text:
Earlier this week, McDonald’s posted a number of “Halloween Menu Hacks” that its customers can make at home, but only if they order McDelivery through Uber Eats. “By combining McDonald’s delivery favorites with items you already have at home, it’s never been more convenient to create fun, themed treats,” the company said, before legit writing step-by-step directions for using two French fries to make vampire fangs.
Some of its other high-concept ideas involve combining barbecue sauce and ranch dressing in a bowl, dipping apple slices into a McFlurry, and failing to understand what a menu hack really is. As dumb as this all is, at least it’s completely inoffensive, which is more than anyone can say about the decorations inside one of its Massachusetts restaurants.
Last week, Erik Pocock was placing an order at the McDonald’s in North Andover, Massachusetts when he noticed that the area below each cash register had been decorated for the holiday. He saw a mildly malevolent jack o’lantern, a giant spider suspended by a single thread… and the silhouette of a man hanging from a tree.
“It looked like a typical Halloween decoration. It said ‘Happy Halloween.’ It had some spiderwebs and some spiders and, like, a haunted tree and I was like: ‘Oh, that’s cute,’” he told WCVB. “Then, you look closer and that’s not cute. That’s not right.”
He recorded a video of the hanging man and posted it on Twitter, and asked the @McDonalds account to “explain…
– Read more at this – Source


text:
THE steep year-long slide of Cisco Systems has apparently ended. For the first time this calendar year, Cisco's revenue increased from one quarter to the next, surpassing its own projections of flat-to-slightly-weaker sales.
Officially, the company posted a loss yesterday in its first fiscal quarter, as sales fell 32 percent from a year ago, but the results exceeded Wall Street's expectations.
John T. Chambers, Cisco's president and chief executive, predicted similar results in the current quarter. ''We remain cautiously optimistic about the quarter and a flat-to-low single-digit growth'' in revenue, he said, adding, ''It would not surprise us to see orders vary on either side of these projections.''
Suffering from belt-tightening at telecommunications providers and networking companies, Cisco, which sells Internet routers and switches to those companies and others, said it lost $268 million, or 4 cents a share, in the quarter. The results contrasted sharply with the corresponding period last year, when Cisco earned $798 million, or 11 cents a share.
Sales were $4.4 billion, compared with $6.5 billion in the first quarter last year. But revenue improved from $4.3 billion in the fourth quarter, a 3 percent increase.Continue reading the main story
Excluding special items like acquisition costs and an $858 million investment write-down, Cisco reported a profit of $332 million, or 4 cents a share, compared with $1.4 billion, or 18 cents a share, last year. Using that method, common among companies but not accepted by standard accounting practices, analysts had expected a profit of 2 cents a share.
Cisco's shares have more than doubled in the last month, and in regular trading before the company reported results, the stock gained 64 cents, to $17.90. In after-hours trading, shares rose 90 cents, to $18.80.
In a conference call with analysts, Mr. Chambers said Cisco's book-to-bill ratio was better than 1 during the quarter, meaning the company took in more orders for products than it shipped -- a sign of a growing market. Orders grew in Japan, South America, Canada and Europe, but declined in Asia and the United States, the sources of 58 percent of Cisco's bookings in the quarter.
The federal government was the only sector in the United States that placed more orders than during the previous quarter.
The first-quarter results would have been stronger if not for the fallout from the terrorist attacks, Mr. Chambers said. Before Sept. 11, the United States had been showing relatively strong signs of improvement, he said, leaving him prepared to forecast single-digit growth for the current quarter. Instead, he estimated the attacks took 5 percent from the company's revenue during the first quarter and predicted they would take another 5 percent from the current quarter.
''The U.S. economy continues to show weakness, and the events of Sept. 11 have magnified the economic uncertainty,'' Mr. Chambers said. The attacks came at the midway point of Cisco's quarter. Mr. Chambers said orders had been flowing smoothly in the June-August period, and then suffered a ''modest disruption'' after the attacks.
Cisco rose to glory in the 1990's, briefly becoming the world's most valuable company. But the bursting of the Internet bubble and subsequent slowdown in capital spending by service providers took a heavy toll on Cisco. It posted its first quarterly loss in May and took a $2.2 billion charge.
Revenue in its services division improved over the previous year, to $792 million from $608 million, but sales of networking products declined sharply, to $3.66 billion from $5.91 billion.
Analysts praised Cisco's handling of its internal operations to contend with a weakening business environment. ''What I would point out is the dichotomy between their ability to manage their internals -- which was absolutely first rate -- versus the exogenous factors that even Cisco can't control,'' said Tad LaFountain, a managing director with the investment bank Needham & Company.
Paul Sagawa of Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, one of the first analysts to predict a slowdown in technology investments, said Cisco performed better than he had predicted during several months of great economic uncertainty.
But he questioned whether that would continue. ''It may be difficult for them to sustain this level of sequential increase for the next few quarters,'' Mr. Sagawa said.Continue reading the main story

domain: news


text:
August 22nd, 2017
Hey, lunch buddies. That last week went FAST. The weekend went even quicker. To be completely honest I’m hopeful that this week follows suit. My wife and I have tickets to see Jim Gaffigan at the Minnesota State Fair this weekend.
For those that aren’t familiar with the great Minnesota get-together it’s a 12-day event that Minnesotan’s typically love. A combination of entertainment, great food and people watching. What isn’t to love?
What You Must Know
Article: Google sends out search console warnings for sites that aren’t SSL
Google’s Chrome browser will start displaying a “not secure” message in its address bar for sites that […] Read more


text:
China Fiscal Revenue Growth Slows to 11.9Pct, Central Revenue Fell10-19 13:51 Caijing
China's fiscal revenue growth slowed to 11.9 percent in September continuing a downward trend this year, the Ministry of Finance said Thursday, citing slowing industrial output and tax reductions.
China's fiscal revenue in the month stood at 825.8 billion yuan ($131.08 billion), up 11.9 percent from a year ago. Central fiscal revenue fell 2.4 percent to 366.4 billion yuan, while revenue collected by local governments rose 26.8 percent to 459.4 billion yuan ,according to a statement published on the ministry's website.
Growth of the country's fiscal revenues slowed to 8.1 percent in the third quarter, from Q2's 10 percent and Q1's 14.7 percent. Q3's growth marked a decrease of 18.6 percent from a year ago, ending a fast expanding era when growth hit 20-30 percent.
The ministry finance blamed easing economic expansion for the decline. With falling industrial output, slowing price growth and tax structural reforms, fiscal revenue growth "dropped substantially" in the first three months, it said.
China's economy has slowed for the seventh straight quarter, growing 7.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics announced Thursday.
In the first three quarters, tax revenues nationwide rose 8.6 percent year-on-year to 7.74 trillion yuan, the statement said.
Editors’ Picks »
- 1China to Cut Reserve Ratio for Some Rural Banks
- 2China M2 up 12.1Pc, Outstanding Yuan Loans 13.9 Pc in March
- 3Delayed Response to Tainted Water Raises Concerns
- 4China's FDI Inflow down 1.47% in March
- 5China's MMG to Acquire Las Bambas
- 6China’s Rare Earth Exchange Begins Trading Following WTO Ruling
- 7Alibaba’s Q4 Net Income More than Doubles Ahead of IPO
- 8China Trade Fair Shadowed by Weak Exports
- 9Embassy Says 2 Chinese Nationals Aboard Capsized S.Korean Ship
- 10South Korean Ferry Sinks off South Coast


text:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Food and Drug Administration has released new rules for food safety, at the urging of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Part of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, it represents the first major update in more than a century.
The first rules regulate fresh produce safety standards and food inspection.
They are part of a bill, passed two years ago, that include measures authored by Ms. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) requiring food distributors to alert consumers to food recalls.
"These are strong first steps to finally help give American families more confidence in the safety of the food we eat," said Ms. Gillibrand in a statement. "We've endured too many outbreaks and illnesses, and too many lost lives to food-borne illnesses that can be prevented. It is time to get serious about protecting our food supply and implement all necessary rules so we can keep our families safe."
Produce standards include worker hygiene, equipment and the use of manure.
Food inspection includes requiring manufacturers to have "hazard analysis and critical control points" to prevent and correct food borne hazards, including preventive controls, monitoring and record keeping.


text:
The LPG Marketing Companies Association has asked government to scrap taxes on LPG in next year’s budget.
Vice Chairman of the Association Gabby Kumi has warned that government’s quest to double usage of LPG to 50 percent by 2030 will be in jeopardy if the taxes remain.
Currently, only 25% of people, mainly urban dwellers, use LPG instead of charcoal. The group believes an increment in the usage of LPG will have a positive corresponding impact on the environment.
The LPG marketing Companies Association also argues that the average LPG cylinder size which cost 80GHC will reduce to about 50 Cedis if the taxes are scrapped, ‘we believe that if government takes away the 25% taxes on the product we can help government achieve its objective to increase usage’
The association says it has already written series of letters to the Ministry of Finance, NPA and other government agencies to consider their request. ‘Before the midyear review we called for reduction but unfortunately something small was added, we were given a slap instead’. MR. Kumi told Morning Starr Host Francis Abban that further increment in LPG prices will be disastrous for the nation


text:
Tuesday 9 August 2022 11:55 PM Bella Hadid shows off her taut tummy and long legs in a black sports bra and ... trends now
The model, 25, showed off her taut abs and long legs in a black sports bra that featured a 'Gotham' graphic, and a matching set of tiny black shorts.
After putting in the sweat at her workout, the Vogue cover girl was spotted grabbing a bite to eat in Soho.
Impressive: Bella Hadid put her impressive figure on display while leaving a gym in New York City on Tuesday
The runway phenomenon covered up in a white jacket and finalized her outfit with black sneakers and socks.
Gigi Hadid's sister shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of chic rectangular black sunglasses.
She wore her raven tresses in a sleeked back bun, and accessorized her outfit with a multitude of bracelets


text:
Nearly one year after hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman stepped onto a New York City stage to announce an allegiance with Valeant Pharmaceuticals, his Pershing Square hedge fund finally owns shares of the company.
Ackman’s hedge fund owns a nearly a 5% stake in Valeant, Reuters first reported on Monday. It’s a large stake for Pershing Square, a $3.3 billion bet that represents a big chunk of its portfolio.
When Ackman first teamed up with Valeant CEO Mike Pearson in April 2014 to back Valeant’s effort to buy Allergan, Ackman’s hedge fund disclosed a big stake in Allergan. At the time, Ackman made clear that while he had purchased Allergan’s stock, the company he really wanted to own was Valeant. “This is not your typical global pharmaceutical company that has the same product introduced in, you know, a thousand countries,” Ackman said at the time about Valeant. “What they do is they look for markets and opportunities and products that are niche, products that offer attractive growth and good kind of competitive dynamics—both on a product basis, on a geography basis. And they’ve done a remarkable job.”
Pearson’s first adventure with Ackman did not work out as planned. Allegan fought back tenaciously against Valeant’s hostile effort to buy the Botox maker and eventually found a different partner, agreeing to a $66 billion acquisition from Actavis. The deal still worked for Ackman since his hedge fund owned shares of Allergan. In fact, the deal drove Pershing Square’s excellent returns in 2014. “I learned a great deal,” Pearson told CNBC about the Allergan takeover experience. “I do every day I go to work.”
Now, Ackman is back and this time he actually owns Valeant stock. The pharmaceutical sector has experienced a recent wave of mergers, and biotech and specialty pharma stocks have become the stomping grounds of hedge funds. Valeant itself recently struck a deal to buy Salix Pharmaceuticals for $14 billion. But this time around Ackman will not be following his normal playbook. Instead, he has reportedly taken a passive position in Valeant, meaning that he will not be practicing his brand of activist investing, where he works to drive the behavior of a company in which he has a minority stake.
Still, Ackman might have an angle to play. In the case of Allergan, his moves were so aggressive that Allergan accused Ackman of operating an insider-trading scheme for buying a stake in Allergan when he knew an acquisition offer for the company was coming from Valeant. Ackman’s hedge fund currently owns a big stake in Zoetis, a company that some have speculated could be a target for Valeant.
Shares of Valeant, which have soared since Pearson took over as CEO in 2008, are already up another 40% this year. “I look at a chart like this and I say, ‘we’re kind of late to this party,’ Ackman said in April 2014 about Valeant’s stock. “But I actually think that the party will go on.” Ackman is betting on the Valeant stock party continuing in 2015.
By Nathan Vardi


text:
Want to stay updated on the latest news about the top Fortune 500 companies? You’ve come to the right place! I’m Steve Sorensen, a net worth blogger who covers large companies in the Fortune 500 rankings. My passion? To uncover these large companies’ business secrets and to learn about their journey climbing the Fortune 500 ranks.
The Apple Valuation
We love Apple. Even Apple haters have a soft spot in there somewhere. But just how much is Apple worth now? Previously, the tech giant has been hovering just a notch below the $ 700 billion mark, but last year’s earnings have finally pushed it beyond the 700 billion mark. However, there is one industry expert who thinks that Apple is actually worth at least a trillion dollars now.
You read that right, a trillion dollars! Let’s take a look at some of his arguments:
#1. Apple has a multiple of 15x compared to the S&P 500’s 17x. This simply means Apple is not overbought, and definitely not overvalued. The multiple is one way to measure a company’s value relative to its earnings. Generally, companies can have a multiple of 20x before investors put on the brakes and begin to reassess their projections. At a 20x multiple, though, this means Apple shares will be worth a staggering $215 at the minimum, giving it a total market capitalization of $1.3 trillion.
That’s a lot of zeroes, but you do the math—Apple reportedly sold 75 million iPhones last quarter. That’s one feat CEO Tim Cook can be proud of.
#2. Apple is peerless, with virtually no industry competition. If we look at other big tech names, say, Google, Microsoft, or Facebook, these companies are innovation leaders in their own right, but they have no competing core businesses with each other. In fact, if you look closely, their products and services are actually interconnected with one another, which means that one company’s sales can be related to the other company’s profit.
For Apple, what still sets them apart is their brand. They don’t play by any other company’s rules. For a lot of today’s standards, they made the rules.
In Other News
In other news, another Fortune 500 Company reached a new milestone in terms of market capitalization. Earlier this month, e-commerce giant Amazon climbed past Exxon Mobil to become the 4th largest company in the country, breaching the $362 billion mark. During the day’s session, Exxon Mobil lost 2% giving Amazon a leg up. Exxon Mobil had a market cap of $361.6 billion.
Amazon is reportedly busy in preparations to release a new music service, one that will rival Spotify, Pandora, and Jay-Z’s Tidal. Of the three streaming services, Pandora is the closest competition in terms of subscription fees. Rumor has it that Amazon’s subscription fee will only cost about half of the average, which is around $10. Pandora’s streaming free is at $5, and Amazon is looking to grab some of its market share with a streaming service called Echo.
For more news and updates about the top Fortune 500 Companies, stay tuned here. Steve Sorensen, the net worth blogger, will be bringing you more interesting business news on this page.


text:
Cha-ching! Telcos overcharge for text messages. We all know that, right? Unless you specifically subscribe to a text message plan in the United States, the carriers will charge you an exorbitant rate per message. For example, Verizon Wireless and AT&T will both charge $0.20 per text message if you don't buy a texting plan from them. Even at a more conservative pricing of five cents per message, that means the carriers are charging around $383,000 per gigabyte.
By comparison, the total cost for the Mars Global Surveyor to send a gigabyte back to Earth, is only $284,000. This includes the $200 million cost of launching the satellite, and nine years of operational costs incurred by its NASA crew. That's right -- it costs US tax payers $99,000 less to send a gigabyte of data from Mars than it does for cellphone users to send a gigabyte worth of 160 character text messages.Rick Falkvinge's math(Opens in a new window) shows that it would take 7.67 million text messages to make up a gigabyte. That may sound like a lot, but consider that in the US alone we have over 300 million cellphones in use as of this past June. Worldwide, we have over six billion mobile phones(Opens in a new window) in operation. That's a lot of potential text messages. After doing some rough calculations about what it actually costs telcos to transfer data, Falkvinge comes up with a shocking 15,000,000,000% markup on text messages. That's a tough pill to swallow even at a tiny fraction of the current markup. It's no wonder that Apple wanted to get around this obnoxious gouging for its customers by implementing iMessage on its devices. While the stability hasn't been great, Tim Cook announced back at the iPad Mini event that over 300 billion messages have been sent using iMessage -- completely disregarding the costly text message system of the carriers. Before Apple took on the telcos, RIM's BlackBerry phones were praised heavily for BBM's ability to circumvent the need for pricey text messaging. Even though RIM's brand has been significantly devalued, BBM is still widely used in some markets. It's obvious why it was so successful when you see the money that can be saved by bypassing text messages.
The advent of unlimited talk and text plans have made the high-end market of smartphones and feature phones somewhat easier to accept, but pay-as-you-go plans at the bottom of the market are still shockingly overpriced. Whenever telcos like AT&T complain about overtaxed networks, and decide to implement restrictions on features like FaceTime for paying customers with data plans, let's just remember how much they gouge us. Twenty cents for 140 bytes of text is absolutely ridiculous, and they know it.Now read: The secret world of submarine cables


text:
Alipay, the e-payment arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, teams up with China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to launch a service on Wednesday that allows commuters use public transport without IC cards or waiting in line to buy a ticket.
Through wiping near-field communications-supported mobile phones at readers at public transport stations, people can travel in a more convenient style. What they need to do is to buy a NFC-enabled mobile phone, download Alipay Wallet, the app of Alipay, and apply for a virtual public transportation card through the app.
The service is one part of Alipay's project named "future pubic transportation", which aims to build a public system that offers convenient service in the mobile Internet era.
The NFC-based public transportation service co-launched by Alipay and the housing authority is expected to be available soon in 35 cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Ningbo. According to Alipay, as many as 60 cities in China are expected to join the project by the end of this year.
Ma Hong, director of the pubic transportation service center at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said that with the economic progress, people are traveling more frequently.
"Because different cities use different IC cards for public transport, people have to buy new cards whenever they go to a new city. It is high time to find a unified solution to this problem," Ma said, adding that thanks to the service co-launched by Alipay and her ministry, people can now travel in a more convenient way.
Through teaming up with Alipay, which has about 100 million mobile users, the ministry can effectively boost the user group of the virtual IC cards. Alipay said in a statement that it will open its resources to mobile phone makers and public transport authority in order to improve the transport system in China.


text:
Ford Says Time Is Now to Push EVs in U.S.
Electric vehicles account for less than 2% of the U.S. market, but Ford Motor Co. says now is the time to roll out new models and educate consumers about their advantages.
Electric vehicles claim less than 2% of the U.S. passenger vehicle market, but Ford Motor Co. says now is the time to roll out new models and educate consumers about their advantages.
EVs still cost more than conventional vehicles. But the gap is narrowing dramatically, Ted Cannis, head of Ford’s global electric vehicle program, tells the Associated Press. He points to rapidly falling component and battery prices.
Cannis notes that electric powertrains offer impressive performance. Their more compact hardware also gives carmakers more design flexibility. “You can give things to the customer they never had before,” Cannis declares.
Ford will unveil the first in an array of new all-electric vehicles—a Mustang-inspired crossover—a week from now at the Los Angeles auto show. The car will boast a range of about 300 miles per charge, according to Cannis. Five more EV models are due by 2022, including an all-electric iteration of the F-Series large pickup truck.
Cannis says Ford’s upcoming EVs will cater to the company’s strongest markets, where profit margins are strongest: performance vehicles, commercial vans and F-Series pickups.
Although the term “continuous improvement” is generally associated with another company, Honda is certainly pursuing that approach, as is evidenced by the Accord, which is now in its ninth generation.
The engineers at Munro & Associates have taken a perfectly sound BMW i3 and taken it apart. Completely apart. And they are impressed with what they’ve discovered about how the EV is engineered.
Lithium-ion batteries have become the technology of choice for EVs, and falling costs and rising energy levels could keep them on top for nearly two decades.


text:
Target stores, the nation’s second largest department store chain, is offering some free services as an apology for its security breach, according to a Web Pro News article published on December 23, 2013.
Target admitted last week that customers’ personal information, including credit card numbers, debit card numbers, card expiration dates, etc., was exposed and potentially at risk. The data breach affects customers who shopped at Target store locations between November 27 and December 15. Online customers are safe, but those who shopped at a brick & mortar store could have had personal information stolen.
To make it up to its loyal customers, Target is offering free credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies. Target is making this offer to provide its customers a little greater peace of mind and CEO Gregg Steinhafel wants customers to know that his company accepts full responsibility.
“We want to reassure guests that they will not be held financially responsible for any credit and debit card fraud,” said Steinhafel.
For those who are directly affected by the data breach, Target is adding an additional freebie: Free fraud monitoring services. The company wants its customers to feel safe when they shop and wants to do all it can to restore confidence.
Target says the number of potential fraud victims approaches 40 million. The data breach began right around the start of the holiday shopping season and continued through mid- December. This is, of course, the busiest time of the year for retail businesses and tens of millions of Target shoppers could be affected.
Target did not try to hide the data breach or point fingers. Once the issue was known, Target management immediately notified authorities, banks, and the public. The problem has since been resolved, but Target has hired a forensic organization to find out how the breach occurred and what needs to be done to prevent such a problem in the future.
Those who shopped at Target during the affected time period are advised to analyze credit card and bank statements carefully and take advantage of the free credit reports for their own security and personal financial management.
Want to find more money saving tips, financial advice, and consumer discounts? Visit Money Saving Parent today!
I hope you enjoyed this post! Click the “subscribe” link above or below to receive automatic updates whenever a new post is made.


text:
Posted on April 10, 2012
In accordance with the news reported by European Inautonews, Toyota
will stop the production of (Daihatsu) Copen, which is the unique light
convertible in Japan, Japan’s compact convertibles plaied the swan
song. Copen is a two-seater compact convertible installed with 1.3
liters turbocharged four cylinder engine. At first, most consumers were
seeking for innovative and funny, which made Copen to be very popular
at that time. But after 10 years, the idea of people to buy vehicles
has changed, the sale of the Copen alsoare obscure.car code scanner
So Toyota announced that it would no longer to produce such a vehicle.
Nothing about whether to release alternative car has been mentioned.
However, news that Toyota is poised for the production of Copen in 10th
Anniversary Edition. Data showed that the Copen sold only 2000 units
in 2011, annual sales volume only equals to the output of one quarter.
The earliest Copen as a concept car debuted on Tokyo motor show in
1999. In order to reach the index of light vehicles in Japan, and this
vehicle is only equipped with 660 CC turbocharged engine. For export
vehicles, 1.3-liter engine meets the demand of foreign consumers. genisys scan tool
On January 13, 2011, due to the strength of the yen going higher,
DAIHATSU had announced that it will quit Copen from the Europe market
on January 31, 2013. On April 2, 2012, DAIHATSU announced again, in
addition to reproduction of 500 units Copen in 10th Anniversary
Edition, the production of Copen will be stopped absolutly in this
More information, please refer to www.reliabletop.com


text:
Recently Porschefiles were graciously invited to Singapore’s launch of the all-new second generation Porsche 911. The stunning event, which took place at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in the heart of Singapore’s CBD was by far one of the best events we have attended.
The people, the atmosphere and the astonishing laser show during the main presentation together made this a truly momentous occasion
The show presented six models in Porsche’s current range including the Turbo, Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera 4S, Cabriolet and of course the Targa.
Once the main presentation had concluded spectators were welcomed to come take a first hand look at the amazing vehicles. We took up this offer and soon took an in depth look at each of the models in the video.
Overall this was a stunning event, which will definitely be remembered. Take a look at the video and some other photos here.


text:
New bikes, a new engine platform – KTM’s has big plans for the upcoming models
The Austrians are workin on a 490cc engine platform and bring the 125 hp 890 Duke R engine to the supermoto and adventure segment.
A presentation by Pierer Mobility showcased the future for KTM models – a new 490cc engine platform. The new bikes will be powered by twin-cylinder engines and the models include the 490 Duke, 490 Adventure, RC490, 490 SMC R and 490 Enduro R. Stefan Pierer, KTM President, said the 500cc powerplants are developed in India with Bajaj. Thus, the 490cc’s motorcycles will be targeted for the Indian and European markets.
The 390cc bike range will not disappear when the 490cc bikes are launched. The platform for the 890cc models is the KTM 890 Duke R which has a twin-cylinder engine capable of making 125 hp. The new bikes will be the 890 Adventure, 890 SMC and 890 Enduro R.
The 490cc models are expected to be launched in late 2020, probably at Intermot and EICMA.


text:
How can $BTC’s rise bring about another revolution in crypto development?
If you have been tracking the crypto market lately, you might have a smiling face, as the legendary Bitcoin ($BTC) has crossed US$20,000 and is surging further. Fintech experts focusing on Web3 have commented optimistically, saying that we could witness yet another crypto bull run this year.
From a wider perspective, such surges in the price of Bitcoin could assist cryptocurrency development, as the entire market’s movement depends on it. Business players wanting to tap into the crypto market could do it now without a doubt.
You might want to make use of seasoned cryptocurrency development experts to launch your new tokens for your Web3 business.
Hit the accelerator in the crypto market with our crypto development experts!
We have been creating cryptocurrencies for ventures, using our expertise in multiple blockchain networks. Most of them are faring excellently in the market, with considerable capitalization.
You’ll never need to worry about the quality of our work, as our ethos is based on bringing your business dreams to life!


text:
McDonald's shares continued to climb Wednesday as they crossed a new milestone. » Read More
McDonald's just got some good news. It is the top choice for 'Breakfastarians,' who crave breakfast food at any hour, according to a new survey.
Starbucks and Panera Bread have some big news for fans of their Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
It's out with the old and in with the new at Diet Pepsi. CNBC heads to Times Square to see whether people can taste a difference.
After disappointing El Pollo Loco results, CNBC "Fast Money" traders looked at other ways to play the restaurant industry.
A lawsuit filed by NBA great Michael Jordan against a defunct grocery store chain is revealing some dollar signs behind Brand Jordan.
Coke's relationship with a group advocating exercise for keeping weight off stirred debate. Now the scientist is firing back.
U.S. egg prices continued their upward climb following the most devastating outbreak of bird flu in decades, according to a USDA report this week.
Opponents of the $15 minimum wage are practicing "Chicken Little Economics" and it needs to stop, says billionaire VC Nick Hanauer.
The fast food giant is quietly changing the meaning of a Quarter Pounder.
A new bun out of KFC China shows just how deep into the Crayola box fast food giants are willing to dig.
How far does the Chicken Fries frontier stretch? Burger King intends to find out.
Brittany Creech, a high school senior from Missouri, decided that the backdrop of her senior photo would be her favorite restaurant: Taco Bell.
Fast casual burger chain Shake Shack also raised guidance and announced a proposed second offering.
Chick-fil-A's long-awaited first freestanding location in New York City officially has an opening date.
As restaurants, like McDonald's, double down on breakfast, their timing is from far from eggscellent.
McDonald's said on Thursday it laid off in July 135 employees at its U.S. headquarters and 90 employees posted overseas as part of a restructuring.
Bojangles' earnings and same-store sales edged above expectations on Thursday.
Sticker shock at the grocery store could soon get even worse.
What's the state of the restaurant industry? It depends where you look.
Federal investigators looking to obtain messages that suggest former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle paid a 16 year old girl for sex, a report said.
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox


text:
US dollar is retreating ahead of GDP
US dollar has paused after reaching a 1-month high versus a basket of currencies on US economic data and comments from the Federal Reserve officials on Thursday. All eyes are now on the US preliminary Q4 GDP due at 13:30 GMT.
EUR/USD is flat in the 1.1200 area. Traders await German inflation figures due later in the day.
USD/JPY eased to 119.10 from yesterday’s high at 119.50. Japanese data released during the Asia session was mixed, though mostly negative. Industrial production jumped by 4%, but retail sales fell by 2% and core consumer prices rose less than expected (2.2% vs. the forecast of 2.4%).
GBP/USD found support in the 1.5400 area and retested 1.5420. Pound is supported by the Bank of England’s rate expectations.
AUD/USD found support at 0.7777 (short-term uptrend line) and is now above 0.7800. Aussie recovered because of the general pullback in USD. Today watch the American data as well as changes in commodity prices.


text:
- Reduction in investments comparable to the financial crisis of 2008-09
- Q3 profit plunges 60%, misses estimates
- Inflation and gloomy economic outlook weigh on demand
SEOUL, Oct 26 (Reuters) – South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS) warned on Wednesday of an “unprecedented deterioration” in demand for memory chips, heightening fears of a global recession, and said it would cut investments after quarterly profits fell 60%. .
The world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, whose customers include Apple Inc (AAPL.O), said its investment in 2023 will be cut by more than 50% – an echo of cuts to the memory chip industry during the financial crisis of 2008-09 which painted a striking portrait of the scale of a global slowdown in technological demand.
Chipmakers had seen a surge in post-pandemic demand until earlier this year. But demand has weakened sharply in recent months as soaring inflation, rising interest rates and a bleak economic outlook have led consumers and businesses to cut spending.
“We expect the market to stabilize to some degree by the second half of next year, but we’re not ruling out the possibility of a longer downturn,” Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Noh told analysts. at SK Hynix.
Investors looked beyond the gloomy outlook to welcome the aggressive cut in investment, sending shares of SK Hynix up 1.7% in a bet that the scale of the action would help control the oversupply of chips and support chip prices.
SK Hynix’s dire projections add to a flurry of warnings from US tech giants this week about faltering growth prospects. Microsoft Corp on Tuesday forecast quarterly revenue below Wall Street targets across all of its business units, including its cloud business and PC unit.
SK Hynix said its operating profit fell to 1.66 trillion won ($1.16 billion) in the July-September quarter from 4.2 trillion won a year earlier. The result was below analysts’ expectations of a profit of 1.87 trillion won, according to Refinitiv SmartEstimate.
“Supply will continue to outstrip demand at this time,” SK Hynix said in a statement, pointing to lower shipments of laptops and smartphones.
Memory chip prices fell 20% as demand fell across all applications in the third quarter, SK Hynix said, citing lower shipments of PCs and smartphones as data centers prioritized storage. using existing chip inventory.
NO RETURN UNTIL THE END OF 2023?
SK Hynix said its investment in 2022 is expected to be in the “upper range of 10 trillion to 20 trillion won ($7 billion to $14 billion)”, which means investments in 2023 could fall below 10. 000 billion won.
“The reduction in investment was bigger than I expected,” said Daishin Securities analyst Wi Minbok.
“Even if SK Hynix cuts investment, it will take around six months for actual production to be affected…We don’t expect market conditions to recover until Q3 2023.”
Other chipmakers have also started to cut supply and investment. US-based Micron Technology (MU.O) plans to cut investment by more than 30% next year, while Taiwanese giant TSMC has also cut its 2022 investment plan.
The spending cuts come as the global smartphone market, a key revenue source for the chip industry, contracted 9% year on year in July-September, marking the worst third quarter since 2014, according to the Canalys analysis supplier.
SK Hynix also warned of uncertainties about its chip factories in China due to US restrictions on the export of advanced chip equipment to China aimed at slowing Beijing’s technological advances.
The company received a one-year waiver over restrictions on its chip factories in China, but said it would be difficult to operate its Wuxi factory in the country if the waiver was not extended, and may need to consider selling the plant or bringing in equipment. to South Korea.
($1 = 1,426.6500 won)
Reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Richard Pullin and Kenneth Maxwell
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
#unprecedented #global #meltdown #Hynix #halves #investment #recession #looms


text:
Advances in robotics technology are making some retailers think about how they can integrate robots into their operations.
Vikram Sachdeva's six-location Seed and Stone cannabis store chain recently started using a robot from GreenCo Robots at his Delta location as part of a trial run. Sachdeva, CEO, said his intent is to have something to entertain customers when his store’s budtenders are busy ringing in sales or helping others.
“Once we see what the challenges are, and how we want to roll it out, we were thinking of putting a pamphlet or floor stand that says, ‘Say hi to ask him what you need,’” he said.
Sachdeva does not intend for the robot to replace his human staff. His robot has a screen that the customer can use to search, order and pay for products, but, by law, in-store cannabis products need to be provided by human beings, he said.
GreenCo’s CEO Liang Yu told BIV that dozens of B.C. restaurants are using his robots and that retail stores are also starting to see value in having them.
Vancouver-based Best Buy Canada has tested GreenCo’s robots at special events to help spread marketing messages about the event and help people find products.
"Customers could interact with the robot and select one of the seven experiences we had set up for the event, and the robot would lead them to each section before returning back to the front of the store to greet customers," Best Buy spokesman Mathew Wilson told BIV.
London Drugs sent BIV a statement saying that "for confidentiality reasons" the chain would not discuss "investments in technology related to robots in retail.”
Yu said he also helps retailers by offering them robots that are designed to work in warehouses.
Those robots can reduce in size to get underneath pallets, and then rise to carry the pallets to desired locations.
They can also bring boxes of products to a human to pick one item in cases where the human would otherwise have to walk down aisles.
High-tech shopping carts are another form of robotic technology.
Sobeys (TSX:SBY) started testing what it called intelligent shopping carts in some Canadian stores in 2019.
Customers could place items in the cart, which would have a screen displaying a running tally of purchases. It also allowed customers to pay with their cart, thereby bypassing lineups.
Chinese retail giant JD.com is widely using robots that resemble shopping carts at its 7Fresh Markets.
Customers in China put on bracelets that communicate with the stand-alone shopping-cart robots.
“The cart follows you around the store,” said Kostya Polyakov, KPMG’s Canadian national industry leader in its consumer and retail practice.
“It can direct you to find the product that you wanted to buy. The cart is aware of promotions and sales. When you walk by something, it’ll pipe up, say, ‘Hey, this peanut butter is on sale.’ When you put something in the basket, it knows what you put in. At the end, you just walk out. You’ve paid for it.”
Save-On-Foods CEO Darrell Jones told BIV last year that his company did not adopt smart-shopping-cart technology in part because he was not convinced that weigh scales were accurate, and that he did not want customers to be incorrectly charged for items.
He added that customers were not requesting the technology.
BIV asked him in October whether his company is considering adopting robots for customers to use, and he said nothing is in the works.
“Robotics is something that we’re focused on in our warehousing and in places that aren’t customer facing,” he said.
“There’s some work being done on shopping carts, where you scan your groceries into the cart yourself – things like that. We’re looking at all those things, but in terms of robots actually doing things, no, I don’t think there’s anything out there now that would be financially viable for us.”
Christine Day, who was CEO at Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Nasdaq:LULU) for five years and previously headed Starbucks Corp.’s (Nasdaq:SBUX) Asian operations, now heads the sustainable clothing company House of LR&C.
She told BIV that robots cannot offer the insight and customer connection that knowledgeable salespeople can provide in fashion boutiques.
“I don’t think it ever replaces knowledgeable employees and engaging customer service,” she told BIV.
“People still crave a human connection. They want to know and be known. That’s part of the retail experience, and I don’t think that will ever go away.”
Day said the job of retail fashion store sales associates is increasingly to be “stylist influencers,” meaning that they will get to know what the customer’s style is and be able to recommend relevant clothing.
Robots could be used in retail to refill racks, execute cashier transactions and otherwise help the stylists, Day said.
“The job will be more rewarding when you’re the stylist-influencer in the store, compared with if you’re being just the person who rings up transactions or restocks.”


text:
From The Super Mario Bros. Super Show that cast a WWE wrestler as Mario, to the little-known Battletoads show that aired for one episode in the ’90s, TV shows based on video games are seldom remembered fondly. But that hasn’t stopped the BBC from mining one of gaming’s most lucrative franchises for an upcoming show based on Grand Theft Auto.
It’s surprising enough to see that the BBC has made plans for a TV drama based on Grand Theft Auto, but what’s even more surprising is that it’s for kids. The show will be part of the BBC’s new Make It Digital program, “a major UK-wide initiative to inspire a new generation to get creative with coding, programming and digital technology.”
The program is multifaceted, with projects mainly aimed at helping children and younger adults learn technology related skills, but it also includes a “season of programmes and online activity involving the BBC’s biggest and best-loved brands.” Some of these are names readers might be familiar with, like Doctor Who in particular, but one of the most interesting tidbits is the mention of a drama airing on BBC Two based on Grand Theft Auto.
The initial announcement was vague, leaving the details up to the imagination. Before you start writing angry letters (or celebrating) at the prospect of a television series full of drugs, sex, and violence being included in an initiative to educate British youth, it turns out that the series isn’t based on what happens in the games themselves, but what happens behind the scenes.
The series will supposedly be closer in concept to shows like AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, which follows a fictional company creating IBM clones in the 1980s Silicon Prairie. The new series will follow Rockstar Games founders San and Dan Houser as they start down the path that leads to the creation of the Grand Theft Auto games, according to IGN.
Gamers who only have a vague familiarity with the franchise might wonder why the series is airing on BBC Two, but though Rockstar is headquartered in New York, the Houser brothers were born and raised in London. It isn’t yet known when the program will air, but the tone of the BBC press release suggests that it could be this year.
- How do you film what isn’t real? Joe Hunting on his documentary We Met in Virtual Reality
- Grand Theft Auto 6: release date, trailer, gameplay, and more
- Grand Theft Auto 6 will reportedly feature the series’ first female protagonist
- Even Grand Theft Auto Online has high gas prices in new expansion
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is leaving Xbox Game Pass


text:
Champaign’s newest pizza place offers a traditional take on pan pizza, filling a void created by the closures of multiple pizza restaurants.
Our regular updates on the restaurants that are going (many) and coming (fewer) in Champaign-Urbana.
Champaign lost one of its deep dish pizza producers this week — Giordano’s — at Market Place Shopping Center.
If you’re a pizza connoisseur the Chicago Pizza Tours might be ideal for your next day trip.
Our regular updates on the restaurants that are coming (many) or going (fewer) Champaign-Urbana.


text:
Infosys has announced that it has made an investment of $3 million in US based startup WHOOP, an early stage company offering a performance optimization system for elite professional sports teams.
It is a wearable device worn by athletes on their wrist that continuously measures key strain and recovery variables, and actionable analytics powered by proprietary algorithms that generate intensity and recovery scores.
This enables athletes and coaches to gain visibility into the drivers of high performance, guide training and make optimal game day decisions.
The investment will be completed by December 16, 2015.
Infosys had earlier also invested in US based Airviz Speck, Bangalore based ANSR Consulting, Vertex Ventures, Nova and CloudEndure.


text:
(BPT) - The economic impact of COVID-19 has hit U.S. employees hard, causing millions to lose their jobs or be furloughed, while others switched to all-remote work — and still others risk their health to stay employed. The pandemic has also affected some sectors much harder than others.
(BPT) - Roughly 1.8 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States in 2020, according to the National Cancer Institute. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—the most common type of acute leukemia—is an aggressive blood cancer characterized by the rapid growth of cells that accu…
(BPT) - While there is growing public awareness about cancer in general, there are many types of cancer that are not well known or are misunderstood.
(NAPSI)—Here’s good news for America’s approximately 70 million grandparents: A growing problem that has been bugging families since the advent of the digital photo revolution—“Where is the latest photo of my grandchild?”—may have a surprising solution thanks to two enterprising granddads, S…
(StatePoint) The negative effects of social media have been much discussed as of late, thanks to the recently released documentary on Netflix, “The Social Dilemma.”
(StatePoint) Many kids gravitate toward technology, leaving parents looking for ways to introduce it to them in a safe, age-appropriate way. Here are three examples of how kids can turn to their gadgets and gear to inspire their creative side, build new skills and even get outdoors and on the move:
(NewsUSA) - The COVID-19 pandemic has shattered many preconceived notions about careers and technology. In particular, demand for transportation technicians is surging as the government has declared transportation technicians (mechanics) to be essential workers.
(StatePoint) New data reveals that in uncertain times, consumers and businesses need even greater vigilance when it comes to their cybersecurity.
(StatePoint) Spam and scam calls are the #1 complaint to the FCC. Americans were barraged by over 58 billion scam and unwanted robocalls last year, costing them over $10 billion. This year proves things are only getting worse. As the coronavirus began making news, scammers made an estimated …
(StatePoint) Americans are spending more time at home, which means they’re likely spending more time online. While their attention is focused on staying healthy, they shouldn’t forget to stay vigilant about cybersecurity either.
(StatePoint) Whether you’re at home relaxing or an adventure, you can use your technology to optimize the experience. Here are five ways to harness your gadgets, apps and more to improve your life:


text:
I never knew I would say this, but it seems that our Samsung Smart TV might just be too smart for our own good.
After being strong armed, Samsung has finally confirmed that their ‘Smart TV’ has the ability to eaves drop on conversations, and that they have had to warn their customers to not discuss personal information near their TV set.
The new sophisticated technology was designed to enable you to easily operate your TV without having to push a button. The feature allows you to easily control functions such as turning your TV on/off, changing channels, accessing apps and navigating the web. It all sounds quite wonderful until you read the small print.
The policy, outed by the Daily Beast, points out, “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third-party.”
It sounds all quite science fiction, the idea of your Smart TV, a valued member of the ‘family’, having the power to share your sensitive data. On the ‘glitch’, the tech brand has disclosed that the voice activation feature on its smart TV has the capability to capture all nearby conversations that it will then share with Samsung and third-party services.
With all eyes now on the small print, that no one ever reads, Samsung released a new statement, “If a consumer consents and uses the voice recognition feature, voice data is provided to a third-party during a requested voice command search”.
Although Samsung has confirmed that they do not retain or sell the voice data, it does look like privacy was an afterthought for the brand. Which is why it is imperative that when technology is involved that security and privacy should always take priority. There is no point in making our lives easier if it means that we sacrifice our right to privacy. Lets not put more fuel onto the already burning fire of those already suspicious of technology and fear the kind of control that it can have over us.
On a positive note, the good news is that you can turn off voice recognition by simply pressing the menu button on the remote control of smart TV that then gives you access to the option to cancel the voice recognition function. If it all sounds confusing then we have made it easier for you below.


text:
A surprising number of Americans are confused about where chocolate milk comes from. According to a new survey, nearly half the US population (47 percent) are unsure about where chocolate milk comes from. Seven percent think that chocolate milk comes to us from brown cows. Yes, you read this right, Seven percent of Americans!
The survey was conducted in April by Undeniably Dairy, a group within the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy that represents family dairy farmers. This survey was conducted on more than 1,000 adults 18 and over. It found a lot of interesting tidbits about people’s views on milk (37 percent of milk drinkers secretly drink it right out of the carton, for example), but the chocolate milk insight was the most unexpected and weird.
The fact is that chocolate milk is just a flavored version of milk that comes from cows. The color of a cow has nothing to do with the type of milk that is produced. It is simply just milk that gets pasteurized, packaged, and sold in grocery stores. So, no, chocolate milk does Not come from brown cows!


text:
Scrip Asia 100 - Attracting brains and the big bucks
This article was originally published in Scrip
You may also be interested in...
UK engineering firm Dyson, best known for its vacuum cleaners, fans and hand driers, plans to make 10,000 specially designed ventilators under a UK government contract.
Production of ventilators is up by tens of thousands of units across Europe, but the supply chain is likely to come under strain with further expansion.
The proceeds from the investment will enable Nyxoah to prepare for the IDE pivotal trial of the Genio system in the US, and accelerate market access and commercialization activities in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.


text:
Tunisia plans to reach 50-60% of tourist arrivals in 2019
Tunis/Tunisia — Tunisia plans to reach between 50 and 60% of the tourist arrivals recorded in 2019 this year, said Tourism Minister Mohamed Moez Belhassine.
Current reservations represent around 50% of what was made during the same period of 2019, he indicated during a symposium organized on Tuesday by the Tunisian Federation of Travel and Tourism Agencies (FTAV) on the theme: “Is Tunisia ready for tourism? recovery?”.
He declared that Tunisia is a “COVID-safe” destination adding that the lifting of the latest health restrictions will allow the country to position itself in the same line of competing destinations.
In this context, he insisted on the importance of putting in place, as soon as possible, the tourism code and the strategy of the sector by 2035.
For her part, the President of the Tunisian Federation of the Hotel Industry (FTH), Dorra Miled stressed that hoteliers “are not yet ready for the resumption of their activities, deploring the deterioration of the condition of the hotels”. financial support measures to ensure the reopening of hotel units.
For his part, the president of the FTAV, Jabeur Ben Attouch, underlined the importance of adopting a participative and united approach to overcome the challenges imposed by the crisis and succeed in the short term.
On the other hand, the director general of Tunisian civil aviation, Habib Mekki, recalled that the two companies Tunisair and Nouvelair have confirmed their commitment to the success of this tourist season.


text:
Apple sees India as the next key driver for growth, a top analyst said Friday, only days after Cupertino reported “near doubling” of revenue in the country for the third quarter ended June 2022.
After the iPhone 11, 12, and 13, Apple seems geared to, also, make the upcoming iPhone 14 in India but the bigger news is, shipping may occur “almost simultaneously with China” for the first time in the company’s history. Foxconn will reportedly be its manufacturing partner.
With the looming unrest around China, it is not surprising to see Apple, a US company, pushing to move more and more manufacturing outside of China.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the move to build a non-Chinese iPhone production site would help reduce the geopolitical impacts on supply of the iPhone 14 which is due to launch in September alongside the pro iPhone 14 models.
India’s iPhone shipments would have a considerable gap with China in the short term, Kuo notes, but this would be an important milestone, regardless, considering that India has been one quarter or more behind in the past.
Elsewhere, local assembly should help Apple save on import duties and have tighter control over supplies while expediting market availability of the iPhone in the world’s fastest growing smartphone market.
Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 with the first-generation iPhone SE. Its current-generation iPhone 13 is made by Foxconn in southern Tamil Nadu state. Foxconn also makes the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 in India.
Despite being the world’s most valuable company, Apple has struggled to get a toehold in the 1.3 billion-strong India market. It is showing signs of progress, though.
CEO Tim Cook, during a recent earnings call, had highlighted a near doubling of revenue in the country while CFO Luca Maestri said the company had set an all-time sales record in its services business while pointing out how enterprise customers were “increasingly investing in Apple products as a strategy to attract and retain talent.”


text:
Posts Tagged ‘ ByteDance ’
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Franklin Templeton Private Equity Strategy has exited vernacular news aggregator Dailyhunt, selling its stake to existing investor Bytedance of China, a financial daily reported on Wednesday. Franklin Templeton PE sold its stake in Ver Se’ Innovation Pvt. Ltd, which runs Dailyhunt, for around Rs 1...
Ver Se’ Innovation Pvt. Ltd, which runs vernacular news aggregator DailyHunt, has raised $25 million (Rs 168 crore) in a fresh round of funding from Chinese content provider ByteDance, it said in a statement. The Bangalore-based company said Arun Sarin, former CEO of Vodafone, and existing investo...
15 October, 2016 |


text:
After four years in operation, Ivanka Trump’s namesake brand is shutting down.
Trump officially stepped away from the company in January 2017 to take on the role of a senior adviser to the White House. Abigail Klem, the company’s chief brand officer, became president.
The company is letting its licensing deals, including a global one with G-III Apparel Group (GIII), expire this month. Trump claims that her work in Washington and rumblings about potential conflicts of interest are hindering the growth of the company.
“When we first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve. After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners,” she said in a statement.
After seeing a bump up in sales during the 2016 presidential election, retailers have been distancing themselves from the brand, making it difficult for many shoppers to even find her items in stores.
Retailers ditching the brand
Last February, retailers Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom (JWN) dropped Trump’s clothing from their stores. Since then, Hudson’s Bay stores in Canada and DSW (DSW) have also ditched the line. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both owned by TJX Companies (TJX), still carry the brand, but employees were told not to display or market the items prominently.
Online sales of Ivanka Trump’s items on Amazon.com, Macy’s Inc., Bloomingdale’s and Zappos.com fell nearly 45% over the last year, compared with the year-earlier period, according to Rakuten Intelligence, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Grassroots movements like #GrabYourWallet — a campaign that targets retailers that sell Trump products — have certainly accelerated the push to ditch Ivanka Trump apparel and accessories.
“Views on the brand have become highly polarized and it has become a lightning rod for protests and boycotts. While the company is still viable, doing business has become far more challenging and these problems will only increase,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.
While the polarizing Trump name undeniably had a dampening effect on sales, it isn’t the only reason for the brand’s demise. Trump’s line is best known for its pastel and floral sheath dresses and pearl earrings. Her clothes were never a “destination” category, according to Jan Rogers Kniffen, a former retail executive and the current CEO of J Rogers Kniffen WWE, a firm that consults investors in retail companies.
Retail analyst Hitha Herzog believes there’s a more straightforward explanation.
“G-III had mentioned that the Ivanka Trump deal was for her name for apparel, accessories and shoes. This was just a licensing deal expiring and they decided not to renew rather than finding another company to do another deal,” she said. “We saw it coming, I’m not that surprised. But this happens with brands — the licensing deal ran out.”


text:
At Dreamforce, Salesforce.com Expands Voice Across Its CRM Application Portfolio
Salesforce.com has incorporated the Einstein Voice Assistant into the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform, enabling millions of CRM users to talk to their Salesforce applications, the company announced today at its Dreamforce user conference in San Francisco.
Salesforce first introduced the Einstein Voice Assistant, allowing sales reps to talk to their Salesforce apps to perform routine CRM transactions, like creating or updating customer records, getting personalized daily briefings, or exploring dashboards, at last yea's Dreamforce event.
The voice innovations announced at this year's event, which drew 150,000 attendees, include the release of Service Cloud Voice, Einstein Call Coaching, and the expansion of Einstein Voice Skills, which will empower users to create custom voice apps across the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform.
The new solutions for service and sales teams apply natural language processing to voice conversations and deliver insights that drive smarter, more personalized customer engagement.
"Voice is a huge shift for the industry and will be as impactful in businesses as it's been in our homes," said Bret Taylor, president and chief product officer at Salesforce. "With Einstein, Salesforce is bringing the power of voice to every business, giving everyone an intelligent, trusted guide at work."
Service Cloud Voice, a highlight of Salesforce's new voice efforts integrates telephony inside Service Cloud, unifying phone, digital channels, and CRM data in real time in one centralized console. Service Cloud Voice can also integrate with transcription services and serve up relevant, artificial intelligence-powered recommended responses, knowledge articles, and next-best actions as service agents are on voice calls.
With Service Cloud Voice, Service Cloud users can do the following
- Integrate telephony and route calls on a single platform;
- Reduce data entry and call wrap-up time with automatic transcription capabilities;
- Leverage AI-powered agent recommendations from Einstein AI.
- Empower supervisors with real-time omnichannel visibility through a supervisor console that lets them view all calls and digital conversations in real time, monitor where calls are being routed and which skills each agent has, and which conversations might require them to assist on or offer coaching live or after the fact.
"Delivering great customer service consistently can be challenging for companies, especially when call volume is extremely high and queries are becoming increasingly complex," said Bill Patterson, executive vice president and general manager of Service Cloud. "These latest Service Cloud innovations will help companies meet these rising demands and empower phone agents to focus on the human side of service — solving difficult problems for customers and doing it with empathy."
Salesforce also today announced an integration between Amazon Connect, Amazon's cloud contact center suite, and Salesforce Service Cloud. Salesforce already relies on AWS as its primary public cloud provider, and through this partnership, Salesforce has chosen Amazon Connect as its preferred contact center technology.
Now, when a phone call is routed to a service agent, it appears directly within the agent's workspace. Amazon Connect is also providing AI-powered speech analytics, using Amazon Transcribe, Amazon Translate, and Amazon Comprehend, to surface sentiment analysis, speech-to-text transcription, and translation into preferred languages, directly to agents through Service Cloud Voice.
Salesforce is also exploring ways to make Einstein Voice Skills compatible with Amazon Alexa, among other voice assistants and devices. In September, Salesforce joined Amazon and several other technology companies to announce the Voice Interoperability Initiative.
"Salesforce's growing partnership with AWS is fueled by a shared commitment to customer success" Taylor said. "Together, we're making it easier for companies to deploy powerful AI and voice technologies to deliver smarter and faster customer service experiences."
Also new this year from Salesforce is Einstein Call Coaching, a Sales Cloud capability that allows managers to see insights and trends within conversational data. Natural language processing identifies keywords in sales call transcripts, alerting managers to trends like spikes in competitor mentions, or best practices on topics like objection handling or pricing discussions. Those insights can then be used to provide sales reps with personalized coaching on how to improve the customer buying experience
Salesforce also used the Dreamforce conference to introduce Customer 360 Truth, a set of data and identity services that enable companies to build a single source of truth across all of their customer relationships. Customer 360 Truth connects data from sales, service, marketing, commerce and more to create a single, universal Salesforce ID for each customer.
Customer 360 Truth enhances data management across Salesforce apps and other systems and provides instant access to consistent, reconciled customer data. Services include the following:
- Customer 360 Data Manager, allowing users to access, connect, and resolve customer data across Salesforce and other systems, using a canonical data model and a universal Salesforce ID;
- Salesforce Identity for Customers, enabling a single, authenticated, and secure relationship between customers and all company websites, e-commerce stores, mobile apps, and connected products;
- Customer 360 Audiences, which builds unified customer profiles across known data, such as email addresses and first-party IDs, and unknown data, such as website visits and device IDs. It then creates customer segments and marketing engagement journeys from those profiles and delivers AI-powered insights, like lifetime value and likelihood to churn.
- Privacy and Data Governance, which enables companies to collect and respect customer data use and privacy preferences, as well as apply data classification labels to all data in Salesforce.
"Having a complete view of the customer is not a new idea, but it has been difficult to achieve. Companies have siloed data; disconnected apps; a complex, patchwork of sometimes incompatible services; and no way to connect it all," said Patrick Stokes, executive vice president of platform shared services at Salesforce."Customer 360 Truth overcomes those challenges, creating a single source of truth that is the foundation for delivering smart, personalized customer experiences across every touchpoint."
Marc Benioff, Salesforce's chairman and co-CEO, in his opening keynote Tuesday called Customer 360 "a trusted, smart, flexible, and sustainable platform" that spans sales, service, marketing, and commerce.
The single source of the truth "is critical for [Salesforce] customers" he said. "At Salesforce, we love data. It is an important part of everything we do at Salesforce and everything you do as our customers."
Stressing a theme of togetherness, Benioff also noted that business today is undergoing a revolution in which trust and AI will be the deciding factors.
"AI is becoming such a pervasive part of our entire world," he said.


text:
Search advertising technology company Marin Software has filed a registration statement for an IPO with the Securities and Exchanges commission.
This is the first ad-tech company to go public in 2013, a year that could be chock-full of IPOs.
The number of shares for sale and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. But we do know that the company plans to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “MRIN.”
Marin helps advertisers and agencies manage and track paid search ad campaigns across Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu (China’s search behemoth), and other search sites. Traditionally focused on search, Marin has expanded into display advertising, social, and mobile, a strategic move given that according to a filing “a substantial majority” of its customers use it to manage Google AdWords campaigns.
A strong sign for investors is that annual revenues have steadily risen: Forbes reports that the company pulled in $42.5 million for the first nine months of 2012, up from $24.7 million in the comparable span of 2011. Marin may also benefit from the burgeoning interest in business-to-business startups.
“The chatter about enterprise startups is more a function of the fact that consumer startups look less appealing [to investors] more than anything else,” said CB Insights’ CEO Anand Sanwal in a recent interview. “Folk are saying now that enterprise is the place they should be playing.”
However, Marin has not yet reached profitability, which may knock investors’ confidence, particularly given Zynga’s and Groupon’s recent stock woes.
“We do not expect to be profitable in the foreseeable future, and we cannot be certain that we will be able to attain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis, or if we do, that we will sustain profitability,” Marin stated in a filing.
For the entirety of 2011, Marin had revenues of $36.1 million and a loss of $17.4 million, and the company failed to book an annual net profit in 2012. In addition, the company admits in a filing that its usage-based pricing model “makes it difficult to accurately forecast revenues.”
VentureBeat predicted an IPO from the company in the first quarter of 2013; rumors have been circulating in the press for at least six months. In 2011, Marin brought on a CFO from Shutterfly, a sure sign that the company expected to go public in the near future.
Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank are acting as lead managers for the offering. UBS Securities and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company are acting as book-running managers, and Wells Fargo Securities is acting as a co-manager.


text:
Bandai Namco Releases New Gameplay Trailer for Jotaro and Dai; Character Roster Officially Complete, More Characters to Come as DLC
Bandai Namco has released some new footage of the highly anticipated Jump Force characters — Jotaro and Dai.
The new gameplay trailer showcases the two character in action, and by the look of it, they are looking awesome. However, Bandai Namco didn’t just release a new gameplay trailer for the game, they also announce some sad news for avid fans of the upcoming game. But first, let’s take a look at the new trailer.
Check out the new gameplay trailer for Jotaro and Dai down below:
Ok, now that we got the cool news out of the way, let’s talk about the sad news for some. Jump Force fans have been very adamant on getting more Shonen characters in the game, maybe a little too adamant if you know what I mean. However, the developers officially announced that the roster is complete, and more characters will come as DLC in the future.
Check out the official tweet from Bandai Namco down below:
Jump Force has plenty of great characters to choose from though. This might actually be one of the biggest rosters in a fighting game in a long time. There are characters from Dragonball, Naruto, One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, Bleach, Jojo’s Bizzare Adventures, My Hero Academia, and so so many more!
Jump Force is set to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15. Are you excited for the upcoming title? Let us know in the comments below


text:
Australian retail app Booodl has said goodbye officially in December, announcing it has started liquidating its assets to pay off creditors just before Christmas.
Backed by media mogul James Packer and Westfield mall owner Scentre Group, Booodl first withdrew from the market last year, with the app – which connects shoppers to retailers in their immediate vicinity – filing as insolvent with the Australian corporate regulator.
The company reported having AU$80,606 worth of assets and owed creditors $70,456, according to the recent filing.
With creditors to be paid in full, company shareholders will not receive a return, said founder George Freney.
“There is always a huge risk associated with technology ventures, and the unfortunate reality is that many fail,” Freney told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Founded by Freney in 2014, the $8 million start-up was conceived as a social media platform to play against photo pinning app, Pinterest, where users would curate personal profiles portraying their favourite things.
Then, in 2015, Booodl evolved into a mobile shopping app, sourcing and directing shoppers to shops that they sought via the platform. In the same year, Scentre Group became a major shareholder, investing $2.85 million in Booodl to fund the research and development required to build its web and mobile platform. In particular, it funded the technology used to help consumers locate physical retail stores and in-turn see retail businesses be more easily discovered by shoppers.
By August 2017, retail heavyweight Scentre group was using the app and website for its Westfield mall chains across Australia and New Zealand, effectively rolling out the app to 35 malls.
“This latest milestone is validation of the role Booodl’s technology plays in the retail ecosystem. The platform now boasts $86.7 billion of shopping centre assets and is utilised by more than 150 Australian shopping centres to increase in-store visits,” Freney said, at the time of the Scentre Group news.
SEE ALSO : Facebook just lost two top executives
Prior to this, Booodl had inked deals with shopping centre owners SCA Property Group, ISPT Super Property and QIC.


text:
SAINSBURY’S has rung up its 34th consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth. It’s beginning to resemble consistency. Chief executive Justin King is too canny a retailer to crow and tempt fate.
But he is surely secretly chuffed that he now has slightly bigger rival, Asda, firmly in his sights as far as Sainsbury’s becoming Britain’s second-biggest food retailing group after Tesco is concerned.
Sainsbury’s has steadily picked up market share since King took the helm in 2004, adding 0.2 of a percentage point to 16.8 per cent in the first quarter of its new financial year.
Asda, owned by US-headquartered behemoth Wal-Mart, has a 17.5 per cent share of the market and deep parental pockets, but it is clearly in the cross-hairs of its high-stepping pursuer and must be looking over its shoulder.
Independent market research says Sainsbury’s is the only one of the big four supermarkets gaining share. And, in the current climate of nervous consumer spending, one wonders why this should necessarily change.
King has benefited from some company-specific headwinds facing Tesco and Morrisons, the number four player. Tesco, apart from its UK stores being widely seen as drab and factory-like, has come unstuck abroad, mainly in its costly exit from the US, but also now with tougher trading in central Europe and Asia.
By contrast, Sainsbury’s has no foreign operations to divert boardroom and operational attention. It has stuck to the UK knitting and the strategy has paid off.
Morrisons, meanwhile, is playing catch-up in two of the fastest growing areas for supermarkets: convenience stores and online.
Sainsbury’s has well-established operations in both these sub-sectors, with sales at its Local stores up 20 per cent and online 16 per cent ahead in the latest three months.
Given the gestation period of turnarounds and new initiatives, Morrisons is unlikely to make real headway in addressing these gaps in its offering for at least 18 months to two years. And Sainsbury’s won’t be standing still while its rival is belatedly getting its act together.
Similarly, Philip Clark, chief executive at Tesco, has thrown a lot of money at revamping his group, but it will take time for changes to bed down, allowing the initiative to rest with King and his colleagues for some time yet.
It is also possible Sainsbury’s has benefited in recent years from the continuity at the top.
King is now the longest-serving UK supermarket boss by a long aisle, while Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have all had new chief executives in the past three years.
It takes a while for a new person to put his or her stamp on an organisation. There are visions to unveil, tactics to adopt and adapt, cultural changes to be inculcated into staff.
King is far further down that route than his opposite numbers. Sainsbury’s, in short, clearly has a competitive edge in the sector and sustained momentum. With the Asda/Sainsbury’s pecking order, it will be extremely interesting to see where we are this time next year.
No crossed lines, but it looks like a returned call
former Vodafone boss and dealmaker extraordinare Sir Chris Gent may permit himself a wry smile at the mobile telecoms giant making what could be an £8 billion-plus move on Kabel Deutschland. Mega pan-European takeovers? Press redial button.


text:
Ah-Lun, a young woman born after 1998 in Shanghai, switched to a new phone less than three months ago and has already purchased 35 phone cases. “For me, the phone case doesn’t just protect the phone. It’s more like a fashion element – different phone cases can match different outfits, “she said Daily Jing.
The number of consumers like Ah-Lun who like to collect phone cases is growing globally. But since much of Chinese daily life is impossible without mobile technology, the industry is particularly profitable. These cases are, after all, another way to show boat status.
According to data from the American market research firm NPD Group, 75% of smartphone users use cases; this means that of the 1.4 billion smartphone shipments made in 2021, about 1 billion buyers also buy cases. Even more encouraging, public data Tmall, owned by Alibaba, reveals that the “stickiness” of phone cases in China is high, with more than 10 million users purchasing more than 12 cases per year.
Meanwhile, market research firm Counterpoint Research found that Chinese phone users have extended their replacement cycle from 18 months to 28 months, meaning people replace their phones less often. However, they still need to express their personality through different styles of phone cases. Here, Daily Jing explore the growing business of phone cases.
From local opportunity to global opportunity
While many shoppers’ impressions of phone cases may be reminiscent of cheap and cheerful models, Jame Technology, the parent company of the Defense technology accessory brand, became the first company in China to go public on the back of phone cases. On the first day of its IPO in 2020, Jame Technology’s total market capitalization reached $ 1.4 billion (9.635 billion yuan).
At an average of around $ 29.7 (200 yuan) per piece, Defense’s anti-drop technology taps into the phone user’s pain point: anxiety about falling and breaking their precious smartphones. When it comes to design, the tech-savvy firm stands in stark contrast to another leading player, Casetify, a tech accessories brand founded in 2011 by Hong Kong-based Wesley Ng and Ronald Yeung |.
What started on Instagram as a phone case printed with shopper photos is now a global brand selling premium, customizable accessories. Trendy designs are Casetify’s MO, and she continues to grow her arsenal of light and fancy cases by collaborating with everything from the Met to the NBA to Peanuts. According to Ng, Casetify is profitable and sells more than three million phone cases per year. Last year, it raised a Series A funding round of tens of millions of dollars from C Ventures, the millennial-centric and Generation Z venture capital firm co-founded by Adrian Cheng.
Luxury brands have also joined in making stylish phone cases and other tech add-ons. As early as 2014, Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott’s McDonalds phone case entered this segment and was soon spotted in the hands of many prominent influencers. In 2016, Louis Vuitton launched its Eye-Trunk case series for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, inspired by their famous Petite Malle bags, followed by an exclusive case for the Huawei P30 series in 2019.
A case for all
According to the report from market research firm Technavio, the phone case market is expected to grow by $ 11.74 billion (about 78.1 billion yuan) between 2020 and 2025. However, headphone cases are also available, computer cases and other accessories for smart products the rise.
In 2010, Bottega Veneta created a specific case for Apple’s iPad, featuring the brand’s signature Intreccio braided design. Headphone cases have also become a favorite with luxury brands in recent years, with Dior, Gucci and Prada all promoting high-end designs.
Years later, Chanel got people talking by launching two pearl leather AirPods cases in June 2021. These were made from sheepskin and feature the classic Chanel double C logo in sparkling rhinestones. But its high price of nearly $ 2,970 (20,000 yuan) has put many off. Netizens jokingly said: “Headphone case is more expensive than headphones, so what protects what?” The Parisian house has also launched different materials and styles of cases, such as embossed calfskin, raffia and embroidered crochet bonnet sets, just to name a few.
Ultimately, the demand for technological accessories will always go hand in hand with devices that are designed to beautify and protect. For today’s Chinese consumers, luxury isn’t dictated by a price tag; objects that reflect one’s taste and style are more important and sought after. Phone cases (and headphone cases), like clothing, have become a popular way for younger consumers, especially to express themselves. It is only a matter of time before luxury brands and niche players invest further in the segment and allow for more personalization.


text:
With legalization of the drug looming, pediatricians say the province is not prepared and has not done enough to inform parents about the risks to kids.
Canada’s largest licensed marijuana producer forms joint venture with Amsterdam-based Green House Brands.
The spectacular stock-market performance of many cannabis companies is a powerful lure to investors.
Former Toronto police chief Julian Fantino once put people in jail for selling marijuana. Now he sings its praises.
The marijuana producer says it lost $1.3 million attributable to shareholders compared with a profit of $5.4 million in the same quarter last year.
Some publicly traded pot companies don’t report their production costs, and if they do, the numbers aren’t uniformly calculated.
Julian Fantino says he embarked on a ‘fact-finding mission’ to learn more about medical marijuana after serving as Minister of Veterans Affairs in the Harper government.
Chris Burggraeve has invested into two companies in the marijuana industry, which he says is "one of the fastest-growing categories globally.”
Ontario wants to sell cannabis through LCBO stores, but western provinces seem inclined to follow Manitoba’s model of distributing the product through private retailers.
Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Conservative Garnett Genuis do the date “debrief” following last night’s Political Blind Date episode.
Premier Brian Pallister says the private sector will play a key role in eliminating the black market and ensuring competitiveness.
“Blockchain is an ideal mechanism in which B.C. can transparently capture the history of cannabis through the entire supply chain,” IBM said.
With a provincial election set for June 7, 2018, there is keen interest on where the PCs or New Democrats will land.
Ottawa has set July 1 as the deadline for regulations to be in place and many provinces and territories are still working to craft legislation.
It surely won’t be The Weed Store, but there’s little else we know about the new Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp.
The public health campaign to educate youth about the health and safety issues surrounding the legalization of cannabis must be well funded and carried out over years.
Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, and Hamilton will have the first LCBO-run marijuana stores.
Ontario’s new cannabis legislation should “clarify” the rules and resolve the ambiguity swirling around the federal legalization of recreational weed next July, says Toronto’s Mayor.
Ontario’s forthcoming cannabis legislation should spell the end of the illegal marijuana “dispensaries” still operating, warns Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Constellation Brands will acquire a 9.9-per-cent stake in the Smiths Falls, Ont.-based company for $245 million, with the two producers planning to collaborate on cannabis-based drinks.
All in one place: the books we’ve reviewed this week and how to pick up a copy.


text:
When the stimulus check payments were approved by legislators at the beginning of the pandemic, that money did serve as a vital lifeline for several families throughout the country. But since then, there has been no stimulus payment from the federal government in 2022.
As it stands, the rejuvenation of the economy along with a solid labor market has made it quite difficult to justify the reasoning behind another round of federal aid that would be issued to the many bank accounts of American citizens. Interestingly, quite a large section of the population has received stimulus payments, but they haven’t come in from the federal government. Rather, most of the states have issued payments to the citizens.
Stimulus Check Payments Might Not Be Guaranteed Next Year
Yet, it is assumed that there will be no extra stimulus check payment- from either the state or the federal government. And this will be something that the citizens might have to deal with. In the past, the stimulus payments had been issued during times of duress- especially when the economy had been neck deep in recession and the levels of unemployment were high.
But with the state of the job market currently, there is absolutely no reason where a stimulus payment could be warranted. And even if employment opportunities slow down, the rate of unemployment is still quite low- so there is still room for improvement rather than jumping onto the stimulus payment bandwagon.
Some economists are of the idea that the main reason why inflation has been on a meteoric rise this year has been due to the American government issuing a lot of stimulus check payments the previous year. This definitely put a lot of pressure on weak supply chains- thereby leading to a massive mismatch between demand and supply.


text:
North Jersey industrial market continues rebound
The North Jersey industrial real-estate market roared on with its recovery as the year came to a close, as leasing volume increased, vacancy rates dropped and major deals closed, according to a report released Monday.
The industrial vacancy rate for both Bergen and Passaic counties declined in the fourth quarter, according to the East Rutherford office of real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield Inc. of New Jersey.
The rate fell to 7.7 percent in Bergen County, which includes part of the especially strong Meadowlands submarket, compared with 10.8 percent at the end of the fourth quarter 2012. In Passaic County, the industrial vacancy rate slid to 6.6 percent from 8.4 percent in the fourth quarter 2012, according to Cushman.
Bergen and Passaic's fourth-quarter vacancy rate was less than the average for the overall state and for the northern part of the state. The industrial vacancy rate in New Jersey declined to 8.2 percent during the fourth quarter, and was 8 percent for Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Morris and Essex counties.
The rejuvenated industrial market in Bergen and Passaic counties is being driven by increased demand and higher occupancy levels, Cushman reported. The two counties have limited quality industrial space, with some space having been converted to data centers, a hot new category.
"You finally have people sobering up to the fact that it's becoming more of a landlord's market and needing to make their commitments," Cushman Executive Director Stan Danzig said. "The velocity has picked up. The demand has picked up."
And with companies such as Amazon offering same-day delivery, other e-retailers as well as brick-and-mortar stores need to have warehouse and distribution centers near large centers of population to compete, and North Jersey is well-positioned to fulfill the need.
"With the e-commerce concept of same-day delivery, you have people scrambling to position themselves for same-day delivery, which requires different-type buildings in different locations," Danzig said. "You have to be in much closer striking distance to New York City."
The Meadowlands has been especially hot with industrial activity. In the fourth quarter, 11 leases each involving more than 100,000 square feet were signed, with four of them in the Meadowlands, Cushman reported. These leases included apparel firm R&M Richards taking 103,000 square feet at 219 Murray Hill Parkway, East Rutherford, and Fashion Logistics taking 126,000 square feet at 333 North St., Teterboro, Danzig said. The other two leases were in Wood-Ridge, he said.
In the Meadowlands, there were also more than 1 million square feet of new industrial leases reached during October, November and December, the highest volume statewide, according to Cushman.
In other major fourth-quarter leases signed in Bergen, Sitex landed Marcraft Apparel Group as a tenant for its entire 138,000-square-foot warehouse at 301 Island Road, Mahwah, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, which also released its fourth-quarter industrial report Monday.
"Large deals represented a significant 37.5 percent of New Jersey's fourth quarter industrial demand," Kimberly Brennan, Cushman's market leader for New Jersey said in a statement. "However, mid-sized deals - those between 25,000 and 100,000 square feet - drove leasing activity, accounting for 44.3 percent of the quarterly total."
In northern and central Jersey, there was 21.3 million square feet of industrial leasing last year, a 20.3 percent increase over 2012 and the second-highest annual accrual in the last six years, Cushman reported.
A number of industrial sales closed in Bergen in the fourth quarter, as well. In December, Principal Financial Group of Des Moines sold a 146,426-square-foot warehouse at 60-70 Seaview Drive, Secaucus, to C.R. Laurence Co. of Vernon, Calif., said Danzig, who handled the deal. He declined to disclose the sale price.
A portfolio of eight industrial Meadowlands properties, one in Lyndhurst and the rest in Carlstadt, were sold for $47.5 million to J.P. Morgan Asset Management from Saddle Brook developer Wilson Associates. The properties totaled 420,244 square feet, with broker HFF representing the seller.
Developers are responding to the uptick in the industrial market by building, with 7.1 million square feet of warehouse and distribution buildings now under construction in the Garden State, according to Cushman.


text:
Apple under ITC investigation over Qualcomm patent claims
Chip-maker Qualcomm has called on the US International Trade Commission to block sales of certain iPhone models, claiming they breach its patents
The United States International Trade Commission has launched an investigation into Apple’s trade practices following a complaint from chipmaker Qualcomm.
In the latest twist in a legal battle between the two partners, Qualcomm has accused Apple of infringing on up to six of its patents, requesting the ITC introduce an order barring importation of electronic devices including the iPhone and iPad.
The ITC will investigate whether Apple engaged in unfair trade practices by importing and selling mobile devices that infringed on Qualcomm’s patents – notably iPhones with chips made by rival Intel. It will come up with a target date to complete the investigation within the next 45 days.
The investigation will look at "certain mobile electronic devices and radio frequency and processing components thereof," the ITC said.
Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but says the way Apple uses them in the iPhone does.
“Qualcomm is pleased with the ITC's decision to investigate Apple’s unfair trade practices and the unauthorized importation of products using Qualcomm’s patents,” said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm.
“We look forward to the ITC’s expeditious investigation of Apple’s ongoing infringement of our intellectual property and the accelerated relief that the Commission can provide.”
Earlier this year, Apple filed suit against Qualcomm for $1 billion, alleging onerous and anti-competitive patent royalty contract terms that forced Apple to only use Qualcomm chips. Qualcomm counter-sued, accusing Apple of intentionally slowing down its chips in speed tests to cover up slower performance from Intel-powered devices.
Apple said in a statement: “Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry. They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products - effectively taxing Apple's innovation."


text:
Medicinal cannabis activists have multiple issues with the way the government is choosing to roll out the drug in Australia.
They say trials in Australian hospitals don't use THC; the pathways to access are slow and not always clear; and the government has been accused of prioritising industry over the health of patients. These are complicated issues that will take months, maybe longer, to resolve.
Another key issue is cost. Medicinal cannabis is not on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), meaning manufacturers can set their own price.
Paul Mavor, a pharmacist with Health House International, is working with Cannimed – a Canadian company that recently imported the first shipments of cannabis oil into the country – to supply medicinal cannabis to Australians.
Mavor told BuzzFeed News a patient using an average amount of the three available cannabis oils would be paying about $350 per month for supplies.
"The bottle size for each of our three strengths is 60ml," Mavor said. "The average patient will take 0.5ml sublingually [under the tongue] three times a day. Some will use more, some will use less depending on their condition, but this is roughly a month’s supply."
Australians currently sourcing their medicinal cannabis from the black market, and black market suppliers, have both told BuzzFeed News that accessing cannabis through legal means would cost a lot more.
"It's almost four times as much," one black market supplier told BuzzFeed News. "And it's an inferior product lacking in essential cannabinoids."
Referencing the $350 per 60 mls the legal product would cost patients, the black market supplier said the same amount would cost $100 on the black market.
There are also compassionate suppliers – like South Australian Jenny Hallam – to consider. Hallam supplies her product free of charge.
One person struggling to find affordable and legal medicinal cannabis is Michael Oakley, whose son, Ben, suffers from stiff person syndrome and uses medicinal cannabis to treat himself.
Before it was legalised, Oakley would source his cannabis from compassionate suppliers. He told BuzzFeed News doctors had recommended a dosage of 30ml of Sativex, a spray made using cannabis extracts, every three weeks.
"This is not even close to what Ben has been taking," said Michael. "Ben has been taking under 5ml every three weeks, but as doctors have no clue about dosages on cannabis, they are winging it."
There was an attempt to put Sativex on the PBS in 2013, but it was denied.
Michael says the legal medicinal cannabis has not been supplied to Ben yet because, although he qualifies for a prescription, he and his family cannot afford to pay for it.
Many of the seriously ill medicinal cannabis patients have qualified for trials in hospitals around Australia which would give them free access.
However, some have turned their back on the treatments and returned to the black market, saying their child became "increasingly sick" under the trials.
"It's not the fact that they're denying access to cannabis across the board, but [the government] is making out that they're all for it," one compassionate supplier told BuzzFeed News. "Now we're dealing with this synthetic product that costs more and that isn't working."
Steve Peek's daughter, Suli, uses medicinal cannabis he sources from a compassionate supplier to control seizures. He has refused to enter her into trials because they don't use products that contain THC, a component he says is essential to the welfare of his daughter.
When Peek approached his state health body for special consideration, he was told that nobody aged under 25 should be getting access to cannabis products containing THC.
"If I agree and I try CBD and it doesn't work then I also lose my place [with my compassionate supplier],' Peek said. "Someone else who needs it takes my place and then we've got nothing. What we get at the moment is free."


text:
Disposable tableware poses health risk
By Zhang Feng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-03 05:45
are widely used in plastic disposable tableware, posing a serious health
hazard, experts have warned. [China Daily]
However, the investigation found that polypropylene makes up only half the
amount of raw materials, mainly because it is far more expensive.
One ton of polypropylene costs 11,000 yuan (US$1,300) while the same quantity
of unsafe materials are available for less than 2,000 yuan (US$240).
Dong said that in the more than 100 enterprise places he visited in Tianjin
and Shanghai municipalities and Henan and Liaoning provinces, 60 per cent of the
products are not suitable for human use.
Laggard market supervision, light punishment for violators and poor
co-ordination between different departments involved in quality control are the
main reasons for the present situation, Dong said.
Chinese consume about 6.5 billion pieces of disposable plastic tableware
The quality control authorities have recently intensified the drive to ensure
safety of food-related products.
Plastic food wrappers containing a dangerous material DEHA were banned
nationwide late last month.
DEHA is a plasticizer which makes the PVC material pliable.
(China Daily 11/03/2005 page1)