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Read the affiliate disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser effortlessly and without spending any money. Read more
During Build 2020 early this week, Microsoft announced that the Windows 10 IoT platform will get several new features and updates in the coming year.
Some of the improvements coming to Windows 10 IoT OS includes expanded silicon support, OS size reduction of up to 40% to enable smaller-footprint devices. Some of the new cloud capabilities that will be coming next year include over-the-air (OTA) updates and capabilities to run Linux workloads on Windows through support for Linux Containers with Azure IoT Edge on Windows. Microsoft will release these features in preview in the coming months and they will be generally available in 2021.
Microsoft also announced that the next long-term supported release of Windows will converge Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is a full version of Windows 10 that delivers enterprise manageability and security to IoT solutions whereas the Windows 10 IoT Core provides an optimized platform for building smaller and low cost industry devices like IoT gateways.
We will get more information from Microsoft on Windows 10 IoT convergence next week.


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AMARILLO, TX (KFDA) - Amarillo’s ballpark is two weeks away from opening the gates, and retail space remains available directly across the street.
The MPEV, known as Hodgetown, is planning to open for baseball on April 8.
Across the street, there’s 24,000 square feet of retail space available, according to Coldwell Banker’s website.
“I think you’re seeing that all this investment in the main corridor is really starting to have the effect we wanted, and that’s to be a catalyst for other things, like the retail space around the parking garage,” said Beth Duke, Executive Director of Center City.
As for why the space is still available, those involved with the real estate listing say they will update us on its status in the near future.
Currently, the website lists the availability as 2,000 to 24,000 square feet at a price of $20 per square foot yearly.
When we looked inside the building on Buchanan, the space was empty and according to the website, available for a customized finish.
Center City says with 70 home games and seating for thousands each game, the extra traffic means more options for shopping, and eating downtown.
“We’ve been promoting them because we know the traffic count along Buchanan is so high anyway,” said Duke. “It’s a federal highway. We have the Civic Center, Embassy Suites, we have some stores there. We know it’s just going to bring more and more.”
Beth Duke says as part of downtown planning, the parking garage that surrounds it was built to support retail.
“We wanted it to have retail underneath so it could be more of a distance than simply a place to park,” said Duke. “I think that’s the future vision to bring more people downtown. They’ll be able to walk right across the street, be at the ballpark, and enjoy an evening downtown.”
If you’re interested in leasing the space, you can contact the realtors here.

domain: news


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Early adopters of the new Mac Pro have been waiting with bated breath to find out how much Dell plans to charge for its new 4K monitor, which the company promised last month would retail for under $1,000. Turns out, it will be cheaper than expected.
Who wouldn't want to get their hands on a luscious 4K desktop monitor capable of displaying 3840 x 2160 pixels? It's coming to the U.S. later this month, but that Retina MacBook may not be a perfect companion quite yet.
As a Mac Pro owner, it's sometimes hard not to feel like Apple has just forgotten its professional desktop user-base all together. Sure, there was a new Mac Pro this year -- but it was hardly a step above the 2010 model. While we wait to see if Apple will revitalize the product line, at least NVIDIA is offering something new.


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Black Friday 2023 – The Malta Chamber of SMEs Launches Platform for 2023 to Promote Malta’s Black Friday Deals
21 November 2023
Visit www.blackfridaymalta.eu for the latest Black Friday offers in Malta. The Malta Chamber of SMEs...
The Malta Chamber of SMEs earlier today published the results of the SME Barometer (Q3 2023) Survey conducted amongst a total of 423 businesses (50.35% – Micro, 33.80% – Small, 13.95% – Medium and 1.9% – Large.
When asked what are the topmost important issues concerning their businesses, the data reveals the major concerns and challenges faced by businesses in Malta are categorised by the number of employees. In general, and across the board, the most pressing issues across all Business sizes are Employee Shortage (41.10%), Increase in Inflation (30.2%) and Unfair Competition (21.04%).
The primary contributors to business concerns when it comes to the national situation, across all sectors continues to be the lack of good governance (37.10%) and the increase in inflation (32.86%). These challenges have remained consistent from the previous quarter (Q2 2023), affirming their sustained importance and concern.
The Q3 SME Barometer introduced new choices, in particular on the perceived level of corruption (37.35%) and the nation’s overpopulation (27.4%) and concerns on the quality of life (14.89%). These new choices also scored high, which continues to underpin the survey results with the evolving issues highlighted during this quarter.
Abigail Agius Mamo said that ‘The businesses overall sentiment continues to show that Businesses are feeling uncomfortable with the direction they are seeing Malta heading towards (79.90%). This shows that businesses in general are not happy with the direction the country is heading to and a need for change in direction is imminent’.
The data shows that overall businesses’ sentiment continued to shift when compared with Q2, 2023. The change is a significant one, being it of 16% from Q2 to Q3.
Businesses, regardless of their size, are still facing considerable uncertainty when it comes to making investment decisions for the next year (54% – Unsure).
Finally, businesses were asked what the main contributors are leading to inflation, in general, businesses believe that the main factors leading to inflation are mainly due to Employee wage and salary costs (56%). This includes the cost of recruitment, employee turnover and actual salaries.
Misco Director Mr. Lawrence Zammit noted that Employee wage and salary costs cannot be disregarded, and any foreseen increases need to be complimented with an increase in productivity, this is to avoid wage inflation and ensure sustainability.
Mr. Paul Abela said that the country is at cross-roads and it is clear that a change in economic direction is imminently needed. He hopes that next Mondays’ budget will tackle these issues and address them directly.
The SME Barometer survey is a collaborative effort between the SME Chamber and MISCO.
The Malta Chamber of SMEs represents over 7,000 members from over 90 different sectors which in their majority are either small or medium sized companies, and such issues like the one we're experiencing right now, it's important to be united. Malta Chamber of SMEs offers a number of different services tailored to its members' individual requirements' and necessities. These range from general services offered to all members to more individual & bespoke services catered for specific requirements.
A membership with Malta Chamber of SMEs will guarantee that you are constantly updated and informed with different opportunities which will directly benefit your business and help you grow. It also entails you to a number of services which in their majority are free of charge and offered exclusively to its members (in their majority all free of charge).


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PEW on Spam
According to the latest Pew Internet and American Life Project reports, spam is beginning to undermine the integrity of email and degrade life online. The report goes on to
conclude that "The huge increase in email spam in recent years is beginning to take its toll on the online world.
Some email users say they are using electronic mail less now because of spam.
More people are reporting they trust the online environment less. Increasing numbers are saying that they fear they cannot retrieve the emails they need because of the flood of spam. They also worry
that their important emails to others are not being read or received because the recipients' filters might screen them out or the emails might get lost in the rising tide of junk filling people's
e-Mail users define spam as: 92% of email users agree that spam is "unsolicited commercial email from a sender they do not know or cannot identify." 92% of email users
consider unsolicited messages containing adult content to be spam. 89% consider unsolicited email offering investment deals, financial offers, or money-making schemes to be spam. 76%
consider unsolicited messages containing religious or political information to be spam. 32% consider unsolicited commercial email to be spam, even if it came from a sender with whom they've
"already done business."
Other key findings from the report show 52% of email users say spam has made them less trusting of email in general. 80% of email users are bothered by
deceptive or dishonest content of spam. 86% of email users report that usually they "immediately click to delete" their incoming spam. 59% of email users describe spam as "annoying, but
not a big problem"; 27% of email users say spam is a "big problem" for them. 7% of email users report that they have ordered a product or service that was offered in an unsolicited email.
33% of email users have clicked on a link in unsolicited email to get more information. 54% of personal email users receive 10 or fewer emails on a typical day; 10% handle more than 50.
7% of email users get no spam; just under a third says 80% or more of their inbox is spam. 40% of email users spend fewer than 5 minutes a day dealing with spam; 12% spend a half hour or
more. 44% of work email users receive 10 or fewer emails on a typical day; 11% receive over 50. Women are more bothered than men by everything about spam, and in particular, 83% of women
are bothered by offensive or obscene content of spam, compared to 68% of men. More young people (18-29 years old) than older people are tolerant of spam; 32% of them say spam is "just part of
life on the Internet and is not that big of a deal," compared to 18% of older people. 81% of parents who have children under 18 object to the adult content in spam, compared to 72% of
You can find out more here.


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A billboard advertisement promoting Chinese video app TikTok on Wangfujing Street in Beijing on August 20, 2020.
VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images
GUANGZHOU, China – China’s tech giants – like their counterparts in the United States – have seen business thrive during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the tech industry is at a crossroads and faced an uncertain economic and geopolitical environment.
China’s gradual, if uneven, economic recoveryBeijing’s focus on domestic consumption and the digital trends accelerated by Covid-19 will benefit the tech sector. But the risks remain.
“On the user behavior side (in China), the pandemic gave impetus to the proliferation of several large digitization companies and helped some of them grow significantly in a short period of time to reach the required levels and achieve economic efficiency,” said Charlie Chai, analyst at 86 Research, said CNBC.
“On the other hand, a drag is a cut in investment on the corporate side as large industry leaders, including BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) Prioritize margins in a potentially turbulent economic and geopolitical environment. ”
Just like in China, tech companies in the US have benefited from the pandemic as people have been forced to stay at home. Services like Zooming have boomed as consumers turned Amazon for shopping and Netflix for entertainment.
Investors around the world are wondering what’s next. The topics of globalization, digitization, economic prospects and the coronavirus will be the focus at the CNBC event East Tech West in the Chinese district of Nansha in Guangzhou.
Pandemic and digitization
China, where the coronavirus first appeared, closed more than half of the country Early February to contain the outbreak. This led to a decline in growth of 6.8% in the first quarter. When the spread of the disease stalled in March, businesses started reopening, and official gross domestic product grew 3.2% in the second quarter.
Locked up at home, people increasingly trusted digital services that ranged from e-commerce to video games. This trend has staying power.
“Because of the virus, China is hungrier for technology than ever,” Abishur Prakash, a geopolitical specialist at the Center for Innovating the Future (CIF), a Toronto-based consulting firm, told CNBC via email. “From healthcare to transportation to financing, there are projects going on that are rewiring China – and putting technology at the center of all activities.”
That has helped China’s major technological pillars. Alibaba’s shares are up 30% this year and Sales in June quarter increased 34% year over year.
“We were well positioned to capture the growth of the ongoing digital transformation accelerated by the pandemic in both consumer and corporate operations,” said Daniel Zhang, chairman and CEO of Alibaba, in a statement at the time of the second quarter results in August.
Tencent beat analysts’ estimates for the second quarter and achieved strong results thanks to gaming.
Companies trying to digitize more of their businesses and move them to the cloud are now “back in full swing” after being hit during the pandemic, Chai said. In China, as in the US and Europe, remote work and collaboration tools are experiencing “explosive growth”. The analyst named Alibaba’s DingTalk platform and Tencent’s enterprise version of WeChat messaging service as two beneficiaries.
Technology and healthcare
The technical “decoupling”
TikTok is now part of a deal that was forced by the Trump administration. As part of the contract, a US-based TikTok Global is co-founded oracle and Walmart Own 20%. ByteDance will own the other 80%, the company says. Oracle denied that ByteDance would not own the new company. These talks are still ongoing.
These steps have often been cited as evidence of so-called technical “decoupling” – the concept of Chinese technology and American technology separating into two different ecosystems that function differently from one another.
The idea comes at a time when Chinese technology companies are trying to penetrate international markets. But that is proving difficult.
“What Covid has done is it has accelerated everything – especially in the geopolitics of technology. The technical decoupling, which may have been slow over the next decade, is now in full swing,” Prakash said.
People in face masks watch the flag being raised on Tiananmen Square to mark the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 2020 in Beijing.
Sheng Jiapeng | China News Service | Getty Images
For their part, American tech firms have been in the crosshairs of US and European politicians and regulators, and some are banned in China.
US lawmakers are increasingly concerned that tech companies are getting too powerful. In July, the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and google parents alphabet Testified from afar before the House’s Antitrust Subcommittee.
What does this all mean for technology giants – both in the East and in the West? According to Prakash, it “creates new business realities”.
In China, it could define the types of products they sell. For example, if Huawei doesn’t get access to the chips it needs, can it still make next-generation smartphones? Access to talent could also succeed, Prakash said. And the possibility that Chinese technology companies can operate globally like their Western competitors will “quickly become impossible,” he added.
“They are being forced to play by different rules, including being forced to sell or being banned,” said Prakash. “All of this means that Chinese technology firms, navigating the geopolitics of technology, will pioneer a new way of working. This could become the new business strategy for companies around the world.”


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EDGE OF DISCOVERY
First in a series of articles on cutting-edge research at Harvard.
On a visit to one Harvard robotics lab, the sewing machines stand out, while the head of another explains how and why lab members are studying termites in Namibia.
Welcome to the new age of machines, in which scientists with seemingly disparate talents are using cutting-edge materials, cheap sensors, 3-D printing, and powerful computers to accelerate advances in robotics.
Prior innovations transformed the factory and warehouse, but those robots work best in controlled environments, usually out of public view. For researchers at Harvard and elsewhere, one new target is Main Street. “We were promised these things by sci-fi for 50 years,” said Robert Wood, Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “So where are the robots?”
The next generation will venture widely into the real world, trekking through forests and fields, driving around town, and covering chores. Major retailers such as Amazon are frank about their desire to deliver packages with drones, automakers want your car to steer itself, and for those who can’t find the time to vacuum the living room rug, there’s a robot for that.
But tomorrow’s machines won’t just drop you off, deliver your packages, and clean your house. They will also search for disaster victims and help farm food, experts say. They’ll fight wars, brace limbs, and heal hearts.
“Certainly, the technology is now there, and there’ve been some developments over the last decade that allow us to build robots good enough to deal with the real world,” said Robert Howe, the Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering.


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THE scrappage scheme to kick-start the UK car market is being hailed an instant success as buyers clamour to take advantage of discounts in excess of £6,000 in some cases.
Manufacturers desperate to shift unsold stocks are slashing prices on an unprecedented scale, prompting thousands of punters to take the plunge.
Under the scrappage scheme the government and the car maker each discount the cost of a new car by £1,000 if a car older than ten years is traded-in and subsequently crushed.
However, many manufacturers are using their £1,000 discount as merely a starting point for massive reductions that in some cases are worth more than £6,000.
Chevrolet is using the scheme to reduce the cost of its Captiva model by a whopping £6,360, Volvo is reducing the price of its XC90 by up to £6,840 and Renault has lopped £3,500 off the price of its small Clio model, which now costs just £6,495.
It is possible to buy a new Hyundai i10 supermini for just £4,995 and the larger Hyundai i20 for £5,995.
A Kia Picanto is even cheaper at £4,195 and is available for just a tenner a week on finance.
Ford is lopping as much as £4,500 off the cost of some of its cars such as the Mondeo and Ford of Britain managing director Nigel Sharp says: “We will even collect a non-running eligible old car free of charge.’’
Some companies such as Nissan are taking deals a stage further because in addition to the £2,000 trade-in and additional scrappage offers there is free accident, sickness and unemployment cover for anyone who buys on finance.
The company believes that the scrappage scheme will be so successful that it wanted even more potential buyers to be eligible.
Nissan UK managing director Paul Willcox said: “We are disappointed with the government’s decision only to include cars over ten years old in the scrappage scheme. We were expecting the offer to be available to pre-2001 models. That is why we have introduced a £2,000 minimum trade-in for cars aged eight to ten years old for anyone buying one of our British-built models.
“With Micra, Note, Qashqai and Qashqai+2 all produced in Britain this should also be good news for all the staff at our plant and the British manufacturing industry as a whole.”
Hyundai UK managing director Tony Whitehorn, says: “We have drawn on our experiences in the German market where a scrappage scheme has been in place since January and Hyundai sales have soared by 140 per cent.
“Many of our showooms are extending their working hours in order to process the orders and prepare the cars.”
Renault UK managing director, Roland Bouchara, says: “Customer enquiries about our cars are up by as much as two thirds since the scrappage announcement and visits to our website have soared by 50 per cent compared to the same period last year.’’


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users with a closet love for Windows 10
can finally see their dreams come true following the latest release of Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels Desktop 10 lets Mac owners choose the Windows 10 Technical Preview as one of the options alongside the regular Windows .iso files, Chrome OS
It works by creating a virtual machine on the Mac in question that allows every Windows 10 Technical Preview feature to be tested out: including the new Start menu, Cortana, Photos, Maps and a beta version of the Windows Store that stocks Office Preview for Windows 10.Twice is nice
The program comes with a two-week free trial straight off the bat. After that Parallels Desktop 10 will set you back $79.99, whereas the student edition comes in at $39.99. Anyone that already owns Parallels Desktop 8 or 9, meanwhile, will have to cough up $49.99.
It's anticipated that Windows 10, which became available as a preview for smartphones earlier today, will be released to manufacturers in June before eventually hitting new PCs that are released in the lead-up to the new school year in September.


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Two new director appointments have been made by The Bilington Group.
The Liverpool-headquartered agriculture and foodservice specialist has welcomed Jon Sheppard as commercial director of Glorious! soup producer TSC Foods, and David Wilkinson as group business development director.
Mr Sheppard joins Scunthorpe-based TSC with more than 20 years of expertise from roles with Dalehead Foods, Greencore and Uniq. He will work with managing director Ray Pigg on driving the overall business strategy.
Mr Wilkinson has been working within the business for the past 18 months where he was responsible for increasing sales and developing customer relations. His new role will see him move back to group level, where he will take on a focus for new growth areas and emerging markets.
Gary Blake, chief executive, said: “It’s an exciting time for The Billington Group; our businesses are fast-paced and operate in highly competitive markets. These appointments are a reflection of our desire to remain at the forefront of our industries and stay ahead of our competition. I’d like to wish Jon and David all the best in their new positions.”
TSC has seen huge expansion on Queensway Industrial Estate in recent years, with Glorious! and a large range of own-label products both for the food service and retail sector.


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Move or get out of the way. That seems to be the mantra for Bob Lutz, the 77-year-old General Motors Vice Chairman who was planning to retire as head of product development, but has “re-upped” with the post-bankruptcy automaker as the new global boss of marketing.
GM has some serious challenges ahead of it, Lutz tells TheDetroitBureau.com, including a “reputation lag” with potential buyers who, he admits, often think that “if you want decent cars, you want to turn the Germans or Japanese.”
While there is plenty of evidence that the situation is changing – and quickly – Lutz says it is difficult to get the message out in a fractured media world. So the automaker will have to move with a similar level of haste, using “the social media, the Internet, You Tube and such.”
“If six months from now, things aren’t really different,” in terms of the way GM communicates with the market, says the former Marine pilot, “then I will have failed. I might not become the first octogenarian automotive executive, after all.”


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Puma takes a €115m hit over 'Greek fraud'
Tuesday 26 October 2010
The German sportswear and footwear chain Puma is to write off up to €115m (£103m) after it unearthed what it believes to be "systematic" fraud at its joint venture in Greece.
The company is considering pursuing criminal charges against its partners in the Pumas Hellas venture, and will exercise an option to gain full control of its Greek operation by acquiring their 30 per cent stake by the end of the year.
According to the preliminary findings of a special audit conducted by the accountant Deloitte over the summer, Puma said it was "suspected that the Greek joint venture partner, along with members of the Greek local management, has committed a series of criminal acts".
Jochen Zeitz, the outgoing chief executive of Puma, claimed: "This is about systematic evasion and embezzlement." The allegations come just days after the French luxury goods and retail giant PPR (Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), which owns Puma as well as Gucci and Fnac, said Mr Zeitz was stepping aside after 18 years to spearhead PPR's expansion of its sport and lifestyle division.
Puma has instructed the law firm Noerr to work with the Greek authorities, who will decide whether to take action against the brothers, Georgious and Antonius Glou, of the clothing retailer Glou, who each have a 15 per cent share of Puma Hellas. The brothers could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Puma said it had already appointed a new management team in Greece and had put a halt to "further irregularities" at the joint venture, which was founded in 2005. The company said most of the "irregularities" at Puma Hellas occurred before this financial year. As a result, it will restate its 2009 comparatives figures in its 2010 results.
The company said the "maximum extraordinary write-off" should not be more than €115m at the pre-tax level and would not affect the amount of cash on its balance sheet.
Puma, which is owned by PPR, said it would take a hit of €30m in one-off charges in its fourth quarter. Of this, half had resulted from the "irregularities" at its Greek venture and the dire market conditions in that country. The other half related to restructuring costs there. Puma is to reduce the size of its Greek business to reflect the country's troubled economy, which has been pummelled by the debt-laden government's austerity measures. However, Mr Zeitz said: "In the long term, Greece is an important market for us."
PPR also said it would restate its financial statements, adjusting for the events at Puma Hellas, which will lead to its 2010 net profits coming in €20m lower. In the half-year to 30 June, Puma increased its pre-tax profit to €63.1m, from €61m last year.
Announcing Puma's results, Mr Zeitz added: "Given an overall improvement of the global economies, as well as our decisive measures taken in the past 18 months to adjust our organisation and processes to the new market realities, we feel ready to re-engage with our long-term expansion plan as of next year."
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Microsoft stock rose as much as 6 % in lengthy trading on Tuesday following the company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings Azure cloud revenue development as well as quarterly revenue guidance that exceeded analysts’ anticipations.
Here’s how the business did:
Earnings: $2.03 per share, modified, vs. $1.64 per share as anticipated by analysts, according to Refinitiv.
Revenue: $43.08 billion, vs. $40.18 billion as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.
Microsoft revenue grew 17 % on an annualized foundation, up from twelve % growth in the previous quarter, based on a statement.
With respect to direction, Microsoft sees $40.35 billion to $41.25 billion in fiscal third-quarter earnings. The center of the stove, at $40.8 billion, suggests 16.5 % growth and is over the $38.70 billion opinion with analysts polled by Refinitiv.
In the fiscal second quarter, revenue from Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud home business segment totaled $14.60 billion. The segment includes the Azure public cloud, server solutions such as Windows Server, GitHub and enterprise services. Revenue was up twenty three % year over season and above the $13.77 billion opinion among analysts polled by FactSet.
Microsoft stated Azure revenue grew 50 %. Analysts had likely around 42 % development. Microsoft doesn’t disclose Azure revenue in bucks.
The more Personal Computing segment, featuring Windows, gaming, devices and search advertising, produced $15.12 billion in earnings, which has been up fourteen % and arrived in higher than the $13.47 billion FactSet opinion estimate. Technology marketplace researching business Gartner believed that PC shipments, excluding Chromebooks, expanded 10.7 % in the quarter.
The segment’s running margin narrowed to 34.6 % from forty % following the launch of 2 Xbox video game consoles in November. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected a 26 % margin from the segment. The business now has 18 million people signing up to the Xbox Game Pass program for accessing dozens of games, up through 15 million in September.
The Business and Productivity Processes segment, like Office, dynamics and Linkedin, developed $13.35 billion in earnings, which was up thirteen % and more compared to the $12.89 billion popular opinion.
In the quarter Microsoft made available $500 Xbox Series X and $300 Series S consoles, together with a little version of the Surface of its Laptop PC known as the Surface Laptop Go. The business even said several of the source code of its had been seen after the business had noticed malicious SolarWinds software application in the environment of its.
Amy Hood, Microsoft’s financial chief, believed during a seminar phone call with analysts that she expects double-digit revenue growth and “healthy operating-margin expansion” for the total fiscal year, that ends on June 30, even with a change in the valuable life of servers and savings connected to the coronavirus. She said gaming earnings would mature around 40 % in the fiscal third quarter, down sequentially from fifty one %.
On Tuesday Microsoft inventory closed at $232.33 a share, posting a brand new all time high for the very first time since September. To exclude the after hours move, Microsoft shares are actually up about five % since the start of 2021, while the S&P 500 index is up aproximatelly 3 %.


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- Three Takeaways from Walgreens’ Innovation Strategy
- WebMD Health and Walgreens in partnership to improve health and wellness
- Survey: Pharmacists, staff key to pharmacy customer satisfaction
- Walgreens swings to Q4 loss amid acquisition charge
- Walgreens holding developer contest for third-party app developers
Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 28 rose to $739 million, compared with $669 million in the year-ago period. However, gross profit margin remained flat at 28.8%, disappointing Wall Street, which expected more from the drugstore operator.
Revenue climbed 9% to $18.5 billion. Same-store sales and prescription sales each rose 4%.


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While there is little definition to the internet of anything (IoX) yet, companies are trying, more and more, to leverage it — perhaps in hopes that what they are offering will catch on. Much of this isn’t anything more than advanced M2M (now being called the “industrial IoT”) but it’s good for visibility. In that vein, a company called Berg Insight expects global IoT platform revenues to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.8 percent between 2015 and 2021 to reach $3.3 billion by 2021.
I am unsure of what defines “global IoT” platforms. “The report discusses that “Most IoT platforms currently available are either connectivity management platforms (CMPs), device management platforms (DMPs), or application enablement platforms (AEPs).”
Take AEPs for example. The report states that “The market for AEPs provides functionalities such as data collection, data storage and analytics.” Is that big data? Is that cloud data? Is that sensor data? Does it come from mobile devices, autonomous appliances, autonomous vehicles? They don’t seem to elaborate.
I see a lot of such reports that throw around a plethora of acronyms and definitions under the broad, yet undefined umbrella of the Internet of whatever.
In an earlier missive I alluded to a similar situation with 5G – calling incremental improvements in technology “near 5G” (https://www.aglmediagroup.com/almost-5g-is-happening-now/) because they seem to fall within the haze of what 5G might be. It seems that a similar situation is occurring with the IoX.
A lot of what is in this report is already existing. For example, the report says, “With IoT, organizations can also mash up data from multiple sources.” Hmmm…I saw the same thing in a recent Big Data report.
Until we have a solid IoX platform, I think it is bad practice to start labeling everything and anything as IoX-able. But then, since there are no real repercussions at this stage of the game, why not throw it up against the wall and see what sticks once the IoX gets real traction?
So, What IS a Solid IoX Platform?
There are a few things that have a strong IoX leaning already. Two of those are connected cars and smart cities. Smart cities are being heavily pushed as IoX elements, but so far, very few platforms within any city have been “smarted.” Just having an infrastructure or two (water, street lighting, traffic lights, etc. being uber-sensored and collecting massive amounts of data, then feeding it to a Titan-class supercomputer to optimize the operation of these few entities isn’t really a smart city. It takes an all-element integrated platform that can interconnect and dynamically cross-control, in real time, all of the elements – not just two or three. That is what a smart city is all about.
The same can be said for autonomous vehicles. Both smart cities and autonomous vehicles conjure up visions of the Jetsons. As new ecosystems, they are more on the bleeding edge and therefore are easier seen as IoX protégés, as opposed to water or electricity which are well established.
But there is a bit more meat in the autonomous vehicle arena. For example, one wireless industry analyst noted that for the first time ever, wireless carrier net customer additions stemming from IoT services like connected cars exceeded the number of net additions they received from both smartphones and tablets combined. That is a measurable metric. And, AT&T notes that its connected car onboarding pace is twice that of its connected tablets pace. They are expected to reach 10 million connected car subscriptions in roughly half the time it took for tablets (12 quarters vs. the 25 quarters it took for the tablets).
Verizon is paying attention to this as well. It recently acquired Telogis, a player in the telematics space so it can offer Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology and services in the connected vehicle and mobile enterprise management sectors. Verizon is also saying it will acquire Ireland’s Fleetmatics, a company that provides a software platform for handling GPS vehicle management and similar services to companies with mobile workforces.
So, while the IoX isn’t popping out all over, yet, some platforms are more in line with the broadly defined IoX vision. But still, much of this is simply marketing hype: from a small evolution in M2M to others reaching for the definition of the IoX.


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Football Star is a 5 reel, 243 Ways-to-Win video slot that is making its debut just in time for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which is set to start in June. The game features various football players as they compete to win the big match.
Feature wise, the game contains Free Spins, Win Multipliers, Rolling Reels, and Stacked Wilds.
Commenting on the release Microgaming Head of Casino Mike Hebden said: "This game adds to our collection of football-themed games such as Shoot! and Soccer Safari, which we know will be popular over the next few months. To celebrate the release of Football Star to our operators, we’re launching a brilliant promotion whereby operators on our network can give their players the opportunity to win a real-life Football Star experience, in Rio, in July."
A video preview of the game is available below:
Cool Wolf is also a 5 reel, 243 Ways-to-Win slot that feels reminiscent of the 80's film "Teen Wolf", and features Rolling Reels, Free Spins, and Wild Symbols.
A video preview of Cool Wolf is available for viewing below:
Casino Listings will update this story when the games release next month.


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WICKER PARK — A much-anticipated new restaurant and bar focusing on "unapologetic country cooking" in the form of Mississippi Delta-style red hot tamales and craft cocktails will open at 4 p.m. Sunday, according to the Delta's Eldridge Williams.
Located at 1745 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park, the Delta was three years in the making for the Memphis-raised Williams, whose father worked at a tamale factory when Williams was a child.
“Opening the Delta was my chance to showcase something that’s far bigger than food and beverage,” Williams said in a news release. “The Mississippi Delta is a region that was once responsible for most of the country's cotton supply. A region that impacted and shaped the civil rights movement. A region that’s a melting pot of African, Mexican, Chinese, and Italian cooking styles. A region that’s known for being the birthplace of the blues."
Formerly a manager at Girl & the Goat, Williams was the venue manager at the Promontory, a manager at Bangers & Lace, and a manager at several restaurants for The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group.
Joining Eldridge are Adam Wendt, executive chef/partner, previously the sous chef at Dusek’s Beer & Board, and Adam Kamin, a beverage director/partner who previously was the head bartender at Bottlefork and the beverage director at both Graham Elliot Bistro and Sprout.
Williams, Wendt, and Kamin took a weeklong research trip up and down the Mississippi Delta a few months ago to brainstorm ideas for the menu. It was there that the Delta's "BTW," an old fashioned cocktail made with bonded bourbon, beer-tea syrup and Angostura bitters came about.
Kamin said the drink was inspired by the fact most locals drank bourbon, sweetened iced tea and beer more than anything else, so he wanted to combine those beverages into a cocktail.
Wendt's tamales are simmered in a spicy broth (instead of being steamed) and are made from cornmeal instead of masa.
Wendt will serve traditional beef brisket red hot tamales in bundles of three for $5 and vegan red hot style tamales with spicy mushrooms that are also served in bundles of three for $6, plus four chef-driven red hot single large tamales that cost $7 to $11 and include a chicken tamale that mimics Mexican-style elotes.
There are eight large “Plates” on the opening menu. Highlights include “Gnudi” pasta made with white corn and house ricotta, grilled whole catfish sourced from Isola, Mississippi and “Chicken Livers Fried Rice” where the rice is fried in bacon fat with wild mushrooms, hen eggs, and garlic and then topped with soy sauce caramelized fried chicken livers, green onions and sesame seeds.
Kamin's drink menu offers 16 specialty cocktails in three categories — smashes, house cocktails and “Vases," the latter which are large-format cocktails, each containing about three drinks and served in vintage flower vases.
The Delta offers eight beers on draft and an additional eight in bottles and cans, including “Foggy Geezer” New England-style IPA from War Pigs by the brewers of Three Floyds and Mikkeller, and Mission Trail “Plum Jerkum," which is a cross between a cider and fruit wine.
A rotating $3 “Dime Store” beer offering will kick off with Old Style. Twelve wines (sparkling, rosé, white, red) are available by the glass, range from $8 to $13.
The Delta offers 27 seats at the bar area, 16 in a dining area, and 28 on a serene back patio.
"We have a responsibility to honor and respect the culture and history of the Mississippi Delta and showcase our interpretation of its true form: from the obvious like authentic Mississippi Red Hot Tamales and its rich music to more subtle nods like cocktail names that invoke history and décor accents that make you feel at home in our home," according to a statement from the Delta team.
For more information, visit the Delta’s website, call 773-360-1793, email firstname.lastname@example.org, or check out the spot via handles @thechicagodelta on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter. Hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Friday and 4 p.m. - to 3 a.m. on Saturdays. Weekend brunch will start in a few weeks.


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The UK has yet to leave the EU but fruit growers are already seeing a dwindling labor pool as the number of seasonal workers from Europe declines.
That is the conclusion of a report commissioned by British Summer Fruits, the country’s industry body for berry growers, which represents 95 percent of all UK-grown berries supplied to supermarkets.
Three out of five producers that participated in its survey said it has already become more difficult to recruit seasonal workers. Two-thirds noted a fall in applications for seasonal work, and the same proportion expect the labor market to tighten even more next year.
“British growers are dependent on seasonal agricultural workers from the EU. Without them we cannot cultivate and harvest the volumes of berries currently produced in the UK and continue to meet consumer demand,” said Nick Marston, chairman of British Summer Fruits.
The fallout will impact two variables key to maintaining the sector in a healthy shape: prices and investment.
The report estimated consumers will have to pay between 35 percent and 50 percent more for strawberries and raspberries, with the loss of seasonal labor pushing the cost of the former up from around £2 ($2.7; €2.3) per 400g to £2.75. Citing a recent survey by pollsters YouGov, BSF says the price hike would put them out of reach for millions of Brits.
The last strawberry
As a result of the uncertainty surrounding access to skilled workforce, four out of five growers also expected to produce less in future, and the same proportion are rethinking investment plans. A third have already made the decision to invest less in their businesses in future, according to the report.
To help address such problems, BSF is calling for the reintroduction of a Seasonal Agricultural Scheme, which would make it easier for seasonal workers to come into the UK.
“We are not talking about migration, we are talking about a proven system which would allow seasonal workers into the UK to undertake demanding and highly skilled jobs — jobs which British workers either are not available to do, or quite frankly don’t want to do,” said Marston.
“It is important to remember that these are seasonal workers — men and women who come here to work, pay tax and National Insurance in the UK, contribute to the rural economy, and then go back to their own countries at the end of the picking season.”
BSF says Environment Secretary Michael Gove has described the case for SAWS as “compelling,” while the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee earlier this year called for the government to consider a new Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme “to meet current demand.”


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(WKBN) – If you have back-to-school shopping to do, Ohio is the place to go this weekend. The state’s annual sales tax holiday started on Friday and there are only two days left to get those tax-free items.
It’s a weekend of savings in the Buckeye State.
“Tax-free is very good because… that’s why I’m here. I’m job searching right now. It’ll help a lot,” said shopper Erin Brown.
Now through Sunday, Ohio shoppers can get their families ready to go back to school without having to pay state and local sales tax.
“There is a huge amount of savings you can get, especially when you have multiple children in a family,” said mother of five Jess Mott.
Here’s what you can get this weekend without the added 5.75% sales tax:
- Clothing $75 or less
- School supplies $20 or less
- School instructional materials $20 or less
“School supplies, it adds up and everything is a little expensive especially with everything going on right now,” Brown said.
Here’s what is not included in Ohio’s tax-free weekend:
- Athletic gear
- Sewing supplies
All of the tax exemptions apply to online purchases as well, an added bonus during this time of uncertainty.
“People still need to shop for back-to-school season even if their kids are going back to a hybrid model where they won’t be in school every day. Kids still grow, they still need clothing,” said Joe Bell, communications director for the Eastwood Mall.
So whether you grab your mask and head to the mall or shop from your couch…
“I guess this weekend is the time to do it. You only get one weekend,” Brown said.
The tax-free weekend continues until Sunday at midnight.
For more specific information about what is and is not included in the tax-free holiday, visit the Ohio Department of Taxation’s website.
More stories from WKBN.com:


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The European Commission’s proposals to limit transfer costs to non-euro members and currency conversions abroad were welcomed by consumer and transparency activists, although NGOs complained that it would not benefit migrants’ remittances.
Right now, euro area customers could end up paying €24 for transferring 10 euros to a bank account in Bulgaria. Meanwhile, clients across the EU are ‘scammed’ when they choose to pay abroad in their national currency instead of the local currency.
In order to tackle the “inequality of treatment” and lack of transparency, Commission vice-president for financial services, Valdis Dombrovskis, unveiled on Wednesday two proposals to address these issues.
The first proposal would ensure that fees charged for cross-border transactions in the eurozone are the same as those that would be imposed for equivalent transactions between a euro area and non-euro country.
As a result, transfers that could now cost €24 in charges would cost only a few cents, if any.
“These are very high disproportionate fees for the transactions,” Dombrovskis told reporters.
Customers travelling around Europe are also offered to pay (or withdraw money at ATMs machines) either in the local or their own currency. If they chose the second option, the so-called dynamic currency conversion involves hidden costs that are not disclosed to them.
Consumers prefer to pay in the currency they are used to but in most cases they lose money compared to the alternative of paying with the local currency.
The second proposal would require that consumers are fully informed of all costs of a currency conversion before they make the payment.
Dombrovskis explained that the European Banking Authority will develop transparency standards. At the same time, a cap on currency conversion costs will apply.
End of opacity
Consumers welcomed the executive’s initiatives.
Referring to the dynamic currency conversion, Monique Goyens, director general of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said that “it is high time that the opacity surrounding this practice is lifted”.
“I applaud the Commission’s action to increase transparency,” she added.
BEUC described the conversion as a “scam”, as pointed out in studies from Germany, Norway and the UK showing that almost every time the consumers lose money.
Finance Watch also welcomed the executive’s proposals.
However, Olivier Jérulsalmy, senior researcher at the organisation, voiced regret that the initiative did not include transfers made to third countries. As a result, migrant families living in Europe would continue facing around €3.6 billion in “unjustified” extra charges per year.
He explained that one of the main reasons for these costs is the lack of competition and the “exclusivity agreements” that limit access to distribution and payment systems.
Finance Watch asks for transfers to third countries to be included so that remittances are covered and for a 3% cap on fees to be applied to them.


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Mahindra lines up new products; firms up investments for electric future
Betting big on green mobility, Mahindra has lined up five new electric Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with the first four expected to hit the market between December 2024 and 2026. The automaker plans to roll out the five electric SUV models under two brands - XUV and the all-new electric-only brand called "BE".
Car companies keep up impressive run with highest ever August sales
Passenger vehicle dispatches from factories to showrooms last month at 329,000 units was the highest ever for the month of August and third highest for any month yet, industry insiders said. This was a third consecutive month of dispatches in excess of 300,000 units. New models launched by the likes of Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Tata Motors fuelled August dispatches, which increased 24% year on year.
Anand Mahindra reveals first look of 'all-electric' XUV 400
Earlier in August, the Indian auto major announced that it will launch five new electric Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for both domestic and international markets, with the first four expected to hit the road between 2024 and 2026.
Mahindra weighs acquisition of GM's Talegaon factory
Mahindra executives made several visits to the Talegaon facility in the past few weeks. The visits came after GM's term sheet with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors, which was in talks to acquire the plant, expired on June 30.
M&M in talks with different states in India for setting up EV production site
The automaker, which has lined up five new electric Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with the first four expected to hit the roads between December 2024 and 2026, will evaluate incentives offered by different state governments before finalising strategy for production of these EVs.
Despite stock price nearly doubling, M&M auto business still undervalued: Rajesh Jejurikar“What we are seeing right now is a rerating of the auto business and that is happening because of the successes that we are seeing on the SUV side plus an implied valuation coming out of the new EV business with an investment from DIIs which valued the new business at $9 billion. It is the effect of that which is driving the stock price up because the auto business was really completely undervalued.”
Mahindra & Mahindra says demand for cars outstripping capacityThe automaker reported a sharp jump in first-quarter net profit as sales of its passenger vehicles soared to 149,803, up 74% from a year ago, while it has open bookings for more than 273,000 vehicles.
M&M Q1 Results: Profit surges 67% YoY to Rs 1,430 crore but misses estimates"M&M continues to maintain the first position in SUV revenue market share, while FES strengthened its leadership position with 42.7 per cent tractor market share. With 2,73,000 bookings, the demand for the automotive product portfolio remains strong. Following the blockbuster launch of Scorpio-N, we are excited about the next phase with the unveil of our Born Electric Vision later this month," Executive Director Rajesh Jejurikar said.
Bulls roar on D-street! Sensex jumps 545 pts; Nifty ends above 17,300Extending its gains in the new month, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) hit new life highs on Monday as the company recorded a strong booking response to its newly launched Scorpio N.
M&M hits record high after solid bookings for new Scorpio-NM&M will inform the customers about their delivery date by the end of August, the company said. The introductory prices of the all-new Scorpio-N variants are applicable for the first 25,000 bookings.
M&M receives over 1-lakh bookings for Scorpio-N SUVAccording to news agency PTI, the company clocked over 1-lakh bookings within half an hour of its booking commencement on Saturday.
Stocks in the news: Axis Bank, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv, L&T, TechM and telcosAsian Paints, L&T, Bajaj Auto, Tata Power, United Spirits, Union Bank of India, Relaxo Footwears, Sanofi, Aditya Birla SL AMC, KEI Industries, and UTI AMC are among the companies that will announce their earnings for the quarter ended June 2022.
Mahindra announces introductory price of new Scorpio-N SUV starting at Rs 15.45 lakhMahindra & Mahindra on Thursday announced the introductory prices of its new Scorpio-N SUV ranging from Rs 15.45 lakh to Rs 21.45 lakh for the first 20,000 bookings.
Maruti Grand Vitara: What analysts say on SUV launch, its relevanceAnalysts said Grand Vitara will target the competitive mid-size SUV segment, which is currently dominated by Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, along with other models such as Skoda Kushaq, MM XUV 700 and MG Astor. This segment on an average sells 35,000 units per month and continues to see strong preference from consumers, they said.
M&M is undervalued, EV bet gets it right, says Anish ShahMahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is eyeing a leadership position in the electric vehicle sport-utility segment, emboldened by a global investor's interest in its newly set-up EV subsidiary. The maker of Scorpio and Thar plans to invest over ₹10,000 crore in its EV business, which raised $250 million from British International Investment (BII) on Thursday at a valuation of $9.1 billion.
M&M launches the all new Scorpio N at Rs 11.99 lakh to Rs 19.49 lakh for first 25,000 customersWith the new Scorpio, the company is preparing itself with a production plan of 6000 units per month. To be sure, already sitting on a cumulative bookings of close to 1 lakh units, M&M had recently announced expansion of its capacity to cater to the increased demand with waiting periods running into 12-18 months.
Scorpio-N launch could fire up M&M’s SUV show and earningsScorpio-N is targeted at the urban markets in the C & D-segment categories with lower price points and more features. It is priced at around 43 per cent cheaper than the peers for the top variant of a manual transmission.
Sensex pares early losses, ekes out 16-pt gain; Nifty at 15,850In a lacklustre day of trade, the 30-share pack Sensex swung to gains in the final hour to settle 16.17 points higher at 53,177.45. Its broader peer, Nifty50, recovered nearly 140 points from the day's low and settled 18.15 points higher, at the 15,850 mark.
At record high, can Scorpio-N launch give M&M stock any further legs?Nomura India said Scorpio-N appears to have been designed with a focus on customers rather than competing with any specific product. It said the new Scorpio-N should further support M&M's image as that of a lifestyle SUV maker, which it expects may pay rich dividends in the future.
CLSA initiates coverage on Campus Activewear; JP Morgan 'overweight' on ZomatoJP Morgan has kept its overweight view on Zomato intact after the Blinkit acquisition, which is being seen as an attractive strategic move by the brokerage firm. It has a target price of Rs 115 on Zomato, signalling a 75 per cent rise over its last close.
Scorpio-N: Mahindra launches its latest SUVThe bookings for the latest SUV will commence from July 30 online as well as at Mahindra dealerships. Deliveries will begin from the upcoming festive season.
Mahindra & Mahindra reports total sales of 53,726 units in MayThe Mumbai-based auto major's passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market were 26,904 units last month while the same stood at 8,004 units a year ago, the auto major said in a statement. Commercial vehicle sales of 24,794 units were posted in the month under review, while it was at 7,508 units in the year-ago period.
Buy Mahindra & Mahindra, target price Rs 1186: Centrum BrokingMahindra & Mahindra Ltd., incorporated in the year 1945, is a Large Cap company (having a market cap of Rs 128589.62 Crore) operating in Auto sector.
New SUVs, normal rains to drive M&M stockAccording to brokerage CLSA, M&M’s SUV market share increased by 340 basis points to 19.2% in FY22. Given the slated launch of Scorpio N in June 2022, the company has high volume visibility.
M&M raises auto, farm equipment business capex by 27% till FY24Even as the company is delivering over 5,000 units of XUV 700 on a monthly basis, the booking momentum is almost double and the cancellation rate to at a respectable 12.5% claimed Rajesh Jejurikar, ED at M&M.Load More
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Tilray Brands is buying Blue Point Brewing Co. from Anheuser-Busch, it was announced Monday.
Blue Point Brewing, which has a production facility and tasting room in Patchogue, is one of eight craft beer brands Tilray is acquiring from Anheuser-Busch. The all-cash deal is expected to close later this year. The purchase price was not disclosed in the press release announcing the sale.
Blue Point Brewing was founded in 1998 by Mark Burford and Peter Cotter. They grew Blue Point Brewing into one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S. before selling the company to Anheuser-Busch in 2014.
Blue Point Brewing moved from River Avenue to its current location at 225 West Street, in 2019.
Tilray already owns a number of craft breweries, including Montauk Brewing Co., which it acquired in November 2022.
Tilray Brands is an American Pharmaceutical cannabis lifestyle and consumers good company publicly traded on NASDAQ. The headquarters is based in New York City and the business generated $628 million in revenue last year.


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Linkin Park Got Business Advice From Harvard, Starts Venture Capital Firm
The music business is rapidly changing, with artists clawing for new ways to make revenue as physical and digital sales continue to slide, so Linkin Park did what any respectable artist would do…
The music business is rapidly changing, with artists clawing for new ways to create revenue as physical and digital sales continue to slide, so Linkin Park did what anyone would: they called Harvard.
Late last year the alternative rock veterans dropped their outside management and went in-house through the band’s “innovation company” Machine Shop. In an essay for the Harvard Business Review, the company’s executive vp Kiel Berry writes that the band ultimately decided to “focus on innovation through non-traditional business partnerships,” not just in music, but in fashion, design, and technology.
Supergroup: Watch Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold & Of Mice and Men
Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda says the band’s “goal was to build an internal team of diverse talent to support the non-traditional endeavors the band plans to pursue in the coming years.”
So, after migrating most of its business to Machine Shop — which “now operates like a tech startup, with less hierarchy and far more agility” — the group teamed up with Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse and three of her students for what amounted to a semester-long independent study on the business of Linkin Park.
Phase one of the study involved doing research into successful innovators in both the music industry (specifically Jay Z‘s universe, Jared Leto‘s investments, Trent Reznor‘s role at Beats/Apple, Pharrell‘s i am Other, and Beyonce‘s management company) and across other platforms. Those brands included Vice and Red Bull, among others.
The band learned that they need to build a diverse “brand ecosystem” and “diversify revenue streams” across several businesses to reduce financial risk in case something doesn’t stick. The Harvard study also suggest that the band “partner with a broader community or network of global influencers to remain tapped into bleeding-edge cultural trends.”
Kendrick Lamar, Linkin Park Back New Turnstile App: Exclusive
The second phase involved restructuring Machine Shop from a brand agency to “multi-pronged innovation model based on four verticals: video content, global brand partnerships, merchandise, and venture capital.”
Before the Harvard study was even completed in late May the band took the Ivy Leaguers’ advice and launched their own venture capital firm, Machine Shop Ventures, to invest in “consumer-focused companies that align with the band’s ethos of connecting people and innovation through tech and design.” So far, Machine Shop has invested in Lyft, Shyp, Robinhood and Blue Bottle Coffee.
Machine Shop also beefed up its staff and hired Lisa Kidd to help expand the band’s brand and merchandise business, and for big-picture ideas they hired Michael Seversky, formerly of Beats By Dre.
“To be clear, we are still in the music business, but creating and selling music now plays more of a supporting role in our overall business mix,” Berry concedes. “Of course we’ll play the shows and meet with fans, as we’ve always done. But along with continuing to make great music, today’s Linkin Park is now better positioned to operate in the ever-evolving cultural and business landscape.”


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There is no doubt that Apple products are hot sellers. With loyal customers and new Mac fans alike lining up overnight to buy the latest products, the company has experienced a significant surge in popularity over the last few years. Their ingenuity and innovation have earned them a massive fan base, not to mention billions of dollars.
However, recently the technology giant’s stocks have been decreasing in value, and despite Apple stores everywhere being packed, they’re continuing to drop. So just why are stock prices lower? And will they continue to fall, or will they regain their once incredible value?
In a recent article, USA Today blamed Apple’s declining stock prices on the fact that the company is “too popular for its own good.” As products like the first iPhone and iPad were introduced, investors were lured and stock prices skyrocketed. This was great for as long as the company’s sales and overall growth were increasing while they also maintained industry-leading profits. Unfortunately, when Apple’s growth margined suffered – ever so slightly – economic reality set in and the same investors who had priced the stock for perfection started having second thoughts.
Lately, Apple stock is being repriced for reality. The hype has settled down a little and people are realizing there are other companies with innovative products out there, too. I liken it to the real estate market in some parts of North America. Prices skyrocketed and people were flipping houses, investing and getting rich. But when economic reality set in and things weren’t quite so easy, values dropped significantly. Now in many areas they’re experiencing a “correction.” Once inflated prices that dropped too low are starting to return to a reasonable rate.
This may be what’s happening with Apple’s stock. After all, it’s been based largely on excitement over unveiling new products. And as growth slowed and the company experienced a lull in the pace of innovation, stock prices suffered. Group that with sinking profit margins and a disappointing sales forecast from a key supplier and it’s no wonder they’re in the position they are now.
Growing competition from Android smartphone and tablet manufacturers doesn’t help either. Consumers have more choice now then they did when the first iPhone was released, especially from manufacturers like Samsung who offer a wide range of smartphones, tablets and phablets in varying sizes and prices. In 2012, Samsung actually overtook Apple, with 30.3% of the market share compared to Apple’s 19.1%. This fear of weakening demand for the iPhone and greater competition also has investors spooked and has lead to falling stock prices.
Furthermore, some in the industry feel that the company has lost its way since the death of iconic founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who was such a force with leadership, common sense and innovation. Some of the changes and choices made under the reign of Tim Cook have not gone over as well, and speculation over falling stock prices has largely occurred since Jobs’ passing.
While rumors about hot new Apple products like the stunning Mac Pro, OSX Mavericks, the iPhone 5s and even the fabled iWatch are circulating, critics still feel the company has yet to regain its “mobility mojo” and likely won’t do so until the fall. Apple is certainly experiencing lull and transition, and the initial mania over smartphones and tablets may have passed, but in the long run I believe stock prices will remain valuable as the company finds its feet again and continues to provide consumers with quality electronics and computing solutions. Over time, this dip in stock value will likely be seen as no more than a mere bump in the road.


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Computer Mice: Still a Thing
More than 60 percent of respondents to our survey said they used a mouse on the day they answered. And yet: a subset of people have now completely abandoned the formerly essential input device.
For decades, the mouse was a key component of how one interacted with a computer. Invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963, the pointing device was the key to more accessible interfaces. As Apple and IBM-compatible PCs took off in the 1980s, the mouse became an indispensable way of doing most things.
But now, the shift to mobile computing is underway—and mobile phones and tablets, like laptops before them, don't require that their users plug in a mouse.
Based on my own habits, I started to wonder: how often do people still use mice? I work on a laptop and haven't touched one in months.
So I conducted an informal survey about mouse usage. These results are not methodologically rigorous, but they're interesting. There were 298 people who answered the question—"when did you last use a mouse?"—and a full 76 percent of them had used a mouse on the day they took the survey or in the week beforehand.
On the other hand, more than a third of respondents had not used a mouse on the day they responded. And it had been longer than six months for about 15 percent of respondents, including more than 8 percent who couldn't remember when the last time was because it had been so long ago.
Interestingly, the group of people who said they hadn't used a mouse for more than six months had a higher mean age (37) than those who said they'd used one in the last month or more frequently (35).
Of course, the respondents had an average age of 35, so that probably masks the cohort (kids under 22) who are said to be mobile-first users. The sample was also skewed almost entirely to the United States. (And—I'm guessing—to relatively sophisticated users.)
So, how do we reconcile the irrefutable rise in mobile usage with the persistence of the mouse's popularity?
The office. Mice are for doing work at the office, where many still have desktop computers. Of the 189 people who said they used a mouse on the day they took the survey, fully 102 of them specifically noted that they'd done so at work/the office.
Perhaps what's most interesting about this survey is that, even though almost two-thirds of respondents use a mouse every day, the mouse-cord cutters can exist happily in the current computing world.
The use of a mouse has gone from being essential for all computing to optional for many tasks.


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Esther Han is the consumer affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald. She was previously the food and wine news writer for Fairfax Media.
As summer rolls around, Australians naturally drink more beer. But each yearly peak in consumption is on the decline, study finds.
Drink | Esther Han | Mon Aug 31 09:24:03 EST 2015
Dozens of foods on supermarket shelves say 'No added MSG' when this is far from accurate.
Food News | Esther Han | Thu Aug 06 13:32:52 EST 2015
Each time you drizzle Tabasco on your food, ask for kimchi top-ups and munch on fresh chillies, you may be lowering your risk of death, new research suggests.
Food News | Esther Han | Wed Aug 05 08:46:57 EST 2015
Paying a little more may get you free-range eggs laid by hens that can bask in the sunlight, but price is no guarantee of that.
Food News | Esther Han | Wed Jun 10 09:34:32 EST 2015
Cereal maker Kellogg's has finally revealed its health star ratings. So which of its breakfast foods is bottom of the class?
Food News | Esther Han | Thu Apr 23 10:10:59 EST 2015
It's flattering; hungry masses staring at you and your truck with "dreamy eyes". But Sydney's food truckers say it is high time the relationship progressed to the next, more serious, level.
Food News | Esther Han | Sun Apr 19 16:44:00 EST 2015
Patties Foods says overseas testing found no links between the fruit and the disease, but the Federal Health Department says its investigation 'is ongoing'.
Food News | Esther Han | Thu Apr 16 10:00:27 EST 2015
Coca-Cola has made its first foray into the dairy market, releasing 'premiumised' milk it claims has double the protein and half the sugar of the conventional sort.
Food News | Esther Han | Thu Feb 05 14:41:20 EST 2015
When much-loved brands decide to change their products and tweak their recipes, they run the risk of backlash from consumers who have been newly empowered by social media.
Food News | Esther Han | Mon Feb 02 09:40:23 EST 2015
Some palatable new competitors are forcing global super-brands to rethink their recipe for success.
Food News | Rachel Browne and Esther Han | Mon Jan 12 12:23:51 EST 2015
Drinking cows' milk after exercise instead of flashy-looking sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade is a better way to rehydrate the body, a new study shows.
Food News | Esther Han | Mon Jan 05 09:50:24 EST 2015
Animal Liberation has launched an ad campaign in Chinatown and along George Street to expose the animal cruelty issues plaguing Australia's booming duck industry.
Food News | Esther Han | Mon Nov 03 00:15:00 EST 2014
A coalition of environmental groups, restaurants and academics have joined forces to demand reforms to Australia's lax labelling laws, saying too many consumers are being led to believe their seafood...
Food News | Esther Han | Thu Oct 16 00:15:00 EST 2014
As we up our spend and hunt for save-for-a-special-occasion dishes, The Sun-Herald has rounded up Sydney's most expensive food and drink.
Food News | Esther Han | Sun Oct 05 00:15:00 EST 2014
Never has Sydney taken the long-touted most important meal of the day so seriously, with many splurging $20 or more on fancy-takes of breakfast favourites.
Good Food Month | Esther Han | Fri Sep 26 23:45:00 EST 2014
Food critics, cookery writers and trend experts around the world have pinpointed media-savvy Ottolenghi as a major reason why sales of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients have gone through...
Good Food Month | Esther Han | Tue Aug 26 00:15:00 EST 2014
The rise in the number of people living alone, and advances in technology, are increasingly removing the stigma of dining alone.
Food News | Esther Han | Sat Aug 09 00:01:00 EST 2014
Popular Australian online takeaway service Menulog has come under fire for offering food vouchers to customers to remove negative reviews of restaurants from the internet.
Food News | Esther Han, Saffron Howden | Fri Aug 08 08:47:28 EST 2014
Celebrated chef Guillaume Brahimi set to open a new fine dining restaurant, as new figures show patrons of premium restaurants are spending more.
Food News | Esther Han and Inga Ting | Wed Jul 30 15:01:59 EST 2014
A booming number of families have abandoned their weekly grocery runs, instead opting for services that drop a box of recipe cards and fresh, pre-measured ingredients at their doorstep each week.
Food News | Esther Han | Sun Jul 27 00:15:00 EST 2014


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New figures released by the Expedia group, one of the world’s leading travel companies, reveal mobile bookings continue to rise, with more than one in four room nights booked during the first quarter of 2015 being made via a mobile device.
The figures also show more than half of mobile bookings made globally are completed within two days of travel or stay, suggesting New Zealand hoteliers looking to tap into the eleventh-hour traveller market should ensure they are optimised for mobile and play to the booking curve.
David Hamblin, senior director of Market Management, Asia Pacific, for the Expedia group, said the data provided valuable insights for hotel operators on the importance of mobile and how this could impact their business. “Mobile is a hot topic in our industry and it will continue to make a significant impact to the way consumers plan and purchase travel for years to come. It’s only logical to assume as more people access the internet via their mobile phones, more people will be shopping and purchasing travel from their mobile device. This is especially true of Asian travellers, many of whom are starting to travel overseas for the first time and are booking on mobile – bypassing the PC altogether.
“By constantly analysing our booking data, we are able to ensure we invest in the right technology to benefit our hotel partners, and we continue to focus on developing our mobile capabilities to meet the changing demands of global travellers. Mobile should be a key part of every hotelier’s distribution strategy,” he said.
The Expedia group also recently launched Sell Tonight, making it faster and simpler for hoteliers to push out same day rates and availability to spontaneous travellers, with the option to offer these special rates to mobile travellers, specifically. Sell Tonight, accessible via Expedia PartnerCentral, informs hotels in real-time of same day rates in their market, providing them with the details they need to better compete and increase same day bookings.
Expedia Q1 2015 mobile booking data also revealed that China is the fastest growing Asian market for mobile bookings of New Zealand hotels (300%), followed by Korea (255%) and Japan (130%). As part of the joint venture between Brand Expedia and AirAsia, AirAsiaGo launched its new site in China last year, including a mobile hotels and flights app on iOS and Android.


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A study has revealed 78% of Irish workers endure financial strain before pay day.
Despite the economic upswing of recent years, the figures support what some campaigners have called the prevalence of the “working-poor”.
A poll by payroll app Wagestream found 20% of workers have used or thought about using a payday loan.
December is already a massively expensive month and many people say they face enduring up to six weeks of hardship and money worries.
Financial pressure can impact workers in Ireland in many ways prompting them to borrow money, enter an overdraft, or access pay day loans.
The research found 39% of staff need to borrow money before the end of the month with some degree of frequency
And 48% of respondants claimed financial strain meant having to cancel activities with family and/or friends while 44% workers said it has resulted in stress at home.
Other notable revelations from the study showed 39% of workers had to borrow money to pay for an unexpected event such as a car or home appliance breakdown.
And 29% said they are unable to save any money each month and among those who do save, the average amount put away each month is €409.
Meanwhile, men claim to save more than women with male workers putting away €443 on average with females salting away €370 per month.
And 21% of 18 to 34-year-olds claim they don’t save money while a third of those aged over 35 claim to put anything away for a rainy day. In a worrying trend showed workers aged 18 to 24 are
significantly more likely to have used a pay day loan company to keep their head above water.
This was more than 20 points higher than all of the other age groups.
And Irish people are expected to spend an estimated €250million in the pursuit of bargains throughout Black Friday and today which has been dubbed Cyber Monday.
And according to research carried out by Retail Ireland, this Christmas the average household is expected to spend €2,690 on average.
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Jim Clarke has been appointed as director of global carrier sales at Telstra International. He will be responsible for driving sales strategy and business development across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the US and Australia. Clarke has 13 years’ experience in the telecoms industry, including four years at Telstra Wholesale and four years at WorldCom International.
Verizon Communications has appointed Lowell McAdam as president and CEO, transferring from the same role at Verizon Wireless. McAdam will be responsible for the operation of Verizon’s network-based businesses and providing a centralised focus on accountability for all business groups. He will have control of Verizon Wireless, Verizon Telecom and Business and Verizon Services operations.
Takashi Tanaka has been named as president of KDDI Corporation, replacing Tadashi Onodera in December. Tanaka will remain senior VP of solutions and consumer businesses and product development until then. Tanaka joined KDDI in April 1981 and has held numerous posts at the company, previously heading the company’s wireless broadband operations.
Nokia has appointed Stephen Elop as president and CEO. He replaces Olli Pekka Kallasvuo, who has held the position since 2006, and Elop is charged with heading the company’s transformation as it sets out to compete with Apple and Google. Prior to joining Nokia, Elop headed Microsoft’s business division, and has held positions in numerous US software companies, including Juniper Networks.


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DNV Groups's chief technology and sustainability officer paints an optimistic vision for a greener world in 2050
How did you start working in sustainability? I started to work on climate change and sustainability back in 2008 when I become COO of DNV Business Assurance. Since then, I have put a lot of time and...
Asda's George clothing label to only use polyester from recycled materials by 2025, as Tesco launches plastic-free veg trial and Pret rolls our water refill points
The news Ineos has lobbied against EU pollution rules provides a further reminder of the huge environmental risks inherent to a 'no deal' Brexit
Draft bill would give government powers to regulate CO2 and create carbon markets, but faces stiff opposition inside and outside Moscow administration
Shell-owned utility promises to announce a "string of exciting services" in the coming months, as it seeks to burnish green credentials


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GMO GlobalSign and airSlate Announce Partnership
Leading document workflow automation provider integrates with best-in-class Certificate Authority to deliver a complete, more secure digital signing experience that is globally accessible
Boston, MA, October 17, 2023 – GMO GlobalSign, Inc., a global Certificate Authority (CA) and leading provider of identity security, digital signing and IoT solutions, today announced a partnership with airSlate. The partnership enables the provider of business productivity and automation solutions to expand its current stable of advanced electronic signatures, particularly in Europe and Latin America for enhanced security, compliance and authentication. As part of the partnership, GMO GlobalSign's advanced electronic signatures have been integrated with signNow, one of airSlate's fastest-growing products.
Because GMO GlobalSign’s advanced electronic signatures meet strict European Union regulations such as eIDAS, the security and legal compliance of signNow will automatically be increased. As a result, signNow users working in highly regulated industries, such as financial services and public administration, which rely on advanced electronic signatures to secure high-risk transactions - will benefit.
“Adding advanced electronic signature capability to signNow is an important step. Not only will this increase the security of our offering, but it also enables us to confidently sell a complete offering in Europe and Latin America,” Shawn Herring, Chief Marketing Officer, airSlate. “GMO GlobalSign is a recognized leader in secure document signing solutions, and we are pleased to collaborate with them to offer our customers a secure signing solution to meet business critical needs.”
airSlate’s signNow is an electronic signature solution that empowers businesses to move quickly with everything they need to digitally sign documents. Businesses use signNow to increase productivity, eliminate document errors, impress customers with a straightforward signing experience on any device, and accelerate ROI (Return on Investment) by removing manual paperwork processes and reducing costs.
GMO GlobalSign’s advanced electronic signatures are used by thousands of companies worldwide as document signing via electronic and digital signatures are increasingly relied upon as digital transformation continues to sweep businesses worldwide. Document signing solutions such as digital signatures are ideal for modern hybrid, mobile workforces to sign important documents such as contracts and invoices easily and securely. For enterprises, GMO GlobalSign’s Digital Signing Service (DSS), is an extremely convenient way to enable secure document signing across an organization.
“We are thrilled to partner with airSlate, and to foster the growth of its signNow offering,” said Frank Romito, Director, Service Provider Sales-America, GlobalSign. “By integrating with GMO GlobalSign, signNow customers will have access to the world’s most advanced electronic signature tools.”
airSlate is a global SaaS technology company that serves over a hundred million users worldwide with its business productivity and automation solutions. The company's PDF editing, eSignature workflow, and business process automation solutions empower users to digitally transform their businesses to run faster and easier. airSlate, pdfFiller, signNow, USLegal and DocHub make up the company's portfolio of award-winning products. airSlate is backed by leading venture capitalists and corporate investors including General Catalyst, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, HighSage Ventures, UiPath Ventures and GSquared.
About GMO GlobalSign
As one of the world’s most deeply-rooted certificate authorities, GMO GlobalSign is the leading provider of trusted identity and security solutions enabling businesses, large enterprises, cloud-based service providers, and IoT innovators worldwide to conduct secure online communications, manage millions of verified digital identities and automate authentication and encryption. Its high-scale Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and identity solutions support the billions of services, devices, people, and things comprising the IoT. GMO GlobalSign is a subsidiary of GMO GlobalSign Holdings,K.K. a member of the Japan-based GMO Internet Group, has offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.globalsign.com.
Media Relations Contact
Director of Public Relations – West Region


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Infiniti will add its new ProPilot self-driving system to the 2018 Q50 as part of a mid-cycle update of the entry luxury sedan, the automaker announced at the Geneva auto show.
Infiniti hasn't gone into detail about the system, but said it will allow drivers to more easily navigate on highways and keep track of the position of surrounding vehicles. The 2018 Q50 will also offer the next generation of Infiniti's semi-autonomous Direct Adaptive Steering system that will serve as a foundation for full autonomy. The system attempts to eliminate mechanical parts in the steering system.
The vehicle will also include Active Lane Control, which activates when the vehicle is traveling faster than 45 mph. It uses a camera system to keep the vehicle from straying from its lane.
The 2018 Q50 is powered by three engine options. The 3.0L V-6 is available in two power ratings, including 300 hp and 400 hp. Buyers can also select a 2.0L four-cylinder engine that makes 208 hp. A hybrid model pairs a 3.5L V-6 that makes 302 hp with a 50-kilowatt electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack for a combined power output of 360 hp.
Infiniti will initially offer the 2018 Q50 in Japan. It will be available in the U.S. by July 1.


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As organizations transform and adopt new technologies to support increasing demands of business operations, security issues continue to rise.
In 2019, coming up with an app idea, let alone one that consumers will ultimately find useful and pay for, comes with its own set of difficulties. Raika helps companies collect the data and knowledge required to determine if their app ideas can transform into a business that makes money.
Solar United Neighbors is a national vendor-neutral, nonprofit organization that has recently started building its presence in Colorado. It is now opening a co-op in Denver.


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Kylie Jenner's Massive Valentine's Cosmetics Collection Is Going to Make You Swoon
Lip kit love is in the air.
Kylie Jenner really wants everyone to feel the love this Valentine’s day. The lip kit queen announced a massive upcoming drop for the holiday, and it’s clear she’s after our own hearts. She initially teased it all on Snapchat, unveiling every item one by one — and there’s a whole lot to swoon over.
As always, there are new lip kits colors to look forward to with Head Over Heels and Valentine, a mauve and deep pink, respectively. But if you’re looking for more, there’s the Red Minis set — six miniature liquid lipsticks, counting the new Apricot. Next up are three different sets that come with lip products and eyeshadows. And last, but not least, is Kylie’s Diary, a palette featuring the first-ever Kylie Cosmetics blushes.
The Valentine’s collection will release via kyliecosmetics.com at 3 p.m. PST on February 2, just in time to cop for a loved one — or yourself.


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During our many years working within New Zealand's franchise sector, we've learnt a great deal about the market - what works, what doesn't work, and what people involved in all aspects of franchising need to think about to succeed.
We encourage you to read as widely as possible about all aspects of franchising in New Zealand, whether you are interested in buying and then running a successful franchised business, or whether you have a business that you have already franchised or are contemplating growing using the franchising model.
If you don't find what you are looking for here in our Advice Centre then call or email us to ask for guidance - our team are ready and waiting to help you find the information you need.
statistics and surveys
John Paynter reports the results of the FANZ Survey of Franchising 2001, sponsored by The National Bank
Franchising in New Zealand continues to perform strongly with plenty more to come, according to the 2003 Survey of Franchising
12 November 2012 - turnover and the number of franchise systems increased, but the number of franchisees was down for the first time
11 October 2016 - Initial results from the Franchising Australia 2016 survey show that sales and employment within franchising are up slightly since 2014 but numbers are static. Is it out-performing the general economy?
2008 franchise survey reveals that the sector is continuing to expand across the Tasman.
21 April 2016 – The latest Franchising Confidence Index found strong franchisor confidence levels for general business conditions, franchisor growth prospects, franchisee sales levels and franchisee profitability.
22 February 2017 – Latest Economic Overview suggests continuing good news for now
15 August 2017 – The latest Westpac Economic Overview finds rising global interest rates are balanced by rising commodity prices for New Zealand products. Growth will continue but slow by the end of the decade.
3 November 2015 - After a dip in July, confidence in the franchise sector is bouncing back – but franchisees are still in high demand, says latest survey
20 October 2016 - The franchise sector is increasingly positive about the outlook for the next 12 months, especially for franchisees, with 54 percent of franchisors expecting improved profitability for franchisees and a further 40 percent expecting them to maintain current levels.
1 August 2016 – Franchising Confidence Index survey reveals better results for franchisees and good prospects in the regions, although housing issues are a worry in Auckland.
Finding the right franchisees, staff and locations are the biggest concerns for franchising in 2014, but confidence is still high.
Business confidence has been badly hit following the Christchurch earthquake, and the franchise sector is no exception.
28 July 2015 - Franchize Consultants’ Franchising Confidence Index reflects other reports by showing less optimism this quarter
12 February 2015 - The latest Franchising Confidence Index finds franchisors and franchise specialists confident about prospects for 2015, but finding good franchisees is still the biggest challenge
10 February 2016 – The latest Franchising Confidence Index suggests that almost half of all franchises expect increased profitability for franchisees this year, with only 4 percent expecting conditions to worsen.
December 2015 - Broker says recent immigrants from China and India are the biggest buyers of existing franchised outlets
Dun & Bradstreet’s quarterly report suggests the economy is in sound shape for now despite what it calls 'surprisingly moderate' growth
24 July 2017 - New Zealand has one franchised unit for every 124 people. That’s just one of many surprising statistics from the Franchising New Zealand Survey 2017, which has just been released
October 2016 - More women than ever are owning and operating businesses in New Zealand, with strong performance results across the country
11 February 2016 – No drought and net immigration have helped New Zealand’s economy go on growing, with economists revising GDP predictions upwards
August 2017 - Latest info from the Survey of Franchising reveals that the sector is a major employer and trainer of New Zealanders
31 March 2017 – The latest figures from Statistics New Zealand show growing economic activity in 12 out of 15 regions. That means new business opportunities for franchisees and franchisors.
31 January 2017 – The latest Franchising Confidence Index survey suggests that franchises are expecting a good year ahead
July 2012 – Slower growth and an ageing client base mean franchises need to tailor their appeal to a predictably-changing market
April 2017 - A shortage of suitable staff and franchisees, as well as potential funding issues, are the main concerns for franchisors in the year ahead.
21 October 2016 – Just four regional council areas accounted for over 75 percent of New Zealand’s population growth last year, Statistics New Zealand said today. Some of that growth comes from a record level of migration to New Zealand.
5 July 2017 – The latest Franchising Confidence Index demonstrates a continued increase in confidence levels across many areas
A 2011 report by Massey University suggests that over half of all New Zealand franchisees felt they had failed to conduct sufficient due diligence before purchasing their franchise. The survey also suggests that 44% of franchisees spent less than one month researching the opportunity before buying their franchise, and finds that resolving conflict later becomes an issue for many franchisees.
A large number of new franchises have launched on to the New Zealand market over the last five years. Simon Lord suggests some things to watch out for
February 2015 - Most buyers of existing franchise units are recent immigrants. What challenges does that pose for franchisors, and where are the opportunities?
Franchising is a way that independent business owners can compete with large corporates. That’s especially important in a small country, where we could so easily be dominated by overseas giants. That’s why it’s good news that a new survey shows New Zealand is the most franchised country in the world. The 2017 Franchising Survey reveals lot of other useful facts about franchising, too
How do the backgrounds, lifestyle, work habits and personal characteristics of franchisees impact on their success? A new survey offers insights and surprises.
Westpac directory of franchising
Looking for a business franchise or commercial franchise in New Zealand? View directory
Premium franchise opportunities
Giving kids a sporting chance. In-school curriculum, after school academy programmes, school sports days. Education outside of the classroom. Before and after-school care holiday programmes.
Platinum Homes are one of the top 10 national building companies in NZ and are one of the fastest, stable growth companies. Seeking financially stable people with the desire and drive to succeed to complete our licensee network, ideally from a construction or sales background.
Mexicali Fresh has led the Mexican evolution in NZ since 2005. With giant American-style burritos and Mexican beer in a colourful, casual atmosphere. We are recruiting energetic, enthusiastic franchisees with a passion for great food and excellent customer service for our turnkey restaurants.
The largest, most experienced cartridge refilling company worldwide. Franchisees operate from retail premises, refilling cartridges, retailing new cartridges and other printer consumables.
If you are looking to start your own real estate business, RE/MAX has opportunities available right now. RE/MAX provides you with the essential tools, services and support to help you achieve your goals and pursue the life you want. Call us today.


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Realogy Corp., the largest real estate company in the United States, today announced a marketing agreement with Yahoo! Inc. in which it will distribute property listings from its four residential franchise networks to Yahoo!'s real estate site. This latest agreement pertains to listings that appear on the CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby's International Realty brand Web sites, and is an extension of Realogy's overall online listings distribution strategy, first announced in March 2007. Sellers will get additional marketing exposure for their properties while enhancing the consumer real estate search experience, according to the announcement. "Our listings distribution initiative aligns effective marketing strategy with online consumer behavior," Alex Perriello, president and CE...
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Inverness College UHI students get in top gear with designs
STUDENTS have risen to the challenge of designing new merchandise for the University of the Highlands and Islands.
HND visual communication students at Inverness College UHI were tasked with creating new design concepts which showcased the region and the student experience in the Highlands and Islands.
The students were supported by the marketing and graphic design team at the university to ensure the new merchandise complemented the existing brand.
A small sample was then manufactured with support from a Rebel Fund, donated by Prickly Thistle owner Clare Campbell.
The students came up with a range of concepts, from the traditional image of the region and its geography to ones that represent the scientific and technological advances in local industry and the opportunities that exist for young people.
The university hopes it is the starting point for a bigger project, which could see students selling their own products and services via an online university shop.
Ms Campbell, who visited the college to meet students and see their work, said: “I am delighted that the Prickly Thistle Rebel Fund has allowed the students to make that final step from the design stage to having their products produced.
“Our company ethos is design and manufacture locally and this project has allowed students to do just that.”
She is a regular donor to the university, one of a growing number of local businesses contributing to scholarship and student development funds, which provide financial support to students who need help to continue their studies or to take advantage of development opportunities.
She also worked with BSc (Hons) architectural technology students last year, setting them the challenge of designing plans for her new Black House Mill, on the Black Isle, which she hopes to have completed by next summer.
Alison Woodside, programme leader for HND visual communication, said: “We work with real clients to generate the types of briefs students can expect to work on when they complete their studies.
“This one was particularly exciting as they were designing potential products for their peers.
“The students took on feedback and came up with a whole range of concepts, which, thanks to Clare and her Rebel Fund, they’ve actually been able to see come to fruition.”


text: Today RIM’s CEO, made a public apology for the World Wide Meltdown that occurred yesterday further enhancing the inevitable destruction of the Blackberry brand. He said that the meltdown affected consumers trust in the company, and that it was their priority to compensate the damage made. To me, he shouldn’t have said anything. It’s over, your backup systems didn’t work, everybody got pissed off, and many are now turning their heads and looking to the future. iPhone or Android. That is.