text:
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) December 16, 2008
Clikthrough Inc., a privately funded interactive audience measurement company specializing in video encoding and analytics, has partnered with Phonogenic Records to debut its era-defining technology in a new single and video by UK chart toppers The Script.
Clikthrough comes to market with never-before-seen video markup and analytics tools designed so that consumers can "Clik", interact with, and explore all available content within a video. This provides content owners and advertisers with unprecedented opportunities to reach, engage, measure, and merchandise to a more engaged consumer audience without traditional commercial interruptions.
Together with exclusive partner Phonogenic Records, Clikthrough will employ its new encoding technology to "hotspot" a video for the new single, Breakeven, by Irish hit-makers The Script. The 255-second video for Breakeven contains a total of 242 product hotspots, with a total product exposure value of $170,219. That value equals $667 of merchandise per second of video, underscoring the monetization power of this new approach to video advertising and engagement.
As online video viewership skyrockets, Clikthrough is poised to meet a crucial need by helping content owners and advertisers subsidize or replace lost analog revenue with new digital revenue opportunities. By perfecting the tools that both monetize online content and increase consumer engagement for content owners and advertisers, Clikthrough has taken the pulse of the entertainment industry and created a comprehensive solution for the future.
Detailing the partnership, Paul Lisberg, co-owner at Phonogenic Records, didn't hide his enthusiasm. "As the first adopter of Clikthrough, we are delighted to be working at the forefront of a breakthrough technology. It will provide fans with a chance to get closer than they've ever been to their favorite artists, and it will provide record companies and advertisers with an unprecedented way to share in previously untapped online revenue streams. We believe the opportunities in this new arena are exciting, far-reaching, and potentially transformative for the entire entertainment industry."
Abe McCallum, CEO of Clikthrough, was equally enthusiastic. "We are thrilled to work with Phonogenic Records and The Script in this partnership, because we are breaking new ground. We know people watch their favorite videos and wonder how they can get their favorite artist's new shirt, check out a pair of sunglasses, or find out who that extra is in the background of a new music video. Coming from entertainment, we understood the convergence of marketing, entertainment and technology, and we want to provide the tools to bring consumers closer to video."
Clikthrough has put together a team of seasoned entertainment, technology, and marketing industry veterans to build a 21st century platform to monetize content and engage consumers in the new digital video economy. The company has raised over $1 million to date through angel investors. In the last three months, Clikthrough has inked key content partnerships with major Hollywood studios, and feels that these relationships are only the beginning.
About Phonogenic Records:
Phonogenic Records is a UK record label under the RCA Label Group (UK), a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Phonogenic Records represents some of the biggest stars in the UK music industry, including international hitmakers like Natasha Bedingfield, The Script, and Edwina Jhonson.
Clikthrough Inc., is an interactive audience measurement company specializing in video encoding and analytics. Clikthrough has developed the tools that both monetize online content and increase consumer engagement for content owners and advertisers. By giving consumers a new avenue to explore what's inside the video content they watch, and by helping content owners and advertisers both monetize content and see deeper than ever into consumer engagement with online video, Clikthrough's solutions are helping the entertainment industry map the future of the online video economy.
For more information please contact:
Tele: 020 7361 8555
Email: paul.lisberg at sonybmg dot com
Email: press at clikthrough dot com
http://www.clikthrough.com - Stop Watching. Start Interacting.


text:
Scotland's Commonwealth Games champion Hannah Miley has been unveiled as keynote speaker for Elevator's ninth Making It Happen conference.
The European and world medallist and Olympic finalist will share her experience of success with entrepreneurs and business owners at the conference at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre in October.
The conference aims to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs, business chiefs and university students in the north-east of Scotland.
Miley said: “The message I will be sharing at the Elevator conference is that the key to success is never giving up, know that everything happens for a reason and always look for the positive, which applies to business as well as other fields such as sport. I am not the biggest, I am not the strongest, but I will be the hardest working athlete I can be."
Professor Gary McEwan, chief executive of Elevator, said: “We have the skills and intellect to create homegrown talent throughout the region, and each year, Elevator’s ‘Making It Happen’ conference continues to help build an entrepreneurial society in the North-east of Scotland.”
Also attending are Jeanette Forbes, chief executive of PCL Group, Ros Marshall and Kirsty Lunn who set up breastfeeding friendly underwear company Molke and Sandy McKinnon, founder of Foodstory.
Meanwhile Elevator - which helps start-ups and new businesses to grow across Scotland - and University of Aberdeen Business School will host a £1,000 competition open to new business ideas through to existing businesses in the city and in Aberdeenshire.
Professor Norman Hutchison, Director of External Engagement at the University of Aberdeen Business School, said: “The University has played a key role in many business success stories and we are committed towards encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in generations to come.”
Applications for the pitching competition are open until Friday, September 28.
As a double Commonwealth Games champion, European and world medallist and triple Olympic finalist swimmer, Hannah Miley strongly believes her own success is due to hard work and her commitment to the sport.

domain: news


text:
Alibaba Group Holding was cited again as a marketplace for fakes on a US blacklist, another sign of increasing tension between the US and China.
The Office of the US Trade Representative on Friday included Alibaba’s Taobao online marketplace on its list of “Notorious Markets,” citing a high volume of reported counterfeiting and piracy. The agency acknowledged steps Alibaba has taken to make it easier for fakes to be removed, but said “the enforcement programme reportedly continues to be burdensome and insufficient to end the sale of counterfeit products on the platform.”
In response, Alibaba’s president Mike Evans said in a blog post that the company’s presence on the list “is not an accurate representation of Alibaba’s results in protecting brands and IP, and we have no other choice but to conclude that this is a deeply flawed, biased and politicised process.”
Trade tension between the US and China is increasing as China’s economy continues to grow quickly and its companies expand overseas. Chinese acquisitions of US companies have been thwarted by lawmakers recently. Ant Financial, the Chinese financial services giant controlled by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, failed to win approval from a key US government panel for its plan to buy MoneyGram International Inc.
The decision by the USTR is a blow to Alibaba’s international expansion strategy, which depends on winning the trust of US and global brands. Alibaba dominates e-commerce in China, with Taobao and the company’s other shopping platforms accounting for the majority of online retail sales, but it’s a bit player in the US still.
Alibaba said more than 230,000 Taobao stores were closed from September 2016 to August 2017. The company has also provided leads to law enforcement that resulted in more than 1,000 arrests and the closing of nearly 1,000 manufacturing and distribution locations.
LEAVE A COMMENT Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*
Opec meeting likely to be high on politics and low on decisions
Japan uneasy over Trump pressure on car exports
Uber is said to be in early talks to buy Europe’s Deliveroo
British inquiry widens Danske Bank money laundering scandal
China steel mills chase iron ore contracts with Brazil’s Vale
Pakistan to increase exports up to $27bn
Japan inflation ticks up but BoJ target still out of reach
Global stock markets breeze higher on growth outlook
Nestle’s step away from skincare reignites L’Oreal stake sale talk


text:
The Budapest-based group reported Q2 EBITDA of $175 million (€159.4 million) in Consumer Services, noting that the easing of retail price cap regulations in Central and Eastern Europe helped boost non-fuel sales.
Consumer Services Contribution
Consumer Services contributed almost 43% of the overall group's total EBITDA, while sales volumes in the division increased by 16% year-on-year, it added.
At group level, MOL Group reported EBITDA of $411 million (€374.3 million) in the second quarter, with both downstream and upstream operations impacted by 'worsening macro conditions' and increased government levies.
Impact On Results
“The macro environment was not good enough to counterbalance the negative effects of governments’ interventions in the CEE region that have no doubt left their marks on our results in the first half of the year and especially in the second quarter of 2023," commented MOL Group chairman and CEO Zsolt Hernádi.
"The current level of governments’ takes – unless these extraordinary measures are phased out in the near future – will deteriorate MOL Group’s competitiveness and burden our cash flow generation needed for our investment plans. Disregarding the negative external effects, MOL Group’s operational performance was robust, the businesses continued with their strategic investments and MOL Group also managed to launch its new waste management business line.”
For the full year, MOL Group has set its EBITDA guidance at approximately $2.5 billion (€2.28 billion).


text:
Ventura County, whose economy suffered along with those of other Southern California communities in the recession of 1982, has been undergoing an economic resurgence since then, a trend that is expected to continue during 1985, according to a forecast published by Bank of America.
The report, released last week, said employment, personal income and retail sales all will rise this year in Ventura County, which is the 12th largest county in the state in population. But residential construction is expected to decrease "moderately" because of a national economic slowdown, the report said.
The county generally should continue to prosper, the report concluded, because of its desirable climate, diverse recreational and business opportunities and the growing international trade from Pacific Rim countries via Port Hueneme south of Oxnard. The port is the only deep-water facility between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The report said that the county is rapidly shedding its image as a collection of bedroom communities made up of people who work in Los Angeles or in other communities outside of the county.
Increased local job opportunities in the light manufacturing, high-technology and wholesale and retail trades are all contributing to a new, diversified image, the report commented.
In 1980, the report said, 40.3% of the county's workers were employed in manufacturing, real estate and wholesale and retail trade. The bank forecast that, by the end of the year, 43.1% of the county's work force would be employed in those areas.
Some Jobs to Decrease
At the same time, agriculture and government, traditionally the largest employers, will have decreased by a total of about 3%.
The county's population has grown nearly 10% since 1980, to a total of about 590,000, with Thousand Oaks and Camarillo showing the greatest percentage increases, the report said.
The report was written by Duane A. Paul, vice president and senior economist, and Ho Van Cao, an associate economist at B of A.
Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, and Simi Valley are expected to experience the largest population growths in the county over the next 15 years. The growth rates, however, should be lower than in other Southern California cities because of controlled, moderate growth policies, the report said.
Total personal income is expected to increase from $7.8 billion last year to $8.6 billion at the close of this year.
Although most sectors of the county's economy will improve, housing construction will probably decline, the report said.
The median price for an existing single-family home is $127,000, about 13% higher than the state average, the report said.


text:
Jordan launched the country's 2013 ICT strategy that includes plans to increase Internet penetration in the Kingdom from the current 63 per cent to 85% by the end of 2017.
The strategy entails promoting the ICT sector in Jordan to increase investments in the field from $250 million currently to $450 million by the end of 2017, Abed Shamlawi, said CEO of the ICT Association of Jordan (int@j). The strategy, which will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, includes increasing the sector's annual revenues from around $2.5 billion currently to some $3.15 billion by the end of 2017, Shamlawi told The Jordan Times.
Under the strategy, employment in the sector will increase from around 16,000 currently to around 20,000 by the end of 2017, he added.
According to the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Hatem Halawani, "The remarkable impact of ICT on the macro and micro levels of the economy has been exponentially growing since the early 90s in the country." Citing recent studies on emerging and developing economies, the minister said that every 10 per cent increase in Internet penetration correlates with an incremental gross domestic product increase of 1-2 per cent.
"Other studies have indicated that raising broadband penetration in emerging markets to the levels in Western Europe could add $300 to $400 billion in gross domestic product and create 10 to 14 million new jobs," said the minister at the event, which witnessed the launch of an initiative to boost much-needed Arabic content on the web.
Internet subscriptions in Jordan stood at 14 per cent with about 874,832 subscribers by the end of September 2012, according to latest available figures released by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. Of the total, there were 556,557 mobile broadband subscribers, 198,003 ADSL and 106,843 Wi-Max users.
According to a recent report by Cisco Systems, Inc, mobile broadband network users in Jordan enjoy download and upload speeds that surpass the average in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries.


text:
Game Group has moved to assure investors that its credit dispute with EA, which will leave the UK's largest specialist retailer without stock of one of the biggest releases of the year so far in Mass Effect 3, is only temporary.
Game admitted yesterday that it had decided not to stock EA titles following the release this week of SSX because the publisher was unwilling to relax its credit terms, and the company's share price fell 15 per cent during trading yesterday. In a statement, the retailer says it is still in discussions with EA about future launches.
"Today the group confirmed that it will not be stocking a small number of titles from one supplier, Electronic Arts, during March and notes that this has caused speculation in the market," reads the statement, which was released yesterday. "This situation, which is a result of ongoing discussions between the group and EA, is a temporary one and indeed both businesses are already engaged in discussions about future launches together.
"It is always a matter of regret when customers are inconvenienced, and both the group and EA are committed to ensuring that this situation does not occur again."
It's welcome news, but there's no indication that the situation will be resolved any time soon. The reported loss of Game's credit insurance has also left it unable to stock Nintendo-published titles Tekken 3D Prime Edition, The Last Story and Mario Party 9. It also had no stock of Ubisoft's PS Vita launch titles, though that apparent credit dispute was resolved earlier this week.


text:
Saratoga Springs, NY – Executives from leading companies in the semiconductor industry laid the groundwork for lobbying governments to completely eliminate tariffs on chips.
At the 2012 World Semiconductor Council meeting this week here top executives from the six global regions came to a consensus to eliminate tariffs from multi-chip packages, a sore point among the six SIA-affiliated regions.
“We were able to agree that for the good of the industry and the growth of the semiconductor industry we should petition respective governments to eliminate tariffs all chips including multi-chip packags,” said Brian Toohey, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association, which conducts the yearly WTC in each of the six regions. This year was SIA-US turn to host and it chose Saratoga Springs, NY due to the area’s emerging status as a cluster for semiconductor innovation.
The six regions represented at the WTC are SIA affiliates from China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.
The WSC-2012 agreement on chip tariffs has been seven years in the making. The WSC, established and run by top executives since its inception in 1996, has worked on such issues as putting an end to investment restrictions tied to technology transfer requirements, among others.
“We held the WSC meeting here in Saratoga Springs because we felt strongly that we need to build innovation clusters similar along the lines we have here in upper New York State,” said Ajit Manocha, chief executive officer of Gloablfoundries, and a member of SIA’s board of directors. Globalfoundries most modern 400mm fab is coming online near here in Malta, in large part as the result of favorable tax conditions and indirect investments from New York State.
Globalfoundries' $4.6 billion investment in Fab 8, the presence of IBM facilities and the research going on at College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CNSE) at the University of Albany, contributed to the SIA's selection of upstate New York as the 2012 WSC meeting location, according to Manocha.
The recent announcement of the Global 450 Consortium -- a $4.8 billion investment by the State of New York in partnership with Intel, IBM, Globalfoundries, TSMC and Samsung to create 450mm fab for producing the next generation of computer chip technology -- reinforced the SIA’s decision, according to Toohey.
Manocha and three other members off the board of directors of SIA -- Rich Beyer
the soon to retire CEO of Freescale Semiconductor; Mark Durcan, CEO of Micron Technology; and Ray Stata chairman of the board of Analog Devices Inc. -- gave their views on WTC's work at a roundtable discussion at the conclusion of the meeting. Policies were adopted in the areas of the environment, encryption, IP regulations, and counterfeit ICs.
”We need a right balance between setting conditions for innovation and enforcing reasonable regulations in order for the U.S. to regain manufacturing back from foreign shores,” said Micron's Durcan.
“There was an unusual sense of congeniality at this week’s meeting and passing the elimination of tariffs on chips as a recommendation is a home run in my book,” said ADI’s Stata.
Freescale’s Beyer emphasized that another issue that had consensus is that of encryption. “We are trying not to have companies be forced to reveal information on encryption of data in chips as some governments are demanding,” said Beyer. ”I think we are making progress here.”
At the traditional WTC dinner on Thursday night, earlier announced speaker NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo asked the Lieutenant Governor to stand in. “True to the governor’s earnest attempt to say that New York State is ‘open for business’ I’d like to leave my business cards here on the podium for anyone who is looking to invest in our state. Let’s talk,” said lieutenant governor Robert Duffy after expounding why to invest here to the packed room of “smartest people in the industry” of more than 150 international semiconductor industry executives.


text:
The metaverse 'is already here' and will give cryptocurrencies the opportunity to make it better, a Solana co-founder says
The metaverse will give cryptocurrencies a chance to wipe out "broken" business models like internet ad platforms, a Solana co-founder said.
A 20-year market veteran says bitcoin is a better near-term bet than ethereum as investors treat it as a hedge against surging inflation — and lists 5 altcoins he's watching as the crypto market surges
Inflation helps bitcoin more than ethereum because it's a better hedge, says Nick Cawley of DailyFX, who also shared five altcoins he's watching.
Dogecoin is heading for $1 as an ethereum co-founder jumps on the bandwagon, a long-time crypto bull predicts. He names 5 other altcoins as strong buys — including one 'phenomenal' token that is shockingly undervalued.
Dogecoin can rise to $1, says crypto bull and entrepreneur David Gokhshtein. Here are five altcoins that are worth buying now.
A crypto bull who's betting bitcoin's run will continue shares why a 'perfect Goldilocks launch' has ethereum set to surge to $9,000 — and warns that one red-hot altcoin is wildly overvalued
Ethereum is set up for a "perfect Goldilocks launch," said the founder and CEO of Celsius Network. But altcoins like surging Solana could crash.
Solana says it is back up and running after a surge in transactions caused the network to crash the day before
The solana network was up and running normally again on Wednesday after a surge in transaction volume prompted the blockchain to crash the day before.
5 altcoins to buy as institutions adopt crypto, according to a financial advisor who works with retired millionaires and predicts bitcoin will surge to $90,000
One bull predicts bitcoin will hit $90,000 by the year's end as institutions increasingly warm to cryptocurrencies.
Solana spikes above $100 for the first time as interest from institutions drives the DeFi coin up by 217% in August
Solana's price has rocketed during a furious run higher in August. The altcoin is often regarded as a competitor to Ethereum.


text:
For years, there have been two sides to the grocery wars: traditional stores, offering the convenience of last-minute stock-ups (so long as you don’t mind lines and crowds), and online delivery services, offering the ease of at-home shopping (so long as you live in or near a major city).
But with so much at stake in the $1 trillion U.S. grocery industry, a hybrid model is emerging that may challenge both: pickup, or ordering items online and collecting them at a nearby depot. The practice is already popular overseas, thanks to distributors like Tesco. Now U.S. chains like Whole Foods and Harris Teeter are starting pilot programs, while Relay Foods–the leading startup–has expanded from its home base in Charlottesville, Va., to Williamsburg, Va., and Baltimore.
It’s a savvy strategy. Although services like FreshDirect are popular in cities, their delivery method isn’t ideal for suburbs, where customers may be many miles apart. Pickup “turns that economy on its head,” says Relay Foods president Arnie Katz. “Instead of three deliveries per hour, we can do 20” pickups at no cost to the customer. (Delivery is available for a fee.) Moreover, nearly 30% of Relay’s groceries are sourced from local suppliers, which is the No. 1 reason that Karen Shatin, a 35-year-old living in Alexandria, Va., says she uses it.
The main drawback, says Laurie Demeritt, CEO of the retail-consultancy firm Hartman Group, is that pickup doesn’t allow for spontaneity; at Relay, orders must be placed 13 hours in advance, and Whole Foods requires four hours’ notice. There’s also the question of efficiency: If you still have to leave the house, is pickup really that much better than normal shopping?
So far, the answer appears to be yes. Relay says it’s adding 1,000 new customers per week, and similar startups, like Farmigo, have recently entered the space. “The traditional grocery is going to continue to lose ground,” says Demeritt. “That leaves an opening for creativity.”
This appears in the February 03, 2014 issue of TIME.
- Why Cell Phone Reception Is Getting Worse
- The Dirty Secrets of Alternative Plastics
- Israeli Family Celebrates Release of Hostage Grandmother
- We Should Get Paid for Our Online Data: Column
- The COP28 Outcomes Business Leaders Are Watching For
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2023
- The Top 100 Photos of 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time


text:
Nissan has released pricing information on its Infiniti FX mid-sized crossover for model year 2013.
Read This Article
Johan De Nysschen is no stranger to rebuilding an automaker.
At the 2012 New York International Auto Show, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn made it known that Infiniti will be moving its production facilities from Japan to an undetermined location.
Although there isn't a whole lot of information on the new 2014 Infiniti QX60 hybrid, what we've heard already has us excited for its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show.


text:
Illinois: Prolific tax whistleblower creates controversy by filing hundreds of cases
Alternatively, the attorney general may decline to take over the action, but allow the person bringing the action the right to pursue the case. Finally, the attorney general may dismiss the action, even if over the objections of the party bringing it in the first place, as long as there has been adequate notice and a hearing. Penalties for successful cases involve a tripling of the amount of damages, and additional sums.
The King of Qui Tam
One lawyer, Stephen B. Diamond, whom Bloomberg characterized as a “notorious whistle blower” last June, has leveraged the Act to such a great extent that he has been called “the most prolific tax whistle-blower in the country,” for having filed more than 900 false claims lawsuits in the last 15 years. This includes 111 cases against online retailers, 202 against liquor distributors, 147 against wineries, and 450 against retailers that have allegedly failed to impose taxes on shipping and handling charges.
The June piece pointed to the king of qui tam’s own statements in court last May asserting that he had plans to pursue tailors located in Hong Kong and London by filing up to 85 lawsuits under the Act, on the grounds that they failed to collect and remit state sales and use taxes.
A number of lawyers who have represented defendants in Diamond’s lawsuits lament this “jamming [of the] circuit court with small-stakes claims that conflict with the spirit of the [Act].” One attorney went further, opining that Diamond’s activity represents nothing but “a new opportunity to extort money where there is no fraud…” This lawyer contended that if anything, these cases are for the Department of Revenue to handle, not the courts.
The theory in the suits against the tailors is that they have a connection with Illinois that generates tax obligations with which they failed to comply. In court, Diamond explained that by “com[ing] into Illinois, set[ting] up shop in a hotel room, mak[ing] sales, and enter[ing] into sales contracts,” the tailors created nexus with the state, but have refused to satisfy the resulting sales and use tax obligations.
The Illinois assistant attorney general told the court in the May 2017 hearing that the state would not intervene in the cases against the tailors, and that they could proceed while the state reserved its right to do so later. The court unsealed almost 36 of Diamond’s suits.
Conscious of the costs of litigation, especially discovery, the assistant attorney general reasoned that “[t]he State can take an active role in initial negotiations in the event that many of the defendants are interested in quick settlement, tax registration, payment of back tax, liability, without the expense of discovery.”
Indeed, the dollars at issue can be large. For instance, last October, Diamond won a $6.6 million settlement in a suit against a subsidiary of computer companies Gateway Inc. and Acer Inc. This was the largest settlement so far in his 15-year qui tam career, commented the ABA Journal.
In a follow up to its June 2017 article, a Jan. 29, 2018 Bloomberg story noted that the court had unsealed 23 of Diamond’s newest cases against international tailors, filed in late 2017. As it had done before, the state waived its right to intervene, which permitted the court to remove the seals and authorize Diamond to proceed with the litigation. In a Jan. 4, 2018 hearing concerning the newest group, the court stayed discovery temporarily, and ordered the defendants to respond to the complaints by Feb. 28, 2018.
A National Law Review post wondered whether the suits would prevent other foreign businesses from “visiting Illinois at all.” The worry is not with payment of prospective tax obligations, but the idea that defendants would be forced to “to reach into their pockets and pay back taxes for six years … plus a multiple of three times back taxes for damages … plus additional significant penalties… plus Diamond's legal fees.”
The National Law Review poses a few other questions for these lawsuits:
- Do these minimal visits, with no actual sale completed in Illinois, constitute sufficient nexus for a use tax collection obligation?
- Does failure to charge and collect a tax actually constitute a false claim here?
- Can a foreign company not obligated to file a federal return, and thus unable to register to collect tax in Illinois, be found liable for failing to collect and remit Illinois tax?
- Should the recent trade show regulations, setting minimum thresholds for sales/use tax collection at trade shows in Illinois, apply to these very similar fact patterns?
The National Law Review ultimately asks, “Which state(s) will be next? And which industry?”


text:
As part of its Complete Mobile Security initiative, Sophos has announced the availability of Sophos Mobile Security, a free lightweight anti-virus app that protects Android devices against malware, privacy issues and hardware loss – without reducing performance or battery life. Sophos Mobile Security is available for free download from Google Play.
The amount of mobile malware is rapidly increasingly, in particular on Android devices, the leading smartphone operating system. In May, Naked Security conducted a survey of 900 readers, which found that 39 percent used a smartphone running Android. According to Juniper Networks and F-Secure respectively, the growth rate in Android malware last year increased 155 percent over 2010, and the number of Android malware families nearly quadrupled from 2011 to 2012.
Using up-to-the-minute intelligence from SophosLabs, the company’s global network of threat intelligence centers, Sophos Mobile Security automatically scans apps as users install them, blocking undesirable software and malicious code that can lead to data loss and unexpected costs. In addition to safeguarding devices from malicious apps and other risks, Sophos Mobile Security locates lost or stolen Android devices and provides a remote lock to shield personal information from unintended users.
“We’re seeing no slowdown in the number of malicious apps, as more smartphone owners use their devices to not only store personal data, but also access social networks and the Internet. This usage, coupled with the increase in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) activity, is making Android devices a compelling target for cybercriminals and malware,” said Matthias Pankert, vice president, product management, Sophos.” Android users must be vigilant as the number of threats continues its rapid ascent; this is why apps like Sophos Mobile Security are becoming so much more important.”
Later this year, Sophos plans to offer a managed Enterprise version of Sophos Mobile Security with enhanced functionality. Targeting corporate users, it will help to provide better protection for corporate devices and data.


text:
The news, trends and tech that are reshaping the rapidly changing world of Portland
Explaining the business and consumer sides of social media networks
A hand-picked selection of products, deals, and ways to save money.
The present and future of virtual/augmented reality news and technology
Digging into the Trump Presidency, issue by issue


text:
With October demonstrating the stock market is in no mood to transition out of correction mode, Real Money's Kevin Curran wonders whether ARK’s Cathy Wood is a stock-picking brand that can continue to be trusted.
Recent poor performance has critics popping up across the market landscape.
“Few investment stars have risen as quickly or shined as brightly as Cathie Wood,” Curran wrote on Real Money recently. “Wood rose from relative obscurity to tout eyebrow-raising price targets on high-growth names such as Tesla (TSLA) - Get Tesla Inc Report, Roku (ROKU) - Get Roku, Inc. Class A Report, Robinhood (HOOD) - Get Robinhood Report, Zoom (ZM) - Get Zoom Video Communications (ZM) Report, and more. She has also been a major proponent of bitcoin, advocating for its inclusion on corporate balance sheets and herself buying into Coinbase (COIN) as a major position for her Ark Innovation Fund (ARKK) - Get ARK Innovation ETF Report.”
Wood proved to be a seer in the pandemic-driven panic of early 2020 showed her prescience as an uber-bull.
“However, as many of her most famous picks begin to falter in the current correction and investors begin to be wary of soaring valuations, there remains a question of how much investors can trust the prescient portfolio manager in a less exuberant environment,” Curran wrote.
Curran points to Michael Burry, of Big Short fame, as possibly the best-known investor eager to profit off of the market rotation and the ensuing pain for Wood's biggest bets.
“His firm, Scion Asset Management, has actually taken short positions not only against Wood's ARK ETF, but against some of her favorite names like the aforementioned Tesla,” Curran stated. “Thus far, the bet against Wood has paid off as her flagship ARKK fund has fallen about 14% year-to-date, about the inverse performance of the S&P.”
That’s not bothering Wood, who stands behind her picks as the last quarter of the year opens for business. In fact, Wood believes that critics like Burry don’t understand the trends that underline her stock-selection successes.
“Nonetheless, even bulls are somewhat befuddled by Wood's continued sales of her most bullish calls,” Curran said. “For example, at the close of September she sold more than 340,000 shares of Tesla, totaling about $270 million. Overall, she has sold more than half of a billion dollars in Tesla stock in a matter of months. Given her expectation of an over 300% return for Tesla still ahead, the sizable sale is one that begs questions.
That said, past performance and general transparency should certainly offer some benefit of the doubt for Cathie Wood. But that’s not going to stop the critics.
“No doubt, the recent trend of negative returns remains a significant test of investors' faith in Wood's status as a market prophet,” Curran wrote.


text:
It’s been over a year since we last heard anything about the Rugby game coming out of HB studios. It was – at the time – supposed to be EA Rugby 2012, but it looks like that’s changed. It now has a new name, a new publisher, and concrete confirmation of its existence!
505 games will now be publishing the official Rugby World Cup 2011 game on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this August, just head of the actual tournament; excellent news for fans of games and one of the country’s most popular sports.Â It’ll be the first proper Rugby game available since 2007’s release of Rugby 08.
Here’s what 505’s managing director Ian Howe had to say : â€œIt’s a huge coup for us to be working with HB Studios on this opportunity and we could not be any more excited about this title. Rugby World Cup is one of the top sporting events on the planet and HB Studios have proven time and time again that they are experts in developing sports games that deliver on every level.
â€œWe’re thrilled to be part of this huge spectacle and to be publishing one of the most visible games of the year.â€
Keep your eye on RWC 2011 for more information.
Source : MCV[Thanks to Dawid for the tip]
Last Updated: April 5, 2011


text:
Latest News Headlines
Commercial Credit News
|Callcredit adds further expertise to its utilities offering with key appointment|
|Thursday, 23 April 2015|
Callcredit Information Group (Callcredit) has today announced a strategic appointment to help the utilities sector tackle change and improve performance.
Geeta Piercy has joined Callcredit’s specialist utility team as business development manager to drive the company’s utilities proposition and help the sector deliver improvements in customer service. Geeta joins Callcredit from GBGroup where she spent over three years as account director specialising in utilities and working with UK based energy companies such as Npower, E.On and British Gas.
Forums International Ltd
Attendance at your first meeting is free of charge, and please quote reference 'CCR2016' to receive the special 10% discount off of your first annual subscription.
Find out more here.
The latest edition of CCR Magazine, the leading editorial publication in the UK credit industry, is out.
CCR is the premier magazine for consumer and credit professionals. It provides an independent voice to the industry, breaking major news stories and running in-depth features.
As a magazine, it works with and campaigns on behalf of the credit industry to promote its importance as a centre of potential profit and business development to the wider business world.
Providing information and analysis for thousands of senior credit professionals worldwide, every quarter.
GTS Media Ltd
81 Cambridge Road
Registered in England No: 05483197


text:
Audi was spied out in the cold testing the new A6. Continuing with the brand’s current design language, the 2019 Audi A6 is expected to be much more aerodynamic than the model it replaces.
With small but important differences, like mirrors affixed to the doors and a slipperier front end, the A6 will cut through the air much more smoothly, helping it get better fuel economy.
Speaking of the front end, it’s also showing off a wide new grille with big headlights.
Under the hood, meanwhile, the A6 is expected to be powered by a range of four and six-cylinder engines. Even the S6 is expected to get a V6, albeit a turbocharged one. Audi Sport, though, is not expected to be satisfied with so few cylinders and is expected to fit Porsche’s 4.0-liter V8 into the RS6.
ALSO SEE: Audi’s Official Formula E Involvement Marks a Huge Turning Point
Inside, it should have all of the futuristic tech we’ve come to expect from Audi, including the Virtual Cockpit, the new infotainment system, and a design theme that you’ll recognize from its big siblings, the A7 and A8.
Expect Audi to reveal the new A6 late next year, likely at the 2018 Paris Auto Show in October.


text:
Your favorite Apple, iPhone, iPad, iOS, Jailbreak, and Cydia site.
07-20-2012, 03:44 PM #1
Portland Oregon Getting Magnificent Glass Structure Apple Store
Little by little, Apple is moving away from the non-glass store structure that most of us are well-acquainted with. In Portland, Oregon, you can find the latest example of how the tech titan is moving whenever possible to erect the more austere but still striking glass structure retail stores that we've seen in a number of places where Apple has set up shop around the world.
On Thursday, despite some opposition among local lawmakers and community residents, the Portland Design Commission approved Apple's proposed glass structure design (in a 5-1 vote) that will soon stand as Apple's revamped Portland, Oregon retail store.
According to those who have seen the designs and the location of the store, the "materials and location are nearly epic" and the store, once built, will be "among the chainís most distinctive, as well as a city landmark." All told, it's something that Portland couldn't afford to lose because of the attention and revenue such a structure will eventually generate over time.
The design, local reporters noted on Thursday, came to Portland officials from the San Francisco architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (an Apple store design veteran). The new Apple store will supposedly be a "single story building and outdoor plaza area... fully glazed with clear glass."
Based on what sources close to the project have admitted, the structure is going to be a sight to behold and a hotspot destination for locals and tourists alike.
Sources: Oregon Live, ifoAppleStore
07-20-2012, 04:16 PM #2
What is the point of this? Doesn't make me wanna buy an iPhone/iPad/whatever any more than I already do... Honestly this is a waste of money in my opinion just my $.02
07-20-2012, 04:36 PM #3
07-20-2012, 04:45 PM #4
07-20-2012, 04:51 PM #5
07-20-2012, 08:01 PM #6
07-20-2012, 10:39 PM #7
07-20-2012, 10:47 PM #8
07-21-2012, 03:11 AM #9
Well they have the money, let them spend on it as they chose.
07-21-2012, 05:31 AM #10
A fantastic experience, like walking through a sculptural work of glass art, will make Apple fans for life.


text:
In order to promote digital transactions, the Government has decided to waive off service charges on debit and credit card transactions up to an amount of Rs 2000/-. This has been done in order to promote digital transactions after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes were banned.
A notification for the same is likely to be tabled in Parliament by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. This move comes as a part of an initiative by Government of India to promote cashless transactions. Banks will now install 10 Lakh PoS terminals which will be operational in different regions of the country by March 31, 2017.
In order to give a practical shape to this development, the Government of India will amend the service tax notification of 2012 to exempt credit and debit cards. As on date, only services provided by United Nations and other international charitable organizations are exempted from tax.
This whole initiative is to make India truly digital though numerous hurdles still prevail in the way. People have to be taken into confidence on the safety of online transactions. With service charges being waived off on transactions worth Rs 2000/- the Government has taken a firm step in the direction of usage of cards for small purchases.


text:
The New York Times published an in-depth article on the business practices and corporate culture at Amazon this past Saturday. The piece, by Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld, shows a company attempting to take over the (retail) world by any (legal) means necessary. From hiring practices to employee reviews, Amazon relies on principles that seem intuitive from the outside but sound absolutely destructive to those employed by the web giant.
The old mantra was that a company’s most valuable resource was its employees. Amazon digs deeper than the employee – it’s the employee’s labor that drives the machine. In a data-driven or data-dependent (depending on your view) society, efficiency is the golden goose, the star in the sky that guides its followers. The equation posits that more efficient employees bring in more revenue for the company, which theoretically drives profits because operating and labor costs are flat. Amazon has basically refined workplace culture to a basic equation and has looked at making the slope as big as possible. If its employees are four times as efficient as a rival company’s, Amazon will make four times as much money at the same cost.
But it’s not the same “cost”. Amazon gets people to buy in for a variety of reasons, but few (if any) of them are altruistic or completely selfish. Amazon isn’t really in the business of helping those who actually need help – its basic goal is to be The Everything Store (there’s even a book by the same name!). The company wisely bet that customer service really doesn’t matter unless it’s absolutely terrible, people want their stuff as cheap and quickly as possible. Amazon rarely gets beat on price and now offers one-hour delivery in certain cities across the country. No other company of its size can compete with that.
So Amazon’s customers are happy, but its employees are miserable. The article is damning in its swaths of evidence – it could’ve been twice as long with testimonials of battered former employees finally seeing sunlight for the first time in ages. If labor is the fungible portion of the equation, its malleability ruins peoples’ lives. Employees are pushed and pushed to give more and more, eventually cracking under the pressure, the stress and the impossibility of it all, but their value has been harvested, so they’re sent out to pasture so a new younger, better employee can be milked for his or her potential. Amazon is a factory farm of talent, who wouldn’t want to work for the “largest (online) retailer in the world”? If you’re not working for yourself or for a better cause, Amazon might be the pinnacle of achievement. And this is so incredibly sad.
Amazon has prestige, so it can attract top talent. These people get indoctrinated into Amazon’s famous “culture”, which is probably akin to 21st century Marxism. Once they buy in, it’s over. They want to be better than everyone else and tell people at parties they work for Amazon and tweet out how great the company is for all the cool “perks” they offer. It’s all bullshit – every major company has guiding principles and benefits and thinks they’re the best. No one should need to “buy in” to be accepted and valued and treated with respect.
How does Amazon find and evaluate its employees? Data. From the article:
“Data creates a lot of clarity around decision-making,” said Sean Boyle, who runs the finance division of Amazon Web Services and was permitted by the company to speak. “Data is incredibly liberating.”
Take the quote and its context first. One of the people in charge of making Amazon money by using the internet as a virtual lock box likes that he has access to troves and troves of data. Figuring out how to sequence and manipulate and connect data together in order to package a service that generates revenue is literally this man’s job. He’s not terrible at it – Amazon Web Services is likely one of the company’s most profitable divisions and will scale to an unforeseen level in time due to its inevitable demand.
However, data analytics is at best a mixed bag and at worst a terrifying crutch. Boyle is correct in saying that data creates clarity around decision-making, but it also can eliminate the necessary human component. Incorporating data into a bigger picture can be extremely useful; relying mostly or solely on data all but eliminates any wiggle room or character considerations. Those who are the most efficient or best at their jobs may not be the best employees for Amazon’s future, but a data-dependent approach will gloss over the supposed mediocre in favor of the outliers.
Proponents of Amazon’s approach will cite its one major advantage: parity. No one is judged by their appearance, their age, their gender or political leanings – just their work. It’s utopian, Darwinian (an idea echoed by current and former employees in the piece). But everyone plays at some kind of disadvantage, whether it’s their home life, their manager, the work itself, an illness, a lack of motivation, etcetera. You can’t modify that component in the equation, there’s no 50% bonus for “working sick” that can be applied to an employee’s utility. The numbers are left to speak for themselves. Again, it should be a component, but by no means does it level the playing field. Instead, it strips away a company’s heart until it becomes nonexistent.
A common theme in the article was survival. It was like the reporters found everyone they talked to at self-help group for former Amazon employees, each sharing their horror stories as therapy. This is what Amazon leaves in its wake, burnt out people who thought they’d be joining an amazing company only to find out that it looks a lot better from the outside. This article will cause some changes, but Amazon has even greater aspirations than being the biggest kid on the ever-growing block. To reach its lofty goals, further sacrifices will be made and most of the people feeling those pinches likely won’t be around to reap the rewards.


text:
|Image - Janine & Ian Timlin North East Wedding Planners clients 2010|
North East Wedding Planners launches
A North east wedding planning business launched a recession busting service.. The new service will help brides afford their big day during challenging economic times.
North East Wedding Planners (NEWP) based in Durham, has created Recessionista Weddings to help brides save money.
“Things have changed in the last year or so, we are finding no matter what the size of the budget – whether it is on a shoe string or thousands of pounds, it‘s all been drastically reduced,” said NEWP creator Donna Redfearn.
“There is a perception problem with wedding planners. Many people believe it is an expensive luxury – it is not.
“NEWP saves brides a minimum of 10 percent and now with Recessionista Weddings we truly believe we can save up to 25 percent this will make a real impact on people trying to plan the perfect day without compromise”
It is facts that during the last twelve months brides have felt the impact of the financial downturn This has not altered their perception of “the special day” however NEWP says itunderstands brides only want perfection and has created partnerships with wedding industry specialists to adapt to the current economic situation by developing Recessionista Weddings.
,Donna and her husband Mark run another business The Classic Collection which provides classic British cars for weddings.
Melanie Burn used NEWP to help her plan her wedding and said, “I enjoyed the planning and run up to my wedding, knowing NEWP were taking care of all the suppliers and monitoring the budget.” Melanie Burn (Bride)
To view Melanie's day see http://www.northeastweddingplanner.co.uk/loved.html second featured wedding click to watch the film.
For more information contact 0191 388 2387 or see www.newp.co.uk


text:
More than $28 billion in pandemic-relief grants are now available to restaurants, bars and food suppliers, thanks to a new SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
Online applications opened May 3 at noon, and will remain open until all funds are exhausted.
“These grants are going to provide direct aid to hospitality businesses that have suffered great losses throughout our country and especially here in the epicenter of the epicenter in Queens,” said Queens Chamber of Commerce president & CEO Tom Grech, who was joined last week by elected officials and other business leaders in Flushing to kick off the federal effort.
Congresswoman Grace Meng, who helped secure the grant program through the newly enacted American Rescue Plan, is encouraging Queens businesses to apply.
“Queens deserves more because we have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus,” she said. “We need to make sure that our restaurants get their fair share back.”
Before the pandemic, there were 23,000 restaurants and bars throughout the five boroughs providing more than 300,000 jobs. According to the state Comptroller’s Office, employment in the city’s restaurant industry fell to 91,000 in April, with sales plummeting more than 70 percent.
“It’s essential for us to support and enact policies to help these businesses in their time of need,” Meng added.
Yoon Joo Lee said her family’s once bustling Korean barbecue restaurant, Hahm Ji Bach, is barely surviving.
“We almost had to close, but with the money from these funds, we hope it will help us continue towards the American Dream,” she said.
The new program will provide restaurants and other eligible businesses with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss. For the first 21 days, however, the SBA will approve claims from priority groups, which include businesses owned by women, veterans and individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged.
Establishments that are publicly traded or owned by a state or local government are not eligible, nor are franchise owners that operate more than 20 restaurants.
Businesses can apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale vendors or directly through the SBA using the application at restaurants.sba.gov. The maximum grant size is $5 million for restaurants and $10 million for restaurant groups. The minimum amount is $1,000.
Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used by March 11, 2023.
“The diversity of our restaurant industry is really what makes Queens great,” said Assemblyman David Weprin. “We’ve been suffering over the last year and New York City is a little slower to open than the rest of the state.
But the worst is behind us, the vaccines are here and we are beginning to get out of this mess,” he added. “Hopefully the best is yet ahead.”


text:
Twitter users have given mixed reactions ahead of Facebook's announcement, in which the social network says it will be unveiling its 'new home on Android'.
Rumours suggest the announcement could reveal a new and enhanced app for Facebook users on Android phones or even a 'Facebook phone' created by HTC.
A Facebook phone is way too much!
A little part of me hopes Facebook just announces an updated Android app tomorrow.
Can’t wait to get the new Facebook phone so my mobile device can FINALLY be integrated into social media!
More top news
Freezing, frosty and icy again tonight as temperatures fall.
Fashion giant Michael Kors Holdings announces that it is phasing out real fur over the next year.
The little boy cried for help but began making the two-mile journey home on his own when there was no response.


text:
Embroidery Biz Blazes Trail
When Steve Montesanto and Lorin Shipps opened Bistro Renaissance in April 2007, the first-time restaurant owners had ambitious plans. Their idea was to use traditional French and Italian cooking techniques to put a modern twist on new dishes. But in the end, a good concept wasn't good enough. Bistro Renaissance closed its doors just shy of its three-year anniversary. Neither man could be reached for comment, but in a statement on the Bistro's website, Shipps wrote, "The downturn in the state economy has made a dramatic negative impact on fine dining establishments throughout the area, and the Bistro has found it too difficult to survive."
[Originally published in August, 2010.]
You might also like:


text:
As the release of Windows 10 draws near, anticipations rise for the launch of flagship mobile devices from Microsoft. Lumia 940 XL, the phablet flagship device expected to replace the Lumia 1520.
There are many rumored specs for the device, but now it has been confirmed by GFXBench that Lumia 940 XL will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 and might just sport a 5.7-inch display.
This spotting reconfirms the hardware details which had been roaming around for a while.
This device has appeared under the model name RM-1100 and is the same device that AdDuplex had recently dug out codenamed CityMan.
What’s Powering the Lumia 940 XL?
There is also a mention of a 5.7-inch display boasting a quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The processor will be octa-core which will bundle an Adreno 430 graphics unit.
From the benchmark, we also come to know of a 5 megapixels front camera and a 17 megapixels rear camera. It will have a 14 GB mass storage and 1.5 GB RAM.
Since the benchmark appear to underrate these values we can hope for a 20 megapixels back camera with an onboard storage of 16GB and 2 gigs of RAM.
In addition, since the Windows 10 Mobile platform is very light, the RAM will be more than capable.
Microsoft’s USB Type-C port along with wireless charging will be there and Iris Scanning capabilities might also be available on the Lumia 940 XL.
Now obviously there is going to be much room for improvement and the aforementioned specs are just of an early stage prototype.
Hence, it is quite reasonable to consider that the final deal will more likely have better specs than is given in the GFXBench Benchmark. The Lumia 940 XL has already gone through countless changes.
It is not yet confirmed when the handset will be available. Most likely it will be launched with the official release of windows 10 for mobiles. Still we can hope that “City Man” will be available for us city-men by the end of the year.


text:
When it comes to shoe trends, the world can be pretty fickle. If you don't jump on a new trend in its early stages, there's a chance that it could be "over" soon after you invest in it. Since a new season is on the horizon, we couldn't think of a better time to fill you in on the trend that people have officially stopped buying. To do so, we reached out to the EDITED, a retail analytics company. EDITED's Katharine Carter delved into the market data and filled us in on the one trend that's dead in the water and, alternatively, the one that everyone wants right now. According to her analysis, the trend people will stop wearing are brogues, and loafers are the 'It' shoe style that people are now buying instead. And how did Carter come to this conclusion about the two flats styles? She explained, "Loafers have seen more than ten times the amount of arrivals over the past three months compared to brogues, highlighting that retailers are backing this trend for spring." She also cited discounts on each style as being indicative of their fate, saying "Brogues currently see higher discounting than loafers, with 13% of styles currently reduced compared to just 8% of all loafer styles."
While classic loafers aren't exactly a groundbreaking shoe style, they've been everywhere ever since Gucci practically singlehandedly turned them into a craze. And much to every fashion girls' delight, designers are getting more and more inventive with their loafer styles. Carter cites "metallic finishes, backless slide-on mule shapes, and embroidery detailing" as the specific loafer details that are trending for spring.
Ready to swap brogues out for a new pair of loafers? Keep scrolling to see which styles the fashion crowd is wearing right now, and shop our favorite loafers for spring!
Carter named these beauties as one of the styles that's currently trending on the market.
Pink patent leather feels especially fresh when juxtapositioned with this menswear-inspired style.
Take Carter's advice and invest in a metallic pair for spring.
These look like pretty little paintings for your feet.
If you don't already own a pair of Everlane's perfect loafers, now is the time.
Everyone is wearing red shoes right now.
Meet your new spring and summer go-tos.
We're happy to report that the white shoe trend isn't going anywhere.
These stunners are inspired by Loewe's iconic puzzle bag.
This versatile option is quickly selling out.
Pair these with jeans and a tee and wait for the compliments to start.
Good luck finding something that doesn't look good with these graphic slides.
These feminine flats won't leave your feet come spring.
We'd wear these with everything from a black slip dress to vintage Levi's.
Are you ready to ditch your brogues? Tell us in the comments below, and shop even more loafers here!
Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.


text:
I have been a huge fan of the phenomenon that Coke Studio is. Wet ahile I loved the Pakistan version of Coke Studio (See: My Top-5 Coke Studio Songs), I was keenly awaiting announcement of Coke Studio’s India Version. And that has finally happened. CampaignIndia recently reported that Coke Studio has tied up with MTV India and will be on Air starting June 17.
I think it is a GREAT concept by Coca Cola to reach out to its fans (and fans of music). 5 reasons:
- Goes very well with Coca Cola’s current campaign – “Little Drops of joy” / “Open Happiness”
- Goes very well with Coca Cola’s long-term Heritage of “Refreshment”
- Given that a majority of the consumers of Coke are the YOUTH (who would also be music enthusiasts), there is an opportunity to capture the attention (and hence mindshare) of exactly the target audience
- The show has been intelligently TITLED “Coke Studio” – ‘Studio’ being a nondescript word just by itself, it is essential to add the work “Coke” everytime one is referring to the show (which again, aids recall)
- The show itself stands for pushing the boundaries of music – which is also the essence of the way a company like Coca-Cola (highgly marketing-communication oriented company) implements its innovative campaigns


text:
These Devoted Polish Designers Are Making Catholic Cool
Designers in Poland are giving religious T-shirts and other products a hipster makeover, mixing pop culture with the Bible to create a uniquely 21st-century look.
WARSAW — “Good wine. Designation of origin: Cana of Galilee. 100% pure water” is just one of the 20 Bible-inspired slogans put on T-shirts by a Warsaw-based couple who decided to get their version of Catholicism out on the market.
About a year ago, a former religion teacher named Natalia, and her graphic designer husband, Maciej, founded rokokoko.pl, an online shop that sells Catholic T-shirts. Their idea came about thanks to their growing irritation with the kitschy esthetics in devotional art and design.
“When I taught children about religion, I used to compare saints to superheroes,” says Natalia. “They were all very enthusiastic about the idea until they came across the corny 19th century pictures.”
As a theology expert, Natalia checks the accuracy of the designs with the Bible, while her husband is in charge of the creation of projects. Maciej has collected T-shirts since he was a child, but could never find any that expressed his beliefs in a “subtle” way: “I got fed up with the ‘I trust you Jesus’ all over the place,” he said.
Today, Rokokoko’s collection has more than 20 different shirts, including one that has the weather forecast for the next forty days on Mount Ararat where Noah’s ark moored, according to the book of Genesis, and another that has a real estate ad for the “House on the Rock” with a “life-long guarantee that it will withstand any storm.”
“Some people are into TV series or computers, but we’re into the Bible,” says Maciej. Though he stipulates that being so open about their religion is not aimed at indoctrinating others. “We want our products to be like Game of Thrones T-shirts — by wearing them we really don’t mean ‘if you don’t watch it, you’ll go to hell!’”
Their Catholic designs may be just a one-season trend but the couple is not worried about the future of the brand as they have a powerful ally on their side. Recently a monk from the most famous Polish monastery liked their designs so much that the success of their company for the next 25 years was prayed for in daily Mass!
On another level
Dorota Paciorek, a Ph.D student from Krakow has taken religious T-shirts one step further. Her label Dayenu,Design for God, sells all kinds of products: from breviaries with images of baby Jesus that says “Come on, baby, light my fire!” to blindfolds decorated with quotes from the Bible. She even has an exorcist among her clientele — he keeps his exorcized salt in one of her Biblically decorated salt cellars.
When Dorota converted to Catholicism three years ago, her friends were afraid that she would begin wearing long skirts and “Jesus loves you” T-shirts. “For many years, that kind of esthetic discouraged me from the Church,” she says.
Last summer, she went on a journey to various monasteries throughout Greece and Spain to look for inspirations for Christian industrial design. She was disappointed with what she found. “I saw the same 3D pictures with Christ on the cross and fluorescent rosaries everywhere — and all of them made in China.”
Upon her return, she decided to create her own brand. By calling it Dayenu, which means “enough” in Hebrew, she wanted to protest against the omnipresent religious kitsch. “I am as addicted to reading Bible as much as I am to Facebook,” she adds. “Why not celebrate this joy in everyday objects?”
The greatest challenge of her work is to find a balance between pop esthetics and religious correctness, as she does not want to offend anybody. Hostile reactions do happen though, like the ones toward a picture of a pin-up girl with a quote from Nemehiah 8:10: “Drink sweet beverages.”
“Cartoons that my child watches are more sexualized than that,” says Dorota resentfully.


text:
A two-alarm blaze Sunday heavily damaged several businesses in a Medford shopping complex, authorities said.
Firefighters encountered intense fire in the Kanamizu Japanese Restaurant in the Ironstone Village Center on the 500 block of Stokes Road shortly before 2 a.m, police said. The fire destroyed the restaurant and two vacant business, police said.
Eight to 10 other businesses either sustained smoke or water damage or lost electricity. The blaze was placed under control around 3:16 a.m., police said.


text:
Lela Loren paid a visit to SiriusXM Studios on Tuesday (February 25) in New York City, where she promoted her new Netflix series, ‘ Altered Carbon,’ hot on the heels of Starz TV show, ‘Power’ which concluded last month.
The last time the actress was on SiriusXM she opted for a Judy Zhang floral suit, this time she took a bigger risk wearing a pink silk suit from Judy Zhang’s Resort 2020 collection.
I say risk because this kind of look can be hard to style both the colour and fabric. Plus there’s the fear that this fabric is likely to crease.
Crease-wise, Lela didn’t fall foul.
Styling-wise. I like the gunmetal pumps, but I don’t feel like this look needed a clutch for a day time radio show.
You may remember that Rita Ora wore a similar suit last year that didn’t go down to well, mostly for the styling, so how does Lela’s look fare?
Credit: Judy Zhang & Getty


text:
N XP Semiconductors stock has been trading near record highs amid bullishness over the chipmaker's growth prospects in markets ranging from automotive and communications to security systems and mobile payments.
NXP ( NXPI ) supplies mixed-signal, analog, power management, radio frequency and digital processing chips. Its technology is used in a variety of applications, including keyless entry systems, car entertainment consoles, audio amplifiers, modems, smartphones, smart cards, lighting and wireless infrastructure gear. The company also provides near-field communication (NFC) technology that lets devices exchange information at short range.
Much of the recent focus on NXP has centered on 2014 design wins that put its solutions in high-profile products such as theApple ( AAPL ) iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone.
"The ramp-up of the iPhone 6 has been very strong, and NXP has been able to benefit significantly from it," Pacific Crest Securities analyst John Vinh told IBD.
NXP also has made strides in numerous other end markets, analysts say.
In a December report initiating coverage on NXP at outperform, Oppenheimer analyst Rick Schafer said NXP is among "the best positioned names in our coverage universe to capitalize on rising semiconductor content in key verticals, including auto, industrial and communications, while maintaining the dominant franchise in the growing secure ID, secure transactions and mobile payment markets."
Optimism over the company's growth prospects helped push NXP stock to an all-time high of 82.76 on Jan. 13. Shares currently trade near 78 and are up 44% from an early-October slump, when fears of an industrywide chip slowdown sent the whole sector lower.
Chips Climb Back
Over that same time frame, the IBD Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless industry group has grown 23% in value. It currently ranks No. 13 out of the 197 industries tracked.
NXP and a few other stocks lead the group's rankings with IBD Composite Ratings of 99 -- that factors in several metrics, such as earnings growth and stock price gains. The list includesAmbarella ( AMBA ),Avago Technologies ( AVGO ),Cavium ( CAVM ) andMonolithic Power Systems (MPWR).
All have benefited from favorable industry trends.
"We believe the semiconductor industry has entered a more stable and less cyclical growth phase, characterized by mid- to high-single-digit annual revenue growth," JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur noted in a Jan. 14 industry report.
The upshot for NXP has been four straight quarters of double-digit sales and earnings growth -- the first time that's happened in years. The company is expected to maintain the streak when it reports fourth-quarter results after the close of extended trading on Feb. 4.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect NXP to post Q4 earnings of $1.32 a share, up 33% from the prior year. Revenue is seen rising 17% to $1.51 billion.
Pacific Crest's Vinh expects "solid results" from NXP -- not only because of its iPhone business, but also because of strength in other product lines.
"The automotive business has been relatively healthy, and the payments business remains robust because they are benefiting from the rollout of secure payment cards in China," Vinh said.
Outfitting China's Cars
On its website, NXP claims to be the No. 1 automotive semiconductors supplier for China. The company expanded its presence in China last year through a joint venture with Datang Telecom Technology to develop and sell advanced automotive integrated circuits (ICs) in high-performance mixed signal technology.
Vinh also sounds upbeat about NXP's potential in other markets: "We are looking for the possibility of other smartphone manufacturers adopting mobile payments, especially in terms of the Chinese OEMs. This will provide NXP with growth and content opportunities."
Growth in China's automotive and mobile payment markets should help NXP offset declines in China's bank card IC market, where the company "is losing share to six local IC design houses," according to Liwen Zhang, analyst at Blaylock Beal Van.
China is far and away the biggest market for NXP. It accounted for more than 40% of revenue in 2013, the last year for which annual data are available.
Germany ranked second at 9%.
NXP officials declined to comment for this article, citing a quiet period before the company's Q4 earnings release.
In a conversation with IBD last summer, NXP's CEO Rick Clemmer said the company's strategy is to establish leadership positions in areas where it can dominate the competition.
Strategy Plays Out
"We have tried to focus the business on real leadership -- areas where we can have at least 50% more market share than the No. 2 player," Clemmer said.
He cited security products, where NXP is "probably two times bigger than the next largest player," and car radio products, where "we are probably six or seven times bigger than the next player."
He also said NXP has a "huge market share" in keyless-entry cars.
Meanwhile, NXP continues to broaden its reach into other markets. In November it paid an undisclosed sum for Quintic, a maker of chips for sports/fitness applications, human-interface device apps and smart app-enabled accessories for smartphones and mobile computing devices.
"This transaction contributes to NXP's drive to create security and connectivity solutions for fast-growing Internet-of-Things applications in health & fitness wearables, mobile transactions, proximity marketing, smart home and automotive," NXP said in a press release.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect NXP to post full-year 2014 EPS of $4.72, up 43% from 2013. Earnings are expected to rise 16% in both 2015 and 2016.


text:
MNB underlying inflation indicators little changed in March
The National Bank of Hungaryʼs (MNB) "underlying measures of inflation" were little changed in March, in spite of a slowdown in the pace of deflation, data published by the central bank today reveal.
The indicator for core inflation, excluding indirect tax effects, was 1.0% in March, edging down from 1.1% in February.
The indicators for demand-sensitive inflation, which excludes processed foods from core inflation, and for sticky price inflation, which includes items for which retail prices vary, on average, no more than 15% a month, were both unchanged at 1.6% and 2.1%, respectively.
The MNB said the indicatorsʼ levels "continue to show a moderate inflation environment"
Consumer prices in Hungary fell 0.6% year-on-year in March, the Central Statistics Office said earlier today. The decline slowed from a 1.0% drop in February. Seasonally-adjusted core inflation rose 1.0%.
SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.


text:
FOUR decades of service to the same job is impressive enough, but a Kirton worker at Boston’s Marks and Spencer store has vowed to work another 10!
On Thursday, the Market Place store’s longest-serving worker Christine Watson officially opened the newly-revamped premises in a ribbon cutting ceremony. She was joined by the store manager Mandy Harley who herself has recently completed 25 years’ service.
Christine started at the store straight from school and her first role in the store was working on the sock counter.
“I really enjoy it here and have made so many friends, it’s like one big family,” said Christine.
She added: “I’m only part time now but I plan to carry on working here for another 10 years as I’d like to celebrate my 50th!”
As part of the celebrations on the day, shoppers at the store were treated to champagne and the chance to win a share of £1,000 in M&S gift cards by finding gold stars hidden around the store.
l Have you achieved in your workplace? Email Gemma Gadd at email@example.com


text:
The Competition Commission of India has ordered a fresh investigation into cartelisation in the cement industry, even as the penalty of Rs 6,300 crore levied on 11 cement companies has been pending in the Supreme Court since 2018.
On Thursday, LafargeHolcim group companies, ACC and Ambuja Cement, said the Competition Commission of India has initiated an investigation against cement companies in India, including ACC, regarding alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
ACC and Ambuja Cement are of the firm view that they continue to act in compliance with competition laws and are fully cooperating with the investigation and providing all necessary information to the authorities. Both companies said they have a long-standing commitment to fair competition as reflected in their Code of Business Conduct, they said in a separate statements.
Despite weak demand, cement companies have posted healthy growth in net profit on the back of lower cost of operations. Though sales of 41 top cement companies fell by 12 per cent in the first half of this fiscal, their net profit was up five per cent on the back of a 15 per cent dip in total expenditure.
The operating margin of these companies was up 26 per cent in the first half of this fiscal, while the net profit margin increased to nine per cent, according to research by Care Rating.
Cement production is expected to fall sharply by 17 per cent this fiscal, while capacity utilisation may range between 45-50 per cent. This will be the sharpest ever fall in production (and capacity utilisation) that the industry has witnessed, it said.
Builders seek regulator for cement industry to curb cartelisationSay regulator should prevent cement companies from indulging in unethical trade practices, that’s been hurting national economic growth, interests of common man and construction industry
Back in 2016, the Competition Commission, on a complaint filed by the Builders’ Association of India, had found that 11 cement companies had indulged in price cartelisation, and levied a fine of Rs 6,300 crore on them, including UltraTech Cement (₹1,175 crore), ACC (₹1,148 crore), Ambuja Cement (₹1,163 crore), Ramco Cements (₹259 crore) and JK Cement (₹129 crore), and the industry body Cement Manufacturers’ Association.
Cement companies challenged the penalty at the Competition Appellate Tribunal and it was stayed with a direction to deposit 10 per cent of the penalty within a month of the order.
In 2018, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (earlier Competition Appellate Tribunal) dismissed the cement makers’ plea.
Following this, the cement companies in October 2018 moved the Supreme Court, which stayed the penalty and directed the cement companies to deposit 10 per cent of the penalty.


text:
http://www.forbes.com - It's been 51 years since the birth of the mainstream midsize sedan in the form of the original Chevy Malibu. With the new 2016 model on the way, Chevrolet is celebrating a major Malibu milestone.
http://www.gminsidenews.com - After bringing it back to Chevrolet HQ for inspection, the engineers determined that the likely cause was a piston connecting rod bearing that was damaged by debris in the oil that was left behind after tapping the threads for the oil filter. Once a piece gets jammed in there, it starts creating more debris, which keeps making things worse until finally... kablooey. In this case, it took out a few more pistons with it.
http://www.gminsidenews.com - Rumor has it that Holden wants to go out with a bang, creating the most powerful muscle car ever in Australian history by fitting the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the discontinued Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 under the hood of its Commodore sedan.
http://media.gm.com - After more than four months and 1,200 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship, restoration of the milestone 1 millionth Corvette – a white 1992 convertible – is complete.
http://media.gm.com - General Motors' Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands sold 270,480 vehicles in the United States in August 2015. Retail deliveries climbed 6 percent compared with a year ago, when results included the Labor Day holiday.
http://www.gminsidenews.com - Preview of the 2017 Insignia shows it's gaining considerable interior space (it needs to even for Europe) and move upmarket to take on Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz - and the surprise news that Cadillac will "donate" it's SUVs to Opel/Vauxhall rather than Chevrolet/Buick.
http://www.gminsidenews.com - There was a time when the Chevrolet Impala was the most popular car in the U.S. In 1964, almost 900,000 Impalas were built (which still didn’t include the lower-line Bel Air and Biscayne full-size models, which pushed production to well over 1.5 million Bow Ties). Simply put, the Impala was America’s favorite appliance and, until the advent of the Pontiac GTO, it was also America’s favorite performance car when equipped with the 409.
http://www.gminsidenews.com - The folks at Chevrolet have finished fully restoring the one-millionth Corvette ever made, which was heavily damaged in a sinkhole with seven other cars at the National Corvette Museum last year. The restoration of the white 1992 Chevrolet Corvette convertible took 1,200 hours to complete, and was unveiled today at the Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility.
http://media.gm.com - No sooner had employees at Flint Engine Operations reached one milestone – 1 million 1.4-liter engines produced – that transition began to production of a new global engine for the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze and Volt.
http://www.greencarreports.com - The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt is just about here, and it builds on all of its predecessor's virtues while resolving most of that car's vices.


text:
* WHO report says childhood obesity picture is not improving
* Adverts on TV, social media and smart phones criticised
* Only a handful of countries have robust regulations
By Kate Kelland
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - The marketing of unhealthy foods to children has proven "disastrously effective", driving obesity by using cheap social media channels to promote fat-, salt- and sugar-laden foods, the World Health Organisation's Europe office said on Tuesday.
The United Nations health agency called for tighter controls on such marketing, saying tougher regulations were crucial to winning the fight against childhood obesity.
"Children are surrounded by adverts urging them to consume high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods, even when they are in places where they should be protected, such as schools and sports facilities," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, director of the WHO's regional unit for Europe.
The promotion of foods high in saturated and trans-fats, sugars and salt has for years been recognised as a significant risk factor for obesity in children and for diet-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers later in life.
In a report on food marketing, WHO Europe said the food industry increasingly uses cheap new marketing channels such as social media and smart phone apps to target children.
Television remains the dominant form of advertising and a large majority of children and adolescents watch TV on average for more than two hours a day, it said.
"Overweight is one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century: all countries are affected to varying extents, particularly in the lower socioeconomic groups," Jakab said in a foreword to the report.
And the picture is not improving, she added. Data from the WHO's Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative show that, on average, one child in every three aged 6 to 9 years is overweight or obese.
Jakab also said recent data suggest children become obese not just because they watch TV instead of being active but also because of exposure to advertising and other marketing tactics.
Leading categories of advertised foods are soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, biscuits, sweets, snacks, ready meals and fast food outlets, the WHO report said.
"Unfortunately, marketing unhealthy food to children has been proven to be disastrously effective," the report said. "Whereas adults are aware when they are being targeted ... children are unable to distinguish, for example, between adverts and cartoons. This makes them particularly receptive and vulnerable to messages that lead to unhealthy choices."
WHO Europe said that, while all 53 member states of its European region have signed up to restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, most rely on general advertising regulations that do not specifically address the promotion of high-fat, -salt or -sugar products.
More comprehensive approaches - via either legislation, self-regulation or co-regulation - have only been adopted in Denmark, France, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, it said. (Editing by Gareth Jones)


text:
Mercedes-Benz could use Chinese battery supplier BYD's Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in future Chinese-market EVs, according to a new report.
The source here is Chinese publication CBEA, which on Friday reported that Mercedes will start production of EVs with BYD batteries in 2025, citing an anonymous official of the automaker.
As noted by CarNewsChina, CBEA is an official magazine of the China Automotive Battery Research Institute (CABRI), a government-funded organization that counts Chinese automakers SAIC, GAC, Dongfeng, and Changan, as well as battery firm CATL, as shareholders. That seems to be a trustworthy source, although not even Mercedes representatives in China would publicly comment on the report.
BYD Blade battery pack
Mercedes has some history with BYD, CarNewsChina notes. The automaker in 2010 launched the Chinese-market Denza brand with BYD as a 50:50 joint venture. Mercedes largely pulled out of Denza in 2021, keeping just a 10% stake, with BYD continuing to operate it as one of its own brands.
BYD revealed the Blade battery in early 2020. It's the latest of several generations of LFP packs from the company and claimed to be a significant step forward in safety while gaining energy density—even though safety incidents for LFP packs were already extremely rare.
This would be the first use of LFP chemistry in a production Mercedes. LFP batteries generally aren't used much outside the Chinese market, but that's been changing, with Ford and Tesla now selling some LFP-equipped EVs in the U.S. BYD already has a supply agreement with Tesla for Europe.
Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class
Mercedes this weekend showed the Concept CLA-Class, previewing the first compact EV based on the automaker's new MMA platform. The production version will arrive in the same timeframe that the report claims Mercedes will begin using BYD batteries. Battery chemistry wasn't discussed at the unveiling, but Mercedes said MMA vehicles will use a relatively small pack and rely on greater efficiency to achieve sufficient range.
In an effort to simplify Mercedes has even considered air-cooling for EV batteries. It was all part of the push for efficiency and escaping the weight spiral in its Vision EQXX concept for the platform itself.


text:
Battle of the lunches – street food vendors urged to compete in first Hampshire awards
STREET food businesses are being urged to enter a competition to find the best vendors in Hampshire.
Hampshire Street Food Awards has extended the entry deadline for its inaugural awards until June so more people can enter.
Additionally, headline sponsor Aerial Direct has confirmed it will cover the cost of all entry fees.
The Fareham-based telecommunications service provider wants local businesses to ensure they get the recognition they deserve and therefore will be covering the fees. Vendors who have already entered the awards will be refunded.
The awards, that take place at Portsmouth Guildhall in November, are encouraging people to enter or nominate their favourite street food vendors from around the county in categories such as best burger or best locally sourced produce. A new category ‘Noisy Neighbours’ means vendors from further afield who cater at events in Hampshire can now get involved.
Founder of the awards Jeremy Gaskin said: ‘Having Aerial Direct as our headline sponsor is such an honour, especially as this is the first year of the awards. Their generosity to make entries free means that even more vendors can enter and a wider variety of people can showcase their amazing local street food.
‘The awards are shaping up to be an incredible event. There is such a varied array of categories I’m eager to see the diverse entrants and what they bring to the local Hampshire street food scene. We are hoping to uncover some hidden gems now the public are able to nominate their favourite vendors.’
The award entry deadline is Saturday, June 1. Once the entries close vendors are encouraged to have their customers vote for them through the website. A panel of judges will decide the overall winners from the top three in each category.
To enter go to hampshirestreetfoodawards.co.uk


text:
With the New Year upon us losing weight is on the minds of many Houston residents. It seems like there are also a million products out there to help us lose the weight as well. But not all of these products are safe and a dangerous drug can cause a serious injury.
The FDA has recalled some weight-loss products that have drugs in them that are not listed. The products are marketed as natural aids to lose weight but the FDA warns consumers to stop using them immediately. The unlisted drugs include sibutramine which is an appetite suppressant. This drug has been known to increase blood pressure and cause serious injuries to those with coronary disease. Another drug that is in these products is phenolphthalein which was once used in over the counter laxatives and can cause cancer, irregular heartbeat and gastrointestinal disturbances. There are 14 products included on this recall going by names such as Xcel, Evolve and Infinity.
When a consumer inadvertently takes a dangerous drug they can be subjected to a serious injury or even death. Drug manufacturers have a duty to make sure their products are safe and that any side effects are well documented and communicated. If a person believes they were harmed because of a defective drug may want to speak with a legal professional skilled in drugs and medical devices. An attorney can review the medical records, investigate the drug and drug company and get answers as to what happened to cause the injury. Compensation may be available for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages.
Defective drugs can affect a family forever. It is important to hold these drug companies responsible so that they don’t harm anyone else.


text:
Madira Bar and Grill, a welcome craft-beer addition to Point Breeze we told you about in October, is all set to start slinging hundreds of beer options at 21st and Titan.
The takeout portion of the bar, at 1252 S 21st St., opened yesterday in a separate corner room on the first floor. More than 400 brands are available in mixed six-packs, said manager Gary Patel. The bar itself will open next Friday, Feb. 7. Check out the menu below.


text:
As the demand for safe cosmetics accelerates, and women vote with their pocketbooks at make-up counters across the country, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetic recently announced that 321 cosmetics companies recently met the goals to produce safer products. The Campaign’s voluntary pledge to avoid chemicals banned by health agencies outside the U.S. and to fully disclose product ingredients has become a pioneering practice in the cosmetics industry.
The new report, “Market Shift: The story of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and the growth in demand for safe cosmetics,” released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, describes the seven-year project during which the nonprofit organizations that make up the Campaign worked with companies in a unique partnership to raise the bar for safer personal care products.
More than 1,500 companies initially pledged to meet the campaign’s goals for safer personal care products, but most didn’t follow through for various reasons. The campaign has been pushing Johnson & Johnson for 2 1/2 years to remove harsh and potentially dangerous chemicals from all its personal care products. The health giant is now steadily removing those chemicals from its baby products worldwide but has not committed to do so for products for adults.
The report describes how these 321 companies–from small mom-and-pop businesses to some of the largest businesses in the natural products sector–are setting a new high-bar standard for personal care products. The Champions are demonstrating best practices by:
- Making effective products without using ingredients linked to cancer or birth defects.
- Disclosing all their ingredients, including those that make up “fragrance,” showing that it’s not necessary to hide these ingredients from the public.
- Working together with nonprofit health groups to increase market demand for safe, sustainable products and practices.
According to the coalition, natural and safe cosmetics have become the fastest-growing part of the $50 billion cosmetics industry, accounting for roughly 10 percent of sales.
With the project now concluded, the campaign is pushing for the Safe Cosmetics Act, federal legislation introduced in July to update outmoded cosmetics regulations that date back to 1938 and fail to protect health in today’s market.
To see a complete list of which of the 321 companies have already stepped up their game, click here:
Reduce inflammatory process in cells, tissues, and blood vessels, helping to slow aging and reduce risk of long-term disease.
Prevents and repairs oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals.
Support the body’s resistance to infection and strengthen immune vigilance and response.
Improves mood, memory, and focus.
Reduces risk factors for common degenerative and age-related diseases.


text:
Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Flowserve (NYSE:FLS) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday, BenzingaRatingsTable reports.
FLS has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Flowserve from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $57.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 17th. ValuEngine cut shares of Flowserve from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup upgraded shares of Flowserve from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $55.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Flowserve from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Flowserve from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Flowserve currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $49.54.
NYSE:FLS traded down $0.78 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $44.43. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 72,816 shares, compared to its average volume of 969,098. The company has a market capitalization of $5.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.63. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $51.37. Flowserve has a 1 year low of $35.88 and a 1 year high of $56.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 2.28 and a quick ratio of 1.57.
Flowserve (NYSE:FLS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $990.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1 billion. Flowserve had a net margin of 5.41% and a return on equity of 15.75%. The firm’s revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. Research analysts expect that Flowserve will post 2.2 EPS for the current year.
In other Flowserve news, insider John Lenander sold 5,761 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.32, for a total value of $284,132.52. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,568 shares in the company, valued at $817,133.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its stake in shares of Flowserve by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,816,759 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $82,009,000 after purchasing an additional 310,976 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Flowserve by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,795,400 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $68,149,000 after purchasing an additional 134,350 shares in the last quarter. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Flowserve by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. now owns 1,788,512 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $60,413,000 after purchasing an additional 37,593 shares in the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of Flowserve by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 1,705,200 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $76,973,000 after purchasing an additional 32,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Flowserve by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,041,122 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,583,000 after purchasing an additional 42,447 shares in the last quarter. 98.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Flowserve Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, distributes, and services industrial flow management equipment in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Engineered Product Division (EPD), Industrial Product Division (IPD), and Flow Control Division (FCD).
Featured Story: How a Put Option Works
Receive News & Ratings for Flowserve Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Flowserve and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.