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Shares of global beverage giant Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) have been on fire over the past year, rallying about 20%, while the S&P 500 index has netted less than a 10% gain over that same stretch. This red hot rally in KO stock, however, will be put to the test on Oct. 18, when Coca-Cola reports third quarter numbers.
Heading into the print, everyone is expecting big things. As they should. This company has been red-hot over the past several quarters, firing off multi-year best organic growth rates amid strength in the company’s sparkling drink, coffee, and energy drink segments. All signs point to the fact that Coca-Cola maintained healthy operational momentum this past quarter. As such, Q3 numbers should be pretty good.
But, there’s one catch — the valuation on KO stock. That is, Coca-Cola stock presently trades at just shy of 24-times forward earnings. That’s the stock’s biggest forward earnings multiple this decade.
In other words, KO stock is trading at a decade-high valuation heading into a Q3 earnings report which will be pretty good. That’s a tricky situation. Ultimately, either the numbers will be strong enough to support the stretched valuation and KO stock will rally, or they won’t be strong enough and the shares will drop.
I think the former will happen. The Coca-Cola growth narrative has a lot of positive momentum right now. All that positive momentum will show up in the Q3 print, and will ultimately provide support for KO stock’s presently extended valuation.
Coca-Cola Earnings Will Be Good
When Coca-Cola reports earnings on Friday morning, the numbers should be pretty good.
Here’s the reasoning. Coca-Cola has been on fire over the past several quarters, reporting steady 5-6% organic sales growth in every quarter since the start of 2018, versus an average ~4% organic sales growth rate from 2012 to 2017. This recent multi-year streak of organic sales growth bests can be attributed to Coca-Cola’s global beverage machine firing on all cylinders.
The sparkling drink category, hampered by anti-soda trends for a long time, is rebounding. Trademark Coca-Cola volumes were up 4% last quarter. The alternative sparkling drink category remains red-hot, with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volumes continuing to power higher at a double-digit pace.
Meanwhile, the company has two sizable, multi-year growth drivers in the form of Costa RTD beverages (which gives Coca-Cola an opportunity to meaningfully expand share in the large retail coffee market) and Coca-Cola Energy drinks (which gives the beverage maker an opportunity to turn into a more dominant player in the rapidly expanding energy drink market).
Net net, the company is firing on all cylinders today and projects to sustain this strong momentum for the foreseeable future fueled by three drivers: A rebound in the core Coca-Cola brand; Expansion of the Costa business; and, Expansion of the Coca-Cola Energy business.
At the same time, the macro backdrop in the third quarter has been favorable. Yes, the economy is slowing, but, the U.S. consumer isn’t. Retail sales are up 3.8% year-over-year over the past three months, including a 4% gain in food and beverage stores, while big Coca-Cola sellers Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Target (NYSE:TGT), and Kroger (NYSE:KR) all reported strong top-line numbers over the past few months.
The implication? Coca-Cola’s third quarter numbers should be pretty good.
Strong Earnings Will Provide Support For Coca-Cola Stock
Importantly, Q3 numbers should be strong enough to support the stretched valuation on Coca-Cola stock.
The logic is pretty simple. This isn’t the 2015 Coca-Cola. It’s the 2019 version. By that, I mean that Coca-Cola today is a much improved business from what it was a few years back. Four years ago, the company was being hit hard by anti-soda trends, there weren’t many new growth drivers in the pipeline, and organic growth rates were running in the 3%-4% range. Today, with the company benefiting from anti-soda trends phasing out, there are new growth drivers in the pipeline with Costa and Coca-Cola Energy, and organic growth rates are running around 6%.
Basically, the Coca-Cola growth narrative today is as good as its been in the past decade. That’s why the valuation deserves to be as extended as it has been in the past decade, too.
The numbers aren’t too hard to digest. Thanks to Costa and Energy drink expansion plus core Coca-Cola business stabilization, this company projects as a mid-single-digit revenue grower over the next several years. Margins should trend higher with favorable pricing dynamics. Buybacks will factor in. Net net, this company should be able to grow EPS at a high-single-digit rate for the foreseeable future, pegging 2025 EPS around $3.50.
Based on a historically average 22-times forward earnings multiple and a 7% discount rate (3 points below 10% to account for the yield), that equates to a 2019 price target for KO stock of ~$55. Thus, today’s extended valuation is supported by long term growth fundamentals.
Bottom Line on KO Stock
Coca-Cola’s business has a lot of momentum today. This momentum will show up in the company’s third quarter earnings report. It will inspire confidence in the investor base, and ultimately support KO stock’s stretched valuation.
The implication? Stick with KO stock. This one is going higher.
As of this writing, Luke Lango was long KR.


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LacPatrick shows its hand for May supplies
LacPatrick has revealed what it will pay its suppliers for the month of May.
Suppliers in the Republic of Ireland will receive a base price of 30.25c/L for milk supplied in May. This is held from the April price. However, last month’s top-up payment of 1.75c/L has ceased.
Suppliers in Northern Ireland will receive a base price of 26p/L for milk supplied in May, up 1p/L from last month. Similarly, the 1.5p/L top-up has also been halted this month.
Earlier today, Dairygold announced a milk price of 32c/L, inclusive of 0.5c/L quality bonus and VAT, based on standard constituents of 3.3% protein and 3.6% butterfat for May deliveries.
As a result, in practical terms, suppliers will receive a payment identical to that of last month.
Meanwhile, yesterday it was revealed that Arrabawn Co-operative decided to hold its base milk price for May supplies, but support payments issued in recent months have now ceased.
Arrabawn suppliers will receive a base milk price of 31.05c/L including VAT for milk produced in the fifth month of this year.
The support payment offered in light of difficulties experienced at farm level during the spring of this year has also come to a halt.
Previous to this, on Friday (June 15), Aurivo announced an increase to its base milk price for May by 0.5c/L – bringing its total to 30.5c/L including VAT. However, the seasonality payment of 0.5c/L from April no longer applies.
This is the first increase in Aurivo’s base price since September 2017, according to the co-op.
Suppliers received a base price of 30c/L for April milk, but the processor – in line with its Kerry Group contract commitment – did pay an additional 1c/L on all milk supplied during that month, excluding milk supplied under fixed-price contract.

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#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and
Ebony Jones, catering director at The Manship and owner of Nola D’s Platters, has been
Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship has a Jackson, Mississippi, tie this fall. Pastry chef, artist,
Stamps Super Burger, a grocery purchased in 1970 by the late Algernon Stamps, Sr. and
Food entrepreneur Chloe Sumrall is soon to be the latest “graduate” of Cultivation Food Hall.
Missouri-born photographer and designer Drew Dempsey, a graduate of Belhaven University in #JxnMs, uses his


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Tenacity Venture Capital Launches To Make High-conviction Investments In Transformative Seed Stage Companies
ATHERTON, Calif., June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tenacity Venture Capital today announced the launch of its inaugural fund, which will invest in transformative technology companies in the formation, pre-seed and seed stages. Founded by 25-year entrepreneur and investor Ben Narasin, the...
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Rabat- Hundreds of customers rushed to Intermarché outlets across France on Thursday, causing near riots as they snatched as many tubs of Nutella as possible, in response to dramatic discounts applied to the famous hazelnut spread.
On Thursday, January 25, the Intermarché store chain dropped prices of 950 g-jars of Nutella by 70 percent, bringing its price to EUR 1.41. The chain did not anticipate, however, that France’s favorite chocolate spread would lead to pushing, fighting, and general disarray at some outlets.
Enormous queues formed in front of the gates of many Intermarché supermarkets before they opened; after 15 minutes, shoppers cleared the shelves.
“It’s crazy, it seems to be the first day of sales,” an employee of Intermarché Haguenau told AFP.
In one store, a staff member told local media that he was “punched in the eye while trying to separate warring customers.”
“They are like animals. One woman’s hair was pulled. An elderly lady was hit on the head with a box. Another had a bloody hand,” one customer said.
“People were piling in, they knocked everything over and broke stuff. It was an orgy… we were on the point of calling the police,” another staff member said.
Local media outlets reported that police had to intervene in one of the Intermarché branches located in the north of the country to put an end to a fight.
Nutella’s Italian manufacturer, Ferrero, said in a statement that it “deplored” the violence but kept itself distant from the supermarket promotion.
“We wish to clarify that this promotion was decided unilaterally by the Intermarché brand,” the statement reads.
The supermarket chain recently issued another statement, in which Intermarché apologized for the “disagreeable events customers suffered.”
— Julien Muller (@Julien__Mlr) January 25, 2018


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Drivetime made two announcements today. The first was an $11 million funding round that included investors Makers Fund, Amazon’s Alexa..
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21 May 2020
A round-up of this week's coronavirus-related news and countermeasures from the photonics industry.Teledyne Imaging is supplying charged coupled devices for Covid-19 diagnostic scientific instruments. These highly sensitive image sensors are used for low-light imaging applications such as microscopy and other scientific imaging techniques deployed for research and diagnostic testing of Covid-19. Recently, the UK CCD Fabrication team have been producing hundreds of CCD77-358 devices that will be designed into camera systems to support Covid-19 diagnostics.
Miles Adcock, President of Teledyne e2v Space & Quantum, commented, “The Coronavirus outbreak has triggered increased demand and interest for CCD and CMOS sensors. We expect to have manufactured several times the forecast annual demand for the CCD77-358 devices by the end of this quarter alone.”
The CCD77-358 sensor is back-illuminated and has an image resolution of 512x512 pixels, a large pixel size of 24µm in size and a high dynamic range. Teledyne has advanced wafer-processing facilities in the UK and Canada. The company says it is committed to the provision of a long-term vertically integrated, dedicated CCD fab and continues to make technology developments to the design and production of CCDs.
The European Commission has published a photonics related Covid-19 call for research proposals: SC1-PHE-Coronavirus 2020-2B Medical Technologies, Digital Tools and Artificial Intelligence Analytics. The deadline for proposals is 11th June 2020.
The call for proposals seeks for innovation actions which:
Xenex Disinfection Services, based in San Antonio, TX, has announced that its LightStrike pulsed xenon disinfection robot, based on ultraviolet disinfection technology, can deactivate coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Testing of this capability was performed at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, a leading independent research institute working exclusively on infectious diseases.
Xenex’s Germ-Zapping Robots™ use a xenon lamp to generate bursts of high intensity, full germicidal spectrum (200-315nm) UVC light. Different pathogens are susceptible to UVC light at different wavelengths. With full germicidal spectrum light, Xenex LightStrike robots can quickly deactivate viruses, bacteria and spores without damaging hospital materials or equipment.
Dr. Mark Stibich, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Xenex, commented, “As we discuss and plan for re-entry, disinfection of public spaces is a major priority to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Putting an effective infection prevention infrastructure in place now is essential. Our robots have been adopted as the environmental standard of care by many of the world’s leading hospitals because they work – and quickly.”
ProGlove, a developer of wearables for industry, has created a smart solution to help workers maintain proper social distance. Leveraging its mark range of wearable barcode scanners and the ProGlove Connect app for Android, the company has announced a product upgrade that activates proximity sensing for frontline workers in a factory/workplace environment. ProGlove notes that, “with production lines set to resume operations, safety and efficiency are paramount.
The ProGlove Connect Proximity app provides an additional layer of feedback on an Android device alone or when paired with a ProGlove Mark barcode scanner which rests on the employee's hand. When paired with the Mark wearable scanner and an Android device, workers coming within close proximity of each other are alerted. Alerts come via a range of options on the wearable scanner including audio, LED light-flash, and vibration signals.
“We tested the Mark upgrade in-house and it works beautifully. We're now rolling it out on our own assembly line,” said Konstantin Brunnbauer, VP of Production for ProGlove. “For my team it is easy to want to fall back into old patterns of working together but with this extra reminder we can maintain safe distance.”
On May 16th, 1960, Theodore Maiman saw laser light for the first time, laser maker Toptica reminds visitors to its website. But in the context of the global Covid-19 lockdown, the Munich-based company asks, “How can we celebrate this major event for photonics in times of Corona and social distancing?” To answer this challenging question, a group of Toptica staff have designed individual “laser face masks”, decorated with various subjects from physics, optics and laser applications (see left).
Considering the big birthday and the International Day Of Light, Wilhelm Kaenders, Toptica’s CTO, states on the company’s website: “As is well known, soon after Maiman’s initial laser demonstration, someone quipped that the laser was a solution looking for a problem. Then the world‘s industry clearly got the message. In the six decades since, the laser has spawned a global market estimated by Strategies Unlimited at more than US$16.6 billion annually and is a key enabler for our modern society.”
In the area of medical applications, topically, Kaenders adds that for ultrafast techniques such as multiphoton microscopy, only fiber lasers are compact, convenient and efficient enough to drive the transition of applications from research labs to the clinic. “A unit that once required a cubic meter of space and kilowatts of electrical power, he says, can now “be served out of a shoebox-sized device.”
TU Eindhoven debugs face mask theories
Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out some time around the end of 2019, a subject of much debate has been the efficacy and worth of wearing face masks, which are increasingly worn out of choice and indeed mandatory in some countries. The Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e), The Netherlands, has this week published an informative interview with Professors Kitty Nijmeijer and Bert Blocken, membrane materials and aerodynamics experts, respectively, on their professional opinions around this hot topic.
“The main purpose of this second type of mask is to prevent the wearer from infecting others via droplets emitted during sneezing, coughing, or even talking,” says Blocken. As this type is permeable to smaller droplets that drift through the air, known as aerosols, it does not offer the wearer any significant protection.
The effectiveness of “simple” face masks stands or falls by their correct use, Blocken adds. “If you put it on incorrectly, or touch it with your hands, it won't work or will even have an adverse effect. So I certainly understand the criticism that face masks could give a false sense of security.”
Prof. Kitty Nijmeijer says she sees “little benefit in the use of non-medical face masks, precisely for this reason.” She heads up the Membrane Materials and Processes group at TU/e, where she researches the various ways synthetic membranes can be used. Coronavirus is about a tenth of a micrometer in diameter. “If you want to stop it with a simple filter, you are going to need such small pores that you won't be able to breathe,” she says. “Medical face masks contain an electrostatic layer to which the virus particles adhere, which gives scope for using larger pores.”
Simple face masks, if worn at all, must be replaced every few hours and washed before reuse – at 60°C at least. Nijmeijer adds, “Otherwise face masks themselves become a source of viruses. Non-medical masks may stop larger droplets but in so doing they obviously become wet, and the virus thrives in a moist environment.“ In view of this, Nijmeijer herself is determined to stick with the two-meter distance rule.


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Starting next year, consumers will be eligible for thousands of dollars in federal and state incentives when they purchase used electric cars. Auto dealer Guy Bedau is eager to cash in on the bounty.
All he needs is some used EVs to sell. But right now, he’s only got two.
“It doesn’t matter what the incentives are if the machines aren’t there to be bought,” said Bedau, electric vehicle ambassador at Milford Nissan in Milford. So far this year, his dealership has sold just 11 used EVs, not due to lack of demand, but lack of supply.
Pandemic-induced damage to global supply chains led to shortages of new vehicles and have forced consumers to hold on to their older cars, electric as well as gas. That means there are few used EVs to be had, at any price. And Bedau thinks the government incentives, at least in the short run, will make the problem worse.
“The real problem is lack of cars,” said Bedau. “The incentive, in practice, will increase demand that’s already greater than supply.”
The federal tax credit was part of the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden last summer. The bill expanded tax breaks for the purchase of new EVs, and for the first time, offered a federal benefit for those buying used electric cars.
The cars must be at least two years old, and must be purchased from a dealer in order to qualify. The tax credit applies only once to each vehicle. In addition, there’s an income cap for those who apply for the tax credit — $75,000 for single filers, $112,500 for heads of households, and $150,000 for joint filers.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts passed legislation that lets used EV purchases qualify for the state’s electric car rebate program. Details of how the plan will apply to used cars have not been finalized. But the state will pay purchasers anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000.
However, most used EVs are too expensive to qualify for the federal tax break, which applies only to cars priced below $25,000. That rules out the most desirable vehicles.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult to find an electric car under $25,000,” said Ernie Boch Jr., businessman, philanthropist, and former chief executive of Boch Automotive. “Even the crappiest Tesla isn’t $25,000.”
Recurrent, a company that tracks the used electric-vehicle market, estimates that only about 17 percent of used EVs sold in the third quarter of 2022 were priced so low. These are mainly older, less appealing cars with limited battery range, as well as some plug-in hybrid cars that use both batteries and internal combustion power.
Scott Case, chief executive of Recurrent, estimates that US consumers will buy about 300,000 used EVs this year — not even a rounding error compared to total US used-car sales of 40 million vehicles. He predicts 2023 used EV sales will tick up to 350,000 units, partly driven by an expected spike in sales of used Tesla Model 3s. The most popular EV in the US, the Model 3 made its debut in 2018, when it sold 140,000 units. “Now, four years later, all those Model 3s are pouring into the used EV market,” Case said.
Robert O’Koniewski, executive vice president of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, noted that the state EV incentives are cash payments to car buyers. The federal program uses tax credits, effectively a reduction in the car buyer’s federal income tax bill. But consumers who owe little or no federal tax won’t benefit very much. The Tax Policy Center estimates that about 40 percent of US households will owe no taxes this year. “The tax credit means nothing to them,” O’Koniewski said.
O’Koniewski, Case, and Bedau all agree that it’s just a matter of time before a robust used EV market develops. They just don’t expect it to happen right away, despite the government incentives.
“The assistance will be felt when more cars are available,” said Bedau, “and that’s six months to a year away.”
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeTechLab.


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WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - Kraus Canada, part of the Kraus Group of Companies (Kraus Group), is pleased to announce the appointment of Shawn Davies as President and General Manager.
Located in Winnipeg MB, Kraus Canada is the Canadian sales and distribution division of Kraus which services 2,300 dealers across Canada. Shawn joins the team with a proven track record of:
- Aggressive sales growth
- Focused on the customer
- Increasing profitability in sales & distribution
- Strategic acquisition and integration of competitors
- Implementation of sales and operational planning (S&OP) processes
- Developing new product introduction process
Shawn joins Kraus Canada from Sofina Foods, where he was Vice President. Prior to that, Shawn was the Vice President of Foodservice at Janes Family Foods where he increased sales in the foodservice/distribution business by over 500%. Over the years, Shawn has served as VP of R&D, headed international procurement, and has been a General Manager for a national distribution company.
"Today is an exciting day in the history of Kraus," said Steve Malinowski, President and CEO of the Kraus Group of Companies. "I am pleased that Shawn will be joining the leadership team at Kraus."
''I look forward to joining the team and believe in the strong leadership at Kraus. The future of this company is bright and I am excited to be part of it," said Shawn Davies.
Based in the Kraus Group of Companies corporate headquarters in Waterloo, ON, Shawn will begin his appointment with Kraus Canada on September 23, 2013.
The Kraus Group is one of the largest integrated carpet and flooring manufacturers and distributors in North America with facilities throughout Canada, USA and Australia. Established in 1959, the Group has grown from a sole manufacturing facility to a multinational distributor servicing approximately 10,000 customers in both the residential and commercial flooring markets.
SOURCE: Kraus Group of Companies
For further information:
519-884-2310 ext 237


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With new revenue streams and funding opportunities opening up for digital creators this month, the time is right for an increase in content and creativity. As growth and activity online continue, the digital landscape is adapting and changing – but what does this mean?
It’s been another busy month and there are changes, news, and announcements across the board. We’ve picked the most newsworthy and interesting for you to catch up on here.
Find out all the latest from social, Google, and brands below.
The Latest Social News
Revealed: the first recipients of TikTok’s $1 billion creator fund
TikTok announced last month they would be starting to pay their top content creators with the new Creator Fund. Originally set at $200 million, the fund has now skyrocketed to £1 billion with “more than double that globally”, TikTok states, in a bid to compete with the financial incentives other social platforms (such as Facebook) are offering.
The first funding recipients have just been revealed, but who are they?
- Matt Broussard (@acooknamedmatt), a chef.
- Alex Stemplewski (@alex.stemp), a Los Angeles photographer.
- Avani Gregg (@avani), known for her makeup tutorials.
- Brittany Tomlinson (@brittany_broski), who went viral as “Kombucha Girl”.
- Cheyenne Jaz Wise (@cheyennejazwise), a cosplay creator.
- David Dobrik (@daviddobrik), is a digital entertainment personality.
- Jess Andrade (@doctor.jesss), a pediatric doctor.
- Darryl Jones (@dreadknotwoodshop), a woodturner from Deltona, Florida.
- Yumna Jawad (@feelgoodfoodie), a food vlogger.
- Chance Moore and Kate Hudson (@heyeliza), the parents of a 10-month old girl with cancer.
- Michael Le (@justmaiko), a dancer.
- Justice Alexander (@lgndfrvr), a comedian known best from Instagram.
- Fayez (@lifeofadoctor), a healthcare professional.
- Marissa Ren (@marstruck), an educator on Asian fashion influences.
- Matt Gresia (@mattgresia), entrepreneur and business guru.
- Isabella Avila (@onlyjayus), a computer science and maths graduate.
- Ross Smith (@rosssmith), known for his hilarious videos filmed with his Granny.
- Spencer Polanco Knight (@spencerx), a Beatbox artist.
- Anthony Youn (@tonyyounmd), “America’s Holistic Plastic Surgeon™”.
Taking in doctors, chefs, artists, comedians, and educators, it’s perhaps a more varied list than some may have been expecting. And, with applications opening up to general TikTok users (those who meet the baseline criteria, anyway), it’s about to get bigger.
Facebook adds sponsored posts for groups
Group admins have gained an extra revenue source with Facebook’s new options for sponsored posts in groups. While you can already run ads in the groups feed, the new functionality is designed to foster brand partnership posts that are built directly into the group’s experience. Facebook states:
“We’re excited to launch a set of tools that will enable communities, specifically, for the first time, to meaningfully monetize their engaged group audience by partnering with brands to create ‘branded’ posts.”
To qualify for the sponsored posts option, groups must be public and have over 1,000 members. Groups must also adhere to Facebook’s Monetization Eligibility Standards.
Provided these conditions are met, the new feature could be a win-win for groups and the brands they align with: while it gives group admins a clear process for how to partner with brands that fit well with the community’s values, for brands it means gaining a direct line to engaged and focused audiences. With over a billion users regularly engaging with groups, there is great potential not only for ads and revenue but for brand awareness within these spaces too.
Tweet reply controls rolled out to all users
Twitter has been testing its new tweet reply options for a few months now, having started with selected users in May. Having been used to conduct interviews, panel discussions, and more, the options are expanding the potential usage options for tweets.
So, the announcement that the options are now being made available to all users across iOS, Android, and twitter.com is a welcome one. There are three reply options to choose from before you tweet:
- Everyone can reply (the Twitter standard).
- Only people you follow can reply.
- Only people you mention can reply.
As well as facilitating new types of conversations on Twitter, the options could help protect users from unwanted spam and abuse. Twitter has noted that users in the test pool have said they feel more comfortable tweeting with the options in place, and more likely to tweet longer and more in-depth thoughts on the platform. Twitter states:
“People who face abuse find these settings helpful – those who have submitted abuse reports are 3x more likely to use these settings.”
Though the new reply options look to encourage more intimate conversations (and fewer rude and unwanted replies), they could also open the door for certain brands and individuals to silence opposing viewpoints, which could warp people’s perception of how accepted certain statements are. We will have to wait and see how Twitter handles this issue.
The Latest Google News
Terrain on Google gets a colourful update
Google has announced that new visual improvements are being rolled out on Google Maps, powered by a new colour-mapping algorithmic technique. As Google explains, the changes are designed to:
“bring even more detail and granularity to the map, making it easier to understand what an area looks like whether you’re exploring virtually or planning a visit.”
In real terms, this means tan beaches, shaded mountainous regions, and forest areas in a darker green than shrubs and grass. The increase in detail extends to urban areas too, with the shape and width of roads shown at scale. Sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian islands will all be visible – and accurate – on street maps. These will be rolled out for London, New York, and San Francisco first, and Google plans to expand to further cities in the coming months.
For Google Maps Platform developers, the styling will soon be available to apply to maps. You can find out more on the Google blog.
Google rolls out new multi-room audio controls for Nest devices
New multi-room functionality is coming for Nest devices, Google has announced. Although you can already manually group Nest devices to play music on several speakers at once, the update will now allow you to dynamically group them.
So, if you have more than one Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker or Smart Display, you will be able to add and remove other devices throughout your home while audio is playing. Google anticipates several uses for this new function:
- Moving music from one room to another (using your voice, the Google Home app or the touchscreen on your Nest smart display).
- Experiencing stereo sound (Stereo pair two Nest Mini or Google Home Max devices in the Google Home app for room-filling sound and even more immersive left and right channel separation).
- New music recommendations (YouTube Music and Spotify Premium subscribers can ask, “Hey Google, recommend some music” and Google Assistant will offer multiple choices).
The new multi-room control interface has already begun rolling out to the Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and other compatible Assistant-enabled Smart displays. For those without a Smart Display device, the same functionality will arrive on the Google Home app this autumn.
The Latest Brand News
Crisis and Tesco Mobile partner to help the homeless get online
Tesco Mobile has announced a two-year partnership with homelessness charity Crisis, which aims at tackling digital exclusion issues among people suffering from homelessness.
A recent study by Crisis showed that over three-quarters (76 per cent) of homeless charities and organisations had seen an increase in the number of people experiencing digital exclusion and requiring additional support. The majority (75 per cent) also said the lack of digital technology or internet was a challenge affecting their ability to support people experiencing homelessness.
Tesco Mobile has pledged to donate £700,000 worth of phones, devices, and connectivity in the first year of this new partnership. Members of the public (and existing Tesco Mobile customers) can support the initiative by donating via text, or they can donate their old smartphone. The money raised will go towards providing more phones, devices, and connectivity for Crisis.
Tom Denyard, CEO of Tesco Mobile, said:
“For many people living without a permanent home, digital connection is a necessary lifeline. An important part of our partnership with Crisis will be in helping to deliver connectivity to those who need it most.”
The partnership with Crisis sits within Tesco Mobile’s Reconnects strategy, which by 2023 will see the donation of over £2.4 million worth of phones, devices, and connectivity to 13,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
Amazon launches next day delivery on all Morrisons products
The Amazon/Morrisons partnership dates back to 2016, with Morrisons initially providing wholesale fresh, chilled, and frozen groceries to Amazon. Now, in a move to step up its focus on the UK grocery market, the online giant has added the full Morrisons range to the main Amazon site – with next day delivery available.
Amazon Prime customers will have access to free next day delivery on the entire Morrisons offering, provided their orders are above £40. With the demand for supermarket deliveries skyrocketing in recent months, this move could prove popular for those who would prefer not to venture to the shops. Morrisons CEO, David Potts, said:
“It will give more and more customers the option of receiving Morrisons groceries straight to their doorstep, including freshly prepared products from our brilliant Market Street colleagues.”
Campaign of the Month
Camden Town Brewery launches the first “drinkable” ad
Calling it “the world’s first TV ad you can (kind of) drink”, Camden Town Brewery are giving viewers free beer – when they scan the QR code in the ad.
The “Give ‘em Hells beer giveaway” campaign by Wieden & Kennedy London will see a total of 45,000 beers given away for free in a bid to brighten up the UK public. Camden Town Brewery Founder, Jasper Cuppaidge, said:
“We wanted to give the great British public the chance to finally share a fresh (socially distanced) beer with friends. We know it’s a small gesture, but we hope to bring some much-needed cheers in the very best way we know how – with fresh beer!”
Get the Latest News
For more on the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, take a look at our articles for opinions, updates, and guides.


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Nokian experiencing increased demand, especially in Russia
Following the company’s recent pre-announcement of fiscal results, financial analysts have characterised them as proving “demand has continued to grow in all Nokian's key markets. According to an investor’s note published by Deutsche Bank, this is said to be especially in Russia, where foreign car sales are expected to grow by about a third in 2011 – 2012. Nokian said its sales will reach 278 million euros, with pre-tax profits (EBIT) of some 65 – 70 million euros in the first quarter of 2011. According to Deutsche Bank, the upper end of the EBIT-range was “56 per cent ahead of Reuters’ consensus estimate before the announcement.” Nokian’s management also upgraded its full year 2011 guidance: “In 2011, the company is positioned to provide strong sales growth and to improve operating profit clearly compared to 2010.” Previously the company had said: “In 2011, the company is positioned to provide strong sales growth and to improve operating profit compared to 2010.”
The addition of a single word (“clearly”) may not seem like much, but the analysts predict it signifies a greater degree of optimism than previously revealed. Nokian and the analysts’ confidence is based on two things – the rapid recovery of the Russia market and the firm’s presence and product capacity in Russia.
With regard to the recovery of the Russian market, Nokian reports that after a terrible dip between 2008 and 2009 the market picked up by around 5 million units in 2010, growing from 25 million to roughly 30 million tyres. Looking forward the company expects the same amount of growth this year and every year till 2015. At the same time the bottom-end C segment is predicted to level off at around 19 million units, with the remaining 35 million tyres of the by-then 54 million units a year tyre parc being split between the A and B segments Nokian is so strong in.
At the same time Nokian Tyres’ factory in Russia continues to grow. The latest news is that eight production lines operating. Lines seven and eight were completed in 2010, with lines nine and ten ordered for installation in second and third quarters of 2011. Theses lines are said to feature “state-of-the art machinery” and “high European quality standards.” Furthermore the Vsevolozhsk factory is said to export to over 30 countries, making it the biggest consumer goods exporter in Russia.
As of 31 December 2010 851 employees worked on site compared with 640 the year before.
Commenting on how they believe current market trends will affect Nokian’s profitability, Deutsche Bank added: “We believe average selling price growth is likely to offset higher raw material costs, driven by improving sales mix and pricing power. Potential capacity upgrades and related efficiency gains add the upside.” As a result the market watchers upgraded their target share price to 40 euros from 38.
Nokian 2010 annual report released
Nokian shod Audi breaks world ice speed record
Nokian receives recommendations in German tyre tests


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Many of the reasons shoppers prefer brick-and-mortar retail are exclusive to the in-store environment, including the ability to try on merchandise and receive the product immediately.
Facing limited organic visibility for category keywords on Google, evolved pureplay retailers have seen organic search traffic spike following their first store opening.
In 2014, Warby Parker announced that its stores were collectively profitable. The evolved retailer also reported $3,000 annual store sales per square foot, second only to industry leader Apple.
Founded in 2002, pureplay retailer ModCloth achieved $100 million in annual revenue after 10 years with $63.7 million in funding. Evolved retailer Birchbox grew more quickly with less capital, achieving $125 million in sales with $11.9 million in total funding only four years after its founding. Following the route of Birchbox, ModCloth recently announced it will open a permanent store in 2016.
Stores are more than a marketing expense — they can also self-fund. Stores account for at least 20 percent of sales for Blank Label, AYR, and BaubleBar and many evolved retailers have reported higher average order values in-store, where sales associates can up-sell customers.


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KRAFTON has now announced that BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI) is playable for all Android and iOS users. BGMI was banned in India back in July 2022. BGMI follows on the success of PUBG Mobile but was still banned in the country. The latter was previously banned by the Indian government after the 2020 Indo–Chinese border violence. The main point of contention was that PUBG Mobile comes under the Chinese company Tencent, even though Krafton itself is a Korean company.
After a staggered rollout that began on May 29, the game is now playable for all users.
The company has released the 2.5 update for BGMI which includes a brand-new map – Nusa, in-game events, weapon upgrades, and new skins. Users can download the game from Google Play Store and App Store.
As it has been close to a year since the game was banned, chances are that users will now look to download the game again. If you are wondering whether it is possible to get access to your old account, worry not. Read on to find out more.
(For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today’s Cache)
Getting access to old accounts
Users who played the game after linking BGMI to their social media accounts should be able to access their accounts. While users can play the game from a guest account, the data will be erased if you delete the game or change your device.
So, if you only accessed BGMI through a guest account earlier, all your data would be lost.


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Plus, disappointing personal spending figures and an explanation of how the Fed views inflation (hint: it isn't how you view it).
Let's look at the incredible value of Roth conversions, during trying times.
Commodities like gas came down and people finally noticed. Let's check on that diesel, 30-year bonds and more.
After an ugly day of bear market trading, beware of what could hide ahead on Friday.
We're checking the charts and indicators on Ventas, owner of senior housing and medical facilities.
The Ionic Inflation Protection exchange-traded fund, the latest such ETF to hit the market, offers direct exposure to the consumer price index.
The first half of this year has been ugly. But we could have seen what would happen to Netflix, Tesla and Meta...
Buyers of the shares are becoming more aggressive.
These stocks are priced for an industry-wide calamity, but how realistic is that considering their customer base?
Here's what traders looking to go long GIS could do.


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Skybus and Scillonian, the flagship routes to the Isles of Scilly, are expecting their busiest day in almost two years later this month, with both flights and ferry fully booked.
As the islands gear up for the half-term holiday, Skybus has announced it is carrying almost 600 passengers on 44 flights on Saturday, May 29th 2021 and Scillonian III will carry around 950 passengers on two sailings. The remainder of half term week is also looking busy.
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company has run Skybus for more than 35 years, with flights from Land’s End, Newquay and Exeter airports. In 2019, Scillonian III carried its 4.5 millionth passenger.
Stuart Reid, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, said:
“May 29th will be our busiest day since August 2019, which shows people’s appetite and confidence in travel is returning.
“The impact of Covid 19 continues to be challenging for everyone in the tourism industry. We are looking forward to the season ahead and to a gradual return to operations as they existed before Covid, in line with the Government’s roadmap.”
It comes as Skybus’s Newquay flights resumed yesterday (May 17th) having been on hold in recent months because of the pandemic. Scheduled flights are now available to book until October 23rd.
Mr Reid said:
“Our Newquay route is extremely popular with passengers and it’s easy to see why – it’s an unforgettably scenic flight.
“This service will add choice for passengers wishing to visit the Isles of Scilly, in addition to our existing services from Land’s End Airport and Exeter Airport.”
In March, the company launched a new flexi ticket, which enables passengers to make unlimited changes to their bookings without any amendment fees.
Passengers using the flexi ticket can swap their booking to any alternative Skybus flight or Scillonian III sailing on any day of the week up to 48 hours before their pre-booked departure time, with no extra cost.
For bookings and more information visit the website at www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk or call the Travel Centre on 01736 334220.


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Struggling WorldCom Inc. will cut about 2,000 jobs in its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) unit and discontinue some niche services in a bid to make the business cash flow positive by next year, the company said Sept. 16.
A new business plan has been developed for the EMEA arm of WorldCom, headquartered in Reading, England. In addition to cutting about 25 per cent of its 8,300 jobs, the business will make minimal new infrastructure investments and focus on voice, data and Internet services, WorldCom said in a statement. The bulk of the 8,300 people work in England, WorldCom said.
The international arm of WorldCom also secured funding from its parent until it becomes cash flow positive sometime in 2003, the company said. The funding should ease customer concerns and end speculation of a sale of the EMEA business, WorldCom spokeswoman Rachel Richards said.
“The funding is very comforting for the European operation,” she said, adding that the company is not seeing “any significant customer loss” in Europe and is in fact adding new customers.
Richards could not specify the “unprofitable niche products” WorldCom will discontinue, but stressed that the restructuring does not mean WorldCom will pull out of any geographic region it currently offers services in.
WorldCom of Clinton, Mississippi, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. in July. The company in June revealed that it had accounted improperly for billions of dollars in revenue. Several of its former executives have since then been indicted on securities fraud and other charges. On Sept. 13, it disclosed plans to hunt for a chief executive officer (CEO) to replace John Sidgmore, who was named president and CEO in April.


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20th July 2020: The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) has hosted the first instalment in a new series which sees Latin American destinations give an update on the current status of the coronavirus pandemic and unveil their plans for tourism recovery. In this first edition representatives from Belize, Colombia and Nicaragua revealed their developments.
Director of Marketing & Industry Relations at Belize Tourism Board, Misty Michael, provided an update on the Central American nation’s five-phase recovery plan which will see phase three begin on 15th August 2020. Michael stated that as part of phase three Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) would resume operations and a “Tourism Safe Corridor” would be established which will see limited reopening of approved hotels offering full-service amenities. These hotels are to be approved according to Belize’s “Gold Standard Recognition Programme” in line with the country’s health and safety protocols. Michael commented: “the Gold Standard Recognition Programme seeks to enhance tourism health and safety standards by adapting new behaviours and procedures to protect employees and travellers.” She also noted that Belize’s management of the virus has spurred new interest in the destination for longer stays and tourism investment.
Procolombia’s UK Executive Director, Jose Puyana, stated: “Colombia is focused on the recovery of the tourism industry with tangible results such as being the first country with a Bio-security stamp endorsed by UNWTO, reducing sales tax for airplane tickets from 19% to 5%, and working hand in hand with the tourism industry in Colombia to make sure they adapt to the new trends that the pandemic has created and continue to offer excellent services.” It is apparent that Colombia’s recovery strategy puts an emphasis on helping the sector be prepared for the ‘new normal’ brought about by the pandemic and building a trust that ultimately encourages the return of its international tourists.
Puyana also touched on the importance of adapting to a new digital industry and highlighted Procolombia’s emphasis on digital promotion which has seen them pick up the Webby People’s Voice Award as the best tourism website in the world; a welcome recognition during a challenging period for the industry.
Ana Carolina Garcia, Director of Promotion and Market Development for Nicaragua’s Tourism Institute (INTUR) highlighted the importance of training and skill development. “From January to June we had organised 152 digital workshops, training a total amount of 3,440 local businessowners, 1,382 men and 2,058 women, owners of restaurants, hotels and tourist guides.”
Additionally, Nicaragua has introduced a host of new measures to keep its visitors safe including biosecurity protocols, disinfection of public spaces, mobile clinics throughout the country, budget increases for the health sector and advanced training for more health workers.
Garcia added: “Nicaragua has a lot to offer in terms of outdoor activities, nature, adventure, rural community tourism and sports activities for social-distance-mindful travellers. We are prepared to receive tourists with safety protocols based on the scientific advice and are proud to count on some of the highest security and safety levels in the region.”
Colin Stewart, Chairman of LATA, concludes: “We’re proud to have launched the first in this new series which will provide our member destinations with a platform to share the hard work that is going on behind the scenes to ensure a safe and sturdy return for international tourism. As Latin American destinations begin to reopen to tourism it is important for us at LATA to communicate the initiatives our members are implementing to reinstall confidence both amongst the travel industry and the end consumer. We look forward to more of these sessions as the region looks towards recovery.”
For more information, please email firstname.lastname@example.org
LATA is the representative body of the Latin American travel industry.
Support LATA on social


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The biennial International Robot Exhibition is billed as the largest robot trade show in the world. Gizmag went along to this month's 21st edition in Tokyo, which attracted more companies and 20 percent more visitors than iREX 2013, to check out the latest developments in the world of robotics.
Roaming around a driving range retrieving the endless scattering of golf balls is a pretty tall order for staff, especially when you consider the bays full of weekend hackers taking aim at their caged buggies. But one company is looking to give golfers a smaller moving target to aim at. The Ball Picker robot autonomously scoots around sucking up golf balls and returns them to a ball dispenser to be teed up once again.
If you've got a 3-inch diameter pipe to inspect from inside, chances are you're not going to try crawling in there yourself. At the recent IREX 2015 show in Japan, however, we spied a robot designed to do just that. Made by Tokyo-based HiBot, THESBOT is a sinuous robot that snakes its way through narrow pipework, transmitting real-time video and gathering other data as it does so.
Assistive exoskeletons are a bit like electric bikes – they do indeed give users a power boost, but part of that boost is needed just to move the extra weight along. Japanese researchers at Hiroshima University and Daiya Industry Co., however, have created a minimalist exoskeleton that does away with heavy batteries and motors. Instead, their Unplugged Powered Suit (UPS) harnesses the wearer's own weight.
Large sprawling airports in unfamiliar cities can be difficult places to find your way around. While it helps if someone can point you in the right direction, what's best is if they can actually take you where you want to go. Well, that's where Spencer comes in. "He" is a multi-lingual robot that's designed to guide travellers through airports.
As strange as it sounds, the future of skin care could involve tiny robots powered by changes in humidity. This week, a group of Seoul National University researchers shared their research into creating such devices, inspired by the slow motions of plants.
The likes of Asimo, Valkyrie and ATLAS better make some room, as there's a new humanoid robot on the block – and it looks not unlike the Gort bot from the original The Day the Earth Stood Still. It's the third version of the University of Tehran's Surena robot, and it was unveiled this Monday.
If one thing has been learned in the last half century, it's that sending astronauts into the harsh, unforgiving environment of space is both dangerous and expensive. To find a way to minimize risk and cost, NASA is sending a pair of prototype humanoid robots back to school. The space agency is giving two R5 "Valkyrie" robots to university groups at MIT and Northeastern University for advanced research and development of robotic astronauts that could act as vanguards for manned missions or as assistants for humans traveling to Mars.
Inspired by the water boatman bug, a team at the University of Bristol has created the Row-bot, a robot prototype that is designed to punt itself across the top of the water in dirty ponds or lakes, and "eat" the microbes it scoops up. It then breaks these down in its artificial stomach to create energy to power itself. In this way, it generates enough power to continuously impel itself about to seek out more bacteria to feed upon.
If you turn up to your local supermarket one day to find all of your favourite items fully stocked, you may have the slender robot sauntering up and down the aisles to thank. Announced today, Tally is an autonomous retail robot that rolls around stores making sure shelves are correctly stocked, promising to cut labor costs and lost revenue in the process.


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H&E Equipment Services Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results
- SEE ALSO: ALL H&E ARTICLES
BATON ROUGE, La. November 6, 2008: H&E Equipment Services, Inc. today announced operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2008.
THIRD QUARTER 2008 SUMMARY
"Our strong presence in regions with exposure to petrochemical, oil patch, mining and energy sectors and our integrated business model are clearly helping to minimize the impact to our business from the numerous macroeconomic issues occurring in the country today,” said John Engquist, H&E Equipment Services’ president and chief executive officer. “There is no doubt the non-residential construction industry has slowed as a result of the unstable credit markets and other economic factors, yet our strong presence in the industrial sector resulted in solid financial performance during the third quarter.”
“We believe our business is very well positioned to navigate the current conditions in the market,” Engquist continued. “We have a strong balance sheet, are well capitalized and our debt carries a low interest rate and maturity dates well into the future. While we expect a difficult market to continue during the remainder of this year and into 2009 due to tight credit markets and economic slowdown, we are confident in our ability to make the necessary business adjustments to maximize our financial performance.”
“Although we are not seeing revenue growth as a result of the deterioration in the overall economy, our margins for this quarter improved on a sequential basis at the gross profit, EBIT, EBITDA and earnings per share level,” commented Leslie Magee, H&E Equipment Services’ chief financial officer. “Our product support business continues to show strength. This segment of our business has historically performed very well during periods of economic softness. We remain committed to reducing our capital fleet expenditures which will generate additional free cash flow. We plan to use excess cash to reduce debt and/or repurchase shares. With a challenging business climate, weakening visibility into future market demand, and times of uncertain access to credit, our focus continues to be cash generation and maintaining a strong, conservative balance sheet.”
FINANCIAL DISCUSSION FOR THIRD QUARTER 2008
Total revenues grew 3.0% to $278.6 million from $270.6 million in the third quarter of 2008. Third quarter revenues included $38.8 million from the Mid-Atlantic region compared to $10.1 million a year ago, reflecting one month’s results of the acquisition which closed on September 1, 2007. Equipment rental revenues increased 3.4% to $78.2 million compared with $75.6 million in the third quarter of 2007. Third quarter 2008 equipment rental revenues included $4.5 million of rental revenues from the Mid-Atlantic region compared to $1.3 million a year ago. New equipment sales increased 3.3% to $97.8 million from $94.7 million due to new equipment sales of $20.5 million from the Mid-Atlantic region compared to $3.1 million of new equipment sales from the Mid-Atlantic region a year ago. Used equipment sales decreased 10.3% to $39.9 million compared to $44.5 million in the third quarter of 2007. The decrease in used equipment sales was partially offset by an increase in used sales from the Mid-Atlantic region to $6.4 million from $2.9 million a year ago. Parts sales grew 15.9% to $31.0 million from $26.7 million in the third quarter of 2007. Service revenues increased 8.6% to $18.3 million compared with $16.9 million in the third quarter of 2007. Product support revenue increased due to parts and service sales of $6.4 million in the Mid-Atlantic region compared to $2.7 million a year ago and increased demand.
Gross profit decreased 1.7% to $82.5 million from $83.9 million in the third quarter of 2007. Gross margin was 29.6% for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 as compared to 31.0% for the quarter ended September 30, 2007. The reduced gross margin percentage in the current quarter is primarily due to the impact of a 16.9% gross margin on $38.8 million of revenues from the Mid-Atlantic operations. This lower gross margin is largely due to business mix, a continued challenging Mid-Atlantic market, and a lower margin rental segment in the Mid-Atlantic market due to fleet mix, utilization and rates. The gross profit contribution from the Mid-Atlantic region negatively impacted the Company’s consolidated gross margin by 210 basis points.
On a segment basis, gross margin on rentals decreased to 50.3% from 52.9% in the third quarter of 2007 due to increased depreciation costs, declines in rental rates and time utilization, and the impact from the Mid-Atlantic rental operations. On average and excluding rates in the Mid-Atlantic region, rental rates declined 2.0% as compared to the third quarter of 2007. Time utilization decreased to 67.4% from 70.7% a year ago.
Gross margins on new equipment sales were 13.4% as compared to 13.9% in the third quarter a year ago due to the mix of equipment sold. Gross margins on used equipment sales decreased to 23.3% from 24.2% a year ago due to lower margin on fleet sales in the Mid-Atlantic region. Gross margin on parts sales increased to 29.5% from 29.3%. Gross margin on service revenues increased to 64.0% from 63.7% in the third quarter of 2007 due to revenue mix.
At the end of the third quarter of 2008, the original acquisition cost of the Company’s rental fleet was $806.3 million, up $26.4 million from $779.9 million at the end of the third quarter of 2007. Dollar utilization was 38.8%, including results from the Mid-Atlantic region, compared to 41.9% for the third quarter of 2007. Dollar utilization for the three months ended September 30, 2008 was 39.8% excluding the Mid-Atlantic region. Dollar returns decreased reflecting lower year-over-year average rental rates and lower time utilization.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
SG&A expenses for the third quarter of 2008 were $45.6 million compared with $41.6 million last year, a $4.0 million, or 9.5%, increase. Third quarter SG&A expenses included $4.8 million from the Mid-Atlantic region. Costs have increased primarily due to labor and benefit costs to support the growth of the Company. SG&A expenses also grew by $0.6 million due to the amortization of intangibles associated with the acquisition in the Mid-Atlantic region. For the third quarter of 2008, SG&A expenses increased as a percentage of total revenues to 16.4% as compared with 15.4% last year.
Income from Operations
Income from operations for the third quarter of 2008 decreased 12.3% to $37.2 million compared with $42.4 million a year ago.
Interest expense for the third quarter of 2008 increased $0.5 million to $9.5 million from $9.0 million primarily due to an increase in average borrowings on the Company’s senior secured credit facility.
Net income decreased to $17.6 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, from $20.2 million, or $0.53 per diluted share. The effective income tax rate decreased to 36.9% in the third quarter of 2008 as compared to 39.4% last year.
EBITDA for the third quarter of 2008 decreased $2.0 million to $67.2 million from $69.2 million in the third quarter of 2007. EBITDA as a percentage of revenues was 24.1% compared with 25.6% in the third quarter of 2007. For the third quarter, the Mid-Atlantic region contributed $3.4 million of EBITDA, or an 8.8% EBITDA margin compared to $1.7 million of EBITDA, or a 16.8% EBITDA margin a year ago. Excluding the three month results from the Mid-Atlantic region, EBITDA margins increased to 26.6% for the third quarter of 2008 compared to 25.9% a year ago.
“In spite of today’s challenging and uncertain business environment, we are reaffirming our full year guidance for EBITDA and EPS and we are lowering our revenue guidance primarily to adjust for the expected delay in fourth quarter crane shipments,” said Engquist.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains certain Non-GAAP measures (EBITDA). Please refer to our Current Report on Form 8-K for a description of our use of these measures. EBITDA as calculated by the Company is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Additionally, these Non-GAAP measures are not measurements of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to the Company's other financial information determined under GAAP.
The Company’s management will hold a conference call to discuss third quarter results today, November 6, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). To listen to the call, participants should dial 913-312-0411 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A telephonic replay will become available after 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on November 6, 2008, and will continue through November 14, 2008, by dialing 719-457-0820 and entering confirmation code 7320492.
The live broadcast of the Company’s quarterly conference call will be available online at H&E EQUIPMENT or EARNINGS on November 6, 2008, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) and will continue to be available for 30 days. Related presentation materials will be posted to the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s web site at H&E EQUIPMENT prior to the call. The presentation materials will be in Adobe Acrobat format.


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Just yesterday, we brought you a first look at official images of a “Blackout” colorway of the Kyrie 4, and now it appears that the low version of LeBron’s 15th signature sneaker will be dressed that same way. Sporting an entirely black color scheme, it is reminiscent of the King’s “Zero Dark Thirty” aesthetic that comes into play during the playoffs each year, where he shuts himself off from the world of social media. While that Kyrie 4 featured a slight presence of grey on its marbled outsole, this new 15 Low comes devoid of any reprise from that completely blacked out aesthetic.
Official images of this LeBron 15 low are available below, while a release date has not been reported at the moment. Stay tuned for updates on drop information as well as other “Blackout” iterations from more Swoosh Brand signature athletes the likes of Kevin Durant and Paul George.
Nike LeBron 15 Low
Style Code: AO1755-044


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Apple has reportedly started manufacturing iPad 2 that might just have enough improvements to get tablet computer holdouts to jump on board, though might not have enough new bells and whistles to prompt massive upgrades from early adopters.
The Wall Street Journal reports, based on "people familiar with the matter," that the new version of the iPad will be skinnier and lighter than the first edition, plus boast at least one front-facing camera that would enable FaceTime videoconferencing, like that available on the Apple iPhone 4 smartphone. The Journal also reports that the device will be lighter, boast more memory and a more powerful graphics processor. The Journal report essentially confirms a lot of the rumors that have been swirling about the iPad in wireless blogs and other reports.
APPLE OUTLOOK: What’s coming in iPad 2 and iPhone 5?
It’s still unclear when the iPad 2 will be formally introduced, though the first one was announced in January 2010 by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and hit the shelves last April 3, so industry watchers expect this April to be a likely target data given Apple’s history of product introductions. Speculation about when the iPad 2 will emerge has been rampant, with Digg founder Kevn Rose recently generating buzz by urging would-be iPad buyers to hold off since the iPad 2 would be available around the corner.
The Journal reports that the iPad 2, like the iPhone, will be available from both AT&T and Verizon, with Sprint and T-Mobile remaining on the outside looking in. It also reported that there’s not likely to be any significant improvement to the iPad’s screen resolution. Apple declined to comment on its report.
A report late last month by Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is concentrating on the anti-reflection aspects of the iPad screen this time around to make the tablet a stronger option vs. popular e-readers like the Amazon Kindle.
In reporting its stellar first quarter financials recently Apple said it sold 7.33 iPads during the period, 3 million more than it sold in its fourth quarter. Apple accounted for 75% of tablet sales worldwide during Q4, according to numbers from Strategy Analytics.
U.K. gadget blog Pocket-lint raises the question of whether the latest Apple iPad 2 news leak might be timed to take away a bit of the spotlight from other tablet makers, including HP, which is holding an event Wednesday regarding its WebOS products, and those companies readying products for display at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona next week.
Follow Bob Brown on Twitter for more facts than rumors
Read more about data center in Network World's Data Center section.


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Shares in China’s greatest chipmaker fell greater than 7 per cent on Monday in Hong Kong after Washington imposed export restrictions that would reduce off Semiconductor Manufacturing Worldwide Company from essential US gear and software program.
Washington’s transfer to curb vital provides to SMIC additional threatens the event of China’s home semiconductor business, after the Trump administration had already reduce Huawei off from its chip suppliers.
Shares in SMIC fell as a lot as 7.9 per cent in Hong Kong on Monday to their lowest since Could 29, whereas its Shanghai-listed inventory dropped as a lot as 6.6 per cent.
The US Division of Commerce instructed corporations on Friday that exports to SMIC carried an “unacceptable danger” of being diverted to “army finish use”, based on a replica of the letter seen by the Monetary Instances. Corporations would now require licenses to promote particular merchandise to SMIC, it added.
SMIC will lose entry to US gear but additionally probably gear from different nations that need to maintain the US on their good facet
The Shanghai-based firm, one in all China’s nationwide champions, is a vital a part of Beijing’s push to forge a self-sufficient home chip business. SMIC raised $7.6bn in Shanghai in July — the nation’s greatest fairness sale in 10 years — as traders guess that authorities assist would assist it thrive.
However analysts say the US ban poses a grave risk to the corporate.
“SMIC will lose entry to US gear but additionally probably gear from different nations that need to maintain the US on their good facet,” mentioned Stewart Randall, head of semiconductors at consultancy Intralink in Shanghai.
SMIC has signed orders price greater than $2bn with the US corporations Utilized Supplies and Lam Analysis since 2019. The 2 American companies had been SMIC’s high and third-largest gear suppliers, respectively, between 2017 and 2019, based on its itemizing prospectus.
Its second-largest provider was Dutch chip software producer ASML, from which SMIC bought a cutting-edge EUV lithography machine in 2018. The $150m machine has not but been shipped partly resulting from stress from the US authorities.
Analysts at Morningstar mentioned it could be troublesome for Chinese language corporations alone to produce SMIC with the gear it must make chips.
“Though Chinese language substitutes have emerged in components of the provision chain, their specs are sometimes two to a few generations behind,” mentioned Phelix Lee, an analyst at Morningstar.
“Extra Chinese language corporations within the provide chain are susceptible to being banned” because the Sino-US tech struggle deepens, Mr Lee added.
SMIC mentioned in a press release on Sunday that it had not obtained any formal notification of the order from the US commerce division.
“The corporate has not obtained such official info . . . The corporate has no relationship with the Chinese language army and doesn’t manufacture for any army finish customers or finish makes use of,” it mentioned.
In response to information of the sanctions, International Instances, a state-owned newspaper, known as for a brand new “lengthy march” for the tech business to “rid itself of being depending on the US”.


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We aren’t that bad. But we’re not in great shape either, as confirmed by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and his observation that we will not shake this pandemic mess off our economic backs until 2021. Meanwhile, we’re facing a double-digit decline of GDP in the current business quarter.
Chris Cook, chief investment officer at West Des Moines-based wealth adviser Gilbert & Cook, has, with others, nicknamed this the Great Compression. It unfolded overnight, shuttering restaurants and every strip mall in America and ballooning our unemployment rate to levels not seen in 90 years. (Iowa Workforce Development reported a rise of 1,193% in initial jobless claims between February and March.)
It’s difficult to draw much wisdom, or guidance, from prior downturns, Cook said. The 2008-09 meltdown was a financial crisis that spilled into home mortgages, which the current crisis has not (yet). The Depression of 1929-33 predated government jobless benefits and government insurance on deposits in failed banks. Past downturns did not mandate a dead stop to schools, restaurants and most retail activities. The nation’s supply chain of food and material was not disrupted.
We may not see the quick snap back to normal that President Donald Trump yearns for. But dire consequences have been somewhat blunted by the CARES Act. Banks in Iowa reported processing $3.75 billion worth of federal loans (which can be forgiven) by mid-April, and unemployed workers are getting a $600 weekly bump in their jobless benefit.
Ironically, Cook said it helps that there’s just about no place anyone can spend money. You’ll be hard-pressed to book a vacation, or take in a movie, or even congregate at socially distancing taverns and restaurants. More importantly, though, he sees an economic bounce-back as contingent upon people returning to work.
“Are these jobs in hibernation, or are they gone?” he said. Already there are signs of a return to normalcy: Auto manufacturers are reopening their plants, and closer to home Winnebago Industries has restarted its production line.
We’ve lost some jobs, especially in retailing, that won’t come back. But Cook says recessions “always squeeze out marginal performers.” They also spawn new ways of doing things – Zoom, anyone? Home office, anyone? – that will, moving forward, make for a more productive, efficient workplace. We just hope sooner rather than later.


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Ford To Enter The NFT Industry As Well? All You Need To Know
- As per United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) licensed attorney Mike Kondoudis, the automobile manufacturer Ford Motors has filed a total of 19 trademarks related to car brands, including Mustang, Bronco, Lincoln, Explorer, F-150 Lightning, and many more as well.
- The firm also proposed an online marketplace which seems to hint at the fact that there is a possibility of an NFT marketplace.
Ford, an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, might be entering the NFT and metaverse industry sooner than you expect. According to a Twitter post from United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) licensed attorney Mike Kondoudis, the automobile manufacturer has filed a total of 19 trademarks related to car brands, including Mustang, Bronco, Lincoln, Explorer, F-150 Lightning, and many more as well.
In a Twitter post, Kondoudis linked to one of Ford’s nineteen new Web3 trademark applications at the USPTO and it was revealed that the trademarks cover virtual cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and clothing for its brands. Interestingly, the firm also proposed an online marketplace which seems to hint at the fact that there is a possibility of an NFT marketplace.
The USPTO documents were filed on September 2 as per the data and it can be confirmed that the firm aims to create “downloadable artwork, text, audio, and video featuring its cars, SUVs, trucks, and vans all of which will be authenticated by NFTs.”
Ford also plans to create “downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs featuring automobiles, SUVs, trucks and vans, land vehicle parts and accessories, and clothing for use in online virtual worlds,” which confirms that the firm is working on its own metaverse model.
The automobile manufacturer also aims to introduce entertainment in its metaverse and will provide “online non-downloadable virtual automobiles, SUVs, trucks and vans, land vehicle parts and accessories, and clothing for use in virtual environments created for entertainment purposes.” There are also plans to host “online exhibitions via virtual reality and augmented reality.”
Although Ford has confirmed that it is entering the NFT and metaverse industry, the company’s Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Jim Farley announced significant lay offs recently owing to the macro economic conditions and also, due to the fact that the firm is now shifting to electric vehicles. The company laid off 3,000 employees including 2,000 full-time salaried employees and 1,000 contract workers.
“Building on this future requires changing and reshaping virtually all aspects of the way we have operated for more than a century. It means redeploying resources and addressing our cost structure, which is uncompetitive versus traditional and new companies,”the email circulated by the CEO among employees stated.
It seems that the Ford Motor Company has huge plans ahead regarding the NFT and metaverse industry along with manufacturing electric vehicles on a large scale.
However, Ford is not alone in the NFT and metaverse industry.
As reported by Bitnation previously, Animoca Brands-backed metaverse The Sandbox confirmed its partnership with the South Korean division of the French automaker Renault SA, Renault Korea Motors, as the firm aims to offer digital automotive experiences in the virtual world.


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Trade: Economic ties deeply intertwined
The sharp decline in the value of goods imported by the United States from China — by 25 percent in the first half of this year — is not only due to a drop in consumer spending, but is also a result of "indirect trade" between the two countries, suggesting that their economic links are "enduring" even amid tensions, analysts said.
U.S. goods imports from China were valued at $203 billion during the first six months of 2023, a decline from $271 billion in the same period last year, while two-way goods trade fell by nearly 20 percent, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the latest Chinese Customs data showed that China exported 1.95 trillion yuan ($270 billion) of goods to the U.S. in the first seven months, down 13 percent year-on-year. Overall China-U.S. trade declined 9.6 percent year-on-year to 2.46 trillion yuan during the period.
"I think the decline is mainly due to a slowdown in U.S. household purchases of the various goods produced in China," said Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.
The top U.S. imports from China so far this year included computers, electronic products, electrical equipment, appliances, components, machinery and chemicals, according to the International Trade Administration.
Hufbauer said the impact of the massive tariffs, imposed on roughly two-thirds of imported Chinese goods during the administration of former U.S. president Donald Trump, was "pretty well" reflected in U.S. imports from China by 2022. Further declines in 2023 mainly reflect changes in household purchasing patterns.
Overall U.S. imports of goods slumped by 1.2 percent to $253.3 billion in June, the lowest level since October 2021, according to official statistics.
"Weakening consumer demand for goods and retreating inventory growth by businesses have softened imports this year, while exports continue to trend downward as the global economic backdrop softens," Matthew Martin, a U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told Reuters.
Consumer spending aside, Hufbauer said that going forward, "redirected supply chains" will play a larger role in actual U.S. imports from China.
"China is shipping more intermediate goods to countries like Mexico, Malaysia and Vietnam, and then the final products are coming to the U.S.," Hufbauer told China Daily. "I think we will see more of these redirected supply chains in the future."
The drastic drop in U.S. imports of Chinese goods has made headlines in the global media, but overseas China watchers were quick to point out that it does not prove that attempts to decouple will work out.
In an article, "How America is failing to break up with China", published on Tuesday, The Economist noted that China-U.S. economic ties are "more profound than they appear at first glance".
It said the attempt to "de-risk" trade with China is the cornerstone of the White House's foreign policy, but that instead of being slashed, trade links between the U.S. and China are enduring — just in more tangled forms.
"Given that most countries are desperate for the investment and employment that trade brings, the U.S. has been unable to convince its allies to reduce China's role in their supply chains," The Economist authors wrote.
"Many are content to play both sides — receiving Chinese investment and intermediate goods, and exporting finished products to America and the rest of the West," they wrote.
S.L. Kanthan, a geopolitical analyst based in Bangalore, India, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday: "Here's why the U.S. is importing less from China: The U.S. buys Chinese goods through other countries! China's exports to intermediary countries like Mexico, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia skyrocketed after 2018… when the U.S. trade war began. So, 'decoupling' is just recoupling."
His sentiments were echoed by Chinese trade experts.
Wang Youxin, a senior researcher at the Bank of China, attributed the sharp drop in U.S. imports from China during the first half of the year mainly to two factors: the softening U.S. demand, especially that for goods, and the U.S. pursuit of nearshore and friendly-shore outsourcing, which means getting work done or services performed in nearby countries or traditional alliances.
He also said that economic ties between China and the U.S. will remain deeply intertwined, although direct trade between the two countries may become weaker due to the shift of productions to outside China amid the ongoing global supply chain reconstruction underpinned by such nearshore and friendly-shore outsourcing practices and additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.
"The U.S. imports have shown an overall downtrend due to weakening demand, especially that from countries including China and Southeast Asian nations, despite an increase in imports from the European Union and its neighbors," Wang said.
"Yet 'decoupling' between China and the U.S. is not possible, because other U.S. trade partners like Mexico and Southeast Asian countries need intermediate goods imports from China to produce goods the U.S. imports," he said.
According to Gao Lingyun, director of the international investment division at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics, a strong dollar and relatively high comparison base also contributed to the decline in U.S. import value from China during the first half of this year, apart from factors like weaker U.S. demand for Chinese products.
U.S. direct imports from China may decline, but its imports from elsewhere will contain value added from Chinese intermediate products, he said, adding that "decoupling" is not feasible, even though in some areas direct trade ties will become frayed.


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Intel is planning a two-pronged attack on the smartphone and tablet markets, with dual Atom lines going down to 14 nanometers and Android providing the special sauce to spur sales.
Mobile and communications group VPs Mike Bell and Hermann Eul laid out Chipzilla's plans for slurping up market share in the sector. Intel has speeded up the process technology shift for this sector and its Atom chips will shift from 32nm today, then 22nm next year. 14nm hardware is scheduled for 2014.
Later this year Intel will release the Atom Z2580 chip, which promises 2x processing and graphics performance within a good power envelope for smartphones and tablets. The next stage will be the 22nm Merrifield chip, which Bell predicted would change the game for Intel in the smartphone market.
"This is a really big deal for us," he said. "It's not just a technology shrink to 22nm, it's a fundamental change. There's a brand new processor core, it has state of the art imaging and graphics and is a new part from the ground up."
Merrifield will ship next year in high-end smartphones and tablets, and will be augmented with some intellectual property gained through acquisition. Bell mentioned imaging patents that allow smartphones to take multiple high-resolution camera shots and power-saving gains that could give 14 days standby time.
But there's also plenty of money to be made in old rope. The 2G and basic handset market is still growing and could be the backbone of mobile telephony for the next ten years, Eul commented, and will be the entrance point for the billions of humans on the planet who currently lack a mobile phone.
To address the more basic market the Z2000 series of Atom processors, which operate at around 1GHz, will ship later this year and be aimed at the low-end handset market, along with 2G and 3G chipsets and HSPA+ connectivity.
In line with the announcement of the close partnership with Google revealed at last year's IDF, Intel is betting the farm on Android to give it leverage in the smartphone and tablet market. Any hopes in Redmond that the old Wintel alliance could be extended to smartphones look forlorn at best, although it's clear Intel is optimizing some tablets for Windows 8 use.
"Our phone efforts right now are concentrated on Android and we have thousands of engineers right now optimizing Android to be the best version on Intel architecture," Bell said. "This is a fundamental advantage that not many other people have." Eul said the same for Intel's tablet range.
Intel is ploughing a lot of time and money into this market, with Chipzilla CEO Paul Otellini promising a development cycle of twice its beloved Moore's Law. Part of that is due to rapid die shrinkage, but it seems clear that Intel has had enough of losing in the mobile market and is willing to put time and money into carving out its niche.
Both Eul and Bell are unusual, in that neither is an Intel man – both are relatively recent hires. Eul came over from the Infinion buy, so has iPhone experience. Bell is an ex-Apple VP and manager at Palm for many years. Maybe with Intel's lack of success in the field new blood was needed. ®


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Guillermo I. Lopez sold a two-bedroom, two-bath home at 6820 Jordan Drive, in Twin Lakes, to Emilizian Lopez for $160,000 on Dec. 4. The one-story home has 850 square feet of living space.
Built in 1955, the home is located in the Perl MacK Manor subdivision. Twelve similar homes in this subdivision sold for between $146,000 and $176,500 during the past year.
According to BlockShopper, there have been 32 home sales in Twin Lakes during the past 12 months with a median sale price of $162,000.
Address: 6820 Jordan Drive
Buyer(s): Emilizian Lopez
Seller(s): Guillermo I Lopez
Sale date: Dec. 4, 2013


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Till date, Huawei Watch is the company’s first and the only smartwatch. Though it was announced at the MWC 2015, the company launched it at the IFA 2015 in Berlin. At the recently held IFA 2016, Huawei announced new Nova smartphones and MediaPad M3 tablet, but there are also few rumors about the Huawei Watch2. Later, a report suggested that Huawei along with LG and Motorola are skipping the new smartwatch launches until next year.
At that time there is no information about the decision, but today, the South Korean media reported Huawei will be launching their next SmartWatch running on Tizen OS. If this comes out true, Huawei will be the first major manufacturer to use Tizen OS. The increasing restrictions from Google over the Android Wear OS is said to be the main reason. The popular Samsung Gear S2 and the recently launched Gear S3 smartwatches also run on Tizen OS.
Samsung even sells smartphones running on Tizen OS, though they are only limited to few Asian and African countries. Even the Samsung SmartTV’s and Refrigerators also run on Tizen OS and soon we will also IoT products in the mainstream market. Huawei requires few additional services to develop their new smartwatches which are restricted by Google. On the other hand, Samsung is willing to co-operate with Huawei over developing those features.
We can even expect more manufacturers to look for alternatives if Google is imposing more restrictions. This will give a major boost to Samsung as the market share of Tizen devices is very low. We can also see more app developers concentrating on the Tizen OS. We will update the story once there is more information available about this outcome.


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Supply: Afternoon Voice
Indian firm, Mahindra introduced that it might be leveraging blockchain expertise for its grape exporting enterprise. It’s aimed to dispel world considerations over transparency of the provision chain and the general model picture of Indian grape exports.
Talking on the event, Ashok Sharma, Managing Director and Chief Government Officer of Mahindra Agri Options Ltd, stated, “We’re the primary firm on the earth to introduce blockchain expertise for grapes. This can allow the buyer to be assured that what they’re consuming is secure.”
Sharma, in a dialog with information portal, Hindu Enterprise Line, added that this adoption will assist change the notion of Indian origin fruit or meals, including that that there are only a few use circumstances in India on blockchain expertise.
The portal additional reported that the corporate might be initially dispatching round 40-50 containers of grapes enabled with blockchain expertise, out of the entire 800-900 containers to be exported this season, the provision chain for which has already been arrange. This quantity is about to extend publish proof of idea. The dispatches will begin by January or February and the main focus markets for now can be China and Europe.
That is removed from the primary occasion that Mahindra has checked out leveraging blockchain expertise. In August the corporate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Telangana authorities to launch India’s first Blockchain District within the state.
On the time, Tech Mahindra CEO and MD, CP Gurnani had stated, “It’s also an enormous step in reskilling and proper skilling the workforce of the longer term. Blockchain specialists might be our crowning jewels as collectively we work in the direction of making India the blockchain capital of the world,”
“It can present a chance for the blockchain ecosystem in India to collaborate and work in the direction of constructing a blockchain district in Telangana and remodeling India because the blockchain capital of the world,” Gurnani had added.
The corporate had additionally joined palms with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and introduced plans to create a blockchain-based resolution to clamp down on spam calls, as earlier reported by Crypto-Information India.
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HAYWARD — Rows of photovoltaic cells lean toward the sky, absorbing the sun’s beams and generating enough electricity to power about 20 homes.
No, it’s not the elaborate scene of a high-tech government agency or some behemoth company bent on saving the planet. It’s the roof of Pan Ocean Aquarium, a wholesale fish and aquarium distributor on Foley Street that recently finished installing a 73-kilowatt solar panel system, the largest of its type in the city.
For a small, family-run business whose electric bills were amounting to $4,000 a month just to keep its warehouse of fish tanks running 24/7, it was probably the smartest — and greenest — business decision the company could ever make.
“We’re looking at our future,” said Pan Ocean Purchasing Manager Karen Seah, whose father-in-law, Benson Seah, owns the company. “Hopefully, by installing the solar panels, it’s going to eliminate our electric bills.”
With electricity costs skyrocketing, companies across the state and country have been following suit by installing solar panel systems of their own.
And just like homes, companies that take measures to supplement their electricity with sunlight are getting hefty rewards for taking that step.
The California Solar Initiative, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $3.3 billion program to move the state toward a cleaner energy future, offers businesses a $2.50 one-time rebate for every watt of solar energy their new systems can generate. As motivation, purchasers of systems producing less than 100 kilowatts of power are being paid incentives up front.
That’s why companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. have been installing solar panel systems of their own.
However, small businesses such as Pan Ocean Aquarium have been taking the lead, primarily because they have fewer decision-makers at the top, said Mike Hall of Borrego Solar Systems, the Berkeley-based company that installed Pan Ocean’s solar grid.
“More and more people are doing it,” Hall said. “There are definitely still some barriers — for example, financing. But what’s happening now is companies (like ours) are going in with creative financial solutions and finding ways to finance where all you do is substitute your PG&E bill with your solar electric bill. As a result, you get protection from rising rates.”
The 15,000-square-foot warehouse at Pan Ocean houses more than 2,000 fish tanks, which soak up most of the building’s power and are turned on 365 days a year.
While it seemed like a big undertaking a few years ago, the process of installing a system to cover its roof was mostly a breeze. Borrego took care of all the paperwork, and a $200,000 rebate from Pacific Gas & Electric reduced the cost to about $300,000, the Seahs said, making it easier for the company to complete the installation — and fulfilling the owner’s dream of wanting to help the environment.
“If you look at the whole problem of global warming, it looks like it’s insurmountable,” Hall said. “But if you look at it in pieces like this, then it becomes something you can actually solve.”
Hall estimates the solar installation will now save the Seah family about $22,000 annually in electric bills and pay for itself in eight to 10 years.
With all the potential benefits, Seah said she hopes the solar panel system will allow the family to keep the business running for generations to come.
“Now that it’s done, we’re looking forward to reaping the benefits,” she said. “And once I see how it works for the business, I really would consider it for my house.”


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Work has temporarily stopped at three Subaru facilities after a tragedy took place at the automaker’s Yajima assembly plant in Japan.
According to reports, earlier this month a 60-year-old factory worker was killed after a 25-ton mold fell on top of him.
Automotive News has said that this worker – a 35 year veteran of the plant – had been operating a crane by himself, lifting and moving the molds with a remote control when one of them collapsed and pinned him.
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The company reportedly halted production immediately at its three plants in the region and Automotive News has reported that, more than a week later, the plants are still idled.
While the shutdown is expected to be short lived, Subaru does have an immense production hill to climb so any downtime will prove challenging to its goals.
Carscoops points out that Subaru has ambitions of growing its production specifically in Japan, and that the Yajima plant was responsible for several models, including the Impreza, Outback, Crosstrek, and Forester.
Carscoops says Subaru will focus its burgeoning EV efforts in Japan, where it will first build electrics despite the U.S. being its largest market.
Yet the priority, at this point, are safety checks, with reports adding that the company is looking to understand what led to a workplace fatality, an incident Auto News described as “rare” for the automaker. Subaru has not yet said when the plants will resume production.


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A new backpack, courtesy of a Japanese company, is so big the backpacker could even fit in there.
It's made by CWF, and sold by a company called Plywood.
It's called the Backpacker's Closet.
Plywood says this is an ideal accessory for camping.
To show consumers why this is no average backpack, Plywood shows a side by side image for scale.
Most of the colors are sold out as it has become a hot item in Japan.
The backpacks are running for about $250.
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You all should be thanking me. I was going to make this headline say that Project Torque had crossed the finish line. But I didn’t. Because I want to be better than that for you. Trust me, though, it took a lot of willpower not to reach for that low-hanging fruit. This isn’t about me, though; this is about the online racer making it to its crowdfunding goal.
Here’s some backstory: Project Torque was online from 2006 to 2014 before it went dark. Fans of the game, however, were not about to let the game go and confirmed plans to bring it back with the blessing of developer Invictus back in June. A crowdfunding drive to raise $10k was started in order to cover the costs of putting together a working build of the game and to settle legal contracts between the fan devs and Invictus. Today, that crowdfunding drive has hit its mark with a little extra change.
According to the crowdfunding rundown on the official site, Project Torque will launch on Steam and Discord, avoiding the Epic Games Store entirely, which will bring some folks no end of joy for some extremely odd reason. The devs also promise that 80% of the cars in-game will be earned by spending in-game currency. Buyable vehicles will cost at “absolute max” around $12 USD, with the vast majority of cars costing about $3 to $6 USD.


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Casual dining restaurants are suffering. Applebee’s is no exception.
A glut of competitors is causing some to see decreases in sales. “The crux of the problem is that Applebee’s is suffering from a problem that has plagued many modern casual chains: it isn’t exciting, with nothing to distinguish itself from the competition,” notes an article from Business Insider.
They have finally decided to do something real about it And good for them it’s not a re-branding campaign. Putting lipstick on a pig (which most re-branding campaigns amount to) does not create differentiation.
Julia Stewart their CEO said, ““I think the most important thing we can do at Applebee’s is to continue to differentiate ourselves and remind consumers what we can do better and differently than anybody else.”
And then do it.


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Company Sues Apple Over Use Of iCloud Name
Apple is being sued for trademark infringement over the name of its new Internet storage service, which it calls iCloud. A company in Dallas says it has been using that name since 2005.
Last week Apple introduced iCloud, a service that will let users store music, photos, calendars, emails and other content online. But says Apple should have asked the Phoenix-based company before using the name.
In a complaint filed in federal court in Arizona, iCloud Communications says the services that Apple is offering are very similar to the services it has been offering. But now that Apple has generated worldwide media coverage, the public is associating the name iCloud with Apple, the complaint says.
In its complaint, iCloud Communications says many of its customers have been confused.
Dallas-based trademark attorney Molly Buck Richard says the smaller company appears to have a good case since it has been operating under that name for six years.
Apple did not return emails or phone calls to discuss the lawsuit.
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