text:
The first phase of a huge warehouse and logistics scheme in North Derbyshire has been launched.
Joint venture partners St Francis Group and iSec have launched Horizon29, a warehouse and logistics development at Markham Vale, which will eventually offer 1.4 million sq ft of space once complete.
The project, at the former Coalite works, near Junction 29a of the M1, is being developed in two phases and is targeted at occupiers looking to take advantage of the location and labour supply.
It is the second joint venture between the two developers, following the success of Bristol’s Horizon38.
At the Derbyshire site, they have already completed groundworks and infrastructure upgrades and will shortly start work to improve the local highway network.
The aim is that the first development plots will be available by early next year.
The first phase of Horizon29 was recently granted detailed planning consent for 824,000 sq ft in five units, ranging from 73,000 sq ft to 310,000 sq ft.
Planning applications are pending on a second phase of 574,000 sq ft in three units, ranging from 113,000 sq ft to 250,000 sq ft.
Gareth Williams, development director at St Francis Group, said: "Horizon29 is one of the East Midlands' newest and most refined industrial developments.
“The project will meet the very best standards expected by today’s occupiers, with bespoke buildings built to meet any specific requirements.
“The units will sit in a prime logistics environment, just minutes from the M1 motorway, making it one of the UK’s most prominent new industrial and logistics parks.”
Nigel Lax, development director at, iSec said: “As well as stimulating significant local job opportunities, we also expect the scheme to stimulate fresh inward investment in the area, giving a significant boost to the local economy and at 1.4 million sq ft in total, the scheme will play a national role in the ever-expanding logistics market, based on rapidly increasing demand from e-commerce.
“Horizon29 will be opening for business and available to logistics and manufacturing companies looking to return to some degree of normality in the not too distant future and capitalises on an outstanding location close to Sheffield, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Derby."
The developers are working closely with North East Derbyshire District Council, Bolsover District Council, Derbyshire County Council and the D2N2 LEP, which has provided grant assistance to the project.
LEP chief executive Sajeeda Rose said: “I’m pleased to see the first phase of the Horizon29 development progressing well.
“As thoughts turn to how our region recovers from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, projects like Horizon29 will be key in supporting our regional economy recovering and creating jobs for our people and communities.”


text:
Will 2022 be a big year for bankruptcies?
The odds of default across most U.S. business sectors rose in the first three months of the year, with every sector except energy recording a higher median market signal one-year probability of default score at the end of the first quarter, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
On a month-over-month pace, nationwide bankruptcies are piling up. In March, 1,805 commercial businesses filed for bankruptcy, a 26.4 percent increase over February’s 1,428 filings, said Epiq Bankruptcy, a provider of U.S. bankruptcy filing data.
In the U.S., apparel and fashion have mostly stayed out of the bankruptcy headlines to start the year, with Escada America the lone major brand filing for Chapter 11 protection. Two other recent bankruptcies occurred outside the U.S. British men’s wear brand TM Lewin had its second collapse into administration in two years, while U.K.-based footwear brand Steptronic Footwear Ltd. filed in March. Elsewhere on the fashion front, American Apparel founder Dov Charney personally filed for bankruptcy in the wake of a creditor battle.
“March is typically the month with the largest number of new bankruptcy filings on an annual basis,” said Chris Kruse, senior vice president at Epiq. “We continue to watch closely the bankruptcy activity as we emerge from the global pandemic and expect a return to a more active market in the months to come.”
Consumer discretionary businesses, which include retailers and brands, have a 2.5 percent probability of defaulting, marking the third-highest chance of any U.S. sector, S&P found. The percentage is a significant jump from the 1.6 percent chance of filing for bankruptcy as of Dec. 31, 2021.
The S&P scores, which represent the odds of default within a year, are based primarily on the volatility of share prices for public companies in the sector and account for country- and industry-related risks. The rise in probability of default scores comes as the value of every S&P 500 sector, except energy and utilities, fell at the end of the first quarter from the fourth quarter of 2021.
When narrowing down the consumer discretionary industry, computer and electronics retailers have a 4.7 percent chance of bankruptcy within a year, while Internet and direct marketing retail, which includes companies like Amazon, Stitch Fix, Revolve, The RealReal, Poshmark and ThredUp among others, has a 4.65 percent default chance.
In terms of total quarter-over-quarter increases in default rates, computer and electronics retailers had the third-highest jump, while Internet and direct marketing retail had the eighth-highest. Textiles came in ninth, with the industry’s median market signal more than doubling to 3.3 percent as of March 31 from 1.5 percent as of Dec. 31.
Currently, industrial real estate investment trusts (REITs) are the sixth-least vulnerable U.S. companies, with a 0.11 percent possibility of going under. This bodes well for businesses that own warehouses, which have already been the beneficiary of skyrocketing demand and low vacancy rates. The demand shift was a direct result of strong e-commerce spending throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and space became even more of a necessity as supply chain and logistics constraints dominated 2021.
Retail and industrial real estate operators alike saw the second-largest decline in default risk, dipping from 2.9 percent as of Dec. 31 to 1.8 percent on March 31.
Epiq broke out bankruptcy data into commercial and noncommercial filings—the latter of which includes individual bankruptcies, which represent the overwhelming majority of these filings. In March, 36,049 total entities filed for bankruptcy, a 33.5 percent increase over February’s 26,993 filings.
The 34,244 total noncommercial filings for March represented a 34 percent increase from the February 2022 noncommercial filing total of 25,565, while the 1,805 total commercial filings that month represented a 26.4 percent increase from the 1,428 total commercial filings during the previous month.
Commercial chapter 11 filings increased 38 percent in March to 292, from 203 in February.
Small business filings, captured as subchapter V elections within chapter 11, increased 51 percent to 178 in March from 118 in February.
“Amid rising interest rates, growing inflation concerns, worker shortages and supply chain challenges, access to bankruptcy is imperative for struggling consumers and businesses,” said Amy Quackenboss, executive director for ABI, an organization dedicated to researching insolvency that includes nearly 10,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, which partnered with Epiq to provide the filing data.

domain: news


text:
The deal adds KD1’s data analysis and integration technology to what Net
Perceptions already does — collaborative filtering to make
recommendations to customers. The combination, in the eyes of Net
Perceptions, gives it an important array of customer-centric data that
“We believe this combination sets a new standard for retailers both on-line
and off-line,” says Steven Snyder, president and chief executive officer of Net Perceptions.
“KD1 is exceptional at providing retailers with the ability to understand
behavior-based segments, such as most valuable customers, those at-risk and
bargain hunters. That power is now combined with Net Perceptions’
award-winning solutions to give retailers the ability to make realtime,
one-to-one recommendations to customers on the Web, in call centers, via
e-mail or in the store.”
The acquisition also beefs up Net Perceptions employee list. The company is
adding KD1’s 60 workers to its payroll, which will give it a total of 280
The deal is subject to the approval of KD1’s shareholders, but company
officials say they have enough votes to carry the decision.


text:
- On-farm sales would continue to be permitted, but limited to 100 gallons per month.
- Raw milk dairies would be required to purchase equipment need to achieve Grade A certification.
- Dairy farms would be required to maintain a log of customer names and numbers.
Illinois bans retail sales of raw milk, allowing on-farm sales under production regulations. The department wants to update those regulations and has initiated the process that eventually requires approval by both the State Board of Health and the Illinois General Assembly. Molly Lamb, who heads the Food, Drugs, and Dairies unit of the department, says it will likely take six more months for the rule-making to reach its conclusion. At a rollout in Bloomington, IL, several dozen raw milk advocates turned out to oppose the changes. Raw milk dairies are objecting to the added equipment costs and restrictions on sales. Raw milk advocates say raw milk is both healthier than and tastes better than pasteurized milk. In its “Health Beat” series on its website, the Illinois Department of Public Health warns people in the Land of Lincoln of the dangers of consuming milk that is not pasteurized, saying: “Illness due to these bacteria can lead to diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, headache and vomiting. These symptoms typically last anywhere from several hours to a week or more but most healthy people will recover. Illness acquired outside the United States can include flu-like illness, recurring fever, night sweats and cough. These illnesses can become serious and medical attention should be sought.” The proposed rules would also prohibit so-called “herd sharing” schemes where farmers sell “shares” in their animals in exchange for production of raw milk and raw milk products. Illinois health officials say they are attempting to limit widespread distribution of any raw milk products and put a system in place to track anyone unfortunate enough to be caught up on an outbreak of disease that is often life-threatening.


text:
Shilpi Cable plans $11.66 Million IPO by end of this year
By siliconindia | Monday, August 30, 2010
Mumbai: Shilpi Cable Technologies, a Delhi-based radio frequency (RF) cables manufacturer, is set to go for an initial public offer (IPO) of around 56 crore ($11.66 million) by the end of 2010. The company is planning to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI this week. According to Shilpi Cable's Director, Manish Goel, the IPO proceeds will be used to set up a wire and cable assembly shop, expand its product portfolio and manufacture cables for 3G networks. The company will also manufacture low voltage power cables and cable accessories, he said. The company caters primarily to the telecom sector and its products are used in telecom towers. In FY'10, the company clocked a 170 crore turnover and a profit before tax (PBT) of 14.9 crore. While Goel would not disclose any figures, given the growth prospects of the industry, the company could double its turnover and profit after tax (PAT) in the next two years. About three months ago, Shilpi Cable set-up a new division to cater to the passive telecom infra space. The company would also be active in the cell-site roll-out across India for independent power infrastructure companies, its chief, Rajesh Suri, also a Director in the company added. The company is eyeing overseas markets in Africa and the Middle-East where there is a tremendous scope for its services.


text:
Owlcat recently started their Kickstarter for upcoming Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous which has already smashed its original funding goal.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Hits Its Kickstarter Target
It’s safe to say Owlcat’s upcoming title Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has been well received by fans as they have already hit their main Kickstarter goal of $300,000 USD.
They are now well on their way to getting through their stretch goals, which includes a new companion called Woliif Jefto, mounted combat, dismemberment, two additional mythic paths and a new race. The last goal has yet to be unlocked at $915k, but the project now stands at over $897k, still with 29 days to go.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a new title adapted from the legendary tabletop RPG by Paizo. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous won’t be a sequel to Pathfinder: Kingmaker but will continue to expand upon the core elements of the first title, bringing another epic CRPG adventure.
While Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is based on the tabletop game Wrath of the Righteous Path, it will also include brand new characters, storylines and additional elements which will cater to both new and seasoned players. If you’re eager to find out more about the CRPG be sure to check out our Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous, An Interview With Owlcat Games.
For more news be sure to read next Mutant Year Zero Developer Reveals Tactical Stealth Action Game Corruption 2029. You can get a rundown of recent RPG news here in Top RPG News Of The Week: February 9th (ESO, Scalebound, Fairy Tail And More!).


text:
Valve aren't just rolling out more experimental features in the Steam Lab, they're also taking a stab at improving how Steam recommends games to you with some adjustments now live.
It's coming up to the weekend, here's our usual column taking a quick look over what good deals are going on right now.
War Thunder 1.91 'Night Vision' is out with the Chinese nation, new sound engine and Easy Anti-Cheat
The online free to play combat sim War Thunder just had a huge new release, adding in an entirely new nation with China and plenty of upgrades elsewhere.
After a successful crowdfunding campaign, it looks like Hotel Magnate will actually be coming to Linux.
Okay, not exactly gaming news but good to see anyway. Krita, the high quality FOSS painting program now has a Linux version available on Steam.
Nice to see more games blend entirely different genres together. Harvested has you build a city like a strategy game and become a soldier on the field in a top-down shooter style.
A recent benchmark video is currently doing the rounds showing off Far Cry New Dawn from Ubisoft, despite it not supporting Linux thanks to Wine, DXVK and Steam Play it seems to run beautifully.
I absolutely love hand-made clay stop-motion animation, ever since watching Trap Door when I was much younger it left a lasting impression so I'm always keen to see what games can do with it. Ultra Strangeness is one such title that caught me here.
Northgard Conquest, that's the name of the next big free expansion coming to Northgard, the strategy game based on Norse mythology.
Manjaro, the Linux distribution based on Arch has just put out a major new release with Manjaro 18.1.0 - Juhraya.
Edgar - Bokbok in Boulzac is an upcoming in-development point and click adventure game, one that I came across recently and it's well worth taking a look at the demo.
Ready for one more turn? Harebrained Schemes have some new tweaks ready in the BATTLETECH 1.7 update that's out now.
Recently, the voice & text chat app Discord released a pretty fun sounding new feature called "Go Live" which sadly seems like Linux will miss out on.
Released into Early Access recently, Age of Grit gives Steampunk a little cowboy-themed makeover with turn-based airship combat and it's supporting Linux too.
Remember we recently wrote about the MATE Optimus GPU switcher being developed by Martin Wimpress of Canonical? Well, it just keeps getting better.
Livestreams & Videos
- Resident Evil Remake HD Remaster Jill
- Date: Happening now!
Popular this week
View by Category
Kind Words, a pretty sweet experience about sending and…
- Purple Library Guy
Manjaro Linux 18.1.0 'Juhraya' has been officially rele…
Just some of the games coming to Linux in 2019, the Sep…
Village building sim with god powers Rise to Ruins to l…
Weekend Deals: grab DiRT Rally completely free to keep …
- See more comments
Latest Forum Posts


text:
Apple has long been rumored to be working on new iPad Pros with upgraded chipsets and also displays. The tablets were said to be launching this month, but to date we have yet to receive any confirmation that such an event would be happening. However, a report from Bloomberg believes that the tablets could still launch soon.
The report claims that Apple’s new iPad Pros are still on track for a launch, however, the report does caution that we might be faced with supply constraints. Apparently this is due to the use of the new mini LED displays, in which manufacturers are said to be seeing low manufacturing yields for it, with one manufacturer apparently even pausing production to get a handle on it before resuming their operations.
It is speculated that the use of mini LEDs could only be for the larger iPad Pro, and that the smaller version could still use LCD, and as such, the smaller iPad Pro could launch on time while those who prefer the larger model might have to wait. Since we aren’t privy to Apple’s plans, it’s hard to say if these reports are accurate.
The new iPad Pros are also rumored to be launching with a brand new chipset that isn’t just a variant of the A-series, but one that actually brings it more in line with Apple’s M-series of chipsets that first debuted in the company’s computers last year.


text:
SAN DIEGO — The city says December Nights will return to Balboa Park this winter after a smaller celebration last year.
Because of the pandemic, the annual holiday event was transformed into a drive-thru experience in 2020 dubbed Taste of December Nights. More than 4,000 cars made their way to Inspiration Point Way in Balboa Park for the family event featuring an array of foods, sweets, and drinks from around the world.
The city confirmed to FOX 5 on Tuesday that Balboa Park December Nights will return this year, though few details about what it will look like have been released.
“We are currently in the planning stages and are reviewing various scenarios for a safe, festive holiday season,” a city spokesperson said.
December Nights has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to Balboa Park during its more than 40 years in existence.
San Diegans are encouraged to check sandiego.gov for updates on plans for the 2021 event.


text:
According to news sources, Apple is developing an electric vehicle (EV) for specific markets exclusively; however, for a change, these cars will be less expensive than other automobiles in the class, such as Mercedes’ electric sedans, GM’s Hummer EV, and others.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has delayed its intentions to introduce self-driving cars and has pushed the debut date to 2026. The company had apparently started working on self-driving cars under Project Titan in 2014. In terms of cost, the car is likely to be less expensive than its predecessor. The car would be priced around $100,000, which is Rs 81 lakh in Indian rupees.
The report now states that Apple is not planning to fully do autonomous driving but instead the company is now planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways although it was previously rumored to launch an e-car without a steering wheel or pedals.
Apple’s Sillicon chipset is likely to be used in automobiles. The processor is projected to be “equivalent to approximately four of Apple’s highest-end Mac CPUs combined.”
The processor has matured to the point where it is deemed virtually production-ready, though Apple may scale it down before the car’s release to reduce costs.
Apple’s present goals are to create a car that allows drivers to perform other things — such as watching a movie or playing a game — while driving on a motorway and be warned with enough time to switch to manual control if they reach city streets or experience adverse weather. The corporation has explored initially debuting the function in North America and then gradually upgrading and expanding it.
Reference- Bloomberg, HT Auto, India Today, Autocar India, Rushlane, Team-BHP


text:
The future of home computers is heading in the direction of quantum computing. While home quantum computing may seem far off, SpinQ Technology already has several quantum computers on the market. The Gemini Mini costs 1,188,000 yen which equates to roughly 8,900 USD, while Gemini, the company’s desktop quantum computer offering, costs ¥5,720,000 or about $43,000. Then there’s the Triangulum which will set buyers back roughly $55,000. All three run at room temperature and are available on Switch-science.com.
What Are Quantum Computers?
A quantum computer utilizes quantum mechanics to perform computations more efficiently. Unlike your average PC, which runs on bits and bytes (the equivalent of 0s and 1s), quantum computers use qubits. Qubits can have a superposition between 0 and 1, which allows the computers to solve more complex equations.
Both the Gemini and Gemini Mini have minimum configurations of 2 qubits but work as 8-qubit simulators. The Gemini is far more powerful than the mini, and consumers are warned to keep it at least 50cm away from pacemakers and other electronic devices implanted within the body. The warning is due to the device’s powerful permanent magnet.
The Triangulum has 3 qubits and allows users to customize its quantum circuit ad program it via an external port. Additionally, the Triangulum supports pulse sequence engineering. All three devices are nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) computers which means they use the nuclear spin of atoms for computing.
The Future of Computers
For now, traditional computers still dominate in home and work settings. However, progress is clearly being made. Early this year Meta announced that it’s developing a next-gen supercomputer. Likewise, IBM revealed its new 433-quantum bit Osprey processor just last month.
Another way computing is advancing is with brain-to-computer interfaces. Synchron implanted its device, the Stentrode in its first U.S. patient over the summer. The device will allow users to control a PC mouse with their brain.


text:
Sea Dog and Shipyard Brewing Companies each took home a medal at the 2008 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) in Melbourne, Australia. AIBA is the showcase awards event in the Asia Pacific Region and 1,084 entries were received from 42 countries.
Shipyard Brewing Company’s Chamberlain Pale Ale won a Silver award in Class 3 – Ale Packaged – British Style Pale Ale. No Gold was given in this category. Last year, Chamberlain took home a Bronze medal in this same category.
Sea Dog Brewing Company’s Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale was awarded a Bronze in Class 17 – Fruit Beer Packaged. No Silver or Gold was given in this category. Bluepaw received this same award in last year’s competition.
Master brewer Alan Pugsley oversees the brewing for both these companies. Sea Dog and Shipyard beer is available in over 35 states across the U.S.


text:
JEEP has recorded another record month of new car sales, according to the SMMT.
April’s sales figures highlight Jeep’s current market share of 0.69 per cent – the best in any single month for the brand since 1997.
The US carmaker registered 1,303 new cars in April 2016, compared to the 605 units registered in the same month the previous year.
The 4×4 brand is also the UK’s leading manufacturer in terms of growth, with an increase in new car registrations of 115 per cent – the largest year on year growth of any car maker.
The Jeep Renegade, which represents the marque’s most accomplished small SUV, continues to be the brand’s most popular model with 1058 sales, followed by the Grand Cherokee with 104 units, Cherokee with 122 units and the Wrangler with 19.
Damien Dally, head of brand, Jeep UK, said: ‘2016 is a very special year for Jeep, not only are we celebrating our 75th anniversary, but we are also celebrating some truly fantastic sales milestones for the brand.
‘Last month we saw the best ever March result for Jeep and this month we’re seeing Jeep’s popularity continue to grow with even more positive results.’
On SuperUnleaded.com: This Lamborghini Is The Taxi You’ll Never Be Able To Afford


text:
News and notes on the restaurant scene from dining critic Carol Deptolla
Bavette in Third Ward adds beer, wine, small plates and later hours
Bavette, the new butcher shop at 330 E. Menomonee St. in the Third Ward, has added small plates, wine and beer, and has extended its hours.
It’s open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Bavette, which has a daily soup, salad and sandwich at lunchtime, now serves shareable plates the rest of the day. They include steak tartare with mustard chantilly ($15), pimento cheese ($9) , burrata cheese with cherry tomato and cured ham ($13), cheese plate ($12) and paté ($9.25 small, $12.50 large).
Wines are available by the glass, with a red and a white on tap, and bottles sold at retail price can be opened and served for a $10 corkage fee.


text:
TCS, Reliance, Jio top best Indian brands 2023 ranking
Interbrand, a renowned global brand consultancy, has declared that headquartered technology giant TCS and India’s most valuable company Reliance Industries have topped its list of the most valuable brands in India.
With a brand value of Rs 1.09 lakh crore, TCS topped the 2023 list, followed by Reliance Industries, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, with a brand value of Rs 65,320 crore. Reliance Industries’ telecom and digital unit, Jio, follows next, positioned at number 5, with a brand value of Rs 49,027 crore.
TCS, Reliance, Jio top best Indian brands 2023 ranking: Key Points
- The Best Indian Brands report, celebrating its tenth year, indicates a 167% increase in the value of the total list.
- The 2020 edition of the Interbrand India’s Top 50 Brands list highlights impressive growth, with a combined list value of Rs 8.3 lakh crore (USD 100 billion), representing a notable 167% increase over the last decade.
- This marks the first time the total value of the table has surpassed the USD 100 billion mark.
- The top three brands alone, including Tata, Reliance, and Infosys, account for a significant 46% of the total value of the top ten brands. HDFC and Jio round out the top five.
What is so different about these Indian brands Ranking?
- Historically, three technology brands have secured positions in the top five for the first time.
- Examining the fastest-growing sectors over the last ten years, FMCG displays a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25%, followed by home building and infrastructure at 17% and technology at 14%. Meanwhile, the technology sector has overtaken diversified industries as the leading contributor.
- The total brand value of the top ten brands, amounting to Rs 4.9 lakh crore, exceeds the combined value of the remaining 40 brands on the list, which amounts to Rs 3.3 lakh crore.
Although the financial services sector continues to boast the highest number of brands on the list with nine representatives, the home building and infrastructure sector has witnessed the most significant rise, with seven brands entering since 2014. The top ten brands have achieved remarkable scores across three of Interbrand’s Brand Strength Factors: Trust, Distinctiveness, and Empathy.
Also Read: Health Index Report of Covid Year: Kerala and Tamil Nadu Top Performers
Find More Ranks and Reports Here


text:
IMI targets $1B in revenue by ’16
Ayala-led Integrated Microelectronics Inc. sees itself growing into a $1-billion company by 2016 as it prepares to ride the global economic recovery.
“We’ve seen the global economy passed through the lowest trough and is now embarking on the net up cycle,” IMI president Arthur Tan told stockholders of the electronics manufacturing services company in a meeting on Friday.
Over the years, he said IMI had diversified not only in its market—previously skewed toward the computing space but now covers a wider range that includes industrial segments—but also in terms of geographical coverage.
“IMI today can lay claim to a truly broadened horizon, having realized a wider geographic footprint, fuller technical capabilities and an extensive customer range,” he said.
In 2012, IMI’s sales revenue amounted to $661 million, up by 15 percent from the level in the previous year. Newly acquired subsidiaries in Europe and Mexico contributed $182.2 million in combined revenue while affiliates in China and Singapore posted $276.7 million.
The Philippine operations generated $159.1 million while another subsidiary, Psi Technologies, contributed $45.6 million.
Net profit last year stood at $5.4 million, up from $3.3 million in the previous year.
This year, Tan said IMI would likely post better net profit, sales revenues and margins even if developed markets would remain weak.
Asked in a briefing when IMI could hit the $1-billion revenue target, Tan said this could happen by 2016.
If there would be more acquisitions in the future, Tan said they would be aimed mainly at boosting capability rather than capacity as it had already set up operations in key geographical segments.
“We will look more aggressively for pockets of growth in every region, even as we continue to leverage our presence in China, whose economy is expected to continue growing at more than 8 percent in 2013. We will also capitalize on the trend of return to regionalization as original equipment manufacturers in North America and Europe aim to lower their total cost of production,” Tan said.
IMI currently has five factories in China but it’s looking to consolidate operations to maximize capacity. While labor costs were rising in China, IMI said labor was just one of the factors under consideration as its production hubs in the mainland remained competitive. But as some of its factories in China are operating at maximum capacity and some at only 60 percent, one option under consideration is for IMI to consolidate some of these factories into a larger facility.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


text:
Traditional television and streaming services are now competing with social media as the rise of TikTok has drawn eyeballs to smaller screens.
Owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, the short form video app has grown massively over the last 12 months, becoming the fastest social media platform to reach one billion monthly users worldwide.
This growth has ridden a wave of interest in consuming content online, with social media to become the go-to viewing platform for 4 to 34-year-olds within the next five years.
Data published by Deloitte Insights, shows that in the UK, 4 to 34-year-olds have begun to drift away from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, preferring to consume their content on websites like TikTok and Youtube.
This rise for social media has coincided with a slowdown in signups for streaming services, as they become victims of their own success.
Last year in the UK, Netflix attained its lowest number of new subscribers for a decade. The reason for this plateau is simply, almost everyone has already signed up.
According to Ampere Analysis, close to 80 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds already have access to a Netflix account, and while the platform will continue to grow, it will not grow at the same rate we have been seeing over the last few years.
Unlike social media platforms however, Netflix, and other similar streaming platforms, rely heavily on content produced by traditional television broadcasters.
Netflix’s own data has shown that The Salisbury Poisonings, a BBC drama based on the 2018 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, was one of the streaming services most watched shows over the festive season.
However, people do not watch as much traditional television as they used to.
In a week where ITV’s new big drama Trigger Point debuted to mixed reviews and average viewing figures, and BBC One’s new thriller, The Responder, left some viewers with earache and scrambling for the remote, we can see clearly why experts predict that traditional television’s market share will dip below 50 per cent for the first time, in 2023.
On the face of it, this may all seem like doom-and-gloom for the humble television, fear not, because the data shows that it dominates the competition in the age group that matters most – 55 plus.
This age group is by far the biggest for TV viewers. Comprising just 31 per cent of the UK’s near 70 million population, the 55 plus age group consume over 40 billion hours of video content, compared to less than 30 billion hours for under 55s.
Therefore, while the UK’s population remains an aging one, it is unlikely that television will be knocked from its top spot too easily.
Just in the last 24 months alone, two of the UK’s highest watched television events of all time have occurred, the UEFA Euro 2020 Final between England and Italy, and the announcement of the first Covid-19 lockdown, drawing 29.85 million and 27.1 million viewers respectively.
Times are changing, television remains supreme for now, but by the end of the decade we may see a new ruler on the throne. But will it be streaming services continuing the steady inroads they have already made, or social media shooting the to the top off the back of its rocket like trajectory – only time will tell.


text:
“People are looking for brands to give them some type of coping mechanism given all the changes that have been happening,” says Inner Chapter’s Julien Lapka. “This has been amplified with the Covid lockdowns.”
Lapka sees a lot of firsts happening to Chinese over the past year: A potential recession, the Covid lockdown, and now the recent anxiety caused through the sudden end of zero-Covid policies. Unemployment for fresh graduates is also hovering around 20%.
“A powerful, feel-good film isn’t going to help Chinese youth get jobs,” says Lapka. “Why can’t a make-up or fashion brand help fresh graduates with their job interview skills?”
Lapka expects categories such as pet food, toys and sportswear to continue to grow post-pandemic. “People are looking for little moments of personal well-being and a bit of emotional downtime. The lockdown accelerated this trend, and it will continue past the zero-Covid era,” says Lapka.
Lapka also expects a huge spike in travel now that the restrictions have been lifted. “Travel for Chinese is a big part of feeling optimistic, which was diminished over the past two years due to the lockdowns because everyone was stuck at home. Travel gives people a window to new learning and the ability to discover new things, ” says Lapka.
Julien Lapka’s season one finale interview is available on the Shanghai Zhan podcast, a "raw, lively, and regular debate about China tech, advertising, creativity and the intersection of it all", hosted by Ali Kazmi and Bryce Whitwam.


text:
National Today and renowned clean beauty brand, Juice Beauty, have designated today (July 15th) as National Clean Beauty Day to celebrate both the Clean Beauty Movement and Juice Beauty’s 15th Birthday. As shared by the brand, “The clean beauty movement is intended to raise awareness about the high efficacy of organic ingredients products as Continue Reading
Subscribe by Email
Love what you see? Sign-up to have new articles & giveaway opportunities sent to your inbox!


text:
As the latest OnePlus smartphone was hiding inside a box during last week’s Mobile World Congress, the company was busy talking up its 5G endeavours on key panels, allowing partners to use OnePlus handsets as demonstration platforms, and presumably the usual behind closed doors meetings. It also shot down the hopes of many fans by confirming that one of the rapidly adopted key features in modern smartphone design will not be making an appearance on OnePlus hardware during 2019.
If, like many, you are holding out for wireless charging in this year’s OnePlus smartphones, think again. OnePlus’ Pete Lau has reinforced the message that quicker wired charging is the company’s focus. Unlike some notable competitors (…Apple) OnePlus does ship a fast charger in the retail box with its handsets, plus the emphasis on ‘quick charging’ is a different but understandable choice in comparison to other manufacturers.
I will be the first to acknowledge that I do have a bias towards devices with wireless charging capabilities. Having used it since late 2012, using a smartphone enabled for wireless charging is something that I will actively look for in a personal phone. It has taken time, but the last year has seen a significant rise in smartphones using the Qi standard for wireless charging, no doubt driven by Apple’s adoption of the same standard and its inclusion in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X handsets.
If you would you rather have the ability to top up a smartphone during the day without constantly plugging cables in and out (in other words, if you have an almost solidly office/desk based routine) then a wireless charger is, by its nature, one of the best charging options. To go to the other extreme, if you are always out and about, with frequent travelling and only brief moments to carry out your smartphone’s ABC rule (Always Be Charging), then pushing as much power into a handset in as short a time as possible is the way to go.
The comments made by Pete Lau to CNet’s Roger Chen suggest that, philosophically, the OnePlus team are champions of the latter, rather than the former:
Lau expressed his skepticism about wireless charging as a consumer benefit, noting that it takes a long time to charge a device with a wireless pad. With the physical quick charge plug, OnePlus says, you can get your battery 50 percent charged in 20 minutes and fully charged in less than an hour.
Now, there’s nothing physical to stop a smartphone being able to do both, but it does increase the cost of materials in the retail package, and of course having a wireless charging enabled product means you need to design a wireless charging pad as either an additional sale or in the box (which drives the initial price up even more).
Take OnePlus’ focus on delivering a premium smartphone experience at a competitive price, add in a dash of corporate philosophy, and top it up with the continued marketing impact of a fast charging smartphone (such as the ‘WarpCharge 30’ added to the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition); and it’s clear why the team has prioritized wired over wireless.
But with more smartphone owners using wireless charging every day, as more people become aware of its flexibility, and as more people consider it a ‘standard’ feature for premium smartphones, OnePlus’ approach will begin to look out of sync with its talk of listening to its user base and fostering strong community feedback.


text:
Back in August, Sony announced which of its devices will be getting updated to Android 9 Pie, and now it’s back with another update on the matter.
We already know that the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact have been updated to Android Pie, which is a good start. Sony’s announcement today is meant to share some good news: Other devices are going to be getting updated early. That starts with Friday, October 26, when the Xperia XZ Premium, XZ1, and XZ1 Compact will be updated to Android Pie.
The XZ2 Premium will follow with an Android Pie update on November 7. Looking beyond that, on March 4, the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus, XA2 Ultra, and the XA2 will be updated to Android Pie. So good news all around.
Do you own one of these handsets? If so, are you looking forward to the Android Pie update?


text:
Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
While the technology does have issues, Toshiba later this year will start shipping super high resolution LCD displays that in fact allow you to watch 3D without the usual goofy looking specs. The new sets, to ship in 47-inch and 55-inch models, won't be cheap - for one thing, they will use the new cutting edge 4K resolution, roughly four times the resolution of standard high-def.
I got a look at the new TVs at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, and I can tell you that it certainly is nice not to have to wear the special headgear, but the experience has drawbacks. Images don't pop from the screen with quite the same drama that you get with either active or passive LCD technology, and to experience the 3D effect requires fairly specific viewing angles. In fact, the TV actually tracks who is watching, and adjusts the picture based on your location relative to the set; Toshiba says there is a choice of 9 viewing angles to get the full 3D experience.
I sat down with Toshiba America CEO Mark Simons on Thursday in Las Vegas to talk televisions, laptops, disk drives and other topics. Here are some highlights of our discussion:
- On 3D TV: Simons conceded what everyone now knows, which is that "3D to this stage has not met the expectations we all had as an industry 18-24 months ago," with sales still under 10% of total sets sold. Simons says the industry's new approach with 3D is to think of it as one more feature to include on flat screen displays - rather than a specific reason to upgrade.
- On those glasses-free TVs: He says they will ship worldwide later this year, including the U.S. But they won't be cheap - there is additional costs from both extra layers of glass and additional electronics.
- On 4K TVs: They are coming from Toshiba and other this year. But he also notes that the cable industry so far is not broadcasting content that can take advantage of the higher resolution; that will require some plant upgrades. He thinks 4K cable content could arrive around 2015. (Meanwhile, the 4K sets up-convert high-def content; you do get an improved picture quality.)
- OLED TVs: Toshiba was showing a concept 7.7-inch OLED tablet, but so far isn't venturing into OLED televisions.
- On Google TV: Toshiba isn't involved there; he says that "thus far, the end user has not really accepted it." They aren't there yet.
- Ultrabooks: Toshiba showed off a sweet looking 13-inch version at the show. Simons also gave me a peak at 14-inch concept model for the gaming industry; I got a peek at it during our briefing, and it was clearly running an early version of Windows 8 - the Metro interface is sort of hard to miss. Microsoft isn't actually shipping the public beta of Windows 8 until next month. The 13-inch version will be offered with a choice of Intel i3, i5 or i7 processors.
- Windows 8: Speaking off which, he says they are "very much excited" about the new OS, and plan to sell Win 8-based tablets with ARM-based processors.
- The disk-drive supply crunch, supply side: Toshiba is one of three remaining hard disk drive suppliers along with Seagate and Western Digital. He notes that, like Western, some damage to its facilities in Thailand due to the recent flooding in the country. But he also points out that the bulk of their production is done in the Philippines. He says they are not back to full production levels yet, but should in the first quarter.
- The disk-drive supply crunch, demand side: Toshiba is also a user of drives, of course, as a major PC supplier. Simons says that the company had enough drive supply to meet its needs in the fourth quarter, but that drive shortages are likely to reduce its PC production by about 15% in the first quarter. He expects a more normal market to return by the end of Q1 or maybe into Q2."
- The disk-drive industry consolidation: Simons says the reduction of the industry down to three primary players should allow for more stable pricing, and allow all 3 companies to spend more on R&D.
- Tablets: Simons showed me their new 10-inch Android-based tablet, the Excite XM, which sharts shipping in the February/March time frame. It is a super sleek device, just 0.3 inches think. The tablet is priced at $529.99 for 16 GB, $599 for 32 GB.


text:
(This updates an item published at 1038 GMT with additional executive statements.)
INGOLSTADT, Germany (MarketWatch) -- German automaker Audi AG (NSU.XE) Wednesday said net profit rose 63% on the year in 2006, boosted by strong car sales, a better model mix and a favorable tax rate.
Record car sales of 905,188 in 2006, up from 829,109 in the prior year, sent pretax profit 49% higher to EUR1.95 billion. Operating profit rose 43% on the year to EUR2.02 billion as sales grew 17% to EUR31.1 billion.
Net profit was EUR1.34 billion, up from EUR824 million in 2005.
"We are the fastest growing premium brand in the world. This puts us well on our way to becoming the most successful premium car manufacturer in the world by 2015," Audi's new Chief Executive Rupert Stadler said at a press conference at the company's headquarters in Ingolstadt.
Audi is the premium brand and one of the key earnings contributors of Volkswagen AG VLKAY, Europe's largest automaker in sales terms. Stadler took over the helm at Audi in January, succeeding Martin Winterkorn, who became CEO of the parent company.
Audi reiterated its car sales target of more than 1 million vehicles in 2008 and 1.5 million cars by 2015.
Stadler said in an interview earlier this month that Audi wants to surpass rival BMW AG (BMW.XE) in terms of profitability by 2015, noting that the Ingolstadt-based company wants to be ahead of all its competitors by 2015 in terms of profitability.
Audi said it reached a rate of return of 6.2% before tax in 2006, up from 4.9% in 2005. CEO Stadler said he "could imagine (the company) targeting 8% in 2010".
The return on investment was 14.2% last year after 9.7% in 2005, it said.
Stadler confirmed that Audi will launch a new small model below its current A3 model. Audi's executive board member responsible for human resources, Werner Widuckel, said the company is currently in "intensive talks" over producing the new model at its Brussels plant in Belgium.
"The talks lead to a result, with which we could cut personnel costs in Brussels by 20%, and this would of course make the Brussels plant an interesting alternative," Widuckel said, without elaborating on a possible timeframe for a definite decision.
According to previous statements, Audi has an annual sales target of more than 100,000 vehicles for the new model. Audi will launch the new A5 model "in the first half" of this year.
"Audi will achieve a further considerable reduction in fuel consumption by means of internal engine modifications, and in addition continue to push on in the development of alternative fuels and drive principles," Audi said.
Audi and parent company Volkswagen teamed up with DaimlerChrysler AG
The U.S. was again Audi's biggest export market in 2006 with 90,116 cars sold, up 8.5% on the year. The increase was "the first evidence that the optimized dealer network in the U.S. is bearing fruit," it said.
CEO Stadler confirmed that its U.S. arm Audi of America reached break-even in 2006 as planned, helped by the introduction of the new Q7 sports utility vehicle.
Despite strong growth in Western Europe, Audi's biggest market by far, the Ingolstadt-based company still lags behind rivals such as BMW, DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Motor Corp.'s (TM) Lexus premium brand in terms of sales in the U.S.
CEO Stadler said that Japanese manufacturers currently have a cost advantage in Europe of "between EUR3,000 and EUR4,000 per car due to the weak yen (compared to the euro)".
Unfavorable currency rates, mainly for the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, burdened Audi's earnings by EUR130 million in 2006, Stadler said.
Company Web site: http://www.audi.com


text:
In a strong year for nonfiction sales, Germany’s bestsellers of 2019 reflect a robust group of fiction and nonfiction titles by new and familiar authors.
Highlighting gains made by the ‘human sciences’ amid social unrest in France, booksellers also cite a strong showing in comics.
Listing bestselling work, BookNet Canada takes a look back at this year–and at a decade that started by putting ‘Fifty Shades’ on top.
Co-edition publishing is on the rise in Italy this year, as is the number of foreign rights Italian publishers have sold abroad, according to a new report from the Associazione Italiana Editori.
Organizers of the 2019 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair say that 1,498 rights trade agreements were made during the fair.
In UK audiobook statistics, Harris Interactive sees younger, higher salaried men leading listeners. Orion’s Katie Espiner talks about women in publishing.
According to a new report from BookNet Canada, 14 percent of Canadian book buyers belong to a book club, up from 7 percent last year.
Total US book sales in 2019 so far reached $11.4 billion, an increase of 4 percent over the same timeframe in 2018, per the Association of American Publishers.
Ramping up activities for its 20201 turn as Frankfurt’s Guest of Honor, Spain launched expanded translation funding and presented book market statistics at the fair.
In Russia, book prices are rising as production and sales slow, according to figures cited by the 102-year-old Russian Book Chamber.


text:
PEOPLE have slammed “tacky" over-decorated Christmas trees that have been proudly shared on social media.
UK retailer Taskers took to Instagram to share their latest “dream” Christmas collection, which include an array of Christmas baubles, bows and ribbons.
However, Twitter users have blasted the store’s customers for going way too overboard on their festive creations.
Twitter user @harrisonjbrock posted a few photos from Taskers’ Instagram page.
It showed their customers’ Christmas tree set-up, with the caption: “Well it’s that time of year again where the people who shop at Taskers ruin Christmas with their chaotic trees.”
One photo shows a tree completely covered in red and white baubles and candy cane decorations, finished off with a two-metre long fabric and a pair of red and white Christmas stockings at the top.
Another tree is adorned with roses, gold, green and silver baubles with a large flower display, bow and pair of ice skates.
Meanwhile, one stacked with pink fabric ribbons, butterflies, unicorn toys, and flowers all over its bodice.
Dozens of users were quick to side with the poster, commenting on how "disgusted” they were by the excessive ornaments.
Commenting on the trees, one user said: “Omg that second one with the ice skates looks like the meme of that old blonde woman wearing a fur trimmed silver Santa coat.
“Please tell me u know what I mean and have it.”
Another added: “I’m mentally processing the ice skates wow.”
One mentioned: “Every one of these needs burning to the ground.”
Meanwhile, another said: "Less is more people. LESS IS MORE.”
One said: “These all look like Doctor Who monsters that would suddenly get up and start trying to dismember you with a circular saw or something.”
We shared how a savvy mum decorates her Christmas tree in just five minutes thanks to cling film trick, but not everyone’s a fan.
This week, Mrs Hinch revealed her Christmas tree to fans and of course it’s grey just like her house.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
Leveraged to the max, it seems as though there’s not enough makeup in the world to mask Revlon, Inc.’s deep financial troubles.
CreditRiskMonitor President William Danner writes in this feature for Food Logisitics about the common signals every business should look for to monitor insolvency risk in the supply chain.
India is an attractive market to penetrate due to its low operating costs and a diverse selection of companies in hot industries like technology - but with more than 1,000 public companies in the FRISK® "red zone," there's big-time risk in bringing business east.
If history is any guide, all risk professionals need to prepare for a worldwide economic downturn today or otherwise risk playing catch-up tomorrow.
Finances seem not to compute these days for California-based tech solutions provider Quantum Corporation, now at heightened risk of bankruptcy in 2018.
CreditRiskMonitor has debuted its new Financial Statement Sourcing service, giving credit and supply chain professionals the ability to quickly and accurately track and analyze the financial performance of private companies.
Take the guesswork out of compiling data on your portfolio and identify where your largest dollar risks lie with our Trade Contributor Program.
Firearm industry leader Remington Outdoor Company, Inc. is on the path of steep decline and bankruptcy after nearly 200 years of operation. Our newer private company solutions were able to identify elevated risk quickly in Remington's case.
Risk of financial failure in South America is higher than it was during the Great Recession a decade ago. We scouted more than 1,500 public companies to find the riskiest public companies on the continent.
Stop the presses: U.S. printing mainstay Cenveo, Inc. met bankruptcy in early 2018. Our subscribers were well aware of Cenveo's troubles for more than a year, however, thanks to the FRISK® score and our crowdsourced behavioral data.
Financial Statement Sourcing is a new service that offers companies flexible options to help ease the collection, data entry and standardization of a private company’s financial statements.
CreditRiskMonitor (OTCQX: CRMZ) reported that revenues for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased to $13.39 million up 4% compared to 2016.


text:
In 2021, Subaru and their retailers helped over 36,000 animals get adopted last October, with 9% of those animals being Underdogs – dogs with special needs.
Once again, this year Hassett Subaru will support our local animal shelter through the Subaru Loves Pets Adoption Campaign with a month-long effort to help pets find loving homes in October.
Hassett will donate $100 for EVERY pet adopted from Last Hope Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation in Wantagh from October 1-31, 2022.
Please go down to Last Hope and bring home your furever dog!
This week, FCA invited Hassett to their offices in Garden City for a “thank you” lunch. Based off the Subaru Share The Love Event that ran last year, a check for over $14,000 was presented to Jeff Reynolds, President/CEO! Jeff was extremely happy to receive this wonderful donation saying “While we are appreciative of this generous donation, it is even more meaningful to foster such a strong collaborative commitment to the community of Long Island with the amazing team at Hassett Subaru!”.
Over the last 14 years, Subaru has donated more than $227 million to national and local charities and nonprofits as part of their Subaru Love Promise initiative.
The most technologically advanced Subaru they ever made is here. Built on Subaru’s first-ever all-electric architecture – the e-Subaru Global Platform – the 2023 Subaru Solterra, named by combining the Latin words for “sun” and “earth”, is the first AWD electric vehicle to feature the legendary standard capability of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. Packed with next-generation features inside and out, the Solterra offers 8.3 inches of ground clearance, a stunning available 12.3 -inch touchscreen, state-of-the-art active safety, and the trusted reliability of a Subaru in a zero-emissions, all electric SUV.
Now in our fourth decade serving Long Island’s automotive needs, Hassett Ford, Lincoln, Subaru has earned a reputation for excellence in exceeding customer expectations in both sales and service. Our tireless dedication to creating higher standards for automotive buying and ownership satisfaction has led to the development of our exclusive Customer First Program.


text:
It looks like we'll be seeing a lot more digital fashion shows this summer. The coronavirus pandemic has caused the fashion industry to change its regular Fashion Week format for the next few seasons, and many major events like the Met Gala, the CFDA Awards, and the Cannes Film Festival have all been postponed indefinitely. We've already seen designers like Jacquemus adapt to the new normal by creating fashion campaigns shot via FaceTime starring celebrities like Bella Hadid. Carine Roitfeld even turned her CR Runway show into an online event that premiered live on YouTube, as did Vogue with its virtual event A Moment With the Met.
The British Fashion Council announced that London Fashion Week would be taking place online in June this year. The new digital format will allow brands to showcase collections in whatever format they want, ranging from a virtual runway show all the way to a podcast. Milan Fashion Week will be hosting the first Milan Digital Fashion Week from July 14 to July 17 for the men's Spring 2021 collections, as well as women's and men's pre-collections for next spring. As for Paris Fashion Week, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode announced that shows from July 9 to 13 will also follow suit, and designers will be able to showcase their new collections solely through video formats.


text:
Final testing of the all-new Colorado Chevrolet diesel-powered midsize pickup is wrapping up as production nears for markets including the Middle East, South America, Africa, and Asia.
Read This Article
The GMC Terrain has been one of GMC's best-selling vehicles since its inception back in 2010 and the Detroit-based auto maker is looking to continue that trend.
The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 will be the most powerful trucks on the road, when a new V-8 engine debuts this fall.
Earlier this month, we posted how Americans have adjusted to the $4+ a gallon gasoline prices to the point they're buying so-called "gas guzzling" mid to full-sized SUVs at steady numbers.


text:
From left to right: Nano-SIM mockup, Mini-SIM and Micro SIM
Today, according to The Verge, the European Telecommunications Institute (or ETSI) announced that they’ve selected a design for the next-generation of SIM cards known as “nano-SIMs” that will become the new standard.
While the Micro SIM has been the standard for Apple products since the iPhone 4 and are extraordinarily small in comparison to the previous-generatrion SIM cards, the Micro SIMs still “take up a significant amount of space inside a mobile device [such as an iPhone or iPad]”:
Today’s SIM card designs take up a significant amount of space inside a mobile device. This space is more and more valuable in today’s handsets which deliver an ever increasing number of features.
The fourth form factor (4FF) card will be 40% smaller than the current smallest SIM card design, at 12.3mm wide by 8.8mm high, and 0.67mm thick. It can be packaged and distributed in a way that is backwards compatible with existing SIM card designs. The new design will offer the same functionality as all current SIM cards.
Apple has reportedly been pressing the matter with the ETSI to chose their nano-SIM card design over the likes of competitors (e.g. Motorola, Nokia and RIM – who reportedly collaborated to submit one unified design). Not surprisingly, during the selection process, Apple made various changes to their design, while their rivals followed suit and brought their design closer to that of Apple’s.
In the end, the two proposed designs were so similar that they were practically identical as far as dimensions go – save for an extra notch added to Apple’s competitors’ design:
Unfortunately, both Apple’s design and the more recent Motorola / RIM compromise design are exactly the same exterior dimensions — the only difference is that the update submitted by Apple’s competitors includes an extra notch to enable so-called “push-push” mechanisms in SIM slots that wouldn’t necessitate a tray. Until ETSI publishes the specs, we won’t know which of the two was chosen.
As of now, the ETSI has yet to publish any additional information, aside from measurements, regarding which design will be ruled as the standard for the next-generation SIM card. Moreover, the ETSI has refused to comment on the outcome and simply notes that a joint decision by members of the industry has lead to the judgment of a finalized design that will inevitably become the standard. Stay tuned for more coverage on the nano-SIM Apple.


text:
Friends Life has enhanced its cancer cover and simplified the main cancer definition to help support customers better, Mark Anders has said.
According to the director of sales for individual protection at Friends Life, the upgraded critical illness cover will include a new less advanced cancer additional payment definition, which will cover 20 specific types of cancer.
The changes also include increased and standardised payment for all additional payments to 25 per cent of benefit or £25,000, whichever is lower, and a new option to add Global Treatment, in association with Best Doctors, for an additional £4 a month.
Mr Anders added: “The new enhancements we have made to our critical illness proposition mean our customers can be even more confident that their policy will support them financially across a very broad range of significant illnesses.
“After all, that is what we are here for – supporting customers when they or their children have health problems.”
Friends Life has also added a severe hearing loss additional payment to complement the main deafness definition.
Tom Conner, director for Brighton-based Drewberry Insurance, said: “Friends Life and Vitality (Pru) have the most comprehensive critical illness cover in the market, and with these improvements, Friends Life’s cancer cover is certainly second to none.
“Friends Life is building great products with excellent additional benefits that clients really value. I just hope Aviva decides to continue with these products once the takeover is complete.”


text:
(by Jennifer R. Vertullo / TribLive)
Decades after leaving Clairton to start their careers, the Meena brothers have returned to their hometown as business partners who want to meet the needs of their former neighbors.
Ed and Scott Meena, who grew up along School Street near the city’s football stadium and graduated from Clairton High School in 1965 and 1971, respectively, returned to Clairton this summer with a truck full of fresh produce. They started a produce stand along Route 837 and moved it to Worthington Avenue a few weeks later.
“This isn’t really a moneymaker,” Scott Meena said. “This is to provide a service as much as anything else.”
With no grocery stores within city limits, Clairton residents have few options for purchasing fresh food close to home. While convenience stores and pharmacies sell staples including milk and bread, there is limited access to fruits and vegetables.


text: Gestamp Corporation, a subsidiary of Spain-based Gestamp Automocion, a supplier of automotive parts, will invest $90 million to open a stamping factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to state economic development officials. The company plans to create at least 230 new jobs at the facility within three years. The Chattanooga plant will produce structural components for the new mid-sized Volkswagen sedan that the automaker will manufacture at the facility it is building in Tennessee. "We're pleased to be able to continue our strong working relationship with Volkswagen," says Jeff Wilson, president and CEO of Gestamp Corporation, which is headquartered in Michigan. "I firmly believe the excellent business climate and skilled work force of Chattanooga and Tennessee will allow us to benefit from the same qualities Volkswagen found and to continue our company's long-term growth." State officials did not release information regarding financial incentives for Gestamp.


text:
This is my E3 wishlist, let’s see how many of my wishes will be granted next week!
- SOE shows an alpha version of Everquest Next
- EQ2 is getting a graphics update
- Minecraft is also getting a graphics update
- ArcheAge has found a European publisher and the game will be released here in a couple of months
- Blizzard announces a Diablo 3 expansion. It will include offline single player, and the option to play D3 with D2 graphics.
- Blizzard announces Warcraft IV. It will be done when it’s done, fortunately it’s almost done!
- Sacred III is playable on E3 and will also be released in a couple of months


text:
: Worldwide personal computer shipments witnessed a sharp decline in the second quarter of 2016, marking the seventh consecutive quarterly fall in PC shipments as price hikes in certain regions across the world kept consumers away, amid currency fluctuations.
According to technology
, worldwide PC shipments totaled 64.3 million units in the April-June quarter, down 5.2% from the year-ago period.
The fall in PC shipments also comes amid a large-scale shift across the technology landscape as a generation of data-hungry consumers increasingly start shifting away from traditional computing devices to smartphones and tablets -- a trend that has been growing stronger over the past decade with the emergence of smartphones such as Apple’s flagship iPhone.
"One of the ongoing problems in the PC market
has been the price hike in selected regions due to the weakening local currency against the U.S. dollar," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "The price issue has impacted the EMEA and Latin America regions for the past year. However, PC shipment declines became rather modest in the second quarter compared with previous quarters, which suggests a fading currency impact..”
"All regions except North America experienced a PC shipment decline. The Latin America region was still very weak largely because of political and economic instability. PC shipments in Latin America are expected to fall below 5 million units for the second quarter of 2016, which is a decline of more than 20 percent from the second quarter,” added Kitagawa.
Gartner added that PC shipments could be further impacted in the near future, due to fallout from Brexit, which could potentially create uncertainty not only in currency but also across economies in and outside Europe
Among PC vendors, Lenovo retained its pole position, despite being hurt by a 2.2% drop in unit shipments from the same period last year. This also marked the fifth consecutive quarter of shipment declines for the Chinese PC giant.


text:
Farm Horizons, May 2009
Low milk prices; farmers still hopeful
By Starrla Cray
“It’s like going to work with a 50 percent pay cut,” dairy farmer Charles Krause said of the falling milk prices.
With average fluid milk prices in Minnesota down from $19.35 per hundredweight in 2007 to $12.90 in 2009, many local farmers are below their profit margin.
“This whole year is going to be a loss,” said Krause, of rural Buffalo.
Alan Otto of Lester Prairie, who milks 54 cows with his brother, Steve, said they are putting all projects on hold.
“I think we got a tough month ahead of us,” he said. “I guess we could see it coming, but I didn’t see it dropping that much.”
In 2002, the fluid milk price was also low, averaging $12.14 cwt in Minnesota, according to the University of Wisconsin Dairy Marketing and Risk Management Program web site.
“I’ve been through it so many times,” Bongards’ Creamery board member Charles Mathews said. “I don’t let it bother me too much anymore. That’s just the way the market works.”
“In the past, feed prices haven’t been as high, though,” Otto said. “It’s kind of a double blow.”
“Every cow you have is costing you to have it,” Waverly dairy farmer Dan Glessing said.
Fertilizer costs have also risen. According to an article from the Midwest Ag Journal, University of Minnesota soil scientist Gyles Randall said it will cost about $28 per acre, per year to put nitrogen on in the fall, and $48 per acre per year for spring application.
“Fertilizer costs are 30 percent higher than last year,” Krause said. “Fuel has come back down, thankfully. Every little thing adds up.”
One reason for the dropping milk prices is the strong US dollar.
“The problem right now is that it’s cheaper to import than to buy domestically,” Krause said. “A weak US dollar actually helps the farmer.”
In New Zealand, a large portion of its milk production is exported. “They are probably our biggest competition,” Krause said.
Milk futures prices are set on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which makes prices more volatile, Waverly dairy farmer Greg Bakeberg said.
“It’s like trading stocks in a company,” he said. “The great price fluctuation makes it more difficult.”
“It’s more about supply and demand than ever,” his brother George Bakeberg said, who milks 95 cows in rural Waverly.
To decrease the milk supply, massive culling (slaughtering surplus animals) is taking place in the western states, Krause said.
“That’s one thing that will help us in the long run,” he said.
In addition to the falling milk prices, the selling price for cattle has also dropped, but many farmers are selling anyway.
“If they don’t pay for their feed prices, why keep them around?” Krause said. “Cows can’t be turned on and off like an assemble line.”
It makes it tough for farmers who are getting out of the industry, he added.
“Every downturn, some farmers are forced to quit,” Dennis Butterfass, who milks 110 cows in rural Howard Lake, said. “It’s a sad reality.”
“Your whole net worth slips,” dairy farmer Gene Lambert of Buffalo said, adding that many farmers can’t afford to buy new equipment, maintain buildings, or make repairs.
“Any young guys who just got started, good luck,” Lambert said.
“Hopefully it’ll be short term so we can live through it,” Butterfass said.
For farmers who have the money, now is a good time to purchase animals or start a project, said Glessing, who is Wright County’s ADA chairman.
“With the downturn in the economy, construction companies are looking for projects,” he said. “That’s another positive. Beyond that, there’s not much.”
However, most farmers are still recovering from the previous drop in milk prices, Glessing said.
“I think there’s a misconception that farmers are loaded with cash,” he said. “Gross income is high, but net isn’t nearly what we’d like it to be for the amount of inputs.”
Despite the drop in income for farmers, retail milk prices haven’t fallen as much as they should have, Otto said.
“It’s way too high for what we’re getting,” he said. According to the University of Wisconsin Dairy Marketing and Risk Management Program web site, the US retail price of fresh whole milk averaged $3.50 per gallon in 2007. So far in 2009, the average has been $3.45 per gallon.
Local farmers are hopeful that the price they are receiving for milk will go up soon.
“In the coming months, it should stabilize,” Rep. Ron Shimanski of rural Silver Lake said.
The futures markets are predicting it may be as high as $16 per hundredweight for fall, said George Bakeberg, who is vice chairman on the Bongard’s board of directors. “It’s on its way up.”
In order for prices to go up, there will need to be a turn in the economy and a decrease in milk supply, Krause said.
“The milk price went kind of hand-in-hand with the drop in the stock market,” Mathews, who farms south of Lester Prairie, said. “When the economy is bad, everything follows suit.”
No matter how low the milk prices go, “dairy farming’s still seven days a week,” Otto said.
“As far as the low prices,” Glessing said. “You just hope you can weather the storm.”


text:
Investors focused on the Consumer Discretionary space have likely heard of Rent-A-Center (RCII), but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Discretionary peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Rent-A-Center is one of 258 companies in the Consumer Discretionary group. The Consumer Discretionary group currently sits at #11 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. RCII is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for RCII's full-year earnings has moved 30.45% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the latest available data, RCII has gained about 30.72% so far this year. In comparison, Consumer Discretionary companies have returned an average of -2.25%. As we can see, Rent-A-Center is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Breaking things down more, RCII is a member of the Consumer Services - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 11 individual companies and currently sits at #63 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 3.26% so far this year, meaning that RCII is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Investors in the Consumer Discretionary sector will want to keep a close eye on RCII as it attempts to continue its solid performance.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


text:
(Guest post written by Matt Cleary. Matt Cleary is an independent semiconductor industry analyst based in Taipei. He previously was a semiconductor industry analyst at Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank.)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s fourth quarter results proved a fitting coda for a year in which CEO Morris Chang was named Forbes Asia's top businessman. Net profit at the world’s largest contract manufacturer of semiconductor grew by nearly a third for the year, beating estimates, even while worldwide semiconductor industry revenues contracted.
The contrast with industry leader Intel could hardly be more acute. The world’s largest chipmaker -- whose process technology head Mark Bohr reportedly predicted last year TSMC’s business model was doomed -- announced lackluster fourth-quarter results the day after TSMC unveiled record earnings. Intel’s shares dropped by 6% afterward. TSMC’s stock rose to its highest in more than a decade. (See related story here.)
This year looks another banner year for TSMC and its contract – aka “foundry” -- model, too. Client adoption of TSMC’s leading-edge 28-nanometer manufacturing process continues to surpass expectations, with volumes set to triple this year. Chang predicted last week that the follow-up, more advanced 20-nm process generation will ramp up even faster. This is most likely due to strong demand from Apple – the foundry’s industry’s most highly-coveted client, which is widely believed to be in the process of defecting from Samsung Electronics to TSMC this year.
Yet even as TSMC enjoys record profit and its shares are overwhelmingly rated a ‘buy’ among analysts, formidable longer-term threats await over the horizon. The most menacing of these is that posed by archrival Samsung, whose windfall profits from sales of memory chips and huge internal demand for advanced logic chips for Samsung-brand electronics products like smart phones give it sizeable advantages in the form of both financial firepower and in-house vertical integration.
Samsung has the potential to convert some of its commodity memory plants over to production of logic chips such as those made by TSMC, and could also pull ahead of TSMC in the race to match Intel’s next-generation “FinFET” transistors – a new, power-efficient chip architecture that will extend battery life for mobile devices. The advantage afforded by Samsung’s vertical integration could further expand in the coming years as technology for multi-chip bundles that combine both memory and logic devices becomes more economically viable in 2014-15.
The threat posed by Intel is nearly on par with that of Samsung. Should Intel achieve its goal of adapting its industry-leading wafer processing prowess from microprocessors to more power stingy system-on-chip devices, the chip giant would be in a strong position both to steal market share from TSMC’s key mobile chip clients with its own products. Reports this week that networking equipment giant Cisco (said to be a TSMC client) has become a foundry client of Intel’s only serve to underscore the latter point. But while Intel by has a long way to go before being able to duplicate the design infrastructure and broader foundry ecosystem that TSMC has fostered, a surge of recent Intel job postings for related disciplines suggests that Intel is spending aggressively to build up its contract manufacturing business.
However, 2013 is unlikely to be the year when either of TSMC’s two greatest rivals impact its prospects in any significant way. The momentum of new 28-nm product designs is proving better than expected on the back of continued strong demand for tablets in emerging markets – not to mention its adoption by a raft of Chinese design houses backed by generous government subsidies. Moreover, the benefit of having an ‘anchor tenant’ like Apple to help TSMC ramp up its next generation 20-nm process technology is hard to overstate.
What’s more, neither of TSMC’s two primary rivals are without their own problems. For Samsung, the challenge will be whether leading-edge fabless chipmakers like Qualcomm and Nvidia would feel comfortable enough with Samsung’s internal firewalls to hand over their most advanced product designs to one of their most aggressive end-market rivals. Yet if speculation about Samsung’s FinFET progress proves correct, or if TSMC’s efforts to overcome Samsung’s stacked-chip infrastructure fall short, leading fabless companies could still face a Faustian bargain that they would be hard-pressed to refuse without sacrificing their own competitiveness.
Intel’s foundry offerings may be conflicted by similar issues, as the company is itself making great efforts to break into a mobile processor business dominated largely by TSMC’s clients. However, Intel faces another hurdle – its long-standing fidelity to its x86 processor architecture. The company had thus far been unwilling to build chips based on the rival ARM processor architecture which dominates the mobile space, and insists that its x86 architecture will soon be on par in terms of power efficiency. Even if that proves to be the case, getting TSMC’s current foundry clients to abandon their accumulated ARM expertise and legacy infrastructure won’t be easy.
One final piece of the competitive puzzle for TSMC is the economic inflection point that the chip business is approaching as transistor shrinkage increasingly encounters the limitations of physics. These strains appear likely to end decades of declining transistor costs from the 20-nm process generation, as capital intensity in the industry soars and the ability to shrink chips faces ever-greater headwinds.
The result may well be that consumers used to successive generations of mobile devices costing the same or less may be asked to pay more for the next level of performance. Should gadget lovers revolt at this prospect, the economics of leading-edge wafer manufacturing will certainly feel the knock-on effects.
Morris Chang appears safe in his assertion that TSMC’s introduction of 20-nm technology will surpass its remarkable ramp of 28-nm production. However, the view into 2014 and beyond is far less certain. And therein lies the rub for a company whose stock is trading near record levels and whose CEO has already attempted to retire once.


text:
It's that time of year, when food and drinks taste better in the open air.
By That's Shanghai, Jun 12, 2019 09:47
The restaurant may have a new name, but it’s still the same great taste. Shanghai’s well-loved Pizza Marzano restaurant is now known as Pizza Express like its counterpart in the UK. The name change still brings with it an abundance of tasty dishes that ev
By Urban Family, Jun 11, 2014 16:05


text:
ONS: Non-food stores thrive as sales rise despite country's overall retail figures dip
The Office for National Statistics has reported that the country has seen an increase in non-food sales across the past month.
The ONS reported today (June 18) that despite an overall decrease in retail sales - which dropped by 1.4 per cent between April and May - sales at non-food shop grew by 2.3 per cent.
It said that a 5.7 per cent drop in food retail sales was the result of more hospitality venues being reopened, with consumers eating out more frequently.
Online sales also saw a dip, but remained nearly 60 per cent higher than they were in February 2020 before the onset of the pandemic.
Danni Hewson, financial analyst at AJ Bell, commented: “Consumers can’t spend their cash twice and with more options to choose from in May there’s little wonder retail sales figures have dropped a little.
“People rediscovered the joy of eating out after months of having to settle for takeaways or meal kits and that had a knock on to food sales which fell 5.7 per cent.
“It seemed people had made sure their own wardrobes were summer ready before they turned to their homes and clothing sales were down slightly in May after a huge uptick the previous month.
“A bit of sunshine and consumers rushed to jazz up their outdoor spaces or indulge in new sports equipment.
“What is interesting is the fall in sales from non-store retailers. People have wanted to get back out on the high street, to touch and try before they buy and in fact across the board online sales dipped.
“But no-one should assume this means shoppers have kicked the habit, May might have delivered the third monthly fall in a row, but online sales were still 58.8 per cent higher than pre-pandemic.
“Retailers might be a little disappointed that momentum has fizzled a little, but all that socialising does bring opportunities.
“If people are out and about more there’s more chance people will get back to a spot of impromptu buying, lured in by tantalising window displays.
“There will be disappointment from retailers that social distancing measures will remain in place a little longer but queuing outdoors is less of a hardship when the sun is shining.”
Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →
Enjoy the read? Get Bdaily delivered.
Sign up to receive our popular morning National email for free.


text:
All the latest stuff that's been happening with our network
WiFi on the London Underground
Thanks to a new partnership with Virgin Media, T-Mobile customers will soon be able to stay connected on the London Underground at no extra cost. Keep an eye out - we'll have more details soon.
HD Voice has
We're excited to announce that our brand-spanking-new high definition (HD) network is ready to roll. Forget frustrating, fuzzy calls - it's all crystal clear from here. So, if you and the person you're calling are T-Mobile or Orange customers with HD-ready phones and 3G signal, you can now make HD Voice calls. Sound-boosting and background noise-reducing, HD Voice calls make your mate sound like they're in the room, even if they're hundreds of miles away. What's more, you can make HD Voice calls using T-Mobile or Orange signal. So, whether you're in a bustling café or on a busy street, you need never miss a word.
Businesses get behind 4G for Britain
The new 4G Britain website has been attracting a lot of attention from the public and business communities. Just days after its launch, the website had received over 20,000 page views.
New official supporters of the site include Experian, Getty Images, Hotels.com, the New West End Company, Deezer and Velti. Plus, the #4GBritain conversation on Twitter has reached over four million people.


text:
Recently King Felipe VI of Spain and the Queen visited La Rioja to show their support and encouragement to the wine industry.
Image courtesy of: Penin Guide Spain
They started their trip in Haro, the town that symbolizes Rioja wine and wine tourism, and they visited the main Spanish wine laboratories and several famous wineries, as well as meeting outstanding representatives of the local wine industry.
King Felipe VI stressed that the wine industry is a traditional sector representing the Spanish brand, backed by its glorious history and bound to have a bright future. He encouraged people to recover as soon as possible from the coronavirus crisis and to continue to contribute to the revitalization of the Spanish economy.


text:
According to Frost & Sullivan WiMAX is already on the way out and it’s not even available for 99% of America. According to the research firm if WiMAX rollouts don’t take place in 2008 the scope and market for the service globally will be insignificant. Frost & Sullivan also says that the technology is facing some serious challenges that are likely to make it unfeasible as a mobile access technology.
Don't Miss: Sam's Club Black Friday 2016 Details
The biggest possible issue with WiMAX is that it is not backwards compatible with any other cellular systems. That would mean if your WiMAX cell phone or laptop can’t get a connection you simply won’t have service. Frost & Sullivan thinks that the investment in WiMAX isn’t for naught. It predicts WiMAX will merge with 3G LTE technology.
"Recent events have been unfavourable toward Mobile WiMAX," notes Frost & Sullivan Programme Manager Luke Thomas. "For example, Sprint-Nextel recently announced a delay to the commercial roll-out of its Mobile WiMAX service, Xohm, and has now stated that the first commercial service of Xohm will be in Baltimore in September 2008 followed by Washington DC and Chicago by Q4 2008 (provided the new WiMAX venture 'ClearWire' deal closes by Q4 2008)."
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad
Via Frost & Sullivan


text:
Added by Erik West on July 29, 2011
ALDI, a German-based discount retailer, confirmed on Friday that it sold a small number of hard drives that were infected with a known virus that collects Widows users’ passwords.
The Australian Computer Emergency Response Team released an alert on Thursday saying that the ALDI-sold drives were infected with the “Conficker” worm – a virus that was first detected around the world in 2008.
ADLI has advised customers of the problem with the drives that sell for AU $99 and has removed the product from all of its stores. ADLI also issued a voluntary recall of products already purchased; consumers that return the hard drive will receive a full refund. The name of the affected product is Fission 4-in-1 hard drive/DVD drive/card reader combo.
While most up-to-date computers will be able to detect the virus long before it can do any damage, the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team recommended that consumers reformat the hard drive and scan it with an up-to-date virus scanner.


text:
After watching too long from the sidelines, a bipartisan group of senators, including Tennessee's Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, have finally proposed a bill that would allow Tennessee and other states to collect sales taxes from online businesses.
Their proposal is a welcome and long-needed initiative. If enacted, it would finally overcome the outdated Supreme Court ruling that bars states from collecting sales taxes on e-commerce transactions unless online stores have a presence in their state. That would let states ensure tax fairness for local brick-and-mortar businesses, save many from unfair competition and bankruptcy, avoid the loss of local businesses, and generally level the playing field for retail stores. The bill cannot be passed too soon.
Alexander, a key sponsor, rightly sees the need for such legislation as "a states' rights issue."
"It gives the state of Tennessee the right to decide how to collect or not to collect its own sales tax. It ends the subsidy for some businesses over others. It closes a loopholes that's been growing for 20 years, and it permits the state to collect that avoided revenue," he said. He's right on all counts.
Some consumers apparently do not see the need for such tax equity, but most who oppose e-business sales taxes apparently have not considered the unfairness of the current tax gap to brick-and-mortar retailers, and the broad impact it is having in every state. Yet the absence of tax fairness for online sales unfairly puts brick-and-mortar retailers at a competitive disadvantage that is leading to the demise of many local businesses and losses to their communities' tax base.
Communities can't afford to let that dynamic continue. Local businesses not only contribute to local and state tax revenue and to local jobs; they, and their employees, also help pay the public costs of roads, infrastructure and schools. Losing brick-and-mortar retailers takes their tax and job contributions out the community and leaves the untaxed profits of online retailers in other states with unfair gains.
States cannot afford the losses that stem from such tax inequities. University of Tennessee economists estimate Tennessee will forfeit $410 million in missed sales tax revenue next year. That's huge.
With current software, online retailers can easily calculate, collect and remit state and local sales taxes on customers' purchases. Many do so already. And even Amazon, now the world's largest online retailer, agrees that tax fairness is important and should be done on a national basis.
Sens. Alexander, Corker and their co-sponsors would do well to push the proposed bill through Congress. Their bill improves on the long-stalled "streamlined sales tax bill" for e-commerce. It would treat states and local retailers more fairly, and it would clearly reinforce the strength and stability of local businesses, large and small.


text:
**Editor’s Note: Please click here for a recap of the biggest channel-impacting mergers in Q2 2015.**
Lightower Fiber Networks has completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Fibertech Networks.
The purchase roughly doubles the Lightower service area, which now covers the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and the Midwest – covering 40 percent of the U.S. population. The new Lightower network offers more than 30,000 route miles of fiber, providing access to more than 15,000 service locations, including 250 data centers; more than telco hotels and central offices; 40 financial exchanges; and more than 5,000 wireless towers.
“This strategic merger was a natural fit for both networks and both companies,” said Rob Shanahan, president & CEO of Lightower. “Both companies have deep roots in customer-first cultures, which are reflected in service that is second to none in our industry.”
Lightower, whose network supports business-critical applications, serves thousands of customers that include wireless and wireline carriers, as well as businesses in a wide range of verticals. The company offers Ethernet, dark fiber, wavelengths, Internet access private networks, colocation and more.
The nearly $2 billion transaction was paid for through a combination of equity and debt.
The Fibertech buy isn’t Lightower’s only merger activity this year; it announced its acquisition of ColocationZone – an enterprise-class data center provider in Chicago – in March.
Lightower’s partner program consists of agents, VARs, consultants, integrators, wholesalers and more. They can sell the full suite of Lightower products and services, including regional network density, commercial building and data center access.
Follow senior online managing editor Craig Galbraith on Twitter.
.@qosnetworks recently expanded its team. dlvr.it/RJJ8Zb
November 14 2019 @ 20:57:31 UTC


text:
It’s appears that many are opting to stay away from 1 Utama Shopping Mall for the time being.
Earlier this morning, Chinese publications Sin Chew Daily and China Press reported that another Covid-19 case has been confirmed at the mall.
This time around, the employee that tested positive for the deadly virus works at Parkson. According to the company, the Parkson Elite 1 Utama outlet will be closed until further notice. Sin Chew Daily received the confirmation directly from Parkson in regards to the new Covid-19 case.
Just minutes ago, 1 Utama Shopping Mall released the following statement:
“1 Utama is currently working closely with Parkson to give them our full support on this case, which has been immediately attended to since receiving confirmation of Estee Lauder staff’s positive Covid-19 test results. Swift action has been taken by Parkson to conduct a comprehensive sanitization exercise, with their store staff undergoing tests as well as 14 days quarantine. Contact tracing will be carried out by MOH.”
“We wish to point out that the affected staff’s access to Parkson was via Parkson’s dedicated staff entrance/exit which is not open to the public. Rest assured our entire mall building has also been disinfected, with 1 Utama frontliners working very hard throughout all hours of the day to keep the mall clean and to step up in every way we can.
“Thank you for your continuous support throughout this challenging period. It means a lot to us! It’s been quite a week for us here at 1 Utama. However, we remain positive… that the pandemic which has struck the world and Malaysia is once again uniting us all. This is a time not for hate but for more compassion and kindness. Saying a little prayer to those recovering will go a long way.”
Stay tuned for more updates via Parkson’s Facebook page.


text:
Nasdaq CEO Checks Bitcoin Haters by Saying Crypto Could Still Become a Global Currency
The president and CEO of Nasdaq, Adena Friedman, has affirmed that cryptos deserve an opportunity to find their place in the future. On a LinkedIn post, the chief of the financial company has affirmed that cryptos are good enough to find their own sustainable future.
She wrote the post just before appearing at the World Economic Forum at Davos, which is starting today, and affirmed that crypto will have a role in the future of mankind at the same that she affirmed that they are a big demonstration of creativity and ingenuity.
According to her, cryptos are following the normal route for inventions. A group of pioneers invents something and there is a period of hype after the society discovers about it. In this period, people enter the market way too hyped and there is a healthy dosage of reality later on, which is the current bear market.
After that, she believes that there are mostly two classic outcomes that can happen. Either the innovation finds its way to be steady and sustainable and it is fully integrated into the economy or it simply fails to achieve any significant broad adoption and it becomes limited.
If cryptos are to become a success story and evolve into something really revolutionary and useful for the world, they will need more clarity on governance and regulation. However, she sees this as antithetical to the original intent of building an ungovernable decentralized currency, which may be a problem for cryptos in the future.
She used the opportunity to talk about Nasdaq as well, obviously, affirming that there is a need in the market for more transparent alternatives and that Nasdaq is transparent and it has provided in-house tech that helped many startup companies to become more transparent, too.
In fact, Nasdaq has offered its SMARTS Market Surveillance Technology to other companies, which is probably what she was talking about. Companies like the Gemini exchange, which was created by the well-known Winklevoss twins, use it to monitor any suspicious trade behavior and be compliant with the rules and regulations of the U. S.
Another company to use this technology is Nasdaq’s Financial Information Exchange (FIX), which also deals with cryptos and tokenized stocks.


text:
Côte d’Ivoire came first out of 66 countries for having the greatest potential for future growth, according to Standard Chartered’s Trade20 Index. Kenya ranked third and Ghana thirteenth, based on metrics such as economic dynamism, trade readiness and export diversity. Researchers found that while existing trade powers like China and India continue to rapidly improve their trade potential, African countries such as Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire have cemented their positions as East and West African trading hubs from a relatively low starting point. Huge investments in infrastructure, e-commerce and ease of doing business have also started paying off in Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya where the business environment has seen a marked improvement.
SOURCES: AFRICAN BUSINESS MAGAZINE


text:
Cigar production up in Las Tunas province
The manufacture of exportable cigars continues to grow in Cuba's eastern Las Tunas province, despite the lack of experience of local cigar makers in this activity.
So far this year, the Las Tunas factories have turned out some 589,000 cigars.That figure exceeds by 40 percent the amount of cigars produced in that territory by the same period last year. Such a result indicates the possibility of the province fulfilling its target for the current year with a total output of 2,500,000 cigars.Some 80 cigar makers from the Vidal Navas factory in the northern municipality of Puerto Padre are involved in the effort. In 2006, they only needed a few months of training to produce more than 2,000,000 smokes.
This Cuban province, 670 km east of Havana, did not possess much of a tradition in the cultivation of tobacco, but a decade ago it joined a nationwide effort aimed increasing production in this industry, sowing and harvesting larger amounts of tobacco each year.
In addition to the Vidal Navas factory, Las Tunas has another two cigar factories, which in 2006 made more than 15 million units for the domestic market.
The cultivation of tobacco and cigar-making have historically been among the principal industries of Cuba's economy. The country has the capacity to turn out more than 100,000,000 top-rate exportable cigars, which are recognized around the world


text:
Entrepreneur Magazine has named Woodbury-based Anytime Fitness as the No. 1 global franchise for the second year in a row as part of the magazine's Top Global Franchise list.
Averaging more than 300 new gyms each year during the past nine years, the 24-hour fitness chain is the world's largest and fastest-growing fitness chain.. . . more