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Why should you get home security?
Well, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 4.3% of Australian households last financial year experienced either a break-in or attempted break-in – equating to over 400,000 break-in events.
More than two-thirds of these resulted in thefts of belongings.
Notably, about 11.8% of these result in confrontations with the perpetrator.
So, how does a household protect itself against theft?
In a survey conducted by Budget Direct, the most common method Australians used was by locking doors and windows.
After this, however, the other methods are quite mixed.
The next most common was by having gates and fences around their property and not leaving a spare key outside.
Just under a third of those surveyed have security cameras installed, with even less having a security alarm system (27%).
Research undertaken by the Australian Institute of Criminology argues that crime rates have decreased thanks to the increased presence of security cameras, as this scares off potential criminals from a property.
This fact, in conjunction with that most home burglaries occurs when no one is home, highlights the importance of having a home security system.
While many hardware stores sell security cameras and systems, and many of these can be installed yourself, home security installers offer a full design-to-installation service.
This has the added benefit of a professional highlighting the best areas to install a camera by highlighting the weak points of your home.
In some states, anyone involved in the installation of security cameras in a home, business or club should hold a Master Security Licence, whether it be for an Alarm or CCTV System.
It is important to check the security company you hire holds the appropriate licence.


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Businesses look forward to Newham Chamber of Commerce awards
- Credit: Archant
The borough’s top companies are set to battle it out this evening at the Newham Chamber of Commerce’s business awards.
Representatives from businesses of all sizes will be at the Old Town Hall, Stratford, where awards will be made across nine categories.
The Recorder will be at the event, where updates will be provided through our Twitter account, @NewhamRecorder.
Full coverage of the awards evening will be online tomorrow and in next week’s paper.

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Urban Outfitters to open Georgia call center, bring 400 jobs
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- Carla Caldwell, Morning Call Editor
Urban Outfitters (Nasdaq: URBN) will open a customer care center in Martinez, Ga., that will employee 200 when the facility opens Aug. 1, and up to 400 jobs within the next five years, reports the Morris News Service.
Employees at the site will serve the retailer’s “direct business” segment, fielding calls from customers placing orders and seeking similar customer service assistance, Morris reported.
The Philadelphia-based company has stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The company owns the Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and BHLDN brands.
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Expatriates of Indian origin in Oman have been given time until June 30, 2020 to renew their Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card.
According to a notice issued by the Embassy of India in Muscat, ‘This is to inform that the Government of India has decided to grant a temporary relaxation until June 30, 2020, in the following cases: In case, an OCI card holder below the age of 20 years has not got it re-issued on change of passport, he/she may travel on the strength of his/her existing OCI card bearing the old passport number. This is subject to the condition that along with the new passport, the OCI card holder carried the old passport mentioned in the OCI card.’
The embassy added, ‘In case, the OCI card holder has attained 50 years of age, and has got his/her passport renewed subsequently, but has not got his/her OCI card re-issued on renewal of the passport, he/she may travel on the strength of the existing OCI card along with the old and new passports. However, it is advised that OCI card holders take steps to comply with the existing guidelines and renew their OCI cards as required by the rules.’
The guidelines for the renewal of OCI cards, according to the embassy, are: ‘OCI cards need to be reissued each time a new passport is acquired by the card holder, up to the age of 20 years, and an OCI card is to be re-issued once on acquiring a new passport after completing 50 years of age. The re-issuance of an OCI card is not required each time a passport is issued to a card holder between 21 and 50 years of age.’


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Facebook on Thursday announced that members can now link to other members' profiles in their status messages by using the @ symbol. The move is clearly inspired by the popularity of Twitter's "@-replies."
This new feature basically means that you can link to the profiles of your friends and other pages on Facebook, and that your friends will be informed when they've been tagged. It's currently rolling out to members' profiles.
Engineer Tom Occhino explains it in a post on the Facebook blog:
Now, when you are writing a status update and want to add a friend's name to something you are posting, just include the "@" symbol beforehand. As you type the name of what you would like to reference, a drop-down menu will appear that allows you to choose from your list of friends and other connections, including groups, events, applications, and (fan) pages.
The feature will soon expand to third-party services that let you update your Facebook status, presumably includingsuch as TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop.
The development prompted some of my industry competitors to use the word "BREAKING" in their headlines (Really? Can we please leave this term for things on the level of earthquakes, election results, and stampedes at Jonas Brothers concerts?) because it's yet another big sign that Facebook is gradually but aggressively encroaching upon Twitter's territory in its attempt to own the Web's trove of real-time conversation. Twitter is nowhere near the size of Facebook, nor is it anywhere near as feature-rich, but it's enough of a disruption in the space to make Facebook keep trying to get the upper hand.
As you may recall, this back-and-forth has included Facebook's "real-time stream" upgrades to the social network's home page, and its acquisition of FriendFeed, a streaming feed aggregator., the
On an unrelated note, for brands using Facebook's fan pages, this could result in an interesting analytics product. The company hasn't yet said whether or how the managers of fan pages will be notified that they have been tagged--for a brand with a lot of fans, this could be a lot--and you might imagine that some of the demographics regarding who's talking about them and how often could be packaged into a nice marketing tool.
It'd also be athat Twitter plans to start selling to businesses later this year, which would be the San Francisco-based company's first concrete revenue model.


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Los Angeles and San Francisco District Attorneys have flashed a glaring red light to Uber’s ridesharing operations in California, filing a lawsuit Tuesday that claims the company committed multiple business practice violations including misleading passengers on the safety of their rides.
The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, said Uber touted its background checks as “industry leading,” yet the San Francisco company did not subject its drivers to fingerprint tests. Passengers were then charged $1 “safe ride fees” based on what district attorneys said were substandard background checks.
Uber is also accused of calculating ride fares without state approval, an oversight process that prevents companies from overcharging its customers. The suit goes on to claim Uber operated at California airports without proper authorization and committed fraud by charging passengers $4 toll fees for rides in and out of San Francisco International Airport – fees that are owed to the airport, but that were never paid out.
“Uber continues to misrepresent and exaggerate background checks on drivers,” Los Angeles District Atty. Jackie Lacey said at a news conference in Los Angeles. “It’s not our goal to shut them down. What we’re saying is their advertising is false.”
Uber, which drove into the Los Angeles market in 2012, has hit countless roadblocks as it has expanded to other cities worldwide. Portland, Ore., sued the company on Monday for illegally operating without the consent of authorities. India, Thailand and Spain are the latest countries to put the brakes on the service. India banned Uber in its capital territory, Delhi, after a driver who had previously been arrested for sexual assault allegedly raped a female passenger.
The car service company has long fielded accusations of faulty business practices, which range from instructing staff to sabotage competitors by repeatedly booking and canceling rides and promoting campaigns to dig up dirt on journalists who are critical of the company.
But Uber’s questionable hardball tactics don’t seem to have fazed investors. The company recently announced a $1.2 billion funding round that valued it at $40 billion.
“Californians and California lawmakers all agree – Uber is an integral, safe and established part of the transportation ecosystem in the Golden State,” Uber spokeswoman Eva Behrend said in a statement. “Uber has met with the district attorneys to address their concerns regarding airport operations, the uberPOOL product, background checks and operation of the app. We will continue to engage in discussions with the district attorneys.” (UberPOOL is a carpooling feature offered by the company.)
The L.A. and San Francisco district attorneys had been negotiating with Uber and rivals Lyft and Sidecar since warning the companies about illegal business practices in September. Prosecutors announced Tuesday they would not take Lyft to court after the company agreed to pay $500,000 and change some of its business practices. Prosecutors are still in talks with Sidecar.
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KYLIE Jenner has taken a leaf out of Danniella Westbrook's book by dressing her baby daughter Stormi in Burberry.
Kylie, 20, shared a snap of herself cradling the five-month-old with fans and many were quick to notice the little one's designer threads.
In the photo Stormi is seen wearing a Burberry dress made from the fashion house's iconic checked print as Kylie shields her face from the lens.
Although she didn't caption the shot, her fans have been quick to comment.
One wrote: "Woo look at Stormi in brand Burberry!"
Another added: "I want the Burberry dress for my future daughter haha."
Although perhaps a little classier, the photograph is reminiscent of the day former EastEnders actress Dannielle dressed herself and her daughter Jo head-to-toe in Burberry.
Earlier this year, Danniella proved she's STILL a fan of the designer when she was spotted in a London branch of the fashion store.
Meanwhile, Kylie has set tongues wagging after stepping out with a ring on her wedding finger.
The reality star was snapped with her boyfriend Travis Scott during a shopping trip in New York and the bling was clear to see.
Walking in the city's West Village, Kylie did little to hide her ring as she held her handbag in front of her.
In fact, she later posted a close up shot of the diamond and gold band on Instagram, with the caption: "On Wednesdays."
This isn't the first time she has sparked engagement rumours, however.
In April, Kylie was pictured with a different ring on her wedding finger while out with friends in California.
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That time the star was sporting a giant silver band with diamonds.
Last week it was revealed that Kylie is well on her way to becoming the world's youngest self-made billionaire.
According to Forbes, if her cosmetic brand continues with its current rate of success, she'll be a billionaire at just 21 years old.
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Now there are many methods of locking cell phones, such as passwords, face unlock, geometric patterns, fingerprints, and fingerprints on the screen.
Reporting from the Asian Age page, Monday (2/12/2019) a new study revealed that the method of locking a cell phone can reveal a person’s age. The study conducted by the University of British Columbia (UBC) was presented last month at the ‘CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computational Systems’ in Glasgow, Scotland.
“As researchers who work to protect smartphones from unauthorized access, we must first understand how users use their devices,” said Konstantin Beznosov, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UBC.
Beznosov also revealed that by tracking users during daily updates with their devices, researchers gained insight into future smartphone designs.
Analysis also shows that older users use their cellphones less frequently than younger users. For every 10-year interval in age, there is a corresponding 25 percent decrease in the number of user sessions.
In other words, a 25-year-old child might use their cellphone 20 times a day, but a 35-year-old child can only use it 15 times. The study tracked 134 volunteers, ranging in age from 19 to 63 years, through special applications installed on their Android phones.
For two consecutive months, the application collects data about locking and unlocking events, automatic or manual lock selection and whether the phone is locked or unlocked.
This application also records user session duration. The study also found gender differences in authentication choices. As we get older, men are far more likely to rely on automatic locks, compared to locking their device manually, compared to women.
In terms of overall usage, women on average use their cellphones longer than men, with women in their 20s using their smartphones significantly longer than men their age.
However, the balance shifts with age, with men in their 50s recording longer usage sessions than women of the same age. While the research does not look at the reasons for this behavior, Beznosov said the findings could help smartphone companies design better products.
“Factors such as age must be considered when designing the system authentication mobile phone smart and devices should allow the user to choose the method of locking in accordance with their needs and usage patterns,” he said.


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A new Amadeus study suggests that ‘Pay When You Fly’ options could be used to boost 2021 travel, softening the risk of cancellation that 81% of travellers say is a barrier to booking travel this year.
Periods of high cancellation during the pandemic have led to problems refunding travellers, with some refunds taking many months to process.
To preserve vital cashflow, travel companies have offered vouchers for future travel, but limited clarity on the lifting of government restrictions have resulted in uncertainty for those travellers seeking to redeem them.
Now, a new study with 5,000 travellers across the world highlights the impact that ‘refund uncertainty’ is having on traveller confidence and bookings during 2021, as the industry begins the road to recovery.
81% of travellers confirmed that the increased risk of cancellations due to the pandemic is a barrier to booking travel this year, with refund uncertainty (46%) and the inconvenience of the refund process (38%) topping concerns when a flight is cancelled.
According to the report, a “major European carrier” has taken the lead with a ‘Pay When You Fly’ (PWYF) option.
Okay, so how does it work?
PWYF would allow travellers to make a flight reservation (which also includes a hotel or car hire) with a small deposit, in the region of 10-20% of the total cost (which is non-refundable in the event the traveller decides to cancel).
The balance is then settled a few weeks prior to departure, minimising the risk of cancelation. Importantly, the traveller does not enter a credit agreement and is not liable to pay the entire balance.
In the event of cancelation, the airline is not faced with a high number of refunds to process because the bulk of the traveller funds remain with the traveller until the last minute.
According to the Amadeus study, PWYF is the most appealing payment option (39%) compared to traditional pay at booking (36%) and ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ (BNPL) schemes that require the traveller to enter a credit agreement for the entire balance (24%).
The company said that as well as building confidence by overcoming refund uncertainty, PWYF could boost industry revenues with travellers willing to spend 36% more per trip on average, and 49% of travellers more likely to add additional services like meals and bags, if PWYF is offered by the airline.
What do you think about Pay When You Fly? Do you think it’s a win/win for everyone? Will it catch on? Let us know your thoughts. Email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Research was carried out by Opinium on behalf of Amadeus during May 2021 based on a survey with 5,000 travellers*, drawn in equal numbers from France, Germany, Malaysia, the UK and the US.
*Respondents travelled at least three times a year before the pandemic.
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Wizards of the Coast announces Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount.
Browsing: wizards of the coast
Forgotten Realms Laeral Silverhand Explorer’s Kit builds on the success of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. Forgotten Realms Laeral Silverhand Explorer’s Kit will be available in stores everywhere on March 17, 2020!
Wizards of the Coast and Tuque Games are proud to announce DARK ALLIANCE, a third-person action RPG, will launch worldwide on PC and consoles in Fall 2020.
Wizards of the Coast is once again getting ready to throw down, this time with the third iteration of Dungeon Mayhem, the easy-to-learn, family-friendly, D&D card game that pits the wits and brawn of a party of adventurers against each other.
Fans can celebrate D&D through the D&D Sapphire Anniversary Dice Set, available directly from Wizards of the Coast starting at 11a.m. (PT) on November 21, 2019.
If you follow our Finally Friday show, you were able to see me unbox Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus a few weeks ago. Now, everyone can get their hands on the latest module for Dungeons & Dragons.
Eberron: Rising from the Last War is a 320-page book detailing the war-torn continent of Khorvaire, along with a wealth of features for D&D fans to incorporate into their characters’ adventures.
Has it really been five years since the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons was released? Wizards of the Coast is celebrating with a re-release of Tyranny of Dragons that kicked it all of in 2014.
The newest Dungeons & Dragons adventure book, Ghosts of Saltmarsh has landed in game and book stores, and is ready to take your adventuring party to the high seas!
D&D Live 2019: The Descent will be a celebration of the Dungeons & Dragons community as they gather to learn about the latest storyline through an immersive entertainment experience.
Penny Arcades’ Acquisitions Incorporated D&D podcast and Wizards of the Coast have teamed for a new adventure module based the AI adventures.
Dungeons & Dragons is excited to announce a new adventure book called Ghosts of Saltmarsh, which takes classic sea-faring adventures and updates and expands upon them for use with D&D fifth edition.
Wizards of the Coast has announced they are taking that imaginary tale, and bringing it to your game table in May with the Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set.
VIZ Media has announced the January release of The Art of Magic: The Gathering – Ravnica, to coincide with the release of the next Ravnica deck release.


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Giorgio Armani is taking more control over his clothing line, as Italy’s Holding di Partecipazioni appears to be inching away from the fashion business.
Armani’s fashion group has agreed to take over the production and distribution of its Le Collezioni men’s and Mani women’s lines from GFT, the fashion and textile unit of HdP.
The companies did not disclose the price.
Fashion designers have traditionally farmed out production and distribution of their brands. But fashion-business watchers expect more to take those functions back as they work to strengthen their brands into global empires.
HdP owns Valentino and Fila sportswear. It also has the menswear licenses for Calvin Klein and Joseph Abboud as well as a chain of boutiques and several textile mills.
But the Italian conglomerate also owns Italian newspapers and magazines, and its shareholders – including Fiat – have been clamoring for chief executive Maurizio Romiti to concentrate more fully on its media properties.
Analysts have been begging for the same thing, asking Romiti to concentrate his efforts on finding an online toehold for his media properties.
Romiti this year announced he would heed his owners and spend more time on his media empire.
He pulled HdP out of the bidding for Calvin Klein Inc.
And he has been quiet about Joseph Abboud, although fashion sources say he was in hot pursuit of the designer’s company earlier this year.


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Football Manager 2021 Mobile will be released for iOS and Android devices on November 24th for $ 8.99. Pre-order on iOS to own the game and start playing it immediately after its release. For Android users, pre-registration means being notified of the release date when the game is ready to be downloaded.
Feel the buzz while easily creating the perfect team and tactical setup that guarantees you get your silverware anytime, anywhere. Featuring more than 60 leagues from the top 24 football nations, choose an overseas adventure in one of the football powerhouses or challenge your domestic success?
With new additions and license updates, this edition will be the best ever, with the fully licensed Canadian Premier League joining the team and joining both Mexico and Argentina as playable countries.
The best players in the world and generations of mysterious kids are literally in your pocket. Buy wisely and hone your skills on the training pitch. Once you’ve completed your pre-match planning, join the top-down digital dugout and watch your tactical vision come true.
No mobile game approaches the job of managing the world’s top clubs. With a license renewal, this edition will be the best ever. The fully licensed Canadian Premier League joins the team, bringing Mexico and Argentina into new playable countries.
A complete list of new features and game upgrades will be published in early November.


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According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), in 1994, Americans spent $17 billion on their pets. By 2017, that number grew to $69.51 billion. The APPA estimates that spending could surpass $96 billion in sales by 2020, setting the stage for an increased demand in natural pet products.
Pet owners are hopeful CBD could be beneficial to help manage pain from arthritis and other conditions, reduce epileptic seizures, alleviate separation anxiety, expand mobility, improve cognitive function and lessen insomnia.
As CBD breaks into the mainstream, some of the earliest adopters have been dog owners and their pups. They won’t be leading the pack for long, though. As more research surfaces, a variety of pets may benefit.
“Vets everywhere are dealing with pet parents reaching out to them for information,” says Dr. Casara Andre, a veterinarian and founder of Veterinary Cannabis Education and Consulting, based in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. “We were seeing this huge need and tried to address that need in our community. There are so many positive stories and anecdotal evidence about using cannabis in veterinary medicine.”
For many pet owners whose animals suffer from debilitating diseases or conditions, CBD-infused products may offer a shot at helping to alleviate their loved ones’ pain and discomfort. And new research is increasingly coming to light.
If you are a pet owner, you may be considering talking about cannabis with your veterinarian. Start with these quick tips from Andre.
Before you visit…
Dr. Casara Andre, herself a vet and the founder of Veterinary Cannabis Education and Consulting, recommends asking the manufacturer of the particular pet product you’re interested in for a certificate of analysis (COA).
“The COA tells you…
“what is actually in that product,” Andre says, also recommending that pet parents bring the COA along with the product itself to their veterinarians.
“It will make that conversation…
“go so much easier,” Andre says. “We want to know that the final product doesn’t contain something harmful.”
As your veterinarian knows…
your pet well, he or she will be able to help you safely explore the potential of cannabis in your pet’s life.


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Chicago (IL) – According to online reports, Apple will unveil cloud-based versions of iWork and iLife at Macworld Expo, which is scheduled to open its doors on January 5. Reports claim that all office productivity applications from the iWork bundle will receive a cloud makeover and one high-profile Mac blogger claims that iMovie, iLife’s application for editing home movies, will become a cloud service well. Of course, it is a rumor at this time, but cloud-based iWork and iLife applications would be significant updates that could expand the market reach of these Mac-only applications to virtually any platform, including Windows PCs.
Anyone who has been following the Mac software scene knows that iLife and iWork updates are long overdue since Apple last updated the two application bundles 18 months ago. The unusual silence gives certain weight to claims that Apple’s software team put desktop updates on hold to focus on Web versions of the software. Computerworld blogger Seth Weintraub first floated the iWork cloud rumor, citing multiple “reliable sources.” Weintraub recently added another rumor about a Web-based version of iMovie. Described as “Internet video in the Cloud for the YouTube generation,” the service is expected to deliver the ability to “upload your movies to us and edit them there.”
It unclear at this point whether a cloud-based iWork will just be an online extension of the desktop iWork version or if desktop version will cease to exist in favor of the web-only version. If Apple’s software team in fact has spent the past 18 months re-writing iWork and iMovie in SproutCore, there is a clear indication that the company has a much broader online strategy in place.
Common sense suggests that a web-based iWork will be positioned expand the market reach of the application bundle outside Mac’s 5% global share to include the remaining 95% of Windows- and Linux-based machines. There may be a free version with basic features and a paid version that brings premium features like secure, more spacious online storage, backups, advanced editing options, etc. So far, iLife and iWork have been unique selling points for Mac hardware and were even featured in Apple’s Mac vs. PC commercials. But it is generally believed that we are finally entering a stage where hardware will be less important and less profitable and income streams will shift to software and services. If Apple is moving into this direction, it would certainly make sense to expand the reach of its applications, offer some functionality free of charge and offer premium features for an annual fee. However, some market watchers believe that Apple is taking a risky move by sacrificing Mac exclusivity of iWork, and especially iLife. The company currently sells iWork for $79.
The MobileMe suite of paid online services introduced last July marked Apple’s ambitious foray into the world of Web 2.0. Unfortunately, Apple overestimated its capabilities as MobileMe has been hit with service outages from day one, followed by subsequent service blackouts and numerous bugs. In the months that followed, Apple repaired critical parts of the service, but failed to bring all advertised features by the end of 2008, as Steve Jobs had promised. Despite the blunder, we are told that Apple’s ambitious cloud an online plans will exceed general expectations. There are even rumors about an Apple-branded search engine.


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Bing in UK out of beta?
One of the main reasons why Bing isn't adopted by an even larger group of European users than it has been so far is the fact that Bing is still in beta in Europe. Rumours now are that Bing is coming out of beta in the UK soon. Other European countries probably still have to be more patient.
If you do want to try out these Bing features you can change your location in the top right corner and start using them. Though be carefull: the search results are NOT being changed for your country.
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MILAN — Handbags, shoes, ready-to-wear, beauty products — now Prada wants to reach out and touch its fans even more.
The Italian luxury goods company said Tuesday that it plans to launch a signature mobile phone early next year in collaboration with LG Electronics of South Korea. Details about design and pricing remain under wraps, but a Prada spokesman said the phone would feature an advanced touch interface that eliminates the conventional keypad.
It has introduced a limited collection of home products in a further extension of the Prada brand.
"As we do with ready-to-wear and accessories, we were looking at a breakthrough," Prada chief Patrizio Bertelli said in a statement about the mobile phone venture. "Consistently with our approach, we are not branding an existing product; rather, Miuccia and I have been working with LG to give this new phone a very strong character and unique style, both in its contents and in its design."
The spokesman said LG contacted Prada a year ago and that the fashion house agreed to the venture because, in addition to the South Korean firm's technological know-how and industrial design prowess, "there was a real interest in working together for a new product on every aspect, from its software and graphic interface to its design and packaging. The phone will exist only as branded by Prada."
The spokesman said Prada believes "a mobile phone is more and more an accessory, and although it has a technological and practical component, it is increasingly an object of design and style, a status symbol which almost defines a person — definitely one of the most important objects in a woman's handbag."
Distribution will hit Europe first, then Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The Korean version is scheduled to bow in the second quarter of 2007.
The phone will be available at selected Prada boutiques and in telecommunications distribution channels. "This is a true business for us. We want to sell a significant number of pieces, and it's not a limited-edition accessory," said the spokesman.
"Prada's legacy for classic and sophisticated design meant they were the perfect partner to develop this shared vision of innovative technology and ultimate style," Mun-Hwa Park, president and ceo of LG subsidiary LG Electronics Mobile Communications Co., said in the statement. "We are passionate about developing exclusive phones that appeal to consumers' desire to express their personality through their choice of mobile and feel very strongly that Prada shares this belief."In home furnishings, Prada has rounded out its successful Heritage accessories line made with vintage fabrics and the brand's logo from 1913 with four objects for the house or travel: a case with two silver flutes and bottle opener; a silver thermos housed in a leather case; a gardening set complete with leather-piped apron, gloves, tools and shears, and a lunch box with cutlery, linen napkins, glasses, silver plates, an oil-and-vinegar set and containers.
The products can be ordered at Prada's flagships worldwide and will be delivered in about three weeks.
Retail prices range from $1,500 for the flutes to $ 6,500 for the gardening set.
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
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The association of bakers in Nigeria says prices of bread will increase by 20%.
As the inflation rate in Nigeria continues to accelerate, various industries have consequently adjusted to the situation by hiking the prices of their products. The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) has said that the prices of different sizes of bread will increase by at least 20 percent starting in July. The association began a nationwide strike on July 20th, 2022 to protest the soaring costs of production, which they claimed was fueled by the Russian-Ukrainian war. The association planned to continue their strike action for at least a week in order to pressure the government to remove a 15 percent tax on wheat.
“Although the federal government is yet to respond to our pleas and demands, we are satisfied that we have at least sent a message hoping for a positive result,” Gabriel Bamidele-Adeniyi, Chairman of AMBCN (Kogi State Chapter) told the press. “Unfortunately, as we resume production on July 25th, prices of bread will definitely increase by 20 percent. A bread of N200 will cost between N240 and N250; that of N500 will cost N600; that of N600, N750; that of N700 will cost N880; and that of N800 between N980 and N1000.”
Increase in price of commodities causing increase in price of stable bread.
Mr. Bamidele-Adeniyi assures the public that the increment in the price of bread is not their doing but as a result of the increase in the commodities used in bread production. “We want the public to know that the new increment in process of stable bread is not our making but that of the increase in the prices of commodities that we use in bread production. We want the government to see to it that prices of yeast, sugar, and flour being imported are drastically reduced so that not only three companies have the license to import them. Unfortunately, those three firms are monopolizing the prices of sugar, yeast, and flour to the detriment of bakers in Nigeria,” he said.
As the national body of bakers and caterers in Nigeria declared the strike action, different state chapters decided whether to follow suit or take another approach. Kogi Masters Bakers joined the strike but after weeks of strike, they’re resuming production as well as increasing the prices of their products. Bakers in Abuja said that they had decided not to take part in the strike because they preferred to engage with the government to find solutions. However, they threatened to suspend production if that approach failed.
Residents of Enugu complain about the hike in prices.
Residents of Enugu complained about the warning strike embarked upon by the bread bakers, as its current price had become unaffordable. Some bread sellers said that there had been a 30 percent increase because of the strike. A bread seller, Samson Igwe, said that the price would further increase across the state but that he did not feel his customers will stop patronizing him. “My customers will only reduce the number of loaves they buy but will find it difficult to do away with eating bread daily,” he said.
Nancy Okwuchi, a resident of Achara Layout in Enugu, said that the increase in price will affect the cost and pattern of feeding in many homes. “Sometimes, when there is no food in the house, I prepare tea with bread for my kids as they wait for me to cook. But with the new increase and further increase, it will be difficult to feed the children with bread as usual,” she said. The reasons for the strike included the incessant increase in the prices of baking materials, the need to stop the 15 percent levy on wheat import as well as the need for NAFDAC to review downwards the N154,000 penalty charged to bakeries on late renewal of certificates.
A lot of Nigerians would suffer, says Director of Canaan Delight Bakery.
Meanwhile, in Cross Rivers State, the Masters Bakers did not join the national body in the suspension of production, but they resolved to increase price and reduce the quantity of production to prevent wastage. The Director of Canaan Delight Bakery Nigeria Limited noted that a withdrawal of service was not good for the system because a lot of Nigerians would suffer the lack of bread as a staple commodity in the country. “The planned increment is not even enough. This is because the price of every means of production has increased, from condiments to diesel and all other raw materials. This is a global issue that is not peculiar to Nigeria or materials for baking alone but the price of every foodstuff has increased significantly.”
AMBCN (Lagos Chapter): Website
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Bread another staple food consumed in Nigeria is so expensive that you think twice before buying now,I don’t just know what money can buy in our dear country,why oh why…Food that is so essential for survival our government are just so clueless.
The planned 20% increase is too much, the bakers should reconsider their decision because it will make the bread unaffordable to a lot of people. Most people use this bread to get by everyday but if this price should increase they will clearly not be able to feed themselves with the bread.
It’s just so sad that the government is showing less concern about the way the inflation rate is making people suffer. They should just try to consider us and do their best to put measures that will help reduce inflation rate in place.
This inflation rate will make people suffer, bread is one of food people consume alot if it is increase it will affect the people alot our government should try and find solution to reduce the inflation rate
It is true that this is a global issue and it is not peculiar to Nigeria or materials for baking alone but the price of every foodstuff has increased significantly. But other countries are managing this properly but Nigeria government is not taking any significant step towards it.
The inflation rate of Nigeria has now affected production of flour. Even the cost of diesel too has gone high. Thus, the cost of production of all these things will also go high. The consumers then become the ones that will bear the brunt of the economy harsh realities. Common bread too will now increase in price. It is really well with us in this country.
What more can we do, how can we cry, how can we beg this government about the condition of this country. Am not just happy with the way things are happening. What is the crime of the masses in the country. The inflation rate in this country is too bad. Bread wey we they manage is something else now. Bread and beans wey i they take they see front. Chai…. Hunger ooo. Government want to turn me into a begger
What more needs to happen for this government to know the country is crumbling and they should do something asap? Bread and other flour-made snacks are like a go-to food for those who can’t afford to buy a proper meal. Now, here we go.The inflation has affected everything.
It all comes down to the continuous rise in inflation rates ravaging our economy while our government remains complacent watching the people suffer and struggle to put food on their tables on a daily basis. Nothing works again, let’s all pray for better days in this country.
Millions of Nigerians will suffer from this outcome. Bread is the most affordable food for millions of people and may not be available to them or affordable. The government must act swiftly to curb the inflation rate or many people will die of starvation. Also, this government should stop the monopoly market and issue out licenses to other companies to create a competitive market for the benefit of the citizens.
Bread has always been the last option for those that are broke, now that bread is now expensive I wonder how those people will survive. This inflation is making people suffer a lot.
The increment on the price of bread will really affect lots of things,the production will be reduce because purchasing power will be reduce as well.
What is happening in this country called for God sake. Why will the most precious and common man food become so expensive. Now we can’t buy bread again. Factually everything that we buy is on the rise because of inflation. This country is at the point of collapsing. It is only God that can help us.
With the rate of the economy and naira I expect something like this but with this government failing us it a bad thing food and shelter are supposed to be the cheapest things in a country but in this country they are the most expensive things to afford
This is getting ridiculous; even bread too is getting price hiked. That means We need to find alternatives to bread
As a direct consequence of this, a number of different industries have increased the costs of the items they offer, and you really can’t blame them because this is the circumstance in which they find themselves in this country.
Every business is aimed to make a profit, however conflict of interest rises when the cost of production is on the higher side.
This is not the time that 15 percent should be taxed on wheat, this will really affect a lot of people.
People need to be relieved of this pain.
How does the Russia-Ukraine war affect the production of bread? These people are hilarious with their silly excuse, they just want to extort people.
The government should find a way to come to terms with AMBCN so they will come to a reasonable conclusion that will benefit us all because we need bread o
The common man food is now so expensive that it is only available for the rich men. Very soon revolution with take place in this country. The government will be forcefully ejected out of office(bad leaders who are bad managers). Inflation has led to increase in the price of bread by 20% . Already the poor masses are hungry and finding it difficult to feed.I hope government will turn a new leave and do the right thing.
It’s not only bread that has increased in this country. Every other thing you can think f has also increased; where are we heading in this country? Because people can’t keep living like this
What should we expect from every other food stuff items when bread, which people consume a lot of, is become more expensive? The government in this nation needs to act before the situation worsens due to our declining economy.
The true perpetrators, which are the government, continue to live comfortable lifestyles in their homes while the actual victims, who are the customers, are always the ones who will face the brunt of the harsh reality of the economy.
Instead of engaging in a strike, why cant they talk to the government so they will come to a feasible solution? This strike will affect them more and we, the citizens.
The government should grant more license to other companies and businesses that wants to sell these bread ingredients like yeast, sugar etc., so one company won’t monopolise it and put any price they want on it. This would make things better.
The inflation rate of Nigeria has now affected production of flour. Even the cost of diesel too has gone high. The government must act swiftly to curb the inflation rate.


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In February 2020, Canadian banks froze assets of truckers protesting against vaccine mandates called Freedom Convoy. This is known as financial censorship and it can happen to anyone. Can decentralized crowdfunding combat financial censorship? Find out in this Forkast video explainer. What you’ll learn: How financial censorship highlights the downsides of centralized crowdfunding. How Freedom […]
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Notwithstanding this bear market, Web3’s more pressing issue is its inability to handle large volumes, writes Greg Gopman. Can sidechains offer a solution?
Crypto industry sales are slumping, but it’s not just hedge funds and lenders that have been hit hard by the crypto winter. The NFT industry has also begun to feel the chill.
With NFT trading volumes slumping and regulators stepping in, Vignesh Sundaresan, who paid US$69 million for a Beeple artwork, shares his views on the space.
India’s government can’t seem to decide on following China with an outright ban on crypto trading. So is it bent instead on suffocating traders and exchanges with taxes?
Lack of public trust remain a big barrier to crypto adoption, writes Tristan Roozendaal. Here’s why regulators should ‘move fast and break things.’
Top blockchain and crypto news: Three Arrows fallout spreads. BIS calls BS on crypto. Chinese regulatory vacuum chills an NFT platform.
While critics say the bubble has burst on crypto, Wall Street is moving in to take advantage of what could be some fire-sale asset prices.
CoinFLEX to solve its liquidity problems by issuing a recovery token. Meanwhile, Singapore’s central bank doubts crypto capabilities.
Whither Singapore in the cryptocurrency world? The Monetary Authority of Singapore has some views on that and as with most markets, there are winners and losers.
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Revel is coming for rideshare titans Uber and Lyft with a fleet of Teslas, but its new rideshare program has more going for it than all-electric cars: Revel plans to forego the gig economy and hire its own drivers.
The all-electric ride-hailing service is a new venture for Revel, which was founded in 2018 as a dockless e-moped share program. The New York-only service will operate in Manhattan for starters, but the company is also building New York’s largest EV charging station in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The fleet will be made up of 50 Model Y Teslas, painted Revel-blue, and will hit the streets in late May.
Because Revel will be owning the cars in order to customize each Tesla to its specifications, it will be treating drivers as actual employees, as opposed to Uber and Lyft, which treat drivers, who own their cars, as gig workers. Uber and Lyft have fought hard to keep its drivers designated as gig workers, spending upwards of $200 million on PR campaigns to ensure California’s Proposition 22 would pass. Revel’s entry into the space marks a shift away from the gig economy. Prop 22 proved to be unpopular due to the lack of health benefits, paid time off, and other perks for drivers who, had they been designated as standard employees, would have had them.
Co-founder and CEO Frank Reig’s mission has been to electrify urban transport, but he’s also concerned about treating workers fairly. Reig told TechCrunch that the money used to push Prop 22 could have gone to maintaining its workforce.
Reig is also concerned about safety. Revel will monitor its Teslas’ performance closely in addition to training drivers and giving safety scores. As a result, Reig says, insurance and liability costs will go down, and customers will likely pay what they would for an Uber.
From its very founding, Revel has focused on electric vehicles, but the methods behind delivering on its mission have constantly changed. In February, it introduced an e-bike subscription program for $99 per month. Its mopeds, meanwhile, run on a pay-per-minute basis. The company was forced to suspend moped service last July after two customers were killed. A handful of others were injured while riding the mopeds — since then, Revel has made helmets mandatory.
The company has gotten approval from New York’s TLC (Taxi & Limousine Commission), though the process isn’t finalized yet. A TLC spokesperson, however, told The Verge that “Revel is not licensed to operate for-hire transportation vehicles in NYC.” Critics are concerned that Revel will deplete yellow cabs’ already-low customer base — ridership for taxis is still down 80% to 90% since March 2020.


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Andrew Sutton estimates that 350-500 pod of sperm whales are in the outskirts of the shoreline in Sri Lanka
The whale-watching business is worth $2 billion but unfortunately successive policymakers have not focused on the development of this market just like the cruise business, said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Rohantha Athukorala.
Athukorala was addressing the Sri Lanka Tourism and SriLankan Airlines sponsored whale-watching workshop.
Athukorala explained how the cruise travel business was currently bringing in more visitors than the number eight source business for Sri Lanka tourism with almost 50,000 cruise passengers and Sri Lanka Tourism together with SLAITO has now sketched a way forward plan for the segment which includes supply chain development which is infrastructure in nature and also a demand generation plan which can the industry to 100,000 travellers within two years if properly executed just like the many other products developed by the industry.
The two State agencies – Sri Lanka Tourism and SriLankan Airlines – combined their strengths to bring down one of the top British photographers and film makers, Andrew Sutton, to Sri Lanka to conduct a responsible whale-watching workshop with a practical on-the-job training program together with an environmental group called Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) which opened the door to a totally new value proposition to the country that has been in the business of whale-watching for over a decade.
“The whale watching business is worth globally over two billion dollars as per research specialist Erick Hoyt and only in just half a decade it has doubled in business for countries in the coastline that have this attraction. An eminent Mexican Eco Tourism Consultant Hector Cebullos had mentioned it is better to have a whale alive than dead, which has given space for the new ethos ‘responsible whale watching’ which was the objective Sri Lanka Tourism and SriLankan Airlines partnered to achieve for Sri Lanka in Kalpitya with the team from the UK,” explained Athukorala.
“The key pick up from the expedition and training program was that the team saw a pod of whales believed to be the biggest gathering of sperm whales in living memory in the memory of Andrew Sutton. The 54-year-old has special permission to enter the water with the enormous animals, which weigh around 50 tonnes. Andrew had clearly stated ‘our experienced estimates gave us a figure of around 350 whales though this figure was most likely higher toward 500,’ which is unique to Sri Lanka, making it a top 10 destination globally to attract the estimated market size of 13 million eco tourism enthusiasts and two billion dollars in revenue if one really structures the market,” commented Athukorala.
“Just like the cruise development industry now we need work closely with the private sector and develop a marketing plan and take the story to the world in an appropriate manner,” he commented, given that it was way back in 1945 that a report documented that an estimated 1,000 whales were seen in the Aguja Cape, Peru. “We must go digital and develop this new product,” said Athukorala, as around two weeks back a Spanish soccer star hosted a video on FB on a private visit to Sri Lanka of a whale breaching the water and it garnered over one million views in just 24 hours together with a visit to the Udawalawe Park where an elephant was photographed by the star. “This once again is unique only to Sri Lanka, to see the largest two mammals in the world on a single day that one cannot be experienced anywhere in the world. What Sri Lanka requires is structured demand chain development with the required level of product development to meet the promise advertised.”
Like many whales, sperm whales are currently listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.


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Should recreational cannabis retailers be able to use the word dispensary?
Not according to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA), which published a news release regarding Canada’s cannabis act and the role of pharmacists earlier this week.
“NAPRA’s position is that pharmacy practitioners must not be involved in the distribution of cannabis for non-medical purposes,” said the release.
Understandable, given the medical aspect of a pharmacist’s job—but the regulator goes even further, suggesting that both the terminology and branding used by cannabis dispensaries and distributors should be limited.
“Distribution sites for non-medical cannabis must not be permitted to use terms such as “dispensary” or pharmacy-related symbols such as a green cross, which may lead the public to believe that the distribution site is a pharmacy or that it has professional oversight from pharmacy practitioners,” reads the release.
It goes on to call for suppliers of cannabis to follow the same federal production practices used by those licensed to grow for the Access to Cannabis For Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) program, “or equivalent quality standards yet to be developed.”
It also appears NAPRA would like to see the advertising and marketing of cannabis restricted by decision makers, “so as not to promote consumption.”
NAPRA relates that cannabis smoke contains “many of the same carcinogenic chemicals found in tobacco smoke”, and as such, says that smoked cannabis products should be subject to the same legislation as tobacco.
While members of NAPRA have not yet come to a conclusion regarding the possibility of dispensing cannabis for medical purposes, they’ve asked the government to consult with them regarding the issue.
The Straight reached out to Vancouver cannabis activist and MMJ Canada government relations director Jamie Shaw to weigh in on NAPRA’s statement.
‘I think they’re about 20 years too late to try to define the vocabulary,’ said Shaw over the phone. ‘It’s internationally used vocabulary now, so it seems kind of ridiculous to call for that. They’ve said this before, a year or two ago in an earlier document, and I’m not really sure who they’re expecting to change the wording.’
Shaw added that NAPRA’s comparing of cannabis to tobacco is inaccurate, and while she agrees that recreational cannabis has no place being dispensed at a pharmacy, there needs to be more education for pharmacy practitioners, and for their patients, about using cannabis medically.
‘They [pharmacists] need to be trained on the pharmaceutical prepartions of cannabis, whether or not other medications interact with cannabis, and so on, but the idea that a pharmacist needs to oversee recreational cannabis is ridiculous.’


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BlackBerry is launching the Z10 today in the U.S., but it’s already looking ahead to what comes next, according to an interview between ABC’s Joanna Stern and BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins. The company is working on ways that BlackBerry software can power your laptop or tablet, too, and all from your smartphone. Heins sounds like he’s describing an Asus PadFone, and revealed a dream of a personal computing world focused on just a single device.
Heins said, referring to the new BlackBerry smartphones, that we’ve now reached the point where you’re now carrying around a full-fledged computer in your pocket with “the power of a laptop.” He emphasized that BlackBerry wants to be the one to finally figure out how to truly consolidate all of a user’s computing devices into one, though when asked directly whether this would take the form of a laptop or tablet that supports and is powered by a docked smartphone, Heins told Stern that the company is working with a number of different options.
We’ll know more about BlackBerry’s unification plans at BlackBerry World in May, Heins said, when he plans to “talk about a few of those concepts” the company is working on. Another subject up for discussion at the event will be additional BB10 phones beyond the currently announced Z10 and Q10 handsets, he told ABC.
Hybrid tablet/PC/smartphone devices have a bit of a checkered past. The Asus PadFone has seen success in some international markets, but failed to make a splash in the U.S. And Samsung launched a Smart Dock for the Galaxy Note II that supposedly converts your smartphone into a mini desktop computer, but we’ve heard relatively little about that device and nothing about its popularity since its launch.
Another reason for skepticism is BlackBerry’s track record with the Playbook tablet. The Playbook was the first BlackBerry device to ship with a QNIX-based operating system, a clear precursor to BB10. It didn’t fare well: facing extremely low consumer demand, BlackBerry ran a number of fire sales and eventually stuck with a permanent, drastic price drop to get people buying.
Does that mean BlackBerry can’t pull off a tablet/notebook/smartphone unification? Not necessarily, but it also doesn’t necessarily instill courage. Still, it’s good to see the company aim for the kind of solution that’s seemed so promising in the past, even if it might be the proverbial Fountain of Youth of the tech industry – eminently desirable but ultimately mythical.


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Bajaj Auto Finance has renamed its brand identity as Bajaj Finserv Lending. Bajaj Finserv is the financial services company of the Bajaj Group. Its current business lines include Protection through Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Lending through Bajaj Auto Finance.
All... - August 12, 2010 - Bajaj Finserv Lending
Mountain America Credit Union presented a check for $100,000 to Primary Children's Medical Center at the hospital's recent Telethon. - July 16, 2010 - Mountain America Credit Union
Bellwether Community Credit Union has announced that their membership recently surpassed 25,000. Bellwether, with $325 million in assets, has been serving members with affordable financial products and services for more than 89 years.
“We are proud of our intelligent, steady growth,” said... - July 03, 2010 - Bellwether Community Credit Union
FIFLEX Financial Marketplace, LLC, of Beverly Hills, California has Partnered with American Trust and Savings Bank to Provide Outstanding 401(K) Retirement Plans for Corporate Clients throughout the nation.
Samuel J. Tata, J.D., M.B.A., President and Chief Executive Officer of FIFLEX Marketplace, LLC,... - April 10, 2010 - FIFLEX Financial Marketplace
South Florida's leading credit union opens its doors to host the Easter Bunny for free photos - February 03, 2010 - Power Financial Credit Union
In addition to serving as a Director on the Alternative Motors Board, Michael Connolly is the Founder of Mount Juliet Ventures. As Founder of Mount Juliet Ventures, Mr. Connolly utilizes his more than 25 years of experience to help business leaders and owners create exceptional value for companies in... - December 18, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Alternative Motors has announced the recent selection of Edward H. Kim for its Board of Directors.
Currently, Mr. Kim is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Capital Markets Advisory Partners where he advises companies, investment managers and exchanges on strategies to get more from financial markets. - November 25, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Alternative Motors has announced the hiring of Zack Bender as the company Vice President of Finance. - October 16, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Alternative Motors, Inc. today publicized Mr. Scott Harris has been chosen to serve on its Board of Directors. Mr. Harris currently serves as the Vice President of Finance and Business Development for Delphi Corporation’s Thermal Systems Division. This position requires Mr. Harris to serve as the... - September 17, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Alternative Motors, Inc. today announced the appointment of Mr. Kenneth Stoner to its Board of Directors. Mr. Stoner currently practices securities law representing start-up, development stage and mature companies at Zrenda Law Firm based in Oklahoma City, OK.
Mr. Stoner began his legal career as a... - August 31, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Alternative Motors, Inc. has announced the recent hiring of Gerald (Jerry) Koslow as its Chief Financial Officer. - August 24, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Mobile Finance, Inc, a specialty financial services company focused on offering mobile home loan programs, announced the mobile home financing and refinancing guidelines for Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia. - July 01, 2009 - Mobile Finance, Inc
Auto Dealers Can Sell More Cars and Boost Gross with CU Lending Solutions, LLC's “SureFundIt“ Program. - June 23, 2009 - CU Lending Solutions LLC
Star One Credit Union to Underwrite Financial Aid without U.S, Co-signer - June 12, 2009 - Star One Credit Union
Today, Alternative Motors announced it has entered into a funding agreement with Car Financial. The Agreement allows for the securitization of funding on an as needed basis providing cash-flow flexibility for Alternative Motors.
Randy M. Henderson, CEO and President of Alternative Motors stated, “We... - May 29, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
Today, Alternative Motors announced the hiring of Mr. Matt Sharp as its Vice President of Operations. - May 15, 2009 - Alternative Motors, Inc.
LeasePlan USA, a leader in vehicle leasing and fleet management solutions, has restructured its Surplus Vehicle Management (SVM) program to meet the evolving needs of companies with fleet vehicles.
SVM is a cost-effective program designed to strategically manage a company’s pool of surplus vehicles. - March 28, 2009 - LeasePlan USA
National Credit Center (NCC), one of the nation’s leading providers of credit reporting and compliance services to the automotive industry, has developed a complete solution to the Red Flag ruling. Their Red Flag program includes a customizable Policy and Procedures Manual, online staff training, an automated red flag detection tool, and an authentication site. Why work with multiple companies, when dealerships can achieve full compliance with NCC? The deadline for compliance is May 1, 2009. - February 19, 2009 - National Credit Center (NCC)
Indirect Lending Technologies, L.L.C and RateGenius, Inc. have completed the technical integration of their two Internet based systems, improving the auto loan process for credit unions and financial institutions to more efficiently review and approve auto loan applications. - January 14, 2009 - RateGenius, Inc.
DealerLink, the industry’s leading provider of exclusive special finance leads and auto leads, recently announced the launch of its newest product, Guaranteed Credit Scored Leads.
This exciting and innovative new product is offered to dealers as two programs, Gold and Platinum. The Gold Program... - January 08, 2009 - Dealerlink
Mobile Finance, Inc, a specialty financial services company focused on offering mobile home loan programs, announced that it is offering a mobile home refinancing program that includes debt consolidation. - December 17, 2008 - Mobile Finance, Inc
Now that kids are back in school, all the associated expenses can be tough on the family budget. Refinancing your auto loan and reducing your monthly car payment may offer some relief.
Companies such as RateGenius Loan Services specialize in automotive refinance, and offer great savings to your monthly... - September 15, 2008 - RateGenius, Inc.
5minuteautoloan.com (http://www.5minuteautoloan.com/), an online facilitator for auto loans, will now include up-to-date information on auto finance and the automotive industry as a daily feature on its website.
Its blog section (http://5minuteautoloan.com/autoloans/) is now updated with daily inputs... - July 20, 2008 - 5minuteautoloan.com
5MinuteAutoLoan now offers fast auto loans for various new and used cars to all customers, despite a poor credit history. This reputable auto finance service acknowledges the need and importance of locating the right lender for a previously bad creditor. This website can help people re-establish credit... - July 18, 2008 - 5minuteautoloan.com
Fidelity Federal Credit Union is launching a used auto loan campaign for the month of May in conjunction with Enterprise Car Sales to offer rates as low as 2.9% to its members and neighbors in the Sandy Springs community. - May 08, 2008 - Fidelity Federal Credit Union
Power Financial Credit Union, one of South Florida’s largest credit unions, will transform its parking lot to bring a host of new and used car dealers together so consumers can secure a new car while families can get a free DNA LifePrint, endorsed by John Walsh, America’s trusted name in... - April 17, 2008 - Power Financial Credit Union
Car Repair Financing Company announces its grand-opening, filling a void in the car repair industry. - February 19, 2008 - CARFCO - Car Repair Financing Co.
CU Lending Solutions new New VP of Business Development eager to embark on company vision to become a highly respected lending solutions company to the credit union industry that assists in developing professionals with the personal dedication, ethics, and capabilities needed to succeed in non-prime auto dealer finance. - May 18, 2007 - CU Lending Solutions LLC
Buying a car can be an overwhelming experience, and often times people end up paying more for the vehicle than necessary. However, refinancing your auto loan is becoming more common and can potentially save car owners thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.
Companies such as rateGenius Loan... - May 05, 2007 - RateGenius, Inc.


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HanesBrands, parent company of Hanes Branded Printwear (asi/59528), announced revenue of $1.76 billion for the third quarter of 2016, up 11% from the same quarter last year. The supplier’s operating profit for its innerwear segment, which accounts for the bulk of its sales, increased 2%. Hanes attributed the gain to a successful “focus-on-the-core” initiative that saw high single-digit growth combined for men’s, women’s and children’s underwear.
“As forecasted, we delivered strong growth in the third quarter, and we are generating record cash flow,” said Hanes Chief Executive Officer Gerald W. Evans Jr in a press release. “Our sales initiatives have re-accelerated organic growth in several core categories, including 2 percent growth in the quarter for the Innerwear segment. Our acquisitions, both past and present, are performing extremely well. Our inventory level is declining, and cash flow from operations is already $300 million ahead of last year. Our business is unfolding as expected this year, and we remain confident in our ability to deliver on our full-year guidance.”
The company reported a 2% drop in its activewear segment, which contains its promotional product apparel business. Decline in that segment was attributed to bankruptcies of certain sporting goods retailers. However, Champion, Hanes Activewear and college bookstore sports apparel all increased sales.
Hanes changed its full-year guidance to reflect year-to-date performance and expectations for the fourth quarter. Fully-reported earnings on a per-share basis have dropped to a range of $1.45 to $1.49 from a previous estimate of $1.44 to $1.54 and operating profit jumped to $807 million to $822 million, compared with $760 million to $795 million previously.
As for the rest of the full-year guidance, Hanes maintains its projections of 8% growth in revenue.


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Apple: A bite of reality in a volatile market Apple's 2023 journey showcased a stark contrast between a robust stock rise, revenue challenges, legal woes, and a resilient services sector.
This story originally appeared on MarketBeat
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), the tech sector behemoth responsible for sleek iPhones and loyal legions of fans, made headlines in 2023 with a 49% stock price surge. Yet, this seemingly triumphant headline masks a more complex story. While outperforming the broader market, Apple lagged behind its mega-cap tech peers, raising questions about its future trajectory. Let's dissect the reasons behind this contrasting performance and explore what lies ahead for the tech titan in 2024.
A who's who of tech
Beyond the iconic fruit logo, Apple is a global powerhouse known for its diverse hardware ecosystem, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. It also boasts a thriving services segment encompassing music streaming, app subscriptions, and cloud storage. With over $3 trillion in market capitalization, Apple is the world's most valuable company, holding immense influence in the tech landscape.
The contrasting tale of two performances
While Apple's stock price enjoyed a celebratory climb, Apple’s revenue took a nosedive for four consecutive quarters. This decline created a 2.8% decrease in year-over-year sales from 2022 to 2023. The decline in revenue marks the longest such slump that Apple has faced since the dot-com era. This disconnect highlights the complexities at play. Global smartphone sales hit a decade-low, impacting the entire industry, including Apple. However, the company also faced its own set of challenges.
One of the biggest challenges was the increasing competition in the smartphone market. Apple had long been the dominant player in the market, but its competitors were starting to catch up. Samsung, in particular, was making significant gains in market share. Apple also faced competition from new entrants to the market, such as Huawei and Xiaomi (OTCMKTS: XIACF).
A further challenge was the changing preferences of consumers. They were increasingly looking for smartphones with more affordable prices and longer battery life. Apple's iPhones are perceived as being too expensive and having a shorter battery life than their peers.
Finally, Apple was also facing challenges related to its supply chain. The company had difficulty sourcing the components it needed to make its iPhones. This was partly due to the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.
In spite of these obstacles, Apple retained its solid brand recognition and customer devotion. The corporation also continued to invest in new products and services, like the Apple Watch and the Apple TV. As a result, Apple's stock price continued to increase, even as its revenue decreased, leading some analysts to question: “Is Apple's stock overvalued?”
No new iPads graced the shelves in 2023, a first in the tablet's history. This lack of exciting hardware dampened enthusiasm and sales. Macs also took a hit, with PC and laptop sales plummeting nearly 30%. These missteps, coupled with a sluggish iPhone performance, contributed to the revenue decline.
Apple's legal woes took a bite out of its holiday cheer this year with a patent dispute over its blood oxygen monitoring technology in the Apple Watch. Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI), a medical device maker, claimed Apple infringed on its patents with the light sensors used in the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models. This resulted in a temporary US import ban, halting sales days before Christmas.
While a recent court ruling has allowed Apple to resume selling the watches, the lawsuit remains a thorn in the company’s side. The potential financial impact of a lost case or licensing fees could be significant, and the reputational damage from a medical technology infringement claim can be hard to shake.
Additionally, the uncertainty surrounding the case could dampen consumer confidence and impact future sales of the affected watch models. Apple has a strong history of defending its intellectual property. However, this lawsuit casts a shadow over its latest smartwatches and adds another layer of complexity to its already competitive landscape.
Recurring revenues vs. New frontiers
The rapid growth of Apple’s services division, which includes everything from Apple Music to cloud storage, has become a critical lifeline amid declining hardware sales. This strategic shift toward recurring revenue provides stability and predictability. Some analysts believe Apple’s stock may be becoming more of a value stock and less of a growth stock due to the absence of new technology from their research departments. Will the company be able to successfully balance leveraging current revenue streams with pursuing high-growth avenues, or will it ultimately have to choose one path?
The road ahead: Rekindling the fire
Apple's 2024 success rests on a two-pronged approach. Firstly, it needs to reignite hardware sales. This could involve exciting new product launches, strategic partnerships, or even revisiting popular lines like the iPad. Secondly, Apple must continue nurturing its thriving services segment, capitalizing on its loyal user base and expanding its offerings.
Apple's 2023 can be described as a tale of two halves. One half was the skyrocketing stock price, while the other half was the declining revenue. While challenges remain, the company's future holds both promise and peril. Whether Apple regains its crown as the undisputed tech leader depends on its ability to innovate across multiple fronts, leverage its strengths, and navigate the evolving tech landscape. For savvy investors and tech enthusiasts alike, Apple remains a story worth watching closely in 2024 and beyond.


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Spotify’s Vice President of North America Advertising, Brian Benedik is one of four panelists on next week’s Advertising Week panel, “Out of Touch but Still Connected: Today’s Ultramobile Consumers.” He shares what he’s seen change in advertising over the years and how mobile has rocked the whole industry.
National Public Radio Vice President of Digital Strategy and Sponsorship Operations, Bryan Moffett is one of four panelists on next week's Advertising Week panel, "Out of Touch but Still Connected: Today's Ultramobile Consumers" sponsored by XAPP. He shares what's changed in the radio industry over the past decade and how digital became a key component.
Advertising Week is the premiere annual event for marketers, publishers and agencies to discuss emerging trends and what’s working in advertising. This year, XAPPmedia is sponsoring an Advertising Week discussion focused on consumer engagement in mobile audio. You are invited to the September 30th panel, but we have a limited number of free passes to the session so claim yours today.
Two weeks ago a press release announcing the results of a STRATA Survey buried the lead. While its headline indicated a 45% jump in Ad Agency interest in digital video, the interest in “streaming/online radio saw a 53% increase.” There is no doubt that interest in video advertising is growing, but we can also see that Internet Radio is emerging from the novelty stage. It is becoming an important tool for reaching consumers.
Sometimes it seems like the world of big data is really the world of abundant small and conflicting data sets. The proliferation of data sources has benefits, but it also increases confusion due to the multitude of conflicting data points and analysis. This problem is often compounded when people who don’t understand the data rush to publish their “insights” on it. The errors are simple, but they lead to wrong conclusions. Mobile advertising appears to be a clear victim in this trend.


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Inevitable downturns are part of the investment process; however, we see no reason to alter our enth...
Best Bets in the Cloud
05/23/2016 12:00 am EST
Rob Defrancesco has followed the fast-growing cloud sector since its initial development; here, the editor of Tech Stock Prospector explains the next phase of growth for the sector and the best positioned stocks for long-term gains.
Steve Halpern: Our special guest today is technology industry expert Rob DeFrancesco, editor of Tech-Stock Prospector. How are you doing today, Rob?
Rob Defrancesco: Doing well thanks. Great to be here again, Steve.
Steve Halpern: Now today we’re going to talk about cloud technology and before we look at the future of the technology, could you walk us through the various phases of this market has already gone through on and then can you touch on your expectations for the next phase of growth in the cloud arena?
Rob Defrancesco: Sure. Well, the cloud is really changing the way that companies deploy and use technology these days so we’re moving away from on premise software and to an on-demand model where it’s a pay-as-you-go and that has really benefited small and mid-sized companies.
To begin with, because there’s lower upfront costs and you have the flexibility of the on-demand environment and it’s just easier to use. So what’s happening is we’re seeing a shift of spending over to the cloud from spending that would have gone into companies buying their own hardware and software.
So in my latest issue of Tech-Stock Prospector we talk about how there was a first phase of the cloud with smaller companies taking advantage of the cost savings and the cloud.
In the next phase we’ll move to larger companies getting more of their workload into the cloud and so that it’s going to be a long road because with these large companies it just takes a lot more effort to get all of their departments and international units.
So what we’re seeing now is kind of a hybrid cloud environment where we have large companies using a private cloud with their own networks and then they use the public cloud as needed.
You’ll see an expansion in the public cloud, but there have been some estimates that public cloud IT spending is growing six times the rate of overall IT spending so it’s definitely a big growth market and there’s plenty of opportunity ahead.
Steve Halpern: Now some of the leaders in this industry are well known such as Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet/Google (GOOGL). Could you share your thoughts on these two leading players and what role they take in the industry?
Rob Defrancesco: Yes, well, Amazon has an Amazon web services AWS Unit, which is the leading cloud platform for compute storage, data base, analytics; it’s sort of the go-to. They have about a 31% share of the market.
On their current revenue run rate, they’re at about $10 billion annual so you could say that this is a business that could be valued at anywhere from $70 to $100 billion.
If it were standalone and I guess, there’s always a chance that Amazon may spin out this unit. So it’s fast growing. Their revenue growth is over 60%.
And then Alphabet, which is the parent company of Google now. They have a Google cloud platform, which they’re competing for the same type of business so they are a much smaller player.
Steve Halpern: Now among some more narrow plays in the field if you also like ServiceNow (NOW), NetSuite (N) and Salesforce (CRM). Could you walk us through these companies and what you find attractive with them?
Rob Defrancesco: Sure, well, Salesforce is kind of the cloud software company and they’re going to do revenue of over $8 billion in the current fiscal year and they started out with basically customer relationship management (CRM) software, but that’s now about 40% of the business.
They have expanded more into the service cloud so like contact call, contact centers and they have a marketing, a marketing with automation cloud now so they’re like the old school cloud company, but they’re still putting up solid growth and I think they have a lot of potential still ahead of them.
ServiceNow is more of an upstart in the cloud, but they’re a fast growing company; 30% revenue growth. Their goal is to hit $4 billion in revenue by 2020 and they just had an analysist day where they reiterated that target and they’re on their way.
Another thing with ServiceNow, what they do is they automate IT services and operations management so companies use their software to automate everything in the cloud just to make it more efficient, operate more efficiently.
And the way they’re going to get to that $4 billion in revenue is by expanding their use cases so now they’re moving the security, customer service, human resources so I think that that’s more of a growth play. They’re growing faster than Salesforce and so it gives you more in the growth play in the cloud.
The other company is NetSuite and they’re in the financial side of it. They make software, Enterprise Resource Planning and so it’s a financial management part of the Enterprise and they’re fast growing.
They compete mainly with SAP (SAP), but they’ve been gaining market share and they also are moving into the e-commerce side. They have a suite commerce product so it’s an e-commerce platform and that’s another company growing about 30% on revenue so that’s another growth play in the cloud.
Steve Halpern: Now there are some highly focused and more specialized areas within the cloud that you find attractive. Such as human resources and human capital management and within this niche you point to Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) and Paycom (PAYC). Could you explain what this subsector is and why you like these companies?
Rob Defrancesco: Sure, Cornerstone OnDemand, these are cloud based talent management so they cover everything from recruiting to onboarding, learning, so it’s basically like handling the entire HR side so getting people, acquiring talent and then helping your employees learn and grow within the company.
Cornerstone OnDemand, they focus in the mid to larger markets, mid-sized and larger companies, and their bookings in the latest quarter just accelerated to 32%.
Basically what they’re doing is they have three main products now; learning, performance management and recruiting and their deal says they’re getting bigger because they’re selling more of the solutions on initial sales.
So the interesting thing about Cornerstone is they have an activist investor involved in that one now so there’s been some chatter that they might be a take-over target, but there’s been a lot of consolidation in this HCM -- human capital management -- market over the years.
But Cornerstone has been a survivor and they’re doing extremely well. They have over 25 million people records in the cloud they call it.
Paycom is similar to Cornerstone OnDemand in that it's cloud-based HCM software, but the company goes after smaller accounts -- organizations with 50 employees up to 2,000 or 3,000.
It has been signing some larger deals though -- customers with up to 8,000 employees. Paycom has been opening 5 or 6 regional sales offices on an annual basis, and is now in 42 cities.
The operating model involves having proven sales managers from existing territories open the new offices. New offices/sales teams typically take 24 months to reach full maturity. In 2015, revenue rose 49% to $225 million.
In Q1, revenue of $90.1 million rose 63%. The company's 2016 revenue guidance range of $320 million to $322 million represents 43% growth at the midpoint.
Steve Halpern: Again, our guest is Rob DeFrancesco, editor of Tech Stock Prospector. Thanks for talking with us today.
By Rob Defrancesco, Editor of Tech Stock Prospector
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