that it can meet the needs of the numerous global automakers across the U.S. and Europe," Gray said.
LG and automaker General Motors have already committed to an investment of $2.3 billion in a joint venture battery factory in Ohio that will build GM's new Utium batteries for its future EVs. That plant is currently under construction.
The two companies are also in talks to build a $2 billion battery factory in Tennessee. A deal for the second factory could be announced as early as next week. Both companies have confirmed they are in discussions for the second factory.
"This is more about (having a) very proactive and preemptive investment plan prior to confirmation of demand from our customers," LG Energy Solution Senior Vice President Chang Seung-se said.
"By adding this capacity earlier, we can quickly respond to market demand and customers' orders," he told reporters.
Last week, LG told Korean reporters that it plans to build a U.S. factory where it would be able to make battery cells for Tesla, as well as for the company's energy storage systems. The plant will also supply batteries to other U.S. and global customers, as well as startups.
Although LG It did not name potential customers for its U.S. battery factory, one of the sources said it was hoping Tesla would buy its batteries, according to the Reuters report.
Over the past decade, LG Chem has become one of the world's biggest suppliers of EV batteries to the auto industry. The company stock has nearly doubled since June 2020 on growing demand for EV batteries.
LG's stock is up over 5% to 939,000 KRW (US$ 830.35) today after the reports of the planned battery factory.
LG is one of Tesla's battery suppliers for its China-made vehicles along with China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), while Japan's Panasonic builds batteries in a joint venture with Tesla for its US-built vehicles, which are exported around the world. CATL has a seperate supply deal with German automaker BMW.
The world's automakers are entering into supply deals with battery makers to ensure that they'll have the batteries needed to ramp up production of EVs over the next decade.
In addition to building batteries in a joint venture with GM, LG is supplying the batteries to luxury-electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors for the Lucid Air sedan which is being built at the company's new factory in Arizona that's nearing completion.
resource from: Reuters
The Biden Administration Asks Automakers to Back its Pledge of 40% of New Car Sales Being Electric by 2030
The Founder & Former CEO of Fuel Cell Truck Startup Nikola Corp Indicted for Misleading Investors
Electric-Only Ride-Hailing Startup Revel Gets Approval to Deploy its Fleet of Tesla Model Ys in New York City on Aug 2
General Motors Issues Recall for 69,000 Chevy Bolt EVs Due to Battery Fire Risk
Toyota Debuts its New Driver Companion & AI Virtual Assistant That's Powered By Google Cloud
Volvo Cars to Take Full Control of its Chinese Business From Automaker Geely as it Explores a Possible IPO
FAW-Volkswagen Begins Deliveries of the Electric ID.6 CROZZ SUV in China
Electric Truck Maker Rivian Delays Deliveries of the R1T Pickup Until September
- Magna’s ‘Surface Element Lighting’ Technology Gives Volkswagen's New ID.4 Electric SUV a Futuristic Look
- Hyundai Shares the First Images of the G70 ‘Shooting Brake’ From its Luxury Division Genesis
- Tesla to Replace Radar in its Model 3, Model Y in the U.S. - Rolling Out ‘Pure Vision Autopilot’ Using Cameras
- Senators Introduce SAFE Act That Could Mandate Driver-Monitoring Systems
- Lincoln To Call Its Hands-Free Driver-Assist System ActiveGlide
- Outsight Develops a Edge Computing Device That Can Pre-processes 3D Lidar Data From Sensors Built by Different Manufacturers
- Tesla Looking to Introduce Full Self-Driving Subscription Soon
- Toyota Debuts its New Driver Companion & AI Virtual Assistant That's Powered By Google Cloud
- Tesla Model S Plaid Boasts 390 Miles of Range, $131,190 Price Tag
- Computer Vision Developer StradVision to Showcase its Most Advanced Perception Camera for Autonomous Driving & ADAS at Auto Tech 2021


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Yes, OnePlus will be releasing a foldable phone later this year
In news that surprises no one, OnePlus announced today at MWC'23 that its working on a foldable phone that will see the light of day later this year. This is important news as it potentially sets the stage for the first serious competitor to Samsung's foldable phones in the US, which have been running rampant on the local market for foldables.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4, as well as most of their predecessors have had lax competition; the upcoming OnePlus foldable could definitely upset this established status-quo. As a refresher, OnePlus announced the OnePlus 11 just a few weeks ago, streamlining its portfolio and leaving the door wide ajar for more exciting announcements later this year.
"Our first foldable phone will have the signature OnePlus fast and smooth experience. It must be a flagship phone that doesn't settle because of its folding form, in terms of industrial design, mechanical technology, and other aspects. We want to launch a device that aims to be at the pinnacle experience of today’s foldable market," said OnePlus COO and President Kinder Liu, essentially revealing OnePlus' plans for the remainder of 2023. Surely, the company could also announce another traditional flagship phone later this year, quite possibly a OnePlus 11T, accompanied by said foldable.
OnePlus doesn't really reveal too much about its upcoming foldable phone, but we've been hearing rumors for some time now that the never-settling company could essentially borrow most of the hardware from sister company Oppo. In particular, the Oppo Find N2 name has been regularly thrown in as the most possible "donor" for OnePlus' foldable endeavor. Surely, some patent-related hoops and hurdles will possibly have to be resolved before OnePlus' version of the Oppo Find N2 could get released in the US.
The Oppo Find N2 was released in China back in December, with a large 7.1-inch internal display, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 on deck, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Quite the hardware setup, but given that OnePlus will be released much later in 2023, we expect certain hardware improvements. Most notably, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could be a very big performance and efficiency improvement that would make the OnePlus foldable phone a competitive entrant on the market.
Things that are NOT allowed:


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Borough council set to unveil £1.2million plans for Hatfield town centre
PUBLISHED: 15:00 07 October 2017
The borough council is set to unveil its latest £1.2million plans to revitalise a part of Hatfield town centre.
Proposals to redesign the public space in White Lion Square will be on display in Number 3c/d Town Centre between 10am and 8pm on Wednesday, October 18 and 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 28.
They follow a public consultation in early 2015, which sought views on how residents would like to see the space used.
A council spokeswoman said it aims to make better use of the area, create a more welcoming environment and drive footfall to shops and businesses in and around the town centre.
It is a further step in the council’s multi-million pound transformation of White Lion Square, which has included new shop fronts, lighting and facades.
The spokeswoman added that it comes in addition to a major refurbishment programme, which includes the square’s canopy, 19 flats and White Lion House community and office facilities.
Bernard Sarson, executive member for business and partnerships, said: “We’ve considered a range of new, modern design features to encourage people to spend time in White Lion Square and enjoy the outside space.
“I really hope people will come to see us on one of these dates, look at the designs and speak to officers about all the positive changes we’re continuing to drive forward in Hatfield.”
A planning application to gain approval for the works is expected to be submitted before the end of the year, with work starting in 2018.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Welwyn Hatfield Times. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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A Blossoming Regulatory Environment Supports These Stocks
With Canada’s cannabis market maturing and the U.S. well on the way toward nationwide legalization, the future for cannabis looks bright. While many of the larger players may seem overpriced after recent activity within the market there are still values to be had. Today’s lineup up of cannabis penny stocks includes not one but three stocks on track to grow in 2021 or that are already growing and producing profits.
Vivo Cannabis Is On Track To Grow
Vivo Cannabis (OTCMKTS: VVCIF) is among Canada’s smallest integrated operators and yet one with successful international operations as well. The company reported its first significant sales in Australia in its Q4 2020 results and there are other green shoots as well. Among them are a partner who just received approval to manufacture a medical product using Vivo Cannabis cannabis, the release of new Legalization 2.0 products including a brick hash, and the certification of an EU facility that will soon begin shipping product as well.
The only negative in the report is the company’s revenue which fell on a YOY basis but there is a mitigating factor. Much of the difference is attributed to the timing of inventory orders in relation to pre-stocking for the launch of Canada’s Legalization 2.0 products. The rest is due to COVID-related consumer shifts that should abate with the economic reopening. What we like about this stock is that, while it is focusing on growth, the company is also streamlining operations to boost profitability. In our view, this company will either succeed on its own or become a takeover target for another operation.
Delta 9 Is Growing Now
Delta 9 (OTCMKTS: VRNDF) is another Canadian operator we think is on track to give investors big returns. The company is a vertically integrated cannabis company whose revenue grew 8% sequentially and 33% YOY in the Q4 period and the company is projecting growth to continue. Another big difference is that Delta 9 is also profitable now. Unlike most other cannabis companies even the big four Delta 9 has been producing positive gross margins and EBITDA for several quarters and profitability is accelerating. The gross margin grew to 31% in the 4th quarter and produced $4.4 million in earnings or up 132% from last year.
"Our focus on disciplined, profitable growth has paid dividends for Delta 9 as we are reporting record Adjusted EBITDA and record year over year and sequential revenue results”, said John Arbuthnot, CEO. “Delta 9 Cannabis continues to execute its vertically integrated strategy as it continues to accelerate revenue growth and implement prudent control costs. We are incredibly proud of our 300 plus employees for helping make this a record year for Delta 9.”
Supreme Cannabis Is The Premium Choice
Supreme Cannabis (OTCMKTS: SPRWF) stands out not only for its growth but for its strategy as well. The 54.3% YOY revenue growth produced in the fiscal 2nd quarter is impressive enough but when combined with the company’s strategy of premium branding is even more so. Sales of premium brands have taken the biggest hit during the pandemic but provide the highest margins. The fact Supreme Cannabis is able to produce growth in this category is proof that smaller brands can compete and gain market share against the bigger operators. And Supreme Cannabis is able to do it with increasing profitability having grown EBITDA to over $3 million from just $0.3 million in the previous period.
Featured Article: How to Invest in Marijuana Stocks7 Outdoor Recreation Stocks For Growth And Dividends
If American’s liked outdoor activities before, they love them even more now. The COVID-19 pandemic has done many things, and one of them is reinvigorating American’s love of the outdoors. Data from across the industry shows a sustained uptick in revenue that has the entire complex moving higher.
The RV Industry Association, for example, reports shipments of RVs are up greater than 30% in 2020 and are expected to grow another 20% or more in 2021. If data from the two of the industry’s largest manufacturers are any indication, that forecast is very conservative.
And the gains aren’t limited to RVs. Everything that has anything to do with outdoor recreation is booming. Sales at Dicks Sporting Goods, an iconic brand for retail and the outdoors, has seen a sustained 20% increase in revenue since the 2nd quarter shutdowns. If anything, revenue in this sector is being held back by rapidly declining inventory and tight shipping conditions.
The stocks we are about to show all have something in common; the outdoors. Within the group, you will find everything from RVs to Radios and everything in between an outdoor enthusiast could need or want. Some pay dividends and some don’t, but all will deliver solid returns to investors in 2021.
View the "7 Outdoor Recreation Stocks For Growth And Dividends"
Companies Mentioned in This Article
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Africa Information and Communication Technologies Alliance(AfICTA) is pleased to announce the convening of its first ICT Summit (AfICTS) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number (ICANN), Nigeria’s Ministry of Communication Technology, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA),Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, Edo State Government, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and a host of others. The event is scheduled to take place at the Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi, Lagos on 26-28 June, 2013.
The theme of the Summit is “Fulfilling the Promise of the Digital Age in Africa”.
With a population of more than 1billion, GDP of over US$2t (2012 est.), growth rate of more than 5%, and with a huge natural resource base, Africa is poised to cheetahpolevault its development for a 21st Century African renaissance. As the private sector led voice of the Continent’s ICT industry and in line with its vision towards the fulfillment of the promise of the digital age for everyone in Africa, AfICTA is convening this Summit to connect key ICT leaders in the public and private sectors across Africa to brainstorm and thus engender the fulfillment of the promise of the digital age in Africa.
The promise of the digital age is as articulated in the Geneva Convention 2003 and the Tunis Agenda 2005 of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) for an Information Society by 2015; a global society that reaps the full benefit of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), thereby bringing dividends of improved living standard, wealth and prosperity for citizens. Can this be a reality in Africa?
The 3-day Summit is geared to addressing the roadmap for a digital Africa. On day 1, there would be Business leaders Outreach Programme by the Business Constituency of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and DNSSEC awareness/adoption Workshop to be conducted by ICANN Security and Stability Task Force. The DNS Workshop will run concurrently with other events on Day 2 & 3 solely for Network engineers.As a way of recognizing African ICT Champions, a dinner will be hosted to honour African ICT Champions selected based on public input.
For more information about the Summit, please visit http://aficts.info


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A new article from Bustle is updating readers one what the latest trends in nail art are. In the past few years with the help of youtube, pinterest and instagram, the popularity of nail art has skyrocketed. With trends like ombre nails, bejeweled nails, and even comic art nails there’s always tons of trends to choose from.
However, did you know sweater looking nail art is all the rave this season? Yes, It does sound strange, but the trend actually can turn out looking pretty artsy and hipster. Painting your nails to look like a sweater is the perfect look for all of your holiday parties. It’s easy to follow the trend by watching youtube tutorials too!
For more information, click here.


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Apple continues to rule the smartphone sales roost, as their iPhone 5s and its lower-price sibling the iPhone 5c, took two of the top three sales slots at every major U.S. wireless carrier for the third month straight.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company remained America’s top smartphone vendor in November on the back of ‘strong’ iPhone 5s sales and ‘steady’ iPhone 5c sales, according to data cited by Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley in a Thursday note to investors.
Samsung grabbed second-place, as sales consolidation continues to be the trend in the smartphone industry.
Prior to the release of Apple’s two current smartphone models, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Sony, and Motorola all had handsets selling in the top three at at least one of the four major U.S. wireless carriers. Now, all but Samsung have been pushed from the top sales tiers.


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A new campaign to change the way people protect themselves from falling victim to
cyber criminals has been launched by the Government.
The ‘Cyber Streetwise’ campaign aims to change the way people view online safety and provide the public and businesses with the skills and knowledge they need to take control of their cyber security. The campaign includes a new easy-to-use website and online videos.
With more than 11 million internet-enabled devices received as gifts during the Christmas period, Cyber Streetwise will help in the fight against online criminals. People are encouraged to protect themselves and their families online by visiting the website for tips and advice.


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“Headless commerce” is a phrase that will get thrown spherical lot (I’ve typed it a number of times today already), nevertheless Vue Storefront CEO Patrick Friday has an especially incandescent formulation of utilizing the principle to illustrate his startup’s space in the broader ecosystem.
“Vue Storefront is the bodiless front stop,” Friday acknowledged. “We’re the strolling head.”
In other phrases, whereas most headless commerce corporations are targeted on creating attend-stop infrastructure, Vue powers the front stop, particularly the modern internet applications with which consumers if reality be told work together. The firm describes itself as “the lightning-swiftly front-stop platform for headless commerce.”
Friday acknowledged that he and CTO Filip Rakowski created the Vue Storefront technology as an open-offer venture whereas working at e-commerce company Divante, before eventually spinning it out into a separate startup closing year. The firm become also fragment of the most up-to-date class at accelerator Y Combinator, and it these days raised $1.5 million in seed funding led by SMOK Ventures and Movens VC.
“We had to dwelling up a original entity in the center of COVID, we had to elevate in the center of COVID and we had to persuade the company to get rid of the product in the center of COVID,” Friday acknowledged. He even recalled signing papers with an investor one morning in early December and doing an interview with Y Combinator that evening.
As they’ve created a industry spherical the core open-offer technology, Friday and his team believe realized that Vue has extra to provide than sharp constructing internet apps, because it connects e-commerce platforms care for Magento and Shopify with headless grunt management systems care for Contentstack and Contentful, payments systems care for PayPal and Stripe and other third-get together companies.
Essentially, Friday acknowledged customers believe been telling them, “You are care for the glue. Headless become so complex to me, and then I got this Vue Storefront thing to advance in on top the entirety else and be the glue connecting issues.”
The platform has been extinct to develop extra than 300 stores worldwide. Friday acknowledged adoption has accelerated as the pandemic and ensuing boost in e-commerce believe pushed agencies to realize they’re utilizing “this legacy platform, utilizing outdated-normal frameworks and technologies from a factual four or 5 years in the past.”
Rakowski added, “We also compare that many customers if reality be told advance to us deciding that Vue Storefront can be the first step of migration to another platform. We are able to swiftly migrate the front stop and write attend-stop agnostic code.”
Because it had sharp raised funding, the Vue Storefront team did not participate in the fresh YC Demo Day, and this is able to perchance well additionally be presenting at the subsequent Demo Day as a substitute. In the period in-between, the firm will be holding its gain virtual Vue Storefront Summit on April 20.


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It has been described in Italian media as everything from ‘a national disaster’ to ‘the apocalypse’*. When Italy failed to qualify for this summer’s football tournament in Russia it provoked a collective outpouring of shock, outrage and disbelief. For the first time in 60 years, the famous Azzurri will be staying at home and many passionate fans, still heartbroken from their unexpected elimination, have said they cannot bear to watch.
Whilst spirits may be low and emotions still raw, ASK Italian is reminding Italians that there is always cause for celebration when you’re from a nation of incredible cuisine – and has the perfect solution for Italians seeking sanctuary from the football festivities: Italians Eat For Free.
ASK Italian, the family of Italian restaurants across the UK, is opening its arms to Italians living in England to find solace amongst the football hysteria and indulge in the amazing cuisine that makes Italy so great.
On England’s key match dates – Monday 18th against Tunisia and Thursday 28th June competing with Belgium – ASK is offering Italians a solace from the tournament with a pizza and Italian craft beer on the house. The first 100 Italians on each day to head to one of the five restaurants across the country involved can show their Italian passport to tuck into a classic Italian comfort meal of pizza and beer.
Pick from one of ASK’s classic Prima Pizzas, such as the new Slow Cooked Lamb and much loved Pollo Piccante con Pancetta, or opt for a lighter take on the Italian speciality including the latest Light Coppa Ham & Egg pizza with rainbow salad at less than 550 kcal, alongside an Italian Craft Birra Follina or Ora APA beer.
If you’re a Gianluigi Buffon super fan without the official Italian passport, do not fear. As ASK Italian will be keeping an eye out for any die-hard Azzurri football fans on social media and surprising them with a meal for their unwavering commitment.
• Offer available all day on Monday 18th June and Thursday 28th June
• Offer includes 1 x pizza of choice and 1 x Italian craft beer per person – code is valid for one person only
• Legal Italian passport may be requested at the restaurant to validate the offer
• Offer available to first 100 Italians who claim the promotion on each date
• Offer valid at the following five restaurants:
◦ ASK Italian Spring Street (41 – 43 Spring Street, Paddington, London W2 1JA)
◦ ASK Italian Manchester (One Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, M1 1RG)
◦ ASK Italian Liverpool (5 Queen Arcade, Liverpool L1 1RH)


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By comparison, between 12 to 14 percent of users switched to Windows XP during the first year of its release, Mitchell said.
Vista gain traction in the market from quick adoption by both corporate and consumer users. For example, companies that participate in Microsoft's Software Assurance licensing program will automatically get upgrades to Vista, Mitchell said. "On the consumer side, there has been a bit of pent-up demand. Just look at the beta adoption in the consumer space -- it's very high," he said.
Vista will be available to business customers from November 30, with the operating system available to consumers from January. For users who buy a new computer before Vista is released to consumers, Microsoft is now shipping Vista upgrade coupons with computers that are sold with Windows XP.
Windows Vista adoption to be real fast
Posted on Monday, November 27 2006 @ 16:04:28 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck


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Apple has probably empowered the medium of podcasting more than any other company. The Cupertino-based technology giant gave podcasting its first big boost when it added podcasts to the iTunes desktop application in 2005. Thanks to the popularity of Apple’s breakthrough portable media player, the iPod, iTunes had become a ubiquitous destination for consumers looking to easily acquire new audio. And when those users suddenly found a podcasting directory chock full of free content next to their favorite music store, they began consuming podcasts in droves.
Apple gave another healthy push to podcasting when it released the first iteration of its standalone Podcasts app in 2012. The app was ultimately developed to work alongside what would become Apple’s streaming music service (Apple Music). But there was some definite confusion when the app first showed up. Previously, users had been able to access podcasts thru their iOS devices’ iPod and Music apps. Apple would go on to include the new Podcasts app in its “core” collection of apps that couldn’t be deleted by users. This meant that iOS users had to deal with the app, if for no other reason than to stick it into an “unused apps” folder. And while it’s certain that many users did just that, many others opened the app and began listening to podcasts for the first time.
Apple’s Podcasts app is still a standard part of iOS. It shows up any time the operating system is freshly installed. But a big change came to the app with last month’s release of iOS 10. The app is no longer indestructible, and can now be removed by simply pressing and holding the app icon, and then tapping the X that pops up in the top left portion of the icon.
The change was likely made due to consumer demand, as many iOS users have wanted to be able to remove Apple’s core apps for years. It’s doubtful the app’s removable status will have any impact on podcast consumption overall. But it is kinda sad in a way that the app can be deleted now.


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Troubled internet service provider America Online (AOL) has come out worst in a survey of service providers, with junk email the main culprit.
The survey, undertaken by US magazine PC World, polled more than 6,000 users. It tested the services against criteria such as ease of connection, especially during peak hours, email reliability and quality of backup service.
IBM emerged as the most highly rated service provider against the benchmarks.
AOL fared badly when it came to technical backup, connection speed and 'spam' or junk email.
The report warned: 'If you're still thinking of starting up with AOL, be warned. Junk mail is a fact of life on the service, which kicks off with a morass of advertisements for products and services.'
On the other side, AOL - the world's largest online service with over nine million users - did score well on its ease of use and content. The service offers features such as news and financial information on offer in addition to basic internet capabilities.
A representative at AOL pointed out that it was addressing connection problems, and that its recent deal with WorldCom will enable it to triple its network capacity.
He added: 'The company is hiring additional workers in the call centre.
As for the ads, they'll stay because the revenue helps keep prices down for users.'
Chris Lewis, IT analyst at The Yankee Group, believed European users may have better experience of AOL than their US counterparts. He claimed the provider 'sets the standards for online consumer information in Europe'.
Lewis also highlighted the intense competition in the consumer online services sector. He said this explains AOL's high churn rate for subscriptions.
AOL has the resources for significant development of its service and infrastructure, following confirmation of a $200 million line of credit, as well as the cash from the sale of its business division, ANS, to WorldCom.
One analyst commented: 'It is well known that AOL is sitting on a pile of cash, with $750 million to spend on acquisitions.'
Joe Macri says the vendor saw 20 per cent of its UK growth come from its Cloud Solution Provider programme last year
Pure set for further acquisitions, with a focus on the south-east
Reports claim BlackBerry is in talks over a $1.5bn deal


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Sony Denies Reports of PlayStation VR 2 Production Being Slashed
The system will have a launch line-up of over 30 games.
Sony has denied earlier reports that it halved its projected shipments of PlayStation VR 2 units at launch due to lackluster pre-order numbers.
The original story came courtesy of a Bloomberg report that cites multiple unnamed sources familiar with the situation. According to the sources, Sony was forecasting that it would ship just one million units during the current financial quarter, which runs from September 2022 to March 2023, and encompasses the PSVR 2’s release date of February 22.
Sony had reportedly sought to ship two million units during that same period in the hopes that titles like Horizon: Call of the Mountain would stir up enthusiasm, and therefore pre-orders, for the system.
But in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, PlayStation said it has "not cut PlayStation VR2 production numbers" and that it is "seeing enthusiasm from PlayStation fans for the upcoming launch, which includes more than 30 titles such as Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Resident Evil Village."
PlayStation has promised that the PSVR 2 will represent “the next generation of virtual reality play” courtesy of a range of tech improvements over the original such as the VR2's 4K HDR OLED display, upgraded eye-tracking capabilities, and the addition of improved VR2 Sense controllers.
However, a combination of factors including the PSVR 2’s lack of backwards compatibility — and its eye watering price tag of $549.99 — has potentially dulled consumer enthusiasm for the system. The Bloomberg reports claims PlayStation told partners to expect a reduction in orders for hardware elements like display panels, and will now aim to ship roughly 1.5 million units between April 2023 and March 2024.
Earlier this month PlayStation confirmed that the PSVR 2 will have a launch line-up of over 30 games, including Gran Turismo 7, Tetris Effect: Connected, and Resident Evil Village. Stick with IGN to keep up to date with all of the biggest PSVR 2 news ahead of the system’s February 22 release.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer


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EoS Fitness Brings Premium Amenities and Unmatched Energy to Utah Fitness Lovers
- Wall Street ends week positively; S&P 500, Dow hit record highs
- Bitcoin (BTC) Drops 3% as Turkey Bans Cryptocurrency Payments Citing Lack of Regulatory Supervision
- Morgan Stanley (MS) Archegos-Related Loss Appears to be $911M
- Dollar at 4-week low on retreating Treasury yields
Signature High Value, Low Price® Gym Opens First Location in West Jordan
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WEST JORDAN, Utah, Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Utah residents know summer bodies are built in the winter and getting into the gym for that winter workout just got even more enticing with the grand opening of EoS Fitness' seventh High Value, Low Price (HVLP)® gym in the state.
The new 40,000+ square foot gym – located at 7135 S. Plaza Center Drive – is the first EoS Fitness location to open in West Jordan. Packed with exclusive EoS signature amenities, the new West Jordan location provides outstanding value for members with its affordable plans and flexible pricing. In addition, all new members will receive a Complimentary one-on-one Welcome Workout with a personal trainer to help start their membership off on the right foot.
"EoS Fitness stays on top of the latest fitness trends and invests in the newest equipment and amenities to deliver the best possible experience for our members," said Rich Drengberg, CEO of EoS Fitness. "We believe working out should be rewarding and empowering, not just a to-do list checkbox. We've built a culture of belonging that allows our members to feel good about themselves and their achievements, and we're excited to extend our inclusive culture in Utah with our newest location in West Jordan."
With prices starting at $9.99 per month, members have access to the exclusive EoS mobile app with features like mobile check-in and account management, workout and fitness goal tracking, connectivity to fitness tracking devices, and the ability to enter EoS challenges and contests to win a variety of prizes. With signature amenities including "The Yard," a green turf functional training area, the MOVEoS Cinema, where you can watch big screen movies while working out, Olympic Lifting Platforms, an Indoor Pool and Hot Tub, a Recovery Room with massage chairs, and the company's signature G-Fit group fitness, water fitness and cycle classes, EoS has options for everyone.
EoS Fitness prioritizes the safety and health of its members, team and community and follows guidelines set in place by the State of Utah for gyms and fitness centers, including enforced social distancing, mask wearing and installation of sanitization stations.
For more information, or to join EoS Fitness visit: EōSfitness.com.
SOURCE EOS Fitness
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Bit-Wallet Launches Italy's First Home-Grown Bitcoin ATM
A new brand of bitcoin ATM from Italy is tested and ready for shipping worldwide, says manufacturer Bit-Wallet.
A new brand of bitcoin ATM from Italy is tested and ready for shipping worldwide, says manufacturer Bit-Wallet, which produced the machine in cooperation with Italy's first cryptocurrency consultancy agency, CoinCapital.
The ATM's compact size, price and feature set look ready to challenge Lamassu’s machines, which have proliferated in cafes and showrooms around the world since launching in October of last year.
Like Lamassu, Bit-Wallet says its devices also have the option to be bi-directional, meaning users can buy bitcoins and also sell them for cash. This makes the devices more like 'traditional' ATMs, which have deposit and withdrawal functions, rather than bitcoin vending machines.
Specs and price
The Bit-Wallet ATM's total weight (minus cash) is 20kg and its cash reader can be programmed to accept any paper currency. Like most other bitcoin ATMs, the machine connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
The price for a one-way 'buy-bitcoins-only' ATM is €3,100 (plus sales tax and shipping) making it fairly competitive with rivals. Bit-Wallet says will ship orders anywhere in the world, providing local regulations do not restrict the machines.
Prices for the bi-directional version are available from Bit-Wallet on request, and are currently pre-order only.
Bit-Wallet's Stefano Mezzetti said the company demonstrated the ATM at the recent 'Bitcoin. The Revolution Has Started' event in Milan, which was also organized in collaboration with CoinCapital, along with Mapendo, at the local business accelerator Working Capital (WCAP).
The ATM will now move to the Working Capital location in Rome.
CoinCapital in Italy
CoinCapital's Sebastiano Scrofina said his company carries out both hardware and software development for a number of clients, and was recently asked to develop an entire altcoin for one of them.
The company also engages in lobbying and advocacy activities. It organized the first bitcoin hearing for a dozen lawmakers and high-level institutions at Italy's parliament on 11th June – which Scrofina said was productive – and is also in talks with Italian banks to help them understand the concept of block chain technologies.
CoinCapital also translated Benjamin Guttmann's The Bitcoin Bible into Italian, which will be available across the country within days.
Images via Bit-Wallet
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England’s highways made one step closer to the future with this project – a wireless electric vehicle charging road.
Highways England, a government-owned company that manages England’s major roads, is about to test this new wireless charging technology. The trial will go on for 18 months. Electric cars will be fixed with a special equipment capturing and storing energy transmitted by corresponding machines installed underneath the road’s surface.
According to Highways England Chief Highways Engineer Mike Wilson,
The off road trials of wireless power technology will help to create a more sustainable road network for England and open up new opportunities for businesses that transport goods across the country.


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Apple Thinking About Replacing Google Search on iPhone with Bing?
I guess things aren’t all that rosy between Apple and Google (as if other things didn’t already make that apparent.) Rumor is (note: rumor) that Apple is in talks with Microsoft to replace Google’s search on the iPhone with Bing as the default. The way things are going between some of the big players these days (Apple, Google, Nokia, Microsoft, etc…) it is starting to sound like the Hatfields and the McCoys or the Capulets and the Montagues. But something tells me that unlike those feuds it won’t be viewed with a similar romantic view when history looks back. If, and I emphasize “if” this happens look for multi-touch to start springing up on Nexus One and Droid phones within a few days of the announcement.
01/24/2010 at 1:45 am
Thats really funny considering the iPhone Bing app does not work at all if you are outside the US (or more accurately don’t have the phone on US regional setting)
Has been like that since launch, no fix yet in the NZ app store at least


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Recently, Apple was particularly keen on opening new stores and decorating old stores. Yesterday they announced that two App Store, in Wangfujing in Beijing and the Covent garden in London, will be closed this month to update the storefront, and some of the stores in Nanjing, Hongkong and Chongqing have already begun to be decorated. Today, another netizen discovered in Macao that apple is building second local Apple Store, which has a sense of enclosure design.
Beijing's Wangfujing Apple Store opened on December 20, 2012, and within a week of its opening, it had caught up with Apple's Apple Store at Palo Alto, a 20-year old store. Apple said the Wangfujing store will start upgrading on June 24. Interestingly, Palo Alto was also upgraded in May 2018.
As for the British Covent garden Apple Store, it will start to upgrade in June 27th. The 2010 open Apple Store is the 300th Apple store, also known as "the world's largest Apple Store", and the shape of the brick wall, the exposed pipes and wood floors, and other glass curtain walls. Quite different.
In addition to two classic stores in Beijing and London, the Airsun world of Nanjing, the Monument for Liberation of Chongqing and Tongluowan, Hongkong, have already entered the state of decoration a long time ago, but the apple remains open. As for the United States, Beverly storefront, Orlando Park and other storefronts also carried out relocation and renovation work respectively.
The old store was redecorating, and the new store did not relax. Today, some netizens found that Apple Store in the Macao Jinsha city center resort may be opening. The ink green water ripples are similar in the style of the chrome - style apple Logo and Macao, and tagged the slogan "Tao Tao inspired". Some people guess it might be possible. It will open in early July.
According to foreign media 9to5mac, apple actually plans to transform all the existing retail stores, not just those that are too small or too old. For stores that are already big and new, Apple will also upgrade some TV walls and display cabinets.


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Supermarkets launch price war at the pump
It's about time we had some good news at the pumps.%VIRTUAL-SkimlinksPromo%
Asda was the first to announce a cut - at lunchtime yesterday - it said that across the country the price of unleaded petrol would be no more than 126.7p, while diesel would be no more than 129.7p. The last time its unleaded price was any lower was three years ago - although it has been down to 126.7p more recently including in December last year.
Shortly afterwards Sainsbury's and Tesco also announced that they will reduce the price of diesel by 2p today.
Why?The cuts come largely from the increase in the value of the pound against the dollar - as oil is priced in dollars. It's also partly because of the increased production of shale oil in the US, which means more supply overall, which is helping bring prices down.
There has been reduced demand, as drivers have cut back. We reported earlier this month that 57% of people are using their car less and adopting fuel-saving techniques in order to reduce the costs of fuel. In fact in March, fuel consumption fell to a record low.
The hope is that price cuts will spread to other retailers. The RAC's fuel price monitor is forecasting that average prices for diesel will continue to reduce - more than 4p per litre, while average prices of petrol will fall between 2p and 4p per litre.
About timeBut before we start celebrating, it's worth pointing out that it's about time prices fell.
The RAC pointed out last month that cuts in the wholesale price of diesel were not being passed on at the pumps. At the end of May it said that the wholesale price had fallen to roughly the same as the wholesale price of petrol - but that at the pumps diesel was on average 6p more expensive.
It speculated that this could be because petrol stations had decided to make less profit on their petrol and more on diesel - punishing diesel drivers who had switched to the fuel in order to save money.
Not for everyoneFor drivers in certain parts of the UK, prices remain stubbornly high. Asda is the only company with a national pricing policy, and the others vary wildly depending on competition in the local area and the logistics of supplying petrol there. Northern Ireland has the highest price for unleaded petrol at an average of 132.4 pence per litre, while Scotland is the most expensive for diesel at 136.6 pence per litre.
The experts say that shopping around - without going out of your way - remains vital. It's worth checking the price of petrol in your local area through petrolprices.co.uk to find the cheapest deal, because prices vary dramatically. In Cardiff, for example, the price of unleaded petrol ranges from 127.7p to £148.9p - a difference of 21.7p per litre.


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The latest Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones has been made available throughBlackBerry App World. This version, is just basically the ‘approved’ version of what was in the BlackBerry Beta Zone as v220.127.116.11. In other words, while version number has jumped to
Though it’s not available in all countries yet, RIM has expanded the accessibility of App World to 9 additional countries in Africa: Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and
My recent Blackberry theme “12 Home Icon for the 97xx Series” is now in Blackberry App World!!!
It is under the name of Zamkato Technology Hub
So just go to the Blackberry App World and search “12 Home Icon” and the theme which will have a screenshot of the theme will be


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The Next 400: 2 business owners fight for equity one wash at a time
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Clean Express Auto Wash in Cleveland has a business model that includes more than just business.
In “The Next 400” report we introduce you to two business owners with a philanthropic philosophy.
For Joe Hawthorne and his longtime business partner Sanders “Boz” Henderson they’ve been in the business of washing thousands of vehicles for more than a decade on the corner of Carnegie Ave and East 36th near downtown Cleveland.
They not only rid vehicles of their dirt, grime and salt, they have planted seeds of work responsibility and how to earn a decent wage among the unemployed minorities in the surrounding community.
The entire story airs Friday at 6 and 11 on 19 News.
You can find a link to previous “The Next 400” reports here.
Copyright 2020 WOIO. All rights reserved.


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Want your house town had community-enabled streetlights? A company known as Silver Spring Networks does, and Tuesday, it unveiled a provider designed to make the technology and different networked infrastructure extra inexpensive.
Municipalities that need to network things like visitors lights, parking meters, pure fuel pipe displays, water main go with the flow gauges, and public transit standing boards now can subscribe to a provider underneath which Silver Spring Networks installs and keeps the network. The option expands the company’s trade from selling expertise to selling a carrier. In a way, cities can buy the provider with consistent payments moderately than a large up-front investment to install the expertise.
On-line streetlights and the like may sound extravagant. Still, the firm argues they are definitely worth the cash because they can help pinpoint issues prematurely and transfer more swiftly to vitality-environment friendly keep watch over programs.
- Google’s barges will be an interactive learning space
- Amazon posts better-than-expected Q3 sales results ahead of the holiday season
- The usage of Google to search out time guests
- Jessica Alba’s e-commerce startup raises $25 million in funding round
- Yahoo updates Flickr iOS app bringing new filters and photo editing options
Silver Spring makes use of a wireless community with IPv6 expertise — the following-technology internet addressing scheme, which is now catching on. The company provides an instance of an idea known as the web of things, through which the rest with a digital pulse can be hooked into the worldwide community.
The company has gained over numerous consumers and some energy, fuel, lighting, and electrical energy firms. The town of Copenhagen is bringing the corporate technology to twenty 000 streetlights, and Paris is using it for streetlights and traffic alerts.


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Vivo S1 India launch today: Expected specifications, features, and more
Vivo will introduce its latest S-series of smartphones in India today. The first phone under the new series is going to be Vivo S1. Vivo has roped in Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan to promote the latest smartphone series.
Vivo S1 is expected to be targeted at the mid-range segment in India where it will compete with the likes of Samsung Galaxy M40, Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 and Xiaomi Redmi K20. The smartphone is already up for pre-orders in India.
Vivo S1 sports a 6.39-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display. Under the hood runs a MediaTek Helio P65 12nm octa-core SoC. The phone comes in 4GB RAM + 128GB storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage.
It features a triple-rear camera setup consisting of featuring 16-megapixel, 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel sensors. Vivo S1 features a 32-megapixel selfie camera. Other top features of Vivo S1 include 128GB storage, 4,500mAh battery, and Android Pie-based Funtouch OS 9.


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- On June 3, 2013
Assurance of commercial was given to strengthen further business ties with china “Sri Lanka – China Business linkages will be further strengthened in the years to come” said the newly appointed Commercial Counselor Mr.Wang Yingqi for China at the interactive session organized by the Sri Lanka – China Business council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on the 31st of May 2012 at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo.
The interactive session focused on export opportunities and challenges in the Chinese Market for Sri Lankan exporters.Mr.Prabath Harshakumar, President of the Sri Lanka – China Business Council also stated that Sri Lanka has achieved a remarkable growth during the past few years showing positive results of increased export volumes to China. He also mentioned that Sri Lanka’s Tourism sector has shown a positive growth of tourists visiting Sri Lanka from China. In year 2011, total number of Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka exceeded 16,000 arrivals compared to 10,430 in year 2010. “This is a positive sign that Chinese travelers have now included Sri Lanka in their travel itineraries and we anticipate further increase of tourist arrivals from China during the year 2012”,said the President addressing the well attended gathering at the interactive session.
The Sri Lanka – China Business Council established on April 26, 2001 was formed under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The Council was formed at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the main objective of promoting trade, investment, services and tourism between Sri Lanka and China. As at end May 2012 number of members stands at 108.
Left to Right: Prabath Harshakumar (President, Sri Lanka–China Business Council), Mahesh Wijewrdene (Past President Sri Lanka – China Business Council), Wang Yingqi (Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of China), K.Kunendran (Vice President Sri Lanka – China Business Council)


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3 Answers From Jamba
Like its blended creations, Jamba served up mixed results for its latest quarter.
Revenue clocked in at $44.2 million, essentially flat with the prior year's holiday quarter but short of the 4% advance that analysts were targeting.
The problem this time was sluggish performance at the smoothie chain's company-owned stores. Despite tacking on 45 more franchised stores over the past year -- and overall comps rising 0.6% fueled by a 2.3% boost at franchise-owned Jamba Juice locations -- company-owned store comps actually slipped 1.2%. This is the first time in two years that company-owned stores failed to generate positive comps.
The silver lining here is that Jamba's net loss of $0.09 a share was less than Wall Street was targeting.
I had three questions going into the report. All three were answered, so let's dive right in.
1. Can the positive comps keep coming?
The good news is that the systemwide streak of positive comps is still alive. Unfortunately for Jamba, the 1.2% decline at company-owned stores carries more weight than the 2.3% uptick at franchise locations. The franchise stores are greater in number, but they don't shape the top line's performance the way that the owned and operated smoothie shops do.
If you're going to slip when it comes to comps, this is the time to do it. Smoothie sales are seasonal. Starbucks and McDonald's -- the two retail giants that have pushed into smoothies in recent years -- can set aside their smoothie offerings to promote their warm coffee drinks during the wintry months, but Jamba's left trying to sell icy fruit beverages at a time when warm comfort food is craved.
The news wasn't good on this front, but it's not too big of a deal.
2. Will 2013 be the year of profitability?
All four major analysts with 2013 estimates were eyeing Jamba's first annual profit coming in 2013. Well, the blender baron came in a year early.
The good thing about only losing $6.9 million during the holiday quarter is that it was less than the $7.2 million profit that Jamba rang up during the first nine months of the year.
Jamba's $0.3 million net profit for all of 2013 may not be much -- it rounds down to breakeven -- but it's a historic event as the first profitable year for Jamba since it went public eight years ago.
3. Can it stick to its original 2013 guidance?
Jamba's sticking to its original outlook from November for the year ahead.
- Jamba's still looking for 4% to 6% comps growth at its company-owned stores in 2013, so the holiday dip appears to be a fluke.
- Store-level margins should be 20%, and operating income margins should be 2.5% to 3%. If you're curious, operating income margin for 2012 clocked in at 0.3%, so the improvement will be substantial.
- Jamba closed out the year with 774 domestic stores and 35 international locations. It plans to develop 60 to 80 largely franchised locations this year.
- Jamba is hoping to add 1,000 JambaGO stations. These are small, self-serve machines that go primarily in schools and commissaries. It's a big number, but Jamba's on it. JambaGO units went from 35 to 404 last year.
Consumer packaged goods are still a small part of this story, and Jamba's sticking to its goal of $4 million to $5 million in 2013 as it pushes out its canned energy drinks and other products.
A taste of Mickey D's
After making investors rich in 2011, McDonald's has been one of the worst-performing blue chip stocks of 2012. Our top analyst on the company will tell you whether you should be worried by this trend, and he'll shed light on whether McDonald's is a buy at today's prices. Click here now to read our premium research report on the company.
The article 3 Answers From Jamba originally appeared on Fool.com.Longtime Fool contributor Rick Aristotle Munarriz owns shares of Jamba. The Motley Fool recommends McDonald's and Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of McDonald's and Starbucks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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I recently sat down with Viktor Irle and Jose Pontes of EV Volumes to talk about Volkswagen Power Day, EV batteries, EV charging in Europe, and EV market share in Europe. To listen to our chat and their expert take on those topics, you can click play on the embedded SoundCloud player below or find CleanTech Talk on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Batteries — Tesla & Volkswagen
To start off, Viktor Irle’s first impression was that much of the Volkswagen Power Day presentation was very reminiscent of Tesla Battery Day. However, he added that there was a heavy focus on Europe and very little was mentioned about the company’s global plans, which seemed to be missed by at least some critics.
The similarities between Tesla’s plans and Volkswagen’s plans implied to Viktor that both companies are indeed on the right path.
Jose’s first key thought was that he’d like to see a Volkswagen Power Day focused on China, especially considering that Volkswagen is the largest automaker in China and will need to become the largest electric automaker in China to retain that title.
Both Jose and Viktor touch on the matter of solid-state batteries and the fact that it always seems to be several years away, so a focus on a range of lithium-based battery chemistries for now is still the name of the game, and it’s again interesting that Volkswagen and Tesla have quite similar plans in regards to chemistry — LFP batteries for lower-cost, lower-performance models and high-nickel-based or high-manganese-based batteries for higher-class, higher-performance electric models.
EV Fast Charging
Jose wanted to go on a bit of a rant about EV fast chargers in access. One key point is that EV fast chargers from IONITY and the likes are still very limited on the edges of Europe — Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and even a bit of Northern Europe. That makes EV road trips and EV ownership much harder than it should be. He pointed out that it’s also a big reason why so many people (in Portugal, for example) buy Teslas over other brands.
On the plus side, Volkswagen put a lot of emphasis on EV chargers in its Power Day presentation.
Viktor also highlighted the fact that fast charging within cities is also heavily needed in Europe, especially since so many people live in large multifamily buildings without a dedicated parking spot with access to a plug. There is much greater need for fast chargers at grocery stores and such and that is still lacking across almost all of Europe.
We also talked a bit about the type of EV charging stations at destination hotspots like grocery stores that should be useful and abundant in a mature EV market in Europe.
EV Sales Boom in Europe
To close, I asked these EV sales experts about the tremendous explosion in EV market share in Europe in the past year. They also provide their expectations for 2021, 2022, and beyond. Listen to the show to catch all of that!
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