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Shedding a stigma, home grown luxury brands try to win over wealthy mainlanders who clamour for western labels will it work. China's luxury consumers are moving beyond bricks and mortar and going online for their next python-skin handbag fix, and high-end fashion. The best branding practices in china reports focus on how brands become strong in the chinese market for the luxury issue, labbrand and. Global luxury brands need to structure their business models around the constantly growing and evolving 50 million chinese global and local luxury consumers. Gucci and prada's financial results are disappointing and there's a fear that the west can't provide what sophisticated chinese shoppers want.
Shanghai: wealthy chinese students studying abroad are an increasing focus for luxury brands, with label-loving students acting as key. Despite slowdown, the cult of luxury grows in china the government's anti- corruption campaign could squelch the chinese luxury market. The good times are back for luxury brands in china just look at this chart based on a june 7 report by management consulting firm bain.
A weak currency, strong ant-corruption reforms, and stiff luxury taxes are forcing global luxury brands to rethink their expansion plans in one of. The luxury industry in china accounted for 29% of the global market in 2015 and continues to grow at an envious rate by western standard. Worldwide sales of luxury goods such as high-end handbags, shoes and jewellery are growing faster than expected this year thanks to thriving. China's luxury shoppers are moving away from flashy labels towards more subtle displays of wealth.
Jing daily writes that according to bain & company's annual industry bain luxury study report, 2016 marks the first time in history that. The 2017 worldwide luxury market monitor, jointly released in october by bain &company and altagamma, revealed the business turnover of. A master thesis on research and analysis of chinese luxury market, with a special focus on the consumer perspective and marketing strategy. The 2017 china luxury market study by bain & company revealed important insights into the chinese market that luxury brands should take. The last 12 months have seen a wide variety of china-related activity in the luxury space – from mergers and acquisitions to evolving brand.
A customer checks her luxury goods delivered by member of jd's vip delivery team shang kai in beijing's central business area, china. Wealthy chinese customers are set to add considerably to the global luxury spend over the coming decades, projected to hit $150 billion. China's millennial generation has brought strong momentum to the country's luxury personal goods consumption, which grew by 20 percent in.
The market for luxury goods in china composes a significant proportion of all luxury goods sales worldwide in 2012, china surpassed japan as the world's. The post-2008 years have not been the easiest for luxury brands, but china's apparently unquenchable thirst for all things bling has made up. The emergence of luxury in contemporary china is evidence of the international strategy of global luxury brands, and, at the same time, enhances the role of. Luxury goods sales growth had historically been strong in china the market expanded 19 percent annually from 2007 through 2014,.
China's growing affluent consumer segment has been attracting worldwide luxury brands for a long time gucci, lv, zegna, and many other top brands tapped. Even as growth slows, there's a sizable, and sophisticated, pool of luxury shoppers in china but brands need to take a new approach to keep them interested. For or much of the past decade, china has been the key driver of the global growth in luxury products but the chinese luxury market is changing fast. With more money comes a desire for higher status, the chinese use luxury goods in china to demonstrate their success to others.


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UK property prices are showing signs of slowing with interest rate hikes and the purchasing power crisis, after two years of soaring in the wake of the pandemic. According to mutual finance body Nationwide’s UK house price index, released on Thursday, price increases slowed to 10% in August from 11% in July, but this remains the 13th month of rising prices. in a row. Over the past two years, the average price of a house in the United Kingdom has jumped 50,000 pounds to 273,751 pounds (+22% in one year).
The competing index compiled by the real estate classifieds site Rightmove indicates, for its part, “a decline for the first time this year in the price of newly put on the market propertiesin August, although this follows a seasonal trend, with summer holidays taking precedence over property searches. “There are signs that the housing market is losing momentum“with fewer inquiries from potential buyers in recent months and the number of loan approvals for purchases falling below pre-pandemic levels,” Nationwide notes.
Lack of available goods
This slowdown remains, however,modest”, and, combined with a persistent lack of goods on the market, causes prices to remain supported, the press release adds. In a statement, Rightmove also notes a request that “continues to slow down and constraints on the supply of goods are easing, even if there remains a huge gap between demand and available goods“. Requests to real estate agents have weakened a little over a year but remain 20% higher than 2019, before the pandemic, while available properties are down 39% compared to 2019, specifies Rightmove.
Nationwide, however, expects that “the market slows further as pressure on household budgets intensifies in the coming quarters“, with inflation at 10% which will accelerate further and interest rates which should be further raised by the Bank of England, which could have an impact on property rates and household borrowing capacity.
Read alsoReal estate, the UK’s leading sector facing a sharp slowdown
Martin Beck, an economist at EY Item Club, believes Nationwide figures, however, show that the UK market “still has support» in particular because the «consequences of the cost of living crisis will hit low incomes the hardest», who often rent their accommodation more than they buy it.

domain: news


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Online grocer Ocado has finally broken cover on its plans to float on the London Stock Exchange. Ocado plans to raise £200m in the deal, which is estimated to value the company at £900m. Shares will be offered to staff and current customers as well as institutional investors.
Ocado, founded in January 2002 by former Goldman Sachs merchant bankers Jonathan Faiman, Jason Gissing, and Tim Steiner, has made its name as an upmarket online delivery service for Waitrose and a small but growing range of Ocado own-label products.
It describes itself as the UK’s sole online-only supermarket and the largest by revenue in the world. But the investment potential of its long-awaited flotation has been questioned by those who point out it has yet to make a profit.
Announcing the float, Ocado pointed to sales of £427m in its 2009 financial year and said its directors believed it had “greater EBITDA margin potential than its store-based competitors.”
It also announced interim results showing gross sales growth of 30% and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) growth of 181%.
Michael Grade, Ocado’s non-executive chairman, said: “”The team at Ocado has achieved an extraordinary feat in building a business from scratch to be one of the most recognised brands in UK retail. Ocado represents an exciting growth prospect with significant expansion potential both in the UK and further afield.”
Chief executive Tim Steiner said the UK’s online grocery market was now worth £3bn a year, and growing strongly.
“Since its inception,” he said, “Ocado has been built on delivering a superior customer offering in terms of quality and freshness of produce and convenience, reliability and accuracy of delivery.”
Of the £200m that Ocado aims to raise in the transaction, £45m will be spent on reducing debt, while there will also be investment to increase the size of its fulfillment centre, build another one, and increase the size of the delivery network.
The John Lewis Partnership, owner of Waitrose, welcomed the announcement, while its pension fund said it would use the opportunity to sell some of its own 29% stake in Ocado.
Waitrose and Ocado last month signed a new 10-year delivery contract widely thought to have helped push the flotation towards becoming a reality.
The company is at the forefront of technological development in its sector, with its apps for both iPhones and Android-based smartphones ahead of other supermarkets. In April the company said 4.4% of its total sales were now made via its iPhone app.
Customers who have spent more than £300 with Ocado between the start of the year and yesterday will qualify for the offering.


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Most of us are up to date with all the latest trends in pop culture, especially when it comes to TV shows and movies.
Now, streaming service Netflix wants to be the shepherd with its new ‘Top 10’ feature. With the new feature, Netflix wants to help users keep up with the latest trends in movies and shows on the platform.
Just like other lists such as ‘Latest Shows’ or ‘Top Picks for You’, the Top 10 list will be available on the homepage. According to Netflix, the list will be updated daily to help subscribers keep up with the most popular shows in their country. But, apart from the overall top 10 list, the streaming service has said that the TV shows and movies tab will also have their own list of the most popular shows and films in the region.
Starting today you’ll notice something new when you go on Netflix: The Top 10 row!— Netflix US (@netflix) February 24, 2020
The lists update daily to show what's popular in your country and are broken into three categories: Netflix overall, shows & films. Here’s an example of what they look like https://t.co/PKxTreBQuo pic.twitter.com/qaAlqCGgRn
Every show and movie featured on the list will also have a ‘Top 10’ badge. This will help subscribers when they browse specific genres or even go through recommended content, in an effort to help identify current trends on Netflix.
It is pretty difficult to pick a particular piece of content from the vast library streaming services offer today. It takes some intensive browsing to find a gem that might be of your taste. So, it is the norm to watch only the most popular show and even movies that everyone is watching and talking about. Thus, this new feature will prove beneficial for many subscribers out there.


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Zynga will launch its own social gaming platform and open it up to third-party game developers, the company
announced on Thursday.
The maker of “Mafia Wars” and “FarmVille” will soon have its own website where people can sign up and play games with their friends. Today its games are played primarily on Facebook, Yahoo and a few other websites, as well as on smartphones like Apple’s iOS platform.
In a big change for the company, Zynga will also allow third parties to develop games that run on its platform. Initial partners include MobScience, Row Sham Bow and the Canadian company Sava Transmedia.
Zynga isn’t leaving Facebook; it said its gaming platform will be “fully integrated with Facebook,” allowing people to start a game on its website and pick up where they left off on Facebook, for instance.
But the move will give Zynga a bit more independence from Facebook, the network where its games first rose to prominence.
And unlike players on Facebook, players on the forthcoming Zynga website will be able to chat with friends and make game-related requests without leaving their game screens.
Zynga first disclosed plans for the website
last October under the code name Project Z. It will be hosted at a revamped version of zynga.com.
“What we’re really excited about is the long journey to truly building the best destination for play on the Internet,” said lead product manager Reed Shaffner in
a video Zynga released.
Zynga’s first earnings call as a public company in February suggested how dependent it is on Facebook. Its annual revenue accounting was affected by its mandatory move to Facebook credits midyear, for instance.
Zynga also does much for Facebook. In January, Facebook’s initial filing for a
public offering showed that the social network relies on Zynga for 12 percent of its revenue.


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Today, Blink is announcing a full suite of hardware being added to their do-it-yourself home security offerings in anticipation for CES 2017. A Kickstarter success story, the company initially launched with a wireless, battery powered cameras designed to monitor your home. Last month they announced Blink XT, set to officially launch this week at CES, which will now be accompanied by five new pieces of hardware and monthly service plans.
Set for release in Q2 of 2017, Blink will expand their suite to include a 4G sync module and battery backup, entry sensors, a 105 decibel siren, keypad for doors and entry points, and a water sensor. The expansion, which includes a 4G connected sync module, will completely change the game for Blink, as that was one of the only real negatives holding their offerings back in the past. With the new sync module, people will be able to continue to monitor their home and outdoor spaces regardless of an internet connection or loss of power, perhaps the most pressing issue IoT companies face today.
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In the past, Blink didn't offer service or monitoring plans, a huge selling point for DIY home security, but the new hardware will require it. For their standard WiFi sync and camera systems, no plan will be necessary; however, to use the sensors, siren, and keyboard, people will have to choose between a $10 (self-monitoring) or $20 plan (third-party monitoring).
|SEECURITY SERVICE PLANS||$9.99/Month Plan||$19.99/Month Plan|
|4G Cellular Connection with Battery Backup for Data & Video||√||√|
|Security Hardware Kit Support: Siren, Keypad, Motion Sensors, Water Sensor||√||√|
|Monitoring Service||Self-monitoring||24/7 Third-party professional monitoring|
“At Blink, we’ve created a core Seecurity philosophy, meaning that the ability to see, and therefore know, exactly what is happening at home from anywhere at any time is vital to achieving true home security and peace of mind,” said Peter Besen, the CEO of Blink. “Operating under that mantra, we have leveraged Blink’s expertise to develop affordable, DIY products with video at the forefront. These new offerings will serve the growing segment of consumers demanding best-in-class, affordable, and fully encompassing home security coupled with the flexibility to keep an eye on their homes while on-the-go.”
To date, Blink has shipped more than 250,000 cameras in the past year. The company has also been named a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree.
Follow Our CES 2017 Coverage
Tech.Co is on the ground at CES 2017 in Las Vegas and we're covering everything from new tech to innovative startups. Follow our coverage here and make sure to check out all the brand new gadgets hitting the market after the festivities have concluded.


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Facebook caves to Australia's call for explanations of News Feed algo changes
But The Social Network™ won't pay for news and tells publishers it can get along just fine without them
Facebook has revealed it will happily share details of changes to its News Feed algorithms with Australia's government, but said it won't pay local media organisations when social network users share their content online.
That code was recommended by the nation's Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after a Digital Platforms Inquiry found that big tech companies have had a deleterious effect on Australian media by out-competing them for advertising dollars, reducing their capacity to deliver the public good of strong news services that entertain and inform the nation. Among the recommendations the Inquiry made was for Google and Facebook to explain how they rank news content and that big tech companies should pay to carry Australian news and funnel that money to publishers.
Australia's government first consulted with big tech about how they might chip in, but then broke off negotiations on grounds they were going nowhere fast and said it would instead deliver a plan to have Google and Facebook pay news publishers.
Big tech was given the chance to comment and Facebook's proposal, which emerged today, bluntly states that since its revenue has only risen since Mark Zuckerberg decided to "fix Facebook" by making news content harder to find on the platform.
"If there were no news content available on Facebook in Australia, we are confident the impact on Facebook's community metrics and revenues in Australia would not be significant, because news content is highly substitutable and most users do not come to Facebook with the intention of viewing news," the submission states. But a post by Mia Garlick, Facebook ANZ's director of public policy, estimated that traffic sent to publishers as a result of Facebook posts was "worth approximately AU$195.8 million" based on "what the average costs would be for similar activity through our paid advertising tools".
"We delivered billions of opportunities for publishers to monetise their stories, gain new paying subscribers, serve ads, and keep Australians on their websites," Garlick wrote.
Facebook's submission makes the following observation:
Given the social value and benefit to news publishers, we would strongly prefer to continue enabling news publishers' content to be available on our platform.
Which sounds an awful lot like Facebook saying if Australia makes it pay for news, it just won't link to it in future. And good luck operating a profitable media sector without the traffic that comes from The Social Network™.
Facebook is willing to "set a reasonable framework to encourage commercial arrangements between digital platforms and publishers … that: upholds the primacy of commercial negotiations between digital platforms and publishers."
The company also says a workable code would "require transparency about significant changes made by digital platforms to their central algorithms used to rank (i.e., order) content, including news content, for users (which for Facebook is the News Feed algorithms)."
"In the spirit of providing news publishers with substantial transparency, Facebook supports in-principle a reasonable requirement to notify publishers when it makes changes to the News Feed algorithms with a significant impact on news content," the submission states, adding: "It is important that such a requirement be limited to truly 'significant' changes, given the sheer number and frequency of ranking improvements Facebook makes to enhance our users' experience on the platform, most of which have relatively minimal impact on news publishers."
That's something the ACCC's final report wanted, as it felt that "the lack of warning provided by digital platforms to news media businesses of changes to key algorithms relating to the display of news content or news referral links" made it hard for publishers to rely on social networks or Google as a source of traffic.
Facebook is also happy to share first-party data with publishers, and "to publish information about the factors that inform the news content that people see, and the order in which they see it."
But the company is also plain that it won't allow itself and Google to be the only companies impacted by any legislation.
Australia's government has signalled it is on track to deliver its proposed code in July. The Register has popcorn on standby for its debut. As will regulators around the world because Australia has form setting useful precedents: in 2012 the nation made plain packaging compulsory for cigarettes, sparking court cases that it won and have since seen brands vanish from cigarette packets in several other nations.
If Australia can reach a deal to get money flowing to news organisations from big tech, or even just get Facebook explaining its algorithms a little more and a little more often, it could set a more-than-useful precedent. ®


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Apple Cracks Top 10 U.S. Websites In March, ComScore Says
Although it was strong iPhone sales that powered Apple’s monster Q2 earnings today, it was likely the launch of the new iPad that helped propel Apple into the Top 10 of all websites during the month of March.
According to comScore’s latest Media Matrix ranking of U.S. web properties, Apple had more than 81.1 million unique visitors in March. That’s up from about 78.7 million uniques in February, when Apple was the No. 11 overall web property. Apple officially launched the new iPad on March 7th.
The top five sites have remained the same for a couple months now (in order): Google sites, Microsoft sites, Yahoo sites, Facebook.com and AOL. Here’s a look at the full Top 50:
On a category basis, comScore says visits to gambling/lotto websites were up 25 percent in March (compared to February), no doubt driven by the enormous Mega Millions jackpot.
Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.


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The latest study from the Virtuoso Travel Network sees international leisure and luxury travel on a pleasant trajectory, providing a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered travel market. Corporate travel, on the other hand, continues to lag, but that’s a function of the economy and companies that will err on the side of fiscal conservatism for a while.
The member survey by Virtuoso, which consists of travel retailers, reports that 39 percent of respondents se international leisure travel as most insulated from broader econmic pressures, and stays of three-to-five days have continued to go strong (according to 21 percent of respondents). Few see the long vacation and corporate segments as resilient – only 18 percent and 13 pecent, respectively. But, more than half see both the corporate and leisure markets bouncing back in the next six months.
“Many people are not aware that travel represents the world’s largest service industry; that it makes up 9.4 percent of the world’s GDP and 220 million jobs worldwide. Travelers benefit the world economy and deepen world understanding. We are happy to help people travel again while benefiting countries that rely on tourism revenue,” said Virtuoso CEO Matthew D. Upchurch, CTC.
Eighty-one percent of Virtuoso members have reported a year-over-year increase in future bookings, and 80 percent report that sales are up over the last three month.


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Etsy created a new resource on 2021 shipping rate hikes today beginning with costs for UK sellers. The post appears on the marketplace’s Seller Handbook, which Etsy said it would continue to update.
“At the beginning of every calendar year, most shipping providers make changes to their rates and services,” the company wrote. “We know these changes have a big impact on your shops, and we want to make sure you have the information you need to succeed in 2021.”
The post kicked off by noting UK’s Royal Mail domestic rate changes: “On January 1, 2021, the price of a 1st Class stamp will increase by 9p to 85p and the price of a 2nd Class stamp will increase by 1p to 66p.” The post links to a 14-page PDF file on the Royal Mail website with details.
“We’re sharing Royal Mail rate updates today, and we’ll update this article with details from the other shipping options available for purchase on Etsy when they’re available,” the company wrote – sellers can check back on this page of the Etsy.com Seller Handbook.
Note that as EcommerceBytes has reported, USPS is raising its domestic and international shipping rates effective January 24th. It’s also worth noting that higher shipping rates mean more revenue for marketplaces like Etsy that take a commission on the total selling price plus shipping.


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During a briefing before Oracle OpenWorld, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison outlined his company’s strategy to overtake Amazon Web Services in the cloud computing market. “Our approach in the cloud business is to lower your costs and risks by completely autonomous software that runs itself and eliminates the cost of human labor,” he said. “That’s very different than what Amazon is trying to do. They are not even working on this.”
He added that the company plans to match Amazon’s prices but run twice as fast. Oracle will also offer simplified pricing. He promised more details at the upcoming event.
In addition, Ellison announced that the company plans to introduce the “world’s first autonomous” or “self-driving database.”


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This week, retailers across the country have opened their doors for the first time in almost three months, as the UK’s physical retail sector begins its awakening following the outbreak of Covid-19.
The opening of retail represents an opportunity for independent retailers and online sellers to capitalise, with the Coronavirus pandemic reaffirming the importance of the local community. New research from Barclaycard has suggested that over half (55%) of consumers want to increase their support of non-essential local businesses as a result of the lockdown, with essential local retailers having already experienced a significant boost in profits.
This comes amidst research from EY which found that almost two-thirds (63%) of shoppers are reluctant to return to shopping centres, whilst 25% of shoppers would still feel uncomfortable visiting high street stores or supermarkets due to overcrowding.
With the overwhelming majority of the British public working from home for the foreseeable future, footfall in city centre locations and larger shopping centres will remain well below the norm for the coming weeks, meaning that independents and online-only businesses are well-placed to entice shoppers who would otherwise stick to larger chain stores.
Co-Founder and CEO of Mayku, Alex Smilansky, discusses the opportunity for independent businesses to rapidly develop their market share in a post-Covid retail landscape:
“As the retail sector begins to thaw following the period of hibernation brought about by Covid-19, it is extremely encouraging to see that a considerable number of Britain’s shoppers are looking to boost their local economies and the independent businesses that support the community with quality products.
We have already seen that the lockdown led millions of shoppers to discover the quality service, family atmosphere and amazing range of products that their local convenience stores offer; now it is the turn of non-essential businesses to expand their market share and enjoy the profits after what has been a period of considerable difficulty.
At Mayku, we are committed to helping small independent businesses and artisans to grow by providing them with high-quality manufacturing equipment and materials that can fit on a desktop. We have long been championing the independent creators, designers, manufacturers and makers that are developing amazing products across the country, and it is our hope that the reopening of the retail sector will enable these incredible businesses to reap the rewards they deserve.”


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However, buzz is that they started dating after the Holi party and want to keep their relationship under wraps.
Sources further say that Vikas who was in a relationship with actress Tia Bajpayee broke off few months ago and has been nursing a broken heart.
It is their Instagram posts only that gave further boost to the speculations about them seeing each other."We spent two years getting to know them," said Cook.He likened sealing a partnership into a merger as ‘dating’.Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth is pleased to announce The Introduction to Vedic Astrology which is the oldest branch of astrology known, dating back about 7000 years.Vedic Astrology refers to Indian or Hindu astrology, a system that originated in ancient India, and was documented by sages in the Vedic scriptures.This is an additional fundraise following its Mn Series B round of funding in August 2016. Swedish game developer Starbreeze AB has acquired 90.5% stake in Indian art production and game development company Dhruva Interactive for .5 Mn (about INR 57.6 Cr), in a mixed cash-and-stock deal. Former Group-COO of Network 18, Alok Agrawal and Applyifi founder, Prajakt Raut have launched a new platform The Growth Labs to provide advice and assistance to emerging startups. Amazon has invested a fresh capital of 5 Mn (INR 2,010 Cr) in its main Indian unit, making it the single-largest capital infusion so far. Mamaearth, a babycare products startup, which sells its products only through Amazon India and First has raised an undisclosed amount in seed round of funding led by Fireside Ventures and some HNIs. Shaadi.com, operated by People Interactive India Pvt Ltd, has acquired Frivil, a mobile-based dating app owned by Delhi-based Thrill Pte Ltd for an undisclosed amount. Also, the company has hired 100 candidates across the top educational institutions, B-schools and college campuses in the country.


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After the big news that the model shoot had completed, in what seemed to be record time, there’s been another update from the good people of Dave and RedDwarf.co.uk. Having had a great look at the new Red Dwarf model recently, we’ve now been treated to a view of the new Starbug model, which after sitting out of most of Red Dwarf X, will feature far more prominently in the coming series.
— Dave (@Join_Dave) May 27, 2016
There’s something oddly comforting about seeing the transport craft crashed into a moon, and this shot doesn’t look too dissimilar to the iconic crash from fan favourite ‘Marooned’ although judging by the rocks, this looks more likely to be sand than snow. Also of note, is the position of Starbug’s legs, raised up for flight as they were in Red Dwarf VII, rather than reverting to the classic look from Red Dwarf III through VI.
Talking of Starbug legs (and that’s something we love to do) this image ties in with Doug Naylor’s recent tweets showing a leg and the confirmation the 3D printing was being used on the show. It seems that there could be a fair few ‘bugs flying around this year. That also means there’s a pattern for a Starbug…that must be a future merchandising opportunity.
The official site also provided confirmation of our fascinating in-depth investigation into that fabulous model photograph released earlier this month.
This is indeed the previously mentioned bigature and the details of its dimensions have been confirmed:
“The model takes a third of the previous model, and enlarges it by a factor of three – which means that when scaled up the main ship, which ain’t exactly small, could fit inside it a whopping thirty-six times!?”
That’s fairly impressive and it seems we’ll have some amazing model shots to look forward when Red Dwarf XI airs later this year. With production finished, it seems as though the publicity machine has moved into full swing so expect plenty of new details and images over coming weeks.


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The 10th Citrus Research Symposium – An opportunity for key stakeholders in the industry to address challenges in the sector
Ascendis Biosciences is honoured to be participating in the 10th Citrus Research Symposium, to be held at the Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg from Sunday, the 19th of August to Wednesday, the 22nd of August 2018. This year’s event provides attendees with a platform to provide updates and insights on citrus research conducted for the Southern African citrus industry over the past two years. This research has been formulated by researchers from Citrus Research International (CRI), several universities, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and researchers from the private sector.
This year’s Citrus Research Symposium will be attended by a wide spectrum of citrus industry role players who seek to develop and find solutions for future use by engaging industry professionals from the citrus sector.
“South Africa is one of the top 10 producing countries of citrus and the industry is substantial in this market1. Finding solutions is at the core of what we do as a business, this is why Ascendis Biosciences is excited to be a gold sponsor at this key industry event that serves as a platform to spark impactful conversations and discuss how we can further grow the sector through collaborative partnerships.,” explains Chris Hendriks, Product Manager at Ascendis Biosciences.
Ascendis Biosciences, a division of Ascendis Health, is made up of six specialised companies originating from South Africa. One of their insecticides is targeted towards citrus crop protection. “Dicarzol, with the active ingredient formetanate, is designed for the protection of citrus trees against thrips,” explains Hendriks.
South Africa’s citrus industry is a major driver of growth for the country’s agriculture sector however, various challenges are impacting the industry. For instance, the Western Cape drought has depleted the availability of irrigation water and as a result, crop yields have decreased in the region.
Currently the greatest challenge facing the citrus industry is Citrus Black Spot, a fungal disease caused by Phyllosticta citricarpa2. This fungus affects citrus throughout subtropical climates, causing a reduction in both fruit quantity and quality.. The symptoms usually appear during the later stages of fruit development and severely affected fruit drop prematurely.
“Citrus Black Spot has had a major effect on the sector. An indication of this was the announcement by the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) and the Citrus Black Spot (CBS) Disaster Management3 Committee in October last year stating that they have decided to proactively suspend the export of citrus fruit to the European Union (EU) as a result of Citrus Black Spot,” says Hendriks.
Despite its challenges, the citrus industry continues to be a sector that is poised for growth. “By working together to overcome challenges, we can ensure we elevate and sustain the citrus industry in South Africa for the betterment of the agricultural sector,” concludes Hendriks.
Ascendis Biosciences will be exhibiting their citrus crop protection solutions at stand S3 Follow Ascendis Biosciences on Facebook for updates from the 10th Citrus Research Symposium.


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Video Shows How Brutal It Is To Be Doored While Biking
By Rachel Cromidas in News on May 23, 2017 7:45PM
Look before you open your car door. Look before you open your car door. Look before you open your car door.
That this mantra bears repeating ad nauseam is a sign of how frustrating and dangerous it can be for cyclists to slide past a car stopped in the street—yes, even when that street has a bike lane. Too often, cyclists in those situations can quickly find themselves in the direct path of a swinging car door.
The cyclist featured in the video above is one of the unlucky ones. Watch, four seconds into the video, as he careens into a car door and flips over it, banging into a parked car to his right and eating concrete. The video was captured on May 22 in Wicker Park by a Reddit user who says he was picking up a delivery when he caught the collision on video. The cyclist, wearing bright orange and a helmet, appears to have a brief exchange with someone in the street before getting back on his bike and riding off, checking his hand for cuts as he goes. The Redditor, who did not immediately respond to Chicagoist's request for comment, believes the car that doored the rider was an Uber.
It might feel absurd to say this cyclist actually ended up kind of lucky, but it's true—other dooring victims don't get to walk, let alone ride, away from the collision. The Illinois Department of Transportation released data last month showing that 302 cyclists were doored in Illinois in 2015, up from 202 in 2014.
While dooring is a regular danger for Chicago cyclists, the most obvious solution—staying inside a designated bike lane, staying away from parked cars—is almost never a practical reality. Take these recent examples that Twitter-using riders have shared of their commutes, featuring cars conveniently parked in the cyclist's paths:
Bike lane on Franklin Blvd is blocked by parents picking up students...a motorist asked why we didn't use bike lane pic.twitter.com/3PDRhk7mW4— Chicago Bike Guide (@bikechiguide) May 23, 2017
This is just one snapshot of the problem.


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Sony today announced the first Alpha series interchangeable lens vlog camera, the new ZV-E10. Designed from the ground up for vlogging and vloggers, the new camera combines Sony’s advanced imaging technology with..
Tag Archives: Image-Processing-Engine
Sony Semiconductor Solutions today announced the upcoming release of IMX585, a 1/1.2-type 4K-resolution CMOS image sensor for security cameras, which delivers approximately 8 times the dynamic range of conventional model in a..
Panasonic today announced its latest mirrorless camera, the LUMIX G100. Panasonic LUMIX G100 is specially designed for vloggers and content creators with a super lightweight (weighs 412g with its 12-32mm kit lens)..
DENSO and Toshiba to Develop Artificial Intelligence Technology DNN-IP for Next-generation Image Recognition Systems
DENSO and Toshiba have reached a basic agreement to jointly develop an artificial intelligence technology called Deep Neural Network-Intellectual Property (DNN-IP), which will be used in image recognition systems which have been..
Canon has introduced the BU-47H outdoor remote-control PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera, which provides extensive upgrades in functionality and performance over previous models. Designed for use in locations where an on-site camera operator is..
Nikon is pleased to announce the release of the Nikon D3200, a Nikon DX-format digital SLR camera. The camera is equipped with a new CMOS image sensor with an effective pixel count..


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Well, are you? NVIDIA issued the call Friday morning, asking its follower’s: Are You Ready?
A post on the companies facebook page depicts the following picture along with a status update telling readers to “Check back here on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. PST for a major announcement!”
We are only left to guess at what this mysterious message may be, but the overwhelming speculation is the announcement of something Fermi (aka the GTX 480 and GeForce GTX 470) related. Information from NVIDIA has stated they will be releasing production cards before Q1 fiscal 2011, which is actually sometime before April of 2010.
Question! What do you think about the secretive announcement? Will it be information regarding upcoming NVIDIA cards, or something better; real, full 3D holograms, a machine that can produce food from water vapour, NVIDIA’s idea at a cruel joke? Leave a comment!


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RockYou CEO steps down as part of company restructuring
Tokuda will be staying with the company, but is changing to a new role in which he is working on 'innovation and strategic initiatives'. This is all part of the corporate restructuring that has taken place after the company laid off around 30% of their staff in mid-October. Tokuda bas been a CEO and founder of RockYou since January of 2006 and clearly has played a big role in the company's success up until now.
RockYou are now going to be focusing heavily on their social game strategy, however their latest title Toy Land doesn't look like it's doing so hot.


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Apple Store Goes Down Ahead of iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Pre Orders in Key Markets
Apple Store Goes Down Ahead of iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Pre-Orders in Key Markets
Apple Store carries a message that reads, “You’re… early. Pre-order begins at 5:00 a.m. PDT. Enjoy the extra sleep.”
By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 16 October 2020 14:08 IST
Apple Store is also down in India with a messaging saying, “We’ll be right back.”
Apple Store is inaccessible due to the downtime
iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders will begin in key markets from Friday
Apple will start taking iPhone 12 pre-orders in India from October 23
The Apple Store is down at the moment. Although Apple hasn't provided any reason for the downtime, it comes just hours ahead of the iPhone 12 pre-orders that are initially beginning in key markets including Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US. Alongside iPhone 12, Apple is also set to take pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Pro in the initial list of markets on Friday. The India pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will begin from October 23.
Apple has put up a message on its online store in the US and other markets where the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are going for pre-orders. The message reads, “You're… early. Pre-order begins at 5:00 a.m. PDT. Enjoy the extra sleep.”
During the official launch on Tuesday, Apple highlighted that pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro would go live in Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and over 30 other countries starting 5am PDT (5:30pm IST) on Friday, while their availability scheduled for October 23. However, both new iPhone models will be available for pre-orders in India on October 23, with their availability set for October 30.
Notably, the downtime in India comes just ahead of the Diwali offer that Apple will kick-off through its online store on Saturday, October 17. The offer will bring free AirPods with every iPhone 11 purchase. Apple may also add a bank offer to make the deal even sweeter for Indian customers.


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Samsung has, for quite some time now, been leading the global smartphone market with its well-made hardware based on strong competitiveness of parts for many years. But as the market gets flooded with cheaper Chinese options that provide a flagship experience with the price of smartphone components coming down, it is getting increasingly difficult to justify the price tag for Samsung’s flagships.
Cheaper device models are able to provide a smooth, joined up experience for the customer once reserved for flagship models. Companies such as MediaTek have introduced new, higher performance mid-range chipsets, and Samsung itself has contributed to this by selling its AMOLED panels at more affordable prices, meaning that more and more models are gaining this once-premium display type.
It took Samsung more than six years to reach the Galaxy S7 hardware, a lot of cash went into R&D, but today, there are manufacturers popping up in every part of the world, most importantly China, offering similar hardware at less that half the price. The number of ways to build a different device to the competition is being reduced, but one core way remains: the software experience.
The rise of the Chinese OEMs has been a clear sign for Samsung, that it can not maintain its smartphone leadership based solely on hardware. We have seen Samsung investing a considerable sum into developing its own software platform, first with Bada, which has been evolved into Tizen. Samsung is still pouring millions into the platform; it has recently announced it is to support Tizen game developers with up to $1 million a month for the most downloaded titles (through payments of $100,000 per developer).
Hardcore Android fans might disagree, but Samsung made Android popular. And now that every other phone is running Android, Samsung might have looked back and wondered what if it had taken some time to create a competitive enough software back then. Perhaps that is why, Samsung opted out of the Android wear platform, and started making Smartwatches based on Tizen OS. The OS switch hasn’t affected the sales one bit and now Tizen has a home in the Internet-of-Things arena with Samsung’s home appliances.
The industry is particularly interested to see what impact switching towards software will make for Samsung’s smartphone business, especially from the device hardware perspective. It is possible that the business has tried too hard – witness the battery failures of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which may be a rushed product in the interests of competition. This could encourage the company to slow down the hardware development and concentrate on improving and refining its software.
And we have seen Samsung repeatedly say over the last couple of years that it will be paying more attention to the software rather than the hardware. We are seeing these signs, too. TouchWiz has been refined and smoothed over into Grace UX, with a cleaner, simpler and less cluttered look and feel. Even some of the recent acquisitions by Samsung have a more software side to them than hardware.
Samsung acquired Viv labs and is now developing its own AI Assistant now, which if even at par with the competition from the likes of Google, Apple and Microsoft will have an inherent advantage, Samsung makes almost everything you use in your home, and you may not need a Samsung Home in every corner of your house to access this AI assistant.
On November 14, Samsung acquired Haman, a US audio company, which has significant experience in designing and integrating sophisticated in-car technologies judging that infotainment systems will play the most important role as “brains” in an era of autonomous vehicles and connected cars in the future.
Samsung’s latest acquisition is NewNet Canada which owns a next generation mobile messengerwhich supports RCS (rich communications services). This could mean that every Samsung phone user around the world can send large-size photos and videos via RCS and enable a group chat service.
Samsung has previously tried its hand at software when it launched Bada OS in 2009, and it tanked under the two-sided pressure from iOS and Android. But today’s Samsung is different and perhaps more experienced in the field than it was in 2009. Last year was important for Samsung, because with the Galaxy S6 family, Samsung proved it could still produce industry leading hardware. It will be interesting to see if Samsung can repeat that in software.
Via : Business Korea


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PayPal Holdings, Inc. is a well-known American company that is operating online payments worldwide. The company started as Confinity in 1998 but in 2002 it changed into PayPal. It is supporting online money transfers and is also serving as the digital alternative for paper and check methods. Many online vendors, auction sites and commercial users utilize PayPal for payment processing. It helps in effortless online transactions.
Moreover, it is one of the fortune five hundred companies in the US.
The popular payments app PayPal has now come up with new features. They joined the Cryptocurrency market this Wednesday. The customers will be able to buy, sell and keep the bitcoins and also other forms of virtual money on their online wallets. Moreover, the customers can make use of the cryptocurrencies to purchase on the 26 million merchants that will be available in 2021.
Dan Schulman the company’s President and Chief Executive shared that the service will help in the global use of the virtual coins and will make the network to get ready for new digital currencies created by banks and corporations.
Moreover, the president also said that the company is working along with central banks regarding the digital currencies. They want to find how Paypal can play an important role. The report from the company said that the account holders in the US can begin to buy and sell cryptocurrencies in the upcoming weeks. This plan will start in full swing from 2021.
PayPal has received the first cryptocurrency license from the (NYDFS) New York State Department of Financial Services.
This will enable to buy cryptocurrencies such as litecoin, ethereum and bitcoin cash. Now PayPal also has joined with Paxos Trust Company to render the service.
The Facebook Inc-led started a cryptocurrency project titled Libra in 2019 however its founding member Paypal dropped out of it due to unknown reasons.
But currently, Paypal’s entrance to the cryptocurrency space is a massive promotion for crypto assets. Now many major organisations are buying the bitcoin and other digital currencies as Paypal did it. It has active accounts numbering 346 million and has received $222 billion payments.
The new cryptocurrency plans of PayPal will lead to growth in digital currency. Many are looking forward to this development. More than 346 million users of PayPal will benefit from the new plans. The company is heading towards a new direction for advancement and development in digital currency.


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Equipment finance sector sees 3-percent increase in new business volume
New business volume for November was up 3 percent — $6.4 billion, up from $6.2 billion — a slight increase from the same time in 2011, according to the latest report from the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $725 billion equipment finance sector.
Volume was down 16 percent from the previous month, according to ELFA, and year-to-date cumulative new business volume increased 15 percent.
Receivables greater than 30 days increased for the first time in six months to 2 percent, up from 1.7 percent in October, and they were unchanged when compared to the same period in 2011, according to ELFA. Charge-offs were up from the previous month at 0.5 percent, and down by 28.6 percent compared to the same period last year, ELFA says.
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Unusual watches and limited edition models come up for sale all the time. You can always buy a rare watch if you have enough money.
What you can’t always buy is a watch that’s truly one of a kind. Those opportunities are rare, and even having a lot of cash at your disposal isn’t going to help you if someone who owns a one-of-a-kind watch isn’t willing to sell.
That’s why it’s somewhat surprising that a recent auction of a Patek Philippe Caliber 89 pocket watch ended without a sale. The watch was one of only four made, each with a different case material (three kinds of gold and one platinum.)
The Caliber 89 was brought to market in 1989 to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary. It took five years to develop and another four years to manufacture, all for a product whose production was just four units.
The Caliber 89 is quite a remarkable watch. The timepiece has 1728 parts and 33 complications, including:
- Day of the month
- 12-hour recorder
- Day of the week
- Hour of second time zone
- Moon phase display
- Winding crown position indicator
- Century decade and year displays
- Leap year indicator
- Power reserve
- Date of Easter
- Time of sunrise
- Equation of time
- Star chart
- Sun hand
- Time of sunset
- Split second hand
The watch measures 89mm in diameter and 41mm thick. It weighs 1100 grams. It was, at the time it was made, the watch with the most complications ever, surpassing another Patek Philippe watch – the Henry Graves Supercomplication.
Given its unique history, its historical significance, and its out and out rarity, everyone pretty much assumed that the watch would not only sell when it came up for auction, but that it might very well establish a record for the most expensive watch ever sold. That would be $24 million, which was the price when the Henry Graves Supercomplication sold recently.
A Patek Philippe Caliber 89 was last sold publicly in 2009, when it sold for $5 million. Speculation has been that this watch, with a yellow gold case, might go for a much higher price, and the pre-auction estimate was $6.4 million to $9.9 million.
Oddly enough, when the gavel finally came down on the auction, which was held this past May, the watch went unsold, as the bidding did not reach the minimum reserve price.
This does suggest that one should be careful when investing in watches. While this one is rare, it’s the second time that it has failed to sell in the last two years. That means that anyone who buys it now will also likely have trouble selling it quickly anytime soon.
While such watches can make good investments, one has to be aware that the market does fluctuate. Over a long period of time, say 20-30 years, buying the Caliber 89 might make sense and might return a profit.
Over a shorter time period, however, the likelihood of a sale is much less certain, as is the likelihood of a net gain on the investment.
Still, the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 is an important watch in timekeeping history, and there aren’t many people who would not like to have it in their collection.


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Initial reaction to Apple’s entrance into the credit card space via its Apple Card was met by the expected healthy skepticism. After all, Apple may know tech, but what does the company know about consumer credit?
Many observers also looked askance at Apple Cards reward benefits, pointing to other similar or even more lucrative money-back programs from other more well-established card issuers.
But as those in the tech business have learned, discounting Apple’s ability to create consumer must-have craving into any market it enters — music selling, smartphones, tablets, wearables — often makes initial cynics look foolish.
Watch: Apple Unveils Apple TV+
So, assuming Apple Card creates a similar type of speedy and disruptive adoption as its previous products, what do retailers need to know? TWICE spoke to executives at two credit card review sites, Ted Rossman, industry analyst at CreditCards.com, and John Ganotis, founder of Credit Card Insider, to get some insights.
1. Consumers will adopt Apple Card.
Apple Card’s appeal is three-fold:
First, there’s its supposed simplicity: No more mystery vendors, GPS-recorded purchase locations, spending color-coded by category and flexible payment plans.
Second, there are the cash rewards: 1 percent back on plain credit card purchases, 2 percent back on purchases made with Apple Pay, 3 percent back on Apple store purchases in-store or online, all applied daily, plus no fee.
Finally, there’s the plain cool factor, especially that titanium credit card for that increasingly rare retailer that doesn’t accept mobile payments.
“There will certainly be skeptics,” said Ganotis, “but I think most consumers who use it will love it. While an extra 1 percent of cash back isn’t huge, it’s a financial incentive for consumers to try to use Apple Pay when a retailer offers it, or ask the retailer if it’s available. Apple Card is different because there’s a physical card someone can use when mobile contactless payments are not supported.”
See also: Apple Updates iPad Mini, iPad Air
There are still a great many unknowns – Apple Card isn’t due to launch until the summer. But historically we do know there are millions of early adopting iPhone owners who will drive initial enthusiasm, regardless of Apple Card’s actual benefits or value.
“This card will appeal to many Apple devotees,” Rossman agreed. “The laser-etched titanium card has plunk factor as a status symbol. And many people will enjoy the simplicity of Apple Card being incorporated into a device they love and use constantly. There’s an inherent marketing advantage here. I’ve told lots of people this week that the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card offers significantly better rewards on mobile wallet purchases – and gotten a lot of blank states and ‘huh?’ in return. I’m not wowed by any of Apple Card’s features – the lack of a sign-up bonus, the mediocre rewards structure, the ho-hum interest rates, the lack of a 0 percent intro APR or balance transfer offer, etc. – but that won’t matter to people who are fanatical about the Apple brand.”
Rossman also noted that “only about a third of iPhone users have tried Apple Pay.” Considering there are around 100 million iPhones in the U.S. according to Statista, which means there are more than 30 million Apple Pay users.
2. Apple Card is unlikely to accelerate adoption of mobile payments.
This is because mobile payment adoption is already rapidly expanding. According to BI Intelligence, in-store mobile payments will reach $503 billion by 2020, a CAGR of 80 percent from 2015. And according to Mobile Payments World, by the end of 2020 the number of in-store mobile payment users in the U.S. is expected to reach 150 million, more than half the population. The number of consumers in the U.S. using mobile payments has already reached 61.9 million, up from 48.1 million in 2017, according to eMarketer.
“This technology is now in use at about 70 percent of U.S. merchant locations,” Rossman reported. “Mobile payments usage is currently low and contactless usage is miniscule, but the rising tide might – slowly – lift all boats. Chase is in the midst of a big contactless push, and American Express and Capital One are other leaders. Public transit systems in Chicago, New York and Portland are among those currently embracing contactless and mobile payments technology. Greater contactless usage will beget more mobile payments usage and awareness, and vice versa. It will be a slow progression, but it’s coming.”
“It will be interesting to see if [Apple Card] will increase consumer demand to the point that people are asking retailers to support it so they can get more cash back,” Ganotis said, “or if people make decisions about where to shop based on whether Apple Pay is supported.”
3. Apple doesn’t charge higher fees than other credit card issuers.
As noted, Apple Card won’t be out until the summer so some details have yet to be revealed. But …
“I don’t think there will be a difference to retailers,” Rossman speculated. “They should continue to pay the same – approximately – 2.5 percent interchange fee whether a consumer uses a credit card itself or charges against that credit card on a mobile payments app. There is a difference to Apple, which has been getting about 0.15 percent of each transaction when a consumer uses a non-Apple Card in Apple Pay. Apple will get a bigger slice of the interchange when consumers use Apple Card.”
4. Retailers won’t need new POS terminals.
“Many terminals that support contactless credit cards also support mobile payment systems,” assures Ganotis. “Contactless cards have been big in Europe for years, and they’re just starting to catch on more in the US. Terminals that already accept Apple Pay will work with mobile payments on Apple Card. Any regular terminal that accepts normal Chip-and-Signature EMV chip cards will accept the physical Apple Pay card. The physical Apple Card can be used anywhere regular credit cards can be used.”
5. Mobile payment systems, both in-store and online, are more secure.
“Merchants won’t be liable for in-person fraud as long as they’ve upgraded to EMV chip card technology,” Rossman said. “The banks will have to eat the cost in that event. Online is a different story – merchants are liable for online fraud. This is where most of the questions come in. Is the retailer – and/or its partner(s) – doing as much as possible to prevent online fraud while maintaining a good customer experience and encouraging people to buy? Would it make sense to incorporate two-factor authentication? Mobile payments can actually help prevent online fraud because of their biometrics technology, requiring the user to scan a thumbprint or face ID to process the transaction.”
See also: Apple Update AirPods
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By Jordan Faigen
Addicted to Snapchat? Well, your latest video messaging obsession might just switch you back to Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) later this month, when they announce their newest “secret weapon.”
Facebook in the News
The post was originally published here. Highlights: Resolving gas supply issues ensures longevity A pioneer in renewable energy should be future proof Undemanding valuation could lead to re-rating Q1 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Snapchat, the popular photo and video messaging application, might be in for some competition. The Financial Times has recently reported that Facebook is working on a similar messaging service called Slingshot. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) attempted to purchase Snapchat for $3 billion in November of last year, however, Snapchat did not accept the offer, leaving the messaging company vulnerable to competition. Facebook might be ready to release Slingshot by the end of this month, and then Snapchat will really see if it was a good idea to pass on the billions.
The social media giant is also expanding its advertising influence, allowing marketers to show video advertisements on Facebook in Britain, Brazil, and five other countries. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) just started selling these 15-second video ads in America in March and noted that the initial performance of the ads has been strong. The company is keeping a careful eye on these ads so as to not annoy users, but they are still moving forward with international expansion.
An Analyst Perspective
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Youssef Squali reiterated his Buy Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) recommendation on March 20, focusing on the success of one of Facebook’s latest billion dollar acquisition, WhatsApp. Squali noted, “WhatsApp surpassed 500 million users in April with a target of 1 billion plus users before starting to aggressively pursue monetization. Given the communication nature of WhatsApp and its high-value proposition, one could easily see how valuable this platform is.”
In this week’s Flashback Friday, we take a look at how Youssef Squali earned a +9.6% average return on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), helping him reach the number 13 ranked analyst out of 3082 analysts, with a +12.9% average return per stock and a 68% success rate of recommendations.
Back in September of 2012, Squali recommended BUY Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) after the company’s first foray into e-commerce. Facebook announced that it was launching a service named Gifts that allowed users to send real gifts, such as coffee or chocolate, to other users. Squali noted, “Gifts alone may have a really small impact, but we expect many more innovations over time.” Squali was on the right track with this recommendation. The stock went from $21.66 at the time of this recommendation to $22.36 by the time he reached his next recommendation.
In October of last year, Squali recommended BUY Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) after the company reported third-quarter earnings. At the time, Facebook remained one of Squali’s “favorite stocks” with a “relatively compelling valuation”. Squali noted, “Facebook reported very strong 3Q:13 results, with revenue and NEPS comfortably exceeding expectations. Most importantly, ad revenue growth accelerated to +66% Y/Y, with mobile now accounting for ~50% of ad sales.” The stock rose from $50.21 to $57.77 by the time of his next recommendation in December.
A few months later, in January of 2014, Squali maintained his BUY rating with a price target of $65.00, before Q4 numbers were released. Squali expected results to be in-line or better than his expectations, noting, “We expect FB to report solid results on 1/29 with revenue growth at ~53%, propelled mainly by mobile, and EBITDA margin at ~58%. We remain positive on FB, given increased ad load over the holidays, Facebook’s position as the largest/most engaged mass reach Internet platform for advertisers (88-100M U.S. users during prime-time hours every night), unmatched targeting potential, and now a potential mobile ad network in the works.”
Shortly thereafter, in March 2014, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) announced its acquisition of virtual reality company Oculus Rift and Squali reiterated his BUY rating and $67 price target. Squali admitted that this expensive purchase was “another potential longshot with an eye-popping valuation”, but he remained “impressed with management’s intense focus on trying to position Facebook for the next computing platform.” Squali also pointed out that, “P&L results from its other high-visibility deals, Instagram and Whatsapp, have yet to materialize, but it’s worth noting that growth in users and engagement for Instagram has so far exceeded our expectations, and management remains committed to growing Whatsapp to over 1B users.” This time the stock rose from $60.39 up to $60.87 at the time of his next recommendation.
Squali has recommended Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) 13 times, and has earned a +9.6% average return on the stock based on his successful recommendations.
Jordan Faigen covers financial markets and the latest stock market news. She can be reached at email@example.com


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A company official attributed the strong demand for our Soonhari products to the growing popularity of K-content overseas.
Mykeyring products were created in accordance with official license agreements with license holders.
Cargill will contribute $15 million to the settlement, Sanderson Farms $38.3 million, and Wayne Farms $31.5 million.
HBO Max and Discovery Plus' merged streaming service is coming to the U.S. first in the summer of 2023.
Balenciaga just released its newest creation, but it is getting mixed reactions of disgust and amusement.
The Korea Customs Office will decide whether to allow the imports of full-body dolls of the new type depending on the court’s future rulings.
Hyundai Motor and its Indian affiliate have charged HGM, the Indian arm of South Korean knockoff car maker Global Motors, of improperly utilizing the name "Hyundai" and the automaker's emblem.
Rolexes traded in S. Korea's online secondhand market raise tax avoidance, money laundering issues
An increasing number of South Koreans are putting luxury goods and gold bars up for sale in the online secondhand markets, raising issues on tax avoidance and money laundering.
According to Rep. Park Hong-Keun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, there are loopholes in taxation for trading on secondhand marketplace platforms as sellers are not regulated in reporting and paying value-added taxes.
The lawmaker added that there's a possibility for the marketplace to be used for money laundering.
Park pointed out that there were several Rolex watches, priced between 56 million won and 93.5 million won, as well as a 30 million won gold bar up for sale on the secondhand marketplace application, Danggeun Market.
Recently, a female user in Danggeun Market posted around 13 billion won worth of luxury goods for sale on the app.
The items include a Rolex GMT Master 2 watch worth 165 million won, two Piaget watches with price tags of 89.99 million won and 82 million won, and a Rolex Day-Date costing 48 million won.
There were also a 6.55 million won Van Cleef bracelet and a 17 million won Sapphire ring.
Many of her items were sold as purchasers considered their prices "reasonably low."
Another secondhand item trading app Bunjang also noticed that the sale of goods priced over 1 million won increased by 85 percent last year from 2018.


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Venture Capitalist Eric Hippeau discusses the similarities and difference between New York City and Silicon Valley with regard to technology startups. Where California is currently home to tech world trendsetters, the Big Apple’s focus is on software development and application. That said, New York’s diverse collection of resources has the potential to make it the next major technology hub.
Eric Hippeau: My name is Eric Hippeau. I’m a venture capitalist. My firm is called Lerer Hippeau Ventures where it’s me plus three other partners. We are technology investors so we look for companies that use technology, primarily consumer technology. It doesn’t mean that they have to be consumer facing but the technology has to be based on the same technology that we all use day to day.
And so we’re looking for companies that use technology to either create large new marketplaces or large new businesses or who disrupt large businesses that are already in place. And New York is particularly well suited for this because there’s a lot of people with very diverse backgrounds, diverse domain knowledge. We have a lot of people in our educational system, a million kids, in our public school system, 600,000 college students. And technology today is primarily developed in large urban centers. So obviously New York is well positioned for that.
The difference between New York and Silicon Valley is in the kind of technology that we develop here as opposed to in Silicon Valley. First I think we should point out what the similarities are. And the similarities are that because technology today is transportable and rentable and relatively cheap to use, we in New York, but it could be anywhere – it could be Bombay, it could be Austin – have access to the same technology to develop new applications, new services than anybody in Silicon Valley. So everyone starts with the same level playing field. The technology is accessible through the Cloud. It’s rentable through the Cloud. Anybody can start a company with, you know, a couple of laptops and two or three people and a few thousand dollars literally and you can start a company and you can start a business. So it’s very different today than it was just a few years ago where a large part of the money that you raised actually went to the acquisition of the technology. You had to buy servers, you had to buy hardware, you had to buy expensive software licenses. And today you don’t have to do any of that. So that’s a big difference but we have in New York as anywhere else access to the same latest developments in technology than anybody in Silicon Valley. The big difference is that New York focuses more on the software layer, on the application and the services layer so that we’re really good at software in New York. We’re good at platforms. We’re good at consumer facing applications. We’re good at enterprise software, software as a service. We’re good at a variety of different domains.
Obviously the ones that you can think of, the traditional sectors such as advertising and media but also health care and, you know, a variety of different domains where you have people who have experience and expertise because, you know, some big companies are located here and big sectors of the economy are based here. What New York is probably not going to do is develop the next plumbing for the Internet. That’s more likely to be coming out of the West Coast but having said that we’re increasingly getting more and more advanced engineering talent in New York. In fact, on Roosevelt Island there’s going to be a Cornell University in conjunction with the big technology institute in Israel are building a campus which will be ready in two or three years. But the classes have already started in other locations. And this is all going to be advanced applied engineering. So who knows what’s going to develop in the future. Some hardware is already being developed in New York. We invested, for instance, in Makerbot, the 3D printer company that was sold recently to another 3D printer company. So there is a background in hardware and manufacturing in New York, but generally speaking it’s really software that’s the big thing as it were here in New York.
Directed / Produced by Jonathan Fowler, Elizabeth Rodd, or Dillon Fitton


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Gautam Adani wants to cement his grip on India’s heavy industry
Asia’s richest man buys a Swiss-controlled building-materials business for $10.5bn
Gautam adani is a man of few words but, as Asia’s richest tycoon, plenty of means. On May 15th he agreed to pay $10.5bn for Ambuja Cement, India’s second-biggest cement-maker, controlled by Holcim, a Swiss building-materials behemoth. Mr Adani’s terse statement accompanying the deal belies its significance. It will be the largest outright acquisition of an Indian company since Walmart, an American supermarket titan, purchased Flipkart, an Indian e-merchant, in 2018.
Ambuja was founded by Narotam Sekhsaria, a Bombay cotton trader with a degree in chemical engineering but no background in cement. He managed to turn a commodity into a consumer product through a clever slogan (“giant strength”) and an eye-catching logo (a giant clutching a building). After courting Ambuja for years, Holcim succeeded only in 2005-07, as Mr Sekhsaria’s health began to fail.
Since then the business has flailed. In the past decade, according to Kotak Securities, a broker, capacity at Holcim’s Indian holdings expanded by less than 2% a year, compared with a rate of 10% for UltraTech, India’s biggest cement-maker, and 13% for Shree Cement, an upstart. Holcim has not disclosed how much it paid for its Indian venture. One analyst puts the figure at around $2bn. Given that it will receive $6.4bn for its 63% stake, this would amount to an adequate but unexciting annual return of perhaps 8%. (The other $4bn or so Mr Adani is paying will go to Ambuja’s minority shareholders.)
The deal is more favourable for Holcim in other ways. It fits in with the firm’s broader shift towards a greener, less cement-centric business. In recent years it has sold cement units in Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Critically, it shouldn’t attract antitrust scrutiny, whereas success by one of the two other bidders might well have raised trustbusters’ concerns. UltraTech, controlled by the Birla family, is India’s biggest cement-maker. The Jindals’ jsw Group, a big steel producer, has a growing cement business. The Competition Commission of India has been looking into a possible cement cartel since at least 2010. A case involving Holcim is before the Supreme Court. Another investigation was reportedly launched in 2020. As part of the sale, Holcim will be spared from any judgment, its chief executive, Jan Jenisch, told analysts.
But it was not solely because Mr Adani has no existing cement operations that he prevailed in the fight for Ambuja. What he brought also mattered. The Adani Group owns power utilities, useful in running energy-hungry kilns, and India’s biggest network of ports to ship the stuff. Its coal-fired plants provide a by-product, fly-ash, required for cement-making. Most important, the tycoon displays an uncanny ability to raise capital. Paired with vaulting ambition, it is a hard mix to beat. ■
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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "A new foundation"
Business May 21st 2022
- After a bruising year, SoftBank braces for more pain
- Elon Musk, Twitter and an epic case of buyer’s remorse
- Gautam Adani wants to cement his grip on India’s heavy industry
- SPACs raised billions. As mergers dry up, we follow the money
- Shares in America’s big retailers swoon
- Making brainstorming better
- Why America’s clean-energy industry is stuck
From the May 21st 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
The rise of ChatGPT-like AI applications has profound implications for internet use
BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies are increasingly looking to their backyards
Is the worst over for Mark Zuckerberg’s social-media empire?


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An Apple employee lost a prototype for the new iPhone, which is kind of a big deal to them and soon after came the headline/news: Per Apple Request, Police Questioning Gizmodo’s iPhone Scoop. RespondingiIn a segment titled “Appholes”, John Stewart went off (though gently) on Apple for handling the Gizmodo iPhone leak poorly, most notably observing that Microsoft was supposed to be the evil one, but now Apple is busting down doors in Palo Alto while Bill Gates rids the world of mosquitoes. Everything is upside down!
1. the guy has a case# from the Apple’s support team, he contacted them but they had no idea that a ‘secret iPhone’ was lost, so they decided it was a joke (Apple also said in the begining that it’s not a prototype …) 2. the blogger paid for an iPhone; he took a chance; it might have been a joke, a replica, etc, but he considered the risks and got it. when asked to return it, he sent it back to Apple. the whole thing took days to develop, and that seems to me like a publicity stunt… Jobs’ own secrecy regarding the product, turns out to be the cause why they didn’t get the iPhone back before it made it on the news. if the support team were updated, if Jobs would not have been so paranoid, the phone would have been returned to Apple. IMO it’s like this: you buy a used bike on a garage sale. the guy says he found it on the side of the road.. you give him the money, and take the bike to a ride. someone stops you and demands that he left the bike on the street, and he wants it back. you give it back.. now, what’s going on w/ your money, what’s going on when the police arrives? ;] ps Apple has the argument that the new iPhone is top secret and the competitors might steal its ‘secrets’! come on Jobs, we are in 2010 and the iPhone still doesn’t multitask. it took several upgrades to film, and other expensive jokes like these ;]. don’t give us this BS, with the secrect technology, iPhone’s only thing is its applications. w/o them it simply blows!
and commenter Go Zi An created some buzz on the videos comments with a few along these lines:
But John Gruber actually has a fair and balanced take on this issue, unlike Jon Stewart. Steward [sic] is misrepresenting facts, leaving out important details like the prototype was stolen, and whoever found it never informed anyone at all for 3 weeks, despite knowing the identity of the Apple engineer since he could access his Facebook app on the iPhone prototype. And Gizmodo paid for the prototype, is that even ethical journalism (something Stewart himself always raves about?) Jon Stewart it’s time you actually went to journalism school to learn the basics on reporting facts.
Giant house-sized poop bubbles are growing and becoming dangerous in the “waste lagoons” at a dairy farm in Winchester, Indiana. When I think of a lagoon, I think tropical, I think Gilligans Island. Way to ruin that word by informing me that there are such things as open air cow shit “lagoons”, Wall Street Journal… The giant bubbles are made from a plastic lining that was supposed to stay at the bottom of the damn thing but something clearly went wrong and now they are filling with gas from all the poop that got underneath it. Nearby houses are annoyed/terrified that volatile shit bubbles are in their back yard. If one were to pop, the explosion could destroy millions. Actually, I made that up, but they DO allude to danger if they pop. All I can think about is getting a gun and shooting them just to see what horrible shit-boom occurs.
Well, the fun is over and the problem is solved I guess. NY Mag reports that the bubbles have deflated like “raisins in the sun” which sounds impossible, or at least extremely rare. Kinda like toasting toast – you toast bread and you put grapes in the sun to turn them into raisins. Toasting toast and shrinking a raisin in the sun? no thanks.
My first idea was that this looks like a perfect source of green energy and got angry at the double fail that this isn’t already done everywhere. Every dairy farm everywhere should be harvesting the methane gas from their livestock into energy. wtf guys?? I was disappointed when I saw someone else make this suggestion on the WSJ’s comments, but still wonder why its not friggin happening.
When life gives you lemons – make poop bubbles that can pay the electric bills.
How bad is France for business owners? Even California, a state heavy on government regulation, is more free for a small businessman to innovate and experiment to lead themselves into being successful big businessmen.
Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs has been on extended sick leave and had to skip the last stage presentation or two because of it. His lack of visibility lead many to believe he was terminally ill or maybe even had already died and was being kept as a Weekend At Bernies type secret for as long as possible. But today – tadaa! – Jobs is back on the job..z, and conducted the expo thingwhatever today revealing new ipod nano’s with cameras and a software upgrade to the iPhone full of features no one will ever notice. yeay! but his entrance… so blah… dude just walked out on the friggin stage with no announcement.
The video below is the whole thing if you’re interested, but for purposes of this blog, only the first 60 seconds is important.
Jobs squandered a huge opportunity here. No one had any idea he was going to appear on stage and he just strolls out and starts talking?? wtf Steven? He could have tripled the publicity for this event if he had taken the Willy Wanka route:
See Mr Jobs? thats how its done… Maybe a full floor tumble was out of the question, but a fakeout still could have been pulled off subtlety and been just as awesome. Imagine him limping out with a cane and beginning to tell that story about his recovery only to drop it and erect himself to announce how great he feels. Apple stock would have risen an extra 4 points, I guarantee.
Awwwwwwwwwww MAN! This sucks. Every time I pass the Sharper Image stores in LA, New York and Honolulu I always stop in to play with some of the toys and most definitely get an ijoy chair massage on my back and calves. Now I’m screwed. Never again being able to get free muscular relieve within malls from products I’m too cheap to purchase. =(
Bankrupt gadget retailer Sharper Image plans to close all its remaining stores, its new owners announced Sunday.
The company expects to sell $50 million in inventory as it shutters 86 stores across the United States, the joint owners of Hilco Organization and Gordon Brothers said in a statement.
The group, which purchased the gadget retailer’s assets in a bankruptcy auction Thursday for $49 million, said it has developed a licensing strategy for wholesale, retail, direct-to-retail, e-commerce, and catalog businesses.
Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy protection in February with plans to shut about half of its 184 stores and reorganize. The San Francisco-based company said it had lost more than $135 million since early 2005. The company put itself up for sale in April.
Fox Business Network’s morning show Money For Breakfast gets the skinny on the fat. McDonalds is changing their menu and this chick talks to the guy responsible for the new stuff. You will learn that toasted pumpkin seeds were a failure (later replaced by tortilla chips) and it took 3 years to get a Mcgriddle from idea to sale. yeesh.
Part 2 is more casual and ‘Today Show’ type personal story of the chef and the actual food preparation for a new food product idea:
Check at the end where she explains that another idea that got shot down was having shrimp in one of the salads, and was deemed impossible because McDonalds would then wipe out the shrimp market across the world (or don’t cuz I just told you).


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In a small white house on a Collingswood sidestreet, an impressive fundraising effort is underway for the American Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Collingswood residents Jen Hilgenberg and Mindy Leher have only been selling t-shirts through their online store, Red Dog Glass, for six or seven months, said Hilgenberg, but when they saw the devastation at the Jersey Shore, “We wanted to help. We had tons of friends who were affected.”
Leher, a graphic designer, created a “Restore the Shore” logo complete with the iconic “Jersey Strong” motto to sell through their store with all profits going to the American Red Cross.They thought they would sell a couple hundred shirts but when they shared the t-shirt via their Facebook page, it “blew up,” Hilgenberg said.
Many of the customers have been individuals, but a number of groups are also helping the fundraising effort. The coach and girls soccer team at Chestnut Hill College wanted to do something to get involved as well, said Hilgenberg.
One of the players is from the Jersey shore and she contacted Red Dog Glass about helping to raise money through their shirt fundraiser. The Chestnut Hill team thought about buying the shirts and then selling them, but they were worried about who would front the money and how to keep inventory, said Hilgenberg. Instead, the team has been hosting tables, handing out fliers and sharing the word through email and social media.
Red Dog Glass will ship the orders in bulk to their partners at Chestnut Hill College so they can be distributed. That will also save on shipping costs, meaning more money will go to the American Red Cross.
Hilgenberg and Leher are able to track how much is raised by Chestnut Hill students through their website. So far, they have sold over 100 shirts and raised well over $1,000, said Hilgenberg.The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr is also raising money the same way. If each student sells two shirts, they will be rewarded with a dress down day.
Leher said this is the biggest thing they have done. Normal orders are a few hundred shirts, so it has been a little “overwhelming to field all this.” To meet the increased volume, over 20 people have volunteered to help pack and ship the orders.
They are also currently talking with a local store owner about possibly using a vacant site to distribute some of the shirts.
To date, Leher and Hilgenberg have sold approximately 1,250 shirts and raised $19,640 for the American Red Cross.
Both agreed the response has been humbling. People from all over – as far as Texas and the Virgin Islands – have sent little notes of encouragement along with their orders. They have also received a few other bulk orders.
Hilgenberg thinks part of the success is because “people can donate but they get something back,” and then they can “show their pride and support by wearing the t-shirt.”


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|Bid||7.36 x 0|
|Ask||7.39 x 0|
|Day's Range||7.19 - 7.44|
|52 Week Range||3.70 - 9.29|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||4.10|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||7.22|
Aphria (TSX:APHA) (NASDAQ:APHA) presents strong growth prospects, but is this small-cap pot stock a better investment?
NYSE-A: HEXO) is pleased to announce it has entered into a syndicated credit facility with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (“CIBC”), as Sole Bookrunner, Co-Lead Arranger and Administrative Agent and Bank of Montreal as Co-Lead Arranger and Syndication Agent (together with CIBC, the “Lenders”). Under the terms of the credit facility, the Lenders will provide HEXO up to C$65 million of secured debt financing at a rate of interest that is expected to average in the mid-to-high 5% per annum range over its three-year term.
Is Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB)(NYSE:ACB) or HEXO Corp. (TSX:HEXO) a better pot stock to buy today?
Analyzing Canopy Growth's Q3 Results(Continued from Prior Part)Margins During the third quarter, Canopy Growth (WEED) (CGC) reported a gross margin of ~12.4 million Canadian dollars, which was lower compared to 16.5 million Canadian dollars in the
Markets have been off to a roaring start this year; however, these five stocks have fared even better, including licensed cannabis producer HEXO Corp (TSX:HEXO) -- up more than 53% through the first six weeks of 2019.
Analysts' Ratings for WEED, TLRY, and APHA in February(Continued from Prior Part)Sales to grow Canopy Growth (WEED) (CGC) is scheduled to announce its third-quarter earnings on February 14 after the market closes. Canopy Growth is expected to see
Aurora Cannabis: Key Takeaways from Its Q2 Earnings(Continued from Prior Part)Gross margins fell In the second quarter, Aurora Cannabis (ACB) reported nearly 363% YoY (year-over-year) and 83% sequential sales growth. The company reported gross
Cannabis Stocks Hit Pause Last WeekWeekly performanceIn the week ending February 8, cannabis stocks ended in the red. The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (HMMJ) fell nearly 2.8% from the closing on February 1. The Emerging Marijuana Growers
Do Cannabis Stocks Look Expensive?(Continued from Prior Part)Other cannabis companies Previously in this series, we compared four cannabis stocks’ forward EV-to-sales multiples. In this part, we’ll discuss the other five cannabis stocks.
VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX:VIVO) is trading with some attractive valuations at the moment, but do two other weed stocks offer more upside?
Aphria Inc. (TSX:APH)(NYSE:APH) and HEXO Corp. (TSX:HEXO) are potential takeover targets in the cannabis sector. Is one a better bet right now?
What to Expect from Canopy Growth's Q3 EarningsCanopy Growth’s upcoming earnings Canopy Growth (WEED) (CGC) is scheduled to announce its third-quarter earnings on February 14 after the market closes. The company is one of the most valuable
Curaleaf Is Up ~40% in 2019: Is There More Upside?(Continued from Prior Part)Analysts’ recommendations Of the three analysts that cover Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF), two are favoring a “strong buy,” and one is favoring a “buy.” On average,
Why Analysts Expect Tilray to Report a Loss in the Fourth QuarterTilray to report earnings According to NASDAQ, Tilray (TLRY) is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings next week, on February 12. Let’s look at analysts’ expectations for the
With proponents claiming that it can treat ailments as diverse as inflammation, pain, cancer, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, it's no surprise that it's already impacting major industries, like the $4.2 trillion wellness market. In fact, CBD is already showing up in spa, wellness and skincare industry products. ''Hemp-derived CBD has been touted in several medical studies as having a myriad of health benefits ranging from treating psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and eczema to minimizing seizures, stress, and insomnia,'' notes Forbes.
Canopy Growth's Bruce Linton Talks Next Steps for the IndustryShedding lightLast week, Canopy Growth (WEED) (CGC) CEO Bruce Linton shed light on the next phases for the cannabis industry at the Cantech Investment Conference.These insights have
In fact, analysts at Cowen say U.S. cannabis sales alone could reach $80 billion by 2030 - an increase of $5 billion from earlier estimates, and a 4% compound annual growth rate. Piper Jaffray believes the market for legal cannabis could be worth $15 billion to $50 billion a year, with global sales growing to $250 billion to $500 billion. Corporate America is quickly waking up to the opportunity with alcohol companies taking a stake in cannabis stocks.
Mugglehead believes the cannabis industry will look very different a year from now. Meanwhile, with hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) now being permitted federally, the U.S. market could also see a whole new wave of cannabis products. One of the biggest stocks in the space, Tilray is looking to make a big splash in the beverages market.
Marijuana Legalization Gets Support from Presidential CandidatesCannabis industry As the world watched Canada legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in October, some critics thought that legalization was a mistake. Marijuana has often been
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The big shareholder groups in HEXO Corp. Read More...
Hexo Corp (TSX:HEXO) has decided to focus on novel segments of the cannabis market, providing a compelling competitive edge.


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Potential benefits include balance
So-called toning shoes may be best known for ads promising a better butt, but research presented in June at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine suggests the real benefits may lie outside the gluteus maximus.
By Jordana Bieze Foster
Toning shoe designs vary, but most feature an outsole sole with either a rocker shape or convex half-spheres positioned under the forefoot and rearfoot. Both types of outsole construction are designed to challenge stability during gait, theoretically promoting muscle activation and improving balance.
Of three studies on the topic presented at the ACSM meeting, only one found significantly greater muscle activation in toning shoes than in control walking shoes, and that increase was seen in the gastrocnemius lateralis. But researchers did report that toning shoes were associated with significant kinematic and kinetic changes during walking that likely reflect wearers’ efforts to maintain stability while wearing the shoes.
Two separate studies presented at ACSM, one from Utah Valley University in Orem, UT, and another from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, found that toning shoes were associated with significantly decreased single-limb contact time during walking compared with control shoes.
The 19-participant UPS study also found that the toning shoes affected ground reaction forces, but in ways that seemed to be dependent on outsole design. A rocker-sole toning shoe was associated with significantly higher forces at midstance when compared to a control shoe or a toning shoe with a double-pod outsole. The rocker-sole shoe also had higher anterior forces than a control shoe. The double-pod shoe was associated with significantly higher forces at heel strike and higher posterior forces than the other two shoe conditions.
“I think the real potential for these shoes is in improving balance,” said Heidi Orloff, PhD, a professor of exercise science at UPS. “Balance is such an important risk factor for women over 50. If we can just get away from what these shoes are being advertised for it might make a difference.”
The 10-participant Utah Valley study found that toning shoes affected other aspects of gait mechanics as well. While wearing the toning shoes, participants walked with less rearfoot displacement, greater rearfoot angular velocity, and a foot-fall angle that was more in line with the direction of gait in the sagittal plane. The former two findings are likely related to instability, while the third suggests there may be less torque on the knee while wearing toning shoes.
But these gait changes also offer some insight into anecdotal reports of overuse-type injuries associated with toning shoes, particularly in recent converts.
“What happens is that people are so excited to have the shoes that they go out and use them all the time,” said Talin Louder, a graduate student in exercise science at UVU and coauthor of the study. “But, because their gait isn’t what they’ve been used to, that could lead to overuse injury.”
The ACSM studies were less revealing with regard to toning shoes and muscle activity, however. The UPS study analyzed electromyographic activity for five lower extremity muscles and found significant increases associated with toning shoes only for the lateral gastroc. And a six-person study from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that EMG activity for four calf muscles did not differ significantly between toning shoes and control shoes.
But EMG may not tell the whole story, said John Mercer, PhD, associate professor of biomechanics at UNLV.
“Will the shoe give you any added benefit? Probably not,” Mercer said. “But to me if you’re not out walking now and wearing this shoe will make you do it, then that’s a good thing. As long as you’re walking, that’s what I care about.”


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Light camera sex
Amsterdam is set to lose a large chunk of its red light district, after the forced sale of a third of the buildings currently used for prostitution.
With its scantily-clad prostitutes posing in brothel windows and coffee shops oozing the pungent aroma of cannabis smoke, the red light district's seediness has always been part of its attraction.
2040-08), the automated traffic enforcement initiative is intended to combat the problem of red light running in Balch Springs.
Ever since the stars began doing it, all you can think about is ‘doing it’. The reality is, however, that very few men know where to begin when it comes to being the stars of their own sex tape.


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LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Noted activist investor Bill Ackman's hedge fund has reached a deal to sell its entire stake in J.C. Penney Co. JCP, +3.08% for $12.90 a share, The Wall Street Journal reported late Monday, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter. Shares of J.C. Penney closed Monday trade at $13.35, a drop of 1.1%, and fell further in after-hours transactions to hit $13.12. Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management LP originally paid about $25 per share for the stocks, most of which were bought in 2010 and 2011, the report said. The sale, which Pershing Square announced earlier in the day, was underwritten by Citigroup Inc. C, +5.09% the report said.
Ackman to get $12.90 a share for J.C. Penney: WSJ
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