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Bottom Dollar Food expects to hire more than 800 employees as it expands in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.
The Salisbury-based chain plans to open 14 grocery stores in the Pittsburgh region next year. The company is embarking on a hiring campaign during the next few months to prepare for its slate of store openings in 2012.
The company is hiring for both full- and part-time positions in sales, customer service, grocery and fresh food departments, among others. The company will hold interviews in November and December.
Bottom Dollar operates 52 stores throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The company is owned by Belgium-based Delhaize Group, parent of Food Lion. Delhaize operates 2,700 grocery stores on three continents.
Bottom Dollar operates as a hybrid model of a limited assortment grocer, with its stores offering about 6,700 products to leverage discount pricing while also selling some national brands.


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News that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is set to push ahead with changes to the rules governing solicitors was today greeted with dismay by the Law Society of England and Wales.
“The SRA’s role is to regulate solicitors to ensure consumers are protected – yet here it is opening the door for some solicitors to work in unregulated entities, sweeping away long standing rules referencing conflicts of interest, proper professional indemnity insurance and access to the compensation fund (underwritten by the profession) so if something does go wrong consumers could struggle to recover any losses,” said Law Society president Robert Bourns.
A 2016 survey of consumers conducted by Ipsos Mori showed that 86% felt solicitors’ businesses should have professional indemnity insurance.
“If solicitors are allowed to work in unregulated entities the protections that attach to the communications between solicitors and clients (and vice versa) may not apply. Clients seek advice about deeply private and often sensitive issues – they must be able to rely on the exchanges with their solicitor being covered by legal professional privilege as they currently are for solicitors in regulated entities.”
Responding to a 2016 Law Society survey, a substantial number of solicitors expressed real concern with many of the proposed changes to the handbook including 82% saying encouraging solicitors to work in unregulated businesses would damage the solicitor brand – a brand that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) identified as synonymous with quality advice.
Robert Bourns added: “The purpose of the SRA is to regulate the solicitor profession ensuring the protection of consumers – that it is pursuing a deregulatory agenda to the detriment of both members of the public and a profession regarded the world over as the gold standard is frankly baffling.
“At the moment a member of the public can walk into a solicitor’s office on any high street in England and Wales and be assured they are fully protected in the unlikely situation something goes wrong – now, if the SRA proceeds, we will have the current clarity blurred so consumers cannot easily tell what kind of outfit their solicitor works for.
“For the SRA to claim that these consumer protection risks can be managed by a ‘consumer information strategy’ to be developed in the future, is simply not realistic. They acknowledge the harm of consumer risk and confusion (also recognised by consumer groups and the CMA), but carry on regardless.”

domain: news


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It fell off the radar for a while and now, it appears Devil's Third is getting a face-lift.
The developer showed off a newly redesigned logo on Facebook , and told us the formerly anticipated game would be reintroduced "later this year."
In development at Valhalla Games, Devil's Third was supposed to be an over-the-top action game for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Now, however, there's a good chance the team is reworking it for next-gen consoles. Valhalla Games was created by former Tecmo boss Tomonobu Itagaki of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive fame, and their first game was announced back in 2010.
However, they had signed on with THQ, which went belly-up in 2012. Since that time, it has been unclear what would happen to Devil's Third , as Itagaki reclaimed the rights to the project after the THQ ordeal. Later last year, he said the game was "80 percent complete" and on track for a 2014 release but now, that doesn't appear to be the case.
Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.


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SAN FRANCISCO -- The enthusiasm that pervaded the tech sector late yesterday is proving to be short-lived. Most tech stocks are on the wane today, led by hardware and server maker
, which cautioned in its
conference call last night that the rest of this year could be difficult because of Y2K and economic troubles in Asia. On a more positive note, Sun did manage to beat third-quarter estimates by a penny a share, reporting earnings of $291 million, or 71 cents a share.
The stock was further hampered after
analyst Steve Milunovich downgraded the stock, based on valuation.
Sun shares topped the
most-active list and were recently trading down 4 7/16, or 7.3%, at 56 1/8 after touching its lowest level since March 24.
fell 5 1/4, or 15%, to 29 1/2 on concerns that higher marketing and promotion costs would eat into the company's profits. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company said Thursday that it would waive transaction fees for customers of its
business, which sells computer-related goods at wholesale prices, and boost marketing spending in an effort to gain market share.
The company also posted a loss of 28 cents a share for the first quarter, wider than the year-earlier loss of 22 cents. Several analysts downgraded the stock Friday.
P-Com Cuts More Fat
, maker of network access systems for the wireless market, said it would cut 10% of its workforce as part of an ongoing campaign to lower costs. This comes after a 10% cut in the workforce announced in September and 10% pay cuts by senior executives.
Shares of P-Com were down just more than a point, or 16%, at 5 3/4.
Deals Boost Internet Stocks
Shares of online retailer
jumped after the company inked a deal with
to be included in Inktomi's Shopping Engine.
Cybershop was up 1 1/16, or 8.8%, at 13 1/4. Inktomi shares, also getting a boost from a smaller-than-expected second-quarter
loss, were up 16 5/16, or 13.7%, at 135 1/2.
also managed to race ahead after the Internet service provider signed a licensing deal with
The deal gives SpeedUS.com the right to integrate a customized version of Netscape Communicator 4.5 with its high-speed service. SpeedUS.com was last up 1 5/8, or 32.5%, at 6 5/8, and AOL was up 4 7/16, or 3%, at 148 5/16.


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Higher – and erratic – demand for fresh bread products is the new normal for Britain’s bakers. How are they rising to the challenge?
It’s enough to make the toughest of bakers freak out. Not only has the pandemic has prompted a huge spike in demand for bread and baked goods, but it’s also made shoppers more erratic. Bakers have had to anticipate huge fluctuations in appetite.
That poses obvious problems. Unlike the canned goods stockpilers have been filling their pantries with, loaves have a limited shelf life and are baked fresh every day. They can’t simply be warehoused until required.
Plus, there is the supply chain to consider. “The supply chain for bread and bakery products isn’t the same as other foods,” explains Federation of Bakers CEO Gordon Polson. “One of the challenges facing bakers, in contrast to other manufacturers, is that they’re responsible for delivering direct to stores.”
So what are these new consumer habits? And how are bakers coping under the new-found pressure?
The pressure’s been on from the start of the outbreak. First there was panic buying. “Demand for bread grew significantly in the two weeks before the start of lockdown on 24 March,” says Matthew Cullum, marketing director at Allied Bakeries. “In the four days from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 March, 88% of us visited a grocery store, making an average of five trips each.”
For Allied’s Kingsmill brand, that led to a sales spike “as high as 30% up on the same weeks last year,” Cullum reports.
“We were able to increase production and deliveries to meet this increased demand and help our customers keep bread on their shelves, although we did see some empty shelves for a couple of days.”
Kingsmill wasn’t alone in that challenge. According to Kantar, the supermarkets shifted an extra 56.7 million packs of bread and other baked products in March compared with the same period in 2019 (see p40). That’s a 15.9% volume hike, with value up 17.8%, indicating that shoppers paid an average of 1.1% more per pack as retailers withdrew promotions in a bid to manage demand.
- Sales of bread and baked goods rose like proving dough throughout March, gaining 17.8% in value and 15.9% in volumes.
- The only lines to slip were rolls baked in-store. They grew 3.5% in value but suffered a 4% volume decline as in-store bakeries began to shut down towards the end of the month. Note also the lower rate of growth for loaves baked in-store.
- Average prices increased as retailers scaled back deal activity to manage demand. That represents a change on last year, when 16.3% of the sector’s value sales were made on promotion, most commonly through the use of temporary price reductions [Kantar 52 w/e 29 December 2019].
- That came against a backdrop of inflation. “In 2019, we saw continued inflation in ingredient prices,” says Kantar analyst Amber Trott. “With the impact of Brexit still uncertain, it will be interesting to see how this affects the category’s pricing and how shoppers respond.”
- Opportunities still exist, however. “We’ve seen shoppers becoming increasingly health and environmentally conscious,” says Trott.
By lockdown, demand for bread had already reached a zenith, says Sara Green, head of category & insight at Hovis. “The peak for bread sales was observed in the week ending 21 March, which saw unit sales grow by more than a quarter compared with the same week in 2019. For a category that has been in gradual unit decline, this is a huge shift in consumer behaviour.”
“While grocery sales seem to have returned to normal levels, bread sales remain high”
A poll of 500 consumers carried out by Hovis on 11 March showed that 31% were stocking up on household essentials at this time, and 37% of those were buying more bread. Once supermarkets began limiting the number of units shoppers could buy, demand slowed – but it remains higher than usual.
“While grocery sales seem to have returned to more normal levels now the nation is in lockdown, bread sales remain high as consumers replace their out-of-home lunch purchases from places such as cafés, coffee shops, supermarkets and office canteens with homemade sandwiches or quick and easy meals, such as beans on toast,” says Cullum.
At the same time, it has created new peaks and troughs in demand. That is throwing out everything bakers knew about normal consumer buying patterns.
“We don’t know what the new normal is going to look like,” says David Walmsley, business director at Finsbury Food Group’s Nicholas & Harris bakery. It supplies premium speciality bread under the Vogel’s, LivLife and Cranks brands, as well as retailer own labels.
“The order profile has changed,” he explains. “Where we used to see a peak in demand from Thursday through to the weekend, that peak is now being smoothed out throughout the week. It takes time for that to settle. We make fresh to order daily and are running a 24/7 operation. It has been quite a challenge managing the volatility.”
The warm spell and Easter presented a particular challenge. Just as the familiar weekly peak in bread sales smoothed out during lockdown, so too did the pre-Easter rush on the likes of hot cross buns.
The lack of rush didn’t necessarily mean a reduction in total sales, though. “Our hot cross bun sales are at record level, driven by an increase in year-round sales and a strong early Easter season, which began in January,” says Walmsley. “But a lot of the early season gains we had were wiped out by the disappointing Easter fortnight.”
“In the short term, sales have been helped by the excellent weather and more people BBQing”
The warm weather, meanwhile, drove growth in rolls for BBQs. “Our Country Miller Brioche rolls have underlying growth of 18% year on year, and over the first three weeks of lockdown saw a 79% jump in sales versus the three weeks prior to that,” adds Walmsley. “In the short term, this has been helped by excellent weather and more people turning to barbecues in their gardens.”
The unconventional demand patterns means bakeries have had to come up with pragmatic solutions to ensure their products reach people’s mouths.
For example, Lantmännen Unibake has redirected its Americana (burger buns and hot dog rolls) and Schulstad Bakery Solutions (baguette, ciabatta and paninis) ranges from foodservice to grocery.
“The Schulstad Bakery Solutions range is supplied frozen and once thawed and date-coded can be merchandised in bread aisles or in-store bakeries,” says marketing manager Paulina Gorska. “Americana is supplied frozen and comes in consumer-ready packaging, so can be sited in the frozen aisle. It’s perfect for consumers looking to recreate their favourite high street burger at home.”
Similarly, Nicholas & Harris is pitching its fresh part-baked products – usually sold through in-store bakeries after being heated on site – for the main bread fixtures.
- Shoppers forked out an extra £36.9m on bread, rolls, bagels and other wrapped bakery products in the first three months of 2020, a rise of 11.2%.
- The greatest slice of that by far – £32.4m – was in the final four weeks before lockdown, when year-on-year growth accelerated to 15.1% and unit sales grew by 16.5%.
- Not all top 10 brands benefited. Kingsmill lost £9.6m (18.5%) over the 12 weeks, despite strong growth in the final weeks before lockdown.
- “Kingsmill has struggled with delistings and has missed the innovation trends in other bakery,” says Nielsen senior client analytics executive Viviane Palmedo.
Some of the credit for providing shoppers with their daily bread also has to go to the government, points out the Federation of Bakers’ Polson. He points to the relaxation of rules governing drivers who deliver goods to the supermarkets, which came into force on 23 March. The daily driving limit has been raised from nine to 11 hours, and rest requirements have been lowered.
“The government has recognised food production employees as key workers,” he says. “The relaxation of drivers’ hours is a key factor in ensuring product is delivered to retailers. It also means we can ensure regular delivery of flour and ingredients to bakeries, as the supply chain for bread and bakery products has a very short lead time and flour from millers is delivered every day by tanker.”
Of course, tankers are no good without people to drive them. And the loss of staff to coronavirus is the greatest threat the category is facing. “Absence rates have been our main challenge, but at present we are continuing to operate fully,” says Duncan Tyrrell, strategy controller at Warburtons, which has taken on more staff to keep up with demand.
“As of 22 April, we have just over 5% of our workforce absent for Covid-19 related illness. However, at the peak absence levels were at around 11%. As this is such an unprecedented situation, we don’t know what we may face next.”
It’s simply been a case of managing things day by day. “We’ve worked hard to ensure we have the required stock levels across our key ingredients and will continue to monitor this and work with our suppliers to ensure continuity of supply,” says Tyrrell.
Plus, companies are taking preventative measures. To keep their staff healthy, all the big bakers have implemented social distancing at their plants. Cullum at Allied says the business has installed Perspex screens to segregate staff in its packaging areas.
It’s also had to make temporary changes to some lines. Allinson’s Scandalous Seeds and Champion Wholemeal, for example, have moved to standard plastic bread bags. Hand-packing the loaves in their usual paper wrappers “didn’t allow for us to put social distancing in place” explains Cullum at Allied. “We paused production, then swapped out to plastic bags – and automated packaging.
“We were especially keen to keep Allinson’s in production as it’s performed brilliantly since its relaunch, with sales up 6% versus two years ago,” he adds.
How flour demand has hit gluten-free Brits
Brits have been dusting off their aprons during lockdown. The appetite for home-baked goodies has led to a new supermarket shortage: flour. “The shelves say it all,” says Warburtons strategy controller Duncan Tyrrell. “Flour is now almost impossible to find.”
No wonder Great British Bake Off presenter Prue Leith last week appeared on BBC Breakfast to explain how to keep calm and bake on. She suggested that viewers looked for recipes in gluten-free cookbooks and used ground nuts or polenta as a wheat flour alternative.
That didn’t go down well with some on social media. “Nooo!” tweeted one viewer. “We have enough difficulty as coeliacs getting gluten-free flour without Prue Leith telling everyone to buy gluten-free recipe books due to normal flour shortage.”
But sales of gluten-free flour were already booming before Leith’s advice. “Since the Covid-19 crisis hit the UK, our gluten-free flour has experienced an unexpected surge in online sales,” says Claire Forster, co-owner of free-from bakery Oast to Host. Its pastry and cake flours, as well as its personalised treats, have been particularly popular, she adds.
This was likely driven, in part at least, by the shortage of regular flour.
“In the four weeks ahead of lockdown, nearly a third of households bought flour,” says Allied Bakeries marketing director Matthew Cullum. “That’s 50% higher than flour’s usual Christmas peak. Allinson’s flour hit 265% year-on-year growth.”
Still, there’s no need for alarm. “There’s actually no national shortage of flour,” claims Cullum. “What we’ve seen is a shortage of bagging capacity to pack the smaller retail bags typically sold in supermarkets. Bulk flour supply into our bakeries has been unaffected.”
So consumers can still get their fair share of baked goods – it’s just the baking bit that might prove more of a challenge.
That rebirth has been driven by an trend for premium loaves marketed on their health credentials – a corner of the market that was gaining ground well before the pandemic. Indeed, it was the motivation behind Britain’s fourth-biggest bread brand, Roberts Bakery, launching a three-strong range of Digestion Boost Bloomers in May last year.
“When we rebranded in 2017, one of our main objectives was to drive more relevance with the modern-day shopper to attract them back into bakery, especially younger consumers,” says Roberts’ marketing director Megan Harrison. “Mintel research showed that 56% of consumers are interested in bread with positive health benefits. The Digestion Boost range is made with organic live ferments and packed with fibre to complement a healthy gut.”
In light of the current crisis, many suggest loaves that carry gut health claims could be in for significant growth as consumers seek ways of staying health. Hovis’ poll in March found 29% of consumers were trying to eat more healthily. And that’s good news for makers of added-value posh bread.
In fact, Walmsley at Nicholas & Harris suggests the pandemic will fuel longer-term growth in premium loaves in general. “Artisan sourdough breads have increased 60% versus last year,” he says. “Since lockdown started, sales have dipped, but we’re working with our retail partners to find solutions that work for them while giving the same fresh craft breads to the consumer. In recessionary times, affordable premium lines like these do well, so we’re not expecting demand to drop.”
So if bakers can keep their head at these times – and keep supplies going – they may well find a new opportunity ahead.
- PDF, Size 1.63 mb


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After the highly acclaimed Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra from 2021, which ended our test as one of the best smartphones on the market at the time, we eagerly awaited the Xiaomi 12 Ultra. Instead, Xiaomi announced the 12S Ultra, which positioned itself as a real flagship due to the 1-inch Sony IMX989 main camera sensor. Unfortunately, the 12S Ultra never left China, allegedly due to the global chip shortage in 2022. Since then, everyone has been eagerly awaiting whether a Xiaomi 13 Ultra will hit global markets this year.
According to a new leak, that’s exactly what should happen in 2023. The info comes from the normally reliable tipster Ice Universe. He stated that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will be sold internationally. Also, in the same tweet, he said that the Oppo Find X6 Pro, on the other hand, remains exclusive to China.
In the past, the Ultra models from Xiaomi always brought exclusive, new features to differentiate themselves from the other models in the respective series. With the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra it was the small second display on the back. You could use it as a viewfinder for selfies with the main cameras and display notifications with it. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra, on the other hand, was one of the first smartphones to use the Sony IMX989 sensor.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra will also be among the best camera phones out there. This is supported, among other things, by the rumor that the upcoming Ultra will have gimbal stabilization. All four cameras are equipped with PDAF autofocus and additionally supported by a dToF sensor (Direct Time-of-Flight). The design will be similar to the 12S Ultra, as some leaked protective cases have already revealed.


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Bandcamp Will Donate All Profits Directly to Artists This Friday
With the coronavirus outbreak canceling tours across the globe, musicians are finding it more difficult than ever to pay their bills. To aid artists in their time of need, Bandcamp has chosen to donate its cut of music sales made on March 20 directly to the musicians.
Bandcamp has long operated as one of the most equitable methods for musicians to sell their art. With the artist receiving 85 percent of each sale, it’s no wonder why underground bands have used Bandcamp as a primary means of income. Comparatively, iTunes takes 30 percent of each sale, with labels and distributors taking their cut after the fact.
In another artist-friendly move, Bandcamp will operate at cost on March 20, giving fans an opportunity to more directly support their favorite musicians. Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond explains:
The Covid-19 pandemic is in full force, and artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are being canceled for the foreseeable future. With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is now an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it. The good news is that we’re already seeing many fans going above and beyond to support artists across Bandcamp.
To raise even more awareness around the pandemic’s impact on musicians everywhere, we’re waiving our revenue share on sales this Friday, March 20 (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time), and rallying the Bandcamp community to put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets.
For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not. Still, we consider this just a starting point. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come, so we’re also sharing some ideas below on how fans can support the artists they love and how artists can give fans new, creative ways to provide support.
It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us on Friday and through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time.
To visit Bandcamp and browse their selection of music, click here. To support artists on March 20, make sure to purchase music between the hours of midnight to 11:59PM Pacific Time.
2020’s Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums


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FDA Outlines Cefaly Device Special Controls
About four months ago, the agency allowed it to be marketed as a preventative treatment for migraines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published a final rule listing the special controls that address the identified risks in using the Cefaly Device or similar devices. Approved in March 2014 by FDA to be marketed, the Cefaly Device is a patented, drug-free, battery-powered, prescription device that treats migraine pain with neurostimulation.
The FDA final order published July 3 says the special controls, in addition to general controls, "will provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of this device." The special controls cover analysis and testing, labeling and warnings, software testing, and more. Any firm submitting a premarket notification for a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator to treat headaches will need to comply with them.
The Cefaly Device has been classified into class II, and FDA can exempt devices in that category from premarket notification requirements. But its order says for this type of device, FDA has determined premarket notification is necessary.


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Celebrating 50 years in Australia, the Arup team, friends and guests recently gathered at the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House.
September 25th, 2013
Looking back on 50 strong years and looking further ahead, the attendees were asked to consider the notion: “I want to see…”, then to share their responses on the windows of iconic venue, which were covered in clear electrostatic panelling for the evening.
The atmospheric lighting for the event was lead by Tim Carr Arup’s Senior Lighting Designer and guests included Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Explore the radical new organisation strategy which accommodates for the hybrid future of work.
The workplace has changed – and it will continue to evolve. With dynamism at the heart of clients’ requirements, architects and designers at leading practices such as Elenberg Fraser are using and recommending Herman Miller’s OE1 products for the future workplace.
In the bid to balance the desire to live amongst nature with the modest footprint of today’s homes, designer Victoria Azadinho Bocconi looks for inspiration in the depths of the Amazon jungle.
Bidding farewell to mundane and uninspired office spaces, colour has transformed our workplaces into layered and engaging environments. So we sit down with Karina Simpson, Hot Black’s Workplace Lead, to talk about the influence colour has on the workspace landscape through the prism of Herman Miller’s progressive colour philosophy.
The first in what will be a series of hotels, Urban Post is designed to feel like a home, as well as satisfy the busy traveler with luxury amenities.
The 2008 National Architecture Awards are taking place in Adelaide this year, the city of Churches. The presentation venue for 2008 is St Peters Catherdral, a significant part of the cuturalheritage of the City of Adelaide and know as important centre for the celebration of community, music, and the arts. The presentation will then be followed by dinner at the adjacent Pennington Gardens.
Tickets are availble on arcitecture.com.au
In an age where the concept of the workplace is an increasingly transient notion, we expect more from the places where we conduct our business than ever. Shaw Contract, your Official Partner of the INDE. Workspace Award, is here to make sure that happens!
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Entries for INDE.Awards 2023 are now open. There are a million great reasons to enter your studio and your project work into awards programs, but when it comes to the INDE.Awards we can sum it up in 5.
With the acquisition of Marco Fabrics by James Dunlop Group, we see a swathe of illustrious textile brands fall into our fingertips. From Romo to Black Edition, Villa Nova, Zinc Textiles, Mokum and more.
Timber has always had a significant role to play in environmentally sensitive construction; Now, two different timber technologies have revolutionised timber’s use for structural applications.


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THE WHAT GPA Global has announced the acquisition of Cosfibel Group, a luxury packaging, gifting and merchandising player.
THE DETAILS Cosfibel works with premium brands including Chanel and LVMH, and is based in France.
Adam Melton, CEO of GPA, said: “I’m excited to welcome the Cosfibel team to the GPA family. Cosfibel’s CEO, Marie Sermadiras, is a serial entrepreneur and she has joined GPA’s executive leadership to help further GPA’s expansion in Europe. Our global supply chain and manufacturing capabilities will enable us to better support Cosfibel’s customers and increases our prominence in the beauty and food sector, while furthering our leadership in wine and spirits. Cosfibel has a talented global team and its founder Alain Chevassus will work with us in a senior advisory role.”
THE WHY The latest acquisition sees GPA further establish itself in luxury packaging and, according to the company, advances GPA’s goal of growing nearshore and onshore manufacturing capabilities.
A press release stated: “It creates a strong European foothold for GPA through Cosfibel’s key manufacturing facilities in Spain, Portugal and Belgium. This growth in presence is key to GPA’s strategy of helping clients shorten supply chains to increase speed-to-market, de-risk the supply of materials, and reduce carbon emissions.”
The post GPA Global announces acquisition of packaging company Cosfibel Group appeared first on Global Cosmetics News.


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Fannie Mae issued a selling policy notice Friday reiterating that until new appraisal independence guidelines take effect, the Home Valuation Code of Conduct remains in force. The sweeping financial reform legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 contained a provision that sunsets the HVCC 90 days after the signing of the bill into law. President Barack Obama signed the law on July 21; 90 days from that the bill’s signing is Oct. 18. Fannie Mae said it expects the new rules to take effect Oct. 21. In the Friday release, Fannie Mae said it is working with the Federal Housing Finance Agency to develop the new appraiser independence standards. Fannie added that the new requirements are expected to be substantially similar to the current provisions. A spokesperson for Freddie Mac told REO Insider that it will also enforce the HVCC until the replacement guidelines take effect.
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Former Homesnap employees stole trade secrets over online marketplace tech, CoStar alleges HW+
CoStar has sued former Homesnap employees over the alleged theft of its trade secrets, according to court filings.


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With Check Point Software (CHKP 0.71%) bumping up against its 52-week high following a strong earnings release, some investors may wonder if it's too late to enjoy the run. But for long-term investors, it looks like there's plenty of growth ahead of the company, particularly because of CEO Gil Shwed's leadership and how management has gone about building the business over the past couple of years.
As one of Check Point's competitors, Palo Alto Networks (PANW -0.19%), has demonstrated Check Point's slow but steady approach to its business model isn't as easy to deliver on as one may think.
Slow and steady
Unlike many of its peers, Check Point Software doesn't post ridiculously high year-over-year revenue gains. While Palo Alto was reporting 50%-plus sales gains for nearly two years running due in part to its rampant spending on sales and marketing, which at $226.7 million last quarter, accounted for more than half its total revenue.
For some perspective, Check Point's sales-related costs totaled just $106.2 million, less than a quarter of its total revenue. Shwed made a committed effort to build Check Point's business methodically by focusing on its recurring revenue foundation via its subscription-based model and managing overhead, and he's delivering.
Though Palo Alto has performed admirably in building its own subscription revenue and became analyst favorites, Check Point was delivering what many others weren't: steadily increasing profits. One reason is last quarter Check Point's sales and marketing costs rose 15.7% year-over-year, while Palo Alto Networks sales-related costs jumped 24.4%. Recurring sales should result in minimal increases in sales costs and steady bottomline growth, as is the case with Check Point. But Palo Alto continues to spend, negatively impacting its own increasing subscription sales.
Check Point's subscription revenue still doesn't equal that of its product and license sales, but the gap is narrowing with each passing quarter. Product and license sales equaled $126.3 million last quarter, up 3% over last year. Software subscription revenue contributed $112 million to Check Point's sales, a stellar 27% improvement.
The balance of Check Point's revenue, $197 million, was derived from software updates and maintenance, which should also continue climbing given its software subscription emphasis. The result of Shwed's recurring-revenue focus is it helps keep expenses to a minimum assuming its executing, which Check Point is, because over time it costs less to service existing customers than to continually drum up more product sales.
Yin and yang
The systematic approach to growth Check Point has opted for doesn't warrant a lot of hoopla. It's just a reliable, steady process that investors can rely on for years to come. While Palo Alto is enduring the inevitable slowing of top-line growth yet is still spending indiscriminately, Check Point keeps chugging along.
The more conservative path Check Point has chosen is proving worthwhile. As more pundits and investors take notice of what Shwed and team are doing, shareholders are reaping the rewards, to the tune of a 30% jump in value this year.
At the other end of the spectrum are providers such as Palo Alto. Now that Palo Alto is no longer an analyst darling because of its continually slowing sales growth, its shares are down 3.5% this year.
Yes, Check Point stock is flying high, but the manner in which it's finally won over investors is highly sustainable, so there's no reason to think it will change anytime soon. In fact, at the mid-range of Check Point's revenue guidance of $440 million to $465 million for this quarter, investors can expect its "usual" 7% year-over-year improvement. Check Point has forecast per-share earnings excluding one-time items of $1.17 to $1.25 a share, which would be a 32% increase over last year's $0.95.
Considering its increasing quarterly profits and expectations for more, its conservative expense management, and a position in an industry that's expected to grow for years to come, Check Point remains a buy, even at the high.


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Haleema Mekani of NGUWO.inc and a Magis Zimbabwe Pilgrim recently awakened the quiet Botanic gardens when she got a thundering ovation for showcasing a collection of eco-friendly clothing designs.
The event, created to commemorate the World Environment Day was aimed at promoting eco-consciousness and highlight the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly fashion design principles.
Mekani motivated a strong environmental perspective as she presented a collection of fashion pieces made from organic locally sourced materials and fibres.
The handmade shorts and dresses and resort wear, were made by crochet and single uncut threads, eliminating chances of promoting a throw away culture in designers and fashion consumers.
She said her designs seek to promote an eco-friendly market whose designers and consumers strive to make the world more friendly, more eco-conscious and reduce dumping of material.
“We must always remember that we all have a purpose and part of that purpose goes beyond what we want, so we must be willing to step out of our own bubble and say how can I use my talent for other people and to better the environment,” she said.
Jesuit Delegate for Youth Ministry and Magis General Coordinator Br Ngonidzashe Edward said the eco-fashion show is inspiring and the youths must start having the culture of recycling, upcycling and see how much our lifestyles affect the environment.


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Major portion of all online advertising is ad fraud!
No honor among thieves.
Take the JP Morgan Chase, for example. Chase advertised on 400,000 sites. Then on just 5,000, or only one percent of the sites. No change, same results!
“As of a few weeks ago, advertisements for JPMorgan Chase were appearing on about 400,000 websites a month.”
“Now, as more and more brands find their ads popping up next to toxic content like fake news sites or offensive YouTube videos, JPMorgan has limited its display ads to about 5,000 websites it has preapproved, said Kristin Lemkau, the bank’s chief marketing officer. Surprisingly, the company is seeing little change in the cost of impressions or the visibility of its ads on the internet, she said. An impression is generally counted each time an ad is shown.”
Bot-driven traffic, pixel-stuffing, ad stacking, other tricks, kickbacks and outright fraud
With bot-driven traffic, pixel-stuffing and other tricks, kickbacks and outright fraud, on top of the fact that less than 50% of all online ads may even have a chance to be seen by a real human being, the online advertising market is like a house of cards that is ready to topple—or a tiny child’s bicycle being ridden by dozens of clowns, all perched on each others’ shoulders. How long before it collapses completely?
“… hackers reportedly built a click-fraud machine that stole up to $5 million daily from top advertisers and publishers. But even that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online ad fraud.”
“Estimates are that billions of dollars are lost annually because of fraudulent clicks, fake traffic, and other scams. But because of the way the online-advertising market is structured, with several layers of middlemen and ad networks, there is little incentive to stop it.”
There is lots of money to be made in purposefully creating fraudulent impressions to steal ad dollars. Recently, a fake web trafficker came clean on the gory details. People will hide ads behind other ads, spoof their domain to trick ad networks into serving higher-paying ads on their site, and purposefully send bots to a site to drive up impressions. Wenda Millard, president of MediaLink, claims that 25% of the entire online ad market is fraudulent. The end result is lots of traffic and lots of inaccurate measurement.
Most ad networks do want to control this, but with hundreds of thousands of sites involved, it’s impossible to police everyone. What you’re left with are some staggering numbers.
We start with the notion that only 15% of impressions ever have the possibility to be seen by a real person. Then, factor in that 54% of ads are not viewable (and we already discussed how flawed that metric is), and you’re left with only 8% of impressions that have the opportunity to be seen by a real person. Let me clarify: that does not mean that 8% of impressions are seen. That means only 8% have the chance to be seen. That’s an unbelievable amount of waste in an industry where metrics are a major selling point.
Click Fraud and Click Farms
Actually, those 8% of impressions are seen by a real person. They are seen by high school students and low-wage workers, operating from “click farms” who have no actual interest in the target of the ad’s link, but repeatedly click on each AdSense ad making a few dollars for each thousand or so clicks, and generating millions of dollars for Google, Facebook…
- Are Bots Hijacking Your Marketing Budget?
- The Definition Of An Ad Impression
- A Dangerous Question: Does Internet Advertising Work at All?
- Ad fraud is costing the U.S. marketing and media industry an estimated $8.2 billion each year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s first study on the cost of the problem.


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The Support Your Local campaign, backed by independent off-licences and drinks suppliers, has announced the results of a poll of members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Vintners Federation of Ireland, revealing that members are suffering the effects of high excise, as well as from and the uncertainty and sterling effects of the recent Brexit vote.
Padraig Cribben, CEO of the Vintners Federation of Ireland explained that "Members in the border counties are seeing a downturn of between 8 and 12% spend of British tourists compared to this time last year.
"We firmly believe that the Brexit Vote has resulted in an even stronger case for a significant reduction in alcohol excise. Budget 2017 should compensate for the negative effect of Brexit, such as exchange rate uncertainty, impacts of a new “border” and the impacts that Brexit might have on British tourists and their spend in Ireland."
Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland added, "Excise increases in Budget 2012 and 2013 were applied at a time of economic crisis.
"Now that we are moving towards recovery, we need to take this heavy burden off consumers, tourists, businesses and employees across the drinks and hospitality sector which currently employs over 204,000 people with a combined wage bill of €4.3 billion, in every corner of Ireland."
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan


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The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments has instructed the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association to stop providing the utilisation declarations for export and import to 189 member factories due to noncompliance in fixing safety faults.
The DIFE on Monday sent a letter to the BGMEA requesting it to stop providing the UDs to 143 member factories for three months as the authorities of the units had failed to start safety remediation works.
Earlier on December 29 last year, the department sent another letter to the BKMEA asking it to stop providing the UDs to 46 member factories over noncompliance.
The letters said that a total of 1,549 RMG factories were inspected under the national initiative from 2014 to 2015 and were asked to undertake the necessary structural, electrical and fire safety remediation works.
‘But the factories are yet to take any initiative to start safety remediation works and have not yet even submitted the drawings and designs for such works to the DIFE,’ the letters said.
The DIFE requested the trade bodies to stop the UDs of the units for noncompliance as per the escalation protocol adopted at the 15th National Tripartite committee meeting held on July 31, 2019.
‘We have had several meetings with factories where the remediation progress was minimal. During the last meeting in October, 2019, some of the factories sought time extension for starting the remediation works. Although some of the units have started the works, 189 factories have not taken any initiative for remediation,’ DIFE inspector general Shibnath Roy told New Age on Monday.
He said that accidents might take place any time at these units due to various safety faults. The DIFE requested the trade bodies to suspend the UDs of these factories so that the factory owners would be forced to shut their risky units, he said.
‘As per round 4 of the escalation protocol, we have requested the trade bodies to stop issuing UDs to 189 factories for the next three months with an aim to expedite remediation in the units,’ Shibnath said.
Acting president of BKMEA Mohammad Hatem said that they received the letter from the DIFE that asked to stop issuing the UDs to RMG factories which had failed to start safety remediation.
Earlier in September, 2018, the DIFE issued separate letters to the BGMEA and the BKMEA to stop issuing the UDs to 219 factories as the remediation progress at the units was not satisfactory.
The BGMEA then
temporarily stopped issuing the UDS to 51 member factories while the other errant factories pledged to start fixing the safety faults.
Following the Rana Plaza building collapse in April, 2013 that killed more than 1,100 people, a total of 3,780 garment factories were assessed under three initiatives — European retailers’ platform Accord, North American buyers’ platform Alliance and the government-led and ILO-supported national initiative.
Out of the 3,780 garment factories, 1,549 were inspected under the national initiative. Of them, 531 were closed, 69 relocated and 193 transferred to the Accord and Alliance lists.
Factories that fell under the national initiative had completed 32 per cent of the remediation works while 11 factories had fixed 100 per cent of the safety faults, DIFE officials said.
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Jim Nantz, known for calling everything from the Masters Tournament to the Super Bowl, is teaming up with Peter Deutsch, CEO of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, to form a new partnership: Deutsch Nantz Alliance (DNA), which will initially produce a Sonoma-based wine brand named The Calling. It will be introduced to the market in June.
A news release about the alliance explains that the two business partners met one night at a Connecticut restaurant, where both happened to be dining. Deutsch had just finished reading Nantz’s book, Always by My Side, and went over to introduce himself. “Serendipity brought us together,” said Nantz, who had been meeting with various California winemakers for about ten years about the possibility of introducing a new American wine brand.
“Everyone faces certain callings in their lives. Some act on them; others don’t,” said Nantz, a five-time National Sports Commentator of the Year. “In 2008 I wrote a book about my father. The enormous response to it and my father’s fight against Alzheimer’s inspired me to pursue other things I had always dreamed of. I wasn’t going to wait another minute.”
Deutsch and Nantz collaborated closely on the new wine’s packaging design, graphics and copy. The label’s design features a keyhole that “symbolizes the consumer’s chance to unlock their calling in life,” said Nantz.
Here’s the news release with more details about Jim Nantz’s new calling.


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By SolarCars | October 19, 2012
Electric cars are a lot cheaper to operate compared to gasoline cars. That is a fact that a lot of people will accept, but you also need to remember that when you plug something into that outlet, you need to pay for the electricity you use. Just like how the price of gas behaves, electricity is also on an upward trend. Eventually, charging your car will somehow burn a big hole in your pocket.
What about using solar panels installed on the roof of your house to charge your vehicles?
Fitting solar panels to your roof will not be a cheap investment but an recently released online tool by WattPeople aims to push for their packages of electric cars and solar panels. The deal will try to clearly show how solar panels and an EV can save you some money compared to using gasoline cars.
The app also offers an annual financial breakdown of the spending involve for getting an electric vehicle and setting up solar panels at home. It also details financial scenarios which you may face if you take out a loan including monthly payments, interest rates, and cost of installation. It also forecasts possible savings in the future.
The app was actually designed to help Wattpeople with their specialist loans, it has enough functionality to give you an idea if you are thinking of a bank loan to finance your solar panels and electric vehicle.
Based on testimonies, owners of electric cars save a lot once the initial cash out for the solar panels and car have been recouped. The prices of solar panels are dropping while gas prices and electricity rates are rising. It is a really great time to look into electric cars and solar panels.


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Get our introductory offer at only
*$0.99/month for first 3 months
$29.90/month for the next 9 months
THE Eurokars Group will be this year's official limousine partner of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, the first time the multi-franchise dealership is involved in a high-profile event.
The WTA Finals will be held in Singapore from Oct 25 to Nov 1 this year -...


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If you tried to pre-order an SNES Classic today you were only assured of one thing, and it wasn’t an SNES Classic Edition. Chaos was the order of the day, starting early in the morning and continuing through until the afternoon as websites threw up pre-orders at difficult-to-predict times, selling out instantaneously to whoever happened to be on their computers or manning a robot designed to buy immediately. We were promised more consoles would be coming our way than did with the NES Classic Edition, and it’s possible, if not likely, that more consoles did in fact come. But it would seem that, as usual, Nintendo either badly misunderestimated demand, made a calculated move toward scarcity, or did a little of both. Few seem surprised.
The first sign that things were amiss was when pre-orders went mysteriously live at Walmart long ahead of any other retailer. A little while later the big box started quietly canceling orders, later just getting rid of them altogether and chalking things up to a technical error. Not Nintendo’s fault in any way, of course, but a bad omen, generally speaking. And an especially bad omen considering the history of this “classic” line. Nintendo found itself woefully understocked for massive demand last year for the NES Classic, and we can only assume that a mere fraction of the people who wanted to buy one managed to do so. That experience left everyone who wanted to try their luck at acquiring an SNES Classic a little on edge.
Then came a long silence. Pre-orders had gone live in other territories shortly after launch, but the US was curiously left waiting with virtually no information to go on. Eventually, Nintendo made a single, vague announcement: the SNES Classic Edition would be available for pre-order towards the end of the month. It’s not uncommon for manufacturers to be cagey about this sort of thing, but again: precedent. Without a big event or something that could logically serve as launch, anyone who wanted a machine just had to be on notice after the middle of the month.
The day that turned out to be pre-order day started in the dead of night at around 1:00 AM EST, when Best Buy and Amazon both unleashed their stock to the general surprise of the gaming public. It was a boon for anyone who happened to be around and looking at an internet-connected device at the time, but as usual, they sold out within moments. Another round of pre-orders was rumored to hit around 1:00 PM, but only Walmart seemed to pull this off without a snag. Target struggled for a little while before removing the SNES Classic Edition from mine and others carts, GameStop crashed, and despite being listed as an available retailer by Nintendo, Toys R’ Us did not appear to even have an SNES landing page. (Update: Toys R’ Us has announced that it will not be pre-selling the SNES Classic Edtion).
Some of these things clearly don’t rest on Nintendo’s shoulders. Nintendo has no responsibility for the technical operations of either GameStop or Target. But the fact that we’ve seen so many better-coordinated pre-order or product launches certainly speaks to the fact that other manufacturers are keeping tighter controls on their retailers. Witness the Xbox One X, which went on pre-order two days before largely according to schedule and sold out like they were supposed to. Sure, I’ll venture to guess that there were far fewer people going after the Xbox One X, but the basic principles remain the same: a coordinated launch across retailers is in fact possible.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter very much for those on the supply side, which is likely why it happened in the first place. From Nintendo’s perspective, it’s selling all of these units regardless and it would be a mostly unnecessary headache to coordinate some sort of worldwide release. And it may be more or less impossible to meet the colossal demand, even if the SNES Classic Edition seems to be a pretty simple thing to manufacture. From the retailer’s perspective, this is just one of many things it sells on a day-to-day basis, and it may or may not be worth upgrading their server capacity in exchange for the occasional burst in traffic. Target was up and running a few moments later, though GameStop’s website is still down. But for all these parties the end result is the same whether the event is coordinated or not: they sell a bunch of SNES Classic Editions.
Sellouts were bound to happen, if maybe they did not have to happen quite so quickly. We can’t quite know just how limited stock was without poking under the hoods of Walmart and Target. But it would seem that there’s little incentive for this sort of situation not to be a mess. After all, it does little besides drive more hype. But as retailers, Nintendo and scalpers come away happy, it’s a shame that the only people that really lose are the consumers.


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Ample farmed salmon supplies keep prices down
There are opportunities to be had in the farmed salmon market these days, as supplies from Canada, Chile and Europe remain plentiful.
“The market is depressed on the financial side and that benefits consumers and buyers,” said an East Coast distributor. “There is plenty of salmon and everyone is producing. That makes ours a pretty easy job. It’s a buyer’s market, so we just find the best fish.”
Prices have dropped over the past several months and the outlook is for a continued soft…


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Author: By Sarah Arnott
The factory, which will produce 60,000 lithium-ion batteries each year, is
contingent on support from both the European Investment Bank (EIB) and UK
government grants. The Japanese giant, along with its alliance partner
Renault, is planning to sell electric cars in the US and Japan from early
next year, before hitting the global mass market in 2012.
The Government hopes that Nissan’s move will secure the group’s hi-tech
Sunderland plant as a site for manufacture of electric vehicles. Prime
Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday: “Sunderland could now be a strong
contender to produce electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, and we will
continue to work with Nissan to ensure this happens.”
The firm, which already employs 4,200 people in the UK, is the country’s
biggest car exporter. Both the Prime Minister and Lord Mandelson, the
Business Secretary, were in Sunderland yesterday to endorse the Nissan
investment and launch the Government’s designation of the North-east as a
Low-Carbon Economic Area (LCEA). Lord Mandelson said: “The North-east
has distinguished itself as the first specialised region for ultra-low
carbon vehicles. This is good news not just for the North-east, but for the
whole of the UK, helping to attract foreign investment and securing the UK’s
place as a global leader in hi-tech manufacturing and automotive industries.”
The LCEA scheme was introduced in last week’s Low-Carbon Industrial Strategy,
in order to boost industrial development and create green jobs. The first
LCEA will be in Cornwall, focusing on wind power. In the North-east, the
plans include setting up a training centre to specialise in the manufacture
and maintenance of electric cars, as well as a research and development
centre bringing together work from the region’s five universities and a
test-track to try out new technologies.
The initiatives will be funded by One North East, the regional development
agency, which is also looking at reopening part of the Leamside freight
railway line to improve access to local ports.
The UK Government wants Britain to be the “green car capital of Europe”,
and manufacturers are responding. Last week Toyota, the world’s biggest car
maker, confirmed plans to build its hybrid Auris in Derbyshire from the
middle of next year. Vauxhall is also pushing for its Ellesmere Port factory
to be the European manufacturer of GM’s Ampera hybrid. A US import is to go
on sale next year.
View full article here
Author: Ezine Article BoardThis author has published 5774 articles so far.


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A new sixth season of Totally Spies is set to bow on Nickelodeon in 2013, sporting an updated storyline, new picture quality and an ambitious promotional collaboration with the palace of Versailles in France. Produced by Paris-based Marathon Media, the show originally aired in 2001 and was the highest-rated and longest-running French-produced animated series until production went into indefinite hiatus after its fifth season in 2008. Marathon Media, a part of the Zodiak Media Group as of 2007, is now in production on season six.
This summer, Zodiak Media inked a broadcast deal with Nickelodeon for the new sixth season, as well as the first five (156 episodes total), for pay-TV broadcast in German-speaking Europe, Benelux, Nordic, Central Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, CIS and Africa, and free-to-air in Germany and Benelux. In France, Zodiak has partnered with TF1, the show’s original broadcaster, and Disney France.
Marathon GM and Totally Spies co-creator David Michel says the original seasons had a strong pop-culture element and played off the girl-power movement of the late-1990s epitomized by the Spice Girls. Marathon updated the new eps with modern storylines based on social media and current pop-culture events. In one ep, for example, a dress designer wreaks havoc on the Royal Wedding and the plans of a beloved British TV dance competition host.
“In this new season of Totally Spies, everything happens around social networks and everything in their lives is connected through that,” says Michel. Marathon has also upped the picture quality and is producing the new season using a compositing technique it developed for the Totally Spies movie in 2009, in which additional layers create a glow around the characters that make them stand out.
Marathon’s promotional collaboration with Versailles will include a one-hour special, comprised of two episodes set in the palace itself. Additionally, between March and August next year, the palace will host a Totally Spies-themed treasure hunt based on the episodes. It will also be tied to an interactive augmented-reality app in which Versailles’ kid visitors will learn its history while they use the app to find clues through animated clips.
“It’s a way for them to draw a mainstream younger audience to the castle and make the historical facts more relatable to the public,” says Michel. He adds that parentco Zodiak has helped the prodco up its promotional and marketing efforts through its access to a larger marketing team and more resources.
Zodiak Kids’ SVP of global sales and co-production, Karen Vermeulen, says the new plot line involves the characters going off to fashion school, which will lend itself well to consumer products extensions, particularly apparel, accessories, dolls and a plush line. She says Zodiak is also looking at developing digital games and gadgets that also speak to a girls audience. She adds that the action and spy aspects of the series have also drawn in boys.
Zodiak will be shopping series six at MIPCOM and is already in advanced discussions to license it, and series one through five, to broadcasters in Italy and Canada.


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The singer now features in the mobile role-playing game, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, as a playable character.
The first character, called Poster Katy, features Perry’s character wearing an iconic look from a recent performance during her ‘Witness’ concert tour.
Square Enix, the game’s developer, says that other character designs feature Perry in other famous outfits will be available in future in-game events.
To celebrate, Katy has also created a song specially for the game, Immortal Flame.
This isn’t the first time that a pop star has appeared in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.
Ariana Grande also featured as a character in the game back in 2017, wearing her iconic bunny ear mask costume.


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Here's why both HP and Xerox may be up for grabs
Xerox made a roughly $33 billion cash-and-stock offer for HP earlier this month, which HP's board rejected over the weekend. Hewlett Packard said the bid undervalued the company and was not in the shareholders' best interest. Dan Gallagher, reporter at the Wall Street Journal, and Walter Isaacson, Tulane professor and an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, join CNBC's "Squawk Box" team to discuss.
Mon, Nov 18 20198:32 AM EST


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Department store retailer consolidates operations.
Consolidation continues to retail giant.
Middle Eastern conglomerate nabs stores from UK icon.
Long-serving chairman to leave, retailer’s debt plan falls short.
No, shopping centres are not dying – they’re just reinventing themselves.
US chain makes it seventh straight year posting declines.
Department store retailer signs up retailers ahead of launch.
Myer’s much anticipated AGM kicks off as incumbent chair lashes retail veteran.
Department store retailer impacted by raft of ‘disruptions’.
UK department store chain for further profit decline amid worsening high-street trading conditions.
The game has moved into areas that Solomon Lew may not have intended when it bought into the department store retailer.
Retailer remains committed to dedicated clearance floors, major shareholder fumes.


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It's no secret that the flooding in Thailand has had a disastrous effect on hard-drive supply, causing shortages and hiking prices. Now, DigiTimes says PC makers have gotten so desperate to stock up that they've turned to the gray market, using unofficial channels to get their hands on remaining drives:
The sources described the brand vendors going into a "panic" to fill their HDD inventory. Most have repeatedly placed orders to HDD makers with combined volume already double or even triple their usual demand, but since HDD makers can only reply that they have no more inventory, or cannot provide their supply status, the vendors have turned to the gray market.
That reported rush has been so extensive that, according to the supply-chain sources quoted by DigiTimes, gray-market prices for 320GB and 500GB drives have roughly doubled. The site quotes figures of around $60-70 for 320GB models and $100 for 500GB drives.
Yesterday, DigiTimes reported Western Digital and Samsung wouldn't be supplying hard drives to the Taiwanese channel this month. The shortages have affected everyone, though, and things must be tough for PC makers around the globe.


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You know I love a good boy and his dog story, well just about the only thing a boy may love about as much as his dog is his pokemon cards. Bryson Kliemann’s Pokémon card collection is his most prized possession. But the 8-year-old boy from Lebanon, Va., decided to sell it to save his dog’s life.
When Bryson learned that the 4-month-old puppy, Bruce, needed an expensive medical treatment to survive, he knew he had to do something. “Bruce got sick and needed my help,” Bryson said. “I was super sad. I didn’t want to lose my best friend.”
He hatched a plan to sell the beloved Pokémon card collection that he had been accumulating since he was 4 years old. He set up a simple stand on his front lawn with a large wooden sign that read: Pokemon 4 SALE.
Brysons father sent a picture of Bryson selling his cards to Woodruff which she shared on a local Facebook group, in the hope that it might encourage neighbours to stop by and acknowledge her son’s efforts. She wasn’t expecting anyone to react, she said, but the instant outpouring of support “was overwhelming.”
Woodruff received a flurry of messages and comments from people in the community asking to donate, and given the demand, she decided to start a GoFundMe to raise just enough money to cover the cost of the treatment. “I didn’t want him to have to sell his cards,” Woodruff said.
Bryson’s story also touched people outside the Lebanon area, including an employee at the Pokémon Co. in Seattle, who sent him a package filled with rare cards. When it arrived, “I couldn’t believe it,” Bryson said. “I was so, so, so, so excited.”
The package contained a note that read, “Hey Bryson, we were so inspired by your story about selling your cards for your dog’s recovery, these are some cards to help you replace the ones you had to sell.” Woodruff said, “I was amazed. I didn’t think it would reach them.”
Woodruff contacted the vet’s office where Bruce was treated, and “I told them if anyone comes in and they need any help paying, please let me know,” she said, adding that she also donated to a local animal shelter.
So far, the funds have helped three other families pay their veterinary bills. “We definitely want to pay it forward. It’s a horrible situation to be in,” Woodruff said. “Knowing other families go through the same thing, we want to help.”
Bruce is now at home and healthy, and although he is still receiving treatment and being closely monitored, “he is definitely back to his puppy self.”
Fetched from The Washington Post


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(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)
NEW DELHI, June 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Standalone Financial Results for the Year ended 31st March, 2021.
• The sale of plastic waste grew exponentially by more than 500% from 195 MT between November 2020 to 1300 MT in March 2021.
• Revenue from plastic scrap in November 2020 stood at INR 7.1 million, and rose to INR 52.4 million in March 2021, marking a growth of more than 600%.
• Within a span of 4 months, the Company has been able to monetize 4600 MT of PET scrap that has generated us revenue of INR 233 million.
• Generated a revenue of INR 155 million from 'RESTORE' division with exports accounting a share of 33%. The 'RESTORE' division is engaged in selling of recycled products under the same brand name.
• RACE Eco Chain Ltd. is at the forefront of the industry by being a leading organized player targeting a niche segment i.e., Packaging Plastic Waste within this recycled plastic's market. The Company is currently undergoing transformation to capitalize the existing market of plastic waste that is estimated around INR 55,000 CR per annum (over 10% CAGR), which can grow up to INR 80,000 CR with technology interventions.
RACE Eco (Recycling And Circular Economy) Chain Ltd. is an environmentally conscious initiative with a mission to reduce the Carbon footprint caused by waste plastics. The Company is involved in aggregation of packaging plastic waste and channelizing it for recycling into consumer friendly products. Further, the Company is establishing its network by converting existing unorganized constituents into an organized one. The vertical setup is responsible from the collection and audit of the waste, from end-to-end to enable product traceability. As an added innovative initiative, RACE has built an Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile application to connect the recyclers with the sellers, for better transparency and ease of doing business.
Organizational revamp underway: RACE Eco Chain Ltd., a BSE Listed Company (SME Segment) is undergoing a major transformational revamp since November 2020, and is reporting its yearly numbers.
Robust growth and reflection in numbers: The sale of plastic waste grew exponentially by more than 500% from 195 MT in November 2020 to 1300 MT in March 2021. The revenue from plastic scrap in November 2020 stood at INR 7.1 million which surged to INR 52.4 million by March 2021, marking a growth of more than 600%. Within a short span of four-months, the Company was able to monetize 4600 metric tonnes of PET scrap that generated a revenue of INR 233 million.
Brand store for recycled products: The recycled division of the Company has been selling recycled products under the brand 'RESTORE'. The Company's marketing efforts have been able to generate significant business interest locally and internationally as a result of which, within a short span of five-months, the Company has been able to generate a revenue of INR 155 million from recycled division with exports accounting a share of 33%.
Management quote: "Our company is currently planning to invest its resources to establish and expand its collection network and IT efforts. While the future trajectory remains challenging, we remain confident of the business scenario improving in the short to medium term. By leveraging over 150 years of experience of our founding team and the positive momentum that our business has witnessed so far, we are confident enough to overcome all the challenges and emerge as the industry frontrunner," said Mr. Sunil Malik, Managing Director, RACE Eco Chain Ltd.,
Organizing the unorganized: The very nature of the industry remains largely unorganized and this is where the Company is working with unorganized constituents who do not have access to either investment or technology. Also, the unorganized players/constituents do not take pride in their profession. RACE Eco Chain Ltd. has taken the initiative to convert them into an organized ecosystem of players and thereby creating a massive opportunity for industry and its players.
Massive industry opportunity: As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the data of the existing market of plastic waste is around INR 55,000 CR per annum, growing at over 10% CAGR, and has the potential to grow up to INR 80,000 CR per annum via technology innovativeness. RACE Eco Chain Ltd. is aiming at immense scope for growth as the current market opportunity is a fraction of immense opportunity that the emerging industry offers.
The Board of Directors, at its meeting on 25th June 2021, approved the financial results for the year ended 31st March 2021, which are enclosed.
About RACE Eco Chain Ltd.
We at RACE Eco Chain Ltd. aim at generating wealth & pride from waste for the entire ecosystem involved in the plastic waste management business. The two sides of the RACE coin:
- Organizing the disorganized sector & increasing the volume of recycled waste
- Channelizing plastic waste to create downstream recycled products for consumer connect
RACE is currently focused on a niche segment i.e., Packaging plastic waste within the recycled plastic's waste market. However, considering the still untapped potential of the recycled plastic waste market, the opportunity for RACE to channelize the existing unorganized business into an organized waste management chain is tremendous.


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CoinDesk data show that 11 25 April bitcoin prices 10%, a record low of $3447.58, which is the lowest level since the 9 2017 years. In January this year, bitcoin prices as high as $16879, the decline has reached 80%.
In fact, bitcoin price volatility is not what happens. Early in the month when 6 2011 years, there have been 94% decline. 2013 years have two slump, decline reached 75% and 87%. It can be seen that the price volatility is one of the basic characteristics of bitcoin. The basic reason is that the value of bitcoin has great uncertainty, and speculative property is too strong, the high risk of gambling near to describe is not excessive.
Since its inception, bitcoin will be controversial, it is difficult to accurately measure the value of. Mainly because the underlying technology support such a virtual currency, namely block chain technology, for most people is still very strange.
There is no doubt that the blockchain technology itself is very important, it can be used as a reliable database to record information is stored, a permanent record of the ideal solution, but also solve the problem of trust in the process of multi point information interaction. That is to say, the block chain technology once mature and put into application, the value outlook is very considerable, it is worth looking forward to.
However, the ideal is full, the road is tortuous. So far, the research on large-scale application of block chain technology, still no breakthrough. However, with the concept of virtual currency derivative, but if appear like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. This is doomed, these virtual currency value rests on a shaky basis. Many investors invest in virtual currency, is actually a kind of speculation, said a serious point, is gambling. Also, the money is not for the development of block chain technology. That is to say, the popular virtual currency is a speculative bubble in some degree.
As an investment object, bitcoin virtual currency and stock is not the same. Stock is on a company’s assets are assets ownership, will give investors a return. As long as the growth performance of the company, then the value of the stock investors truly increased. Even if the stock price fell to market value evaporated, the corresponding physical assets are still. However, bitcoin itself does not create wealth, nor should any physical assets, once prices fall, the wealth is really just evaporate. Similarly, bitcoin monetary function is virtual, different from the precious metals such as gold and silver, is different from the government credit currency.
Financial speculation is an important driving factor of virtual currency price fluctuations. Bitcoin prices rose sharply, cannot do without fueling domestic and international capital speculation. So, for small and medium-sized ordinary investors, the investment risk of bitcoin is great, if you can not afford, it is best not to participate in.
Nevertheless, as a form of wealth allocation, bitcoin still has its value of existence. After all, as a kind of currency, as long as there are enough people believe that it can play the function of money, to some extent, it has the circulation of credit. Also, store of gold and other tangible wealth relative, bitcoin is more convenient to carry.
Bitcoin is widely criticized for investors and security issues, such as hackers stealing coins. Under the current technical conditions, it is difficult to ensure bitcoin holders own bitcoin is being stolen by hackers, and stolen after very difficult to track. But after all, this is a technical issue in time, and other related technical progress, I believe that these problems can be solved properly.
From the point of view of the current market conditions, it is difficult to return to the peak of $20000 bitcoin price volatility in the price, after all have a lot of confidence of investors caused a serious blow. However, as mentioned earlier, the price volatility is a basic feature of bitcoin, perhaps in the speculators participation, its price will usher in a wave rally. But anyway, still does not change the characteristics of high risk game, which is almost gambling.
In short, if the bitcoin speculation as the subject matter, so that speculators to make full preparations for significant fluctuations in the price of bitcoin, small speculators that do not have the ability to bear this risk is still the best of departure. And in the long run, as long as the development of technology can solve the security problem, bitcoin exists then the wealth from the configuration point of view, bitcoin is quite significant, not a stick killed. Whether is the biggest Ponzi scheme, also let the time to answer.
(source: Beijing News)


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Taylor Swift Signs on to Perform During the Super Bowl Pre-Show
Can’t wait to see Lady Gaga slay the at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 5? Well, that weekend just got even better as it turns out that Taylor Swift will also be performing the day before the big game!
The “Shake It Off” singer signed a multi-year agreement with AT&T and the Super Bowl pre-show will be her first event with the partnership. In fact, there are already plans for the construction of a 64,000-square-foot venue in which Swift will hold her performance.
If you’re desperate to get your hands on some tickets, AT&T is lining up some promotions and campaigns in the coming months that will send some lucky fans to the show.
“We’re thrilled to reach a deal to bring Taylor and her unique talents to her fans and our customers in new and exclusive ways,” AT&T CEO John Stankey shared in a statement on the company’s site. “We’re excited to get event tickets into the hands of Taylor’s fans and exclusive content from the event to our customers and celebrate the combination of one of the world’s biggest artists with one of the world’s biggest sporting events.”


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Tim Chen wants to buy a house. This shouldn't be a problem: Though only 33 and shopping in the heart of bubblicious San Francisco, the former hedge fund analyst knows almost everything there is to know
He writes in his new book, "Moonshot!" that the four game-changing technologies of today — cloud computing, wireless sensors, Big Data, and mobile devices — are cheap and readily available to all entrepreneurs
Successful business requires many things, but it's ultimately all about leadership. Only, how do you achieve the necessary qualities? There are many theories of leadership, from the so-called "great man"
Conservatives have seized on Canada’s exclusion from a multi-country meeting on campaign against Isis to accuse the Liberal government of stepping back Canada’s Conservative opposition has accused Justin
With the job market gasping its way back to life and so many young people nursing the knocks and bruises they received navigating the choppy waters of the post-Great Recession economy, many millennials


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1. According to the annual Global Trade Protection Report, companies in the US launched 43 anti-dumping cases in 2015 and a further 22 anti-subsidy investigations aimed at securing countervailing duties. The US took the lead in both areas, overtaking India and Brazil, which launched the most cases in 2014 and 2013.
2. 在法国商学院当中，图卢兹商学院(Toulouse Business School)的进步最大，上升了14位，原因是该商学院首次进入了EMBA榜单。


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Bowflex has the Bowflex Max Trainer M5 Hybrid Elliptical & Step Exercise Machine for a low $1449.00 Free Shipping after Coupon Code: "MONDAY15" (Exp 11/30 PST). Tax in most states.
This is normally $1599 + $150 shipping fee, so you're saving an extra 17% ($300) off with this Cyber Monday coupon.
The Max Trainer M5 is a great cardio workout thanks to its ultra-smooth low impact motion, but with the intensity of the stair stepping workout without the strain to your knees.
Disclaimer: The Black Friday deal information given above is without warranties on accuracy and availability. Black Friday deals tend to sell out very quickly and as retailer only keep low inventories for doorbuster deals.
Bowflex Cyber Monday Sale - Max Trainer M5 Hybrid Elliptical & Step Exercise Machine $1450
Black Friday 2015 is here. The early Black Friday 2015 Sales launched. I4U News is features in-depth coverage of Black Friday 2015 ads, deals, and sales. We have more Black Friday services and content than ever before. Find below the highlights.
Black Friday 2015 on I4U News
Find the latest Black Friday 2015 Deals
I4U News is daily News site for the Geek Mind. Expect the latest technology news including the juiciest rumors. Stay up to date with the biggest discoveries in science. Other featured news topics include cars, celebrities, movies and more.Read more.


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The economic situation has deteriorated
EC monthly report
According to the EC monthly report the situation in the Croatian economy in August has deteriorated compared to July after being affected by lower expectations in retail, industry, and services, while the situation has somewhat deteriorated all over the EU. The business environment index in Croatia in August has been reduced for 1.7 points down to 110.7 points. It was up 0.2 points in July. The expectations in August have deteriorated the most in retail, where the index has plummeted 5.8 points.


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Fashion week officially begins Thursday, and while some of the brightest stars in the industry unveil their latest collections, many struggling designers are working hard trying to make it to Lincoln Center some day. NY1’s Cheryl Wills filed the following report.
“This colection of Bootstrap Templates maintain native Bootstrap function while providing it’s own creative and fessional style.”Someone Famous
When designers show off their collections at New York’s Fashion Week it’s a big deal. With fashion press and buyers from all over the world on hand, high-profile designers treasure their coveted spots under the tents.
But for many emerging designers like Adrian Alicea, the long road to fashion’s walk of fame starts in a Harlem apartment with clothes literally hanging off the walls.
“There isn’t a lot of attention given to new designers because of the mainstream designers but there is a lot of talent out there that needs to be recognized,” says Alicea.


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PCI Data Security Standard
- February 28, 2018
Visa points to a 70% drop in fraud due to EMV chip cards, as consumers and merchants adopt the new payment card technology. But criminals are shifting their own focus to adapt.
- September 06, 2017
In this week's Risk & Repeat podcast, SearchSecurity editors discuss new research from Verizon on payment card security and the effectiveness of PCI DSS compliance for enterprises.
- September 01, 2017
News roundup: More than half of enterprises are in compliance with PCI DSS, according to a Verizon report. Plus, Turla is on the attack again with a new campaign, and more.
- August 04, 2016
Researchers at Black Hat 2016 poked holes in chip and PIN security by demonstrating simple attacks that can intercept EMV card transaction data, including CVV codes and PINs.
- April 28, 2016
PCI DSS 3.2 marks the start of refining the payment data regulations, rather than minor changes, and includes requirements to strengthen encryption and multifactor authentication.
- February 19, 2016
The PCI council has determined its data security standard is finally mature enough to forego significant updates, so PCI DSS 3.2 will be more of an incremental modification.
- December 22, 2015
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council unexpectedly pushed back the deadline for enterprises to migrate off of early versions of TLS.
- October 02, 2015
News roundup: Despite a low adoption rate going into the liability shift, many in the industry are optimistic about the future of EMV use. Plus: TrueCrypt flaws; AWS crypto keys stolen; women in infosec.
- October 01, 2015
The Oct. 1, 2015 deadline for EMV liability has arrived, though merchants and retailers alike aren't ready for the change.
- September 01, 2015
A major deadline for EMV card adoption is just one month away. Can chip-and-PIN and chip-and-signature technology improve payment card security and reduce fraud?
- April 15, 2015
PCI DSS 3.1 grants merchants about 14 months to nix flawed SSL and TLS protocols, but demands they quickly provide detailed new documentation on how they plan to make the transition.
- March 31, 2015
The PCI SSC has issued prescriptive new supplemental guidance on penetration testing in an effort to reverse current trends and improve merchant compliance.
- March 30, 2015
The PCI Security Standards Council has confirmed that PCI DSS 3.1 will be released in just a few weeks. According to a Gartner analyst, the surprise new release could cause major problems for merchants.
- March 11, 2015
The 2015 edition of the Verizon PCI report shows enterprises are, on the whole, getting better at achieving full PCI compliance. Unfortunately, few can sustain it.
- February 20, 2015
News roundup: Amid hidden add-ons, discontinued services and walled gardens, vendor trust proves elusive for several high-profile tech firms. Plus: Evidence ties North Korea to Sony Pictures hack; card brands boost cybersecurity; and cookies that ...


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Boston Interiors heads outdoors
March 20, 2017,
Boston Interiors Outdoor collection
Launching this month, Boston Interiors Outdoor consists of about a dozen styles with prices from $279 for a small bistro table to about $2,700 for a large teak dining set, said Stefanie Lucas, CEO of the seven-store Top 100 company.
“Our customers have been asking for outdoor furniture, especially in our coastal locations, so we’re happy to be able to fulfill this need for them,” Lucas said.
“We also see a need for more unique looks in this category since more and more people are using outdoor spaces for entertaining on a regular basis.”
In conjunction with its sustainability efforts, and “total design offering,” the retailer also introduced a low-emissions paint collection that uses recycled, chlorine-free packaging and follows other environmentally conscious practices, the company said. The line features 128 colors that will be available to order in stores and online, shipping to consumers’ homes.
The company declined to identify the paint source, too.
“When our team is helping to design someone’s home, they often get asked about paint colors we would recommend, so we wanted to be able to help them,” Lucas said. “These colors complement our furniture and make it simple for them.”
The new outdoor furniture line and eco-friendly paint line for launch this month. Outdoor items can be viewed on the retailer’s website.
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Irish designer Orla Kiely is to close retail stores in London and in Kildare Village, in Ireland, as well as the brand's e-commerce site, OrlaKiely.com.
In a blow for Irish fashion, one of the country's most celebrated exports, Orla Kiely has announced that her eponymous label has ceased trading in its online and retail businesses, including its London and Kildare Village stores.
A note on the designer's website as of Monday states:
"Kiely Rowan plc, the retail and wholesale fashion business of Orla Kiely, has ceased trading as of Monday 17 September 2018. This means our retail stores in London and Kildare and our online business has closed.
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Orla Kiely’s Home and Design licensing business will not be impacted, and its selection of accessories and homewares will continue to be sold through its distribution partners."
Read more: These designs by Irish sisters Caroline & Nicola Kilkenny will have you reaching for your wallet
An additional statement subsequently released to The Irish Times elaborates slightly.
"Having carefully considered the options, the directors of Kiely Rowan Plc have concluded that the business should enter voluntary liquidation following various challenges that have faced the company over the past few years, both in the UK and abroad.”
The label had traditionally struck a cord with an older demographic for its homewares and accessories ranges, particularly in the handbag category; the Stem handbag being an It piece for over a decade.
More recently, however, a brand reposition and the launch of the L'Orla range, a collaboration with celebrity stylist and ultimate cool girl Leith Clark, breathed new life into the brand with A-listers like Kate Middleton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alexa Chung and Brooke Shields all spotted in the Irish designer's ultra-feminine pieces.
The brand recently marked a landmark moment with an exhibition in London's Design and Textile Museum celebrating 20 years of life in print. Speaking to Irish Tatler earlier in the year, Kiely remarked that it was a moment of celebration.
Read more: Fashion of Ireland - growing e-commerce business leading the way in Irish design
"We were approached by the Fashion & Textile Museum, almost a year ago, I felt excited and a little overwhelmed by the idea. But it has been a great adventure, going through the last 23 years of work, seeing the depth of our print archive, reflecting on all our projects, rediscovering bags we designed over 20 years ago and how far we have come. We are seeing this exhibition as a moment to celebrate."
This article was originally published in our sister publication Irish Tatler.


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Aston Martin DBX
Billed as a sports car and a quintessential Aston Martin, the DBX sport utility vehicle is one of the most important new cars for a company for which every new car is make or break. In recent months Aston Martin's sales have fallen and its shares have plummeted in value since it made its initial public offering on the stock market last year, with investors and the City desperate for some good news for this tiny luxury car maker.
The DBX, which will be built at a new factory at Saint Athan in Wales, will be aimed strongly at American and Chinese markets. It's a four-wheel drive SUV with four doors and five seats and joins a crowded market of super luxury SUVs, although it is significantly...
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BMW Group (BMW.L, BAMXF.PK, BAMXY.PK) recorded that its November worldwide deliveries increased by 1.4 percent year-on-year to 225,662 units. Total sales of BMW brand vehicles rose 2.9 percent to 194,690 units.
For the year to the end of November period, deliveries were up 1.7 percent, with a total of 2,296,174 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles sold. BMW brand sales increased by 2.4 percent to 1,972,394.
Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales, said: "Our electrified vehicles also performed particularly well in November, with sales increasing by 18.4% to reach a new all-time sales high. Last month, one in five BMW 5 Series Sedans was a plug-in hybrid."