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Chalcroft once again sponsored the recent British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) November Industry Forum. The event provides a comprehensive update of economic aspects and trends of the sector. For the first time ever, the UK frozen food sector is worth Â£6bn.
One of the
speakers was Chris Hayward, Head of UK Business Development at Kantar
Worldpanel UK, an organisation dealing in â€œconsumer knowledge and insights
based on continuous consumer panelsâ€. We asked him for his thoughts on what had
driven this growth.
â€œSmaller households of one or two people are contributing to this growth, itâ€™s not just large families purchasing frozen goods. The frequency of shopping has increased, with the consumer focusing on products that can fall into the happy, healthy and easier range,â€ he said. People are likely to want products that are easy to use; Chris cited the example of frozen chicken strips that go straight into woks.
â€œThe premiumisation of products, like ice cream, are likely to make people happy. Those strips of chicken, and items like frozen fish, are also healthy.â€
And the future?
â€œI see healthy and easy being the driver, although premiumisation will still be important,â€ says Chris. â€œThe healthy lifestyle angle is an on-going trend, as is the easier part, because people have less and less time.â€
Graham Loudon of CGA told delegates that the economy is starting to see the saturation of out-of-home food service. A figure he presented showed that there are 46% more managed restaurants now than in 2012. Graham added that there are key opportunities for foodservice suppliers to supply different cuisine types. He concluded by saying that with so much competition, differentiation would be achieved by offering good quality ingredients, variety and experience.
James Walton from IGD expressed his view that the value of the pound provided export opportunities for international traders, but he did caution that there are signs of a slowing UK economy.
The volume of grocery sales was declining, he said, but the value is increasing, and therefore price is a major driver of growth. He added that food prices are currently below their 3.7% peak but they still exceed income growth. In the future, shoppers will switch brands more.


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When Google rose to popularity, ever so long ago, it was considered to be revolutionizing search. Think about what search was like back then. AltaVista, Yahoo, and a bunch of others were competing for your queries, but Google brought a different approach. PageRank was a huge part of that, and is often credited as the big differentiator, but another key element to what made Google stand out was its simplistic design.
Do you miss the days when Google’s design was simpler? Do you think Bing is outdoing Google in design and usability? Let us know in the comments.
Google still largely maintains its simplicity on its homepage (though it has a less simplistic homepage option in iGoogle), but in the search results it’s another story. Search engines in the pre-Google days were essentially portals. Google, in its early days, was just fresh, clean search. These days, Google is much more portal-esque, with all of the company’s various products that are not only available from links across the broader Google experience (the top navigation and whatnot), but also injected into the search results in various capacities.
Much of what Google has on its search results pages these days has been added at different times. It wasn’t all overnight, but Bing’s redesign really shines a spotlight on just how much more complex Google results are these days.
When Bing launched, we saw Google start doing various things that looked more like what Bing was doing. That’s why it’s interesting to see today that Bing has implemented some Bing changes that are more reminiscent of Google, or at least a past version of Google.
Here’s what Bing’s results look like now:
Here are Google’s for the same query:
One of the big differentiators of Bing when it was first launched was the left panel of search options, which Google also adopted. Now, the two search engines have essentially reversed in design.
Of course some Google results are even more cluttered. Look at this one for “hotels”:
Bing’s blog provides a nice before and after comparison of its new design:
“Over the past few months, we’ve run dozens of experiments to determine how you read our pages to deliver the link you’re looking for,” says Bing Principal Group Program Manager Sally Salas. “Based on that feedback, we’ve tuned the site to make the entire page easier to scan, removing unnecessary distractions, and making the overall experience more predictable and useful. This refreshed design helps you do more with search—and gives us a canvas for bringing future innovation to you.”
“The new experience is more than skin-deep,” says Salas. “You will also notice faster page-load times and improved relevance under the hood. After all, our goal is to help people spend less time searching and more time doing. And changing how we look is the next big step in doing just that.”
Bing’s new design also highlights its use of Facebook (as opposed to Google’s +1s) in a more restrained and appealing way by showing thumbs up next to results that your Facebook friends have liked:
Josh Costine, who points out the Facebook-related tweaks, reports that the changes are fully rolling out.
Bing’s integration with Facebook is nothing new, but it’s likely that Bing will continue to look for ways to make it more useful, and this may appeal to users who have been on Facebook for years, establishing and cultivating relationships, who just aren’t getting the same kind of engagement on Google+ (if they’re using it at all).
The whole design element is kind of funny, considering that Google has historically taken a simplistic approach to design, which is still evident on its home page. It really illustrates how Google has evolved away from this approach on the results pages though, for better or worse.
Google is packing a lot of features into search results these days, however. Do you think this makes the pages more usable, or too cluttered? Let us know what you think. What do you think about Bing’s changes?
Bing says it is also testing out new ideas for its homepage, including a larger version of its daily image.

domain: news


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Anyone who's eyeing a 3D PC but doesn't want to wear those glasses may be in luck.
Fujitsu announced yesterday that it will launch an all-in-one desktop PC sporting a 3D display that won't require the familiar but uncomfortable 3D glasses.
Due to launch in Japan on February 25, the Fujitsu Esprimo FH99/CM will offer an 23-inch 1,920x1,080 LCD display and be powered by an Intel i7 processor.
The PC will include 4GB of RAM, up to 2TB of hard-disk space, integrated graphics, and a Blu-ray drive, according to PClaunches.com and other sources. A TV tuner will let users watch and record television shows as well.
Beyond those features, the Esprimo FH99 will offer Ethernet and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, an HDMI port, and an integrated Webcam. The company is even throwing in a free copy of "Disney's Christmas Carol" in 3D, according to a Google Translate version of its Japanese press release.
No word on when the PC might make its way beyond Japan, but Fujitsu said it's looking to launch it overseas at a later date, according to AFP News.


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First Community Bank of
Hillsboro is buying the First Financial Bank branch downtown.
First Financial Corporation, the publicly traded holding company of First Financial Bank, N.A., based in Terre Haute, IN, announced the sale on Friday afternoon, Feb. 5.
First Financial and First Community Bank are working together to ensure a seamless transition for customers, according to Thomas L. Gooding, chairman and CEO of First Community Bank. Customers with accounts at the Hillsboro branch need not take any action at this time and should continue to use their current checks, debit card and other products and services.
"We are looking forward to welcoming the current customers of First Financial Bank," Gooding said. "We're delighted to expand our customer base in our trade area and will make every effort to ensure that First Financial's customers enjoy our full range of services and the same high quality service and competitive rates now offered our existing customers."
As of Dec. 31, the Hillsboro First Financial branch had deposits of approximately $10.2 million. The sale is expected to be completed in the second or third quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approval.


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Costlier and Cheaper after Budget 2020: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her second Union Budget on February 01, 2020. Here is a list of items that have become costlier or cheaper after the announcement of the Budget 2020. A large number of items including cigarettes, tobacco products, medical equipment will be more expensive due to hike in taxes as proposed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
At the same time, several items like skimmed milk, raw sugar, tuna bit, soya fiber, etc will become cheaper.
List of items that will become Cheaper
• Imported newsprint and lightweight coated paper will be cheaper. Budget 2020 announcements reduced the customs duty on newspaper import. It has been halved to 5%.
• PTA or Purified Terephthalic Acid will become cheaper. The government has abolished the anti-dumping duty on PTA.
• Tuna Bait, Soya Fibre, Raw Sugar, some alcoholic beverages, agro-animal based products, Soya protein will become cheaper because custom duty has been withdrawn.
• Home loans and Electric cars can also become cheaper after budget 2020.
List of items that will become Costlier
• Several items like petrol-diesel, gold, cashew, auto parts, synthetic rubber, PVC, tiles will become expensive. Tobacco products can also be expensive after this budget.
• The government has hiked the customs duty on footwear. So that it will become a costlier item after Budget 2020.
• Medical equipment, Kitchenware, and tableware will also become costlier.
• The government has increased customs duty to 20% from 7.5% on wall fans that will make it a costlier item.


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Future of auctions
ORE/MAX Real Estate Services Cairns recently hosted an Auction Extravaganza with elebrity auctioneer Dane Atherton. NE of Australia’s leading property auctioneers Dane Atherton brought his famous hammer to Cairns this week for RE/MAX Cairns’ first Auction Extravaganza.
Despite none of the 11 properties up for auction selling under the hammer, two properties sold straight after Monday night’s auction and six more had contracts signed on Tuesday morning.
RE/MAX Cairns owner Tony Williamson says the auction is the beginning of how Cairns people will sell their homes in the future with RE/MAX hosting an auction extravaganza every six weeks.
“ The night was a success for RE/MAX and our clients with a total of 80 people attending and admittedly we would have liked to have sold some under the hammer but it reflects the changes of market,” Mr Williamson said.
“Cairns isn’t used to auctions so to have two properties sold straight after and another six on Tuesday morning, which is the third stage of the auctioning process, is a success.
“Out of the 11 properties nine had very competitive bidding.
“We believe the rest of the properties will be sold by the end of the month.”
“Auctioning is the fairest way of selling a property and now we want to offer people selling their property the same choices they are offered in Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane.”
With almost 10 years’ experience in the property market and more than 6000 auctions to his credit Mr Atherton was pleased to offer Cairns residents another way they can sell their homes.
“ This is an opportunity to educate the public about the correct method of auctioning,” Mr Atherton said.
“In Cairns, 90 per cent of people are selling with a price, but people don’t realise that auctioning has a far better selling rate.
“ There is a three-stage process to auctioning a property – before the auction, auction day and after the auction.
“Stage one is a good offer to take it off the market before the day and follow through with a lot of marketing, stage two is competitive bidding at the auction and stage three is all the people that couldn’t bid – the auctioneer starts negotiating with them.
“If the process is used over the three-stage process, auctions actually really do work.
“If we can educate the public about the three-stage process then a lot more people would chose to auction. In Cairns people shouldn’t expect to have an auction rate of 10 out of 10. It’s all about the three-stage process.
“ The regional markets are over supplied unlike the major cities so it does take courage to auction in this market but sellers will be happy with the outcome.”
Mr Williamson said RE/MAX had booked Mr Atherton in for another auction on April 4.
“Anyone who is considering selling their house or considering auction should come and see us or register with us,” he said.
“We are going to be holding an auction every six weeks.”


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One side-effect of the ongoing rally in U.S. stocks is the slowdown in buybacks
The timing of Apple Inc.'s share buyback was impeccable. The company went in big, and showed the market its confidence in the business plan and that the stock was grossly undervalued.
“With valuations not as attractive as where they were, it makes sense that investors are going to be a bit more selective and not reward buybacks as broadly as they had for the last couple of years."
SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.'s $3.2-billion sale of its 100% stake in AltaLink puts the company in a position to execute on a large share buyback, pay out a special dividend, or pursue M&A opportunities
"We think that both of these corporate actions, buybacks and capex, are primarily functions of an improvement in cash flows and an easing in financing conditions."
Both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto should begin returning excess capital to shareholders during the next year, says J.P. Morgan Cazenove
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. may surprise investors with the size of its broadly-anticipated share buyback program, J.P. Morgan said in a new report
"We would prefer to see Apple assert a more balanced use of cash, across M&A, stock buybacks, and dividends."
Although the merits of buybacks are hotly debated among analysts, they often can be beneficial for investors
With buybacks becoming the norm and with equities more expensive, investors may want to be more selective about rewarding buybacks
Industry forecasts predicting consumer restraint this holiday season may render this year’s ever-lengthening sale bonanza a fairly weightless marketing ploy
Dickinson's Venture Communications will focus on businesses that sell to, or are run by, entrepreneurs and businesses that hope to become more entrepreneurial
More than ever, economists are split on whether or not 'petrodollar' makes sense in describing the correlation between oil and the value of our loonie
Apple's market value surpassed US$700 billion earlier this week, an unprecedented milestone among U.S. companies. Consider the buying power
The monetary heavyweight warned again today that Canada needs to tighten mortgage rules and reduce taxpayers’ exposure to a market vulnerable to a crash


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Qualcomm’s (NASDAQ:QCOM) exposure to the boom in generative AI-compatible chips is an important factor to consider in any QCOM stock analysis. Yet while “AI mania” has played the lead role in driving QCOM’s nearly 40% move higher over the past six months, that’s not to say it is the sole factor backing up the bull case for shares.
There are additional positive factors. Both are related to the company’s (for lack of a better word, “legacy”) businesses, and have little to do with the AI growth trend. Both could also help sustain the recent rally, enabling this stock to not only re-hit its 2021 bull market high-water mark, but climb to even loftier price levels.
Qualcomm Stock: A Solid AI Contender, but Patience is Key
There’s a lot to be optimistic about, with Qualcomm’s potential to capitalize on the generative AI growth trend. For one, the company has started to integrate AI features into its Snapdragon system-on-a-chip smartphone platform. As announced last fall, Qualcomm also has plans to unveil an AI chip for PCs this year.
Yet while all of this makes the chip designer a solid AI contender, it’s going to take time for AI to have a material impact on its operating performance. Unless the latest wave of “AI mania” continues, consider it best to assume in your QCOM stock analysis that this factor will not provide much of a further boost of shares.
At least, until the rollout of AI-enabled products begins to move the needle for the company’s top and bottom lines. That said, shares are not destined to cough back AI-related gains and then languish at lower prices. As mentioned above, Qualcomm also has strong non-AI catalysts.
These catalysts could either extend the recent rally for QCOM. Or, if an AI stock sell-off leads to a near-term pullback/correction for shares, help QCOM get back on an upward trajectory.
Don’t Discount Handset and IoT Recovery Catalysts
Before appreciation of QCOM’s AI potential came on the scene, the tech sector slowdown hit shares hard, especially by the slowdown in global smartphone demand. However, as seen in Qualcomm’s latest quarterly results, demand for the company’s products for the handset (smartphone) market seems to be normalizing.
During the preceding quarter, handset sales increased by 16% compared to the prior year’s quarter. A recovery for the company’s internet of things business could also take shape, based on statements made by CEO Cristiano Amon, in an interview with Bloomberg Television around the time of the earnings release.
Yes, the recovery for both these businesses may come at a slow pace. However, that doesn’t mean we should discount the impact of this recovery catalyst in our QCOM stock analysis. Incremental performance improvements in Qualcomm’s largest and second-largest segments could still drive incremental gains for shares.
Even after all the supposed “AI hype,” the stock remains reasonably priced, QCOM today trades for 15.8 times forward earnings. With the recovery not priced in, shares are well-positioned to move in tandem with an earnings rebound. There may even be room for multiple expansion.
QCOM Stock Analysis: The Bottom Line
The sell-side community doesn’t expect a growth bonanza ahead for Qualcomm. Yes, consensus calls for earnings to bounce back by nearly 50% this fiscal year (ending September 2024).
However, for the next fiscal year, consensus forecasts call for earnings growth of just 10.6%. Based on the factors discussed above, future results may end up handily beating these expectations.
Better-than-expected growth plus perhaps other factors like a continued extension of its modem supply agreement with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), may enable shares to re-rate back to a low-20s forward multiple. That’s what the stock traded for just a few years ago.
A move to prices north of $200 per share is well within reach. Thus, for the latest QCOM stock analysis, here’s the bottom line: at around $150 per share today, it’s still well worthwhile to wager on a continued recovery.
On the date of publication, Thomas Niel did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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Video game ratings will now warn parents about 'loot boxes'
Worried that your kid's most anticipated new game is rife with loot boxes? Now you can check the rating, and know before you buy it!
EA just released a new game without any warning, and there's a simple reason why: loot boxes
EA's brand-new, free-to-play game "Apex Legends" arrived on Monday without warning, and its creators say the reason has to do with loot box backlash.


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Processed Meats Like Bacon, Hotdogs Linked to Cancer, World Health Organization Says
Untreated meat has also been dubbed 'probably carcinogenic to humans' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
8 Trends That Food Franchises Are Watching Right Now
Franchises make up a huge portion of the restaurant industry. So, when they spot a trend, it's worth paying attention.
The 12 Most Ridiculous Foods From State Fairs Across America
As state fairs reveal their food lineups for 2015, the highlights include deep-fried Starbucks, bacon explosions and mac-and-cheese cupcakes.
Snuggie Maker Wrapped Up in Not-So-Cozy Advertising Fraud Charges
Turns out Allstar's 'buy one, get one free' ad hook was allegedly cloaked in trickery. Now the as-seen-on-TV giant is forking over $8 million to settle charges that it hoodwinked customers.


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Global smartphone shipments will reach a modest five million units in 2019, according to Strategy Analytics, with early 5G smartphone models expensive and available in limited volumes. Samsung, LG and Huawei will be the early 5G smartphone leaders this year, followed by Apple next year.
more Stories »
How good is the camera in the Huawei P30 Pro smartphone? I've had it now for just under a month, shooting relentlessly to find out.
Apple is expanding its recycling programs, quadrupling the number of locations U.S. customers can send their iPhones to be disassembled by Daisy, its recycling robot.
Voice control is already quite popular in the home, but it is quickly gaining steam in the car, too, as consumers hope to use services like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri while on the road as well.
If you have been eager to see the LG G8 ThinQ smartphone since you first heard about it from Mobile World Congress in February, you'll be able to do just that, as the smartphone is now officially available in Canada.
At AXPONA Expo in Chicago, Lenbrook International has announced the release of versinoo 3.4 of its BluOS high-resolution distributed audio and music management platform.
Remember a time when smartphones were actually used for tasks like receiving and making phone calls, messaging, surfing the Web, and even playing with apps? That's still the case today. But the most important feature by far has become the camera.
Samsung Canada is expanding its line of tablets with two new models, the Galaxy Tab S5e, which features a Super AMOLED in the company's slimmest tablet to date, and the Galaxy Tab A, which offers access to a special section with child-safe content.
There's a trade-off when it comes to the conveniences and personalization benefits we enjoy today thanks to tech. We can acquire tons of loyalty points with retailers, receive targeted advertisements, get discounts on items that we need (or want), and enjoy an overall customized experience from the brands we love. But it all comes at a price.
The middle model in Samsung's new Galaxy S10 line-up hits all the right notes.
Cutting the cord. It describes our desire to shift away from expensive linear television service packages with thousands of channels to a curated selection of content through a subscription-based over-the-top (OTT) service. Streaming TV has been on the rise, and Netflix is the constant. But other services have come (and gone). And now, Apple wants in.


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Too many splinters: Germany’s ad networks due for a shake-out
09 Apr 2009
By Christo Volschenk
According to Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe, Germany has the biggest online display-ad market in Europe with 23 percent of total European online display-ad spend. But, the country’s online marketing sector is not a happy place. It is plagued by too many online marketers which built too many ad networks that have fragmented online inventory.


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Official deliveries of Tesla Model Y have been started in the UK. Tesla delivered more than 1,000 compact SUVs to its customers in the country this past weekend.
Deliveries of Model Y to the UK market have already begun. At the beginning of last week, the first 25 cars or so were handed over to owners. Smaller individual delivery events took place at several locations, including at Oyster Catcher in Anglesey, the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, Aerospace Bristol, Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, and the American Air Museum in Cambridge.
The final mass car delivery event took place at the Port of Southampton on Saturday, February 19. Nearly 1,000 long-awaited compact SUVs have been handed over to customers to enjoy the experience of owning and driving Tesla vehicles. The company's account shared photos and videos on social media of happy families taking delivery of Model Y.
Demand for Model Y continues to grow and the company is looking to expand deliveries to all markets. With the start of production of Giga Berlin still delayed, Tesla's Chinese factory has taken on the load. According to recently released data, Giga Shanghai delivered 59,845 units in January, up 286.5% year-over-year, of which 40,499 were for export. A few days ago, large batches of Tesla Model 3s and Ys were spotted at the port near Giga Shanghai, preparing for shipment.
© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.
We appreciate your readership! Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
About the Author
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.


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Inflation in Slovakia slowed to 2.2 percent in February
13 Mar 2013 Flash News
Growth of consumer prices in Slovakia slowed moderately in February. Annual inflation according to national methodology slipped to 2.2 percent, and prices in January grew by 2.4 percent, the SITA newswire wrote, quoting a Statistics Office’s (ŠÚ) report on Wednesday, March 13.
Over the first two months of this year, prices in Slovakia rose by
Year-on-year core inflation, which monitors consumer prices excluding regulated prices and administrative interventions in taxation, slowed to 2.5 percent in February from 2.8 percent in January. Net inflation, which, unlike core inflation disregards food prices, also decreased from 2 percent to 1.8 percent. Month-on-month core inflation was zero and net inflation was minus 0.1 percent. Slovakia achieved its historically lowest inflation in 2010, when due to a sharp weakening of demand in times of crisis, it reached an average of 1 percent. In 2011, growth of inflation resumed. According to national methodology, average inflation in 2011 was 3.9 percent. In 2012, growth of prices remained at similar levels, when average inflation was 3.6 percent.
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“Potholes in Slovak roads are neither conservative nor liberal, but they are deep and there are plenty of them!” Daniel Lipšic comments on his conservative NOVA party’s agreement with liberal former members of SaS to cooperate in the forthcoming regional elections.


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Choose an article from the archive listing on this page or refine your selection using the controls in the gray box below.
Canon chose Tuesday night to reveal its 2009 PowerShot cameras, starting with its high-end, long zoom models. The 10-megapixel SX1 IS is the company's new range-topping camera with a 20X, 28-560mm wide-angle lens and draws on the newer DIGIC 4 imaging chip to make it one of the first non-DSLR Canon units to record video at 1080p. Built-in HDMI output, a hot shoe and the ability to shoot simultaneously in RAW and JPEG similarly put the camera closer to the professional level, though normal light sensitivity is limited to ISO 1,600 with a special boost to 3,200.
Today, TRENDnet has announced the list of products that will be launched and demonstrated at this year's CeBIT. Products being launched at the show consist of several GREENnet Switches and a Wireless N Internet Camera Server with 2-Way Audio. For demonstration, the company will be showing a 7-inch Internet Camera and Phone Monitor, 7-inch Internet Camera Monitor Kit, Wireless N Travel Router, two Wireless N Gigabit Routers, and a Wireless N Gaming Adapter.
Apple's preparations for the next-generation iPhone line is constraining worldwide supplies for leading flash memory manufacturers and may increase prices. A new analyst report says that Apple's (unannounced) refresh of iPhones is putting increased pressure on flash memory manufacturers managing dwindling inventory. According to Cult of Mac, ThinkEquity analyst Vijay Rakesh is telling clients that Apple has begun placing orders for memory for a yet unannounced upgrade to the current iPhone 3G and the rumored "iPhone Nano" or a similar device. Most recently RBC analyst Mark Abramsky claimed that a $99 iPhone would appear later this summer, but that the device would not be a rumored iPhone nano, but instead a pared-down regular iPhone.
On the heels of new phone introductions, Samsung on Tuesday said it would ship a total of three cell phones based on Google's open-source Android platform and that it would unveil at least one device using the open-source LiMo Linux software. A senior executive at the Korean company confirmed to Reuters that the the company would sell at least three devices based on the Google platform, which is largely seen as the mostly like to challenge to challenge Apple's dominance.
i-mate at Mobile World Congress has shown off a credit-card sized smartphone, dubbed the Centurion, after the high-end American Express card of the same name. At the same time, the company is showing the Warrior laptop shell that will allow a contained smartphone to remotely access PCs and Macs. While this last device (called the Warrior) hasn't been shown, a touch-screen handset known as the Legionnaire would fit into the laptop shell and provide its processing power, while also doubling as a touchpad.
Skype and Nokia at Mobile World Congress on Tuesday announced they will enter into a partnership that will have the Skype Internet calling service integrated into Nokia handsets. The first Nokia handsets that will have Skype functionality integrated into them are the Nseries cellphones, with the very first Skype-enabled handset being the N97 when it ships in the summer.
After releasing its first Tempo smartphones at Mobile World Congress on Monday, Acer is back on Tuesday with the release of four more handsets. While little specific information is known, the F1, E1, C1 and L1 are rumored to offer a strong price relative to their feature sets thanks to carrier-subsidized pricing. The prototype handsets were turned off while on display at the show, so there is no indication of what kind of features or operating system will be used in the phones.
Logitech on Tuesday announced its Squeezebox network music players will now offer the Napster subscription music service. Via their wired or wireless home networks, users will have access to Napster's roughly 7 million-song online library as long as they have active memberships. The service is available both for models with Internet radio support as well as simple network music playback.
Yahoo on Tuesday announced at Mobile World Congress in Spain that it will soon release the Yahoo Mobile app for devices that include Apple's iPhone as well as feature phones and smartphones from Samsung, Nokia, RIM, Sony Ericsson and Motorola. Other phones that run on Windows Mobile will also be compatible with the new application. Among other things, Yahoo Mobile will let users search the Internet through its own engine and access new map tools.
Manufacturer of the world's first modular cellphone, modu, and audio hardware maker JBL on Tuesday announced the release of the modu music jacket for the handset, giving it standalone capabilities as a music player. The phone enclosure contains two JBL Odyssey speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB connector, as well as a digital sound meter. It also brings with it a 2.2-inch display and a 3-megapixel camera with flash.
Canon today unintentionally betrayed its plans for the PMA imaging expo by posting a comparison page and since-pulled product entries for two new compacts. The 12-megapixel PowerShot SD780 IS is now shown to be the most unique of the two courtesy of a very thin design, which the company says is the thinnest ever for a compact PowerShot, as well as a unique single-tone design that colors the lens frame in the same hue as the rest of the body.
Countering its rival LG's own introduction at Mobile World Congress, ASUS has taken its turn at revealing a new Eee PC with wide-area wireless. The 1000HG will have a built-in WiMAX modem that lets it connect to 4G services in the US and elsewhere while still preserving 802.11n Wi-Fi for short-range networking. As suggested by the name, the netbook will also have a 10-inch display and share a similar design with most other Eee PC 1000 models.
Citrix has formally unveiled a two-tiered service for providing online technical support with screen-sharing capabilities. GoToAssist Express is a stripped-down and less-costly version of GotoAssist Corporate, but geared for small businesses or individual owners instead of larger corporations. The services support both Windows and Mac OS X, although the Mac version has fewer features.
Acer will release two Android-powered handsets later this year, Engadget reports. The semi-official news came from an Acer rep in the company's booth at Mobile World Congress currently going on in Spain, who showed off a notebook with a summary of the company's product roll-out schedule for the year that mentions two unnamed Android devices.
LG as part of its Mobile World Congress launches has formally rolled out the X120. The second-generation netbook adds a built-in HSPA modem for 3G data access in most parts of the world and represents an upgrade to the system's longevity at the same time. LG reckons about 3.5 hours of battery life even on the stock 3-cell battery and an according 7 hours on an extended 6-cell pack.
Egnyte claims it has solved one of the biggest problems with cloud-based computing- relying on a third party to store data. The on-demand file server company says its new Local Cloud service allows users to store their data on-premises using an inexpensive disk drive, while server functions are performed off-site.
Shuttle PC has announced that its small form factor SDXi Carbon gaming PC is now shipping. Shuttle claims the gaming platform sports the world's first Liquid I.C.E. technology, with specially designed cooling, case and motherboard for the optional 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU. The PC can handle other graphics-intensive applications as well, including CAD, graphic design or animation. It has support for up to 16GB of RAM, though Shuttle only offers between 2GB and 8GB.
At Mobile World Congress on Tuesday, Novatel Wireless announced it will soon release the Ovation MC996D USB modem. The adapter is Novatel's first capable of accessing HSPA+ data networks and reaches download speeds of up to 21.6Mbps and 5.76Mbps in uploads, or about three times faster than current 3G networks. The modem operates on the 900MHz and 2,100MHz frequencies, allowing users to access the Internet from most places around the world outside of North America. The device doubles as a data storage device, supporting microSDHC memory cards up to 32GB in size.
Most cellphones could use a single, interoperable standard for their power chargers within three years if a GSM Association initiative proves successful. The partnership includes phone makers like LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson as well as carriers like AT&T, KTF, Telefonica, T-Mobile and Vodafone; all have developed a format that would use micro USB as the standard and cut the typical power use by about half. The plan would cut back on the number of chargers thrown out after switching phones as well as reduce the amount of energy used to keep phones running.
Fujitsu this morning said it has struck a deal to transfer its hard drive business to Toshiba. A memorandum between the two will see Fujitsu spin off its storage efforts into a separate company and let Toshiba buy an 80 percent stake in the project, with Fujitsu eventually letting go of the remaining 20 percent. The decision is largely prompted by Fujitsu's potential $112 million loss in the division.
Samsung on Tuesday announced it will triple the available models in its SL-Series of digital cameras with two 12.2-megapixel and two 10-megapixel cameras. The new SL820 and SL620 share the same 12.2-megapixel sensor, 3-inch LCD screen and 5x optical zoom. Where they differ is with the former's ability to shoot HD videos, recording them in H.264 format at 720p resolution and 30fps compared to the latter's MPEG4 VGA video recording at the same frame rate. The SL820 also has an HDMI output, a 28mm wide angle lens and both hardware as well as software image stabilization.
AT&T yesterday at Mobile World Congress acknowledged that it should have a fully ready Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in 2011. The carrier has previously pledged to introduce the 4G-grade cellular access during 2010 but has said through senior architecture VP Kris Rinne that this first phase will be limited to trials. Actual commercial service won't come until roughly the middle of the following year, Rinne says.
Sirius XM on Tuesday morning said it has agreed to give an equity stake to Liberty Media in a deal worth $530 million. Best known as the owner of the DirecTV satellite service, Liberty is offering a $280 million emergency loan to cover both an immediately due $172 million debt for Sirius XM and to cover related financial costs. An extra $150 million also goes specifically to the XM half of the satellite radio provider, while Liberty is further volunteering to pay off about $100 million of Sirius XM's existing loans.
Nokia has used the second day of Mobile World Congress to unveil the N86 8MP. The previously teased phone is Nokia's first dedicated primarily to its camera and the first anywhere to include a variable aperture for its lens, giving it an ability to adapt to light levels like a dedicated camera. It's also claimed to eliminate other weaknesses of phone-mounted cameras through a fast shutter, Carl Zeiss optics and its namesake 8-megapixel resolution.
Sony this morning gave its Cyber-shot line a major update for its core models. The T90 and T900 lead a refresh that now adds a full scene recognition mode that tunes all scene settings, including face detection, to match the colors and lighting without requiring knowledge of camera techniques. They also stand as the first touchscreen Sony cameras to shoot 720p video and use MPEG-4.
Fujifilm this morning paved the way for its PMA photo show launches with multiple cameras, headed up by a replacement for its long-lasting S1000. The FinePix S1500 has the same 10-megapixel sensor and 12X, 33-396mm equivalent lens but adds true hardware image stabilization, improves software features such as automatic scene recognition and face detection, and gives full manual control. The camera continues to shoot at up to 1.4 frames per second and ISO 1,600 at full resolution but can step up to 7.5 frames per second and ISO 3,200 by lowering the resolution.
HTC today after a brief run-up introduced the Magic, the second-ever Android device and the first to rely on an iPhone-like virtual keyboard thanks to Google's impending Cupcake update to the software. The upgrade slims the device down without shrinking the 3.2-inch touchscreen or sacrificing the remaining hardware controls, which still include a trackball for using the phone one-handed. Cupcake should also bring video capture and stereo Bluetooth support, though whether these reach the final device is unknown.
Adobe's Flash Lite multimedia player for mobile phones, while still lacking iPhone compatibility, has been growing in popularity and will have reached 1 billion phones by the end of March this year, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. Reaching their desired mark one year ahead of the company's previous target, Flash Lite is said by Strategy Analytics expert Steward to have risen due to recent support for HD video as well as Nokia's agreements to install Flash Lite on its phones. Another factor mentioned by Robinson is the absence of real competition for Adobe's Flash Lite player, though he still predicts another 1.5 billion smartphones carrying the software within two years.
Plustek has announced BookReader V100, a device created to transform printed words into audio output. BookReader V100 enables users to scan books into an audio MP3 or WAV format, which can be imported into any MP3 player or listened to from the computer. The device offers features such as a magnifying tool, color contrast function, zoom text capabilities, assignable hot keys, being able to save scanned pages in PDF format, and a text editing ability to allow the modifying of scanned text. A word spelling function is also added to enhance learning accuracy and pronunciation.
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With the Big Data market poised to grow at a compounded annual rate of 58 percent over the next five years to become a $50 billion industry by 2017, there is no question that Big Data is a huge market.
Computerworld examines the future growth of Big Data and conclude that when combined with in-memory computing, big data holds big promise for real-time analytics – but only if underlying system platforms are architected appropriately:
“In the world of enterprise computing, Big Data isn’t a choice anymore — it’s the new reality.
Digital content is expected to grow to 2.7 zetabytes this year, according to a recent IDC projection. Ninety percent of that information will be unstructured web-based content such as videos, text files and social media.
Businesses use Big Data tools to analyze and derive value from those massive data sets. They gain competitive advantage in the process, however, that competitive advantage can only be realized if data can be processed intelligently, efficiently, and results delivered in a timely manner”.
Read the full article here.


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Talk about a power couple!
The numbers are in, and Forbes’ report is out: The world’s highest-paid celebrity couple between May 2010 and May 2011 is … football star Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen, who made a stunning total of $76 million during the past year.
Gisele Brings Home the Bacon
Gisele actually earned more than her husband, raking in $45 million after a busy year full of fashion and endorsement deals. She also launched a few business ventures that could put her on track to become the world’s first supermodel billionaire. Tom didn’t slack off either, though, bringing in $31 million from football. And he’ll be making even more soon: In September he signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension with the New England Patriots.
Other Dynamic Duos
Following on the heels of Tom and Gisele are Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who together made $72 million in the past year. Beyoncé also beat out Tom Brady, bringing home $35 million from the profits of her clothing line Deréon and her endorsement deals with L’Oréal, DirecTV, General Mills and others. Jay-Z, meanwhile, contributed earnings from the ten-year, $150 million Live Nation deal he signed in 2008, and the money he makes as a shareholder in the New Jersey Nets, the 40/40 Club chain and Translation, an advertising firm.
Next are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who raked in $50 million. Jolie, like Gisele, made more than her husband, netting $30 million from her films, including the action flicks Salt and The Tourist. Brad Pitt made less, but his latest role in The Tree Of Life has attracted Oscar buzz and may set him up for more successes in the coming year.
Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and soccer star David Beckham and Twilight stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart round out the list, claiming total earnings of $45 million and $40 million respectively.
Kim’s Million-Dollar Wedding
While Robert and Kristen each made a total of $20 million in the past year, socialite Kim Kardashian and her basketball-playing husband, Kris Humphries, raked in nearly $18 million—just from their wedding!
Footage taken of the ceremony last Saturday evening will be made into a four-hour, two-part television special on E! and is expected to net an unbelievable $12 to $15 million for the Kardashian family and the show’s producer, Ryan Seacrest.
The newlyweds also earned:
- $2.5 million for exclusive photos with People magazine
- $300,000 for an exclusive engagement announcement with People
- $100,000 for the exclusive rights to bridal shower photos with Britain’s OK! magazine
- $50,000 to have the bachelorette party at Tao in Las Vegas
You’d think that the amount spent on the wedding would cancel out the profits, but no—many of the expenses were waived so vendors could garner publicity for their brand.
Comped items include three $20,000 Vera Wang gowns—one which Kim wore during the ceremony, and two for later in the evening—a $15,000 Hansen’s Bakery wedding cake, $400,000 worth of Perrier Jouet champagne and $10,000 worth of invitations by Lehr & Black.
So, while the wedding cost an estimated total of $10 million, Kim and Kris didn’t spend nearly as much as they would have, and they’ll make money on it with the television special and the rights to the photographs.
Sounds like they may be gracing Forbes’ list of top wealthiest celebrity couples next year.
Kim’s not the only celebrity who spent—and made—big bucks when she tied the knot. Check out the price tags on these celebrity weddings.
Forget the couples: Who’s the most highly-paid actress in Hollywood? Read about them here.
Image credit: friskytuna / Flickr


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A former Apple employee broke the internet when he warned users not to download iOS17 if they’re using an older iPhone.
The employee has taken to TikTok to explain why and people, predictably, are flabbergasted.
Apple iOS17 update came out just a few weeks ago, but the experience has been suboptimal so far.
Notably, many users claimed their iPhone is now slower, and it overheats massively.
According to ex-Apple employee Tyler Morgan, upgrading to iOS17 is counter-productive for anyone who has an iPhone older than the iPhone 13.
“iOS17 – or any new iOS for that matter – really will slow down older phones,” Morgan said.
Have you experienced battery drain in iOS 17? pic.twitter.com/qdBE6TrjGP— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) October 1, 2023
“iOS17 is designed specifically for the iPhone 15, so obviously it’s most compatible with the 15”, he added. “It’ll be fine with the 14, you’re gonna start noticing it with the 13, and it just goes down from there.”
Further, Morgan explained that the upgrade is unnecessary and may ruin your battery life.
“Here’s a good general rule of thumb, if you’re happy with your overall phone experience on whatever update you’re on, leave it alone,” Morgan further explained. “You can still get security updates without updating iOS, to a degree.”
Over 5,300 people reacted to the video with a comment and the jury is still out.
Some users seem to agree with Morgan.
“My iPhone 11 is fighting for his life,” one user said.
“I’ve noticed [that it got worse, ed.],” another user said.
But not everyone agrees and some users claim their user experience improved with the new upgrade.
“Honestly, my iPhone 13 got even smoother with iOS17”.
“I’ve been running the iOS 17 beta on my iPhone XR just fine,” another commenter wrote.
We’ll find out whether that works or not soon enough.


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Priyanka Chopra is a true blue diva and there is no denying the fact. Not just the film industry, the stunner has also been ruling the fashion industry for ages. Be it her extravagant wedding trousseau or her dramatic red carpet attires, PeeCee never fails to impress the fashion police. Back in June, the actress left us stunned with her traditional avatar for Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's Fresh wedding. Recently, Priyanka took to social media and shared a few gorgeous photos of herself from the wedding.
In the pics, the stunner is seen donning a pale pink organza Sabyasachi sari with floral embroidery and a sleeveless blouse with a plunging neckline. Accessorising her outfit with a pair of huge diamond earrings and a gold watch, the stunner tied her tresses in a braided bun with a few locks left loose and amped up her hairstyle with two roses. For make-up, Priyanka opted for subtle tones on gold and nude. Check out the photos below.
Check out Priyanka's other stunning avatars below.
Last month, Priyanka made headlines due to her lavish birthday celebration. For her 37th birthday, Priyanka along with her family was seen vacationing in Miami. From a five-tiered cake to fulfilling the need of vitamin sea, PeeCee's birthday vacay was absolutely dreamy.
On the work front, Priyanka is all set to make her Bollywood comeback with Shonali Bose's The Sky Is Pink. Co-starring Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim and Rohit Saraf in lead roles, the biographical drama is based on the life of late motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary. The movie has been co-produced by PeeCee's Purple Pebble Pictures and will hit the screens on October 11.
Apart from this, the global icon has also teamed up with American actress Mindy Kaling for her next Hollywood project. The divas will be seen sharing screen space in a wedding comedy.
Stay tuned to ZoomTV.com for latest updates on entertainment, lifestyle, fashion and much more!


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Neil reviews the UK home video release of Paramount and Showtime's HALO season 1. Grab your copy on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now.
CBS Home Entertainment has announced that Paramount+'s HALO season 1 will be coming to home video in the UK this November.
A new photo for the set of Paramount+'s HALO series heralds the beginning of production on the upcoming second season.
Paramount+ has confirmed new titles that will be joining the library here in the UK across the month of August including new Star Trek episodes.
We’re back with the 72nd episode of the GYCO podcast and we’re joined by a some very special guests to celebrate the UK launch of HALO.
Paramount+ has confirmed new titles that will be joining the library here in the UK across the month of July including new Star Trek episodes.
Earlier this week, Neil sat down with HALO stars Pablo Schreiber and Natascha McElhone and producer Kiki Wolfkill to discuss the series UK debut.
Neil reviews the first season of Paramount+'s HALO TV series. Episodes 1-3 are available to stream in the UK now with new episodes weekly.
Take a look at the Paramount+ titles confirmed to arrive on our screens when the service launches in the UK on June 22, 2022.
Master Chief will be reporting for duty from March 24th!


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Rebuilding The Forbidden City, Sorta
Anyone who has used Google’s 3D Warehouse to print elements of Beijing’s Forbidden City, aka the Palace Museum, will be excited to hear this. Loughborough University doctoral student Fangjin Zhang will be using 3D design and printing technology to bring thousands of ancient artefacts back to life.
After a few years of research into the implications of CAD and 3D printing for archaeological restoration. Now Chinese officials have asked her and her team to restore several specific items from the Palace. Let’s hope against hope that some of these end up on Thingiverse!
See original here: Rebuilding The Forbidden City, Sorta
Follow this link: Rebuilding The Forbidden City, Sorta


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An event in Times Square is going to offer an in-depth look at how non-fungible tokens can transform gaming, licensing, art and finance.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been generating a buzz in the crypto world for some time — and now, a conference is being established where enthusiasts and entrepreneurs can delve deeper into these digital assets, exploring the latest trends and uncovering new opportunities in the market.
NFT NYC is taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the PlayStation Theater in New York City’s Times Square, and organizers say more than 50 speakers have accepted invitations to share their insights. In describing what the event sets out to achieve, the objective is simple: “How unique digital assets on the blockchain will transform gaming, licensing, art and finance.”
The event will enable attendees to “meet and hear from some of the biggest names in the collectibles space” —…
Read Full Story : Cointelegraph.com News


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While by about day two every gamer who is interested in E3 2012 will have already seen what’s new and hot, there are certain portions of the festivities that are just hard to duplicate. Chief among those are the pre-E3 press conferences held by all the major publishers, including now Ubisoft and EA.
Though each finds a way to get their press conference to the masses, through live-streams or TV broadcasts, Microsoft is taking it a step further and putting their press conference on their very own console. That’s right, not only will the Microsoft E3 Press Briefing be aired live on Spike TV, but it will also be available on Xbox Live.
Dubbed Xbox: Entertainment Evolved (an odd choice considering Microsoft claims they won’t be announcing a new console), the Microsoft E3 press conference starts Monday June 4th at 12:30 PST, one day before the doors open for E3 2012 proper. Of course, if you are unable to tune into Spike, or if Xbox Live isn’t a viable option, rest assured Game Rant will be in attendance and we will make sure to live-chat and cover everything that Microsoft chooses to unveil.
What might those reveals be you ask? Well Microsoft is typically the place where Activision likes to debut the first Call of Duty gameplay, so expect Black Ops 2 to be there in full force. Kinect is no doubt going to be there, perhaps with a few surprises up its sleeve. There’s also a small game called Halo 4 slated to release later this year — one of the last Xbox 360 exclusives we know about — which is sure to have a much larger presence during the press conference than it did last year.
And, of course, there’s plenty of room for the unexpected surprises. Maybe Microsoft will confirm that ultra cheap 360 bundle, or maybe they’ll completely take everyone by surprise and announce a console. That’s why you should tune in.
What do you hope to see at Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference? Will you be tuning in to either Spike TV or Xbox Live’s coverage?
Source: Major Nelson


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America Movil has ended an agreement to buy a full stake in operations of Digicel in El Salvador, the Reuters reported.
Full Content: Reuters
Related Content: The Consolidation of Competition Law in Latin America
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.


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Holiday safety hazards for new parents to avoid
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Celebrating the holiday season brings joy and wonderful memories, but it can also be a new experience for parents celebrating the season with small children for the first time.
The Gift of Life Foundation aims to provide families with education and resources to provide safe, healthy environments for the new lives they bring into the world.
During the holiday season, GOLF Family Coaching Director Paige Mitchell says there are a number of safety measures new parents may not think to take when purchasing gifts, decorating and preparing food and snacks.
Plugs - Mitchell says it's important to cover plugs. She also suggested not having a lot of different items plugged into one outlet
Food safety - Try not to have hard candy laying around that small children can easily grab and choke on. Mitchell says parents usually remember to cut meals into small, edible pieces for small children but it's the snack trays they tend to forget about. Cubed cheese, nuts, grapes and olives can all be a choking hazard for small children, even though they are popular host snacks to lay out for guests.
Toys - Mitchell says most toys have designated ages they are intended for, and parents should pay attention to those warning labels when purchasing gifts.
Tree safety - While glass ornaments are more traditional, plastic ornaments are less dangerous for kids if they fall off the tree or get pulled down by little hands. The needles from the tree are also unsafe for children to ingest. Mitchell also warned parents to keep a watchful eye over their kids around other holiday plants like holly berries and poinsettias. She said, to children, they look like tasty, bright fruit, but they are poisonous and can make them sick.
Mitchell says it is important for parents to be mindful of the tangible precautions they can take to help ensure safety in their homes during the holiday season, but constant active attention is the most important thing they can give to their children.
The Gift of Life Foundation provides resources for families, including family coaches, nurse-family partnerships, and childbirth information. For more information, you can visit their website.
Copyright 2016 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.


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Santa Maria Sun / Eats
Heard it through the grapevine: The year kicks off with several changes in Santa Barbara County wine country
WENDY THIES SELL
With the New Year come new partnerships in the Santa Barbara County wine industry. Longtime Santa Ynez Valley winemaker Andrew Murray has started leasing the former Curtis Winery estate vineyard, winery, production facility, and tasting room from the Firestone family.
Murray began his winemaking career 24 years ago, focusing primarily on the production of small-lot syrah and Rhone-inspired blends.
Longtime friend Adam Firestone asked him if he had outgrown his current location, the warehouse-style production facility behind Firestone Vineyard known as Area 51.
When Firestone posed the question, Murray said he was “in the unfortunate position where we were selling out of our wines too soon; three, four, six months after releasing them. Pure economics says there are two things you can do: [one is to] raise prices and slow distribution down. … That’s the safe way to grow.
“The less safe way,” Murray said, “the one that gets all of the butterflies going again—the one that feels like I’m starting in the wine business again, like I’m falling in love again—is to say, ‘OK, grow. Reach more people. Reach more states.’ And that’s what we decided to do with this opportunity.”
Of the venture, Firestone said, “We view this as a new branch of our family’s winemaking tradition and as a continuation of the estate’s reputation for producing remarkable Rhone-style wines.”
The Firestone family will continue to farm the estate’s 200 vineyard acres.
Murray will also produce the Firestone family’s Jarhead line of wines. All net proceeds from the sale of Jarhead wines are donated to the Marine Corps Foundation Scholarship, enabling children of fallen Marines to attend college.
Firestone, a former U.S. Marine captain and Gulf War veteran, has given more than half a million dollars to the fund and other efforts, supporting what he calls the “Jarhead Nation.”
The Curtis label will continue in the form of limited-production bottling by Andrew Murray Vineyards.
Murray’s website is AndrewMurrayVineyards.com.
A storm of activity
Curtis Winery’s former winemaking team of Chuck Carlson and Ernst Storm has transitioned out of the winery.
Both are now focusing on their own personal wine brands.
Storm told the Sun, “All is great! I have decided to put my energy into Storm [Wines].”
The South Africa native launched his own boutique label in Santa Barbara County in 2006 called Storm Wines.
“With all the changes happening, it was a good time to take a step back and to look at the future,” he said.
Storm is focused on cool-climate sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. He has garnered excellent reviews for his handcrafted wines, but has been careful about expansion.
“I have always wanted to grow Storm organically and slow. I think we have built strong relationships locally and in Southern California. It is now time to broaden the reach and to take it to the next level,” he said.
“I am adding a chenin blanc and a Rhone blend to my lineup, which will be out later this year. I am super excited about the 2013 vintage and the exciting things happening this year. There is a lot more to come!”
The winery’s website is Storm Wines.com.
A new pairing
It’s also an exciting time at Alma Rosa Winery.
Founder Richard Sanford—one of California’s most recognized pioneering winemakers and a champion of the Sta. Rita Hills winegrowing region for 40 years—has teamed up with a new financial partner, Robert Zorich.
Sanford, a 2012 inductee into the California Vintners Hall of Fame, will continue making his wines under the Alma Rosa label and overseeing the vineyards.
Sanford planted the first pinot noir grapes in the Sta. Rita Hills in 1970, co-founding Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. He and his wife, Thekla, founded Sanford Winery in 1981 and sold it in 2005.
In 2012, their Alma Rosa Winery filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11.
Zorich, a Houston-based businessman with a private equity pedigree, recently purchased Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, located on the Santa Rosa Road corridor of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation.
“I really wanted to do something with Richard Sanford. He has been creating great pinot noir and chardonnay, with integrity and class, for nearly 40 years in Santa Barbara County,” Zorich said. “In private equity, we back highly experienced management teams and give them the tools to create value. This is a very similar situation.”
Added Sanford, “We will now have the opportunity to plant additional vineyards, and we will have state-of-the-art winemaking resources fully available to us. This is truly a dream come true.”
The winery’s website is AlmaRosaWinery.com.
• The Chardonnay Symposium, a popular wine event based in Santa Maria Valley for its first several years, is moving to San Luis Obispo County in 2014. Organizers recently announced that Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa in Pismo Beach would be the event’s new home. Now in its fifth year, the symposium brings together winemakers, sommeliers, media, and food and wine enthusiasts to taste, explore, learn, and enjoy.
The Chardonnay Symposium will be held May 16 and 17.
The full event schedule and ticket information will be announced soon. The website is TheChardonnaySymposium.com.
• Dolphin Bay Resort and The Cliffs Resort had both been host to World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), but in 2014, the wine event dedicated to pinot noir will relocate to Santa Barbara County. Read Eats next week for details on WOPN’s move to the Bacara Resort & Spa this February.
Even while sipping wine at oceanfront wine events, Sun wine and food columnist Wendy Thies Sell can be contacted at email@example.com.
Snubbing Uncle Sam: Local resident touts tax resistance as protest The funding game: After decades of work, the Bob Jones Trail needs a little more money to get it ready for construction Offshore energy: A state task force is in the preliminary stages of creating a wind farm off the Central Coast Trump directives target the Carrizo Plain, offshore drilling Solar farm at Paso Robles airport gets approval Anti-rental inspection petitioners seek compromise with SLO city Clarifications


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In social media, the majority of women are relentlessly judged for not being slender enough, pretty enough, or for having small breasts.
Broadly speaking, posting any photo on social media does not adequately depict a person’s life. According to the University of London’s Gender and Sexualities Research Center, 90% of young women are likely to use filters to alter the appearance of their noses, brighten their teeth, and their skin tone. While receiving a huge amount of likes and valuable exposure from social media posts can be a source of great pleasure for some young people, it can also be of great concern to others.
The ‘likes economy’ is a term for a system of evaluating and judging people, such as acquaintances or future partners. As a result, most people avoid sharing images that would be disliked by a vast number of people.
Women are increasingly retouching their pictures, which leads to others over-editing their own images, resulting in an ideal culture of unapproachable perfection.
For instance, this report surveyed 175 young British women and non-binary people about the influence of social media on them. As a result, it was estimated that 90% felt pressure to present themselves desirable, 70% felt pressure to portray their lives as problem-free, and 75% would never match the pictures they post. It’s also worth noting that these young women are often bombarded with ads or push notifications for beauty treatments to change various aspects of their bodies or faces.
To add, women of colour, people with disabilities, and non-binary people, according to Gill, seldom see anyone online who resembles them.
In large, filters are used in an attempt to enhance our beauty and, in some cases, this is not necessarily harmful. However, the less exposed we are to natural images, such as imperfect skin and wrinkles, the more difficult it is to observe these aspects reflected in the mirror in front of us.


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IDC’s Inaugural Design Symposium on the Value of Design Thinking, Sept. 17-19 2018 presented by Knoll
IDC is very pleased to announce our inaugural Design Symposium will be presented by Knoll and is taking place Sept. 17-19 at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel.
“As we celebrate our 80th anniversary, Knoll is proud to be the presenting partner for the inaugural IDC Design Symposium. Florence and Hans Knoll and their many collaborators inaugurated a new era of integrated design based on principles that remain vital today. We are excited to explore the value of design thinking within the Canadian interior design community!”
Registration for the Symposium is now open and would not be possible without the support from our dedicated sponsors.


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Irish corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa has agreed to buy Pusa Pack, a bag-in-box packaging plant in Spain.
Located in Onda, Valencia, Pusa Pack produces large-capacity flexible bags in sizes ranging from 200l to 1,500l.
These bags are used for storing and transporting bulk food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other liquid and semi-liquid products.
Following the acquisition, Smurfit Kappa will integrate Pusa Pack into its Bag-in-Box operations in Spain.
The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box CEO Thierry Minaud said: “Heavy-duty packaging is evolving towards more environmentally friendly solutions.
“We increasingly see the trend of companies moving away from plastic or stainless-steel intermediate bulk containers (IBC) in favour of much more sustainable corrugated solutions which have a considerably lower carbon footprint.
“It makes perfect sense – if we compare a Smurfit Kappa IBC made of fully recyclable, biodegradable and renewable corrugated with a rigid plastic container, we see an 87% reduction in plastic weight, significant supply chain optimisation, elimination of cleaning requirements and shelf-life extension for the product when aseptic filling technology is applied.”
In addition to strengthening Smurfit Kappa’s Bag-in-Box portfolio, the deal is expected to help the two firms develop a robust supply chain and create market synergies.
Smurfit Kappa said customers in the retail and industrial sectors who are looking for bag-in-box solutions in different formats will also benefit from the deal.
The company’s Bag-in-Box division offers high-quality, large-capacity bags and corrugated cardboard containers through its sales office in Liquiwell, Germany.
Based in Dublin, Smurfit Kappa provides paper-based packaging to companies in 36 countries across Europe and the Americas.
In September this year, the company agreed to acquire Brazilian packaging plant Paperbox.
Located east of Rio de Janeiro in Saquarema, the Paperbox plant covers a 50,000m² area and has its own logistics fleet.


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A free online portal (mall.bh) has been launched by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, allowing shops to sell their goods online.
This is in support of all businesses that have to shutter their services as per government announcements, and for the public to shop from a wide range of services online.
Companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to register on the website free of charge, so far 100 companies have already registered.
The aim is to create an electronic link between consumers and merchants.
A hotline and email have been set up to receive applications, and the website is to continue even after the coronavirus crisis.


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Jul 26, 2012
CEO of Valve says Windows 8 is a "catastrophe"Founder of Valve, Gabe Newell, had a conversation with VentureBeat recently where he talked about the future of the PC market.


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• Check-in online and allow extra time to travel to the airport
• Random acts of kindness – 23,000 great prizes to give away
• Book parking online and save
Celebrate the joy of Christmas this year at Sydney Airport, with free giveaways and entertainment right through to 25 December.
“Christmas is a family celebration and for thousands of people this year, Christmas will start at the airport,” Sydney Airport Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather said.
“This is our busiest time of year and customers should leave additional time when travelling to the airport and where possible, check-in online at home so all you have to do is drop off your bags.
“We’ve also installed additional SmartGates at Customs in time for Christmas and we’d encourage eligible passport holders to use them.
“The weekend before Christmas (22-23 December) will be the busiest time of year at the international terminal, while passengers will peak at the T2 domestic terminal on Christmas Eve.
“We will have extra staff throughout Christmas to help during the peak period.
“Remember, there are plenty of options for travelling to the airport, including the AirportLink service, which takes just 15 minutes from the CBD.
“If you’re picking up family or friends or dropping them off at the airport over the coming weeks, we have two new great value parking deals that mean you won’t have to rush and can enjoy our full entertainment program.
“Park for up to three hours at the international terminal for $20 or $18 for up to two hours at the domestic terminal.
“We will have entertainment every day leading up to Christmas and this year’s program includes the Police Band, the Salvation Army Choir and the Aurora Australis Chorus.
A full schedule of the entertainment program is on the Sydney Airport website.
Sydney Airport is giving away 23,000 gifts – from free coffee to iPod shuffles to digital cameras to a $2,000 diamond and opal pendant from Opal Fields – in our random acts of kindness campaign at T1 international this year.
“We’ll be randomly surprising customers at the international terminal with 23,000 gifts from now until Christmas,” Ms Mather said.
Finally, the Sydney Airport Community’s Giving Tree appeal is raising money for the Starlight Children’s Foundation this Christmas and customers can help by:
- Getting their presents wrapped at our gift wrap bars at T1 and T2* for a gold coin donation;
- Purchasing a $10 overnight bag, with $5 from the sale of each bag to go to Starlight; or,
- Purchasing Starlight merchandise or making a donation at one of the many collection points throughout the terminal – look out for the purple boxes.
“Starlight helps thousands of families every year and this Christmas, the Sydney Airport community is working together to help Starlight grant 154 wishes to sick and hospitalised children,” Ms Mather said.
*Gift wrapping at T2 to commence on 20 December.
Manager, Media and Communications
(02) 9667 6470 or 0437 033 479


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I watched this really interesting video by a channel on YouTube. I think this is a really awesome way to do storytelling and journalism. Laura Ling is the main journalist on this channel, and she does a really great job of walking the viewer through the stories. It is shot very well, and I think a pretty powerful story.
This article is pretty interesting, Samsung buys out a Harman, an auto part supplier for $8 billion. While Samsung has said it will not be making cars, they will be helping “[change] behavior of consumers” as the mobile and auto industries increasingly merge. I’m sure some really cool innovations will be found through this merger. Let’s just hop nothing explodes.
Apple released its new MacBook and it looks so cool. Maybe their phones are “overrated” to a lot of people, but they are surely stepping up their game in the laptop design. The new Macbooks feature something called a TouchBar. This area near the base of the screen allows users to edit photos, video, and do much more with a lot of ease. They took away all the “f” keys, which I think is a smart move. Personally I never use those keys anyways. They also have added TouchID to the computers, so that is definitely noteworthy. I may have to get my hands on one of these soon!
There is talk about Apple releasing a new keyboard in 2018. The keyboard would be much more adaptive for the user by creating a blank slate of keys that change with the app or program being used while on the computer. This could be really cool for adapting emojis in to posts that normally would not have them. It could create a whole new emoji culture which could be pretty interesting. I wonder how this could translate into writing stories or even editing videos. It will be interesting to see this play out in the future.
Samsung has officially cancelled the Galaxy Note 7. As of this morning the company says they want to ensure their customers safety. While I don’t own a Note, I’m glad to see the company taking initiative and getting it off the market. The company will really have to bring out the fireworks (hopefully not actual fireworks) to get people on board to buy their new Galaxy 8. The company lost a lot of shares in stock just this morning. I am very curious to see what the new phone will entail, and also if loyal Samsung owners will stay loyal, or switch to other brands.
I saw this article on the Los Angeles Time about Facebook’s release of Marketplace. This new feature is essentially like EBay or Craigslist. It seems pretty interesting, and I’m curious if it will take off. The article says they tried to release something like this before in 2007, but it flopped. According to the article, 450 million users visit their buy and sell groups. We’ll see how it does, if it takes off it could add a whole new element to Facebook. Continue reading “Facebook launches new feature”
NPR’s Guy Raz has a story today on his segment “How I Built This” about the creation of Instagram and its success. Check out the story. It’s pretty interesting to hear from the creators, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger on what was going through their mind and how they created the app. Funny enough, on the day it launched Systrom and Krieger put the app on one server. Within hours the site crashed, and almost caused the it to crash and burn. Luckily, it didn’t and is a huge success today!


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'TOMB RAIDER LEGEND'
XBOX 360 SCREENS
Copyright 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
[ October 4th 2005 ]
has released a spanking new series of Tomb
Raider Legend screen shots from Microsoft's
XBOX 360 video-game console. The British publisher
will also use the official unveiling of a brand
Raider web site to announce a version of Tomb
Raider Legend for the Xbox 360 console.
Raider Legend is now under the aegis of Crystal
Dynamics, and will release on Sony Playstation
2, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360 and PC DVD
Q1 2006. Follow the below hyperlink to collect
Raider Legend Xbox 360 screen shots


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您现在的位置是：부모와 아이 >>正文
BAT design chief stresses responsible design
简介Global tobacco giant British American Tobacco Group discussed its future design strategies during a ...
Global tobacco giant British American Tobacco Group discussed its future design strategies during a design conference held in Seoul last week, highlighting the social and ethical responsibilities industrial designers must undertake when designing heating tobacco products, according to the company on Monday.
"The role of designers is changing, from simply designing products to assuming social and environmental responsibilities. This (new role) is not a choice for individual designers to make, but a common goal the industry and society must undertake together in order to move forward," Ken Kim, the head of design at BAT Group, was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Kim made the remarks during Design Korea 2023, the largest design conference in South Korea held from Wednesday to Sunday, under the theme "Designing for Better World."
Kim is the first Korean to head the product design processes for products sold by BAT. His portfolio includes heating tobacco products such as Vuse Epod 2, Glo Pro Slim and Glo Hyper X2.
During the conference, Kim gave a presentation that reviewed measures on how designs could address social issues such as carbon neutrality amid heightened regulations, emphasizing that designs could function as an important key to the industry's sustainable future. In addition to the social responsibilities industrial designers must take into consideration, he further highlighted the ethical responsibilities designers must assume.
"In particular, the heating tobacco products industry should carefully consider design factors that can affect the minors. We need a balanced design strategy that does not stimulate the curiosity of minors, through conducting analysis of design preferences by age groups," he said.
In line with the recent launch of Glo Hyper Air in September, BAT Rothmans, the Korean unit of BAT Group, said it ran a pop-up booth introducing the tobacco heater at Design Korea 2023. Designed by Kim, the new product boasts high portability, weighing 75 grams, with a slim design inspired by aircraft.
"Designs should not simply center on providing attractive appearance but encompass meaning, value and responsibility. I hope we all share that responsibility and pursue design for a better future," said Kim.
- 부모와 아이
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday ordered the Cabinet to look into possibilities of a cyberattack o ...
- 부모와 아이
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- [Korean History] Bodies of two infants discovered in freezer in Seoul's Seorae Village
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FM Park, Blinken to meet in Seoul next week
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- [Herald Interview] As a wanderer, Yoshitomo Nara does not confine himself to art
- Political strife may delay Korea’s launch of new space agency
- [Herald Interview] Kim Jee
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China has successfully positioned itself as a key part of the global supply chain over the past three decades. Its share of global merchandise exports was just 4% before its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, but it quickly became the world’s largest goods exporter, expanding its market share to 14% by the end of 2015. Despite a subsequent modest decline in its global share, its exports picked up sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. China’s successful containment measures for the virus allowed production there to recover even as it was being curtailed elsewhere; and Beijing also benefited from its dominance in the manufacture of medical equipment and electronic goods used to work from home.
Using Fathom’s proprietary RiCArdo dataset, we can identify the sectors in which China shows a revealed comparative advantage (RCA). This measures a country’s exports in a particular sector as a share of that country’s total exports, relative to the same calculation for the rest of the world. If a country has an RCA greater than 1, that sector holds a greater importance to that country’s exports compared to the world average, and hence, the country can be said to specialise in that field. These industry sectors have been painstakingly categorised and grouped from over 1000 different export products, allowing us to better reflect the composition of select industries, including those targeted by President Xi’s Made In China 2025 plan.
Using this framework and dataset, we can see that China’s greatest specialism continues to be in manufactured goods, particularly in clothing and accessories and in machinery, as relatively low manufacturing costs, a large domestic market and well-established supply chains all continue to provide China with significant competitive advantages. That being said, China’s edge in the clothing and accessories sector has dwindled since 2010, with its RCA falling from 3.5 to 2.8. Countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam have benefited from the movement of lower cost production out of China. Interestingly, China appears to have increased its RCA in construction services. This is likely to be linked to its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which delivers construction and investment projects in 140 countries. Its share of global exports in construction services roughly doubled over the past decade, though not all of those projects can be considered a success.
Another policy impacting China’s trade specialisms is its flagship Made in China 2025 (MIC 2025) initiative. Announced in 2015, and a central part of the thirteenth and fourteenth five-year plans, MIC 2025’s stated ambition is to develop new specialisms in nine high-tech industries. China has become the largest exporter of goods in those MIC 2025 industries, taking market share from other advanced economies. However, those gains were largely made prior to the introduction of MIC 2025, with China’s share of global high-tech exports virtually the same in 2020 as it was in 2015.
Looking at the breakdown of growth in China’s MIC 2025 exports in recent years, it has recorded consistent gains in only a handful of areas, including the new energy, medical and IT sectors. Of these, only in the new energy sector has progress outstripped other countries since 2015, as evidenced by a rising RCA in the chart below. As a result, China now holds a revealed comparative advantage in new energy. Progress in this area should prove helpful for China in meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2060 (a target Fathom believes will have to be increased if the Paris goals are to be met), as it will need to change its energy mix and reduce its reliance on coal.
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China began a major transition to the use of nuclear power and renewables for electricity, which is supported by grid flexibility, energy system reform, and carbon pricing. In 2020, China’s renewables capacity increased by 136 GW (NEA), more than ever before. That made China responsible for nearly 50% of global renewable capacity additions (280 GW, IEA). Furthermore, CCUS technology, which has not been implemented at scale, will be promoted in coal plants (7% in 2060, Tsinghua University) . Nuclear power will ultimately comprise a large share of the total energy mix (13%, Tsinghua University) for power generation and it will also have to explore decarbonization and broaden the adoption and efficacy of CCUS technology.
But in most sectors, for example aerospace and the medical industry, progress in China’s RCA has stalled since the introduction of MIC 2025. This may be due to international pressures. Led by the US, a number of advanced economies have responded to President Xi’s plan with more restrictive trade policies and a greater focus on developing their own high-tech sectors.
Going forward, the more restrictive international environment for Chinese exports and investment will continue to inhibit President Xi’s goals for the high-tech industries. At the same time, the increasingly interventionist stance of the Chinese government at home, demonstrated by the recent crackdown on various technology companies, also risks stifling domestic private sector innovation.
To find out more about Fathom’s RiCArdo tool and how it could help you, or to subscribe to the database which is available for a wider set of countries, please contact us: firstname.lastname@example.org.
 As of January 2021
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Evidence is mounting that the Chinese authorities may be willing to accept slower growth ...
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DONNA KARAN: ‘RETAIL FOCUSED, DESIGN DRIVEN’
Byline: Janet Ozzard / With contributions from Carmen Borgonovo / Vicki M. Young
NEW YORK — She’s best known as a designer, but these days Donna Karan is thinking more like a retailer.
That’s because freestanding stores are becoming a lot more important to the designer’s company. Chief executive officer John D. Idol said he expected that five years from now, 50 percent of revenues would come from direct retail. Right now, it’s about 25 percent, he told listeners at a Banc of America Securities Consumer Conference last month.
“We used to be a design-driven company,” Idol said. “Now, we’re a retail-focused company, but still design-driven. We make sure we have the product and the concept, and then focus on who is the customer that we’re trying to reach.”
Idol projected total 1999 sales for Donna Karan International of about $1 billion and expects sales to hit the $1.5 billion mark by the end of 2001. In comparison, the company had sales of just $750 million in 1997, when Idol joined the firm. Licensing revenue for the company in 1999 is projected at $32 million and is expected to rise to $44 million in 2000, he said.
Neither Karan, who is chief designer and chairman of her company, nor Idol is advocating an exit from wholesaling, of course. But every company has to throw itself in the path of ever more harried customers, and if that means splitting the business between Karan’s own stores and the wholesale business, then so be it, is the feeling of Karan and Idol.
What will fill the shelves of all those new stores? Accessories, for one, and a newly rethought Signature collection, said the designer.
Karan had a collection accessories line from 1987 until two years ago, when she closed it down.
“At the time, we were putting all of our energy into DKNY, and as a result, Donna Karan accessories took a hit,” she said “I just wasn’t happy with the designs and felt it was better to halt the collection and come back to it later with a more focused eye.”
The new group, which will ship to all the freestanding Donna Karan stores and a limited number of specialty stores, is inspired by some of those first Karan designs. That means oversized, user-friendly bags ranging in shapes from messengers and totes to shoulder bags.
“I wanted to create bags that live far beyond a particular season,” said the designer. “I have been carrying the same bag for the past 10 years and I think women today are looking to buy a bag that will stay with them forever.”
Materials in the new line include alligator, leather with alligator trim, cashmere tweed and pebble leather accented with with gold metal hardware. There’s also a selection of structured small- framed evening bags in satin, alligator and crushed velvet and beaded designs. The larger shapes are all double-faced in suede in black, bordeaux, brown tones, violet, moss and green.
There are also small leather goods, including wallets, belts and agendas. Prices are not yet final, Karan said.
Then there’s Signature, which is priced about 35 percent below the Collection line. Launched a few years ago as basics for the designer customer, Signature had evolved into a replenishment program for key Karan looks like black leather separates or knitwear. Signature will still have that, but starting with fall shipments, it will also have a separate identity in stores as a resource for a customer willing to spend designer dollars, but whose taste isn’t quite as forward.
“It has become large enough to stand on its own,” said Karan. Plus, she said, this will free her to be as experimental as she wants to be in Collection. There, she said, “garments have become extremely expensive because we’re using the most experimental fabrics and experimental cuts.”
Signature is made in Italy, she said, and it could be a good venture there since jackets, for example, wholesale for $380 to $440, which is more on a par with European diffusion lines. Those customers here are covered by the bridge market.
“We’ve got an incredible amount of young, hip and trendy stuff, but who is talking to the career customer, who is ageless but young in spirit?” she asked.
Signature will go to Karan’s collection stores and to a limited number of accounts that can merchandise it separately from collection, she said. Signature will have a separate marketing campaign, although Karan said she hadn’t decided whether to advertise or build awareness by direct marketing.
All this talk of freestanding stores shouldn’t spook Karan’s wholesale accounts, said the executives.
“What you need is the appropriate distribution for each line to avoid cannibalization in terms of the channel and brand,” Idol explained. “Consumers will shop wherever they are, whether you are there or not. You lose sales if you’re not there.”
However, Idol added that department stores “never represent your product the way you want.” That’s one of the attractive aspects to self-owned stores, Idol said, as is the bottom line.
“The 60th Street and Madison Avenue DKNY flagship was profitable from the day it opened,” last August, he said. There are 13 company-owned DKNY stores and seven more are set to open this year, said Idol.
“After that, we’ll do a 20-plus-a-year rollout,” he added. The firm also owns its two Donna Karan Collection stores, one in Manhasset, N.Y., and the other in the U.K. The company ended 1999 with 60 outlet stores, all company-owned. There are 79 freestanding licensed stores internationally.


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Posted by Dale Buss on June 20, 2012 04:11 PM
Procter & Gamble keeps lowering expectations for investors, partly because P&G keeps getting disappointed by shoppers worldwide.
One of the world's largest CPG companies and marketers cut forecasts for its fiscal fourth-quarter (April-June 2012) revenues and earnings today, citing weakness in developed markets such as Europe and North America, less progress than hoped for in emerging markets, and its own inability to cut costs and streamline the business as fast as CEO Bob McDonald would like to.
The new forecast projects a 1 to 2 percent drop in revenue for the April to June quarter, compared with the company's previous forecast of a 1 to 2 percent gain. "We are making the necessary adjustments to our growth strategy to increase focus on our core business and to achieve more balanced growth across geographies, product categories and the top and bottom lines," McDonald said in a statement.
Why does P&G have to keep ratcheting down expectations to catch up with its performance? The company already is in the midst of a restructuring plan that calls for cutting 5,700 jobs by the end of fiscal 2013 and saving $10 billion in costs — including trimming $1 billion in marketing expenditures — by the end of fiscal 2016.
P&G cited several factors, including slower-than-expected market growth rates and market-share softness in developed regions and negative foreign-exchange rates. McDonald told investors on a call that the company has still "struggled with operating profit."
To continue to press his fixes, McDonald said, P&G will try to "keep growing in our home market" even as developing economies represent an ever-bigger portion of its sales, up to 37 percent this year compared wtih 20 percent in 2000.
P&G will focus on promoting and driving growth in its top 40 best-performing businesses, mostly based in China, Brazil and Russia; top 20 innovations; and top 10 developing markets, McDonald said.
And clearly McDonald and his brain trust will be working even harder to make sure they're getting some results during this quarter. He doesn't want to have to deliver the same message again in three months.


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Although Square is often mentioned among the serious new players now competing with traditional banks, the company has struggled, losing $100 million last year. Making a profit in payments is not easy, given the thin margins involved, and yet there is so much innovation going on in the space. Square took the next step this week in expanding its business beyond payments to commercial loans based on the significant foothold it has already gained in processing card transactions for merchants.
With payments, it’s not the transaction that you want, it’s the transaction’s data. This is why there’s so much innovation happening in a market that offers such thin profit margins. Companies want that data to find new ways to disrupt commerce and gain new customers. In Square’s case, it is now using the transaction data it gets from its merchant customers to determine if they can qualify for a cash advance.
[For More on Disintermediation in Payments: Banks Can Thrive in the New Payments World]
This is an important point: Square will come to the merchants with a cash advance offer, rather than having the merchant apply for the advance. The data that Square has collected from the merchant will help it determine the terms of the loan, giving Square greater confidence that the merchant will be able to repay, even though there’s no application and approval process.
That application and approval process that banks have relied on for years to determine creditworthiness is the first pain point Square is trying to solve in commercial payments. The other reason there is so much innovation happening in payments is because there’s clear pain points to be solved in the market.
And there are clear pain points in traditional commercial loans through a bank. Applying for a loan from a bank can take months and can involve mounds of paperwork. For a small merchant it can be a huge hassle. Imagine how much easier it would be to have the loan provider come to you with an offer that you’ve already been vetted for. And Square claims it can offer next delivery of funds once the loan offer is accepted.
Matthew Panzarino of TechCrunch spoke to a couple of merchants that had received cash advances in the pilot for Square Capital, the new commercial loans program. “It was much easier to get than a traditional loan,” Darren Scott of Zero Friends, one of the merchants, related. “Everything was straightforward and easy to understand.”
That simplicity that Scott talks about is seriously lacking in today’s typical loan process. And providing simple terms for financial products has helped other non-banks succeed in financial services, like Bluebird.
The other pain point that Scott mentions in the TechCrunch article that Square Capital solves is the pain of actually paying the loan back. Instead of charging a flat payment each month like a bank would, Square will take a percentage out of each credit card transaction it processes for the merchant for repayment of the loan. This means that if sales are down, the merchant doesn’t have to struggle to meet that flat monthly payment. They pay back what they can according to their sales, which also incentivizes the merchant to encourage customers to pay with their card rather than cash.
Whether this will significantly improve Square’s business is anyone’s guess. But the move shows how new entrants in financial services can leverage data and analytics to solve traditional pain points for customers and build strong relationships with customers that used to go to a bank for financial products and services.
Jonathan Camhi has been an associate editor with Bank Systems & Technology since 2012. He previously worked as a freelance journalist in New York City covering politics, health and immigration, and has a master's degree from the City University of New York's Graduate School ... View Full Bio