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AFL And Jim Beam Announce Two-Year Partnership Extension
he AFL has announced a two-year extension to its partnership with Jim Beam as the Official Dark Spirits Partner of the AFL.
The partnership extension comes in ‘celebration’ of Jim Beam’s 225th anniversary this year, with the AFL finals currently underway in the lead up to the Grand Final at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Beam Suntory Australia and New Zealand marketing director, Trent Chapman, said despite the challenges of COVID-19, Jim Beam is excited to help bring together AFL fans for the remainder of the 2020 finals.
“In what has been a challenging year for all, we are thrilled to announce the continuation of our partnership with the AFL and are looking forward to the upcoming finals period,” Chapman said.
“Watching AFL and enjoying a Jim Beam with friends is a tradition for many, and despite the turmoil this year, we want to support Australians in finding unique ways for this to continue.
“Be it at home, at a pub, or for the lucky ones in Brisbane, at the Gabba, we encourage footy fans to come together in shared passion and community,” he said.
AFL general manager of commercial, Kylie Rogers, said she is thrilled to continue the partnership with Jim Beam.
“The AFL and Jim Beam have a proud tradition of bringing people together and a long-standing history of innovation that ensures both brands continue to be the best they can be for everyone to enjoy,” Rogers said.
“We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Jim Beam as the Official Dark Spirits Partner of the AFL and look forward to working with them, their 225th birthday, to help Australians see through the remainder of 2020 with positivity and a sense of community,” she said.


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January 28, 2011
Sofia Vergara Announces Fashion Line at Kmart
The "Modern Family" star who can make a basic white t-shirt look sexy is bringing some fashion flair to Kmart.
Yesterday on Twitter, Sofia announced (along with an article in WWD) her 'Sofia Vergara for Kmart' collection, to be launched in early September.
"This is kind of natural for me," Vergara said. "I have always been interested in clothes and makeup and beauty. I always dressed up. I wasn't laid-back about it. I'm not lounging around in sweat clothes and flip-flops. Maybe a nice pair of sweats."
Sofia shared pics of the collection on her Twitter, including "one of my favorite dresses" -- a leopard bustier number. Sofia's line will be sold in about 800 Kmart stores beginning in late August and early September, according to WWD.
Vergara follows the lead of many celebs with fashion collections in the mainstream retail world. Earlier in the month, the Kardashian sisters announced the launch of an apparel and accessories collection for Sears, called, what else, the Kardashian Kollection.

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Fort Worth’s Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. has won a lot of national and international beer awards in recent years, but the latest results from the American Homebrewers Association is the biggest haul Rahr has ever had.
Zymurgy magazine is published by the trade group, and each year they ask readers to send in a list of their 20 favorite beers. Rahr had a “landslide”win, placing “a whopping 12 beers in the top 50.”
“It’s difficult to express how ecstatic we are to have received the most votes by die hard beer enthusiasts in Zymurgy’s reader base,” said Fritz Rahr, president and founder of Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. “We’re deeply honored to ranked first among other great breweries throughout the country.”
This has been a tough year for Rahr. Earlier this year, the record 12-inch snowfall collapsed the brewery roof and new equipment has had to be installed. The popular Saturday afternoon beer tasting at the near southside brewery has been on hold, but should be back up and running within a few weeks.
“This is exactly the kind of support that keeps us going, despite this year’s roof collapse,” Fritz Rahr said of the Zymurgy votes. “We’re poised for another great year with big plans for Rahr’s future, and I think we’ll be successful as long as our fan base remain our litmus test.”
For more info on Rahr, check out the FW Weekly’s cover story from last year. A lot of research went into writing that piece.


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On April 25, T-Mobile’s license to sell BlackBerry smartphones will expire, and according to a recent announcement from BlackBerry CEO John Chen, the company does not plan on renewing that license. Chen explained that while Blackberry has maintained a positive relationship with T-Mobile over the years, he said “our strategies are not complementary and we must act in the best interest of our BlackBerry customers.”
There was some controversy in February when T-Mobile released ads directed at BlackBerry users stating “Now is the time to upgrade to iPhone 5S.” While T-Mobile has made efforts to make amends with BlackBerry since, this recent decision suggests it may not have been enough.
Microsoft on April 2 announced its Visual Studio 2013 Update 2 Release Candidate, a follow-up to last year’s November release of its Visual Studio 2013, a collection of tools and services for creating apps. This announcement was made at the Build 2014 conference in San Francisco, and explained that Update 2 will include Windows Phone tools and support for universal Windows application development.
Apple will soon begin production on the iPhone 6, and there has been a lot of speculation regarding what features this new phone will have. Now, the Website GforGames claims they have pictures sent from someone at Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn, of purported Phone 6 designs.
According to GforGames, Apple has been debating whether to make the phone much thinner than previous models and allow the camera lens to protrude out the back, or to have a thicker phone to incorporate the lens into it. The leaked photos seem to suggest that Apple will be trying out the former.
Finally, Intel announced it will be starting a $100 million fund and creating an innovation center in China, in an effort to fuel the development of smart systems like smartphones and wearable devices that will be powered by Intel processors. Also, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich debuted a new device at the Intel Developer Forum in China on April 2 that’s aimed at& the Internet of things.


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"We haven't seen any rain at all, and based on that, food inflation is definitely a real threat," said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago.
The dry, scorching heat has had the most severe impact on corn crops.
Nearly 40% of the corn planted across the nation is in poor or very poor condition, compared to just 11% at this time last year, according to to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
The drought and the fear that conditions could worsen, further pressuring crop yields, has triggered a 50% spike in the prices of corn futures over the past month to $7.79 per bushel.
On average, food prices typically rise 1% overall for every 50% jump in corn prices, said Richard Volpe, an economist for the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but particular categories of food are impacted more severely.
Analysts and economists predict that prices of beef, pork and poultry will jump the most, as corn is the main feedstock for chicken, cattle and pigs.
Prior to the drought, analysts had predicted a 4% to 6% rise in retail beef prices, said Michael Miller, senior vice president of global research for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
However, if the drought lingers and the high cost of corn continues to weigh on farmers, consumers could face an increase as high as 10% for fresh protein at the grocery store, said Miller. That means beef prices could jump from an average of $4.35 per pound in 2011 to an average of nearly $4.80 per pound this year.
The true extent of the increases will not be known until the crops are harvested later this year, and prices will not jump overnight, of course. In fact, consumers will likely face the trickle down effect toward the end of this year and into the start of 2012, Miller added.
"We're in one of those situations where everyone is watching the weather and corn prices from the edge of their seats," said Miller. "This is the first time in a long time that we've had a drought this significant in the Corn Belt, and that's why the market is so nervous."
Weather experts are not at all optimistic in their forecasts. According to AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Alex Sosonowski, "The combination of too much hit and too little rain moving forward into the middle of August will prove to be too much for corn to take."
While the price of meat and milk products will likely rise as a result of higher corn prices, other products, like a box of corn flakes, will remain relatively steady, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service, as prices for those types of foods are more heavily impacted by packaging, processing, advertising and transportation. In fact, a 49% increase in corn prices only raises the price of a box of corn flakes by about 0.5%.
In a recent interview with CNN, General Mills CEO Ken Powell said that grains like corn represent less than 10% of the company's total inputs, so although grains will be higher, modest inflation in other areas will mean that prices for consumers will remain stable.


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BEA Systems has been transitioning from its roots as maker of Tuxedo middleware transaction tools to developer of a full-fledged e-commerce platform during the past year. And that strategy appears to be paying off.
The San Jose-based company, buoyed by the rapid growth of the Internet, reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings as a result of sales of its Web infrastructure tools, the WebLogic application server and its transaction platform.
BEA's stock soared $US9.25 to $81.75 last Wednesday, compared with a 52-week low last November of just $8.69.
"BEA has successfully moved the company from a provider of staid middleware solutions into a fully integrated provider of e-commerce solutions," wrote Michael E. Stanek, a financial analyst at Lehman Brothers, in a stock report.
On October 31, BEA reported income of $14.2 million on revenue of $126.5 million, a 56 per cent revenue increase from the same period a year ago. At that time, the company posted earnings of $7.6 million on revenue of $80.9 million.
Analysts attributed BEA's numbers a year ago to year 2000 concerns at large corporate information-technology shops that temporarily delayed Web developments.
"A year ago, this particular market, and across the industry, got taken down on Y2K concerns and saw spending shifting from middleware software to bug fixes," said J.C. Simbana, a research analyst at American Fronteer Financial in Denver.
"We were put in the penalty box a year ago and held in Y2K prison," said BEA Chairman and CEO Bill Coleman. "But meanwhile, e-commerce came along and threw the market into high gear."


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Atlanta-based Tin Drum Asian Kitchen, a Pan Asian restaurant that transports its guests to a street side café in Asia, complete with hawker style cuisine and atmosphere, will open the first of five restaurants in Houston this year. Tin Drum has tapped experienced Houston restaurateurs Shairoz Lakhani, Avez Maredia and Faizan Momin to own and operate the five units in the Houston area. They are currently identifying potential locations and plan to open by the end of the year.
Tin Drum’s menu is a mash up of bold flavored Asian’s greatest hits and “Not In A Bowl” sidewalk sandwiches and urban garden items inspired by many Asian cultures. Some menu favorites include the Tikka Masala, Singapore Curry Noodles, Thai Curry with Coconut Milk, Korean Fried Chicken Sliders, Saigon Summer Salad, and the addictive Crab and Cheese Spring Rolls. Each meal is prepared on-order using fresh, simple and specialty Asian ingredients, served by Tin Drummer in an environment that evokes the hustle and bustle of a classic Hong Kong-style dai pai dong, or curbside café.
Spouses Lakhani and Maredia currently own and operate three Wingstop restaurants in Texas with two more under construction. After turning around a Wingstop in Wichita Falls, Texas, the couple were approached by the brand to grow their Wing Stop franchise to three units. Now, along with Momin, they are expanding their business to add a fast-casual restaurant, Tin Drum, which innovates the Asian food experience through less ordinary products and urban culture.
“Houston is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country with diners who crave international flavors,” says Steven Chan, Tin Drum founder and CEO. “Shairoz, Avez and Faizan are the perfect owners to help us grow our brand. They are quality young entrepreneurs who have been diehard fans of Tin Drum since the beginning. Their combination of operational experience and ability to understand our customer make them the perfect team for our Houston debut.”
Lakhani comes from a restaurant family who grew up learning and appreciating the restaurant business. Throughout her childhood, her father Aziz Lakhani, owned more than 30 restaurants during his career, including major brands like Dunkin’, Popeyes, Ginger’s casual dining and more.
Lakhani, Maredia and Momin discovered Tin Drum while they were students in Atlanta at Emory University and Georgia State University respectively, where the restaurant made its debut in Atlanta more than 15 years ago.
“During our college days in Atlanta, we fell in love with Tin Drum and have wanted to open a location in Houston since we got into the restaurant business after graduating,” says Lakhani. “There are not many Asian fusion restaurants in Houston, and we think Tin Drum will fill that void.”
In addition to growth throughout Georgia, Tin Drum is actively looking for owners in other cities in Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Tin Drum will open its first of three locations in the Savannah area in 2019.
The restaurant’s franchise growth is backed by the private equity firm BIP Capital, majority owner of Tropical Smoothie, who has invested more than $250 million in emerging, high-growth brands across the franchising, software, technology and consumer products industries. BIP Capital leverages its leadership team’s deep franchise experience to help emerging brands accelerate growth.
According to Steven Chan, CEO and founder of Tin Drum, the ownership team BIP, Altaf Popatiya, Amisha Popatiya, Matt Schinelli, and himself are excited to support the new franchisees in the upcoming endeavor. Matt Schinelli also serves as Director of Business Development and is an original Tin Drum franchisee.


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Steve MacMillan took over as CEO of Hologic in 2013, drawing on his experience at medtech titans like Stryker and Johnson & Johnson.
Since then, Hologic has grown into a $3 billion business. At DeviceTalks Boston 2018, MacMillan provided exclusive insights into the Massachusetts-based company and its evolving definition of women’s healthcare.
At DeviceTalks Boston, Tyler Shultz will give attendees an inside look at Theranos and how he was able to sound the alarm after he realized the company was falling apart. Shultz will take attendees behind the story that everyone is talking about: the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her diagnostic company, Theranos.
Join Shultz and 1,000+ medical device professionals at the 8th annual DeviceTalks Boston.


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Full-Time Air Jordan Sample Could Be Preview of Holiday 2015
NOTE: This job listing has expired and may no longer be relevant!
Now we’re getting a closer look at the all white pair that the Jordan 11 72-10 wore over the weekend that had many people talking. If for some reason you weren’t feeling any of the never-before-seen PEs that were revealed over the weekend, there’s still hope that you’ll like some because we’re sure to see more as the second session of the camp starts tomorrow and lasts until the weekend.
Usually releases Jordan 11 gets cancelled/postponed for several different reasons such a shipment delay, etc, but never because of mold being spotted on the shoe! It turns out that there may have been some issues with the storage of the shoe that has caused a large amount of this release to have some of that nasty mold on the shoe, some more than others.
This time around we see the shoe New Jordans 11 is going the monochromatic route and will be coming done in all White. The entire upper is White leather, while an off White Safari print can be found around the toe.


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Just yesterday, Digital Walker, the official exclusive distributor of OnePlus devices and accessories in the Philippines, confirmed the local launch of the OnePlus 8T, which debuted earlier this week on the global stage.
But earlier today, Digital Walker announced an online pre-sale event for the OnePlus 8T happening tomorrow, October 17, until October 19 at the Home Office online store. The latest OnePlus model is priced at around P29,990 (around $616).
If you’re looking for a more attractive form factor, you might want to consider getting the OnePlus 7T Pro or OnePlus 8 instead. Both are P5,000 ($103) off and priced at P30,990 ($637) until October 31 at participating stores online and offline.
Nevertheless, that’s a quite tempting OnePlus 8T offer considering the smartphone will set you back $749 (P36,458) in the U.S., albeit with more RAM and native storage. The local unit that will be up for preorder comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and the color option is limited to Lunar Silver.
Early adopters will enjoy free shipping nationwide, 18 months warranty from the manufacturer through Digital Walker, and 2,000 Home Office loyalty points customers can use on their next purchase. The current shipping estimate is seven to 14 days after the preorder period.
Early adopters will enjoy free shipping nationwide, 18 months warranty, and 2,000 Home Office loyalty points customers can use on their next purchase
In case you missed the global announcement, the OnePlus 8T features a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a flagship-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset that supports dual-mode 5G inside. It also packs quad cameras on the back, headlined by a 48-megapixel main sensor. The front-facing camera that sits in a punch-hole cutout is 16 megapixels.
More impressively, the OnePlus 8T offers 65-watt wired fast charging, which is one of the highest you’ll find on any phone now. According to OnePlus, the new standard takes the battery from zero to full capacity in just 39 minutes. The phone also ships with Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 out of the box. Curiously enough, it lacks a headphone jack, although to be fair, the T-Mobile version of the OnePlus 8T is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance.
OnePlus 8T official product video
OnePlus 8T specs
- 6.55-inch AMOLED display, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with 5G (dual mode)
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB storage
- Quad 48-megapixel (main), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro), and 2-megapixel (mono) rear cameras
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 4,500mAh battery with 65-watt USB-C fast charging
- IP68-rated for water and dust resistance (T-Mobile version)
- OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11
- Colors: Aquamarine Green and Luna Silver
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Matching up to the expectations, ASUS announced that the company has reached the sales figure of 2.8 lakh units being sold in Q3. The company has also announced that additional 1 lakh units would be up for sale today with pan India availability. Earlier this month, the company had already announced the availability of 1 lakh units to add to the festivity which received tremendous response. Furthering to the same and in view of much higher demands, ASUS has again bought 1 lakh units to the market today.
Mr. Peter Chang, Regional Head – South Asia & Country Manager – System Business Group -ASUS India, said, “With our aggressive approach and attainable aim to be amongst the top 10 smartphone providers this year and top 5 by 2015, we are constantly filling in the stocks. Within a fortnight, we have released stocks of 2 lakhs units now and the Indian masses continue to surprise us with the response. We wish to convey our best wishes to all our existing and prospective customers for this festive season and to reiterate of commitment towards delivering incredible this festive season.”
ASUS is confident that with the online medium and extensive presence pan India, the company will be able to complement the incredible responses that they are receiving for the entire Zenfone Series which is very competitively priced. ASUS presently has 4 variants of Zenfone Series which have received path breaking response from the Indian Market. The company is constantly acting in order to meet the demand and also to cater to all their requirements with the firmware updates.


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Netflix was on the front foot yesterday, with a new Top10 page announced+released to wash away claims it cherry-picks its data.
- The new Top 10 list displays the most-viewed shows and movies for English and non-English titles, ranked by aggregate viewing hours.
- Netflix says, “We will publish our new weekly ‘Top 10 on Netflix’ every Tuesday based on hours viewed from Monday to Sunday the previous week for both original and licensed titles.”
- Netflix previously threatened Bloombergwith legal action over some of this data.
But while the data is interesting, it’s a flex:
- Variety points out that Netflix’s move here “…is ultimately self-serving — designed to promote its most popular titles. The release of the additional info is aimed at giving Netflix subscribers new ways to find what to watch next.”
- “Netflix is flexing here: It’s underscoring the fact that it operates the biggest subscription-video service on the planet (with 213.6 million paid subs as of Q3). The streamer is giving notice to the industry, customers, and Wall Street that it has an engine capable of producing a surprise hit like ‘Squid Game,’ which (Netflix says) was viewed an astronomical 1.6 billion hours over its first 28 days of release. It will be interesting to see if Netflix rivals like Amazon, Disney, and HBO Max follow suit by releasing their own metrics.”
- And what we don’t get insight into is Netflix’s stinkers: there’s no great shame in stuff that bombs given how Netflix approaches its business, but it’s easier when it’s out of sight and dwarfed by its hits, too.
- In any case, Disney, HBO, and so on, will probably hit back with their own data, obfuscated in just the ways they want…
💳 Here’s something I didn’t expect to read: Amazon will stop accepting Visa credit cards in the UK from early next year, citing high fees. High Interchange fees now the UK is out of the EU is just the start, apparently (BBC).
⌚ Motorola’s new $100 smartwatch foregoes Wear OS, available for pre-order now (Android Authority).
👆 Google improves Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor with surprise mid-month update (Android Authority).
🤔 Qualcomm’s Arm-based competitor to the Apple M1 for Windows PCs has a launch window set for within nine months, but by final release in 2023, Apple’s going to be even further ahead… (Android Authority).
🍎 Apple developing new ‘SportsKit’ framework as it invests in sports content for Apple TV. Start of something new? (9to5Mac).
🥽 Well worth seeing/watching Meta’s sci-fi haptic glove prototype, including the video, that lets you feel VR objects using air pockets, but it’s probably a decade from being a consumer item (The Verge).
🏀 LA’s iconic Staples Center to be renamed to Crypto.com Arena, with a deal worth $700M+ for 20 years. The Lakers, Clippers, and so on, will now all play in an arena that’ll take some time to get used to… (LA Times).
😬 Yikes: Activision CEO reportedly knew about allegations of sexual misconduct for years (CNET).
🤐 In Moscow’s technological advances, a double-edged sword: The latest example is Face Pay, which replaces a Metro card with facial recognition (New York Times, gift link)
🐶” Is my dog aware that I am not a dog?” (r/nostupidquestions).
While we’re talking streaming, Netflix, and so on, Tiger King 2 and the Weird Rise of Documentary Sequels is exactly what I want to talk about, because, as Wired writes: “Hours-long multipart documentaries should be able to tell a whole story. And yet, more and more of them just keep going.”
- Should we be grateful for the continued exploration and extra content of hot topics, or “concerned that we’re being fed filler by execs hungry for eyeballs”?
- I mean, it’s the latter most of the time, but the piece here actually does a decent job of showing why “more is more,” and we’re not necessarily worse off for the old one-hour documentary now being a long series, and possibly a sequel that keeps following the story.
- Making A Murderer is one example that walks a tightrope: It was filmed for 10 years before it was released, but the follow-up was out within three years and dragged on and on. At least it had ongoing court battles to document and follow.
- The problem is when there’s not really much of anything to emerge, just more rehashing, or worse, a documentary follow-up that celebrates its own success yet doesn’t really matter.
- Still, one filmmaker interviewed says: “As a filmmaker, I love the idea that characters and stories are so compelling that when a viewer finishes watching a film or a series that they continue to think about those characters.”
- The problem is when those characters slip away from feeling like a wild slice of real life and they become just characters.
From a veyr real place,
Tristan Rayner, Senior Editor


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We were delighted to see that What HiFi? Sound and Vision had included the Orbe SE in the recent Ultimate Guide To High End – their periodic supplement dedicated to High End Audio packaged with the September issue of the magazine.
Included in the round up of the best turntables available, What HiFi? commented, “Michell’s Orbe has been made for well over a decade – and despite myriad improvements, it costs just 10 per cent more now than it did way back then. Compare that to the doubling (or more) on price of its peers and it’s amazing just what value this turntable represents.”
In concluding the test, the What HiFi? team summarised “The Orbe was a great deck 10 years ago and it’s an even better buy today. There’s nothing to criticise here. If you want a top-class deck, you won’t regret buying this.”
The September issue of the magazine is out now and you can read the original review on Whathifi.com.
For further information on the Orbe SE and it’s upgrades, click here.


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Groz-Beckert Webinar “The Importance of the Sewing Machine Needle When Processing Garments” (9/14)
Updated: Sep 14, 2021
By Apparel Resources
Groz-Beckert has announced to organise a webinar on “The importance of the sewing machine needle when processing garments” on 14 September 2021 for the global apparel and textile industry.
As needle-driven issues in the garment manufacturing have been a prolonged challenge for the industry, the webinar will focus on how the choice of the sewing machine needle influences the quality of the sewn product.
The team of Groz-Beckert – which is a leading Germany-based company providing industrial machine needles, precision parts and fine tools as well as systems and services for the production and joining of textile fabrics – will address typical sewing problems in the production of garments and the solutions that can be offered.
“We will also present different special application needles that have been especially developed for the processing of textiles,” informed Groz-Beckert.
The webinar will be held both in English and German languages and the audience will be able to ask questions in the chat section.
Here is the link to register – https://www.groz-beckert.com/en/services/academy/academy-mobile-sewing-september.html


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Nigerian consumer data analytics firm Terragon Group has acquired Asian mobile marketing company Bizense in a cash and stock deal.
Based in Singapore, with operations in India and Indonesia, Bizense specializes in “mobile ad platform[s] for Telco’s, large publishers, and [e-commerce] ad networks” under its proprietary Adatrix platform — according to its website and a release.
The price of the acquisition was not disclosed.
Headquartered in Lagos, Terragon’s software services give its clients — primarily telecommunications and financial services companies — data on Africa’s growing consumer markets.
Products allow users to drill down on multiple combinations of behavioural and demographic information and reach consumers through video and SMS campaigns while connecting to online sales and payments systems.
Terragon clients include local firms, such as Honeywell, and global names including Unilever, DHL and international agribusiness firm Olam.
The company’s founder and CEO Elo Umeh sees cross-cutting purposes for Terragon services in other markets.
“Most of the problems we seek to solve for our clients in Africa also exist in places like South East Asia and Latin America,” Umeh told TechCrunch.
The Bizense acquisition doesn’t lessen Terragon’s commitment to its home markets, according to Umeh.
“We are…super focused on Africa right now, building out propriety platforms powered by data and artificial intelligence to help Telco’s, SMEs, FMCGs and financial institutions …increase their customer base and drive more transaction volumes,” he said.
Terragon’s CEO would not divulge the acquisition value, saying only that it consisted of “a combination of cash and stocks, with the actual amount not disclosed.”


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US multinational company, Cognizant, has today announced a new global delivery centre in Adelaide, bringing with it an estimated 1,600 local jobs.
These new digital roles will help the consultancy with its work in areas like software, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing and data analytics.
The centre will also focus on finding a path to de-carbonisation and providing solutions that help South Australia grow its Green Economy.
Cognizant will be in good company in Adelaide, alongside the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, MIT bigdata Living Lab, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure Space and Nokia 5G.
The company has already started to recruit for the new delivery centre in Adelaide, and you can express your interest on their website.


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Best of the next-gen and previous-gen deals
Top TVs - OLED, 4K, Ultra HD, LED and more...
CES 2013 was all about TVs. It was the show where 4K, Ultra HD and OLED made their biggest impressions yet - causing tech journalists around the world to go home and swear profusely at their 'rubbish' Full HD television sets.
All of the big players had new TVs on show - new TVs packing a wealth of new technologies.
Here, MSN Tech's resident TV guru John Archer's provides his pick of a very strong CES 2013 TV bunch....
related stories on msn
latest tech videos
The latest version of Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones features biometric security, the electronics giant has announced.
Date 26/02/14, Duration 1:21, Views 3232


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Singapore-headquartered Fundnel Limited has launched its collaborative investment platform, and the company claimed that it was the first of its kind in Asia, housing investment opportunities in sectors such as technology, consumer and retail, healthcare and education.
The marketplace platform aims to expedite capital raising activities among small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
To date, Fundnel has successfully completed six equity and revenue-sharing deals worth approximately $5 million on the platform.
“These startups are based in multiple geographies across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong, and the company is optimistic that the uptake momentum will continue.
The platform delivers a holistic programme ranging from due diligence and pre-investment anchoring procedures for investors to product and fundraising advisory for entrepreneurs, the company said in a statement on Friday.
“The power of Fundnel’s platform lies in its ability to identify pockets of capital and disburse them to these SMEs in an efficient and structured manner. As a result, this opens doors to the public for the investment into real and relatable businesses around us, creating liquidity in private markets,” the statement read, noting that everyday investors will now have the opportunity to support their favourite businesses such as a bubble tea franchise, grocery store or even a neighbourhood coffee shop.
Fundnel’s user-friendly platform allows users to filter their search according to geography, industry and deal type, and all investors can participate in revenue sharing based investments.
In accordance with local regulations, only institutional and accredited investors are given additional access to investment opportunities such as equity (in the form of mandatory convertible bonds), convertible bonds, and bonds.
Fundnel co-founder Kelvin Lee said the company’s aim is to get the rest of the population reinvested into real businesses around them again.
“Offering more than just a secured investment platform that has been stress-tested repeatedly for technical errors, we place particular emphasis on due-diligence and “anchoring” of our deals prior to launching a fundraising campaign,” he said.
Anchoring is the process of securing a lead investor prior to launching the deal publicly.
Co-founder Sam Ng added that the global volume of online transactions in alternative assets in 2015 is estimated to have more than doubled to $34.4 billion in 2015.
“As a runner-up to North America, Asia is fast becoming a crowdfunding hub and Fundnel’s presence in the region presents us with immense potential to tap on this growth. Since establishing Fundnel in early 2015, we have witnessed growing interest from entrepreneurs and investors as they begin to see crowdfunding as an alternative investment option.”
Fundnel is founded by a team of former investment bankers, consultants, investment managers and entrepreneurs. Covering several markets in Asia, Fundnel has opened offices in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.


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Amazon is putting its toes farther into the crypto and blockchain realms, posting an ad for a senior executive to head their digital currency strategy.
The job is for a ‘Digital Currency and Blockchain Product Lead,’ who “wants to innovate on behalf of customers within Amazon’s payments and finance systems.”
The Payments Acceptance & Experience team at Amazon is looking for a “experienced product leader” to help create the company’s Digital Currency and Blockchain strategy and product roadmap. They would be expected to collaborate closely with teams from throughout Amazon to create the roadmap, which will include “the customer experience, technological strategy and capabilities, as well as the launch plan.”
This individual will also be expected to apply their knowledge of cryptocurrency, blockchain, Distributed Ledger, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to “develop the case for the capabilities that should be developed, drive overall vision and product strategy, and gain leadership buy-in and investment for new capabilities.”
A Bachelor’s Degree is required, although an MBA or equivalent experience is recommended. A minimum of ten years of expertise in product or program management, product marketing, business development, or technology is also required, as well a thorough understanding of the digital / cryptocurrency ecosystem and related technologies.
Based on this post alone, it is unclear whether Amazon is considering or intends to introduce its own digital currency, or how that would appear.
“We are encouraged by the innovation taking place in the cryptocurrency area and are investigating what this might look like on Amazon.” We believe that the future will be built on new technologies that enable contemporary, fast, and inexpensive payments, and we hope to deliver that future to Amazon customers as soon as possible,” an Amazon official told Cryptonews.com, without going into further detail.
Amazon hinted in February of this year that it was willing to investigate the world of “digital currency” by establishing what appeared to be a Mexico-based trial project.
The firm stated in a job posting for a Software Development Manager that it was looking to “[build] a tech team to build innovative payment products for customers in emerging markets,” and that they “are looking for a leader to help us launch a new payment product starting with Mexico as our initial launch country” – a product that would “enable customers to convert their cash [into] digital currency.”
At the time, the corporation made no mention of blockchain technology or cryptoassets.


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Around £6.40 in every £10 of attempted fraud was stopped in 2016, representing incidents being detected and prevented by banks and card companies. This compares with £7.01 in every £10 in 2015. The figures come from Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK), which fights fraud on behalf of the financial services industry.
What’s behind the decrease?
FFA UK says this is largely due to criminals shifting their tactics to target consumers directly, making it very hard for firms to stop them. This can result in the victim inadvertently handing over their personal details such as their password or Pin directly to a fraudster, or even transferring money straight into a criminal’s bank account.
So how do criminals go about these scams?
Unsolicited emails, texts and phone calls purporting to be from a legitimate organisation are common methods used. Intelligence seen by FFA UK suggests that, in particular, criminals are increasingly using “phishing” emails which appear to be from major retailers or internet companies. People responding to these emails can be tricked into giving away their details, or into downloading malware.
Old-fashioned distraction thefts and card entrapments at ATMs are also something to watch out for.
Sometimes people are phoned out of the blue by a fraudster pretending to be from a legitimate organisation such as a bank or the police and persuaded to transfer money into a “safe” bank account after being told that their existing account has been compromised.
What are the scams most likely to catch people out?
As the industry works to warn people about scams, NatWest has released a list of common scams.
The top five are:
1. Goods not received – you pay for goods or services, but they never turn up.
2. Advance fee fraud – you’re asked to pay up front for goods, services or financial gains that do not materialise.
3. Spoof payment requests – you receive a fraudulent request, purporting to be from someone senior in a company or a client, for money.
4. Invoice fraud – you are tricked into believing an invoice is from a trusted trading partner, when it is in fact from a fraudster.
5. Holiday scam – you book a holiday, usually online, to find out it does not exist.
What is the industry doing to combat scams?
Initiatives include a national awareness drive led by FFA UK called Take Five, which encourages people to pause for thought before handing over like their personal details or money (takefive-stopfraud.org.uk).
National Trading Standards also has a campaign called Friends Against Scams. More information can be found at www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk.
And HSBC recently outlined plans to become a more “dementia-friendly” bank by improving products and services. A guide to help customers living with the condition and susceptible to being hoodwinked, and those who support them, is being piloted in 10 HSBC branches, giving tips on keeping track of spending and protecting against fraud.


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Moog Introduces Minifooger Analog FX Pedals
After images of never-before-seen pedals leaked last week, Moog has officially announced that its new […]
After images of never-before-seen pedals leaked last week, Moog has officially announced that its new series of affordable analog FX pedals, called Minifoogers, will hit stores soon. The Minifooger series features five new stompboxes—the MF Delay (pictured above), MF Drive, MF Ring, MF Boost, and MF Trem—each of which feature a “100% analog signal path, true bypass design, optional battery power, and a single expression pedal input that can also be controlled via CV.” Furthermore, all five pedals are promised to land with a price tag below $200, making them some of the most affordable Moog products around.
Though the Minifoogers’ accompanying press release states that the compact units are aimed at guitar and bass players, we doubt synth freaks will be able to keep their hands off these new devices. No exact release date has been shared for the Minifooger series, but we do expect them to drop sometime very soon, most likely before the holiday shopping season. In the meantime, the individual specs of each Minifooger pedal can be found here, and a promo video showing off the new products can be watched below.


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European antitrust investigators believe a cartel in the market for LCD screens extends around the world, a European Commission official said Tuesday.
Digital Home Advisor - News
The economy might still be in a fragile condition but it seems consumers can't get enough of flat-panel televisions. Sharp plans to increase production of LCD panels by tens of thousands of screens per month after seeing increased demand from TV make...
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Samsung Electronics and Numonyx on Tuesday said the companies would jointly develop specifications for phase-change memory, an upcoming memory technology for PCs and mobile devices.
Memory cards based on a new specification will boost storage of consumer electronics to as much as 2TB, the SD Association said Thursday.
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The newly formed Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance looks likely to play a big role in the future of Wi-Fi, but its high-speed technology probably won't squeeze out wired multimedia networks.
Reliability and Service: Printers
Samsung Electronics reported better first quarter earnings than analysts expected on Friday, led by its mobile phone division, but remained cautious about business going forward due to the global recession.
Bella has announced the HD Mouse, a wireless mouse with specific functions for video editors and motion graphics artists. It will be shown for the first time at the NAB trade show next week, and begin shipping in early May for US$69.95.
Adobe Systems on Monday unveiled a version of its Flash multimedia streaming technology that would allow people to run entertainment programming directly to television sets from the Internet, a new option for the rapidly changing digital-home market.
Cellcrypt, a British vendor of software for encrypting cell phone calls, has set up shop in Silicon Valley and is getting a product ready for North America's beloved BlackBerry.
Hollywood movies may offer entertainment, but looking to the big screen for consumer robot ideas most likely won't produce profitable devices, a robotics company executive told an industry conference this week.
Now that eBay has set a tentative timetable for spinning off Skype, the question becomes whether the Internet phone company can become a legitimate force as a voice service provider.
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The HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile Printer is a great device that fits perfectly into my fast paced and mobile lifestyle. My first impression of the printer itself was how incredibly compact and sleek the device was.
Wireless printing from my iPhone was also a handy feature, the whole experience was quick and seamless with no setup requirements - accessed through the default iOS printing menu options.
A smarter way to print for busy small business owners, combining speedy printing with scanning and copying, making it easier to produce high quality documents and images at a touch of a button.
I've had a multifunction printer in the office going on 10 years now. It was a neat bit of kit back in the day -- print, copy, scan, fax -- when printing over WiFi felt a bit like magic. It’s seen better days though and an upgrade’s well overdue. This HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 looks like it ticks all the same boxes: print, copy, scan, and fax. (Really? Does anyone fax anything any more? I guess it's good to know the facility’s there, just in case.) Printing over WiFi is more-or- less standard these days.
As a freelance writer who is always on the go, I like my technology to be both efficient and effective so I can do my job well. The HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 Inkjet Printer ticks all the boxes in terms of form factor, performance and user interface.
I’d happily recommend this touchscreen laptop and Windows 10 as a great way to get serious work done at a desk or on the road.
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South Yorkshire companies have beaten off tough competition to win top prizes in Britain’s manufacturing ‘Oscars’.
AESSEAL was named Britain’s Best Manufacturer for the second time in the last 10 years at the annual Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Manufacturing Excellence Awards - widely regarded as the top awards presented to industry.
The Rotherham-based mechanical seal maker also picked up its third award for customer focus, having also previously won the award for resources and logistics management.
Joining AESSEAL on the podium was Sheffield firm Loadhog.
The packaging and logistics systems business won Best Small to Medium Sized Enterprise. Its sister company, Gripple, is a previous winner of the Britain’s Best Manufacturer award.
AESSEAL’s chief executive, Jonathan Wilkinson, said: “The company’s mission statement has always been clear: to deliver such exceptional service that our customers need never consider an alternate means of supply.
“Delivering on that promise is difficult – but the business has been designed to achieve it. We have great people who care about customer service, and we give them the tools to deliver.”
Judges who visited AESSEAL’s Bradmarsh Business Park plant said they were particularly impressed by the company’s high customer focus, and the 24/7 nature of the manufacturing process there.


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Despite progress being made, data published in Preventing Chronic Disease indicated “many products remain in the food supply that contain substantial amounts of [industrially-produced trans fatty acids].
“Because [trans fatty acid] consumption is harmful even at low levels, our results emphasize the need for continued major efforts and commitment toward reformulating (or discontinuing) foods to eliminate [partially hydrogenated vegetable oils], with particular focus on certain food categories and companies.”
Trans fats have been attractive for the food industry due to their extended shelf life and flavor stability, and have displaced natural solid fats and liquid oils in many areas of food processing.
However, scientific evidence mounted to show they raise levels of LDL (so-called ‘bad’) cholesterol, while lowering levels of HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, thereby clogging arteries and causing heart disease.
Some data indicates that trans fat consumption has decreased by 58% in the United States over the past decade, as some cities and regions have instigated bans, and the federal government has required labeling of the fat.
While progress is being made, this progress has slowed in recent years, according to the new report.
These conclusions are based on a sampling of brand name products followed between 2007 and 2011.
Led by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, from the Harvard School of Public Health, the researchers examined the evolution of 360 products that contained 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving in 2007. Ninety products were discontinued after 2007, allowing data to be collected for 270 products.
The results showed that, by 2011, the trans fat content had been reduced in 178 (66%) of the 270 products. Progress mostly occurred between 2007 and 2008, when the average trans-fat content decreased by 30%, said the report, whereas reductions of only 3.4% were seen between 2010 and 2011.
On average, the largest overall gram-per-serving declines were seen for doughnuts, crackers, and pies, wrote Dr Mozaffarian and his co-workers. The smallest percentage declines were seen for rolls, margarines, and microwave popcorns.
While progress has been made for some popcorn brands – Pop Weaver has eliminated it in all of its microwave popcorn, and Orville Redenbacher has eliminated it in all but two varieties – on average, popcorn products had the most artificial trans-fat between 2007 and 2011, with 4.5 grams per serving in 2007 and with 3.8 grams per serving in 2011.
Indeed, Pop Secret’s Butter Popcorn still has 5 grams of artificial trans fat per serving: This one serving would have more trans fat than the American Heart Association recommends one consume over the course of five days.
Parent company progress
Dr Mozaffarian and his co-workers also examined which companies made the most progress. The greatest percentage declines were achieved by Cole’s Quality Foods, which makes frozen garlic bread and breadsticks, Schwan Food Company, which makes frozen pies and pizza, and Tasty Baking Company, which makes Tastykake baked goods.
On the other hand, the smallest declines were seen in foods made by American Pies (with reductions of trans fat of only 3%), Giant Foods, and ConAgra Foods.
Another solution could be for the FDA to declare that partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is no longer ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS), which would place limits on the presence of industrially produced trans fats in foods, they said. Countries such as Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Switzerland have already taken such action.
Michael Jacobson, executive director of the consumer advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said: “Artificial trans fat wreaks havoc on Americans’ metabolism and blood chemistry, something the FDA has known for 15 years.
“The FDA could solve this problem once and for all, and save thousands of lives, with the stroke of a pen. This study clearly indicates that some food companies simply can’t be relied upon to get rid of trans fat on their own.”
Source: Preventing Chronic Disease
2013, Volume 10, 120198, doi: 10.5888/pcd10.120198
“Trends in Trans Fatty Acids Reformulations of US Supermarket and Brand-Name Foods From 2007 Through 2011”
Authors: F.O. Otite, M.F. Jacobson, A. Dahmubed, D. Mozaffarian
Correction: Our initial version of this article credited the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as leading this research. The research was led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, and published in the CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease journal. We apologize for this error.


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GigaOm learned that Logitech sales of its Google TV-enabling Revue companion box and its associated peripherals hit only $5 million in the first quarter, down sharply from $22 million from Q4 and $13 million less than it expected.
I guess the holiday sale honeymoon was short-lived. Maybe all of the negative reviews caught up to eclipse the product’s marketing, which has also been scaled back. Haven’t seen the Kevin Bacon commercial in a while now … since January at least.
I still believe in Google TV. I’ve said repeatedly that YouTube Leanback is a huge hit for my family and the Netflix streaming application has gotten a lot better, faster and more functional.
Logitech still believes in Google TV on the record, as it cited the “next generation of Google TV” as a growth opportunity. Logitech is bullishly assuming people will glom onto the Web TV trend, breaking it out of its traditional niche use.
There are things that nibble at my patience. For instance, loading Web pages takes a little longer than it should if you assume the Revue’s Intel Atom chipset and Android software is supposed to render them as fast as a modern computer. My netbook loads Web pages faster.
To wit, Silicon Alley Insider said Google I/O will be the setting for significant Google TV improvements.
Presumably we will hear about and/or see a faster chipset, the Android Market integration Google promised a year ago when it introduced the product and a better UI. I’m happy with the UI, but the speed improvements and additional apps will be welcome.
I would love my Google TV to be like my Motorola Droid X smartphone, albeit on a bigger palette.
Moreover, when I do settle on an Android tablet, I can’t wait to fling content between all three devices, all synced in the cloud. That would be the ultimate Google TV experience for me and my family.
If Google is pushing Intel for a faster chipset, can we paying customers get a free hardware upgrade? Wouldn’t it only be right?


text: An automatic coffee selling machine is being shown at Coffee Expo Vietnam 2018 underway in HCM City. This is the first time such a machine has been introduced at the events. This year, the expo displayed and introduced equipment and materials for coffee making beverages, as well as bakery tools and materials of domestic and international brands. Coffee Expo Vietnam 2018 underway in HCM City It also offers coffee and confectionery business and shop owners to seek sources of high-quality materials as well as learn about business and investment activities. One of the event’s highlights has been an automatic coffee selling machine made by Kootoro Vietnam named Barista 4.0. The machine can make 30 different flavours of coffee. Besides this, it can make peach and litchi tea. Customers can pay in cash or via their mobile phone app. Each cup of coffee is VND18,000. A representative from Kootoro Vietnam said the firm plans to lease the machine at the price of VND4-6 million (USD181-272.7) per month.


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Signs of recovery? Trade contraction narrows sharply to 28.4% in July
Merchandise exports dropped by only 10.2% year on year in July against a 12.4% fall in the previous month, but a contraction in imports narrowed sharply to 28.4% from 47.6%.
Consequently, trade balance swung from the first monthly surplus ($0.8 billion) in about 18 years in June to a deficit of $4.83 billion in July, although it still remains less than a half of the usual trend. Exports in July stood at $23.64 billion, while imports touched $28.47 billion.
Lower import fall suggests demand in the economy is limping back (as lockdown curbs were substantially lifted from June), although it’s still far from normal. What also augurs well is that core exports (excluding petroleum and gems & jewellery) grew for the first time this fiscal, by 3.4% y-o-y in July, shaking off the impact of Covid.
Services exports in June dropped 8.4% to $17 billion, while imports eased by 15.3% to almost $10 billion, showed the RBI data released on Friday.
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said last Saturday that goods export contraction narrowed further in the first week of August to just 5% and the outbound shipments of non-oil and non-gems & jewellery exports, in fact, grew by as much as 10%, indicating the worst was well behind us.
If the momentum improves in the coming days, it could be the first time since February that merchandise exports will grow in a month.
While a sustenance of the recovery in exports will be known only after 3-4 months, improved trade balance will mean India could even witness a current account surplus in the first half of this fiscal, against a deficit of 1.5% of GDP a year before.
Goods exports had witnessed a record 60% crash in April following a Covid-induced nationwide lockdown, although the contraction narrowed to 37% in May and 12% in June. In the April-July period, exports dropped by 30.2%, while imports fell 46.7%.
Exports of commodities that grew in July included engineering goods, iron ore and farm products such as rice, oilseeds and oil meals.


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BELLE FOURCHE — The Black Hills Roundup merchandise committee has created a special belt buckle to honor the famed rodeo’s 100th anniversary in 2019. Only 100 of the buckles were produced and each is numbered on the back.
Although there have been other items created to note the Roundup’s annual event, the committee believes this is the first time that a commemorative belt buckle has been made.
The buckles can be purchased by calling Betty Jo Hoffman at 569-2376 and then picked up at the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center at 415 Fifth Ave., in Belle Fourche. The cost is $175 plus tax, and orders picked up at the Tri-State need to be paid for with cash or check.
To read all of today's stories, Click here or call 642-2761 to subscribe to our e-edition or home delivery.


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Liberum Capital reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Wincanton (LON:WIN) in a research note released on Thursday, ThisIsMoney.Co.Uk reports.
LON WIN opened at GBX 269 ($3.51) on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $333.00 million and a PE ratio of 7.87. Wincanton has a one year low of GBX 200 ($2.61) and a one year high of GBX 280 ($3.66).
The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 4th will be given a dividend of GBX 7.29 ($0.10) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 4th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from Wincanton’s previous dividend of $3.60. Wincanton’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 0.29%.
Wincanton plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides logistic and supply chain solutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It operates through Retail & Consumer and Industrial & Transport segments. The company offers contract logistics services to retail general merchandise, retail grocery, and consumer products market sectors.
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Mexican folk art might seem an unusually narrow niche this far north of the border, but longtime collector Anne Damon did her research before opening Zinnia Folk Arts in south Minneapolis earlier this year.
Damon was drawn to the colors and traditions of artisan-made goods in Mexico. “I always wanted to have a folk arts store,” says the former nurse, who saw her opening when the one other resource in town closed after 16 years. In 2008, Damon started traveling to small villages in Mexico four times a year and doing pop-up sales around the Twin Cities. Soon after, she began selling some favorite pieces online. Eventually she rented space at Guild, a design collective in St. Louis Park, where she stayed until the perfect storefront became available across the street from Patina at the bustling intersection of 50th and Bryant.
“Because I did it slowly, I could tell there was a lot of interest,” Damon says.
Zinnia’s clientele is as colorful as its merchandise: The store is drawing goth kids who are fascinated by skeletons, Latinos thrilled to finally have a local resource for religious artifacts, and spillover from Patina—shoppers attracted by the chevron vases and vibrant textiles in the windows.
One surprise has been the demand for Day of the Dead merchandise. As early as July, Damon amped up her selection of skulls and skeletons—not for Halloween but for the other holiday that happens right after, on Nov. 1 and 2.
Interest in Day of the Dead has been growing nationally, along with the Latino population, and the Twin Cities is no exception. Damon will conduct an in-store seminar this month to address curiosity about Day of the Dead, which is a celebration of loved ones who have passed. “It’s nothing like Halloween,” Damon says. “It’s like a combination of Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day, and it’s not at all scary.”
Hers are smiling skeletons—figurines made of clay, papier-mâché, and even sugar, dressed in tuxedos and gowns, playing instruments or riding bikes. They represent the dead doing something in the afterlife that they loved in this life. Says Damon, “I love exposing people to new things.” 826 W. 50th St., Mpls., 612-824-4342, zinniafolkarts.com
Five Facts about Day of the Dead
It’s a spiritual holiday full of traditional foods and practices to express love for the departed.
It occurs annually on Nov. 1 and 2.
It’s a time to clean and decorate the gravesite and cemetery.
Skeleton folk art is not scary. Skeletons are smiling and doing the things the deceased liked to do.
Families construct an ofrenda or altar to remember the deceased. It typically includes photos, favorite foods, sugar skulls, marigolds, and tissue paper flags.


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Seve-inspired golf gear, precision Swiss timekeeping, restaurant-worthy running shoes and the smell of 007
Style on the links
In tribute to the late Seve Ballesteros, Ryder Cup Europe has released a shirt and sweater set. With just 2012 in circulation, the “Seve Tribute” features embroidery as worn by Team Europe for their historic Ryder Cup triumph. The set costs £150, and £60 is donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation (euroshop.rydercup.com).
Brand watch: Rado
Founded in Lengnau, Switzerland, in 1917 by three brothers, Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup, Rado has long been at the forefront of timekeeping technology. It has a reputation for producing durable watches and introduced the first scratch-resistant face in 1962.


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Honda launches exclusive edition Amaze and WR-V. Here's all that's special
Honda Cars India on Monday announced the launch of exclusive editions of Amaze and WR-V in the Indian market amid festivities. With a possible aim to bolster sales prospects running up to Diwali, Honda is looking at finding more takers for its offering in the sub 4-meter entry-level sedan segment as well as in the sub-compact crossover segment field of play.
The exclusive edition Amaze is based on the VX in MT and CVT versions of both petrol as well as diesel. It gets a striking window chrome moulding, chrome garnish on fog lamp and trunk, suede black seat covers, functional arm rest, step illumination and front foot light, and an 'Exclusive Edition' emblem.
Also Read : Honda India drives in CR-V Special Edition at ₹29.49 lakh)
The exclusive edition WR-V is also based on on the VX in MT of both petrol as well as diesel. It gets suede seat covers, special body graphics, apart from chrome garnish on fog lamp and trunk, and step illumination and front foot light.
The special edition Amaze starts at ₹7.96 lakh for the petrol MT and goes up to ₹9.99 lakh for the diesel AT. The special edition WR-V petrol is priced at ₹9.69 lakh and the diesel is at ₹10.99 lakh (all prices are ex showroom, Delhi).
|Price (Exclusive Edition Amaze; ex showroom, Delhi)||MT||CVT|
|Exclusive Petrol||₹7.96 lakh||₹8.79 lakh|
|Exclusive Diesel||₹9.26 lakh||₹9.99 lakh|
The idea behind the exclusive editions of the two models is to offer a little extra to prospective customers during the ongoing festivities. "During this festive season, our focus has been to enrich our models with a distinct premium package which will appeal to our discerning buyers. The new editions of Amaze and WR-V are based on top grade VX and aim to offer enhanced look with added features," says Rajesh Goel, Senior Vice President and Director, Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India. "Due to the ongoing attractive festive promotions in the market and launch of these new Exclusive Editions, we believe this is the best time to make the much awaited car purchase."
Honda has been on a product offensive this year and despite the challenges facing the Indian automotive industry at large, has managed to fare reasonably well. The company sold 10,836 units in October in the domestic market, an 8.3 per cent year-on-year growth. (Full report here)


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EA Says No Battlefield For Next Couple of Years
EA is Putting the Brakes on Battlefield for a Few Years
According to EA, Battlefield will be taking the next couple of years off.
Speaking at the Nasdaq Investor Programme, EA’s chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen said that EA:
“…won’t have another Battlefield back for a couple of years. Next year we’ll have Battlefront, the Star Wars game.”
This news comes despite Battlefield 1‘s positive reception from critics and strong sales with the game surpassing launch week sales of Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline.
The publisher is instead opting to build a bigger and better Star Wars Battlefront for next year addressing some of the criticisms leveled at the original last year:
“We were very excited about how Star Wars [Battlefront] came out last year.
“It’s a beautiful game, people loved it. I think if there was criticism they just wanted more. And so we’re taking that criticism to heart as we build the next game and trying to address any of the issues that they had.”
Jorgensen also mentioned that the game will be able to use more of the content from the more recent films such as The Force Awakens as Star Wars Battlefront launched just prior to the film so was limited in what it could use.
EA faced some criticism from fans due to the lack of a traditional single player campaign in the game.
EA recently celebrated Star Wars Battlefront’s one year anniversary and announced Battlefront’s Rogue One: Scarif DLC which will launch on December 6.
Star Wars Battlefront is expected to launch in late 2017.


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If you`ve suddenly noticed barely clad bodies flashing across the pages of catalogues, and store lingerie departments resembling boudoirs, you might be wondering if something`s up.
It is. Lingerie has come out of hiding. No, not those sturdy, basic bras and girdles that serve a purpose, but those feminine, lacy, minimal underpinnings that serve up a sexy look.
Why is underwear suddenly a fashion rage? According to Virginia Stiles, editor of the industry trade paper Intimate Fashion News, the taboos were lifted a few years ago--and there`s been steady growth in lingerie ever since.
``The sexy look used to be associated only with exotic lingerie shops, until the department stores began to realize that sexy was selling,`` she says. ``So they got into the market with high-quality pieces and elegant looks from respected designers--and the seductive look was no longer considered cheap.``
At the same time, a new market has come of age: young women who work hard to stay in shape and want to indulge themselves with luxurious, feminine lingerie.
Retailers are capturing this market by developing special
``environments`` to lure customers. With shops such as the potpourri-scented Victoria`s Secret and the romantically decorated Amelia`s (inside Marshall Field`s), buying sexy underthings suddenly seems like a very ladylike thing to do.
``For many young customers, this is the first time they have been introduced to pretty, frilly lingerie. Many of them grew up sleeping in their boyfriends` T-shirts but now are comfortable with being feminine and enjoying expressing that femininity,`` says Sal Ruggiero, director of fashion products and services at Field`s.
And manufacturers and designers are producing drawers full of seductive, luxurious choices in daytime lingerie--and often reshaping their image along the way. Even Calvin Klein, who introduced his trademark his-for-her looks a few years ago, has caught the feminine spirit. The result: boxer shorts and undershirts in sheer georgette and stretch lace.
In the other direction, Frederick`s of Hollywood has met the competition halfway and turned down the volume of its siren looks.
Lingerie designers take their cue from trends in fashion. So the pieces that make the biggest news for summer and fall fit just right under body-baring and curve-hugging clothes.
Stretch fabrics (lace, cotton/Lycra and spandex) are dominant in bodysuits, bustiers and bras and panties. And with hemlines on the rapid rise, chemise slips, teddies, tap pants and boxers are going to be more important than ever. --


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XBIZ | Sex Toy News | Adult Novelty News
Nature Labs Hires Richard Young as Director of Compliance, Regulation
Mar 17, 2016 1:49 PM PDTNature Labs has announced the hiring of Richard Young as its new director of compliance and regulation.
Net1on1 Named Exclusive Distributor of Zuyosa
Mar 17, 2016 11:45 AM PDTU.K. wholesaler Net1on1 finalized a deal to become the exclusive U.K. wholesale distributor of Zuyosa, a new sexual vitality supplement for men.
'POPDildo' Named Spring Staff Pick by Babeland
Mar 17, 2016 9:19 AM PDTPOPDildo has been selected as a spring staff pick by Babeland.
Nalpac Announces New 'Tom of Finland' Products
Mar 17, 2016 8:32 AM PDTNalpac has announced the arrival of several new products by XR Brands' Tom of Finland Collection, including the Pleasure Tools Cleaner, Rawhide Water-Based Lubricant, Seaman Water-Based Lubricant, and the Night Stick/Hammer.
Cloud 9 Novelties Launches 'Warm Touch Heating Vibe'
Mar 17, 2016 7:52 AM PDTCloud 9 Novelties has announced the arrival of the Warm Touch Heating Vibe, an addition to its Pro Sensual series of products.
Tantus Releases Realdoe More
Mar 16, 2016 4:52 PM PDTTantus has introduced the Realdoe More, a longer version of its Feeldoe dildo.
FSC Praises Donors From 2016 XBIZ Fundraiser
Mar 16, 2016 11:58 AM PDTThe Free Speech Coalition today praised the nearly 40 companies and individuals contributing to XBIZ’s annual fundraiser to help the Free Speech Coalition and the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).
Brand One Reports Sales Increase Following Bathmate Training
Mar 16, 2016 8:15 AM PDTBrand One, the distribution partner for the Bathmate hydro penis pump, is reporting a boost in sales, attributed to its in-store training program.
Eropartner Now Offering Fleshlight's 'Riley Reid Lotus'
Mar 16, 2016 7:32 AM PDTEropartner Distribution is now offering Fleshlight's Riley Reid Lotus.
Trigg Labs Taps Joe Pascolla for West Coast Merchandiser
Mar 15, 2016 2:59 PM PDTTrigg Labs has announced Joe Pascolla, a six-year adult industry veteran, as the company’s new west coast merchandiser.
Fraudulent Brazilian Trademark Registrations Running Rampant
Although you might not think often about protecting your trademark rights in Brazil, you need to — even if you don’t yet have a single Brazilian customer. Scammers are constantly looking for...
E-Stim Basics: Selling Customers on Powerboxes as Pleasure Tools
Electrosex is a commonly misunderstood pleasure practice for good reason: Most of us have negative associations with electricity; maybe we’ve been shocked after rubbing our feet across a carpeted...


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CBSSports.com announced today it is opening its fantasy sports platform to third-party developers, allowing them to create free and premium league-specific apps.
Among the first half-dozen partners in the "Fantasy Platform" are MLB.com and Bloomberg Sports, CBS said in an announcement today at the 2012 Fantasy Sports Trade Association Winter Business Conference in Las Vegas. (CBSSports.com is part of CBS Interactive, which also operates CNET.) Advanced Sports Media, Rotowire, StatSheet, and Ziguana will also be partners in the platform.
Jason Kint, senior vice president of CBSSports.com, said the Fantasy Platform is designed to offer … Read more


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This article was published by The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor on Monday, November 26, 2018:
The report from the Conference Board last Wednesday was gloomy. Said the board’s Director of Economic Research, Ataman Ozyildirim:
The US LEI increased slightly in October, and the pace of improvement slowed for the first time since May. The index still points to robust economic growth in early 2019, but the rapid pace of growth may already have peaked.
While near term economic growth should remain strong, longer term growth is likely to moderate to about 2.5 percent by mid to late 2019.
On Black Friday, U.S. shoppers ignored the Conference Board and went on a shopping spree for the record books. Online shoppers spent more than $6 billion while overall sales totaled $23 billion. That’s almost 10 percent ahead of last year’s Black Friday results.
And it’s likely to get even better.


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Dunkin Donuts is working on a delivery service that may be available by the end of the year. Dunkin Donuts CEO has confirmed that they are in fact privately testing the system. It only makes sense with competing rival Starbucks testing an app based delivery system. It seems like every major fast food chain is testing delivery service now a days.
Photo Courtesy of AP Images


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The vast majority of small businesses have yet to put targets in place to reduce their emissions, according to a new report.
Only one in 10 of firms said they measure their carbon footprint, despite half of respondents to the survey acknowledging their customers are worried about the environment
Cost is considered the biggest barrier, with 30% claiming lack of finance is holding them back, according to the study by the British Chambers of Commerce and O2.
The research also showed only one in seven (13%) have set targets to reduce their emissions – down from one in five (21%) when firms were surveyed before the pandemic in February 2020.
In addition, almost two thirds (64%) of businesses surveyed say they don’t see net zero targets as a high priority in the wake of the pandemic, although half (49%) admit their customers are worried about the environment.
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said: “This research is a real eye-opener and shows just how big a challenge the UK’s net zero target is. The dual impacts of the pandemic and Brexit have been a huge body-blow to many businesses, so it’s unsurprising that targeting emissions has taken a back seat.


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FRANCE: LVMH unlikely to bid for Lanson
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has distanced itself from the bidding for Lanson International, just-drinks understands.
The French drinks powerhouse was yesterday (23 November) named in press speculation as one of six potential bidders for Lanson, the world's second-largest Champagne producer by volume.
LVMH declined to comment on reports that it had joined forces with Champagne producer Alain Thienot. However, just-drinks understands that LVMH, which has sold the Canard-Duchene and Pommery Champagne brands in recent years, is interested only in acquiring vineyards to support its stable including Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. Lanson does not own any vineyards.
Champagne group Boizel Chanoine Champagne, private equity fund Butler Capital Partners and a consortium made up of French bank Credit Agricole and the Rothschild and Gardinier families have also bid for Lanson, according to the Wall Street Journal. French entrepreneur Jean-Claude Darmon and private equity fund Bridgepoint are also reported to have tabled offers.
Lanson officials had no information on the bidding. "There is no information flowing within the orgnaisation," Olivier de la Giraudiere, Lanson's export director for Europe and Africa told just-drinks. "The information we have today is from the outside - we are relying on the papers."
Lanson, 44% of which belongs to Caisse d'Epargne, the French state-owned bank, is heavily in debt. The Mora family, descendants of Lanson's founder, own the remaining 56%.
Last year, Lanson was unable to pay grape growers for part of the previous year's harvest, prompting the entry of Caisse d'Epargne, which took a stake in last July as Lanson was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Interest gathers for Taittinger and Lanson. In stark contrast to most of the French wine industry, sales of Champagne have been growing steadily and it is no surprise to find that the possible sale of...
Available from just-drinks' research store now is the "Global market review of Champagne." The review not only looks at markets around the world, but also gives profiles of the main players in the sec...
French luxury powerhouse LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has said sales in the opening months of 2006 have risen in double-digits building on the company's "record results" last year....
French luxury powerhouse LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has reported an 11% rise in full-year revenues from its wine and spirits business....
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has welcomed a Chinese court's decision to fine two companies for infringing its trademark on Hennessy Cognac....
Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) has entered the running for a stake in Lanson International, according to press reports....
Revenue at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton reached €9.598bn for the first nine months of 2005, representing 12% organic growth from the corresponding period last year, the French drinks and luxury go...
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has posted an 11% rise in profit from recurring operations for the first half of 2005, from €982m to €1.09bn....
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- Petropolis Finally Moving into SABMiller's View?
- Gin: Plymouth's from Plymouth, London's from...?
- Diageo confirms Australia abv drops
- Pernod launches online Ballantine's "experiment"
- Global vodka sales slip in 2013 - research
- SABMiller returns to Brazil with Petropolis tie-up
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- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Early Signals: future scenarios that will drive consumption and product innovation over the next five years
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- The IWSR Forecast Report - 2014-2019 Global Review
- Global Tequila Market 2014-2018


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Let’s make the supply chain more sustainable with m-hub!
This quote comes from the guys over at M-hub. They launched a new innovative app to bring the plastic industry closer together. Al lot of plastic companies already registered and it seems to be gaining momentum!
M-hub is the first application which gathers all players in the plastic industry, facilitating networking and the retrieval of technical information, while breaking geographical and cultural barriers. Let’s have a look at their website!


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Bitcoin's price dropped almost 50% in about six weeks, and some investors took advantage of the dip.
Bitcoin reached a peak of over $63,000 in April this year, but it's fallen dramatically since then. On Sunday, it dropped to $33,650 -- its lowest point since early February, and a 47% drop from its recent high. The price has risen slightly this week -- according to CoinMarketCap data, at the time of writing it sits at $39,188.
Some fear the sell-off reflects a drop in confidence in the world's first and largest digital currency. Others have seized the opportunity to buy more. According to data from Glassnode (via Coindesk), there are over 16,000 new Bitcoin "accumulation addresses." An accumulation address is one with at least two incoming Bitcoin transactions that has never spent funds.
Because people can hold more than one address, it is hard to be sure how many people this represents. However, it does show that thousands have bought and held Bitcoin in this dip.
There are several reasons for the recent price drop. These include:
- Environmental concerns: Tesla CEO Elon Musk's tweet highlighting Bitcoin's high carbon footprint put the spotlight on the amount of energy Bitcoin mining consumes.
- Regulation in China: Chinese authorities have restricted cryptocurrency trading in the country for years. But a recent Chinese crackdown tightened regulation even further, making it illegal for institutions to offer any form of crypto service.
- Concerns about U.S. regulation: The U.S. Treasury announced it would take stronger action against cryptocurrency tax evasion, while the Fed hinted at the need for increased regulation.
Should you buy the Bitcoin dip?
Buying the dip is a popular expression, but the truth is, it's hard to do. You may be lucky and buy at the lowest point, but you may also buy only to see the price fall farther. A better question is: Do you see long-term value in Bitcoin?
If you think the price is reasonable and are ready to hold for five to 10 years or more, it doesn't matter if you don't catch the absolute low. Even if the price falls more tomorrow, that difference will likely be negligible in the long run.
For example, The Ascent's parent company, The Motley Fool, owns Bitcoin because it believes in its long-term potential. We don't know how far Bitcoin will fall in the coming weeks or months, but The Motley Fool is not investing for the short term. It sees a broader potential value for this digital currency.
Let's look at what the bulls and the bears (those who believe the price will rise or fall respectively) are saying on Bitcoin's long-term potential.
Bull market case
- Bitcoin has gone mainstream. Bitcoin isn't going anywhere because it's bought, sold, and accepted by millions of Americans. Major retailers like Starbucks, Amazon, AT&T, Expedia, and Home Depot now accept Bitcoin payments through third-party apps. You can even buy it using Paypal. And 14% of Americans own crypto.
- It has institutional buy-in. Big institutions like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs plan to launch crypto funds, and Grayscale Investments (the world's largest digital currency asset manager) has over $40 billion under management.
- Bitcoin is a hedge against rising inflation. Experts like Warren Buffet are warning of substantial U.S. inflation. Prices jumped suddenly in April, which means your dollar simply won't buy as much. Since Bitcoin supply is limited (only 21 million bitcoins will ever be produced), some argue that as the value of the dollar falls, it could be a safe store of value.
Bear market case
- This is a Bitcoin bubble. Bitcoin bears continue to argue that the price is too high. They believe what we've seen this year is a cryptocurrency bubble, which could burst and leave investors with nothing.
- Bitcoin doesn't have any inherent value. Critics say Bitcoin is too slow to function as a digital currency -- it can only process a limited number of transactions per second. And they think its price fluctuates too wildly for it to function as a store of value. Because it's an intangible asset, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what it is worth. And Bitcoin bears aren't optimistic on that front.
Are you ready to buy?
If you believe in Bitcoin's long-term potential, the next question to consider is whether you're ready to buy. There are two parts to this question.
- Do you have money to spare? If you're OK on retirement savings and have your emergency fund topped up, take a look at your other savings goals. If you have money to spare -- money you can afford to lose -- you're all good. But if, for example, you're saving for a house down payment, it isn't a great idea to put that cash into Bitcoin. This is an extremely volatile investment, and you don't want to ruin your chances of buying a house because your Bitcoin investments halved in value in a matter of weeks.
- Have you done your research? As we saw above, industry observers argue both sides of the Bitcoin debate. But it's your money, so what matters is what you think. Do you, like Mark Cuban, see the value in Bitcoin as a kind of digital gold? And do you want to invest in that type of store of value? Or do you believe blockchain technology is here to stay, and want to hold the biggest digital currency?
Only you know your risk tolerance and investment goals. This means only you can decide whether to buy Bitcoin today. If you decide to buy, all the top cryptocurrency exchanges sell Bitcoin. Use them to buy it safely, and hold through whatever ups and downs may come.
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
Emma Newbery owns Bitcoin.
The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
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Last week, Microsoft made the clearest case yet for its Surface Pro tablet when a top Windows executive said it should be compared with not one, but two Apple devices.
While analysts agreed that Microsoft's Surface Pro message was much clearer than the muddled one it offered last year for the Surface RT, and some saw the comparison as fair, others said it was wishful thinking on Microsoft's part.
As part of a series of interviews with prominent bloggers last week, Tami Reller, the CFO and head of marketing for the Windows division, pitched her case for the Surface Pro.
"I'm getting [an] Ultrabook-class PC with the added benefit of a tablet package," Reller said when asked by GeekWire's Todd Bishop whether the Surface Pro faced a pricing problem. "It's all I need. $899 plus a keyboard of my choice, I'm into the $1,000 category, and I have all I need.
"Compare it to a typical Apple buyer, who is going to get a MacBook Air, plus an iPad," argued Reller. "That's a more interesting comparison. If you've got a buyer who needs both a computer and a tablet, Surface Pro is $1,000, versus $1,000 plus $500 [for the MacBook Air and iPad]. I think that's the interesting comparison."
Although she didn't spell it out, Reller was referring to the lowest-priced MacBook Air, an 11-in. notebook with 64GB of flash memory storage; and the entry-level 9.7-in. iPad, which features 16GB of storage space. The devices retail for $999 and $499, respectively.
Microsoft has never disguised the fact that the Surface Pro would be a tablet with ultrabook characteristics, or sell at an ultrabook price. In June, when the company surprised even its OEM partners by introducing the Surface line, it said that the Pro would sell for about the same as Intel-powered ultrabooks, whose prices have ranged from $700 to above $1,000.
But the two-in-one argument Reller made was Microsoft's most explicit, and her comparison with a combination of MacBook Air and iPad a first.
"It's a fair comparison," said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, in an interview earlier this week. "It's a more satisfactory ultrabook, but it's also a tablet. You end up with a device that's a very capable PC, and a pretty-capable tablet. That makes it a good deal."
Gottheil also applauded Reller for making the point. "Microsoft found a message that matches its strength," he said, in contrast to last year's Surface RT. "It was not at all clear what they were saying about Surface RT."
Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy did some back-of-the-envelope arithmetic and agreed that the Surface Pro was less expensive than buying both a MacBook Air and an iPad.
The cost of a Surface Pro with 64GB of storage space and the lowest-priced cover-slash-keyboard, the Touch Cover, totaled $1,029 ($899 + $130). That would be a savings of $469 compared to the dual purchase of a MacBook Air and iPad ($999 + $499 = $1,498).
Even the 128GB Surface Pro equipped with the more-expensive Type Cover -- $999 + $140 = $1,139 -- came in $359 under the Apple notebook-tablet combo.
But Moorhead wasn't ready to call Reller's comparison legitimate: The tablet side of the Pro is simply not up to snuff, he said.
"This isn't yet a fair comparison ... but it's a comparison Microsoft would like to make," Moorhead said. "The challenge for Microsoft is that the Surface Pro doesn't make a very good tablet. Yet."
He cited tablet-esque weaknesses that ranged from the Surface Pro's weight -- heavier than a MacBook Air when the Type Cover is included -- and an anticipated short battery life, to too few apps and limited storage space on the 64GB model.
The primary culprit of the worst of those failings, Moorhead argued, was the power-hungry Intel processor. That situation should change in 2014, when Intel and AMD push new lower-powered chips to market, and as AMD boosts the performance of its power-miser processors.
But for 2013, the Surface Pro can't cut it on the tablet half of the equation that Reller used.
"Microsoft's putting the Surface Pro in the most favorable light possible, which is what you do, but it's an early product. With the things on the horizon [devices like the Surface Pro], will get really, really good next year," said Moorhead.
Some experts questioned the legitimacy of Reller's message on other grounds.
"It's an apples and oranges comparison," said Wes Miller, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, contending that customers don't go looking for a hybrid when shopping for a notebook. "They're trying to blur [the lines] and induce people to buy the Surface Pro."
Even Gottheil, who was the most bullish of the three analysts on the Surface Pro, noted, "You don't make a buying decision on where you get the cheapest combination."
In fact, with tablets quickly skewing to smaller screen sizes -- buying trends indicate that the 10-in. tablet will account for a minority of sales this year, replaced by 7-in. devices -- the Surface Pro argument may not hold water for long.
"Windows 8 may not work on a smaller-scale device," Gottheil acknowledged.
"I would still recommend people check out a 7-in. tablet or a phablet," said Moorhead of the term used to describe phone-tablet hybrids with screens as large as 5-in., like Samsung's Galaxy Note II, as a companion to a lightweight notebook. "The Surface Pro isn't a tablet that you're going want to kick back in bed to read a novel."
The Surface Pro goes on sale Saturday, Feb. 9, but reviews began appearing today.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is email@example.com.
Read more about tablets in Computerworld's Tablets Topic Center.


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Consumer sentiment has dipped to the lowest level since the election of President Trump according to today’s University of Michigan consumer sentiment Index. The index dropped from 98.3 down to 90.7, well below the forecast 95.7.
- The drop was led by a pronounced decline in the expectations index.
- The index is now at a two-year low, missing all expectations for January’s reading.
- Prospects for the domestic economy were recorded as notably low, with the government shutdown and trade war weighing heavily on outlooks.
The University of Michigan index released today shows that the government shutdown is marring the outlook of many consumers, as is the ongoing trade war which continues to impact the national and global economies. Consumers also cited lack of clarity surrounding government monetary policies as a cause for concern and negative sentiment.
Given that consumer spending makes up the largest amount of the economy, the pronounced dip in outlook is concerning and may herald reduced consumer activity in the near future.
The sentiment index is being factored in with other similar indicators pointing to an economic slowdown in 2019, such as decline in the housing and manufacturing sectors. The economic outlook is such that the central bank stated that it is willing to be patient and flexible with monetary policy, indicating that upcoming unfavorable economic conditions may warrant a pause in rate hikes to allow the economy some breathing room.
Consumers anticipate price gains to continue as they are, with expectations for next year’s inflation unchanged at 2.7% and the 5 to 10-year inflation rate predicted to be 2.6% by respondents, up 0.01% from the last survey.
Recent economic news has been viewed by survey respondents as the least favorable since late 2011, with negative references to government policy four times as common as positive references.
University of Michigan & Thomson Reuters: Consumer sentiment dropped to its lowest level since October 2016, citing “the partial government shutdown, the impact of tariffs, instabilities in financial markets, the global slowdown, and the lack of clarity about monetary policies.” pic.twitter.com/PuIJxYEWYK
— Chad Moutray (@chadmoutray) January 18, 2019
“The decline was primarily focused on prospects for the domestic economy,” Richard Curtin, director of the University of Michigan consumer survey, said in a statement. “The loss was due to a host of issues including the partial government shutdown, the impact of tariffs, instabilities in financial markets, the global slowdown, and the lack of clarity about monetary policies.”
Gold has actually ticked downward following the news, currently down 0.61% and trading at $1,283.12/oz with a high of $1,293.20/oz and a low of $1,281.49/oz. February futures are down 0.75% and trading at $1,282.60/oz.
While typically such reports bolster the price of gold due to the mentions of poor economic outlook and uncertainty, it’s possible that other reports such as yesterday’s strong Philly Fed index continue to place selling pressure on the gold, perhaps offsetting potential effects of the consumer sentiment index.