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In a perhaps surprising move, the Cupertino company has reportedly begun ramping up efforts to launch its own search engine tech to rival that of Google’s, a course of action that could change the face of search.
SEARCH HISTORY: THE APPLE AND GOOGLE DEAL
For a number of years, consumers have been complaining that Siri just doesn’t come close to rival smart assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Echo, and it’s clear to see why. It might be true that Apple spearheaded the smart speaker and assistant market when Siri was added to iPhones back in 2011, but the truth is that the company has failed to invest enough to build an assistant for the future. HomePod explains it; Apple has since introduced a new low-cost $99 HomePod mini, but the original device struggled to find a place in the market, mostly because Siri doesn’t offer the computational power or search performance as its rivals. The company insists that it’s investing billions of dollars into Siri every year, and it does innovate from time-to-time with new features, but nobody can deny Apple took its foot off the gas when it comes to search, and it’s now paying an expensive game of catch-up.
Apple, too, understood its failings with Siri, thus signing an exclusive agreement with Google to make it the default search engine on iOS devices. In the UK alone, Google pays Apple $1.5 billion per year to be installed as the default search option on iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices, thus locking users into the Google ecosystem, and allowing Google to capture valuable search data. Though Apple’s never disclosed a figure for its Google partnership, analysts predict it earns $9 billion per year from placement deals like the one it has with Google. After all, there are more than two billion iOS devices in use around the world, and on top of Google’s default browser status with Android, it makes sense for the Alphabet-owned giant to pay for the same treatment on a rival OS.
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Q&A: BITCOIN'S MASSIVE RISE AND WHAT COMES NEXT
The digital currency Bitcoin rocketed to a record high last week above $40,000 a coin.
VOLKSWAGEN TRIPLES ELECTRIC CAR SALES AHEAD OF CLIMATE RULES
Europe’s push into electric cars is gathering speed — despite the pandemic.
UK INVESTIGATES GOOGLE'S PLAN TO REVAMP CHROME BROWSER
Britain’s competition watchdog said it launched an investigation into Google’s plan to overhaul its ad data system over worries it could leave even less room for rivals in the online ad industry.
RACE ON: THE LINEUP FOR THE REVOLUTION OF THE CAR INDUSTRY
Wherever you are in the world, it’s hard to deny that 2020 was a challenging year - not least the automotive sector. With car sales plummeting amidst stay-at-home orders, consumers had a chance to reflect on their environmental impact, and as a result, electric vehicles are now more desirable than ever.
SOME UBER, LYFT DRIVERS SUE OVER CALIFORNIA BALLOT MEASURE
Drivers for app-based ride-hailing and delivery services filed a lawsuit to overturn a California ballot initiative that makes them independent contractors instead of employees eligible for benefits and job protections.
TARGET CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN WHIRLWIND RETAIL ENVIRONMENT
Target’s strong sales streak extended through a pandemic-shrouded holiday season after a hard push online and an increased effort to provide alternatives to customers who are trying to minimize risk.
TIKTOK TIGHTENS PRIVACY FEATURES FOR YOUNGER USERS
A month after federal regulators ordered it to disclose how its practices affect children and teenagers, TikTok is tightening its privacy practices for the under-18 crowd.
NEW MERCEDES SCREEN TO STRETCH NEARLY FULL WIDTH OF CAR
Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a key interior component of its upcoming electric luxury sedan: a large, curved screen that sweeps across almost the entire width of the car in the place of a conventional dashboard.
ELECTRIC TRUCK MAKER HITS 100,000 ORDERS AHEAD OF FALL START
An upstart electric vehicle maker said that it now has more than 100,000 orders for its new pickup truck.
CHINA'S GEELY, BAIDU ANNOUNCE ELECTRIC CAR VENTURES
Chinese automaker Geely says it will form an electric car venture with tech giant Baidu, adding to a flurry of corporate tie-ups in the industry to share soaring technology development costs.
APPLE ANNOUNCES NEW PROJECTS AS PART OF ITS RACIAL EQUITY AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE (REJI)
IT’S ALL PART OF THE COMPANY’S $100 MILLION PLEDGE
WHATSAPP GROWTH SLUMPS AS RIVALS SIGNAL, TELEGRAM RISE
Encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram are seeing huge upticks in downloads from Apple and Google’s app stores.
SPOTIFY'S PODCAST POWER PLAY
The company is staking its future on converting music listeners to podcast fans and has become the favorite to own the industry—for better or worse
ATHLEISURE LIST: EQUIPMENT + STREAMING CITYROW
Founded by Helaine Knapp,'s CITY ROW Signature-class format combines rowing intervals with strength training for a total body HIIT-style workout.
BOBBY STEIN MOTIV8 MINDSET
HAVE A VISION-TRUST THE PROCESS
LA SANTA BIBLIA
Una vez en la escuela, traté de escribir un reporte sobre el libro Rebelión en la granja, pero sin haberlo leído.
Search Engine Success
SEO Tips for the New Year, Rebranding, and More
GOOGLE WORKERS FORM NEW LABOR UNION, A TECH INDUSTRY RARITY
A group of Google engineers and other workers announced they have formed a union, creating a rare foothold for the labor movement in the tech industry.
how to hit the reset button
When emotions are spiraling out of control, it’s time to go within and meditate.
STM ChargeTree 3–in–1 wireless charger
Space–conscious wireless charging


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The ‘Pokémon’ Universe Is Bigger Than Ever With New ‘Scarlet & Violet’ DLC
Pokémon has officially announced the upcoming DLC for its ninth generation of games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Taking place in the Paldea region, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were Pokémon’s first properly open-world games, changing the future of the franchise forever. The Pokémon world is bigger than ever, and will now only grow with two new expansions. The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC, titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, is sure to provide plenty more exciting gameplay, a bigger Pokédex, and intriguing new species.
What can you expect from The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero?
The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will consist of two separate expansions: the first, The Teal Mask, is slated for release this fall, in 2023. The second, The Indigo Disk, will release this year also, in the winter. The full DLC is currently available for pre-order through the Nintendo Store and Nintendo eShop and will cost $34.99 in the U.S., and £31.49 in the U.K. When pre-ordering, be certain to purchase the correct version—it needs to be compatible with the base game you originally purchased. Those who pre-order the DLC before October 31, 2023, will be able to receive a Hisuian Zoroark with an unusual move in your Pokémon Scarlet and Violet game.
Though not much is currently known about the full storyline for the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC, it is intrinsically tied to your status as a student at the Uva or Naranja Academy. In The Teal Mask, players will take a school trip to the mountainous land of Kitakami, where meeting new people and Pokémon will help unravel the area’s folklore mysteries. In The Indigo Disk, players will become exchange students and visit the Blueberry Academy, an unusual school located under the ocean where students will focus on perfecting their Pokémon battling strategies.
A teaser trailer has been released for The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. Watch it here!
Related: How to Beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO (April 2023) on Twinfinite
Which new Pokémon will be available in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero?
Pokémon has confirmed that over 230 familiar favorites will be included in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC that weren’t available in the games before. Though we don’t know the entire list of Pokémon to be encountered, it has been revealed that Metagross, Dewgong, Zebstrika, Alcremie, Ninetales, Milotic, Chingling, Whimsicott, Shiftry, Yanma, Vikavolt, Espurr, and more will be available with the DLC.
Additionally, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will feature new Pokémon heroes and Legendary Pokémon. In The Teal Mask, players will meet Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti—a trio of Pokémon who protected the land of Kitakami in the past and are venerated as heroes. Additionally, The Teal Mask will feature Ogerpon, a Pokémon known for wearing a fearsome mask. The Indigo Disk will also feature a new Legendary Pokémon: Terapagos, a “resplendent” Pokémon with a glittering aura.
Interestingly enough, Pokémon Horizons, the latest run of the Pokémon anime set in Paldea, features a never-before-seen Pokémon which many believe to be a previous evolution of Terapagos. This certainly isn’t the first time the Pokémon anime or the Pokémon movies have debuted a new species ahead of the release of a new game, but it’s exciting to see it happening once more.
(featured image: The Pokémon Company)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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A copy of the Action Comics #1 Ashcan recently sold for $204,000 at auction. One of only three known copies, the last one sold for $50,000 twelve years
Last month, Bleeding Cool reported that Superman Red & Blue #2 would now feature a story by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau and will be available
The tweets and Instagrams have been counted and the DC's inaccurately-named Round Robin vote between pitches for a new DC Comics series continues apace.
As we entered March there wre no new DC four packs at Walmart, but just arrived are eight new sets, half featuring Future State on top.
Comic book writer Tom King tweeted out the following cover to his upcoming Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow #1 comic book with Bilquis Evely, earlier today.
A few days ago, DC Comics posted 16 pitches for potential upcoming comic books and gave DC fans the chance to vote on them on Twitter and Instagram,
Claudia Gray and Eric Zawadski's House of El Book One: The Shadow Threat graphic novel was published by DC Comics in January 2021. Telling the story of
Walmart had new five packs in December from DC, but the lack of any desireable books, made the Jim Lee posters all anyone wants.
DC Comics has issued a list of potential upcoming comic book series, that will compete with each other, and the public vote, to be published by DC Comics
Up at Heritage Auctions is, quite frankly, an incredible piece of original artwork celebrating the History of the DC Universe by those who made it. At the
Brett Booth is an artist who does seem to divide some folk. Of the Jim Lee/Rob Liefeld school of comic book artwork, he epitomises nineties-style
Action Comics #1029 was published on Tuesdays from DC Comics. But something, it appears, was wrong. And DC Comics informed comic book retailers that "due
Welcome to the Daily LITG. The world can seem like a terrible and strange place sometimes, but there are highlights. At Bleeding Cool, you can still read
Yesterday saw the publication of Action Comics #1029 from DC Comics, following up on the previous issue's threat of the death of Superman. Jonathan Kent
Action Comics #1029 was published yesterday from DC Comics. But something, it appears, was wrong. No idea what, and it doesn't seem urgent enough to issue


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5 Enterprise Mobility Issues Affecting Business Users
A recent State of Enterprise Mobility report surveyed users in 550 US companies to find that 51 percent of workers encounter issues with their mobile devices that affected their ability to do their jobs.
Smartphones continue to transform the working world, from small businesses to large enterprises, by keeping employees connected and productive. But despite the proliferation of these connected devices and the promise of faster connections with the adoption of 5G networks, there are still major hurdles for users—issues which affect businesses' bottom lines.
The second annual State of Enterprise Mobility survey was conducted in October 2019 by B2M Solutions, a mobile device management (MDM) solutions provider and enterprise mobile device analytics consultancy. In the survey, users from 550 US companies were asked about their biggest mobile issues. The survey's report revealed that more than half of the respondents reported issues with their mobile devices that affected their ability to do their jobs each month.
"The most surprising revelation was that 51 percent of users, not just IT workers, have at least one problem a month on their mobile device that impacts their ability to do their job," said Gary Lee, Chief Revenue Officer at B2M Solutions.
This is the second year B2M Solutions has conducted the survey, changing its focus a bit this time. "What we did differently this year was that we reached out to both those in charge of mobility and the end users who need a mobile device to do their jobs every day," Lee explained.
More than half of the respondents revealed that their businesses had lost revenue and customers as a direct result of mobile problems. And 37 percent of respondents admitted to taking time off in the last 12 months, mostly because of stress related to being unable to work because of mobile issues.
Lee noted in the survey report’s foreword that the survey showed that "enterprises are losing customers, revenue, and employees because of mobile downtime—and the hidden and visible costs to the enterprise of these outages is quite high.”
Just what are these mobility issues and how can they be avoided or remedied? Let's take a closer look.


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39 Egyptian companies will participate in the activities of the fifth edition of the Libya Food International Exhibition, which will be held in Tripoli from 28 to 30 January.
The Head of the International Exhibitions Company organizing the Libya Food Exhibition, Haitham Garwash, confirmed in a conference held to announce the details of the exhibition in the presence of representatives of Egyptian companies, that Egypt had a strong food and agricultural sector.
"We are confident that this exhibition will give Egyptian companies new opportunities to strengthen their presence in Libyan markets" He added.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Union of Chambers of Commerce in Libya, Mohammed Al-Raeid, stressed the importance of strengthening trade and economic relations between Egypt and Libya at all levels during the current period, and he explained that Libyan companies prefer to deal with Egyptian institutions and companies, which are welcomed by all levels of the Libyan market.
The head of Expo Group, the organizer of the Egyptian participation, Ashraf Abdel Rahim, said that Egypt’s participation in a large number of companies at the Libya Food International Exhibition in Tripoli reflects their strong commitment to strengthening joint trade relations and economic cooperation.
He added that the products of Egyptian companies are very well received in the Libyan market, explaining that the number of companies in last year’s exhibition was 24 companies. He said "there are other companies on the waiting list to join the 39 participating ones. We are working to provide spaces for them in the exhibition.”
He also expected that the Egyptian companies would attract thousands of visitors and those interested in the field of food and packaging, as the number of visitors to the exhibition last year reached 14.000.


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DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. Chairman Ed Whitacre Jr. said Friday he is putting engineering chief Mark Reuss in charge of GM's North American operations in a management shakeup.
Whitacre, in an address to employees Friday, also said he is recombining sales and marketing, placing them under Susan Docherty. She became head of sales when former CEO Fritz Henderson separated the roles of sales and marketing.
Reuss recently was named head of engineering, and before that ran the company's Holden operations in Australia.
Whitacre said Bob Lutz, who had been in charge of marketing, will remain a vice chairman and be an adviser on global product development. He also will help Whitacre learn about the business.
Whitacre made the announcements in a broadcast to GM employees worldwide. He told the workers he wants them to take risks, make decisions and be entrepreneural. If they take reasonable risks, they need not fear being fired for them, Whitacre said.
"We want you to step up. We don't want any bureaucracy," Whitacre said. "We're not going to make it if you won't take a risk and step up and be held accountable for it."


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The Bank of Russia and the country’s Ministry of Finance have achieved an agreement that would allow for cross-border payments in cryptocurrencies. According to a report published Thursday by the Russian publication Kommersant, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev stated that the government department has reached an “on the whole” agreement with the central bank on a rule that would allow residents to send cross-border payments using cryptocurrencies. According to reports, the planned regulation change would provide Russian nationals access to digital wallets.
According to the study, generally specifies how to obtain cryptocurrency, what may be done with it, and how it can or cannot be resolved with it in the first place in cross-border settlements.” Russian media reported that the central bank had met with government officials to address the problem of cross-border crypto payments. However, the Bank of Russia allegedly opposes allowing crypto exchanges to function lawfully and not recognizing cryptocurrencies as legal cash. Russia has had a tumultuous relationship with cryptocurrency. The government approved legislation limiting the use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) for payment in 2020. In July, President Vladimir Putin also approved legislation prohibiting the use of digital financial assets as payment. Denis Manturov, Russia’s Trade Minister, said in May that crypto payments will be legalized “sooner or later.”
Visit us on: thespeednews.com


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The southern province of Kien Giang has approved a VND50-billion ($2 million) renovation of a historical prison on Phu Quoc Island as part of efforts to boost tourism.
The work will include upgrades to a cemetery, detention area and other relics inside the prison.
Inside Phu Quoc Prison where political prisoners used to be held during the war.
Spread over an area of 400 hectares, the prison in An Thoi Ward used to be largest facility in the south and held more than 32,000 political prisoners during the war.
Built originally by the French colonialists, it was reconstructed in 1967 and expanded to 12 main areas with 500 barracks.
Today it is now a popular tourist attraction in Phu Quoc.
The island has received over four million tourists this year, 150% higher than in the same period last year.
150 businesses to join survey and talkshow about tourism introduction
(BGO) – The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (DCST)
in Bac Giang province has cooperated with Luc Ngan district People’s Committee
to organize survey and talkshow to introduce tourism product from November 24 –
27, 2022 within the framework of “Sweet fruit season tour” launched by the
Thai Binh beauty crowned Miss Tourism Vietnam 2022
Luong Ky Duyen, a 22-year-old beauty from the northern province of Thai Binh, overcame 34 contestants to be crowned Miss Tourism Vietnam 2022, at the final round held on Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang province, on November 13.
Bac Giang launches sweet fruit tourism programme
(BGO) – The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Bac
Giang province has issued Plan to organize sweet fruit tourism programme (Programme),
launch survey and talkshow to link and promote tourism in 2022.
Bac Giang Culture – Tourism Week 2023 to take place on February 1 – 6
(BGO) – The
Chairman of Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee has issued the Plan to
organize Spring Festival and Culture – Tourism Week in 2023 to introduce the
image of Bac Giang land, people, special and typical cultural heritage to local
residents, domestic and foreign visitors.


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- Line Corp will launch a new division called the Line Financial Corporation to let users exchange digital currencies and use other financial services.
- The Japanese firm has 168 million monthly active users and is facing increased competition from the likes of Facebook-owned WhatsApp.
- Line's announcement follows a cryptocurrency heist that saw more than $500 million worth of alternative cryptocurrency NEM stolen from Japanese exchange Coincheck.
Japanese messaging service Line Corp is expanding its reach into financial technology, or fintech, with a new company that offers a cryptocurrency exchange, loans and insurance.
The Tokyo and U.S.-listed firm already offers a money transfer and payment service called Line Pay, but on Wednesday announced it would launch a new division called the Line Financial Corporation to let users exchange digital currencies and use other financial services within the app.
It did not add specific details on what this would entail.
Line added that it intends to "promote research and development of technologies such as blockchain" with the creation of its new financial offering. It claimed that its payments unit had scored "major growth" in 2017, with a global annual transaction volume of more than 450 billion yen ($4.1 billion) and 40 million registered users.
The Japanese firm has 200 million monthly active users globally and is facing increased competition from the likes of Facebook-owned WhatsApp in its four key markets of Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan.
Line's announcement follows a cryptocurrency heist that saw more than $500 million worth of alternative cryptocurrency NEM stolen from Japanese exchange Coincheck in a major hack last week. Japan's financial regulator then ordered the firm to improve its operations and said it would inspect all cryptocurrency exchanges following the cyberattack.
Regulators have been unsettled by the virtual currency space due to severe swings in prices and reports of scams, money laundering and other dubious activities associated with it.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday moved to halt and freeze the assets of a huge initial coin offering (ICO) run by Dallas-based firm AriseBank. ICOs are a controversial means of crowdfunding for start-ups who sell new digital coins to raise capital.
South Korea has introduced new rules to rein in speculative cryptocurrency investing, restricting trading to real-name bank accounts. The country's customs office has also claimed to have uncovered almost $600 million in cryptocurrency crimes including illegal foreign exchange trading.
Meanwhile, Facebook said on Tuesday it is banning all cryptocurrency advertising to reduce the risk of users being misled or deceived.
Clarification: This story has been amended to show that Line Corp has 200 million monthly active users globally.


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SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - Electrical products maker Emerson Electric Co. has agreed to pay $350 million in cash for cell-phone maker Motorola Inc.'s embedded communications computing business, the two companies said Friday.
The Motorola business recorded $520 million in revenue last year, or just over 1 percent of the Schaumburg-based company's total sales.
Embedded computing technology is used to control machines or distant computer systems and manage information. The business's embedded computing products and services are used by communication infrastructure and equipment makers for telecommunications, medical imaging and military applications, among others.
The transaction is expected to be finished by the end of the year. Once it closes, the unit will become part of Emerson Network Power.
Last year, Emerson acquired an embedded computing business as part of its purchase of Artesyn Technologies.
Motorola said the transaction sharpens its focus on its core business and technologies and provides additional capital. The business, formed in 1980, is based in Tempe, Ariz., and has about 1,100 employees.
More technology news and opinion at www.siliconvalley.com


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L.L.Bean continues Canadian expansion with new store openings
Iconic outdoor retailer L.L.Bean opened on Friday its second store in Canada, following plans to aggressively expand the brand throughout the country, with another two new store openings set for 2020.
The Maine-based outdoor gear and apparel retailer, which opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Canada last August, following the launch of its Canadian e-commerce site in fall 2018, debuted its second store in the country on Friday in the Georgian Mall in Barrie, Ontario.
Next, it announced that it will open a third location at the Ottawa Train Yards on August 21 and Canada’s fourth L.L.Bean store in Toronto at the Shops at Don Mills, later this fall.
The opening of the three new retail locations reflects the company’s continued success in the Canadian market, accelerated by strong year-over-year sales and new customer growth.
“The positive response to our first store opening accelerated our expansion plan from two stores to three stores this year, despite the economic downturn,” explained Greg Elder, vice president of retail and international for L.L.Bean, in a news statement.
“We’re extremely grateful to our Canadian customers for welcoming us, and the continued success really speaks to the strength of the brand, the relevance of our iconic products and the kinship we share in the inherent love and care for the outdoors.”
The company teamed up with Toronto-based Jaytex Group, a 40-year old Canadian distributor of brand name outerwear and apparel, for its Canadian debut and continued store opening plans.
“The success of L.L.Bean in Oakville has been encouraging, and the new stores across Ontario will widen the reach to our loyal Canadian customer base,” said Howie Kastner, president of Jaytex Group.
“We’re excited to work with L.L.Bean to expand the iconic brand in Canada and to encourage outdoor activities with family and friends.”
L.L.Bean said that Canada is recording its highest new customer growth worldwide.
In addition to growth in Canada, L.L.Bean also has an international footprint in Japan, where it operates 27 stores. It equally currently operates 54 stores across the United States.
Copyright © 2021 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Dreamville/Dopart artist Omen announces a 4 date national tour in support of his recent project ELEPHANT EYES. It kicks off 11/16 in Los Angeles, the tour will also hit Boston and New York City, finishing off with a hometown Chicago show (full dates and venues below). To celebrate the tour, Omen released a brand new track “Purple Lights” that you can check out below. You can buy your tickets for the tour now at Dreamville.com/events.
OMEN TOUR DATES
11/16 – Los Angeles, CA – Viper Room
11/17 – Boston, MA – Middle East
11/23 – Chicago, IL – Sub T
See more at: http://dreamville.com/eetour/


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Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
Outdoor recreationists aren’t snobby about sleeping on the ground, but hand them a warm beer and their nose might turn up — especially since preventative measures can be taken. For this reason among others, the cooler category saw a 62 percent increase in dollars sold in the 12 months ending June 2015 compared to a 15 percent increase during the previous time period, according to numbers from global information company The NPD Group.
And everyone we talk to points to one brand for leading the trend: Yeti.
Joe Butler, owner of Black Creek Outfitters in Jacksonville, Fla., said the brand has been flying off the shelves. “We sold everything that I had that had the Yeti label. I sold out of everything, every gosh darn thing.”
Why the rush?
“There are two things happening,” said Matt Powell, sports industry analyst. “Some are leaps in terms of technology where the coolers are much more efficient and much easier to use. They really stay cold a long time, and they’re lighter weight. And then at the same time you have this millennial generation who wants to experience the outdoors but doesn’t want to give up a lot of the creature comforts.”
Of course these coolers are still great for more traditional uses. Outdoor retailer Mitch Mode, owner of Mel’s Trading Post in Rhinelander, Wis., noted fishermen seek out the heavy-duty containers to store food they bring with them into the backcountry, as well as the food they catch there. Yeti is a favorite among his customers as well.
“They’ve seen it used someplace else, maybe on vacation in Florida and seen some of the fishermen with it, or at the opposite end up in Canada or Alaska and seeing guides use them up there,” Mode said. “Yeti especially has an established reputation as a quality cooler. They say, ‘I know this is expensive, but I know it’s worth it.’ People acknowledge the price, but it’s not turning them off completely.”
Coolers may be riding high for the time being, but Butler warns the bubble will eventually burst. He likened the trend to the rollerblading days of yore. Once everyone had a pair, sales plummeted. “These Yetis are even worse because they’re not going to break and there isn’t anything to replace on them. Everybody in the country might want one, but once you have one, you don’t need another,” he said.
What’s a retailer to do? “You ride that wave and then when it’s over, you close out. You want to make sure you’re not the guy who has a bunch of coolers after that [drop],” Butler added.
On a broader scale, sales of camping equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories across all outdoor stores is up 6.7 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2015.


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A comfort food fallacy?
In times of uncertainty the common perception is that consumers will gravitate toward familiar food favourites, but new research suggests that this may not be the case.
A study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that stress and upheaval actually lead people to choose less-familiar foods over “comfort foods.”
“Most of us can name our favourite ‘comfort foods’ and believe that we are most prone to seek them out during times of stress and upheaval,” writes author Stacy Wood of the University of South Carolina. “Contrary to this well-ingrained belief, this research shows the surprising result that our choices of old favourites happen at the opposite times that we predict.”
In the first study, participants were told about a person who was described as either being in an extremely stable life situation or in the midst of many changes.
Researchers asked them to predict whether these people would choose a popular American potato chip or an unknown British potato “crisp” in exotic flavours like Camembert and Plum. The participants thought the stable person would have more time and energy to try new things and would choose the new item.
Then in a separate choice study, researchers asked participants to rate the level of change in their own lives and then to choose snacks. Those experiencing more change chose the newer snacks.
“This result is called the ‘comfort food fallacy’ effect,” the author explained. “It does not say that comfort foods are not enjoyable, but rather that we don’t seem to seek them out when we think we do. Contrary to our expectations, comfort foods appear to be chosen more often in comfortable times.”
* Stacy Wood. “The Comfort Food Fallacy: Avoiding Old Favorites in Times of Change.” Journal of Consumer Research: April 2010 (published online September, 2009).
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The dramatic 16.7 per cent fall in the share price of Bega Cheese has generated much comment.


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Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems Joins the HomeSphere Community
March 26, 2019
HomeSphere, a leader in construction technology with the largest digital marketplace connecting major building product manufacturers and homebuilders, has announced that Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems has joined its growing community of building product manufacturers and builders.
Bryant will collaborate with HomeSphere to develop relationships with more than 2,600 of the most forward-thinking home builders in the U.S., who now have access to even more product choices and incentives in the heating and cooling category. Bryant is among a prestigious group of building product manufacturers who are recent additions to HomeSphere.
“With our strong focus on residential new construction, giving HomeSphere’s builders access to Bryant’s products makes perfect sense,” said David Meyers, vice president, sales and distribution, Residential HVAC, Bryant. “HomeSphere will enable our innovative heating and cooling products to reach a wider group of home builders and ultimately, more customers.”
HomeSphere’s cloud-based technology platform and two award-winning applications serve the entire builder channel and close the gap between builders and manufacturers. Builders use My HomeSphere™ to efficiently manage their rebate programs and discover new products, and manufacturers use HomeSphere-IQ® to access industry-changing homebuilder data including where their products are installed, who installed them, and where there is opportunity to repair or replace them over time.
“In addition to a robust line of heating and cooling products, Bryant’s best-in-class network of distributors and dealers are now available to HomeSphere’s community of builders,” said Greg Schwarzer, HomeSphere’s Chief Revenue Officer. “HomeSphere continues to demonstrate strong growth, and will continue to add top-tier manufacturers in the product categories that are most important to our builders, enabling them to meet their buyers’ ever-evolving preferences and needs.”


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Buick put NYIAS 2017 to work announcing a new Enclave and a new luxury sub-brand, Avenir.
With the consumer car industry's quickest 0-60 time and fastest quarter mile, the 2018 Dodge Challenger Demon was the talk…
At NYIAS 2017, buyers of the new Range Rover Velar discovered they'll have a Zenith Chronograph to match their SUV.
Genesis looked to the future at NYIAS 2017 with a new SUV powered entirely by a hydrogen fuel cell.
Tucking it in the middle of their luxury performance sedan line, Infiniti debuted the redesigned 2018 Q50 at NYIAS 2017.
Jaguar brought its beautiful F-Type within reach of more buyers at NYIAS 2017 with a four cylinder engine option.
A vehicle warmly received across the automotive industry, the Jaguar F-Pace drove off with the World Car of the Year…
Range Rover put on quite a show at Lincoln Center to introduce its new Velar before a NYIAS 2017 crowd.
With NYIAS just a month away, we now know what three vehicles will compete for World Car of the Year.
The 2017 New York International Auto Show is more than a month away, but we'll see the new Range Rover…
Arm yourself with the best jokes for your large foreheaded frenemies.
Too big of a continent not to have a lot of amazing adult actresses.
Dimension Television is adapting King’s novella as an ongoing series.


text: Japanese fixed line and mobile operator KDDI Corp has admitted its target of signing up 900,000 users to its fibre-optic service by March 2008 will be ‘difficult’ to meet, reports Bloomberg citing KDDI Chief Financial Officer Satoshi Nagao as saying. Poor take-up of the expensive fixed line service is said to be undermining the telco’s plan to diversify its business. He said ‘There is no incentive for customers’ to pay 34% more to upgrade to the company’s higher speed network given that its existing high speed service can already provide a more than adequate download speed. KDDI launched the FTTx service in October 2003 and had 668,000 subscribers at the end of September. KDDI charges JPY7,140 (USD62) per month for the service but also offers internet access at JPY5,313 a month for half the speed of the fibre-optic connection. Nagao says KDDI currently expects to miss its March target by 140,000 users but is committing more sales staff to its fibre-optic business in an attempt to boost sales.


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We have all heard the stories of how pregnant women can only eat ice chips when in labour, but we're here to tell you that this may not be the case.
A new study has revealed that women who were allowed to eat before their delivery had a shorter labour than those who nibbled on ice.
Dr. Vincenzo Berghella, of Thomas Jefferson University in the United States, said that: “We really don’t know how much, if anything, people can eat or drink in labour.”
The doctor said that the topic of allowing women to eat during labour is a common discussion among medical professionals, with varied opinions.
This new study compared the labour of women who only ate ice chips and those who were allowed to eat or drink a bit more.
The study analysed 10 trials that included 3,982 women in labour, and the results were pretty interesting.
The women who were allowed to eat and drink had shorter labours (by an average of 16 minutes), compared to the ice-chip eaters.
“If we’re well hydrated and have adequate carbohydrate in our body, our muscles work better,” said Dr. Vincenzo Berghella, with regards to the findings of this study.
The doctor said that it is still common practice for women giving birth to be restricted to water or ice chips during labour.
“The evidence from well-done studies is they can have more than that,” he said.


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Few things can kill the mood like financial fraud.
Yet Valentine's Day, and the days leading up to it, is the peak season for scammers who prey on the heart strings, and purse strings, of those looking for love.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center said it received 15,000 romance scam complaints in 2016 alone, according to the most recent data â a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
The most common type of scam involves an online profile that projects a potential suitor as employed, affluent and trusting, according to Sandra Bernardo, the consumer education manager for Experian.
"Once the scammer has established trust with the target, they unveil a money problem," Bernardo said. "They might need money to come visit or they might have a sick relative; it can range."
Other types of Valentine's Day ruses include phony florists asking for your credit card information or e-cards directing you to suspicious sites, according to Consumer Reports. Cybersecurity provider Webroot found a 220 percent increase in malicious URLs the week before February 14.
Romance scams now account for the highest financial losses of all internet-facilitated crimes, according to the FBI.
Losses exceeded $230 million in 2016, yet the bureau estimates that only a fraction of crimes are even reported, putting the likely actual number much higher.
The most common target of online dating scams are women over age 40 who are divorced or widowed, according to the FBI.
Bernardo offers these tips to steer clear of any so-called sweetheart scams:
If you believe you are the victim of an online dating scam, report it to the dating site and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
More from Personal Finance:'I know you cheated on your wife.' Growing blackmail scam demands payment in bitcoin Valentine's Day is way more expensive for couples Medicare scams are on the rise. Here's how you can protect yourself
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The Canadian market has so far been able to keep itself away from the economic crisis faced by many European nations and even USA to some extent. But the cumulative effect of the global economic crisis seems to be taking its toll on this market as well. Canada is considered to be a relatively safe economy and so binary traders can trade peacefully in this market. But that time seems to be over as most of the major Canadian stocks have retreated as an aftermath of the fall in gold shares prices. This is posing a new challenge for binary traders who are already in a tense condition for quite some time now.
The Condition of the Stocks
The fall started with the low performance of the gold producing companies. . and Eldorado Gold Corp. dropped by 2.6 percent each. Blackberry which was formerly known as Research In Motion Ltd. slid by 8.1 percent to arrive at C$14 by sliding C$1.25. Thomson Reuters Corp. retreated by 2.3 percent on anticipation of low profit margins. The Standard & Poor’s/TSX Composite Index retreated by 0.1 percent or 13.74 percent to arrive at 12,775.28 in Toronto. Chorus Aviation slipped 3.6 percent and stopped at C$4.34 as Fairfax Holdings Ltd. sold its stake in the airlines. However, financial shares showed some signs of health by rising as a group. Genworth MI Canada Inc. and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce rallied 1.3 percent and 0.7 percent respectively.
The Assessment of Analysts
Analysts and binary traders are not exactly happy with this new development in the Canadian market. Many are of the opinion that people are more focused on earnings and as a result stock selection has become important in the market. The poor performance of the Canadian stocks has given rise to a new challenge for binary traders. The challenge is to face difficulties effectively in a relatively safer market. It is now to be seen what binary traders do in order to cope with this new market situation.
It is needless to mention that the world is going through a tough economic condition. The economic crisis in Europe is showing no sign of recovery anytime soon, in fact, it is getting worse. This prolonged crisis situation is making the market even more volatile. Therefore binary traders should take each and every step very carefully in order to avoid making losses.Incoming search terms:
- bbinary canada


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Applied Materials Falls on Outlook as Customers Cut Spending
(Bloomberg) -- Applied Materials Inc., the biggest maker of machinery used to manufacture semiconductors and displays, gave a disappointing sales outlook, causing concern that the chip market has peaked.
Revenue in the fourth quarter, which ends in October, will be $3.85 billion to $4.15 billion, Applied Materials said Thursday in a statement. That compares with an average analyst estimate of $4.45 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. If the company hits the mid-point of its forecast, that will be the first time revenue has failed to grow in more than two years.
“We have seen some near-term adjustments in customer spending," Chief Executive Officer Gary Dickerson said in the statement. During a conference call, the CEO said that while some customers are cutting back, the company and the industry are benefiting from broader demand and more disciplined investment than in previous cycles.
Applied Materials is one of the first suppliers that chip companies turn to when they’re ramping up production or making new semiconductors. It’s also first to feel the effects when firms delay or cancel plans. These are long-term projects, so investors scrutinize Applied Materials results for early clues on the health of the chip industry.
The shares fell 4 percent in extended trading after closing at $47.43 Thursday in New York. The stock is down this year, following jumps of 58 percent in 2017 and 73 percent in 2016. Lam Research Corp., another chip-equipment maker, declined 1.8 percent.
Nvidia Corp. added to the gloom with its own disappointing forecast late Thursday. Shares of the graphics chip specialist dropped more than 3 percent in extended trading.
After pouring money into new facilities over the last four years, chipmakers may now be slowing further purchases of equipment as they wait to see if there’s enough demand for the production capabilities they’ve already built.
The supply of Nand memory, a common type of data storage, will grow slightly faster than demand this year. That will lead to flat or modestly lower spending by Nand manufacturers this year, Dickerson told analysts on Thursday’s call.
The CEO also warned about foundry customers, which are firms that manufacture chips on behalf of other companies. Foundry operators have "trimmed" spending plans for 2018 by making the most of existing production capacity, he said.
Applied’s projection may add to concern that a four-year surge in chip demand is beginning to slow. The company gets most of its revenue from the semiconductor industry’s biggest producers -- Samsung Electronics Co., Intel Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Samsung is the biggest maker of Nand and TSMC is the largest foundry operator. Customers like these order equipment from Applied Material months ahead of when they need to produce chips.
"We think investors will continue to sit on the sidelines (near-term) until the memory environment improves," Mitch Steves, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a note.
Still, Applied Materials executives stuck to most of their longer-term forecasts for the company and the industry. Advancements in artificial intelligence and demand for processing power from large cloud-computing providers are providing new opportunities for the company, Dickerson said.
"The AI big data era is a catalyst for Applied to play a bigger and broader role than ever before," he added.
Applied Materials executives also said the company has diversified. The CEO said about 40 percent of revenue comes from selling products and service beyond new semiconductor equipment. That includes machinery for making displays and solar panels.
The company also sees promise in its service business, which maintains installed machines. Chief Financial Officer Daniel Durn said 32 percent of semiconductor-related business comes from servicing that installed base.
Applied Materials shared new forecasts for 2020 that RBC’s Steves described as "notably bullish." That may give investors an attractive entry point in coming months, the analyst added.
Fiscal third-quarter profit, excluding certain items, was $1.20 a share. Revenue rose 19 percent to $4.47 billion in the period that ended in July, slightly beating the average analyst projection.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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Since its foundation in 1826, the ByWard Market has long been one of Ottawa’s destination neighbourhoods, and one that retains much of its heritage charm. This year, it’s also hosting a range of programs to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with Inspiration Village on York Street being one of the biggest events, running from May 20 to September 4.
Constructed out of sea containers, Inspiration Village will house a series of special exhibits and performing arts events that highlight Canadian culture from coast to coast to coast. Ottawa At Home asked several long-time area restaurateurs about this year’s birthday buzz in the ByWard Market.
Bob Firestone, owner of the Blue Cactus Bar & Grill, has been operating businesses in the Market since 1984 and has witnessed the area’s evolution. “There used to be more retail, but recently the ByWard Market has turned into more of an entertainment zone and it’s been getting a lot of good press lately.” Excited about the planned 2017 events in the Market, from La Machine (giant mechanical creatures including a fire-breathing dragon) to Inspiration Village and more, Bob adds, “I think the ByWard Market is going to shine this year. People will come for the special programming and rediscover the area – I’m optimistic there will be some momentum into 2018 and beyond.”
John Borsten’s history in the ByWard Market stretches back more than 30 years. He currently owns Zak’s Diner, The Grand Pizzeria + Bar, and the soon-to-open Zak’s Cantina, as well as co-owning the Metropolitain Brasserie, just steps from the Market. “We’ve come a long way from live animals being sold on York Street when I first started working here. It’s become a little gentrified, yet the area is still really unique in that it offers amazing variety in four square blocks. The 150th celebrations are proving to have positive effects already.”
Noah Firestone, owner of Luxe Bistro, got his start in the business over 20 years ago. His impression of the Market’s evolution is that there are not only more restaurants, but a greater variety of concepts among them. “I hope we can retain a balance of retail and food in the area; stores and restaurants work well together to draw people. The ByWard Market has a lot to offer and is close to so many other great attractions in Ottawa, including greenspace, theatres and tourism. I’m glad to see new things being tried here for 2017 – any event no matter how small or large, is worthwhile.”
Steve Beckta opened Play, his second Ottawa restaurant, eight years ago in the ByWard Market. He recalls the area as once being the only food and beverage destination, whereas now the city has many vibrant neighbourhoods. He’s confident that the 2017 events, along with the Rideau Centre expansion and light-rail transit, will signal a rebirth of the ByWard Market for more foodies and shoppers. “There are so many great local merchants in the Market and we would love to see people re-explore our neighbourhood. The ByWard Market is an amazing, vibrant and unique place to come and shop or dine, and I expect 2017 to reignite the interest in our neighbourhood the way that it was when I was growing up here in my teens.”
With nearly two decades working in the Market, Neil Gowe, owner of the newly-opened Sur-Lie, says the quality and value of ByWard Market restaurants has steadily improved, likely as a response to competition from other neighbourhoods. He is also expecting exciting things in 2017. “I hope all the events bring lots of people from across Canada and the world, to Ottawa for the first time so they can see how beautiful and great our city is. I think having great art and culture on display is the true spirit of the ByWard Market.”


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2. MDR compensates the card issuing bank, the lender which puts the PoS terminal and payment gateways such as Mastercard or Visa for their services.
3. MDR charges are usually shared in pre-agreed proportion between the bank and a merchant and is expressed in percentage of transaction amount.
4. Since 1 January, small merchants pay a maximum MDR of 0.4% of bill value and larger merchants pay 0.9%.
5. To promote digital transactions, the government will bear MDR charges on transactions up to Rs 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems.
(The content on this page is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL). Contributions by Girija Gadre, Arti Bhargava and Labdhi Mehta.)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.
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- Jurist may Head Social Media Self-Regulatory Committee
Social media intermediaries including Meta and Twitter are proposing a seven-member self-regulatory committee, led either by an eminent jurist or industry senior, to handle appeals by Indian users over content and takedown directives, according to a preparatory document reviewed by ET.Pursued Those Who Cheated Banks, Got Money Back: FM
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that while the earlier government also ran schemes, this government is working to empower the people and not just giving something as an entitlement.Anshu Jain: Indian Banker Who Took Deutsche Bank Global
Anshu Jain, who was Global Indian of the Year in the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence in 2012, was born in Jaipur in 1963 and studied at the Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, and the University of Massachusetts.
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Latest Palm oil Stories
Buy Red Palm Oil recently launched their new website which reveals the natural health benefits of red palm oil and provides recommended places to purchase the product Orange
Red palm oil is now used for better health and weight loss in men and women reports iTrustNews.com.
The Olive Oil Source, the industry leader in olive oil-related products, offers three laboratory-quality models designed to test chemical characteristics of olive oil.
Expanding production of palm oil, a common ingredient in processed foods, soaps and personal care products, is driving rainforest destruction and massive carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study by Yale and Stanford researchers.
- totally perplexed and mixed up.


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Fans of the oldest Dutch internet provider XS4ALL have raised €2.5m through crowdfunding to launch a new service, now KPN is scrapping the brand.
KPN said in January it would drop its Telfort, Telfort Zakelijk, XS4All and Yes Telecom labels to focus on the KPN brand, creating a storm of protest among XS4ALL users.
Some 54,000 people signed a petition calling on KPN for a rethink.
Now over 3,000 people have put money into the initiative to start a new service incorporating XS4ALL’s primary focus on privacy, quality and innovation. The new company, which has not yet been named, hopes to start services within a few months and reach 60,000 customers within three years. It will be formally launched next Monday.
XS4ALL was started in 1993 by four students after they lost access to the university internet network. It grew rapidly and was bought by KPN in 1998 but remained an independent entity within the group. The brand is particularly praised for its customer service.
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The DutchNews.nl team would like to thank all the generous readers who have made a donation in recent weeks. Your financial support has helped us to expand our coverage of the coronavirus crisis into the evenings and weekends and make sure you are kept up to date with the latest developments.
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On the heels of a decision that imposed a tariff of up to 35 percent on some Chinese solar panel manufacturers, the U.S. Department of Commerce has now ruled that wind turbine towers made in China also benefited from unfair subsidies and has imposed duties ranging from 13.7 to 26 percent on those towers.
The decision, announced Wednesday by the Commerce Department, comes in response to a complaint filed late last year by a coalition of U.S. wind tower manufacturers made up of Broadwind Energy, DMI Industries, Trinity Structural Towers and Katana Summit.
The decision was lauded by the United Steelworkers. “We have plate mills that are idle right now as a consequence, so this is a good deal,” said Gary Hubbard, a United Steelworkers spokesman.
It remains unclear what impact, if any, the new tariffs will have on wind turbine manufacturers in the U.S.. As opposed to solar panel imports, wind tower imports make up a relatively small portion of the total U.S. market, but some analysts report that Siemens, Vestas and GE could all feel the impact of more expensive Chinese towers.
Critics of the new renewable energy tariffs in both the U.S. and China warn that the duties could lead to a trade war between the two countries.
“Resorting to protectionist measures will not help solve these frictions; it will harm business ties between the two,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin during a regularly scheduled press briefing.
China has already responded to the recently created solar panel tariffs by filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization. In the complaint, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce charges that the U.S. violated free-trade rules by unfairly subsidizing six renewable energy projects.
Article by Timothy Hurst, appearing courtesy Earth & Industry.


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Technological, economic, and societal trends continue to impact the mobility of people around the world.
At the same time, the sharing economy continues to evolve as a global phenomenon that is changing the way we think about transportation. With an increased desire to eliminate costs like insurance, maintenance, and parking, today’s consumers – especially urban dwellers – have demonstrated that they are primed for a micro-mobility revolution.
This revolution will rely heavily on Mobility as a Service (Maas) and require innovative business models and funding strategies.
The critical component of any MaaS model is ticketless travel. Users must be able to use their phones. The future of the MaaS model is reliant upon the web-based travel aggregator that many have been using for air travel. This model will evolve to become an everyday tool. The difference will be that services are bundled into a single service.
These new business models are being made possible by new innovative funding methods.
According to research by Deloitte, private and public sector players like those below might be motivated to fund innovative mobility-related projects:
- Technology providers. Companies offering digital mobility platforms or telecommunications infrastructure.
- Financial-services firms. Banks, investment funds, private equity, and venture capital firms.
- Media companies. Firms seeking opportunities to deploy targeted advertising campaigns.
- Government programmes. Grants, matching funds, and seed programmes for smart city investment.
- Philanthropic organisations. For example, the World Bank has provided grants and loans to fund these types of models in developing countries.
- Academic institutions. Universities may be willing to partner together to fund pilot programmes that study new technology and business models.
MaaS is the next frontier in transportation. What began as a pie-in-the-sky “someday” goal, is now becoming a reality. It will be exciting to watch as the benefits of a well-planned and funded MaaS ecosystem unfold.


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Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC … List of smartphone manufacturers who have experienced a decline in sales at some point during the past year for a long time, but today it has grown to one.
Google tried to sell pixel 3 smartphones in Q1
During a call came Alphabet (through 9To5Google) Earlier today, the company's Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat shows that Google took decline year on year in the pixel smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2019 specific figures were not provided, but negative results do not appear to be slowed by the hardware business of the company as a whole.
As for the reasons for this fall, Google does not mention any specific details, but it was the highlight common "pressure in the smartphone industry Premium" at the moment. In addition, she noted that "heavy promotional activity" competitors who are trying to keep sales in recent years.
Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL also face problems of memory management, something that affects the use of a day on the day of premature closure of the applications running in the background.
New equipment Pixel comes May 7th
Despite the lack of sales Pixel, Google said that it was pleased with the "impetus for Assistant-enabled home devices, in particular devices Home Hub and Mini.» He also noted plans for hardware & # 39; ads May 7 at the Google I / About, in fact, affirming Pixel 3a debut at the event.
Instead of using the level of Flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, pixel 3a duo expected to include Snapdragon 670, which will be paired with 4GB of RAM and a 32 GB or 64 GB internal memory. It will be accompanied by stock Android 9 Pie, ESIM support, dedicated security chip Titan M Google, and active front pliable frame. Smartphones also look set to support 18W fast charging. Incidentally, the 5.6-inch Pixel 3a will bear 3,000mAh battery while the 6-inch Pixel 3a XL should feature a large cage, although his power is not specified.
What will be the price Pixel 3a series? And it can save the day?
The price points indicated above, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL,, will not be likely to run away success. But Google smartphone business is currently struggling, increasing segment of the middle class may be all it takes to get back on the right track.


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Farming Today This Week
Charlotte Smith and the Farming Today team have spent the last few days living in a caravan and experiencing the life of a seasonal farm worker: getting up early, picking and packing fruit, getting to grips with day to day life on the farm, and life in a different country.
The soft fruit industry in the UK is worth millions of pounds. The strawberry industry alone is worth Â£400 million and each year 650,000 tonnes of strawberries are picked in the UK. Each year, more than 21,000 workers from Romania and Bulgaria travel to the UK for agricultural work. The British public are, it seems, too posh to pick.
At the end of a week of hard grafting, Charlotte Smith reports from Windmill Hill Farm in Herefordshire and meets the workers who make sure our supermarket shelves are full of juicy, ripe fruit throughout the summer and reflects on what it is like to be work on a farm in the UK.
Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Martin Poyntz-Roberts.


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Super-sized dahlias are proving that big is beautiful.
Giant dahlia ‘XXXL Series,’ exclusive to Thompson & Morgan, has dinner plate-size flower heads from early summer into autumn.
“These are the biggest flowered patio dahlias that we have seen,” said T&M’s Michael Perry.
“We think it’s time for dahlias to enjoy a revival thanks to their long-flowering and ability to lengthen the flowering season in the garden.”
Dahlia ‘XXXL’ (extra, extra, extra large) is a half-hardy annual that will grow in borders or pots, and thrives in sun or shade.
In trials, the variety is claimed to have displayed “superb vigour and performance”.
Despite its size (plants grow to 36-48in (90-120cm) stems are said to be resistant to snapping.
Plants go on sale in spring. Prices have not yet been set


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Revolut has become one of the most successful digital banks in the world in a relatively short period of time. The company has achieved this success by providing a range of innovative services that have disrupted traditional banking practices. Nikolay Storonsky, the visionary founder of Revolut, is a major reason for the company’s rapid growth and success. According to Tom Stafford, managing partner at DST Global, a major investor in Revolut, the company’s leadership is a crucial factor in its success.
“The fundamental belief that I hold is that the best talent utilizing technology and the internet will effectively take over almost all industrial vehicles that exist today and in the future,” Stafford said during a MoneyConf appearance. “By industrial verticals, I mean 100% of GDP.”
Revolut’s customer-centric approach is another factor that has contributed to its success. The company’s focus on customer service, loyalty, and follow-up has helped it to build a loyal customer base. Revolut offers a variety of digital banking services, including free money transfers, currency exchange, credit, insurance, and cryptocurrency. Its ability to offer free foreign exchange transactions is a major draw for customers, as traditional banks have never been able to match this offering. And it’s this modern approach that entices Stafford.
“What I really want as a consumer is for all of that stuff to be abstracted away from me,” said Tom Stafford. “I want to press a button and a burger arrives. The only thing I want to do is complain if the burger is cold, I complain. If the burger is fine, I don’t. That’s how I see banking going forward.”
Revolut has faced many challenges as it has grown and expanded into new markets. One of the biggest challenges the company has faced is complying with local regulations in new markets. To overcome this issue, Revolut has developed in-house policies and procedures for each new country it enters. The company researches local regulations to ensure that its systems and processes comply and it makes adjustments as necessary. This approach has allowed the company to be more agile and efficient as it expands into new markets.
As Revolut continues to grow and develop, Tom Stafford sees the company is well positioned to compete with both traditional banks and tech giants by continuing to offer better products, better customer service, and reinvesting its economics into its customers.
“I think there are certain quite specific transactions you may want to take out of the bank,” Stafford said. “Certain large loan types, certain large insurance products, but I always think about it from the consumer to the [small and medium enterprises] or the enterprise point of view.”
Revolut’s global outlook has also been a factor in its success. Although the company has centralized most of its operations in London, it has a presence in 28 countries, allowing it to offer its services to customers worldwide. This global outlook has helped the company to adapt to different markets and customer needs, making it a strong competitor in the digital banking industry.
The company’s ability to adapt to local regulations and centralize operations in London has allowed it to expand rapidly into new markets. Its success in these markets can be attributed to its focus on customer service, loyalty, and follow-up, as well as its ability to offer innovative services like free foreign exchange transactions. These services have helped the company build a loyal customer base that has propelled it to success in a highly competitive industry.
In addition to its innovative services and customer-centric approach, Revolut has reinvested its economics into improving its customer experience. The company’s strategy is similar to what Amazon and Facebook have done by offering free services to customers and monetizing them in other ways. Revolut has reinvested the economics it gains from offering free transactions into improving its customer experience, which has helped it to build a loyal customer base.
Said Stafford, “FX transactions on Revolut are free. I mean, what banks give anything away for free? If you think of that concept of free, reinvesting your economics into your customer, that’s the watchword of the internet.”
Revolut’s success can be attributed to its visionary founder, customer-centric approach, and global outlook. The company’s ability to adapt to local regulations and centralize operations in London has allowed it to expand rapidly into new markets. As the banking industry continues to evolve, Revolut is well positioned to compete with traditional banks and tech giants by offering better products, better customer service, and reinvesting its economics into its customers. Tom Stafford’s investment in Revolut has proven to be a wise choice, as the company continues to disrupt the traditional banking industry and achieve rapid growth.


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Visitors to Graceland will finally get Guest House
Presley didn’t get to see his dream come true, but his fans will. The Guest House at Graceland is a six-story, 450-room hotel, opening Oct. 27 just steps from Presley’s former home. The exterior, with columns, arches and a portico, evokes the feel of a comfortable Southern Colonial home, but the interior design and amenities are modern.
Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, and Graceland was eventually turned into a museum. Priscilla Presley, the singer’s former wife and a caretaker of his legacy, said Elvis had made plans to build a guest house at Graceland as far back as 1960. But it was never built, so when people visited Graceland, they would stay at a Howard Johnson’s down the street.
“This luxury hotel is the most significant enhancement to Graceland since we opened in 1982,” Priscilla Presley said Monday. “This is huge ... I feel that it’s just so right for fans, and our guests, and tourists.”
The hotel is the first of its kind in the working- and middle-class Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven. Droves of applicants flocked to a job fair Saturday, and the hotel will employ about 450 people. When the hotel opens, room prices will range from $149 for basic rooms to $1,300 for the highest-priced suite.
The location lets Elvis fans stay within walking distance of Graceland and the tourist attractions across the street, but it will likely attract other visitors as well. It will offer the most upscale accommodations in the immediate area, which has a Days Inn and a couple of other budget hotels. Also nearby, the aging Heartbreak Hotel is scheduled for demolition.
The Guest House at Graceland also promises to become one of the city’s top lodging options, along with the Peabody and the Madison several miles away in the downtown area.
“If you ever thought that you wanted to hang out with Elvis and feel like one of his guests, this is your opportunity,” said Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, which manages the Graceland tours and also produces and licenses Elvis-themed events worldwide.
Weinshanker said the total investment in the hotel is about $92 million. Memphis officials approved a tax break for the hotel project.
The hotel is still under construction, with bulldozers outside and workers installing electric outlets and carpets. But colors associated with The King already are present, such as touches of purple and gold in the carpeting and hallways, gold lighting in the 464-seat theater, and a picture of Elvis in a gold jacket hanging on the textured gray walls of guest rooms. At 386,000 square feet, it’s about 22 times the size of the Graceland house.
“There’s not a whole lot of Elvis bling,” said Elvis Presley Enterprises CEO Jack Soden. “It’s much more subtle. It’s very cool.”
The circular lobby is illuminated by natural light streaming through large windows. The lobby ceiling features mirrors shaped like elongated hexagons. The gray and purple carpet is decorated with a geometric pattern.
Turn right and you get The Lobby Lounge, an eating and drinking spot with indoor and outdoor seating. Nearby is E.P.’s Bar and Grill, a sports bar-themed restaurant with a pool table.
A left turn from the lobby leads to another restaurant, Delta’s Kitchen, which will feature locally sourced products and a breakfast buffet. There’s also a coffee bar, and room service will be available.
Beyond Delta’s Kitchen is a large ballroom and four meeting rooms. The theater venue can be used for musical performances and company conferences.
The rooms feature textured vinyl wall coverings, a glass-encased shower with a wall-mounted body spray, and sleekly designed chairs next to a window with a blackout curtain.
Priscilla Presley said suites will have unique themes. The King’s Suite will be designed like Elvis Presley’s master bedroom, with rich red and black tones and a custom-draped canopy bed.
“It really is quite beautiful, and it is subtle, and it is contemporary, and it’s classy,” Priscilla Presley said. “I think our guests will be very happy.” AP


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MGP Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ:MGPI) competes in the distilled spirits, branded spirits, and food ingredient, and has enjoyed a couple of years of its share price climbing in a sustainable upward trajectory, soaring from $22.00 per share on March 16, 2020, to about $113.00 as I write. By any measure, that’s a huge move.
It appears the company isn’t ready to slow down either, based upon its recent earnings report, which beat on revenue and EPS, with all segments the company operates in doing well.
Even so, the move by MGPI has been so strong, it does start to cause some concern over when, not if it’s going to correct, and to what degree. After all, it could crush investors thinking of taking a position at its current share price, as they could get caught under water if it collapses, even if afterwards it resumed its upward climb.
The main consideration there is how much of its performance is already priced in, and how much upside and momentum it has left before it corrects.
In this article we’ll look at the recent earnings report of the company, how its various segments performed, and how much gas it has left in the tank.
Revenue in the third quarter was $201.2 million, up 14 percent, beating by $10.34 million.
Gross profit was $59.1 million, up 3 percent year-over-year, representing 29.4 percent of sales.
Operating income in the reporting period climbed 3 percent to $33.9 million, attributed to the increase in gross profit, as well as a decline in SG&A expenses by $600,000 to $17.9 million.
EPS came in at $1.06, beating estimates by $0.11, but down from $1.08 in EPS last year in the same quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA finished the third quarter at $38.7 million, up 1 percent year-over-year. Marketing expenses were up in the third quarter by $1.6 million or 29 percent to $7.3 million compared to last year in the same quarter. The increase came from the company focusing on it “premium plus price tier products within our Branded Spirits segment.” Cash for the first three quarters was $72.3 million, providing the company with options and flexibility to invest in growth initiatives as well as M&A.
Concerning its balance sheet, the company has a cash position of $50.7 million, total debt of $231.1 million. The company guides for CapEx of about $47.2 million for 2022.
Performance by segment
Demand for new distillate and aged whiskey remains strong, and management expects that trend to continue, providing support for the long-term growth of the company.
MGPI generated record sales in the third quarter from the segment, with revenue of $108.6 million, up 19 percent year-over-year. Gross profit in the quarter dropped from $27 million last year in the third quarter to $25.9 million in the reporting period. That was attributed to commodity and natural gas inflation, along with oversupply in the markets in its “industrial and white goods offerings.” Sales of brown products was up 34 percent in the third quarter, while revenue from premium beverage alcohol jumped 22 percent. Demand from these categories remains strong and is expected to continue in 2023. The company’s inventory of aging whiskey and its scale advantage positions well to grab a lot of that business going forward.
The one downside for the quarter was with white goods, where revenue dropped 3 percent year-over-year. The underperformance was mostly from lower volumes of its premium beverage products.
Revenue from industrial alcohol products plunged 27 percent in the quarter as a result of lower volume. One of the reasons for lower volume was an increase in supply from competitors, along with rising input costs from corn and natural gas.
Consequently, margins are expected to remain under historical levels at this time. In the third quarter this segment had negative gross margins, which is expected to trend the same in Q4. With margin contraction with white goods and industrial alcohol, company revised its prior outlook from a decline of 1,000 basis points to as much as 1,500 basis points for full year 2022, resulting in an impact of about $20 million on the company’s performance; that’s $5 million above prior estimates.
Its Branded Spirits segment showed modest improvement in the quarter, reaching $62.8 million, up 2 percent from the third quarter of 2021.
Gross profit in the segment jumped to a record $25.1 million, up 17 percent year-over-year, accounting for 39.9 percent of segment sales. The improvement in revenue came from an increase in case volume as well as higher average selling prices.
Premium brands usually command higher prices, even in inflationary periods as we’re in now. That should continue on for the foreseeable future. In other words, the company has pricing power in that segment of the market.
The major growth catalysts in the segment – on the top and bottom lines – were premium plus American whiskey and tequila offerings. This segment has been doing well since the company closed on the Luxco transaction in April.
Revenue in its Ingredient Solutions was at a record $29.7 million, up 24 percent last year in the same quarter. As with the other high-performing segments, higher sales were the result from an increase in volume and increasing average prices in the quarter.
Demand in this segment comes from the trend in consumer behavior toward increasing the amount of plant-based food to their diets. Management expects this trend to continue and be a sustainable growth catalysts alcohol for MGPI.
The company noted that is has started to receive orders from colleges and universities for its ProTerra brand, which it recently launched. If it’s able to gain a foothold in that market, this segment would really take off beyond current expectations.
The company has been doing well, and while I don’t expect demand for its products to collapse, there are a few holes showing from the inflationary environment we’re now in.
Its largest commodity expenses continued to rise in price, with natural gas prices soaring 73 percent year-over-year, corn prices jumping 56 percent from the third quarter of 2021, and wheat flour increasing by 20 percent.
While the company can pass some of those costs onto consumers, it can’t do it in all it segments or products. For example, in its white goods and industrial alcohol segment, raising prices wasn’t enough to offset the increase in input costs. That will remain a headwind as long as commodity prices continue to be inflationary.
Even though there’s a lot to like in the performance of MGPI, my biggest concern is shareholders could start to think in terms of taking profits off the table, which would catch a lot of overly exuberant investors who get some FOMO and enter at a share price that I think is elevated and due for a pullback.
For that reason, waiting for the stock to correct would be a good strategy for shareholder and new investors. For those in at a good cost basis, serious consideration should probably be given to taking some profits off the table before the share price inevitably corrects. There’s no way of knowing when that will happen, but the higher its share price goes, the further it’ll have to drop.
And even though the earnings report wasn’t bad, in light of its lofty share price, it doesn’t seem good enough to support a sustainable upward growth trajectory until it takes a breather.


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The New Year is coming with newer and more advanced technology in the world – from smart to ‘genius’ home appliance, gadgets, including healthcare and education. It’s another time to discover more of technology’s ability to change how we view life and how we can make it part of our daily routines.
The rise of competition in mobile phones and its features has been one of technology’s top focus as it has been one of the most significant demands in the industry. The updates and pluses on mobile phones have been on the watch-out for most people around the world. It has been a challenging area in the industry since its demands have been rising every month and newer features are what people want.
However, the advancement of technology by different companies has gone almost similar to each other, that it takes only someone too knowledgeable to notice. It seemed nearly the same as companies ‘update’ their mobile phones. Also, the rise of new mobile phone companies that have similar features are out on the market and have been given a shot this year.
Huawei, on the other hand, has planned to unveil its newest phone model with their latest feature by next year. Accordingly, they are also to release their most recent feature on their models that are to be announced in the later months of 2019. It makes consumers think of what is going to happen in the next two years in the mobile industry.
The first model of this new feature is to be announced within this month and will go on sale next year. Huawei’s next mobile phone and its future ones will have their first ever “3D Camera” that is capable of capturing three-dimensional photos in one click.
This allows users to have pictures viewed in many different angles. As speculated, this new feature by Huawei will also enable developers in the mobile gaming industry and other apps to have a more modern and better visual function. This will also include gestures accordingly.
Huawei has been changing the game in the mobile industry starting with their super high-quality cameras this year and innovating it to 3D.
This feature has never been seen before according to Yusuke Toyoda a Fuji Chimera Research Inc. sensor analyst located in Tokyo. Huawei has been putting considerable effort to innovate their company’s technology for successful results as consumers await this new trend in the mobile industry.


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World News: 21:30 GMT Tuesday 13th February 2018. [Snyder's-Lance, Inc. via Globe Newswire via SPi World News]
CHARLOTTE NC Feb 13 2018 GLOBE NEWSWIRE -- Snyders-Lance Inc NasdaqLNCE announced today that it will release its fourth quarter and full-year 2017 financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 28 2018 The pre ss rele...
Globe Newswire: 21:30 GMT Tuesday 13th February 2018
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Biotech lab lands $11 million
- Mark Reilly
- Assistant Managing Editor
AppTec Laboratory Services Inc., a biological testing and development company led by veteran biotech entrepreneur Bonnie Baskin, has landed $11 million in venture capital.
The St. Paul company, which has previously raised more than $14 million in funding, drew new investments from previous backers such as Thomas McNerney & Partners, Affinity Capital and Brightstone Capital of Minneapolis. The latest round was led by NewSpring Capital of King of Prussia, Penn., which invested $5 million in AppTec.
The funding will go toward continuing growth at the company, which was launched in 2001 to provide testing and manufacturing services for drug companies during trial and development of new medicines.
Baskin, who spun out and launched AppTec after selling her previous company, ViroMed, said in a statement she was "thrilled" at the new investment. With the company's recent growth, she said, it is positioned to become "the premier single-source service provider to the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries."
Since its founding, AppTec has moved quickly to establish itself as a provider of outsourced services for the fast-growing biopharmaceutical industry. Last year the company moved into a $28 million, 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in south Philadelphia, and is already talking about outgrowing the space and building a second site nearby.
"They really understand the strength of that market," said Marc Lederman, a partner at NewSpring Capital. "This is going to be the next wave that pharma rides. A lot of the venture dollars are focusing on biopharma, and [AppTec] is set up to capture that business."
The company's Philadelphia facility can manufacture biological pharmaceuticals -- drugs made from living cells -- in small "bioreactors." The largest of the bioreactors is 2,500 liters, which is still much smaller than the manufacturing plants used by big pharmaceutical companies.
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WIth the rumored abandonment of CDs by the music industry, and after the closure of 60 of its stores at the start of 2011, it looks like the writing is on the wall for the British music retail giant HMV. The chain, the largest of its kind in the UK and which launched al the way back in 1921, announced on Monday that it will be selling off its Ritz chain of live venues, and Simon Fox, CEO of the company, has admitted that the 2011 Christmas season is make or break time for the brand.
The passing of HMV would truly be the end of an era, so what better time to take a look back at its glory days? In particular these photos from the retailer’s flagship store in London’s Oxford Street, taken in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and handily collected and posted in two different entries on the excellent Voices of East Anglia blog. The first of these entries was posted over the summer, and did the rounds back then, but the second entry is even better still.
I have mixed feelings about HMV - too many hours spent searching for music they would never stock and I would find more easily at an independent shop, versus occasionally finding incredible bargains on “unwanted” releases lurking in the discount bins (and sometimes a good pop album on sale for less than any other shop.) But looking at these photos, and the clothes, hairstyles, design and records, the viewer is reminded not just that this is an era long gong, but that it was also a golden age of physical music retailing, the like of which we will never see again.
I don’t think records or record shops are ever going to go away - downsized for sure, but not extinct. However it’s unlikely we will see this much flash (and cash) invested in the humble vinyl emporium ever again:
See more fantastic pictures of HMV at Voices of East Anglia - part one and part two.


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Posted: March 19
Dragonpay, one of the country’s leading payment processors, is proud and excited to announce its newest partnership with actress, TV host, entrepreneur, and vlogger Alex Gonzaga.
The 33-year-old actress, according to Dragonpay CEO Robertson “Dick” Chiang, embodies the new breed of celebrities who are tech-savvy can effectively connect with their fanbase through social media.
“She is funny, witty and can relate to our services because she is an online shopper herself. Her youthfulness will also bring a needed refresh to our brand as Dragonpay has been around for over 10 years already,” tells Dick.
Alex’s YouTube account just recently hit 10 million subscribers, which is all the more reason why she is the perfect face for Dragonpay.
“Alex has a large follower base, and her face is recognizable by many Filipinos. We are introducing a new generation of first-time online buyers to our service, and having a known personality as our brand ambassador lends some familiarity for them,” Dick explains.
Back in the day, only people with credit cards were allowed to transact online. But with the presence of Dragonpay, even those who do not have credit cards can now transact online—and this is one of the reasons why Alex is very much enthusiastic about joining the Dragonpay family.
“I believe that especially now during the pandemic when most of us are pushed to make purchases online, having that flexibility to choose a payment method other than a credit card is a lot of help. It gives convenience to consumers, and at the same time, it also helps online business owners improve the way they do their business,” Alex explains.
Furthermore, Alex believes that Dragonpay helps Filipinos’ daily lives in terms of booking car transport, doing grocery shopping, paying for tuition fees, and a lot more.
“Dragonpay gives the Filipinos the flexibility to choose the payment that’s right for them—either through online banking, e-wallets, or through physical banks or payment centers,” she adds.
As for Alex, she enjoys using Dragonpay for her online shopping and RFID top-ups because her husband, Mikee Morada, works in Batangas.
To know more about Dragonpay, please visit https://www.dragonpay.ph.


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Jersey City to receive first electric refuse trucks
Hudson County Motors and BYD announce that they will be providing the first all-electric refuse trucks on the US East Coast that are capable of working an entire route. These five all-electric rear loader collection trucks will go to work on normal daily collection routes, providing regular zero-emission collection services for the City of Jersey City, N.J.
“Jersey City will be a model for what is now possible with zero-emission refuse trucks.” says John Gerra, Sr. Director of Business Development with BYD Motors. “We look forward to helping provide clean streets and clean air for the residents of Jersey City.”
To read the full version of this story, visit Waste360.


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General Motors and its three joint venture partners sold 220,996 units in August of 2012, a 7.3 percent year-over-year increase and a new August sales record.
On an individual basis, GM Shanghai sold 110,209 vehicles, an 11.7 percent increase year-over-year, SAIC-GM-Wuling sold 106,500 vehicles — up 3.4 percent, and FAW-GM sales were up 17.4 percent to 4,117 units.
Buick sales were up 2.8 percent to 57,603 units — an all-time high for August. As usual, the original Excelle led the brand with 22,881 units while the Excelle XT and GT saw a 33 percent year-over-year increase to 15,036 units. In addition, the Regal was up 17.7 percent to 7,186 units.
Chevy sales were up 14.7 percent to 53,207 units, led by the Cruze at 20,043 units and the new Sail at 16,176 units; Sail sales were up a whopping 40.6 percent in August. The new Malibu only saw 6,443 sales.
Wuling sales totaled 99,790 units — setting an August sales record and up 4.1 percent on an annual basis.
Year To Date sales
January through August, GM and its joint venture partners sold 1,837,546 vehicles, an 11.2 percent increase year-over-year and a record for the period. In the same time period, GM Shanghai sales grew 7.1 percent to 846,822 units — compared to 1,757,470 for GM’s U.S. operations.
Meanwhile, sales of SAIC-GM-Wuling were up 15.6 percent through from January to August, totaling 950,621, while FAW-GM domestic sales dropped 1.0 percent to 36,668.