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- The mega-retailer warned investors sales would moderate without COVID rush
- Company made potential game-changing tele-health move in Q1
- Rival retailers eyeing Walmart's
WMTplans for countering food price inflation
When Walmart (WMT) rang up record-breaking sales numbers but missed Wall Street’s expectations in the last quarter, it warned that the blockbuster results—for an essential retailer of its size—snagged during the pandemic would not be sustainable.
As one of the chosen big-box stores allowed to keep its doors open—when most of the country was ordered into lockdown last year—WMT churned out mega sales numbers as consumers flocked to Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, as well as its e-commerce platform. On the flip side, WMT also racked up big-time expenses mostly tied to labor, sanitation, fulfillment costs, and technology.
But the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company—still holding the mantle of world’s largest—said essentially that it was looking to take that consumer momentum and make hay while the sun was still shining and consumers had not yet fully ventured out to see it.
On the Q4 conference call back in February 2021, Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said the last fiscal year was “the most challenging and unique time we've all faced.”
“However, it's also a time that presents great opportunities,” he added. “This is an important moment for Walmart and we are ready.”
Will WMT be as ready as Biggs and Chief Executive Doug McMillion rallied for on that last call? That’s something investors should probably listen for during the earnings call, scheduled for Tuesday, May 18 before the open. A 100-page WMT document shared with Recode, an independent media source, laid out some of the challenges WMT might face as it continues to battle the likes of Amazon
Back to the Past
A handful of analysts are expecting fiscal 2022 to be a “year of stagnation” or very modest growth. Actually, it could be more of a return to normal for the chain that, like many firms with billion-dollar sales in triple digits, doesn’t see growth go much beyond mid- to low-single digits each year.
In the fiscal Q4, WMT’s U.S. same-store sales logged a robust 8.6% gain—a tough hurdle for Q1 to top. Even with stimulus checks in hand, WMT shoppers weren’t expected to beat down the doors like they did a year ago, and the retailer believes comps will fall into more familiar single digits.
Biggs even said so during a February call with analysts and investors. “Even if conditions stay generally similar to now, for any length of time this year and with limited additional stimulus, we would expect continued solid underlying performance from Walmart U.S. with low single-digit comps and continued solid e-commerce sales growth.”
He also said to expect total company sales to tumble after sales from businesses WMT got out of were no longer counted—namely Walmart Argentina (which closed late last year), Asda in the U.K. (which it closed in February), and Seiyu in Japan (closed in March).
As a result, Q1 operating income was expected to be “relatively flat” while earnings per share might edge slightly higher, Biggs said.
“Again, and I probably can't stress this enough,” he added, “we are in a very unusual time, causing projections even in the short-term to be very challenging and open to significant fluctuation.”
What to Listen For …
Plenty of what the McMillion-Biggs team talked about in February was already in the pipeline or was being strongly hinted at and investors might want to know more about them. Here are a few things to consider listening for:
● McMillion talked quite a bit about how WMT “can do more to serve the healthcare needs of families.” And earlier this month, WMT announced plans to add tele-health provider MeMD to its stable of healthcare services that include pharmacy, optical, hearing, and over-the-counter meds. What’s the game plan for MeMD and how will it fit in with other services?
● In that same vein, McMillon added investors should “also consider our position as the country’s largest seller of food and how that relates to health.” This may be a hint to a shift in focus to expand a business line—or perhaps the possibility of another future acquisition.
● WMT’s e-commerce sales—often a big traffic feeder to stores for the buy online, pick up in store option—surged 69% in Q4 and McMillon boasted about how the “combination of store and e-commerce is a big winner.” With plans to step up capital expenditures this year to $14 billion, Biggs talked about the need to “lean in more aggressively” toward fulfillment capacity, supply chain, automation, and technology in key markets. WMT has been testing a plethora of means to step up delivery and fulfillment and may have more to talk about.
● COVID-19 costs tallied nearly $1.1 billion in Q4 and it could be interesting to see if and how WMT was able to mitigate those spending levels, offering a guidepost for how rivals might be handling them too.
The Food Marker
What might WMT say about food inflation? That’s a topic a handful of analysts bandied about in reports last week. Wells Fargo
The domino effect is in play here. WFC Analyst Edward Kelly said he sees “strengthening PPI as a net positive read-through for food distributors” who tend to see better profits per case during inflationary periods.
But for those who sell goods directly to consumers—grocers—it’s a bit more tricky. Grocers might simply pass the costs on to consumers or they might up the game against rivals by keeping prices in line to preserve market share at the cost of margin loss.
As Kelly notes: “Pass-through to consumers may be more difficult in an environment where players are fighting to retain share post-COVID and promotions normalize.”
Given the WMT memo’s worry about grocery shares, this could become even more weighty and is something Kelly and others say they, as well as WMT’s rivals, will be listening to for more color.
But the answer may already lie in another one of Biggs' comments on the February call when asked about the impact of wages on operating profits: “In the U.S., there's a lot changing in the P&L, and one of the things over the last several years is we've had gross margin that has decreased fairly significantly as we've invested in price and done other things.” Stay tuned.
The Membership Game
WMT placed a stake in the membership arena with Walmart+ in September (though, let’s not forget WMT is no stranger to membership given that’s the business model for Sam’s Club) and has not yet seen the kind of growth in numbers analysts said they were hoping for.
Though it appeared the service—$98 for free delivery and other perks—was off to a good start, by late April analysts were seeing the numbers drop. Research by Cowen & Co.’s Oliver Chen found membership had likely slipped to 11.1 million households from 13 million in March. Chen and others wonder if the service has plateaued given the awareness rates have hovered in mid-50% range.
McMillon has said he’s more concerned, for now at least, with how members score the services than how many members are in it. “The number of memberships will work out, but let's focus on quality as we start to scale it,” he said in February. Analysts will likely want to know if that’s still the focus.
Walmart Earnings and Options Activity
When Walmart releases Q1 earnings before the open Tuesday, May 18, it's expected to report adjusted earnings of $1.21 per share, up from $1.18 in the year-ago quarter, according to 3rd-party consensus estimates. Revenue is expected to come in at $131.95 billion, about a half a percent lower than the year-ago results.
Options traders have priced in a 2.9% stock move in either direction around the coming earnings release, according to the Market Maker Move™ indicator on the thinkorswim® platform.
Looking at the May 21 options expiration, puts have seen a concentration at the 135 strike. More activity has been seen to the upside, particularly at the 145 and 150 strikes. Implied volatility was at the 21st percentile as of Monday morning.
Note: Call options represent the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying security at a predetermined price over a set period of time. Put options represent the right, but not the obligation, to sell the underlying security at a predetermined price over a set period of time.
TD Ameritrade® commentary for educational purposes only. Member SIPC. Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options.


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New Delhi. Apple is reportedly planning to launch a foldable device in 2024. According to analyst firm CCS Insight, the company may launch a foldable version of the iPad instead of the iPhone in the near future. Smartphone OEMs like Xiaomi, Oppo, Samsung and most recently Vivo are all launching foldable versions of their flagship smartphones. Microsoft’s Surface Duo, on the other hand, comes closest to the iPad mini when used in its unfolded form. If the analyst’s prediction is correct, Apple may take inspiration from Microsoft.
It also means that Apple’s foldable can run on iPadOS instead of iOS. The company may also explore options to build a custom OS for this form factor, which is similar to Google’s tailored Android 12L for foldables and tablets. Speaking about the foldable iPad, Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC that “a folding iPhone would be super high risk(y) for Apple”.
Also read this news: At the time of farewell, father spits on his own daughter’s breast, then turns his head, know why?
He further told the publication, “It doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone right now. We think they’ll give up on that trend and probably dip a toe in the water with a foldable iPad”. The analyst suggests that Apple doesn’t really need a foldable device, but it could be joining the bandwagon as Google is also rumored to launch its own folding Pixel phone next year. “Apple has no choice but to respond as the trend toward foldables picks up,” Wood told CNBC.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of a foldable Apple device, but before that, rumors claimed the development of a foldable iPhone instead of a tablet. Earlier this year, research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants had claimed that Apple is working on a folding smartphone that could launch in 2025. It also said that the company is looking at foldable technology for about 20-inch display. Furthermore, notable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also highlighted the development of a foldable iPhone, which is expected to launch in 2024.
Also read this news: Thieves stole crores of ‘Bentley Mulsanne’ car from London and took it to Pakistan! Know what is the whole matter?
CCS Insight also reveals that Apple is working on its own in-house 5G modem. Since the launch of the iPhone 12, the company has been using Qualcomm modems to unlock 5G capabilities. This modem will probably be integrated into the proprietary. Apple’s partnership with Qualcomm will reportedly end in 2023. If that’s true, it would be another major change in Apple’s product strategy. After the partnership with Intel ended, the company began producing custom silicon chips for its laptops and desktops. However, many key components are purchased from third party producers. For example, the company relies on display suppliers such as Samsung and BOE. The company uses NAND storage by Kioxia (formerly Toshiba).
Its plans to use YMTC’s 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory for iPhones stalled after the US government put the Chinese company on the so-called unverified company list.
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The severe delinquency rate on private label retail credit cards jumped 57 basis points from March of last year and stands at 4.65 percent, according to Equifax’s latest National Consumer Credit Trends Report.
In a press release highlighting the results, Equifax said outstanding balances of $81.7 billion are up 0.8 percent from the same period last year, with delinquencies rising steadily on a seasonal basis since 2013. Currently, they are at their highest level since the early part of 2011.
“Lots of retailers are standing at the intersection of brick and mortar versus digital, with the latter often getting the right of way — a trend the industry has seen for the last several years, and it continues into 2018,” said Amy Crews Cutts, chief economist, Equifax, in the press release. “With these higher delinquency rates in private label cards, we see that some consumers are abandoning their payment responsibilities when retailers close a local store or declare bankruptcy. This is a huge mistake, as the lenders behind the private label cards are still reporting to credit bureaus and the creditors to the retailer are keen to collect any outstanding accounts receivable toward their outstanding debts. The decision not to pay on these cards in the hopes that the retailer will forget them will haunt these consumers for a while and will impact their ability to take out credit in the future.”
In addition to rising delinquency rates with private label retail credit cards, Equifax found that mortgage debt now makes up a smaller portion of the total debt of consumers.
It currently stands at 71.2 percent compared to 78.4 percent in 2008. The makeup of non-mortgage debt has also changed. Equifax found that all credit cards account for 21.4 percent of non-mortgage debt, which is down from 10 years ago when it stood at 29 percent. The $1.4 trillion in outstanding student loans now accounts for 36.9 percent of all non-mortgage debt, up from 21.8 percent 10 years ago. Auto loans and leases stand at $1.24 trillion, which is a new record.
“Student loan debt is not a bad thing when students actually receive a degree,” said Cutts. “However, starting college and not finishing can leave a consumer’s finances in distress, with generally nothing to show for it. Importantly, the $1.4 trillion in student loans reported to Equifax represents only loans still considered active — the Department of Education guarantees about $154 billion in defaulted loans on which it is still trying to collect that are no longer reported to credit bureaus.”


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Norway’s largest commercial broadcaster TV 2 recently released a startling statistic revealing how many people it’s reaching online every day. The number – 1,5 million – is impressive enough, but throw in the fact that the company had a whopping 170,000 more unique users in Q4 2022 than the previous year (making them the fastest growing news outlet in the country) and TV 2 is doing phenomenally well when it comes to digital growth. The biggest gamechanger? A content management system called Labrador.
“(The growth) is a result of a determined strategy and the way that our journalists, editors and front editors work,” says TV 2 manager Derek André Bjølgerud. “It’s also about choosing the right CMS, a CMS that is so easy to work with that even media leaders can use it.
“In order to deliver quality content on all platforms, TV 2 is dependent on a publishing platform that is efficient and user friendly. We found that in Labrador CMS.”
A CMS developed by journalists for journalists, Labrador has been a part of the digital strategy at TV 2 for a decade. The system allows editing directly in the layout for both text and images so journalists no longer need to switch between a multitude of different tools.
“TV 2’s growth strategy to have a CMS that is so easy to work with, even leaders can use it became a causeway between the different departments in the media group,” says CEO of Labrador CMS, Jan Thoresen. “Now both digital and TV can use the same system.”
A true homegrown success story, Labrador CMS is tailor made in Norway. The Labrador journey started back in 2008 when Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet decided the systems available weren’t good enough for a modern newsroom.
Since then, a dedicated group of developers, mainly with backgrounds from the media industry, have kept on building and improving Labrador to the leading cloud-based, SaaS CMS it is today.
“Our team have experience from large news operations and international magazine publishing,” says Thoresen. “Together with our 2000 users we make sure the system puts journalism first.
“We believe we are in a new phase of web publishing. You can log into Labrador and have your own media house. What we do is to remove tech out of the equation. Now publishers can concentrate on producing content, distribution and creating revenue.”
A match made in heaven
According to TV 2 manager Derek André Bjølgerud, Labrador CMS is the company’s most valuable tool.
“The vast majority of our online content goes through Labrador. That includes all articles in classical formats and video clips,” he says. “The system is so important to TV 2 that we are part owners of the company Labrador CMS AS, that delivers the system.
“Every journalist and editor in TV 2 have to use Labrador CMS. It’s with this tool we can build a user experience in the easiest way on all our digital platforms.
“Labrador has a slogan that ‘What you see is what you get’, and that is actually completely accurate. I think that is the foundation that made the entire organisation, both TV and online reporters alike, to work in the system.
“This common ground is important to make sure that everyone is playing on the same team. Or else you could risk that the TV news, that makes great and important journalism, won’t reach the online viewers.”
A matter of trust
Labrador’s slogan not only sums up how user-friendly its CMS is, but is also an ethos that permeates throughout the entire company.
“Norway has a trust economy, also in business. To be trusted is more important than contracts for us,” says Thoresen. “So, we make sure we are trustworthy. When it comes to tech, there seems to be a bit of a headless hybris in our industry now.
“We see a lot of incoming customers struggling with their headless tech stack. We support what we call Beyond Headless. We provide all the tools you expect form a headless system, but in addition we provide your developers with a complete rendering engine. Now you can use all the built-in functionality out of the box, then build your secret sauce on top.
“This approach is much faster and less development intensive. And it makes it possible to do visual editing of both front pages and articles. No competitor in the market has this.”


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Oracle founder and chief technology officer Larry Ellison unleashed a new offensive against cloud rival Amazon Web Services, introducing a new autonomous operating system and a guarantee to Amazon clients
In a few cases,your SIM card may pose more of a security risk than your phone's software. AdaptiveMobile Security researchers say they've discovered a new vulnerability, nicknamed Simjacker, that's being
Way back in 2017, two researchers at Black Hills Information Security disclosed how a vulnerability in the Google Calendar app was leaving more than a billion users open to a credential-stealing exploit.
A week after gaming platform Roblox announced its new milestone of 100 million monthly users — topping Minecraft — the company said at its fifth annual developer conference that its developer community


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New Ken Dolls Hit Stores Shelves This Week
Mattel just announced variety of new Ken Dolls. There are seven different skin tones, three different body types, and nine unique hairstyles including the dreaded "man bun!" The body types are regular, slender, and, quote, "broad." Ten of these new dolls hit stores Tuesday, and five more are going to come out over the next several months.
Read more at Good Morning America.


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Amazon Prime Day started last night July 10 at 9 pm Eastern time and will run for about 30 hours. Prime Day is basically the Cyber Monday in July. It’s for Prime members only, which costs members about $99 per year. Of course, you’ll get free 1 day shipping for all orders, as well as deep discounts on special days such as Prime Day. This year’s big discounts are:
- Amazon Echo Dot at $34.99 (30% off)
- Amazon Echo at $89.99 (50% off)
- Fire 7 at $29.99 (40% off)
- Bose Soundlink Mini at $129.00 (35% off)
- Sony 55 inch 4K TV at $499.00 (37% off)
Prime Day ends in less than 17 hours.
What is Prime Day? Prime Day is a new sales holiday invented by Amazon. It was held on a Wednesday in the middle of the summer. It proved a huge success for the company. How successful was Prime Day? It sold more units than the biggest Black Friday ever back in 2014. You have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the discounts, meaning you pay an annual fee of $99 for free two-day shipping and other benefits. Not everyone is happy with Prime Day. Some critics say that Amazon didn’t offer enough in-demand tech gadgets. Some say Amazon was selling useless crap. Despite the criticism, Amazon did quite well that they are thinking about bringing it back. No details yet as to when that will take place again.


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Bites & Sips: New Menus, Openings, Expanded Hours, Igloos & MoreNovember 14, 2019 2:07 pm Susan Post
Take a bite out of the new menu at The Crest, sip on cocktails in an Igloo at VASO – there’s all sorts of food and drink to explore in Central Ohio. Bites & Sips keeps you updated on tidbits of news from local restaurants, food makers, breweries, distilleries and more, from special events and new menus, to openings, bottle releases and more.
Roosevelt Coffeehouse Opens Third Location
The Roosevelt Coffeehouse will caffeinate the masses at the Thirty-One Gifts and Bob Evans Restaurants headquarters at 8131 Smith’s Mill Rd. in New Albany.
The social enterprise coffee shop which donates proceeds to organizations fighting hunger, unclean water and human trafficking, opened its first location on Long Street Downtown in 2015. It’s the second opening for the operation in 2019, after its May launch at Gravity in Franklinton. The new spot is the first corporate location for the coffee shop, but there’s also a licensed experience to be had at Olentangy River Brewing Company in Lewis Center.
The new location is open to the public.
For more information, visit rooseveltcoffee.org.
The Crest Debuts New Menu
With the colder temperatures comes a new menu at The Crest in Clitonville. Chef Ben Kanavel has whipped up an offering of seasonal specialties that include Roasted Duck Breast with acorn squash, braised greens, pickled mustard and Michigan cherry, or the Whey Braised Pork Shoulder featuring butterbeans, butternut, apple kraut and pawpaw bbq sauce.
Drinks get in on the action too, with seasonal sippers like the Autumn Gin & Tonic or Ellie’s Drinking Chocolate. The new cocktail menu is available at both the Clintonville and Parsons Crest locations, with The Crest Parsons menu getting an update of its own.
For more information, visit thecrestgastropub.com.
Dan the Baker Expands Hours
Dan the Baker has expanded its hours. The Grandview Toast Bar at 1028 Ridge St. will now be open Wednesday – Sunday from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dan the Baker offers a selection of artisan breads and pastries from Country and Olive & Polenta loaves, to croissants and morning buns.
For more information, visit dan-the-baker.com.
And Juice Co. Closes in Italian Village
And Juice Co. quietly closed the doors to its Italian Village shop at 991 N. Fourth St. in late September.
A Facebook post says the company has set its sights on new goals, and to visit its remaining locations in Clintonville, 4493 N. High St., and Upper Arlington, 4939 Dierker Rd.
For more information, visit andjuiceco.com.
Kitchen Social Now Open in Polaris
Kitchen Social has joined the restaurant lineup in Polaris, settling in at 8954 Lyra Dr. The modern tavern comes from a trio of entrepreneurs with a long history at Bravo and Brio restaurants.
For starters, there are eats from Crispy Thai Shrimp to Guac N’ Queso. On the entree side, diners will find pasta like Bucatini Pomodoro, to steaks like the Teriyaki Ribeye and seafood classics like Fish N’ Chips. Pizzas, sandwiches, tacos and salads round out the extensive menu.
For the imbibers, Kitchen Social offers an expansive wine selection and cocktail menu built around Watershed Distillery Spirits.
Kitchen Social will be a dinner-only affair with hours from 3-10 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 3-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3-9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit ourkitchensocial.com.
Visit One of the Best Coffee Shops in America
Columbus’ own Fox in the Snow has been named one of The Best Coffee Shops in America by Food & Wine. Two years of on-the-ground research yielded the list which includes nearly 100 spots – only two of which are in Ohio, Fox in the Snow and Cincinnati’s Mom ‘n ‘Em which ranked #5.
Fox in the Snow first opened in Italian Village in 2014, followed by German Village in 2018, and New Albany in 2019. As the Food & Wine article notes, it’s not just coffee that gets attention at Fox in the Snow, but “Pastries are exceptional.”
For more information, visit foxinthesnow.com.
More to Eat at Gemüt
Gemüt Biergarten opened its doors in Olde Towne East in August, and starting this weekend, they’ll be opening their doors a little earlier on Saturday and Sunday. The German-inspired brewery’s brunch menu will be available starting at 10 a.m. on the weekends.
Brunch eats include the Emperor’s Pancakes with cinnamon, rum raisins and amaretto vanilla anglaise, the Austrian Hash with haus hash browns, shaved brussels sprouts, roasted mushrooms, sunny side up eggs, fresh cherry tomatoes and grilled baguette, and more. There are brunch cocktails, too, like the German Coffee – coffee served with Underberg.
There are also rumblings of a lunch menu debut set for next Tuesday, November 19. Gemüt’s Facebook Page will have the scoop on menu updates and previews.
For more information, visit gemutbiergarten.com.
Igloo Season at VASO
Ohio winters are not conducive to outdoor dining, but VASO has a solution to that problem. The Dublin rooftop bar invites patrons to drink and dine in an igloo.
Each heated, insulated igloo seats six enveloping diners in a life-sized snow-globe. Igloo reservations are available – Wednesday it’s a $200 minimum for every two hours, Thursday to Saturday it’s $400 per two hour minimum. Minimums can be used toward food, drink or bottle service.
For more information, visit vasodublin.com.
451 Spirits Offering a Holiday Classic
Raise a glass of Cherry Picker Kirschwasser this holiday season. Columbus’ own 451 Spirits is the only Ohio distiller making the traditional German speciality spirit.
The Kirschwasser is a brandy made from twice-distilled pure cherry juice and whole cherries and is ideal for cocktails and adding a little kick to holiday baked goods.
451 Spirits’ Cherry Picker Kirschwasser is available at its distillery, 590-D Oakland Park Ave. and will be on liquor store shelves come January 1.
For more information, visit 451spirits.com.


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Yesterday, September 28, 2013 thousands showed up on Capitol Mall for Sacramento’s first Farm-to-Fork Festival, says the Sacramento Bee article by Richard Chang, "Farm-to-Fork Festival draws thousands to Capitol Mall." Lots of free samples from vendors made up for the high price of $175 per person for a meal on the Tower Bridge. The event is part of a week-long campaign aimed at promoting the city’s title as the “Farm-to-Fork Capital of America,” which regional leaders proclaimed last October. Thousands fill vendor bags with free samples.
For those without money to spend, the free samples helped fill bags for families looking for vegetables and other goods. Vendors also sold locally-grown and pressed olive oil. The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau in downtown at 13th and I Streets sponsored the event. If you counted the vendors, there were about 100, and they didn't have to pay for space to sell or give away their wares. The Farm-to-Fork campaign is great for local restaurants, but what about for obtaining local organic produce if you live in a neighborhood where finding a large supermarket means traveling miles away by light rail or bus?
The Farm-to-Fork campaign, which included a downtown cattle drive on Monday, ends this evening, September 29, 2013 with a $175-a-plate dinner on Tower Bridge. Six hundred people are expected to attend. But so far nobody's donated food for a free dinner or lunch for Sacramento's needy and hungry to enjoy a taste of luxury. What's being emphasized in this campaign is the notion of farm-to-fork, which means eat more local produce. On the other hand, the Farm-to-fork does help local restaurants as well as the farms and the middle persons who are vendors.
If you walk into most Sacramento supermarkets, you'll see frozen fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries stamped with product of some other country. This year frozen blueberries for example in some local supermarkets were stamped with product of countries varying from Chile, Argentina, the Ukraine, Peru, and other places in the word, frozen mango chunks from Mexico, and a mound of fresh produce on the shelves from almost anywhere on Earth, with not too many fresh vegetables and fruits grown locally, at least as far as mainstream supermarkets. You find lots of local fresh produce, though at the Sacramento Natural Foods Coop in midtown, at Whole Foods Markets, and in some of the natural foods aisles at some supermarkets.
What Sacramento needs, especially in the Arden Arcade area to complement the commercial produce found at Wal-Mart, for example is a natural foods store that sells local organic produce. The seasonal farmer's markets in the parking lot at Macy's in the Country Club shopping mall, for example, don't always carry organic produce and close too early in the afternoon, just when most of the senior citizen population begins to walk to shopping malls with their utility carts, usually between 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. By then, most farmer's markets are closed.
What people forget is that a lot of seniors can't get up early in the morning due to age-related insomnia at night and are most active between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. By sundown, many like to be at home feeling it's unsafe to linger at bus stops in the dark or walk through dimly-lighted neighborhoods after sundown. But few vendors are aware of the hours of many seniors who are not early morning risers, but afternoon activists and purchase organic produce more than younger people who frequent more eateries and restaurants instead of cooking most days at home and looking for organic, yet frugal produce.
The Farm-to-Fork initiative will be a boon for area restaurants and farms
The campaign also is focused on getting more people to eat at Sacramento restaurants rather than brown bag it to work or the park. For example, the California Restaurant Association hailed the Farm-to-Fork festivities as a rebirth for the region’s restaurant scene. The whole push of the campaign is getting you to eat more local produce and also to eat out at local restaurants. The focus is on reaching the working adult and not the low income senior who can't afford to eat outside the home but still wants access to fresh organic produce to prepare at home.
The campaign focuses also on putting Sacramento on the map as a dining destination, and not so much as frugal living and making your own food in your tiny apartment, home, or rented room or where you can buy, grow, or obtain fresh organic produce at a price you can afford. Growing your own food in urban gardens is seasonal unless you have access to a greenhouse with controlled temperature and light where you can grow vegetables or fruits all year.
It's fine to know local farmers have the best organic corn, but how do you sample it if you're a low-income senior in an assisted living apartment, a family member or student on a neighborhood budget, or homeless, hungry, and want to stay healthy? How do you grow your own organic produce when you live in a cramped apartment? And are there urban gardens indoors or hydroponic opportunities during the off-season? Consumers would like to know the answers and the services available while they focus on farm-to-fork local eating opportunities. What urban populations want is a way to make contact with local farmers when neither may have the transportation to meet one another.
The Farm-to-Fork Campaign could use more information for locals on hydroponic produce growing
Wouldn't it have been great if any given eat local campaigns had an exhibit of astronauts on a mission to Mars growing vegetables hydroponically in water and minerals? Check out the July 17, 2012 New York Daily News article, "What do astronauts eat? NASA builds menu for planned Mars mission in 2030s."
The menu must sustain a group of six to eight astronauts, keep them healthy and happy and also offer a broad array of food. Travel to Mars also opens the possibility that astronauts can do a little cooking of their own. The State Fair this week in Sacramento could have had an exhibit on this subject located in the agricultural exhibit section. But instead, it has an exhibit of houses insects and bats make.
Aquaponics combines aquaculture, which is fish farming, with hydroponics, which is growing plants without salt using minerals, nutrients, and water. An exhibit might have been set up showing how water from a fish tank nourishes plants, which in turn purify the water for the fish.
Since plants breathe out oxygen, it makes a fresh environment that the fish breathe in that oxygen under the water. For further information on the aquaponics exhibit, check out the Sacramento Bee article by Anne Gonzales, "Aquaponics in the spotlight at California State Fair." You might picture the scenario on Mars that could be in the future where fish tank water nourishes plants and plants nourish fish. In aquaponics, vegetables are raised for food in a water-saving system. Publicists could take a lesson in aquaponics or hydroponics when it comes to exhibits or vendors showing farm-to-fork creativity of what can be done with local produce.
And that's what Mars and the astronauts have to count on, a water-saving system. Sacramento also needs a water-saving system. You can grow healthier organic produce with up to 95 percent less water than conventional methods of farming when aquaponics is used. It's like a marriage between hydroponics and fish farming. Only NASA predicts the astronauts on Mars will be eating vegetarian meals grown on Mars in green houses.
Yet the topic of Mars and astronauts linked to vegetarian foods is a hot topic to attract more kids to eat their vegetables. And an exhibit would draw a lot of interest because it's fun and educational. Vegetables are 'in.' Also, the Sacramento State Fair this year does have a great farmer's market selling fruit in baskets.
Vendors could have emphasized pumpkin seed crackers. Or how about nonfat yogurt and coconut milk kefir instead of ice cream and sugary shakes? What if the fair went health food for one season to see whether attendance would increase? Maybe people are getting tired of deep-fried vegetables. When you ask someone what kind of fats or oils was that veggie fried in, chances are the food server may not really know because the manager didn't tell that person the name of the particular oil.
What local farm-to-fork type of campaigns need as far as publicity targets are real vegetables ready to eat for those who want them. Wouldn't you really like to see the organic foods you can eat at Whole Foods market or Sacramento Natural Foods Coop appear at concession stands? How about the ethnic restaurants and farmers giving more free samples of organic fruits or vegetables?
If you go to Arden Fair Mall, you'll find Fresh Choice moved away, and next door is a brewery selling pizza, burgers, and pasta. Also a new addition is a Starbucks at the Arden Fair mall. We need more raw vegan restaurants in Sacramento in areas easily accessible to bus stops and open for lunch as well as markets selling organic produce in areas accessible to seniors and others using public transportation, such as near the Country Club mall.
What exhibits some people wish would have been at various farm-to-fork vendor exhibits? How about NASA's astronauts growing vegetables on Mars. Now that's one way to get local produce moving far.
What if various farm-to-fork campaigns also featured an exhibit of NASA's astronauts growing vegetables on Mars using hydroponics (minerals added to water to grow produce), since food there will most likely be vegetarian. The State Fair could have set up taste-testing meals in anticipation of NASA's scientists working together with Lockheed-Martin to create and develop a menu to sustain up to eight astronauts for a trip to Mars that will last six months and feed the astronauts for 18 months on Mars before returning home to Earth.
An exhibit could have been set up of vegetarian foods most likely to taste good to astronauts under the low gravity conditions on Mars, as being in space six months each way impairs the taste buds so that most food tastes bland. Instead of only freeze-dried options, the Fair could have had an exhibit that would interest youth and educators alike. That's one way to encourage kids to eat more vegetables: Show how the astronauts could grow organic produce on Mars using hydroponics or aquaponics.
The exhibit might have included how hydroponics works
Since astronauts will be growing produce to eat on Mars using hydroponics, the process is done by adding nutrients and minerals to water so the vegetables or fruit grow in water instead of soil. A hydroponics exhibit could have been set up at various types of farm-to-fork type exhibits showing just how the Astronauts on Mars would be growing their own food and perhaps freeze-drying it themselves during the months they're on Mars.
In the future, trees planted on Mars might give off oxygen and breath in the carbon dioxide in Mar's atmosphere, if the trees survive, and if water is developed using H2O chemicals to make water, unless the ice cap on Mars is melted, and the runoff is actually water.
The astronauts would be growing their own vegetables. The astronauts might be eating the same type of carrots, bell peppers, and eggplant. Since the Mars mission probably won't be leaving Earth until 2030 or so, there's plenty of time, should the interest be piqued in such an exhibit promoting local farmers to the public and to restaurants. Somebody might be interested in linking astronauts to being vegetarian on Mars.
Growing vegetables is one way to encourage people, especially kids to eat their vegetables, by showing them action figures of astronauts growing produce for food on Mars
If you like raw organic produce, toss together a salad of kale, tomatoes, strawberries, red cabbage, celery, spinach, and an optional quarter cup of diced red onions. Then flavor with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. If you use oil on salads, try a teaspoon of cod liver oil that's lemon flavored. If you want sweet, mix a tablespoon of tart cherry juice into your lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and mix the salad.


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Today, an article was published on Licenzing.biz about Club Penguin’s new Rainbow Puffle, and it suggests that the puffle will be available for both members and non-members, which is not what the Club Penguin team have told us already.
Players can take part in a special quest in the virtual world game.
Disney is kicking off its annual Club Penguin virtual world event this month – the Puffle Party.
And users will be able to adopt a new rare Rainbow Puffle starting on March 20th.
The elusive Rainbow Puffle has colours of red, orange, yellow, green, purple and blue, and will be available for all Club Penguin players to adopt when they take part in a challenge.
Players can take part in the Rainbow Puffle Quest by visiting the Puffle Hotel launch party between March 20th and April 2nd.
Puffle Hotel features include new areas, where users can access the food and hats catalogue, pet shop and elevator, as well as new Puffle quests, and more.
So does this mean that we can all get this puffle? “All Club Penguin players to adopt when they take part in a challenge” certainly suggests so. What do you think? Be sure to comment below seeing as we love to hear from you and your penguin buddies.


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A group of female activists have staged a radical vegan protest at the start of London Fashion Week today (16 February).
The Peta flash mob called for everyone to wear their own skin, not animals, and attracted attention from onlookers by going topless.
The ladies, wearing black skinny jeans, braved the cold temperatures in central London without any clothing on their upper halves. Instead, the words, "Wear your own skin" was emblazoned across their torsos in big black ink.
They stood fiercely in front of a London Fashion Week sign as they threw their hands into the air, with some holding up posters proclaiming: "Stand up for animals/Peta."
"Whether it's the fur of a frightened fox or angora rabbit or the skin of a gentle calf, it's not fabric and it's not ours for the taking," says Peta Director Elisa Allen. "With so many innovative, high-quality vegan fabrics available, there's simply no excuse for wearing an animal's skin or hair."
As exposed by Peta, fur farms breed minks, foxes, and other animals that spend their entire lives confined to tiny, filthy cages before finally being killed by poisoning, gassing, electrocution, or neck-breaking.
Other atrocities regularly exposed include cows destined to be slaughtered for leather enduring painful mutilations, branding, tail-docking, and dehorning without painkillers. In shearing sheds, sheep are cut, kicked, punched, and sometimes killed by impatient workers.
Fashion week has long been associated with fur-wearing fashionistas, but is a trend that is dying out, with 95% of designers opting for faux furs, including Burberry, Roland Mouret and Mulberry.
Among the most recent fashion houses to announce a switch to more ethical and sustainable alternatives are Gucci and Michael Kors.


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Innovations abound in the grocery tech sector, including a logistics solution that has been named as a Best Invention of 2022 from TIME. The news magazine and website recognized Gatik’s fully driverless box trucks used to move orders between Walmart warehouses and markets.
Following a global online nomination process, TIME's editors chose Gatik based on factors including originality, efficacy, ambition and impact. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company stood out for its proprietary commercial-grade autonomous technology built for middle-mile logistics and designed for safe, fixed and repeatable delivery.
“We are humbled to have been named to the 2022 TIME Best Inventions list,” said Gautam Narang, Gatik CEO and co-founder. “We are especially proud that the selection honors the successful application of our solution in real-world, commercial environments. It’s only when groundbreaking technology becomes operationalized that its true impact can be felt by the end consumer. Recognition on TIME’s prestigious list belongs to the entire team who are working tirelessly to ensure the true advantages of autonomy can be felt across our customer base today.”
In addition to technologies used for grocery e-commerce, TIME’s list of best inventions for the year include several food and drink products available in grocery stores. Honorees include Beyond Steak from Beyond Meat, Atomo Coffee Molecular Cold Brew and MyBacon from MyForest Foods, among others.
Weis Markets Promotes Maria Rizzo to VP of Advertising and Marketing
Weis Markets has promoted Maria Rizzo to the role of VP of advertising and marketing. Rizzo succeeds Ron Bonacci, who’s retiring at the end of the year.
In her new role, Rizzo will oversee management of Weis’ advertising, marketing and public/community relations activities. Among her key responsibilities are customer relationship management, marketing, and print, digital and electronic advertising.
Rizzo, who joined the company in 2006, worked as category manager, senior manager of private brands and specialty foods before taking on her most recent role, that of director of marketing, in 2015.
In an effort to improve and simplify the shopper experience, Instacart is introducing new features on its platform, including a more organized shopping experience and easier returns and reimbursements.
On the returns front, if a customer is not available to accept their alcohol or prescription delivery, the shopper can now manage the entire return directly within the Instacart app instead of needing to contact the company’s care team. The app will then guide the shopper back to the store to make the return, upon which the shopper will automatically receive a return payment.
For shoppers that need to use a personal payment card, Instacart is also making it easier for them to be reimbursed. Shoppers will receive an automatic push notification to begin the process of being reimbursed, and all previously uploaded receipts will be automatically attached.
Finally, two new app updates will help shoppers stay organized while fulfilling orders. The new move item feature will help ensure customers receive all of the items in their order by alerting shoppers to mistakes made while checking out, especially in multi-order batches. New shopping list filters will allow shoppers to easily view an individual customer’s shopping list at a glance to ensure they’ve gotten all of the right items for each customer.
“We’re introducing these new product updates to provide even more support to shoppers while they shop on the Instacart platform,” said John Adams, VP of shopper and fulfillment product at Instacart. “We’re dedicated to developing important updates that simplify the shopping experience and make earning on our platform as easy as possible."
Daniel Katz, 56, chairman and CEO of the Iselin, N.J.-based cooperative Allegiance Retail Services, LLC has died following a battle with cancer. Katz, who held the dual roles since 2019, was a longtime grocer and co-owner of Allegiance member PSK Operating, LLC. He, his brother, Noah, and father built a 13-store grocery operation in the New York area under the Foodtown, Freshtown and Pathmark banners and he led the company’s transition in 2021 to an employee-owned organization.
“This is a profound loss," said John T. Derderian, president and COO of Allegiance Retail Services. "The strength of Dan’s leadership, wisdom and insight can be seen in the confidence with which our co-op members operate. Dan believed in family – his own, his PSK family and that of our cooperative members. He continually looked for ways to strengthen bonds and to serve the best interests of the co-op.”
Katz’s obituary read: “He cared deeply about the well-being of everyone at the PSK company. He formulatedbonus programs for the associates, safety protocols during the pandemic that led to procedures thatwere used across the country, payments for people’s health care. He also crafted retirement plansfor associates, personal loan programs, health care programs to better people, and so much more.Daniel was passionate about negotiating deals, striving to make every business deal a win-win forboth parties.”
Katz is survived by his wife, Laura, four children, parents and brother, among other family members. The family is planning to create a foundation in his honor and, in the meantime, is accepting contributions in his memory at on the Allegiance Retail Services website.
Following a special board meeting, Allegiance announced that Katz will be succeeded by Lou Scaduto, Jr., the president of Food Circus Supermarkets. Scaduto shared his grief at Katz’s passing and lauded his accomplishments. “Dan’s contribution to Allegiance as both an operating member and CEO and chairman, can be characterized in one word – outstanding,” he remarked. “His commitment to, and vision for the cooperative was inspiring.”
Fresh Thyme Features Tiesta Tea Kiosk at All Stores
Fresh Thyme Market has rolled out a kiosk highlighting the premium loose teas of Tiesta Tea in all 71 of the food retailer’s stores across 10 states. Found in the bulk foods section, the Tea-Osk offers a selection of bulk loose-leaf teas that can be purchased by the ounce, as well as a wide selection of tea infusers, loose-leaf teas in reusable tea canisters, and matcha green tea sourced directly from Japan.
“Fresh Thyme Market is the Midwest’s grocery leader in natural product assortment,” said Patrick Tannous, president and co-founder of Chicago-based Tiesta. “With the recent decline of retail stores solely focused on premium tea, we are excited to offer the Fresh Thyme shopper direct access to a premium tea experience in their own local grocery store, and to offer a great value in comparison to stand-alone tea stores.”
“Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households,” noted Robert Abdee, category manager at Downers Grove, Ill.-based Fresh Thyme, which is No. 91 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. “The cold-weather months in the Midwest make tea a great product to warm our guests. Our partnership with Tiesta Tea shows our commitment to both premium tea and strong partnerships with locally owned Midwest companies.”
FARE, Sifter Team on Grocery Shopping Tech for Food Allergy Community
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), a nonprofit engaged in food allergy advocacy and the largest private funder of food allergy research, and Sifter SP Inc., a provider of food and nutrition digital technology, have joined forces to help make grocery shopping easier and less time-consuming for the more than 85 million Americans with food allergies and intolerances.
Using Sifter’s science-based shopping platform, food-allergic individuals and families can make better food decisions and save hours of time when grocery shopping. The partnership also recognizes that many people with food allergies are also living with other diet-related health conditions. Sifter’s platform, available on the FARE homepage, will enable a consumer with complex diet needs — for instance, a dairy intolerance, a nut allergy and diabetes — to identify a wider variety of appropriate foods when shopping online or in-store.
Created by a team of Sifter nutrition experts and software developers, the platform is powered by algorithms that support dietary standards of practice.
“Grocery shopping for members of the food allergy community has always been challenging due to the scrutiny necessary in reading ingredient labels,” said Sung Poblete, CEO of McLean, Va.-based FARE. “With the technology behind Sifter’s new platform, the chore of food shopping won’t be so difficult.”
“FARE is an ideal partner for Sifter,” asserted Judy Seybold, chief nutrition officer at Chicago-based Sifter. “Their commitment to helping people with food allergies perfectly aligns with Sifter’s mission of making healthy eating easy for everyone. The FARE-Sifter partnership will help millions of people shop with ease and confidence for allergen-free foods.”


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This holiday season, a cappella group Pentatonix offered up A Pentatonix Christmas, which serves as their second album of Yuletide songs. This time, in support of their effort to mission to spread holiday cheer, they took to YouTube to share a unique offering with their fans. A partnership between Sony Music Originals and Lego has resulted in a Lego-fied, 360-degree music video for Pentatonix’s cover of the 150-year-old Christmas song “Up On The Housetop.”
To create the video, Sony (which is partnered with Pentatonix through its RCA Records label) turned to the Lego Group in search of an animated makeover for its a cappella all stars. The toy company obliged, creating versions of band members Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Avi Kaplan, and Kevin “K.O.” Olusola using its iconic toys as models.
The resulting video is embedded below. For best results, watch it in 360-degrees through a device such as Google Cardboard.
Pentatonix’s promotional efforts for A Pentatonix Christmas have not stopped with the “Up On The Housetop” video. Among other appearances, the group also showed up on Today for a live performance. Their latest holiday album is available through platforms like iTunes and costs $7.99.


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Videogames online media veteran Jon Epstein has moved over to United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the largest talent and literary agencies in Hollywood, where he will be driving a major expansion for the firm into the games business.
Epstein was formerly executive vice president and general manager of IGN / GameSpy, the company created by the merger which he, as president of GameSpy, helped to spearhead last year.
Prior to that Epstein was president and CEO of GameSpot.com, and in total he brings over twenty years of media and marketing experience to UTA - where he will work with agent Brent Weinstein, who has already pushed the agency into the games market.
"UTA offers a tremendous platform to bring together tastemakers and dealmakers in the worlds of entertainment, gaming and marketing," Epstein enthused in a statement on his new role. "As the scale of the gaming economy grows and the complexity of the game's intellectual property becomes more dependent on quality story telling, it is refreshing to see a shop such as UTA taking such a proactive step. I could not be more excited about this opportunity."
United Talent Agency already represents some of the most successful talents and properties in the film industry, including actors such as Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford and Jim Carrey, and directors such as M. Night Shymalan, Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers.
Last year the company arranged a deal between Midway Games and 2 Fast 2 Furious director John Singleton to create a new console title, "John Singleton's Fear and Respect".


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Early this month I was invited to participate in Applied Materials’ (AMAT) Analyst Day. The sessions were rich in data covering the markets that would profit the company over the next few years.
Naturally, The Memory Guy fixated on those presentations that dealt with memory. When it came to the upcoming transition to 3D NAND, AMAT had a lot to say.
A later post will explain what 3D NAND actually is. Suffice it to say that today’s approach to making NAND flash has nearly reached its limit, and the approach that manufacturers plan to use in the future involves making NAND strings that stand on their ends. This has phenomenal implications on Continue reading “Applied’s Take on 3D NAND”
In a surprise announcement Toshiba has said that it will immediately cut NAND flash production by approximately 30%. The company explains that this is being done “to reduce inventory in the market and improve the overall balance between supply and demand.” Toshiba’s release implies that this move is expected to improve prices, which have dropped as low as $0.31/GB recently.
By common measures of market share, which typically leave out SanDisk (for reasons too complex to discuss here) Toshiba holds a share of roughly 30% of the NAND flash market. By cutting its output by 30% Toshiba would be reducing overall NAND supply by 10%. If we were to include SanDisk, then that percentage would decrease to about 7.5%. Either one of these is significantly more than Continue reading “Toshiba to Cut NAND Production by 30%”
Over lunch today I had a conversation with an alum of McKinsey Consulting who remarked that the DRAM business behaved in a way that was similar to the McKinsey Steel Model. For those unfamiliar with this model I found a slideshow HERE that refers to it a good deal. (So far I have not found a tutorial on the model itself, but if anyone knows were to find it The Memory Guy would highly appreciate hearing about it.)
One interesting thing is that this particular McKinsey alum was not the first to point this out to me. About 15 years ago a family friend/McKinsey alum told me exactly the same thing. It seems that the economics of the DRAM business have changed little over the past 15 years, and the McKinsey steel model applies to DRAMs just as well now as it did then.
In a nutshell, the model posits that the market price for Continue reading “Why DRAMs are Like Steel”
2012 is likely to be a year in which the DRAM market consolidates a little bit more.
- At its peak in the late 1980s the DRAM market sported 23 suppliers.
- Today there are 6 suppliers of any note: Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Elpida, Nanya, and Powerchip
- The already-depressed market is only going to worsen in 2012. Capital spending in 2010 is seeing to that. Although many believe that prices cannot get any lower, that is exactly what they will do in 2012. Continue reading “DRAM Consolidation in 2012?”


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10 Apr 2021
HMD Global has started rolling out the latest Android 11 update for its Nokia 8.1 smartphone in various countries, including India.
18 Nov 2019
If you're planning to buy a new premium smartphone that offers pure Android experience, then this might be a good time.
16 Sep 2019
Realme has announced the list of smartphones that are first in line to receive the latest Android 10 update, the next iteration of Google's mobile operating system.
02 Sep 2019
In a bid to boost sales, HMD Global has reduced the prices of Nokia 8.1 in India.
08 Jun 2019
In a bid to boost sales, HMD Global has announced a price cut on its premium mid-ranger Nokia 8.1 in India.
21 May 2019
As part of its Nokia Phones Fan Festival sale, brand licensee HMD Global has announced attractive deals on popular Nokia phones.
12 May 2019
As part of Nokia Mobile Fan Festival, HMD Global has announced a massive discount on the Nokia 8.1 in India.
20 Dec 2018
HMD Global's latest Android One-powered Nokia 8.1 smartphone will go on sale in India today.
13 Dec 2018
The top-end variant of the Nokia 8.1 with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, will arrive in India in January, according to 91Mobiles.
10 Dec 2018
As the global version of Nokia X7, HMD Global has finally launched the Nokia 8.1 in India today.
08 Dec 2018
Yesterday, HMD Global had unveiled Nokia 8.1 (a rebranded version of Nokia X7) in Dubai and it is expected to be launched in India on December 10.
07 Dec 2018
HMD Global has unveiled its latest mid-range smartphone, the Nokia 8.1, in Dubai.
02 Dec 2018
The Nokia 8.1 aka the rebranded version of Nokia X7, is expected to launch in India on December 10.
02 Dec 2018
The year 2018 has been quite eventful for smartphone aficionados.
27 Nov 2018
HMD Global is gearing up to launch at least one new smartphone in India on December 6 and has sent out media invites for the same.
13 Nov 2018
HMD Global is expected to introduce the recently launched Nokia X7 as Nokia 8.1 in the global markets.
22 Oct 2018
HMD Global is reportedly working to launch Nokia 8.1 as the successor to the Nokia 8 Sirocco which was released in April this year.


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Visa U.S.A. announced a joint effort Wednesday with the Internet payment processor Cybersource Corp. to step up efforts to prevent fraud in electronic commerce.
The companies said they will develop and market an enhanced version of Cybersource's Internet Fraud Screen, a predictive modeling system that lets a merchant assess the risk of a given transaction and decide if they wish to accept it.
Cybersource chairman and chief executive officer William McKiernan said Visa, in previous collaborations, deemed the fraud screen "highly predictive" and "gave us tips to fine-tune" it further.
The next phase will involve "more of the same," he said. As part of the deal, Visa-accepting merchants will get discounted access to the fraud screen, one of several components in Cybersource's international transaction processing portfolio.
Jim Degracia, Visa U.S.A. senior vice president for e-commerce, characterized on-line fraud rates as low but said the industry still has to be vigilant.
At 0.08% of sales, the on-line rate is 7 basis points higher than physical-world fraud, he said.


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According to sources at the Wall Street Journal, Sprint is said to be abandoning any plans for a proposed T-Mobile merger or buyout. According to these sources at Sprint, the regulatory challenges are too steep to further the idea, as there were serious doubts within the company about reaching any deal between the two companies that would be approved by regulators.
This makes the talk of Iliad's $15 billion bid for control of T-Mobile much more interesting, though reports today have said that T-Mobile has rejected Iliad's initial $33 per share offer. It's worth noting that Iliad isn't trying to buy T-Mobile outright, but just purchase a controlling interest in the company.
Supposedly, Sprint will give an official announcement on the matter early Wednesday. We're waiting for the official story on this one, but it certainly sounds like dreams of a Sprint and T-Mobile combined force to take on AT&T and Verizon are dead.
Source: WSJ (paid content)
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Brewing up business
Oregon is among the states leading the nation in the addition of new breweries in 2013.
The Beer Institute, based in Washington, D.C., recently released an analysis of data from the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, with information including the impacts of the beer industry on the economy.
Last year the number of permitted breweries in Oregon jumped from 149 to 208 following Washington, Colorado and California as the leaders.
New breweries don't just mean a new selection to choose from; they also help to keep more than two million Americans at work including farmers, factory workers, brewers and bartenders. The Institute's 2012 Beer Serves America study concluded the combined economic impact of the industry was $246.5 billion.
The Mid-Willamette Valley continues to contribute to Oregon's numbers. The latest brewery to officially open its doors is Vagabond Brewing at 2195 Hyacinth St. NE and the monks at Mt. Angel are in the process of opening the Benedictine Brewery.
Chris Jones, director of enterprise for the Mount Angel Abbey, said they are in the process of getting the brewery set up and prototypes in order.
Jones said they are looking forward to supporting the economy by using local and regional ingredients including hops grown by farmers leased to farms owned by the Abbey and attracting visitors to the area.
"The hope is (to open) sometime this year," Jones said.
These are the beer industry's direct and total economic contributions for Oregon from the Beer Institutes latest study:
Direct economic impact
Brewing: 1,200 jobs and $31,979,500 in wages
Distribution: 1,980 jobs and $127,322,200 in wages
Retail: 12,550 jobs and $274,685,500 in wages
Industry-related jobs (by thousands)
Business and personal services: 4,330
Finance insurance and real estate: 1,890
Manufacturing general: 940
Transportation and communication: 940
Travel and entertainment: 1,460
Federal Excise: $49,909,700
State Excise: $7,343,900
Total economic impact
esperez@StatesmanJournal .com or (503) 399-6740 or on Twitter @ElidaSPerezSJ
For more information about the Beer Institute, go to beerservesamerica.org.


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Solid retail development drove New Zealand’s private company deals however it may not been sufficient to return generally speaking tasks to pre Covid.
Private venture deals are taking off above pre-Covid levels however rising force charges, work deficiencies and delivery costs are influencing productivity, a retail master says.
June was the most grounded month for private venture income, as indicated by cloud bookkeeping firm Xero’s most recent business experiences.
Regularly, the list looks at year-on-year information yet since Covid altogether affected June 2020 thought about deals dependent on annualized long term figures from 2019 and 2020.
Deals expanded 11.7 percent contrasted with June 2019.
The retail area ruled the solid execution up 16%, trailed by assembling up 14% and development 13.4 percent. The friendliness business likewise proceeded with its new run of deals development, up 10.4 percent.
Retail NZ CEO Greg Harford says while deals have been high, productivity were thin.
Private ventures have been hit hard by the increasing expense of force, transportation and work. “Deals have been solid in view of solid customer interest. In any case, the top line spending is covering a portion of the difficulties organizations are confronting. Expenses are enormously up, pressing edges,” he says.
He says the development in the real estate market has animated retail spend. “In case you’ve been lucky enough to claim a house you’re feeling much more well off and financing costs are low.”
However, with loan fees tipped to ascend from as right on time as the following month, Harford says solid spending may begin to back off.
Kiwi clothing fashioner Vicki Taylor, who runs Taylor Boutique, says she has been “lowered” by the help from neighborhood customers.
“What I can say is that we’ve had a great beginning to this year up until now,” Taylor says. “We make the vast majority of our garments in New Zealand, and supply materials to other nearby organizations. So cash clients spend here goes to different pieces of the nearby economy. We’re feeling better.”
Taylor says business wasn’t exactly back to pre-Covid, however had been showing improvement over she had anticipated.
Pedestrian activity has gone down extensively. “We’ve lost a ton of individuals coming in for a meander and could be enticed to purchase. We’re seeing clients coming in fully intent on purchasing things.”
Taylor, who makes 80% of her garments in New Zealand, says delivering postponements and expenses are affecting the business.
Bringing in materials currently costs four fold the amount of as pre Covid and shoes she would regularly get from Italy inside five weeks, require around 12 weeks to get into the country.


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Merger Leaves WiFiRV Innovating on Behalf of the RV Industry
Westport, CT (Vocus) February 3, 2010 — WiFiRV, an 8-year-old wireless Internet service provider (http://wifirv.com) (WISP), announces it’s the only RV-industry WiFi provider (http://wifirv.com) still on the market that pays RV resort, park, and campground owners for right of property access. This announcement comes as a reaction to a merger between two of the three nationwide WiFi providers announced in early December 2009.
“The merger between two of the three nationwide WiFi providers in the RV industry (http://wifirv.com) leaves less choice for property owners seeking wireless service,” said John M. Borg II, WiFiRV’s Founder and CEO. “Fortunately, WiFiRV has always been about offering RV resort, park, and campground owners an attractive alternative – one where we pay owners to provide WiFi service to their patrons, and the patrons themselves pay for the service, instead of the other way around.”
WiFiRV’s business model was established nearly a decade ago and is based on a standard cellular provider’s use. Borg, a fourth generation property owner and Wall Street financial and technology veteran, insists that RV parks, campgrounds, and resorts should be financially rewarded for their risks.
Borg said that recent industry research has shown that WiFi is failing to attract travelers despite the hype. Fewer travelers use the technology than expected. “Property owners need to scrutinize the long-term value of offering ‘free’ wireless service to patrons. The ongoing maintenance and support cost is high, and many seem to be giving the wireless Internet service away out of fear,” Borg said.
Jaron Starner of Cedar Lake Family Campground selected WiFiRV’s bid after looking at all the RV industry WiFi providers (http://wifirv.com) and agrees with Borg. “With WiFiRV, they own and operate the equipment and pay us for access to our property. Patrons still have the WiFi service they need, but we don’t have the headaches. It made much more sense for us,” he said.
In the face of the merger, Borg also emphasized a commitment to service and long-term profitability for property owners. “We’ve seen it before,” Borg said. “WiFi providers with a technology focus think for the short-term and ultimately go out of business during a downturn or through an industry shake-up, like a major merger. Fortunately, we’ve got a long track record of being in business. We’re not going anywhere.”
WiFiRV is accepting 2010 applications to join their nationwide community of RV-industry wireless WiFi Internet (http://wifirv.com) networks.
WiFiRV is the only WiFi Internet service provider that has over 70% of its RV resort, park, and campground amenities generating income for property owners. Through low or no cost installs, expert engineering, nationwide scalability, 3-5 new properties a week, and nearly a decade of RV industry expertise, WiFiRV partners with RV park owners to turn the WiFiRV solution into an investment, not a liability.


text: Microsoft and 343 Industries has released a new Halo 4 video, entitled “Prelude,” providing an exciting look behind the scenes at the making of Halo 4. The two-and-a-half minute video shows off how the game was made from motion capture to recording the soundtrack. You even get to see programmers programming! I will say that this recent trend of showing off the behind-the-scene aspects of game making is quite nice. Us gamers only ever get to see the final product of the blood, sweat and tears that go into the games we all love.


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The Northern New Jersey housing market surged ahead in the first quarter of 2017, starting the year with a dramatic increase in home sales coupled with modest-but-meaningful signs of price appreciation. With inventory levels continuing to fall throughout the region, we expect that sustained buyer demand will drive a robust seller’s market through the Spring and the rest of 2017.
Sales surged throughout the region. All the Northern New Jersey markets got off to a strong start to the year, with regional sales up almost 12% and transactions rising in every market in the region: up 1% in Bergen, 30% in Passaic, 8% in Morris, 12% in Essex, and 32% in Sussex. For the rolling year, sales were up over 9%, reaching sales levels we have not seen since the height of the last seller’s market. Indeed, regional sales are now up over 65% from the bottom of the market in 2011.
The number of available homes for sale continues to go down. We measure the “months of inventory” in a market by looking at the number of homes for sale, and then calculating how long it would take to sell them all given the current absorption rate. The industry considers anything fewer than six months to be a “tight” inventory that signals the potential of a seller’s market that would drive prices up — and we’ve now seen this market cross below that line for the second quarter in a row. Indeed, inventory was down from last year in every individual county in the Report: Bergen single-family homes down 21%, and condos down 34%; Passaic down 38%; Morris down 34%; Essex down 39%; and Sussex down 36%. If inventory continues to tighten, and demand stays strong, we are likely to see more upward pressure on pricing. With sales up and inventory down, prices are starting to show some “green shoots” of modest price appreciation. Basic economics of supply and demand would tell us that after five years of steadily increasing buyer demand, we would expect to see some meaningful price increases. And we’re beginning to see some promising signs: the regional average sales price was up almost 1% from last year’s first quarter, and the average price was up in almost every county in the report.
Going forward, we remain confident that rising demand and falling inventory will continue to drive price appreciation through the rest of 2017. Sales have now been increasing for five years, which has brought inventory to the seller’s market threshold in much of the region. The economic fundamentals are all good: homes are priced at 2004 levels (without even adjusting for inflation), interest rates are still near historic lows, and the regional economy is stable. Accordingly, we continue to believe the region is poised for a robust Spring market and a strong 2017.


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Following a seven-month pause due to the pandemic, the statewide plastic bag ban goes back into effect Today.
A state law that went into effect March 1 and ban many types of businesses from using the thin plastic bags that have been jamming up landfills, getting tangled in trees, and accumulating in lakes and seas.
Under the law, customers must bring their bag, or pay a five-cent fee for a paper bag. The New York State Supreme Court rolled back the lawsuit back in August.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “The Court’s decision is a victory and a vindication of New York State’s efforts to end the scourge of single-use plastic bags and a direct rebuke to the plastic bag manufacturers who tried to stop the law and DEC’s regulations to implement it. As we have for many months, DEC is encouraging New Yorkers to make the switch to reusable bags whenever and wherever they shop and to use common-sense precautions to keep reusable bags clean. The Court has ruled and DEC will begin to enforce the ban on October 19th. It’s time to BYOBagNY.”
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the state consented to give at least 30 days’ notice before commencing enforcement.
A news release from the DEC says people of New York use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags each year. Each bag is used just for 12 minutes on average and roughly 85% of the plastic ends up in landfills, recycling machines, waterways, and streets.


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The Simple Mistake That Could Cost You $10k: The Secret That Other Plumbers Don’t Want You To Know
It affects almost every home in Australia. It’s sneaking through your home plumbing without you knowing. And, without warning, you could face a $10,000 bill.
We’re talking about wet wipes.
Enough wet wipes have been flushed into Sydney’s sewer to, if laid out, reach Los Angeles and back again. That’s 12,066km - it would take over 28 hours on a plane.
This seemingly harmless way of freshening up after a trip to the toilet is quickly becoming a multimillion-dollar headache for water utilities providers. So across Australia, there’s a push to keep wipes out of the pipes.
Why Should You Care?
Simply put, it will affect your home plumbing in a big way.
If you flush wet wipes, makeup wipes, or any other cleaning wipe you’re massively increasing your chances of a big blockage and a plumbing bill to match.
The ad below, courtesy of Sydney Water, explains it well:
And it's not just your blocked drains at risk - wet wipes disposal causes even more far reaching problems by clogging and damaging public sewers. But that’s not your problem, right?
Well, the problem isn’t just blocked sewers. When a blockage occurs, it can quickly cascade into a more serious situation, where raw sewage is forced to divert through the waterways into home sewers and natural waterways. Unhygienic, unsightly, unsafe.
As plumbers we’d be better off keeping quiet about this, since a permanent solution for a bad blockage under the wrong cicumstances can cost around $10,000. But we feel we have a duty to inform people and prevent these problems to save you money and help to save the environment.
How Big Is The Problem?
In a word: huge.
Sydney Water claims that a shocking 75% of sewer blockages involve flushed wet wipes. In fact, over 500 tonnes of wet wipe products are removed from Sydney Water’s utilities every year.
That’s the same weight as 4 blue whales!
This causes untold damage to both residential plumbing and the environment.
“Antibacterial”: The Biggest Danger To Drains
The antibacterial properties of wet wipes are what make them so dangerous.
This is because the normal lifecycles that lead to waste being broken down inside the sewer system are disrupted, as the bacteria that’s needed is killed off.
In a way, what makes the wet wipe so beneficial for people is, in fact, what causes so much damage to pipes.
The Marketing Myth of “Flushable” Wipes
1 in 4 of Sydney adults flush wet wipes away and Sydney Water’s statistics also claim that 12% of all wipes products are flushed.
This is partly because of a mess of marketing misinformation. People are twice as likely to flush something they believe is biodegradable, according to Sydney Water.
But the problem is: there is no such thing as a “flushable” wipe.
After a 750kg “snake” was removed from pipes using a crane, Nick Kaiser, from the Hunter Water Corporation, pointed out that wet wipes are, despite the marketing, nothing close to “flushable”.
More Costs Than Just Blocked Drains
If you had the choice, would you spend millions on your plumbing bill?
As taxpayers, we’re already spending $15,000,000 a year nationwide on clearing wipes in pipes. That’s enough to build a school.
And that cost will only increase in the future as water authorities battle the surge in “flushable” wipe usage.
The cost is estimated to be around $8,000,000 for Sydney Water alone. And according to director of the Water Services Association of Australia, Adam Lovell, the problem is constantly on the rise.
“We are unfortunately seeing an increasing frequency of sewage blockages… the problem has really exploded over the past couple of years and it’s costing millions to fix up”, Lovell told the ABC last year.
The costs aren’t only financial. The burden wet wipes place on local ecosystems can’t be ignored, either. When they enter the waterways and kill off bacteria native to the system, the whole food chain suffers.
Everything from plants to platypi are dependent on the naturally occurring bacteria at the bottom of the river food chain: when anti-bacterial wipes are introduced to the chain, all havoc breaks loose.
What’s Being Done About It?
Sydney Water’s “Keep Wipes Out Of The Pipes” campaign is the last-ditch effort by authorities to solve the problem. Because of the high number of people who believe wipes are flushable, a bit of myth-busting is necessary.
And, there’s been some success. A 50% reduction in the number of customers who think it’s okay to flush wet wipes is a huge improvement. As is the 57% drop in belief that flushing baby wipes is acceptable.
But the “flushable” advertising by the companies that make the wipes isn’t helping.
“Just because something’s flushable doesn’t mean it breaks down,” Sydney Water communications advisor Peter Hadfield advises. “My phone is flushable, but that doesn’t mean it should go down the toilet.”
As long as wet wipes are marketed as flushable, there will definitely be a widespread belief that they are. Fortunately, consumer group Choice is taking steps to ensure this stops. Because of Kleenex’s “pipe blocking efforts”, Choice awarded them a Shonky Award, and a place in their hall of shame.
After a test of 12 brands of wipes, Choice found that none of them broke up thoroughly or lost strength within 6 hours. Experts, however, say it’s critical that anything flushed breaks up immediately.
What Can You Do To Avoid a $10,000 Plumbing Bill?
It’s simple: don’t flush any kind of wipe, be it makeup, cleaning wipes or good old fashioned wet wipes.
Despite what the packaging may say, they are not flushable and will wreak havoc on your home plumbing.
We Can Rescue You
Prevention is the best cure, but if you suspect you’ve already got wipe woes, don’t hesitate to call us at Plumber & Electrician To The Rescue.


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Teva news, press releases, and media contact information
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|Teva Announces New Brand Positioning and Visual Identity in North America|
Teva Pharmaceutical is announcing a new brand positioning and visual identity in North America. The new brand will continue to roll out globally throughout 2018, with a focus on the most impactful brand touch points, including product packaging, a new logo and digital resources.
Teva's new logo
FRAZER, PA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 21, 2018
The new brand will roll out globally throughout 2018, focusing on the most impactful brand touch points
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) today announced the rollout in North America of its new brand positioning and visual identity, including a new logo, as part of a global brand rollout.
The new brand positioning—Teva is committed to providing innovative and high-quality medicines to enable people around the world to live better days—is designed to incorporate the vision of the restructured company with Teva’s untold story on how it impacts the lives of millions of people every day globally. It is also intended to align Teva with the evolving needs and expectations of the people the company serves—from patients to caregivers to healthcare professionals, as well as employees and other key stakeholders—and to build an identity that unifies its businesses around the world after decades of acquisitions.
Teva is rolling out the new brand in the U.S. and Canada this month, following successful rollouts in France, Russia and Argentina over the past year. Launches in additional markets are planned throughout 2018. Brendan P. O’Grady, Teva EVP and head of North America Commercial, said: “The new brand is integral following the restructuring plan we are executing to facilitate our transition to a simpler, leaner and more agile organization, making our mission to bring valuable medicines to patients easier to execute. Following the embedding of the brand within our people, we will continue to evolve to ensure a consistent experience across our diverse portfolio.”
Rather than taking a top-down approach, Teva opted to drive the global rollout of the new brand from the bottom up, using a hyperlocal implementation plan. Specifically, to build local relevance into a global framework, Teva is leveraging country-specific insights to evolve its value proposition and to reflect the nuances of each market, including its business model and portfolio; the local healthcare system; and the specific needs of that market’s patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
“Launching a new brand on the heels of a restructuring isn’t necessarily intuitive,” O’Grady said. “For us, it provided an opportunity to evaluate how to best meet the current and evolving expectations of patients and healthcare professionals while we also were looking at ways to reduce our internal complexity and unify our organization. The new brand helped us galvanize internally around a new Teva and emerged as a vehicle for simplification and unification.”
Iris Beck-Codner, Teva’s Executive Vice President for Global Brand and Corporate Communications, added: “Our focus is on redesigning the most impactful touch points that people have with our company based on consumer and patient insights—namely, our product packaging, promotional materials for healthcare professionals and consumers, and digital resources—to evolve our proposition, as well as ensure that every touch point differentiates and reinforces the new Teva.”
The new logo is intended to convey Teva as approachable, accessible and modern—a company that listens and delivers high-quality products and treatments—while improving legibility and recognition. The new logo is designed to combine the company’s scientific rigor with an accessible and open personality. Teva selected a new shade of green for its visual identity, opting for one that conveyed warmth, approachability and action.
The new global brand positioning was developed using insights gained from speaking to over 13,500 patients, 9,300 caregivers and 1,000 healthcare professionals from 20 countries between 2015 and 2017, all with a goal of understanding how health and illness are impacting people’s lives. Teva already is capitalizing on several of these insights to inform new packaging design, content for its digital resources and educational initiatives in specific countries.
As an example, Teva found that 63 percent of people globally want advice about how to take better control over their health; they want emotional and functional support, convenience, and access to trusted and understandable information. The company also learned that 47 percent of people surveyed were caring for someone with a health condition, a large population of caregivers that remains under the radar of the healthcare industry.
“As part of the activation of the new brand in each market, we are evolving our offering based on what we heard from real people and through primary and comprehensive research. This provides rich insights into how people approach their health journey, as well as their needs, frustrations and expectations, enabling us to build a true global brand with local relevance in which the patient is at the heart of what we do,” Beck-Codner said.
In the U.S., Teva is partnering with patients to explore how living with a chronic condition affects every part of an individual’s life. Later this year the company will launch a digital portal offering content and resources to patients and their loved ones—enabling them to take greater control of their health.
New product promotional materials for HCPs and patients are starting this month, while new packaging is expected to roll out in Q2. Teva already has transformed its U.S. website, tevausa.com, and corporate global website, tevapharm.com, to reflect its new brand identity.
In Canada, Teva’s research highlighted the strong needs around information and support for the more than 8 million Canadians who provide informal care to a family member or friend. In response to this need, Teva is working with a local partner to train pharmacists to better respond to the needs of caregivers, as well as connecting caregivers to one another for guidance and emotional support.
“Of course this is a process, and we will continue to evolve the Teva brand in these and other markets,” Beck-Codner said. “Recognizing our financial situation, we are managing each launch in a way that makes the best use of existing resources and plans, with minimal additional financial investment.”
Source: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements


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Consumer Reports scientists tested 342 packages of frozen shrimp: 284 raw, 58 cooked, purchased at stores around the country. Among the findings:
- Bacterial residues were found on more than half the raw samples (60 percent) tested — including salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
- In seven raw shrimp samples, scientists detected the antibiotic-resistant superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause dangerous infections.
- Illegal antibiotic residues were present on 11 samples.
- The fish packages were purchased at Albertsons, Costco, Fry’s Marketplace, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Walmart in 27 cities across the U.S.
Yummy, NOT time to put “shrimp on the Barbie.”


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Google appears to be planning on introducing a way of requiring parental consent before a child can message someone.
The iPhone 5c may not have been a popular model, but the way it showcased vibrant colors has been noticeably missing from recent iPhone releases. Apple should change that with the iPhone 16.
Don't pay full price for Samsung's flagships. I've found the best Galaxy S24 deals at Verizon, Best Buy, and more.
Voice recording and Math Notes could be two key things that iOS 18 adds to your iPhone's Notes app when the update arrives later this year.
The latest leaked images of the Google Pixel 9 Pro show a smaller device with some interesting cosmetic changes.
Not sure which Samsung phone is best for you? Here's a guide to all the Galaxy phones we recommend.
Several users have taken to X to report that their Galaxy phones have developed a display fault after downloading the latest update.
Don't let your Galaxy S24 Plus case go unprotected. Pick up one of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus cases right now.
Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.


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Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon kicked off IFA 2022, western Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, with a keynote presentation announcing several new partnerships. Futurum’s principal analyst Daniel Newman discusses the announcements and new partnerships with Meta and Bose.
Latest Enhancements to Zoom IQ for Sales Give Sales Teams the Intelligence They Need to Close Deals
Futurum analyst Michael Diamond discusses Lenovo’s partnership with Verizon that is now distributing the new Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx gen 3 chip. It’s a winner all the way around.
Futurum analyst Michael Diamond discusses Microsoft’s recent Surface PC, the Surface Laptop Go 2, which is a budget-friendly notebook aimed at businesses and consumers wanting a notebook with great functionality that will not break the bank.
Futurum’s principal analyst Daniel Newman covers the news out of Microsoft Build 2022 around The Microsoft Power Platform Updates. The releases and updates to the platform continue to solidify Microsoft’s commitment to the low-code space.
Futurum’s principal analyst Shelly Kramer covers Qualcomm’s recently unveiled addition to the powerline communication device market, the QCA7006AQ, which ties electric vehicle charging station capabilities to the smart-grid and the cloud, addressing the growing need for EV charging infrastructure with impactful new features.
Futurum analyst Michael Diamond looks at Qualcomm’s updated Snapdragon Mobile Platforms an and how they are making the gaming and photography experience much richer for the premium Android smartphone segment.
Futurum Analyst in Residence Jared Klee analyzes blockchain startup Chainalysis’s $170 million Series F and Storyline product announcements and discusses why new investigative tools are needed in cryptocurrency and why how government agencies are rapidly catching up to the bad guys.
The News: Hewlett-Packard has unveiled two new models of its ZBook mobile workstations – the HP ZBook Studio G9 and the HP ZBook Fury G9 – targeted at creative and technical professionals who demand even more robust processing power while working in hybrid or remote environments. Read the full Press Release from HP. HP Unveils Updated ZBook Mobile Workstations Which …
In this research report, Futurum Research examines why in selecting the optimal microprocessor architecture organizations must take a comprehensive approach in understanding the strategic microprocessor architecture powering their implementations. This includes understanding fully that the migration off of x86 to Arm for most companies would prove to be a significant undertaking at a point in where the diverse x86 offerings in market are market tested and trusted by enterprises to run the vast majority of enterprise applications—especially those critical in nature.


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Deputy Industry Minister Alex SW Retraubun said on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting here on Sunday that the Indonesian government has already set a number of policies to realize the idea.
Among the steps to be taken is reducing sales of crude palm oil for domestic processing into various kinds of industrial derivative products, he said.
He said a lot of raw materials could be made into industrial products such as oleo-chemical, CPO, gas and various other resources.
As the biggest producer of CPO he said Indonesia would give an opportunity to and invite APEC member countries to invest in the country, he said.
He said at various discussions Indonesia had always said it would meet all the requirements and hopes conveyed by APEC members to prioritize development of green industries.
As a country wishing to become a strong industrial country, he said, Indonesia would not complicate licensing procedures for investment.
"So long as they meet our criteria we would welcome," he said.
As a party active in APEC activities Indonesia hopes countries in the Asia Pacific would give support to the plan including helping other countries that have the same hope.
"We wish for a better economy and common APEC members must support each other," he said.
(Reporting by Irwan Arfa/H-YH/S012)


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rental booking services. Yongche, currently offers booking services for 49 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong , and plans to cover 100+ cities in China and elsewhere next year. In tandem with the investment, Ctrip says Yongche's
HONG KONG /MILAN Dec 20 (Reuters) - Hong Kong -listed Italian luxury fashion house Prada SpA reported a lower-than-expected rise in quarterly profits on Friday and warned its European sales might be down on a year ago in the final two months of this year.
the effect that short reserve lives will mean a significant decline in future domestic production. Also uncaptured in Hong Kong import numbers are direct shipments from Russian production, which are said to be conveyed by the Chinese military
sell its majority stake in CSL, the Hong Kong based mobile business. Telstra owns ..... subject to regulatory approval in Hong Kong as well as HKT and PCCW shareholder ..... strategy given the mature nature of the Hong Kong mobile market. The divestment simplifies
HONG KONG , Dec 20 (Reuters) - Scientists in Shanghai are attempting a breakthrough in nuclear energy: reactors powered by thorium, an alternative to uranium.
HONG KONG , Dec 20 (Reuters) - Italian luxury fashion house Prada SpA has missed analyst estimates by posting a 8.6 percent rise in third-quarter profit, as solid performance in the Americas and Japan made up for slowing growth in Europe and Asia.
* Says to set up drug distribution and marketing JV in China with Chi-Med, which majority owned by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd Further company coverage: (Reporting by Hong Kong and Singapore newsrooms)
(Corrects headline to say that the acquisition price was HK$142.2 mln, not HK$15.2 mln)
LONDON/NEW YORK/ HONG KONG (Reuters) - This year has been the biggest for equity fundraising globally since 2010, thanks to improving confidence among companies on the back of the strong investor demand for stocks, according to Thomson Reuters data published on Friday.
HONG KONG , Dec 20 (Reuters) - China, the world's largest mobile phone market by subscribers, posted a 0.7 percent monthly increase


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In most homes around the country, behind every door, inflation and the effects of the rising cost of living are taking hold.
For those on Oxmantown Road in Stoneybatter in Dublin, it is no different.
Paula O'Loughlin and Marie Keogh share a house and have seen their bill only go one way.
"Everything has gone up," says Ms Keogh, "it's kind of ridiculous now at this stage."
Ms O'Loughlin is a carer, and worked right through the pandemic. She says she has now had to take on extra shifts just to keep up the rising daily costs.
"A lot of frontline staff are worn out," she says. "We're doing extra to just try and survive. I used to be able to work, pay the bills and maybe have a holiday once a year.
"I won't be having a holiday this year because it's just not realistic."
She needs her car for work, but the price of keeping it on the road is becoming more of a strain.
"It's got quite difficult... petrol is up another €50/60 per month and we've having to cut down on other things."
Ms Keogh is hoping the Government does more to intervene to try help the problem.
"It (inflation) should be brought down a bit... because the cost of living is way too high. You just have to try and get on with it, but it is difficult."
She then lists off the rising bills, "gas, electricity, groceries, tax on the car."
Ms O'Loughlin then adds, "Even the broadband. That's also gone up on what it was two years ago."
The local newsagent is feeling the impact too. Rising delivery and wholesales costs means the shopkeeper Luther Moussa has had to increase prices.
Bottled gas, for example, is up €2. His business is being hit.
"Everything has gone up," he says. "People are spending less money than they used to."
Mr Moussa has been in business on this road for the last twenty years but current trading is difficult.
"We're paying a lot more in bills and we're taking in less money," he says.
Next, we meet trainee architects Conor Brady and Eimear Butler.
For these 20-somethings, their ability to save has been scuppered, and rising petrol costs for a 40km car commute to work is not helping.
"The car has become a massive hole for me to throw money into," Mr Brady says, "it becomes a kind of catch-22, do I make it to work this week or do I buy my food."
Ms Butler too has felt the impact of the rising costs.
"I'm noticing food is getting quite expensive ... and since Covid restrictions have eased, I've noticed going out for drinks or food is just too expensive, it's nearly not worth going out."
But for her, it is the fact that she can't put any money aside that stings hardest.
"It's just the fact that I'm not able to save. I'm not thinking too much about it at the moment but it's getting to me that I'm making a pay cheque but there's not much left over at the end of every month to put away and save for the future."
Mr Brady agrees: "It's just very difficult to save up and money... that's all they tell you - 'work hard, put away your money and eventually you'll be able to afford a down payment on a house'.
"But the way things are at the minute, I'm not able to save any money because the pay cheques I'm getting are just keeping me afloat."
This is the impact inflation is having on the lives of people on just one Dublin street, there are many more like it.


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Market wraps 20th August 2020
Morning Bell - Jessica Amir
Aussie futures are suggesting a retreat of 0.3%, which will trim some of yesterday’s gain of 0.7% and the week to date gain of 0.7%. The S&P500 scaled to a brand new record high, its second in two straight days before falling 0.4%. The Nasdaq met the same fate, scaling to a record before turning negative in the final few hours. Meanwhile, Apple became the first US. company to reach a market cap of $2 trillion, doubling its valuation in two years.
In commodities and FX, the U.S. dollar rose, which saw gold lose 1.6%, down to US$1,939. The oil price fell 0.2% to US$42.76. The Aussie dollar fell 1% and hit 71.85 US cents – falling from its fresh high.
What to watch:
- Afterpay (ASX:APT) upgraded its guidance levels expecting EBITDA to be $43 million, that’s almost double what APT previously expected.
Companies reporting today:
- Qantas (ASX:QAN) just reported its profit dived to a $2 billion after tax loss in 2020 financial year, a 334% fall on last year’s profit.
- Star Entertainment (ASX:SGR) just reported a full year net loss after tax of $95 million after falling 148%.
- Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) the owners of Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks also just reported results
- Other companies which have reported include Perpetual (ASX:PPT), Domain (ASX:DHG), Medibank Private (ASX:MPL), and South32 (ASX:S32).
- Ingenia (ASX:INA) is showing that it’s formed a technical short-term bullish uptrend, according to Trading Central’s charting. Goldman Sachs backs INA as a buy with a $5.40 target.
- BHP (ASX:BHP) was reiterated as a UBS buy with a $40 target.
- ANZ (ASX:ANZ) was reiterated as a Bell Potter buy following its quarterly update, while its price target increased to $20.