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Hansen Natural Corp.'s
Shares were up 6.6% at $66 after hours. Through the close, the stock has climbed 44% over the past 12 months. A week ago, it hit its highest level since November 2007, before the start of the recession.
The company--which sells energy drinks, soda, juice and tea--said the quarter's 50% jump in sales were partly driven by advance purchases made by customers previous quarter after Hansen announced a new marketing contribution program for distributors of its Monster Energy drinks.
Lately, sales strength has been driven by its Monster Energy drinks. Chairman and Chief Executive Rodney C. Sacks reiterated Thursday that the brand has been gaining market share and the company been making progress in international markets.
Like other beverage companies, Hansen is increasing reliance on international sales for growth. In the latest period, gross sales outside the U.S. surged 93% and represented 18% of total gross sales.
Hansen Natural posted a profit of $55 million, or 59 cents a share, from $32.6 million, or 35 cents a share, a year earlier. Net sales increased 50% to $356.4 million.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters predicted earnings of 49 cents a share on revenue of $325 million.
Case sales, in 192-ounce equivalents, rose 43%. Average net sales price per case increased 4.5%.
Higher costs for raw materials like aluminum and sugar are exerting pressure in the sector. For Hansen, gross margin crept down to 52.1% from 52.3% in the latest period.


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eBay Inc. and Sneaker Con Digital have entered into a definitive agreement under which eBay has acquired Sneaker Con’s authentication business, a sneaker authenticator with operations in the U.S., U.K, Canada, Australia and Germany.
The company said in a statement that this acquisition is an extension of the ongoing collaboration between eBay and Sneaker Con, which has been critical to powering eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee. The service, which eBay launched in October 2020, offers full vetting and verification of select sneakers bought on the marketplace by a team of Sneaker Con’s industry experts. In just over a year, more than 1.55 million sneakers have been authenticated globally on eBay.
“We partnered with Sneaker Con to launch sneaker authentication on eBay last year because the team shared our passion for the category. The response to our authentication offering has been overwhelming, and this acquisition allows us to continue to transform eBay and bring a higher level of trust and confidence to every transaction,” said Jordan Sweetnam, SVP and general manager of eBay North America.
The company added that eBay will continue to build upon its offerings to accommodate resale market trends and ensure a seamless user experience that provides the community with a trusted marketplace.
“We respect eBay’s commitment to the sneaker culture and are honored that Sneaker Con’s authentication business will be incorporated into their platform,” added Brad Fried, the company’s co-founder.
Conceived in 2009, Sneaker Con has cultivated a global community of sneaker enthusiasts through its industry-leading events, where people gather to buy, sell and trade sought-after footwear. Sneaker Con launched its authentication business in 2018 to complement the events business and provide authentication services to further support the sneaker community.

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The SoCal watch retailer debuted courtside billboards at the Staples Center
Westime, the multi-brand watch retailer based in Los Angeles, now has courtside presence at NBA games. The company announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Clippers—and Swiss watchmaker Breitling—that makes the retailer the first-ever official timekeeper for the Clippers organization.
The multiyear partnership, which kicks off this season, includes Westime and Breitling logos on courtside digital signs and LED displays around the Staples Center. The most clever of the bunch: a huge courtside banner that reads “Crunch Time—Breitling Available at Westime.”
Breitling imagery is also displayed during each game’s Countdown to Tip-off, and Westime branding pops up when the shot clock reaches five seconds. Westime and Breitling mentions and/or imagery will also be incorporated into radio broadcasts, on Clippers.com, and on the team’s social media channels.
“We love our sports teams in L.A., and sports-minded people love Breitling watches,” Greg Simonian, president of Westime, told JCK. “When it comes to exciting teams in the NBA, it’s really hard to top the Clippers. New ownership, a winning record, and players like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who do so much for the community, all make the Clippers a team that anyone in Los Angeles can be proud to support.”
Thierry Prissert, president of Breitling USA, said in a statement, “By supporting the Clippers, one of the sports world’s most ascendant franchises, Breitling and Westime are sharing their passion for precision, success, and achievement with a team that displays those same values during every game.”Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine


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Coffee consumption whether Sweetened or unsweetened associated with lower death risk
Researchers have found in a cohort study that compared to non-coffee drinkers, adults who drank moderate amounts (1.5 to 3.5 cups per day) of unsweetened coffee or coffee sweetened with sugar were less likely to die during a 7-year follow up period. The results for those who used artificial sweeteners were less clear. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Previous...
Researchers have found in a cohort study that compared to non-coffee drinkers, adults who drank moderate amounts (1.5 to 3.5 cups per day) of unsweetened coffee or coffee sweetened with sugar were less likely to die during a 7-year follow up period. The results for those who used artificial sweeteners were less clear.
The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Previous studies observing the health effects of coffee have found that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of death but did not distinguish between unsweetened coffee and coffee consumed with sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Researchers from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China used data from the U.K. Biobank study health behavior questionnaire to evaluate the associations of consumption of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened coffee with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. More than 171,000 participants from the U.K. without known heart disease or cancer were asked several dietary and health behavior questions to determine coffee consumption habits.
The authors found that during the 7-year follow up period, participants who drank any amount of unsweetened coffee were 16 to 21 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee. They also found that participants who drank 1.5 to 3.5 daily cups of coffee sweetened with sugar were 29 to 31 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee.
The authors noted that adults who drank sugar-sweetened coffee added only about 1 teaspoon of sugar per cup of coffee on average. Results were inconclusive for participants who used artificial sweeteners in their coffee.
Any accompanying editorial by the editors of Annals of Internal Medicine notes that while coffee has qualities that could make health benefits possible, confounding variables including more difficult to measure differences in socioeconomic status, diet, and other lifestyle factors may impact findings. The authors add that the participant data is at least 10 years old and collected from a country where tea is a similarly popular beverage.
They caution that the average amount of daily sugar per cup of coffee recorded in this analysis is much lower than specialty drinks at popular coffee chain restaurants, and many coffee consumers may drink it in place of other beverages that make comparisons to non-drinkers more difficult. Based on this data, clinicians can tell their patients that there is no need for most coffee drinkers to eliminate the beverage from their diet but to be cautious about higher calorie specialty coffees.
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: firstname.lastname@example.org. Contact no. 011-43720751


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Google is biting off a big piece of device manufacturer HTC for $1.1 billion to expand its efforts to build phones, speakers and other gadgets equipped with its arsenal of digital services. It's buying the HTC engineering team that built the Pixel smartphone for Google in a cash deal, the companies said in a joint statement Thursday. Google is also getting a non-exclusive license for Taiwan-based HTC's intellectual property to help support Pixel phones. The deal underscores how serious Google is becoming about designing its own family of devices to compete against Apple and Amazon in a high-stakes battle to become the technological hub of people's lives. "We think this is a very important step for Google in our hardware efforts," Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president of hardware, said at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan.
Columnist Ed Baig reviews Pixel, which features the high-IQ Google Assistant and a competitive, high-end smartphone camera. The Google logo is seen at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Google said Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, it is ending its so-called "first click free," a policy loathed by many publishers and media because it required a limited amount of free content from them before readers could be subjected to a paywall. The next Pixel phones are coming, and Google wants you to know they're hoping to leave competitors -- namely two glossy, recently launched rivals from Samsung and Apple -- in the dust. Weeks ahead of Wednesday's expected launch, Google teased the devices in YouTube and TV promo videos that asked, "What's wrong with my phone's battery?
Google will announce a number of new products on October 4, reportedly including two new phones, a smaller version of the Google Home, and a high-end laptop. And on Wednesday, the company announced an agreement with struggling manufacturer HTC that will import a team of engineers over to Google, to help close the gap between Mountain View's hardware ambitions and its present reality. The tie-up's not quite the acquisition that had been rumored, but rather a "cooperation agreement." Google is hiring a team of HTC employees--about 2,000 people in all, members of HTC's "Powered by HTC" division--most of whom have already been working on Google's Pixel phones. Those employees will stay in Taipei, Taiwan, where HTC is headquartered, but they'll become full-on Googlers.
Nearly four years after selling Motorola off to Lenovo, Google is buying into yet another longtime Android partner, HTC. But instead of purchasing the company outright, Google is buying its brains. Google already knows these brains well. "A team of HTC talent will join Google as part of the hardware organization," Google hardware SVP (and former Motorola president) Rick Osterloh said Thursday. Reports from the New York Times and other sources have pegged the number of employees at approximately 2,000 (or up to $550,000 per employee, if you're doing the math).
Is Google following the footsteps of Apple in ditching the universal 3.5mm headphone jack on its latest smartphones? Sadly, the answer is yes according to an integral Google document, which also asserts that the Mountain View giant could instead be including a single USB Type-C port for charging and audio purposes on the upcoming Pixel 2. On Monday, 9To5Google reported about getting its hands on an integral document from from Google that mentions details about the next flagship smartphone offering of the technology company. The document specifically indicates that the jack is not part of the features of the Pixel's successor. If true, it's clear that Google changed its mind about keeping the legacy of the universal jack. When the company introduced its first Pixel-branded phones, it proudly stated that the jack has become a key feature considering that Apple did not equip its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets with the well established audio port.


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The plan calls for the distribution of PayPal stock to eBay shareholders on July 17, with the financial unit starting to trade under the symbol PYPL on July 20.
PayPal One Touch, which is widely used by shoppers on mobile phones, is designed to ease checkout flows that have users bouncing between screens and typing in personal information, which leads to millions of unfinished transactions.
The country's largest bank announced a partnership with digital payments firm, PayPal, on Thursday, enabling purchase of products from overseas websites.
The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday said it filed a complaint in federal court accusing PayPal of illegally signing consumers up for an online credit product without their permission.
PayPal will be spinning off from parent company eBay later this year at a time when it's facing new competitive challenges.
The updated user agreements would allow the e-commerce company to contact users by phone for offers and promotions, poll opinions and debt.
SBI has entered into two tie-ups in a single day, acknowledging the fast-changing eco system of modern and digital banking and e-commerce space.
The PayPal Mafia has its hands in many, if not most, of today's most valuable private tech companies.


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Legislation to pause tariffs on some infant formula imports is lawmakers’ latest effort to ease a supply crisis, but trade experts warn that other hurdles are keeping foreign formula out of the US.
Congress cleared a bill Thursday to suspend tariffs on certain formula imports until the end of December, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden to sign. Lawmakers hope pausing tariffs of as much as 17.5% for some countries will make foreign formula makers more likely to export to the US, offering relief to parents facing empty shelves since Abbott Laboratories in February recalled some of its products, and then temporarily shut down a major plant in Michigan.
“This change should help make formula more affordable and accessible for families in every state,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), the sponsor of H.R. 8351. Almost 30% of shelves were out of baby formula in mid-July, according to data analytics company IRI.
Still, industry researchers say a suite of factors beyond tariffs makes the US market unattractive to foreign manufacturers. “In many respects, the infant formula market is a case study of economic policies that have come together to go very, very wrong,” said Eric Miller, president of trade consultancy Rideau Potomac Strategy Group.
Mike Lee (R-Utah), the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, said he and other lawmakers are working on further actions to increase formula supply by lowering barriers for manufacturers. “While this is an important first step, it’s certainly not the last,” he said.
Waiving tariffs isn’t the first US effort to address formula shortages. The federal government invoked defense powers in May to fly in formula from overseas, importing more than 61 million bottles as of the end of this week. It also gave foreign manufacturers more flexibility on meeting US food safety requirements.
But unlike many food regulators, the US Food and Drug Administration hasn’t historically had reciprocity with other countries. This means other countries’ standards for infant formula aren’t automatically accepted in America.
The lack of reciprocity makes it more difficult for foreign manufacturers to get authorized to sell in the US, said Andrew Novakovic, a professor of agricultural economics emeritus at Cornell University.
Earlier this month, the FDA said it plans to meet with foreign formula companies to “determine what additional steps would be needed to provide a pathway to long-term, uninterrupted marketing for safe and nutritious formula,” which could reduce barriers for importing foreign formula long-term. Companies that could be affected include the British company Kendal Nutricare and Bubs Australia, both which have sent formula to the US during the crisis.
Prior to the recent actions, analysts say the lack of reciprocity contributed to the US importing far less infant formula than it exports. In 2021, the Congressional Research Service estimated that the US imported $28.8 million worth of infant formula, satisfying about 1.5% of the country’s domestic demand.
The market for infant formula is also highly saturated, the CRS found in its report, with US producers exceeding demand. The market is dominated by three major companies — Abbott, Nestle SA, and Mead Johnson — which “may make the United States a relatively unattractive market for foreign manufacturers, particularly of low-cost infant formula,” according to the government research agency.
The consolidation in the formula market is in part linked to states’ sole-source contracting for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Within this model, states contract with individual formula manufacturers for the government assistance program.
“Basically, what the sole source contract does at this point is trade market power for the ability, for the WIC program, to provide benefits to all comers,” said Lauren Bauer, a fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution.
The model means formula makers have to compete in order to contract with the state, and in effect provide their product at a lower cost than they would otherwise. While this allows WIC to serve more parents than it could otherwise, it also leads to a system where a few big companies dominate the market.
“We support USDA’s goal of stretching WIC resources as far as possible, and it is clear that the sole-source contract model has allowed for cost containment and the ability to serve more WIC participants,” eight Democratic senators wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in May. “However, this crisis has shined an important light on the fact that systemic resilience must be a factor in program decision-making going forward.”
One change, Bauer said, would be to impose more consequences for production failures for any formula makers with WIC contracts.
“If you win a sole source contract and you have to shut down a factory for safety reasons, it shouldn’t be a gentleman’s agreement between the head of the firm and the Secretary of Agriculture,” she said.
An FDA user fee bill advanced by the Senate HELP committee last month (S. 4348) would require formula makers to notify the FDA within five business days of any disruptions in their infant formula supply.
Global Supply Issues
Beyond regulatory requirements and other factors that make the US formula market unappealing to outside manufacturers, Novakovic noted that dairy supply is shrinking in certain regions.
Pandemic shutdowns have slowed down supply chains to get farmers’ dairy products to markets, while drought and other natural disasters have also curbed supply, prompting milk shortages in places like Australia and Cuba.
As a result, Novakovic said there probably isn’t “this big dormant excess capacity for formula in any other country.”
And even if the temporary tariff waiver could boost “surge imports” from other countries that have excess formula, Miller, from the trade consultancy, said the fix is only temporary. The bill pauses the tariffs until the end of the year rather than changing the market’s structure .
“When you when you think about how much money is being spent to fix the current dysfunction,” Miller said, “It is worth asking the question of: ‘Why is everything we’re doing only temporary fixes that will not actually lead to new competition or new investments or new supply heading for the market over the longer term?’”
To contact the reporter on this story: Maeve Sheehey in Washington at firstname.lastname@example.org


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IRVING, TEXAS - Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. changed its English company name to UD Trucks Corporation, effective Feb. 1. Simultaneous with this company name change, the current Nissan Diesel brand name will also be changed to a new brand name called UD Trucks.
Moreover, the UD mark, which has differed in various markets around the world, will be unified under a new logo mark.
The new company name and the new UD Trucks brand name signify the company's strong determination to further expand its truck business. The company will continue to use the initial UD, which comes from the name of the diesel engine that established the foundations of its business and now stands for Ultimate Dependability, representing the company's vision. The reason for changing the company name and the brand name is to establish an unshakable position for the new UD Trucks brand as a global truck brand with a worldwide presence and as one of the leading brands in the Volvo Group.
The company has also updated its Web site and address following the company name change and brand unification. The new Web site is decorated with UD arc.
The new URLs (website addresses) are as follows;
UD Trucks Corporation
English site: http://www.udtrucks.com
Japanese site: http://www.udtrucks.co.jp
UD Trucks Japan Corporation
Japanese site: http://www.udtrucks-japan.co.jp
See all comments


text: Vicki Chancellor, an Atlanta McDonald’s owner-operator makes history once again when she became chair-elect of the McDonald’s Operator’s National Advertising (OPNAD) Fund. Chancellor is the second woman to serve in the position. It has been 19 years since the last elected woman held this position. OPNAD is the voluntary U.S. cooperative of McDonald’s owner-operators, and the company combined to purchase national television advertising and more. Chancellor, who owns seven Atlanta-area McDonald’s restaurants and employs nearly 500 people, shares her story.


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Someone -- most likely Apple -- has been testing a new version of the iPhone, according to data from iPhone app analytics/ads firm Pinch Media. Details are hazy -- we don't know what the new iPhone does or what it looks like. But here's what Pinch Media founder Greg Yardley knows:
- The new "iPhone 2,1" devices have been in use since early October, 2008.
- Usage pace "picked up slightly" in mid-December.
- "A few dozen" distinct devices have run "almost two dozen" apps using Pinch Media analytics.
- The new iPhones have been "almost exclusively located in the south San Francisco Bay Area." Apple's (AAPL) headquarters are in Cupertino, in the south Bay Area.
- The apps "don't share much in common" but they're among the bigger apps that Pinch Media services, "with hundreds of thousands to millions" of users.
Yardley doesn't know what the device does, what its screen resolution is, or, of course, when it's going on sale.
Know more? Let us know in comments, via email to email@example.com, or via our anonymous tips box. Anonymity guaranteed.


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Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick sent out a new email internally to the entire company’s staff on July 27 further addressing the harassment lawsuit which surfaced several issues with the company’s culture.
In this new internal email, Activision Blizzard CEO acknowledges that the company’s initial responses to the situation was “tone deaf.”
“Our initial responses to the issues we face together, and to your concerns, were, quite frankly, tone deaf.”
He commits to working with all employees to build a better culture across Activision Blizzard.
His full email is below, shared by Activision Blizzard publicly:
This has been a difficult and upsetting week.
I want to recognize and thank all those who have come forward in the past and in recent days. I so appreciate your courage. Every voice matters – and we will do a better job of listening now, and in the future.
Our initial responses to the issues we face together, and to your concerns, were, quite frankly, tone deaf.
It is imperative that we acknowledge all perspectives and experiences and respect the feelings of those who have been mistreated in any way. I am sorry that we did not provide the right empathy and understanding.
Many of you have told us that active outreach comes from caring so deeply for the Company. That so many people have reached out and shared thoughts, suggestions, and highlighted opportunities for improvement is a powerful reflection of how you care for our communities of colleagues and players – and for each other.
Ensuring that we have a safe and welcoming work environment is my highest priority. The leadership team has heard you loud and clear.
We are taking swift action to be the compassionate, caring company you came to work for and to ensure a safe environment. There is no place anywhere at our Company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind.
We will do everything possible to make sure that together, we improve and build the kind of inclusive workplace that is essential to foster creativity and inspiration.
I have asked the law firm WilmerHale to conduct a review of our policies and procedures to ensure that we have and maintain best practices to promote a respectful and inclusive workplace. This work will begin immediately.
The WilmerHale team will be led by Stephanie Avakian, who is a member of the management team at WilmerHale and was most recently the Director of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement.
We encourage anyone with an experience you believe violates our policies or in any way made you uncomfortable in the workplace to use any of our many existing channels for reporting or to reach out to Stephanie. She and her team at WilmerHale will be available to speak with you on a confidential basis and can be reached at [email protected] or 202-247-2725.
Your outreach will be kept confidential. Of course, NO retaliation will be tolerated.
We are committed to long-lasting change.
Effective immediately, we will be taking the following actions:
- Employee Support. We will continue to investigate each and every claim and will not hesitate to take decisive action. To strengthen our capabilities in this area we are adding additional senior staff and other resources to both the Compliance team and the Employee Relations team.
- Listening Sessions. We know many of you have inspired ideas on how to improve our culture. We will be creating safe spaces, moderated by third parties, for you to speak out and share areas for improvement.
- Personnel Changes. We are immediately evaluating managers and leaders across the Company. Anyone found to have impeded the integrity of our processes for evaluating claims and imposing appropriate consequences will be terminated.
- Hiring Practices. Earlier this year I sent an email requiring all hiring managers to ensure they have diverse candidate slates for all open positions. We will be adding compliance resources to ensure that our hiring managers are in fact adhering to this directive.
- In-game Changes. We have heard the input from employee and player communities that some of our in-game content is inappropriate. We are removing that content.
Your well-being remains my priority and I will spare no company resource ensuring that our company has the most welcoming, comfortable, and safe culture possible.
You have my unwavering commitment that we will improve our company together, and we will be the most inspiring, inclusive entertainment company in the world.
This new message comes hours after employees of the company announced they’d stage a walk out on July 28 in protest of the company’s initial response to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit has caused many employees of the company to protest in anger over how executives have handled the situation so far.
It remains to be seen how or if this new statement from Kotick will change employee’s views as time goes on.
Activision Blizzard’s new statement took 6 days since the initial lawsuit (and statement) were released.
We’ll continue to keep everyone updated as the situation continues to unfold.
Activision apologize for using artist’s design in now canceled Vanguard & Warzone skin
Activision have scrapped an unreleased Warzone and Vanguard skin after using an artist’s work without permission.
Activision admitted to the major misstep of using an artist’s work without permission. The original art was to feature in an upcoming Vanguard and Warzone skin that has since been axed.
Major content drops like new seasons or midseason updates deliver weapons, maps, and changes to Call of Duty games, but they also tend to bring brand-new skins to enjoy. Vanguard and Warzone have seen some noteworthy skins that certainly got players talking.
After all, who could forget the Armored Titan, or Godzilla and King Kong skins? At the start of Season 4 Reloaded, players also received a new Terminator crossover. However, teasers for Season 4 Reloaded also hinted at a mysterious wolf-like skin.
After the wolf skin was teased in an official Call of Duty blog post, it was later inexplicably removed and replaced from the very same post. It turns out, Activision used content that did not belong to them in order to create the aforementioned skin.
When the wolf skin was first teased, it certainly generated a ton of buzz, or rather raised a ton of eyebrows. The anthropomorphic Operator definitely sticks out in a WWII-era Call of Duty game. Nonetheless, fans were excited at the prospect of running around as a wolf in Warzone.
Unfortunately, that idea won’t come to fruition as Activision have confirmed that they completely removed the skin from their planned content drop for Season 4 Reloaded.
It seems Activision overstepping bounds is the reason behind the skin’s cancelation.
An artist claimed that the wolf skin, also known as Samoyed skin, was stolen without their permission. In a strange turn of events, Activision has issued an apology, seemingly confirming the artist’s claims.
In a statement, Activision admitted that they “regrettably erred in our process and have removed this imagery from the game,” apologizing for the misstep.
While fans may be disappointed to lose their chance at slaying in a furry wolf skin, most would agree that if the artist’s claims are legitimate, the greater injustice was corrected as nobody should have their work stolen without credit.
For more, check out how CoD players are thrilled with the rumored change to Modern Warfare 2’s movement.
Image Credit: Activision
Activision Blizzard rake in $1.2 billion despite Warzone & Vanguard bringing lowest player count in years
Although 2022 has seen CoD with its lowest player count in years, Activision Blizzard still raked in $1.2 billion from microtransactions.
Although Q1 and Q2 2022 saw Activision have its lowest monthly player count since 2019, the publisher upped its Call of Duty microtransaction revenue in the second quarter, helping to rake in over $1.2 billion.
Activision Blizzard held their quarterly earnings call on August 1, and it was a mixed bag for the Call of Duty franchise.
Alongside teasing that there will be a premium CoD game in 2023, Activision revealed they have seen the lowest monthly player count since 2019 but their in-game cosmetics have been selling well, seeing a notable quarterly revenue increase.
In their earnings call, Activision Blizzard revealed that they raked in $1.2 billion from microtransactions during Q2 2022, which they said was a solid increase from Q1.
Call of Duty’s microtransactions have only got more ambitious as time goes on, bringing Godzilla and King Kong-themed Operator skins back with Season 3, and officially licensed Terminator skins live in Season 4 Reloaded.
“Call of Duty net bookings on console and PC grew sequentially in the second quarter, following gameplay improvements and seasonal content across Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone that were well-received by players,” stated Activision Blizzard in their earnings call.
They also confirmed that “Net bookings for Call of Duty Mobile were consistent with the first quarter.”
However, “Activision’s second quarter segment revenue and operating income declined year-over-year, reflecting lower engagement for the Call of Duty franchise, but grew versus the first quarter.”
Despite microtransactions faring so well, Q2 2022 saw Activision’s monthly player count drop below 100 million for the first time since 2019. Back in June 2021, there were 127 million monthly active users across consoles, PC, and mobile, but this dropped to only 94 million in June 2022.
There’s no knowing what has caused this, but there are more players back at work and school, and Warzone’s devs candidly admitted that they “f**ked stuff up” with Caldera’s launch. Plus, players have been vocal in that they didn’t want another WW2 game, and have been slamming the devs over the lack of new Vanguard content.
Image Credit: Activision
Activision report hints at new Call of Duty title in 2023
An Activision Blizzard Q2 2022 earnings press release hints at the release of a brand-new Call of Duty title in 2023.
A previous report indicated that there wouldn’t be a Call of Duty game released in 2023 after development delays persisted. It seems these rumors may not come to fruition as an Activision report suggests there will be a premium Call of Duty title released in 2023.
Thanks to a Bloomberg report, Call of Duty fans already accepted that in 2023, they wouldn’t be getting a new CoD title for the first time in almost 20 years. While excitement for Modern Warfare 2 is high at the moment, most players were wary of a two-year game cycle.
Luckily, an August 1 report from Activision indicates that the franchise may very well receive a brand-new title in 2023.
Activision Blizzard’s Q2 2022 press release in which the company reveals their earnings for the period in question had some shocking bits of information to reveal. For starters, it seems like Vanguard and Warzone managed to increase in-game revenue in Q2.
Despite this increase, the company still produced lower year-over-year numbers than expected. There’s no telling how these poor numbers may have influenced decisions about future Call of Duty titles but it’s safe to say that Activision have lots in store when it comes to Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.
In addition, to an exciting slate of 2022 releases, the report also hints at a new premium Call of Duty title in 2023.
Although nothing has been confirmed as of yet, the wording found in the report is certainly suggestive of a 2023 release.
As Activision detailed their plans for the future of the franchise they revealed that they would be, “continuing development of new premium content planned for 2023 and beyond.”
Players were quick to suggest that the premium 2023 content in question could be Modern Warfare 2 DLC or a standalone Zombies experience.
However, this is likely not the case as CharlieIntel explained: “Activision refers to the yearly CoD release as ‘premium’ as it’s paid. So definitely implying something more than just new content is coming next year.”
Stay tuned for more information concerning the possibility of a new Call of Duty title in 2023. For the time being, you can check out how to get Modern Warfare 2 beta codes by watching CDL Champs 2022.
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It's a question that pops up in almost every trip planned: Where do you want to stay? These days, travelers are more likely to be choosing between a traditional hotel and a home or apartment rental. As part of MONEY's Best in Travel, we analyzed hotel room and Airbnb apartment rental rates in nearly 300 cities to determine where it makes the most sense to stay in each type of lodging. For budget travelers looking for the lowest-cost option, hotels deliver lower rates on average — something that may come as a surprise to many travelers. Among the popular travel destinations MONEY analyzed, there were less than 40 cities where the average rate for an apartment on Airbnb was cheaper than a hotel. Discover the 10 cities where you can save the most money.
The Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, which represents 90 per cent of businesses in the industry, said on Tuesday while Airbnb was not a direct competitor, the home-sharing service was “simply illegal” and must be opposed “as a matter of principle”. Under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, premises that offer sleeping accommodation for a fee over a period of less than 28 days must be licensed. But many hosts advertising on home-sharing sites were unlikely to have done so, critics said.
When Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky took to the stage in San Francisco on February 22 and said that “Airbnb is for everyone,” it was more than just a company slogan. It was a statement about the evolution of the sharing of homes that’s becoming more professionalized, more standardized, and in some cases, a lot more like a hotel. Of all the new features and products Chesky outlined, the official launch of Airbnb Plus in February was particularly emblematic of this convergence taking place in the hospitality industry where the traditional categories of lodging are beginning to blur.
Elisa Chamorro (LinkedIn profile), founder and CEO of Spanish second-hand marketplace Wallyboo.com was one of three winners of Airbnb‘s #Womenup award. This was the first edition of the women in technology award, a partnership between Airbnb and co-working and training space Impact Hub Madrid. Wallyboo focuses on baby and childcare products, but unlike its competitors, the site also offers rental options. Chamorro was inspired to create Wallyboo while planning a family holiday with her small children.
Some kids want to be a fire fighter, astronaut or a ballerina when they grow up. Lily He wanted to be a millionaire. Lily and her parents immigrated to the U.S. when she was nine and lived in poverty on the outskirts of San Francisco. She had just two pairs of pants in fourth grade and couldn’t afford glasses even though she had trouble seeing the blackboard.Now 26, Lily is working to ensure that she—and any future children she might have—will never experience poverty again. She and her husband, Jared, save $150,000 a year and project they’ll become financially independent by 2029. That is, they’ll have enough money so that they won’t have to work.
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Oh, Christmas trees!
The Chatfield Assisted Living will be hosting their third annual Tour of Trees from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
“The number of trees have almost double from last year,” Suzanne Faircloth, marketing director at the Chatfield Assisted Living. “We want the tour to be something everyone recognizes and comes to enjoy.”
Along with the several Christmas trees placed around the facility, residents will be able to satisfy their sweet tooth with the dessert buffet and hot chocolate while taking the tour. Kathleen Fitzgerald will be back this year playing Christmas favorites on the piano.
This year, the Chatfield will have a special memorial tree that will be decorated with ornaments or photographs of the loved ones lost. Anyone can place a photograph or ornament on the tree.
“We would love to invite everyone to come by,” Christine Oliver said, executive director at The Chatfield Assisted Living.
Taking part in this year’s tour includes CARE Nursing and Rehabilitation, Goldthwaite Nursing and Rehab, Oak Ridge Manor, Brady Healthcare Services, CMS Home Health, Encompass Home Health, Girling Home Health, Guardian Home Health, Integracare Home Health, Lee Home Health, Brownwood Middle School’s art class, Brownwood High School’s Key Club, Woodland Heights Elementary first graders, Lighthouse Hospice, Jana Brown, Marguerite Wilson, Judy Ehrke from 4 Corners, Early Blooms and Things, Guardian EMS, Travis Medical, Best Med, CVS Pharmacy, Doc’s Pharmacy, Live Oak Pharmacy and Walgreens Pharmacy.


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Japanese serious about 2nm processing
Spending $2.38 billion on research
Japan is spending $2.38 billion to build the joint research hub with the US on 2nm process technology.
Japan allocates about $5.2 billion to support semi manufacturers
Taxpayer supporting shareholders
Japan is allocating about $5.2 billion of its fiscal 2021 supplementary budget to support advanced semiconductor manufacturers.
Japanese arrest bloke for uncensoring porn
Apparently that is a crime
Inspector Knacker of the Hyogo Yard has fingered the collar of a bloke who has been using AI to repair Japanese porn from the censor’s pixel machine.
Japanese investigate Apple and Google dominance
It would be best if you did not play monopoly
Japan’s Fair Trade Commission has said that it will investigate Apple and Google to see if they are using their dominance in the smartphone operating system market to eliminate competition and severely limit consumer options.
Japanese car makers not too worried about chip shortage
No problem for us
The global semiconductor chip shortage is not likely to significantly affect the financial profiles of Japan’s Toyota or Honda.
Japan owns the fastest supercomputer in the world
Able to take on IBM
A Japanese ARM-based supercomputer has taken the top spot in the bi-annual Top500 supercomputer speed ranking.
Japanese phone prevents you taking "inappropriate" photos
Pics by Richard banned.
A phone which can identify if you are about to take a picture without any clothes on and prevent it has gone on sale in Japan.
Taiwan leaning more on Japan
Taiwan's tech companies are looking to Japanese assets to fortify their defences against rising Chinese rivals.
Japan's anti-Korea tech curbs could send it back to the Edo Period
Experts warn it will erode its tech dominance
Japan’s curbs on exports of high-tech materials to South Korea could backfire in the long run, eroding its dominance over a critical link in the global chip supply chain, suppliers and experts warn.
Japanese Tokyo Electron bows to US pressure to blacklist Chinese
Even if they do not have to follow American law
Japan’s Tokyo Electron, the world’s third-biggest semiconductor manufacturing equipment, will not supply to Chinese clients blacklisted by Washington.


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Fresh from celebrating its fifth anniversary last week, Groupon today reported its Q3 earnings: it’s a mixed picture but shows that Groupon continues to make good on its commitment to take its business beyond daily deals and into a wider marketplace for location-based and mobile commerce. Groupon reported revenues of $595.1 million with EPS of $0.02, missing on sales but beating on EPS estimates, and it announced an acquisition: Korea’s Ticket Monster, for $260 million, to build out its mobile commerce operations in Asia through event ticketing and other commerce services.
Ticket Monster had been owned by Groupon competitor Living Social, a sign of how one daily deals site has not managed to make a go of the international business, and now another will try anew. As part of the purchase, Groupon says it will be acquiring Living Social Korea. (We’re asking if it intends to keep that business fully operational; for now Groupon says that all management staff and brand is coming over to Groupon and there will be further transition plans revealed after the deal is closed.)
The acquisition is being made for $100 million in cash, with the remaining $160 million in Groupon shares, the company says, with the deal closing some time in the first half of 2014.
“We’re also excited to announce today that we’ve signed an agreement to acquire Ticket Monster, one of the leading ecommerce companies in Korea,” said CEO Eric Lefkofsky in a statement. “Ticket Monster has been successful building a mobile commerce business in one of the largest markets in the world. It will serve as the cornerstone of our Asian business, bringing scale and e-commerce expertise to that region.”
Seoul-based Ticket Monster is known locally as TMON, and it has been around since 2010, and sells event tickets but also other products and services. Groupon says it has 4 million active customers and annual billings of more than $800 million today, growing year-on-year by some 50%, with half of its sales are transacted on mobile devices.
Announcing this acquisition seems to set a precedent of sorts for Groupon for laying on significant news during earnings days. One quarterly report for Q1 this year saw Andrew Mason get kicked out as CEO; Q2 saw Lefkofsky finally get appointed as the permanent replacement for that job; and now an acquisition is getting announced in Q3.
In one regard, it seems that the acquisition news is there to offset the rest of the results, which are a mixed bag: analysts were expecting revenues of $615.7 million for the quarter with non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.01. However, they do fall within Groupon’s own estimates for the quarter, which were between $585 million and $635 million. A year ago the company reported revenues of $568.6 million, with an EPS of $0.
Groupon marked last week’s five-year birthday with a redesign of its website and mobile apps, with the new look promoting the idea that while daily deals remain a mainstay of the company’s business, other products and features are now getting equal footing.
These include premium restaurant dining offers via Groupon Reserve (launched in July) through to travel and its Groupon Goods marketplace. The company is also making a stronger effort to encourage more personalised deals, encouraing users to fill out profiles of themselves with their street addresses to make offers as localized as possible.
The focus on making an acquisition in Asia is also significant in that it shows that Groupon is trying to invest to build out business in that region. The company today noted that while North America and EMEA grew 20% and 12% in gross billings, the rest of the world (including Asia) declined by 13%. In total, gross billings were $1.34 billion, up 10% over a year ago.
Other highlights in today’s earnings:
Deals. Even if Groupon is now doing more than daily deals, these still remain a significant part of its business. They continue to grow in terms of inventory but not necessarily conversion. Groupon says that in North America, its biggest market, it had 65,000 active deals at the end of Q3, up by some 11,000 in the quarter. Gross billings on deals between the two quarters, however, showed a decline of some $50 million. Overall customer spend was also slightly down to $137 from $138.
Customers. These continue to grow overall, up by 10% on last year to 43.5 million.
Mobile. Groupon says that mobile has seen its tipping point, with more than half of all transactions completed on mobile devices in September 2013 in North America, and over 40% on mobile globally. Its apps have now been downloaded by 60 million people worldwide, with 9 million in the last quarter.
Marketplace. Groupon still has work to do in getting more critical mass on its site around the various offerings it places there. It says that some 6% of total traffic in North America was on its marketplace, with those who do go there to search for deals spending 25% more time there than those who do not.
Here’s how Groupon’s earnings have progressed across the last few quarters. If you don’t see Q3, refresh the page and they should populate soon.
I’ll be listening to the call and updating with any additional news.


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High-definition video calling startup Wham! announced today a $3 million dollar Series A investment lead by Santa Monica’s Palomar Ventures. While Wham! representatives have still not responded to my calls about what exactly their as-of-yet-un-launched Vuu product is (the press release says “product undisclosed”), I’m assuming it’s some kind of consumer-focused, video-call-optimized phone — based on the WhamInc.com website images and copy.
Founded by Matthew Shoemake, Wham! will be using the new financing to accelerate its product launch in 2011, pouring the money into marketing and software engineering. Whatever the final Wham! “revolutionary video product with a friends and family value proposition” is, it faces stiff competition from Apple’s Facetime and web-based services like Skype and TokBox, which already make video calling from home as simple and inexpensive as possible.
Wham! has $4.5 million in funding to date from seed investors, the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, the North Texas Angel Network and Palomar Ventures.


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The multilateral trading system overseen by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has contributed significantly to the unprecedented economic development that has taken place over the last decades across the world. Trade has allowed developing countries to benefit from the opportunities created by emerging markets enabling them to integrate into the world market through global value chains.
With the global fluctuation in trade and rapid increment, the structure and pattern of trade vary significantly by-products and regions. Undoubtedly, trade has come with both benefits and daunting challenges to countries involved, especially in African nations, where primary and intermediate merchandise formed a substantial share of exports.
African trade in goods and services fluctuated in value terms over the 2005-19 period and gradually rose. Despite this increase, however, its global share has remained relatively constant at about 3% of both global exports and imports, averaging a total of US$760 billion, compared with $4,109 billion from Europe, $5,140 billion from America, and $6,801 billion from Asia.
With these, it is seen that Africa has performed poorly when global trade is concerned. Nigeria which is the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $442.98 billion, depends heavily on importation and does little on exportation. As seen from the chart below, Nigeria made over $ 1 trillion on exportation in 2020 and spent almost $2.5 trillion on importation which is doubled the money made from exportation. This reflects the level of participation in global trade of the country.
In spite of the significant reduction of trade tariffs on various commodities and products that African countries have taken advantage of, trade still faces stringent constraints largely because of restrictions and other distorting measures. Despite the fact that the WTO has gained ground in pressuring countries to reduce restrictions, trade policies and rules may have favored developed economies at the expense of frail economies, particularly in Africa.
The South African minister of finance has highlighted that one of the significant challenges hindering trade in Africa High tariffs, but “non-tariff barriers, such as arbitrarily imposed rules on the international standards on the health of and animals plants (sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS)), further limits trade in Africa.
Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are quarantine and biosecurity measures which are applied to protect human, animal, or plant life or health from risks arising from the introduction, establishment, and spread of pests and diseases and from risks arising from additives, toxins, and contaminants in food and feed. These measures are governed by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement), and its Committee of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS committee). Measures like too high level of Aflotoxins have been used by some developed countries to hampers trade on goods coming
For quite a long while in the late 1990s, for instance, European nations prohibited fish from Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania due to concerns about these countries’ sanitary standards and control systems. Uganda lost $36.9 million in potential earnings during the ban. In Tanzania, where fish and fish products accounted for 10 percent of annual exports, fishermen dependent on EU sales lost 80 percent of their income, according to reports from the United Nations. Several other health and standards issues relating to products like meats and dairy products have also restricted Africa’s trade to the US and Japan.
These measures only seem to favor the already developed countries, as many developing countries in Africa do not have the money, manpower, or infrastructure needed to abide by the standards created.
On the other hand, although these measures appear to be though, it is important to also emphasize the fact that they are ostensibly aimed at protecting citizens from everyday food hazards because some of these developing countries make products that are harmful to the health and expect them to be purchased by other countries, and when they are not, it leads to a downturn in export which then reflects on their GDP.
The best solution to this hamper in trade for Africa is to trade in Common Terms. Countries at the same level of compliance to the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures need to do more Intra-African trade with themselves and other similar eternal countries, as this will help ease the burden on them and prevent wastage of locally produced product (e.g, Nigeria’s annual tomato harvest is estimated to total at around 1.5 million tons, 900,000 of which rot as waste each year, thebusinessyear).
With the inception of the African Continental Free Trade Area (Afcfta), trade in Africa was expected to create a boost in intra-trade trade amongst African countries but the organization has made no significant impact since its inception. Although 54 countries have signed the pact and 31 of them have ratified it, only Ghana has traded under this agreement as other countries like Nigeria do not have the capacity and infrastructure for the agreement’s benefits to kick in.
In as much as these sanitary and phytosanitary measures seem intense, it is really not expected of already developed countries to comply with lower measures. Developing countries need to work towards improving the quality of their products as these measures were established to ensure the safety of both parties.
The multilateral trading system overseen by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has contributed significantly to the unprecedented economic development that has taken place over the last decades across the world. Trade has allowed developing countries to benefit from the opportunities created by emerging markets, enabling them to integrate into the world market through global value chains. With the global fluctuation in trade and rapid increment, the structure and pattern of trade vary significantly by-products and regions. Undoubtedly, trade has come with both benefits and daunting challenges to countries involved, especially in African nations, where primary and intermediate merchandise formed a substantial
You know the feeling you get when it’s almost that time of the year and oga landlord is ready to collect the rent you owe. Imagine having to plan yourself for the year and there is that inevitability of rent. Now think about the Federal Republic of Nigeria being in this exact situation. Ridiculous right? Apparently, Nigeria pays an annual rent of N66.6m (sixty-six million six hundred thousand). Look at these figures, the rent payment for the state house was scheduled at N22.4 million in 2015, but by 2016, it had risen to N27.73 million. Despite the public outrage and economic uncertainties that
The central bank of Nigeria has devalued the naira (NGN) by 7.6% against the dollar (USD) as the country moves towards a unified exchange rate system for the local currency being the biggest oil producer in Africa. The CBN replaced the fixed rate of 379 NGN to a USD used for official transactions with the nafex or the I&E exchange rate of 410.25 NGN per USD, following the date curated from the CBN's website. The unification of these rates is supposed to improve the Nation's currency-management system and assist in meeting the conditions of investors and the International Monetary Fund for transparency.
Malian soldiers unhappy with the new government announced by the transitional authorities took the president and prime minister by force on Monday to the Kati military camp, a few kilometres from Bamako, in a coup shaking the country plunged in a deep crisis. "The president and prime minister are here in Kati on business," a senior military official told AFP. A government official, also speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the information, confirmed that the heads of the transitional executive, President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, had been taken to Kati, the centre of Mali's military
During our 30-year armed struggle for independence, we lived with war every hour of every day. We got used to pain and sacrifice. Many of us were wounded two or three times during fighting. We were quickly patched up and marched into more battles. I still wonder how we managed to cover ground from Qarora - the northern tip of Eritrea - to Dumeira - the southern tip - sleeping in trenches and climbing every mountain and valley. I was among the fortunate ones. About 65,000 of our fighters died in combat. I joined the liberation army as a 16-year-old in 1982 after
Nigeria’s economic growth quickened in the first quarter as oil output started to recover and manufacturing production increased for the first time in a year. Gross domestic product in the continent’s biggest oil producer expanded 0.5% in the three months through March from a year earlier, the Abuja-based National Bureau of Statistics said in a report published on Twitter on Sunday. That compares with 0.11% growth in the fourth quarter. The median of three economists’ estimates in a Bloomberg survey was for an increase of 0.9%. The slow pickup in growth could reinforce central bank Governor Godwin Emefiele’s view that it’s still
Angeline Mukandutiye, the only woman in a group of 21 Rwandans facing terrorism charges, has admitted to recruiting girls for a Rwandan opposition group that operated in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. The group includes Paul Rusesabagina, the man portrayed as a hero in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda about the Rwandan genocide. He denies any wrongdoing. Ms Mukandutiye, 70, showed judges at a high court in the capital, Kigali, some of her co-accused who were together with her in CNRD – FLN. The former school inspector fled Rwanda in 1994 and took up the role of commissioner in charge of family and
Ethiopia’s general election will now take place on 21 June, 16 days later than planned, the electoral board has announced. This is the second time the poll has been delayed. The country was suppose to hold nationwide elections last year but they were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The delay contributed to the escalation of political tensions as some groups accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration of using the pandemic as a pretext to stay in power illegally. The elections were then rescheduled to be held on 5 June in most parts of the country while in the capital, Addis Ababa, they were
Having been expelled from Ceuta, a dozen migrants are still determined to flee Morocco Young Moroccans are waiting in Fnideq, on the Moroccan side of the border with Spain, in the hope of a new opening towards the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where thousands of would-be migrants have been flocking since Monday. "I will try to cross to the other side again. The state gives me nothing here, nothing at all. You work a year without even having the possibility of owning a motorcycle. We have no rights here. There is money there. You can work easily, even the neighbors give you
There are reports that Nigeria has not been able to sell some of its oil. Indian refineries have slowed down buying Nigerian oil as a result of COVID-19. India is a large buyer of Nigeria’s Agbami, Akpo, Bonny Light and Forcados. According to private sources, there are about 5 shipments of Nigeria Bonny deferred into June (with 2 of them already delayed from April). When cargo is “deferred,” it does not mean that there was some kind of logistical issue, it generally means that no buyers were found. A source who pleaded anonymity also confirmed that “the problem with the lack of demand for Nigeria’s


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Parks Canada announces dates for spring and summer campsite bookings
Reservations for campsites, guided hikes and shuttles will open in early spring for Banff National Park, with most coming online in the last week of March, Parks Canada announced Monday.
The Hidden Lake guided hike, which runs from July 9 to Sept. 24, can be booked starting March 29 at 8 a.m.
Shuttle service for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake will be open for reservations on April 13 at 8 a.m. for access between May 13 and Oct. 10.
In Waterton Lakes National Park, townsite campground reservations will be available on March 30 at 8 a.m.
Just south of Waterton, over the border and into Montana’s Glacier National Park, vehicle reservations — needed for the Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor, North Fork, Many Glacier Valley and Two Medicine Valley — will begin to come online for bookings starting Feb. 1.
Farther north, Jasper sites — including Whistlers, Wabasso, Wapiti and Palisades — will open for reservations on March 16 at 8 a.m., with backcountry camping bookings open on March 20.
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At present, Vi owes the Department of Telecommunications more than Rs 1.5 lakh-crore by way of AGR and deferred spectrum payment dues.
“...we continue to remain cautiously optimistic. With all our learnings from the last 12 months, we believe we are better prepared to handle the situation.As we anticipate the market to bounce back in Q3, we have been working towards expanding our local manufacturing capabilities to meet the rising demand,” Manu Jain, managing director, told ET.
The company had recently onboarded two new manufacturing partners, DBG and BYD to meet product demand in the market.
Jain also revealed that Xiaomi might not bring 5G to mid and entry-level smartphone segments, claiming that the move won’t serve the purpose due to the unavailability of networks. “...in mid-range and entry level segments, smartphone specs get outdated at a faster pace. Hence, packing in advanced technologies such as 5G might not serve the purpose at the moment. Having said that, we are constantly evaluating feedback from our customers.”
Jain, however, added that Xiaomi is planning to launch more products in “niche” segments for consumers who tend to use smartphones from these segments for 12 months or more.
Realme India and Europe CEO, Madhav Sheth last week said that the company was looking to focus on launching 5G smartphones in the Rs 10,000 price segment in the coming months.
In the January-March quarter, share of 5G smartphone sales reached 7%, and is likely to hit 21% for the full year, as per Counterpoint Research. IDC has also estimated the share of 5G-enabled phones, out of total smartphone sales, will touch 20-25% this year.
“We want to make sure that all creditworthy customers get quick, reliable and affordable loan options. Therefore, we will be looking for more partnerships with trustworthy platforms to provide our consumers with more options that can offer them secured loans with low interest and hassle-free documentation,” Jain said.
Asked if the company is altering its channel strategy in the wake of ongoing Covid situation, Jain said that Xiaomi is giving an equal emphasis to the both online and offline channels. “We have been maintaining an optimum balance across offline and online channels in terms of sales contribution as well.”
A few months back, it announced a new initiative, Grow With Mi (GWM) through which it plans to double the number of offline retail touchpoints as well as the number of exclusive retail stores in India. Currently Mi India has over 15,000 retail touchpoints, out of which over 3000 are Mi Stores that are exclusive retail stores for our Mi and Redmi products. These are spread across all states, districts and towns in India.


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Retail stocks have been massacred lately, a graveyard of disappointment as everything from competitive pressures from online retailers like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) to slumping consumer spending have created headwinds. At a time when large-cap stocks are flirting with new record highs, the SPDR S&P Retail (ETF) (NYSEARCA:XRT) is down around 8% from its high earlier this month.
Everything from big-box stores like Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) to department stores like Macy’s Inc (NYSE:M) have been caught in the whirlwind, down 30% and 47%, respectively, from their November highs.
But a few have bucked the trend. Like Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT). And now electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY), which exploded 22% higher on Thursday after reporting an earnings beat on revenues 3% ahead of estimates on strength in gaming.
BBY stock, which broke out of a three-year-long consolidation range back in November, has now more than doubled from its low last summer.
Further gains look likely. Analysts at Telsey Advisory Group note that Best Buy continues to surprise to the upside, harnessing its position as the only remaining national consumer electronics retailer. Investments in pricing, enhanced store and website formats, and fast/free shipping is leading to further market share gains in their view.
And backing up the argument that BBY’s success is unique, just look at the wipeout underway in GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) — a company that is also benefiting from increased spending on gaming hardware with the launch of Nintendo’s Switch handheld console.
BBY’s revenue base is more diversified, less subject to online competition, and enjoys a unique position as a “showroom” provider which still matters for purchases like televisions and headphones in this digital age.
Anthony Mirhaydari is founder of the Edge (ETFs) and Edge Pro (Options) investment advisory newsletters. A two-week and four-week free trial offer has been extended to Investorplace readers. Redeem by clicking the links above.


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Novatel Release Mi-Fi 2 Mobile Hotspot
Novatel announced the newest version of its mobile hotspot offering, the Mi-Fi 2. The device has added a 2.8″ touchscreen, making it the first touchscreen-based mobile hotspot on the market.
The new touchscreen allows customers to view data usage, connect up to 10 Wi-Fi devices, change network and device settings, and manage connected devices. The mobile hotspot has a battery life of up to 11 hours of continuous use, and provides connectivity in over 200 countries. Customers who purchase a microSD card (sold separately) can store, share, and access files and media from connected Wi-Fi or DLNA capable devices.
AT&T has announced that it will be the exclusive U.S. carrier of the new Mi-Fi 2, under the name Mi-Fi Liberate, which will run on AT&T’s 4G LTE network.
Specific pricing and availability details for the Mi-Fi Liberate has not yet been announced.


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Snapshot: 9 retailers with worst customer service + U.S. fastest-growing job pays poorly + Braves J.R. Graham impresses
- Carla Caldwell, Morning Call Editor
*The forecast for Atlanta on Monday calls for an 80 percent chance for rain. High: 65.
National Weather Item
*As Winter Storm Triton moves into the Great Lakes, heavy snow is expected from eastern Iowa into northern Michigan.
*The need for home healthcare aides is expected to “explode,” growing 70 percent between 2010 and 2020, according to the Labor Department. CNN says that makes home healthcare aide the single fastest-growing job in the United States, according to labor department forecasts. The average hourly wage: $9.70.
*Customer satisfaction with retailers is at an all-time high, reports 24/7 Wallstreet. But while customer service within the industry has improved overall, not all retailers are receiving high marks. A new American Consumer Satisfaction Index survey to gauge customer service ranks Walmart at No. 1 for worst customer service, followed by Netflix, Safeway, CVS Caremark and Sears, 24/7 Wallstreet reports.
*The Atlanta Hawks fell to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Philips Arena. Score: 93-80.
Click here to see highlights
*The Hawks next game is Tuesday against Miami in Miami. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
*The Hawks next home game is Wednesday against the L.A. Lakers at Philips Arena. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Click here to see a team schedule and for ticket information.
* J.R. Graham prepares to enter new Braves season as one of the team’s top pitching prospects. "The kid has plenty of stuff to be real successful up at the Major League level," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.
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Major League Soccer announced April 16 that Atlanta will get a team that will begin play in 2017. How excited are you about attending games?
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CNET's Marguerite Reardon explains to an AT&T unlimited-data customer what the FCC's historic fine against the company for misleading customers really means.
CTIA shows off what's new in smartphones, accessories, and all things mobile.
A new version of Apple's mobile operating system and Beats 1 radio station is set to debut Tuesday morning, says former Beats CEO and current Apple exec.
Need to protect your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? A slew of cases are available, with new cases arriving weekly. Here are our current top picks.
But there's a catch: You have to commit to a new smartphone as part of the new upgrade program. Also, only a select number of flagship phones are available for an upgrade.
The company's flagship software suite is now available for Android-powered handsets, completing the rollout of Office on every major platform.
Reports of crashes and reboots have popped up on various online forums, seemingly specific to T-Mobile iPhones. But so far there's no official word on the cause of the problem.
FCC chief Tom Wheeler says the agency is doing all it can to promote broadband competition, but smaller wireless providers disagree.
The new features sound cool, but bugs still abound in each new mobile preview release, and Microsoft has to squash them all in time for the final release later this year.
Due out July, the device can connect to any HDMI compatible TV or monitor and will pack a pocket-sized PC powerful enough for entertainment and Web browsing, says Lenovo.
Buckle up; it's time again for the weekly wrap-up of the rated tech products deemed awesome by CNET editors, from SSDs to cars.


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Courtesy of theCOMMONS
Courtesy of theCOMMONS
theCOMMONS, a new gathering place for good casual food in Bangkok
As the Thai government moves to shutter the capital’s iconic street markets, vendors are taking their talents to new heights and new spaces.
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Known for its street food and vendor-lined streets, Bangkok is a kinetic fever dream of flavors, sights, and smells. At every turn, chili-scented alleyways lead to unexpected markets filled with promises of fermented sausages and punishingly spicy papaya salads. Scents of lemongrass and galangal cling to the sultry air and mingle with the vapors of wok-fried noodles. Breathing can be a heady experience.
Or at least, it used to be. On April 18, Bangkok officials announced that, in an effort to clean up the streets and create more space for cars to pass, street vendors on vital walkways would be forced to close up shop or relocate to designated zones by the end of the year. The order is the most severe of a series of restrictive measures enacted by Thailand’s ruling military junta, which has been cracking down on street food since it seized control of the country in 2014. The recent shuttering of Soi 38—a famed hub of food stalls on Sukhumvit Street—is a loss for tourists looking for an authentic taste of Bangkok but also a blow to locals who relied on the vendors for an inexpensive nightly meal.
With the gritty market street scenes swept away, visitors to Bangkok are taking refuge in a far more contained—if not sterilized—gustatory experience that happens indoors. In the city’s air-conditioned malls, food courts may become a haven for vendors as the streets become an increasingly more hostile place to run a business.Siam Paragon, for instance, an upscale mega mall in central Bangkok, the massive ground floor is like an epicurean Epcot Center. Stroll through the food court and you’ll make your way past Eastern and Western options, such as French macarons, Peking duck, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and fried giant squid. You’ll even stumble upon a fully functioning taco truck where you can purchase nachos, carne asada fries, or “Paragon Tacos.” Feeling disoriented? Helpful street signs next to the taco truck indicate that you are (in spirit, at least) smack dab in the middle of San Francisco’s Mission District—Valencia Street is only 500 feet away! At another turn, you’ll find that Dominique Ansel’s cronut—the pastry hybrid heard around the world—has reverberated across the globe and turned up in the form of “the craffle,” a croissant and waffle amalgam stuffed with white chocolate, spinach, or ham and cheese.
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Anthony Bourdain Was Writing a Travel Guide Before His Death, and It’s Being Published This Fall


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Exports from Gujarat have touched a record high, crossing the Rs 5 lakh crore mark for the first time ever. Importantly, the feat has been achieved in the first half of 2021-22.
Experts believe that the annual exports from the state were likely to cross Rs nine lakh crore this fiscal.
Gujarat had been exporting goods worth about Rs 4.50 lakh crore annually. However, in the current financial year, the exports have touched Rs 5.16 lakh crore in the first six months (April to October), which is a 118% jump compared to the same period last year. A senior official of the commerce ministry said the main reason for the higher export figures of Gujarat was due to the GST regime.
“The major reason for the higher exports is the GST regime. Goods manufactured in Gujarat and exported from Mumbai were earlier counted as export of Maharashtra. But now, after the successful implementation of GST, the state of origin is now correctly recorded,” he said.
According to the figures released by the Director General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, working under the commerce ministry, Gujarat pipped Maharashtra in 2020-21 itself.
The business community however says that it is not only the recording of the correct state of origin, but exports itself has increased.


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Is the appearance of Google+ the “next thing” or is it merely an expression of how we need a little less of our current social networks? Here’s the case for Facebook Minus.
Social networks are growing up: Let’s say they’re in their awkward teenager stage, and a lot is changing. Just in the last two weeks, Facebook integrated Skype into its chat tool, the Twitter founders quit to restart their original startup, and Google launched Google Plus, quickly accumulating 10 million beta users. It’s a social media growth spurt!
The belle of the ball is Google Plus (Google+): Will it be popular? Can it unseat Facebook’s dominance? Is it better, stronger, faster? Nobody knows, and I’m not sure anybody should really care. As I argued when it launched, Google+ isn’t a major leap forward in technology. It has many similar features as Facebook and Skype – a few more bells, some slightly different whistles. And it’s still in beta, so we can cut it some slack for lack of “Wow!” out of the box. The real question is whether most of us who will probably connect with the same people we are already connected to in Facebook, will want/need/care to adopt it. The initial offering really doesn’t make that compelling argument – but it could. So let’s make it for them.
Google+ represents what we’d like less of from Facebook.
Google+ is really a desire for Facebook Minus.
Facebook, the gigantic $100 billion network, still can’t seem to listen to its users. Multiple privacy control stumbles, inconsistent changes to the UI, and a stolid sense of uncaring (such as upgrading the UI capriciously) add up to little but constant annoyances to users. So it seems to me that what most people want – and what might attract them to Google+ is simply Facebook minus a few of it’s dumbest things. Here’s a short list that comes to mind:
- Users want less “noise” in the news feed. I simply don’t care that “so and so is now friends with so and so.” Yes, you can filter the news from “most recent” to “status updates” but it switches back once you leave the news page. For a network that can figure out the right ads for each one of us, must we constantly adjust our settings to make the main features friendly?
- Facebook’s mobile experience really sucks. Up until recently, you couldn’t delete a comment using the app. Page owners can’t act as a Page from their mobiles; and other little annoyances continue to plague the mobile experience. Astonishingly, a company with 500 developers still does not have an iPad app (as of June 2011). Facebook Minus would have a less limited mobile experience.
- Less clicks. Today’s average user expects a streamlined interface. That’s why they buy iPads and shop Amazon Prime. Yet Facebook still requires too many clicks for common tasks, like accepting friends and placing them into lists. Facebook Minus would give us more outcome for less effort.
- Less intrusion. While Facebook hopes you’ll share your personal life online, it needs to learn how to be less intrusive encouraging it. So Facebook Minus would eliminate silly features, like permitting friends to randomly add us to groups we’d normally never join. It would shelve Orwellian things like “face recognition” and advertisements based upon our comments (conversations). Facebook Minus would stop playing with our privates, even when they’re public.


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Chief Executive Officer and Board Member Michael Polk to Retire
HOBOKEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 14, 2019-- Newell Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: NWL) today announced that Michael Polk, the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer since 2011 and a member of the Newell Brands Board of Directors since 2009, will retire from the company at the end of the second quarter. The Board and Mr. Polk have agreed that, as the company nears the completion of its Accelerated Transformation Plan, now is the right time for a management transition.
The Board has commenced a search process to identify the Company’s next CEO, and has retained Heidrick & Struggles, a leading global executive search firm, to assist in a thorough search process.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Mike for his leadership and contributions to Newell Brands,” said Patrick Campbell, non-executive independent Chairman of the Board. “Mike has played a significant role in developing and executing a strategy to position Newell Brands as a diversified, global branded consumer products company with a portfolio of leading brands in large and growing global categories. While we recognize that there is still work to do to become a leading consumer goods company, we are confident that the company is taking the right steps to execute its transformation, drive growth and increase shareholder value. We appreciate Mike’s continued support to facilitate an orderly transition in the coming months as the Board conducts a comprehensive search for the company’s next Chief Executive Officer.”
“I have been privileged to lead Newell Brands for the past eight years. With the Accelerated Transformation Plan largely complete and the business beginning to turn, I believe now is the right time to transition to the next generation of leadership”, said Mr. Polk. “I am proud of the progress we have made since 2011 transforming the portfolio and building a set of competitively advantaged capabilities in innovation, design and eCommerce. I am committed to working alongside the Board and the management team to ensure a smooth transition over the next few months.”
About Newell Brands
Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®, Parker®, Elmer’s®, Coleman®, Marmot®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert®, and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play.
This press release and additional information about Newell Brands are available on the company’s website, www.newellbrands.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information based on management's current views and assumptions, including statements regarding Mr. Polk’s departure and the process to find his replacement. Actual results and events may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements above. Please refer to the cautionary statements set forth in the "Forward-Looking Statements" section and under the caption “Risk Factors” in Newell Brands’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for other factors that could affect our business.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190314005906/en/
Source: Newell Brands Inc.
SVP, Investor Relations and Communications
+1 (201) 610-6857
Director, External Communications
+1 (201) 610-6717


text: VW has updated the Arteon for 2022. While you may be like “Yea? And? What’s your point?” there’s news here. Big news. News that might make you consider the Arteon if you’re in the market for a new car: There’s a new engine. The Arteon now makes as much power as a Porsche 718 Boxster.


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Jen Morin remembers New Jersey as a vacation spot she and her family frequent.
On Sunday, she was collecting items for people who live in the storm-ravaged state.
"If we were to lose everything, hopefully they'd do the same for us," Morin said after packing a box with items.
Morin was joined by her 13-year-old son, Ben, and her husband, York Area United Fire & Rescue firefighter Ed Morin, at the Springettsbury Township Fire Station on East Market Street as they collected items for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
"I'm happy with how it worked out," said Ed Morin, who co-organized the drive. "We got a pretty good mix of stuff."
Filled: Springettsbury Township Police and members of the Greater York Professional Firefighters Association collected items Saturday and Sunday.
All told, they collected enough to fill 1½ 28-foot trailers, said Brad Hatcher, an organizer.
They collected everything from everyday necessities, such as personal hygiene and baby products, to household goods like chairs and tables.
Some donors purchased new items at stores for the collection drive.
"We got pretty much everything we were looking for and then some," Ed Morin said.
Organizers also collected $145 that will be used to buy gift cards from Home Depot for hurricane victims.
Collected items will be delivered to Newark, N.J., by this weekend, Hatcher said.
Helping hands: Both Hatcher and Ed Morin said they were impressed with the number of people who turned out to donate.
One woman from St.
A couple made the trek from their Ephrata, Lancaster County, home to donate items.
Organizers got some much-needed help from Home Depot, which supplied a forklift to load pallets packed with items into the trailer and an employee to operate the forklift.
About 20 members of the Central York High School wrestling team spent about 2½ hours loading the trailer on Sunday, Hatcher said.
"And we put their muscles to work, let me tell you," he said.
- Reach Greg Gross at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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New tax credit will provide relief to small businesses taking on COVID-related capital expenses
√ Small business lending initiative will provide accessible loans to expanding small businesses
√ Governor will propose legislation permanently allowing sale of to-go drinks in bars & restaurants
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced a new, billion-dollar rescue plan for small businesses as part of the 2022 State of the State.
Her team said, “Small businesses, accounting for 98% of all businesses statewide, are the backbone of New York's economy and, under the governor's plan, the state will be supporting these entities through a variety of initiatives focusing on growing the businesses of the future, helping new businesses struggling to establish themselves and providing tax relief.
“Additionally, to support New York's restaurant industry, a sector that has especially been hit hard by COVID-19, the governor will introduce legislation to permanently allow the sale of to-go drinks for bars and restaurants statewide.”
Hochul said, "New York's comeback depends on the recovery and success of our small businesses. Since the pandemic hit, small business owners have been struggling with unprecedented challenges. New York is here with a simple message: Help is on the way."
A press release noted, “As a former small business owner, Gov. Hochul understands the challenges facing small businesses, even in the best of times. Gov. Hochul is also acutely aware of how the pandemic has tested small businesses throughout New York, and what is needed in this moment to support the recovery of our small businesses.”
To help small businesses at this critical moment, Hochul's billion-dollar rescue plan would include targeted programs strategically designed to respond to small business needs, and to ensure that disadvantaged, minority-owned, and women-owned small businesses prosper throughout the state.
Per Hochul’s team, the billion-dollar rescue plan includes:
√ Funding for Small Businesses of the Future: This initiative would support venture capital and venture debt awards to fast-growing, venture-backed startups that either locate to, or remain and grow in, New York state. This funding would assist emerging small businesses in the innovation sector, including minority- and women-owned companies often overlooked by private-sector venture investments. Through this program, New York state would continue to be the center of innovation and small business growth.
√ The Small Business COVID Capital Investment Tax Credit: This initiative would provide a tax credit to small businesses, which took on COVID-19-related capital expenses, including retrofits, renovations, machinery and equipment related to COVID-19 safety enhancements.
√ Seed Funding for Small Businesses: This initiative would provide flexible grants to early-stage small businesses to help those that recently opened get off the ground, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority would be given to socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners.
√ Small Business Lending Initiative: This initiative would provide reduced interest rates and accessible loans to expanding small businesses. As part of this effort, this initiative would seek to address disparities in the traditional loan market, which oftentimes precludes small businesses, particularly socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, from accessing loans to grow their businesses or take on larger government contracts.
√ The Excelsior Contracting Opportunities Initiative: This initiative would provide state-backed funding and technical assistance to position small businesses – particularly those which are socially and economically disadvantaged – to secure federally funded contracts related to the $1.2 trillion federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This initiative would also include the establishment of an interagency Excelsior Contracting Opportunities Council – including Empire State Development, the State Department of Transportation, the Thruway Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – to identify strategies to encourage greater minority- and women-owned small business participation in forthcoming federally funded infrastructure projects across the state.
√ Permanently Legalize the Sale of To-Go Drinks for Bars and Restaurants: To-go drinks were a critical revenue stream for New York's bars and restaurants during the early part of the pandemic, helping many small businesses across the state pay their rents or mortgages. Hochul would permanently allow for the sale of to-go drinks for off-premises consumption to continue supporting the recovery of bars and restaurants.
Hochul would also provide $100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses by widening eligibility and increasing a tax return adjustment that reduces a small business's gross business income.
New Tax Relief for Thousands of Small Businesses & Millions of Middle-Class New Yorkers
√ $100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses across state
√ Accelerates middle-class tax cut to provide relief for 6.1 million by 2023; new property tax rebate program to deliver additional relief for 2 million low- and middle-income New Yorkers
Hochul announced new efforts to deliver tax relief for thousands of small businesses and millions of middle-class New Yorkers as part of the 2022 State of the State. The plan would provide $100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses through increasing a tax return adjustment to reduce small businesses' gross business income.
The plan would also accelerate the implementation of $1.2 billion in New York's existing middle class tax cut for 6 million New Yorkers, which first began to be implemented in 2018, and establish a $1 billion property tax rebate program to put money back into the pockets of more than 2 million New Yorkers who have had to endure rising costs as the pandemic has progressed.
Additionally, the governor would create new – and increase existing – tax credits to support New York's farms and food production overall.
"As we continue to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19, we must ensure we are investing in our state's most valuable resource: its people," Hochul said. "Millions of New Yorkers, particularly small-business owners, middle-class families, and our senior communities, have been hit hard by the economic devastation of the last two years, and they need our help. We must accelerate our recovery by not only reducing the tax burden, but also finding ways to put money back into the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers who support our economy."
From the depths of the COVID-19 economic downturn to today, New York has recovered some 1.2 million jobs. In early December, Hochul announced an initiative to connect New Yorkers to 220,000 jobs, and signed legislation to increase the state's support for recovering small businesses.
New York's economic recovery is not over. The state's unemployment rate is 6.6% – more than 2 points higher than the national rate. Some 71% of small businesses still report negative effects from the pandemic. As of July, earnings remained below prepandemic levels in seven of New York's 13 major job sectors.
Per her team: To accelerate the economic recovery and deliver relief to New Yorkers, Hochul would:
√ Provide $100 Million of Relief for 195,000 Small Businesses: While the pandemic downturn impacted everyone, small businesses suffered especially hard. To boost recovery across the state, Hochul would provide $100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses by widening eligibility and increasing a tax return adjustment that reduces a small business's gross income.
In simple terms, a subtraction modification allows a taxpayer to lower its gross income by an amount equal to a certain percentage of its net business income, before calculating the amount of taxes owed. Current law allows for a 5% subtraction modification for sole proprietorships and farm businesses with incomes of less than $250,000 – benefitting just 5,000 taxpayers each year. The governor will raise this modification and include other entities with New York source gross income of up to $1.5 million, covering some 195,000 small businesses in all – putting more money back in the hands of more hard-working New Yorkers.
√ Accelerate $1.2 Billion in Middle Class Tax Cuts for 6 Million New Yorkers: In 2018, New York began phasing in a middle-class tax cut, and the cut is not currently scheduled to be fully implemented until 2025. To reflect the economic devastation brought on by COVID-19 – and rather than waiting for small, incremental benefits to take effect for middle-class taxpayers – Hochul would accelerate relief for families and start providing the full benefit of the tax cut two years earlier. She would fully phase-in the middle-class tax cut beginning in the 2023 tax year, the earliest time possible. Applying the full effective cut to the 2023 tax year would accelerate two years of tax cuts, providing relief for 6.1 million New Yorkers.
√ Deliver a $1 Billion Property Tax Rebate for More Than 2 Million New Yorkers: With New Yorkers facing the costs of inflation in the supermarket and at the pump, all while still enduring the economic impacts of COVID-19, Hochul would provide much-needed relief through a property tax rebate program that would return tax dollars to middle- and low-income households. More than 2 million New Yorkers would be eligible for the rebate, with low-income households and seniors receiving higher benefits. Under the governor's plan, eligible homeowners would receive their benefit in the fall of 2022, to the tune of $1 billion.
√ Increase Existing Tax Credits and Create a New Credit to Support Food Production: Farm labor is among the fastest-growing costs of agricultural production in New York. To help farms meet this challenge, Hochul would increase an existing workforce tax credit and create a new one, while also expanding an investment tax credit for equipment to complement the workforce and address shortages. This includes:
•Doubling the Farm Workforce Retention Tax Credit: Farm owners and employers are currently eligible to receive a refundable tax credit of a fixed dollar amount per eligible farm employee through 2024. To help farms retain their workers, the state would double the yearly fixed dollar amount per eligible employee and extend the program to 2025.
•Creating a New Overtime Tax Credit: The state would create a permanent refundable tax credit on overtime hours for any size farm in New York to offset increasing costs to farmers.
•Increase the Investment Tax Credit: The investment tax credit has been a powerful tool in the past to stimulate investments in new technology and equipment. New York would increase the existing investment tax credit for all state farms, allowing farmers to purchase new equipment that could further automate their farms in response to the declining agriculture workforce.


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New hope for Northern Irish SMEs with encouraging finance figures
21st August 2013 | News
Almost two-thirds of small businesses in Northern Ireland who have applied for finance within the last three years were successful, according to a new study.
A survey by a business lobby group is expected to form part of a submission to be made to MPs at the House of Commons NI Affairs Committee.
Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA), said it was the first ever survey of the views on banking services from independent retailers throughout the North.
"65 per cent of those who have applied for finance within the last three years were successful, which suggests an improving trend given the difficult trading conditions in the last year," he said.
"However, banks still have some way to go … as 35 per cent were turned down for finance. We hope that when we repeat this survey next year there will be great improvement in this area."
The survey was conducted among 100 of NIIRTA’s members via telephone, in a bid to ascertain the progress the banking sector is making in service provision.
Further key facts to come out of the survey included 64 per cent of independent retailers operated with an overdraft, although a third of them were unhappy as their bank had unilaterally changed the terms of the overdraft.
More encouragingly, more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of those surveyed insisted there had been no impact from the closure of bank branches.
Mr Roberts added: "Overall it appears from our survey of independent retailers, the banking sector is making progress in service provision.
"Banks have a key role to play in investing for recovery and [must] learn from mistakes and look to the future."