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Consumer satisfaction levels with e-commerce Web sites improved again last year, outpacing most other sectors of the economy in terms of satisfying customers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Released yesterday by the University of Michigan and ForeSee Results, Ann Arbor, MI, the ACSI is based on a national survey of consumers who rank their experiences with more than 200 companies based on a 100-point scale. It is updated quarterly.
Overall, the score for the e-commerce industry last year rose to 80. E-commerce includes online retail, auction, brokerage and travel companies. The e-commerce sector reached its record high score of 80.8 in 2003. The national aggregate score for all industries across channel was 74.9.
The online retail industry’s score climbed 2.5 percent to 83. By comparison, satisfaction with the offline retail sector was 74.4. One of the most satisfying companies continues to be Amazon.com, which scored an 87 for a second year and continued its recovery from an almost 5 percent drop in 2004. Barnesandnoble.com’s score rose 1 percent to 88, giving it the highest score in the online retail sector.
Customer satisfaction for online auctions remained at 78 for the second year in a row, with eBay maintaining its leadership position despite a 1 percent drop to 80.
Satisfaction with online financial services hit an all-time high of 78, climbing 2.6 percent. CharlesSchwab.com was the biggest gainer, with its score increasing 8 percent to 80, while E-Trade improved 4 percent to 74.
Two companies making their first appearance on the index were Fidelity, with a score of 80, and TD Ameritrade, with a score of 77.
The only online industry sector that saw its score slip was online travel, as competition from airline and hotel sites and travel search engines increased.
Overall, online travel’s score dropped 1.3 percent to 76. Expedia dropped 1.3 percent to 78 and Travelocity dropped 1.3 percent to 74. The only company to show a gain was Orbitz, which saw its score rise 1.4 percent to 75.


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Tesla’s long-anticipated Cybertruck won’t be seeing full volume production until 2024, Elon Musk said during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call today.
During the call, Musk was asked whether the forthcoming vehicle would meet a mid-2023 production target that was set in Q2 last year. Musk cagily confirmed that Cybertruck manufacturing would start “sometime this summer,” but concluded that mass production of the polarizing pickup won’t start until next year. “I always try to downplay the start of production,” Musk said. “It increases exponentially, but it is very slow at first.”

domain: news


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Here is a company that has been steadily growing earnings, often in double digits; however, its stock has continued on a downward path since mid-November of 2006.
From a technical point of view, the stock has recently appeared to establish a bottom and begin to turn around. At its lowest point, Starbucks hit $25.54 in June of this year. That was 35% off its highs.
The stock has fought back now to around $28 per share and is flashing a TradeRadar BUY signal. This recent rebound has been accompanied by heavy volume in both the stock and its call options.
Reasons for OptimismStarbucks is a solid company with an extremely strong brand. It continues to provide steady earnings growth, especially compared to many other stocks in the restaurant sector. Management indicates recent financial performance has been in line with its stated targets.
Starbucks is instituting its second price hike of the year. This will go a long way toward overcoming its rising costs for coffee and especially milk, which is up 94% this year. Some analysts think that the consumer, who is being pinched by rising energy costs and falling home values, may be put off by price increases on what is essentially a frivolous purchase. I don't think consumers are that rational; Starbucks gives consumers a bit of pleasure for a modest cost. A slight increase in the cost will not likely deter the many fans of the company's products. And the ambience of its stores may be worth the extra that customers pay compared to what competitors charge.
Starbucks also indicates they will be emphasizing international growth. This is an approach that has helped the bottom lines of many US companies, especially those that have seen their growth at home begin to flag. Starbucks international segment recently turned in 30% revenue growth and same store sales increases several percentage points higher than that in the US. Starbucks has instituted some management changes to continue the momentum.
Starbucks music division may not contribute a large part of overall revenue but it is a good indication of a management team that is willing to think outside the box and grab an opportunity when they see it. Their proprietary label has signed some big name artists and has been successful with multi-artist compilations. It will be interesting to see where they take this kind of brand extension in the future.
Reasons for CautionThe knock on Starbucks is that the rate of increase in same store sales in the US has fallen. Low to mid-single digit growth for Starbucks is considered a negative though in some retail sectors it would be considered respectable. In any case, this slowing in sales momentum has been hitting the stock hard and some, though not all, analysts have reduced ratings on it.
Another issue is the competition and how it is multiplying. Dunkin Donuts has gained credibility as a vendor of premium coffee drinks and now McDonald's is making a foray, so far successfully, into the same segment. The danger to Starbucks is that both of these competitors charge significantly less for their products and could begin to capture Starbucks customers.


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THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE
Dear friends and colleagues,
Re: Consequences of commercial GMO cultivation in the US
A new report examining the consequences of GMOs since they were introduced 30 years ago has made a series of recommendations for the future handling of GMOs in the EU. The report examined the negative consequences for farmers, seed markets, non-genetically engineered products, consumers and the environment of 20 years of commercial GMO cultivation in the US.
The report was commissioned by a member of the Green Group in the European Parliament and published in English by the Institute for Independent Impact Assessment in Biotechnology (Testbiotech).
The report recommends:
1. Refraining from commercial cultivation of herbicide resistant or insecticide- producing plants in the EU.
2. That the question of whether plants can be withdrawn again once released should be crucial when considering applications for commercial cultivation.
3. Implementing preventative measures to protect seeds from contamination to secure long-term non- genetically engineered production.
4. Substantially raising the standard of requirements for risk assessment.
5. Intensifying monitoring of long-term effects on health and the environment.
6. Pressing ahead with the labelling of products derived from animals fed with genetically engineered plants to enable a stronger differentiation of the markets.
7. Setting effective limits to the patenting of seeds.
8. Encouraging more research into alternatives in conventional breeding.
The full report is available at: http://www.testbiotech.de/node/763
We reproduce the press release below.
30 years of genetically engineered plants - Consequences of commercial growing in the US
Test Biotech, 1 Feb 2013
Munich/Berlin - Today in Berlin a new report was published presenting a critical assessment of the consequences of the commercial cultivation of genetically engineered plants in the US. The first genetically engineered plants were created 30 years ago in Europe and the US. Commercial growing in the USA began almost 20 years ago, but in the EU, acceptance of these crops is much lower. Nevertheless, companies are asking for further authorisations for cultivation, including in the EU. In the light of this development, past experience in the USA was assessed and recommendations made for the future handling of this technology in the EU. Some of the principal findings are:
Consequences for farmers
Because the weeds have adapted to the cultivation of the genetically engineered plants, farmers are experiencing a substantial increase in both working hours and the amounts of herbicide they require. Cultivation of insecticide-producing plants have led to “an arms race in the field” against the pest insects, which have adapted quickly. Genetically engineered plants have been created to produce up to six different toxins. Costs for seeds have increased dramatically, without there being a substantial increase in yields or significant savings in the amounts of spray required.
Impact on the seed market
The seed industry in the USA is largely dominated by agrochemical industries such as Monsanto, Dupont and Syngenta. In future, it has to be expected that developments in the USA will be strongly influenced by the interests of agro-chemical companies pushing for the cultivation of genetically engineered plants.
Consequences for producers who avoid genetically engineered crops
Contamination with non-authorised genetically engineered plants has already caused billions of dollars worth of damage in the USA.
Consequences for consumers
Consumers are exposed to a whole range of risks regarding unintended substances from plant metabolism, from residues from complementary herbicides and from the properties of additional proteins produced in the plants. As yet, there is no way of monitoring the actual effects that consumption of these products might have.
Effects on the environment
The cultivation of genetically engineered plants is closely associated with a substantial increase in the amounts of herbicide required. In addition, there is also an increase in environmental exposure to certain insecticides. In particular, the cultivation of herbicide-resistant plants leads to a reduction in biodiversity. Genetically engineered rapeseed has already managed to escape from the fields into the environment from where it cannot be withdrawn, and from where it evades any adequate control.
The study was commissioned by Martin Häusling, Member of the Green Group in the European Parliament. The English version of the study is published by Testbiotech.


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It’s 4 p.m. and you’ve returned to your room. Your back is aching, your shoulder is sore and now you get the privilege of digging through your seemingly endless stack of books only to discover that there is one more you need to shove in your bag to lug on your trip to the library.
To those lucky few who only have a notebook to carry, that trip is just a short walk from the residence halls, but for others carrying a shoulder bag full of heavy textbooks, it is a daunting journey that results in an uneven frame and requires a great deal of strength and endurance.
Chosen mostly for their stylish appearance, shoulder bags are usually worn by girls and come in an array of different styles, shapes and colors.
“Girls want to be stylish and wear a shoulder bag, but it’s just become a big inconvenience,” said Lauren Hammond, a sophomore majoring in political science at Binghamton University, who just made the switch from a shoulder bag to a backpack.
Shoulder bags are getting bigger these days and the bigger the bags, the more that people will carry in them. This makes it feasible to use one for school.
According to a British newspaper, the Daily Mail, “A trend for bigger bags is occurring. The burden on a woman’s shoulder has increased by 38 percent in the past five years.”
While the appeal of fashion may be hard to overcome for some, the weight of these bags can really be detrimental to a woman’s health.
The Daily Mail issued a warning that regularly carrying around 5 pounds in a bag is not conducive to good health. While such a heavy bag may not have immediate repercussions, it can have a cumulative effect on body posture and may cause back strain.
According to a report written by Kevin Slates, director of occupational health and safety laboratory at Indiana University Bloomington, a load of books or materials needs to be distributed evenly to eliminate stress on a growing spinal column and back.
Some BU students are starting to realize this risk and make the switch to backpacks themselves.
“Basically I carry so much stuff during the day — textbooks for different classes and my computer — it just made more sense to carry a backpack,” Hammond said. “[Also], one of my good friends has the same issue. She always says how she should get a backpack because her bag is bothering her shoulder and she can’t walk across campus.”
According to Mallory Wool, an undeclared sophomore, safety and health should be the student’s first priority, and the style of the bag should come second.
“I love my bag, but if it ever got too heavy I wouldn’t be concerned about making the switch,” Wool said.
For the hardworking students at BU this seems to be a common opinion, and comfort is more of a priority.
“It is pretty much accepted on campus that everyone is carrying tons of stuff and no one really cares what your backpack looks like,” Hammond said.
For girls who want to keep the look of their shoulder bag, there are some preventative measures they can take to avoid the pain.
According to www.WebMD.com, one can alternate the bag between shoulders, or choose a bag with wider straps to help distribute the weight over a broader area of the shoulder.
Switching to a backpack doesn’t have to result in flushing one’s sense of style down the toilet.
“If you have to carry a lot of stuff, you could invest in a very fashionable backpack. I got mine at Kohl’s for $15 and I love it,” Hammond said.


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Steve Jobs Apple health memo sends shockwaves through tech sector
Apple boss Steve Jobs has told staff that he is to take a third leave of absence on medical grounds.
Mr Jobs, who helped to set up the company in 1976 after dropping out of college, emailed staff yesterday telling them: "The board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health."
In his short memo, he added: "I will continue as chief executive and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company. I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can."
His surprise announcement, in which he did not expand on the condition or its seriousness, sent shockwaves through the technology industry and immediately raised speculation over Mr Jobs's future and that of Apple itself.
Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at the research firm Gartner, said: "Jobs's love for Apple means that he would step aside if he felt he couldn't perform his duties. At the moment it is far too early to say."
Mr Jobs has moulded the company in his image following his return 14 years ago, spearheading the staggering rise in its value from $2bn to almost $320bn. Shares stood at a record $345 on Friday and yesterday's announcement came when the US markets were closed to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
Apple will hope to avoid the 10 per cent sell-off that occurred after Mr Jobs's last announcement of medical leave in January 2009, but after-hours trading in Frankfurt saw the company's shares down by more than 7 per cent. It is also set to announce its first-quarter results, which are expected to be positive following strong sales of the iPad, after the US markets close tonight. Mr Jobs has had to endure more speculation over the state of his health than any CEO in recent times. Industry experts have started paying as close attention to his physical appearance at recent Apple launches as the new products on display.
In October 2003 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, although details emerged only the following year after he revealed he was to step back from the company to fight the disease after a special diet had failed to cure it. Fears about his health resurfaced several years later, with commentators noting his gaunt features and weight loss.
In 2009, days after denying his ill health to shareholders, Mr Jobs revealed he was to take a leave of absence of six months. His exact issues were not disclosed, although it emerged his treatment had culminated in a liver transplant. He returned to the company that summer and made his first public appearance in September of that year, as ebullient as ever about the company's products.
The latest mutterings about the state of Mr Jobs's health came at the end of last week, when it was announced that the launch of Rupert Murdoch's iPad-only newspaper The Daily – which had been scheduled to take place tomorrow in San Francisco – had been indefinitely delayed. Mr Jobs had been set to appear on stage at the event alongside Mr Murdoch.
Apple's chief operating officer Tim Cook, who joined the company from Compaq in 1998, will step up to cover Apple's day-to-day operations in Mr Jobs's absence – just as he did the last time the CEO was ill.
Many inside and outside Apple have picked Mr Cook as the natural successor. The company believed Mr Cook had done such a good job last time around that it paid him a $5m cash bonus with $52.3m in stock options.
Ms Milanesi said: "Tim did really well. If the question is whether the company can flourish without Steve Jobs, the answer is probably yes. Jobs calls the shots, and nothing happens without his say so, but you need a good team in place around you. And Apple has that."
Mr Jobs rejoined Apple in 1997, more than a decade after he lost a power struggle for control. His second stint has seen Apple launch the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone, which set the bar for all rival smartphone companies, and then the iPad.
The men covering jobs' job
During each of Jobs's medical absences, Cook has been handed the Apple reins and is seen by company insiders, shareholders and analysts as a safe pair of hands. "I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011," Jobs said yesterday.
While Cook was in charge, Schiller was the public face of Apple. A charismatic character who joined Apple in 1997, he will take over Jobs' highly lauded keynote presentations at product launches, a role he has covered during Jobs' previous absences.


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THQ’s UK director of marketing, Jon Rooke, blames the May release of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption for UFC Undisputed 2010’s less-than-spectacular sales figures. Rooke claims that, though this year’s Undisputed was eagerly snatched up by UFC and MMA fans, the game failed to reach the wide audience reached by the 2009 release.
Apparently both mixed-martial-art simulators and gritty open-world westerns appeal to the same crowd—and I suppose both of their packages do practically have a layer of testosterone and dirt sandwiched between the plastic wrap and the case—because, as Rooke claims, the low sales are “largely down to Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar have probably taken a fair amount of our market share. They shipped 5m units, taking a lot of consumer dollars.”
The company had a “perfect storm” with last year’s UFC release, as it only had to contend with the release of the highly-acclaimed but less widely-appealing Infamous. This year, they’ve only managed to ship 2.6 million units, less than half of what 2009 Undisputed managed. One can’t help but wonder if, maybe, the game is selling less than 2009 because that last installment only came out a year ago. Scratch that, that’s never hurt sports games in the past.
Still, 2.6 million isn’t anything to complain about, and Rooke remains optimistic, saying “we’ve got a long tail with that product…we absolutely believe we will deliver our initial sales expectations for UFC and the 2010 edition has been a phenomenal success.”


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Economics & Research Blog
US Commercial Printing Shipments Decline -3.2% in September
September 2012 US commercial printing shipments were $
By Dr. Joe Webb
Published: November 6, 2012
September 2012 US commercial printing shipments were $6.97 billion, down -$232 million, or -3.2% versus September 2011. On an inflation-adjusted basis, shipments were down -$375mil, or -5.1%.
For the first nine months of 2012, shipments were down -$1.3 billion on a current dollar basis (-2.1%, and -4.2% an inflation adjusted basis).
The latest monthly report and podcast by Dr. Joe Webb, Director of the WhatTheyThink Economics and Research Center, is now available for purchase. It includes a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation with audio commentary by Dr. Webb, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with the shipments data for the US, and August shipments data for Canada. Forecasts to 2018 have been updated.
Dr. Webb also discusses trends in industry profits, as well as the latest inflation multipliers. These multipliers allow business owners to adjust their company financials to reflect the current purchasing power of the US dollar.
The report is downloadable from our exclusive e-store
# # #


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A quick perusal of the advertising trades over the last six months shows the emergence of a new cocktail: a shot of heady new technologies like social marketing with a splash of old favorites like email and CRM. This is an encouraging development.
It shows that the industry is willing to embrace all that is new and exciting, without sacrificing the focus on ROI. The latter is especially important as the ability to deliver measurable results is what has driven online advertising's growth over the last decade.
Take a look at some of the marketers that are converging branding and performance campaigns:
In what has to be a watershed moment for advertising, Pepsi decided not to advertise during the Super Bowl. Instead, it decided to engage consumers in a two-way dialogue through social networks. To quote Lauren Hobart from TIME magazine, "It's a big shift. We explored different launch plans, and the Super Bowl just wasn't the right venue, because we're really trying to spark a full-year movement from the ground up. The plan is to have much more two-way dialogue with our customers."
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is using a combination of... Read more


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Camembert is France 's best-selling cheese after Emmental, so it is not surprising that French industrial diary giants moved in to mass-produce it, buying up small producers and delivering vast amounts of cheaper, machine-produced camembert to supermarket shelves. There are only five remaining small, traditional producers of the prized "Camembert de Normandie."
Last year, the two industrial giants that produced 80% of the exclusive Normandy Camembert that carries France 's famous Apellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) stamp of approval, tried to change the rules. Until then, all prized AOC-approved Normandy camembert had been made with raw milk. The big groups decided instead to make most of their Camembert with pasteurized milk, saying they wanted to protect consumers' health because, when manufacturing large volumes, they could not ensure raw milk was free of dangerous bacteria. Pasteurizing their milk ~ a process which was cheaper and better suited to mass-production ~ meant the dairy giants could no longer carry the prized AOC label. But they began a fight to win back the precious AOC stamp, arguing that pasteurized cheese should be included in it.
In March, 2008, Camembert aficionados breathed a sigh of relief when, after a long public battle, cheese authorities said they would protect small producers by reserving the AOC only for Normandy Camembert made in the traditional way with raw milk.
But small cheese-makers say the war is not over and the fight could be turning dirty. In recent weeks, the biggest industrial producer, Lactalis, snitched on a smaller, traditional competitor, telling authorities that dangerous bacteria was found in a batch of AOC raw milk Camembert produced by Réaux. Coincidentally, Réaux happened to be one of Lactalis's biggest critics. The smaller company said there was no evidence of contamination. "This was an operation to destabilize us, it's a new episode in the camembert war, that's for sure," said Réaux's director Bertrand Gillot.
"The camembert war is a symbol of the wider cheese crisis in France," warned Véronique Richez-Lerouge, founder of France 's Regional Cheese Association, which lobbies to protect traditional raw-milk varieties.
France produces 1,000 cheese varieties, and its huge consumption is second only to the champion cheese-eaters of Europe , the Greeks. But the problem for French purists is the type of cheese that the French are wolfing down. Raw milk cheese makes up only 15% of the market. Dozens of traditional cheese varieties have disappeared over the past 30 years as small producers die out or are bought up by industrial giants.
Gérard Roger, a camembert historian and president of the newly-created defense Committee for Authentic Camembert, reluctantly agreed to taste-test a mass-produced, big-selling supermarket camembert. "Wow, it stinks," he says sniffing the pale, uniform cheese. "It's dull, it tastes of nothing." Roger's group, which has organized street demonstrations, see themselves as "guardians of the temple". Now they have won a victory in the AOC battle for raw milk camembert, they are lobbying to protect authentic production methods, encouraging more small farmers to make cheese using milk from local Normandy cows.
Francis Rouchaud the group's secretary and a former marketing expert, said the big industrial producers wanted to put out a maximum number of Camembert products: "It's Coca-Cola thinking".
But small French producers are still on guard against mass-produced cheese. Inspecting his matured Camemberts, Durand said: "We must keep fighting to defend raw milk cheese, but we can't do it alone, French consumers must help us."
Guardian News & Media 2008


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August 04, 2022, Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) trading session started at the price of $27.50, that was 1.20% jump from the session before. During the day, the shares moved up to $28.03 and dropped to $27.21 before settling in for the closing price of $27.50. A 52-week range for HLF has been $19.30 – $54.45.
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Over the past five-year period, the growth rate of yearbook sales for the company of the Consumer Defensive sector was 5.30%. When this article was written, the company’s average yearly earnings per share was at 49.10%. With a float of $97.16 million, this company’s outstanding shares have now reached $99.90 million.
Considering the fact that the conglomerate employs 10800 people, you should pay attention to its efficiency factor. In terms of profitability, gross margin is +77.19, operating margin of +12.59, and the pretax margin is +9.66.
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (HLF) Insider Activity
Also, it is sometimes useful to examine the sentiment of large-scale investors toward Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. stocks. The insider ownership of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. is 1.10%, while institutional ownership is 91.20%. The most recent insider transaction that took place on May 24, was worth 103,000. In this transaction Director of this company bought 5,000 shares at a rate of $20.60, taking the stock ownership to the 29,984 shares. Before that another transaction happened on May 17, when Company’s EVP, Global Corporate Affairs bought 4,540 for $21.97, making the entire transaction worth $99,741. This insider now owns 57,218 shares in total.
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (HLF) Earnings and Forecasts
This company achieved a net margin of +7.71. Wall Street market experts anticipate that the next fiscal year will bring earnings of 0 per share during the current fiscal year.
According to the Wall Street analysts, stocks earnings will be around 49.10% per share during the next fiscal year.
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) Trading Performance Indicators
You can see what Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (HLF) is doing with its current performance indicators. In the most recent quarter, the stock posted a quick ratio of 0.80. In addition, a publicly-traded company’s price to sales ratio for the trailing twelve months stands at 0.53. Likewise, its price to free cash flow for the trailing twelve months is 9.22.
For the trailing twelve months, Company’s Diluted EPS (Earnings per Share) is 3.73, a number that is poised to hit 0.61 in the next quarter and is forecasted to reach 4.25 in one year’s time.
Technical Analysis of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (HLF)
Compared to the last year’s volume of 1.44 million, its volume of 1.18 million showed lagged in the last five days. As of the previous 9 days, the stock’s Stochastic %D was 84.17%. Additionally, its Average True Range was 1.20.
During the past 100 days, Herbalife Nutrition Ltd.’s (HLF) raw stochastic average was set at 55.10%, which indicates a significant decrease from 96.13% during the past two weeks. Based on volatility metrics of the stock, it showed a historical volatility of 54.41% in the past 14 days, which was lower than the 58.14% volatility it showed in the past 100 days.
At the time of writing, stock’s 50-day Moving Average is $22.75, while its 200-day Moving Average is $33.30. Nevertheless, the first resistance level for the watch stands at $28.17 in the near term. At $28.51, the stock is likely to face the second major resistance level. The third major resistance level sits at $28.99. If the price goes on to break the first support level at $27.35, it is likely to go to the next support level at $26.87. Should the price break the second support level, the third support level stands at $26.53.
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) Key Stats
There are 108,356K outstanding shares of the company, which has a market capitalization of 2.96 billion. As of now, sales total 5,803 M while income totals 447,200 K. Its latest quarter income was 1,336 M while its last quarter net income were 98,200 K.


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Call by Flood Expo, London next week to speak with Nathan Sayers and Stuart Morton of Brokk UK, representing Ecovolve with the ED800 and ED1500 dumpers on display.
We will be reeling in the new year by demonstrating our new attachment, the Ecochute at World of Concrete, Las Vegas. Come check it out at Booth C7572.
Just as the Executive Hire Show in Coventry, UK comes to an end, we will be jumping on a plane heading for New Orleans to attend the American Rental Association Show. Come visit us at booth 6849 from the 18th – 21st of February.
Ecovolve will have all three models on display at the Executive Hire Show, Coventry, UK on the 7th & 8th of February 2018.


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Google and Millward Brown Digital conducted a 12-month research survey to track and analyze how donors use digital media to research organizations. The survey results revealed how online contents and advertisements impact donors as they make decisions.
#1. Donors are self-directed consumers of information, and they are likely to come across information about a cause or organization before they are reached by brand messaging. More than 1 in 3 donors spend over two weeks in researching nonprofit organizations that they are considering.
#2. Donors are using the internet to research across nonprofits for comparison. Over 70% of donors use the internet to research charitable organizations, and nearly 50% of donors visited multiple websites before donating.
#3. Digital giving is driven by an illustration of impact. More than 80% of survey respondents indicated impact as the most crucial factor when considering a nonprofit. Additionally, 75% of donors go online to research organizations in less than one week after viewing an online advertisement, and 58% of donors do the same in less than one week after seeing a direct mail advertisement.
#4. Donors are heavy consumers of email and video contents. Nearly 60% of donors donated after watching an online video and 40% of donors researched a nonprofit within 24 hours after viewing an email.
#5. Donors are also highly-engaged across mobile devices. Over 33% of donors contacted a nonprofit via their mobile devices, and 25% of donors made a mobile donation.


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LG's 55EA9800 curved OLED TV offers a truly impressive visual experience but with a significant price tag.
Typical price: $11,999.00
LG's latest 4K OLED TV is making an appearance down under with two different size models launching as Harvey Norman exclusives this week.
The incredibly expensive OLED-powered LG EG9600 series delivers the best picture quality we've ever tested.
LED LCD and OLED are the two major TV technologies that will fight for your TV buying dollar over the next few years. Here's how they compare.
LG has unveiled its TV range for 2015 with a focus on its 4K ColourPrime technology and Netflix certification, but can't confirm an Australian launch window for its anticipated Ultra HD OLED.
The company's 2015 OLED TV lineup is curved and coated for less glare.
Here are some highlights of the announcements made at LG's press conference at CES 2015.
The Korean electronics giant reveals its vision for interconnected personal devices with its suite of products, such as WebOS TVs and even smartcars.
A senior Samsung Electronics executive has reiterated the company's plan to release no new OLED TVs in the near future, shifting focus to quantum dot LCD models.
Now that there are 4K OLED televisions, can picture quality get any better? Have we achieved perfection? If so, where do we go from here? Here's a list of next steps.


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Family-run furniture store finds home in Steamboat
iFurnish aims for March opening at 1855 Shield Drive
Shoppers looking for furniture in Steamboat Springs will have another option, as iFurnish has plans to expand, taking over the spot that formerly housed the Moxi Home Consignment and Design.
“We’re super excited to be in Steamboat,” said Tony Pestello, who owns iFurnish with his wife, Kelly. “We’re a family-owned business, and we love the small town, and we’d love getting involved with the community.”
Pestello is currently making some cosmetic improvements to the space, and he has tentatively planned for a March 1 soft opening for the new store at 1855 Shield Drive.
“We painted and freshened everything up inside. … They had a kind of a warehouse area that we turned into a showroom, just by painting and making it look pretty, to gain more square footage,” Pestello said. “The doors will be open, and people will be able to walk through (in March). We may still be working on stuff, but that’s the goal right now.”
The 11,000-square-foot store will offer a wide assortment of furniture, including living, dining, bedroom, home office, entertainment, outdoor and mattresses. Inside, customers will find everything from tables, chairs, recliners and sofas to desks, bookcases, bedding and more.
“We are a full-line furniture store that offers affordable, fashionable furniture,” Pestello said, adding that iFurnish will have couches on the showroom floor ranging from $899 up to $8,000.
He said the store will also offer design services and a hospitality program for the owners of short-term rentals and for property managers.
“We will have interior designers on staff that can go out to people’s houses and help them with design,” Pestello continued.
Pestello said he has wanted to open a store in the Steamboat area for some time now and was happy when the opportunity presented itself. He added that he hopes it will keep local dollars circulating in the community.
“I know there’s a lot of really good longtime stores and design services there,” Pestello said. “Hopefully, we can work together with the whole community.”
The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
Pestello said he learned about the furniture business as a child growing up in Elk River, Minnesota, where his family had a store.
Pestello and his wife opened More Space Place in Summit County 15 years ago. They followed that up by opening the first iFurnish location in Frisco in 2011.
iFurnish expanded into Kremmling in 2020 when the Pestellos renovated an old grocery store there. The small chain of stores also has warehouses in Summit County, Kremmling and Park County.
“We have tons of warehouse space — we have a lot in stock,” Pestello said.
In addition to the couple, multiple members of their family and extended family also work under the iFurnish brand. It all just goes to show how the company is fueled by family and the importance of community, Pestello said.
“It’s definitely a family-run business,” Pestello said. “We also have 34 employees, and we consider them all family. We have a lot of longtime employees that have helped us grow, and they mean a lot to Kelly and me.”
Pestello said he also has a great appreciation for the communities that support his stores.
He has played an active role in those communities, acting as president of the Summit County Chamber of Commerce from 2014-18. He is still a member of that board and also serves on the board of trustees for the Summit Foundation, as well as for the Summit County Community Care Clinic, which serves 8,500 people.
He is also on the Frisco Town Business Advisory Board, a housing authority advisory board and several other boards that address issues in mountain communities.
Pestello said he is excited for the chance to expand iFurnish, and his business will be an active part of the community moving forward.
“We all want the best for each other, for our community and for you and your family and their families,” Pestello said. “If you’re a good, decent person, that’s exactly what we all should care about in the end, right?”
To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209, email firstname.lastname@example.org or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.
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Belkin has announced a multi-year licensing partnership with toymaker Lego to create accessories for mobile devices, initially focusing on iOS devices including the iPhone and iPod touch. While images were not yet available at press time, Belkin plans to start with the release of smartphone cases with Lego bricks for a “buildable” case experience, starting this spring. The cases will be “based on iconic Lego toys,” Belkin said.
- iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Shopping guide!
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- The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker falls to $79.99
- iPhone 11 submerged for 6 months gets returned to owner
- iMac Pro listed with only one configuration, set to be discontinued
- LG developing display for the foldable iPhone
- Apple Watch sales shine in 2020 Q4
- Apple to introduce tracking safety feature to prevent stalking
- Magic Mouse 2 continues to be Apple’s most ill designed products


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A bounce back in Chinese stocks and cautious optmism about Greece lifted U.S. markets on Thursday. Bobbi Rebell reports.
The global rebound from Wednesday's rout extended to the U.S. markets. The sharp bounce back in Chinese stocks and the return to normalcy at the New York Stock Exchange spurred investors to buy stocks across the board. The NYSE recovered from an outage on Wednesday. Investors pooh-poohed weak economic data. The IMF lowered its forecast for U.S. economic growth this year to 2.5 percent from 3.1 percent. And new applications for unemployment benefits climbed to their highest rate since February. That's an early sign that the U.S. economy may be near a plateau, says economist John Dunham. SOUNDBITE: JOHN DUNHAM, MANAGING PARTNER, JOHN DUNHAM & ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING: "We're now at the peak of the business cycle. And over the next year, year and a half, the business cycle is going to start to turn back into recession. This is what that is telling us." Leading the gainers on the S&P 500: Walgreens Boots Alliance. The U.S.' largest drug store chain hiked its earnings forecast for the full year. Its quarterly profit crushed analysts' forecasts. Also raising its outlook and beating profit estimates: PepsiCo. Revenue from its Americas beverage business rose for only the second time in almost four years, but investors shrugged. Cigna's shares among the S&P's biggest climbers after CNBC tweeted that the health insurer was moving ahead to sign a merger deal with Anthem. And CNBC said, United Health is also interested in bidding for Cigna. Procter & Gamble is selling its beauty business to Coty for $12.5 billion. The fragrance maker will acquire brands such as Wella, Clairol, and Cover Girl. Shares of both companies fell; P&G's did so in heavy trading. Bucking the upward trend - Apple, hitting it's first five-session losing streak since January. The rally in the Chinese markets spurred buying in mining stocks in Europe, leading the markets higher.


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One stock that could become increasingly interesting in an environment with unbridled monetary and fiscal stimulus and a “rich get richer” paradigm further entrenching itself with every passing day is Clikia Corp (OTCMKTS:CLKA). The company just announced an update on its current operations and its near-term plans for further expansion in its wholly owned Maison Luxe subsidiary. The company notes that, most importantly, this includes plans to expand wholesaling operations, widen margins, build and carry a strategic inventory, and capitalize on existing trends in the rare custom luxury goods marketplace.
According to the release, while the Company plans to expand into more product categories, management believes its current positioning in rare custom luxury jewelry and watches offers tremendous growth potential. Over the near term, the Company’s focus will continue to be centered on driving robust growth in these markets. One powerful tool in creating further acceleration in sales will be building and carrying a strategic inventory of high-demand pieces.
Clikia Corp (OTCMKTS:CLKA) changed hands in April, pursuant to which Mr. Anil Idnani became the controlling shareholder and sole officer and director. Following such change-in-control transaction, in May 2020, the company went on to acquire all of the assets, including the going business, of Maison Luxe, LLC, a Delaware limited liability.
Company materials state: “Our wholly owned subsidiary, Maison Luxe, Inc., a Wyoming corporation, now owns the acquired assets and operates the acquired business of Maison Luxe, LLC. Currently, this constitutes the entirety of our company’s business operations. Our company’s newly elected sole officer and director, Mr. Anil Idnani, founded the recently acquired Maison Luxe business with the vision of offering highly desired luxury retail consumer items that are responsibly sourced and affordable to the end customer. Because of the dynamics and structure with the luxury retail industry, customers who desire luxury items are unable to avail themselves of such items, due to the unreliable nature of sellers and exorbitant prices. It is this void in the marketplace that Mr. Idnani identified as a business opportunity and established Maison Luxe to provide customers with the experience of purchasing luxury items as a standard.”
This model was laid out further in a Shareholder Letter put out by the company last week. The communication notes that the company’s new management and its new subsidiary have extensive experience in the “rare custom luxury goods market”, including a wide network of customers and distributors already in place:
“We are already harnessing a robust network and extensive experiential assets that come with the bargain in this transition – including a great deal of experience centered in the rare custom luxury goods market. It is a peculiar niche business context with its own rules governing a unique microeconomic landscape.”
That may help to account for the quick jolt of 7-figure revenues already in place.
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As noted above, CLKA just announced an update on its current operations and its near-term plans for further expansion in its wholly owned Maison Luxe subsidiary. The company notes that, most importantly, this includes plans to expand wholesaling operations, widen margins, build and carry a strategic inventory, and capitalize on existing trends in the rare custom luxury goods marketplace.
The chart shows 81% added to share values of the listing over the past month of action. What’s more, the stock has witnessed a pop in interest, as transaction volume levels have recently pushed 84% beyond its prior sustained average level.
“As we have said in the past, and will continue to point out in the future, the products we sell aren’t available without the right relationships,” commented Anil Idnani, Clikia CEO and Founder of Maison Luxe. “For example, the watches we offer have risen in price year in and year out for decades because the supply is chronically extremely tight. The average retail consumer – even those with effectively unlimited resources – may have to wait months or years to gain access to the timepiece they want if pursuing the purchase through standard channels. As a result, prices for these items rise every year. But we have a very well-established network of relationships that grants a consistent market advantage both in terms of access and pricing. And that second factor can be augmented sharply by making volume purchases and carrying a strategic inventory of rare luxury goods.”
Currently trading at a market capitalization of $4.2M, CLKA is already publicly talking about being on pace for over $2M in revenues in 2020 with its new business now firing apparently on all cylinders. You can bet we will update this one again as new information comes into view. Sign-up for continuing coverage on shares of $CLKA stock, as well as other hot stock picks, get our free newsletter today and get our next breakout pick!
Disclosure: we hold no position in $CLKA, either long or short, and we have not been compensated for this article.


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During one such visit to a government school near Amritsar, we found out that many children are not aware of the various alternatives to sanitary napkins like cloth pads, tampons and menstrual cups. When we told the students on usage and disposal of sanitary napkins, we felt that the cloth pads would be a much better alternative to sanitary napkins because it was difficult for them to afford sanitary napkins every time they menstruate.
We took this up and researched, only to find that:
1) Not every girl uses sanitary napkin in rural parts of India during menstruation and one of the important factors is the affordability of sanitary napkins during menstruation.
2) According to a Goonj - there is no official data on menstrual waste in India, but on an average, a woman is said to have over 3,000 days of menstruation. There are about 300 million menstruating women in India, and as per some surveys hardly 10 to 12 per cent of them have access to or can afford sanitary napkins. Even if we take 10 to 12 pads as a woman’s monthly consumption per month it is almost a million kilograms of waste that is being generated even today. And we all know this is non-biodegradable. No one is taking responsibility for the disposal of this waste.
Considering the above statistics we have planned to provide the girls from 9th standard to 12th standard across the different schools we would visit in the upcoming months till February. We are aiming to provide the cloth pads to at least 1600 girls during this period.
Please help us reach the goal, and if you are around the areas we do the #BloodyPure campaign, we also encourage us to join us in promoting menstrual awareness to both boys and girls.


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Bhubaneswar: During Zero Hour of the Budget Session in the Parliament, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs today raised the issue of non-procurement of surplus parboiled rice from Odisha by Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Reinterring the state’s demand, BJD Rajya Sabha members Prasanna Acharya, Amar Patnaik, Sasmit Patra and Prashanta Nanda said the Centre should immediately start lifting surplus parboiled rice from Odisha which it has stopped arbitrarily. They stressed that the action of not lifting surplus parboiled rice would severely affect farmers of the state.
Addressing the House, MP Prasanna Acharya said Odisha, after becoming a Decentralized Procurement (DCP) state in KMS 2003-04, has been procuring rice from millers on behalf of the Centre. The surplus rice which is left after consumption under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes of the state Government is delivered to FCI.
People of Odisha consume parboiled rice. Around 95 per cent of rice produced in Odisha is parboiled rice. And in the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22, our estimated procurement of rice is about 52 lakh MT . The state’s own consumption will be 30 lakh MT under NFSA, State Food Security Scheme and other welfare schemes. Thus, we have a surplus of 20 lakh MT parboiled rice.
“But unfortunately, the FCI this year has refused to lift any parboiled rice in the current year 2021-21. Target has been issued to lift only 5 lakh MT parboiled rice and 2 lakh MT raw rice. As a result, Odisha has been left with Rs 15 lakh MT surplus rice. So what should it do with the rice?,” he questioned requesting the Minister concerned to consider the matter and direct FCI to lift all the surplus parboiled rice from Odisha.
The Parliamentarian also urged the Central Government to release the dues of food procurement and the outstanding subsidy amount as early as possible.
Earlier on October 8, a delegation of BJD MPs had met Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum urging him to ensure that Food Corporation of India (FCI) continue procuring surplus parboiled rice from Odisha for the next KMS 2021-22.


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The coming trend will be protective clothing. Many trend experts agree on this point. Cocooning Volume and sturdy materials are in, but protective clothing doesn’t stop with styling. FashionUnited has listed three current textile technologies that are supposed to protect us.
High buoyancy swimwear
By coating cotton with a three-component solution of dopamine hydrochloride, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane, researchers in Wuhan, China, have developed a fabric that can swim and carry up to 35 times its weight. The process is a one-step process that enables mass production. The technology could be applied to life jackets, but also to swimsuits and other protective clothing.
Anti-mosquito clothing without insecticide
By observing the way Aedes aegypti – a mosquito that carries viruses that cause Zika, dengue, and yellow fever – bites, researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a material that completely prevents mosquito bites. The tissue armor was developed using a computer model based on the researchers’ observations. This technology should soon be of use to a wider audience as Vector Textiles, a North Carolina start-up, plans to implement it in clothing soon to be sold in the United States.
h2> antiviral materials
Antiviral and antibacterial materials are on the rise. The one developed by the HeiQ Group, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, is particularly convincing. The “HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 is one of the world’s first textile technologies whose effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 has been proven by an independent institution,” it says on its own website. HeiQ Viroblock was developed to inhibit the growth and persistence of bacteria and viruses on textile surfaces.
The material is primarily aimed at face masks. However, the company has just signed a collaboration agreement with The Lycra Company so that its knowledge of antiviral materials should be developed at the consumer level.
This article was originally published on FashionUnited.FR and was translated into English and edited by Kelly Press.


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To God Be The Glory
Food Ministries' Website
To God Be The Glory services about 150 families, five churches and about five other food banks. “And, we are the only ministry to receive meats — everything from hot dogs to filet mignon," says Jim Billups, of To God Be The Glory Food Ministry. He collects about 10 boxes of meat a week to help feed the hungry in addition to a van load of other items such as baked goods, and fruits and vegetables. Some of the boxes of meats he collects are retail valued at over $1000.
So in effect the ‘wasted’ supermarket foods are not wasted at all. “The biggest thrill I have is every Friday at Tymor Park the senior citizens come with their shopping bags. They love it.” Billups said it is a blessing that he can deliver these goods to them. “I can relate to what they are going through.”
President of the senior’s group that meets at Tymor, Eleanor Voigt, said, “The seniors just love it. They are thrilled to pieces.” Voigt stated that although the seniors receive the food for free, they do make donations each and every week to the food pantry. Voigt said she is very happy and pleased to have Jim visit each week. “Jim has been very nice to us.”
Another member of the senior’s group is Gloria Meier. She said, “The seniors appreciate Jim bringing the food to them every Friday.” They enjoy picking out the different baked goods and other selections. “Some pick up food for others in need as well.” Gloria added, “It’s very nice of Jim to do this” as a volunteer.
Living on a fixed income is not easy these days – and with a recession in place so many families are without the traditional ‘bread winner’. But at least many can take advantage of the free food from To God Be the Glory Ministries. “There is no prerequisite,” said Billups. “If you need food, it’s there.”
We accept food donations... Please contact us...
Call us at 845-452-5525


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More than 200 years after its discovery, palladium has gained popularity in the world of jewelry. One of the rarest metals in the world, palladium has only recently been in the spotlight by fine jewelry makers. The naturally white, oil-resistant metal is hypoallergenic, non-tarnishing and a member of the platinum group of metals. These metals, which are resistant to corrosion and oxidization, are commonly referred to as “Noble Metal”.
Palladium shares its name with the asteroid Pallas and its namesake Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. So why have jewelers only recently wised up to its starry charms? Producers of the metal say that shifting a buyer’s attention away from the standards to market a new metal takes time and patience. In an interview with the New York Times, a leader in the palladium industry explained that platinum took 15 years to be established as a metal “brand.” Marketing palladium as an equal to other precious metals is a work in progress.
Palladium seems to be well on its way with its fast and trendy take on the traditional timelessness that is assigned to precious jewelry. Palladium engagement rings and wedding bands have spiked in popularity in recent years. While it may be similar to platinum and in the same group of metals, it is much lighter making it more affordable.


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Retail franchisor BSR Group has increased in sales for the financial year ending 31 March 2012.
With financial results set to be announced, early indicators show that sales have increased around 2-3 per cent, with some stores performing well above that level.
BSR Group CEO CEO Graeme Cunningham said the group’s Betta Electrical brand had performed well despite the ongoing economic slowdown in the retail sector..
“The group has remained debt free and we will be declaring another dividend for shareholders as we have done for the past six years,” he says.
“Profitability remains at similar levels to previous years but we’ve had an increase in revenue income. This has been a result of improved conditions for the group, increased marketing activity, cost efficiencies and focusing on a number of more profitable categories.”
The group’s Betta Electrical brand is in the process of relaunching as Betta Home Living. Cunningham said rebranding had already occurred in several stores such as Toowoomba with 30 more currently underway.
“The rebranding includes new livery and in time will also include an expansion into new categories such as homewares and furniture,” he said.
“The Betta Home Living rollout is happening at the moment and new signage is now underway across 30 stores – an initiative which is largely being funded by BSR and which is a significant investment for the company.
“All stores will be upgraded within the next 12 to 18 months. Operating under the Betta Home Living name gives us scope to expand into other categories in an ever-changing market and ensure we continue to drive growth.”
A number of ex-Retravision stores have also joined BSR Group as part of the rebrand including the new Betta Home Living stores at Gympie, Virginia and Keperra.
Cunningham attributed BSR’s growth over the past financial year to its refusal to place too much reliance on categories which “suffered from price erosion” such as audio visual.
“Technology categories continue to be affected by falling average selling prices, but our real strength has never been in those categories so that in itself has helped our result,” he said.
“Also contributing to our growth has been the move to online retailing, success with our commercial division and our expansion into social media, which saw our successful launch on Facebook in the last two weeks. These measures have benefited all stores.”
Betta’s move to online retailing had been particularly successful.
- BSR Group announces rise in income
- Bob Ansett appointed to BSR board
- BSR Group to revamp brands
- Betta Electrical heads online
- Betta joins Narta group
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Safer Internet Day 2011
“It’s more than a game, it's your life".
Safer Internet Day is being celebrated today in over 60 countries. The event, targeted toward children and teens across the world carries the key message “stay safe online.”
The annual event is being supported in Australia by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). ACMA reported a massive nine million Australians accessed social networking sites from home in June 2010, with up to 25% of these users being under 18 years old.
This year the event will focus on:
• digital reputation
• protecting privacy, and
• online behaviour
"These are essential messages for young people. While many claim to know the risks of posting too much personal or inappropriate information online, they may not always translate that into safe online behaviour," said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman. "Thinking about the consequences before posting on your social networking site may help to minimise negative experiences online.
"The internet is increasingly important in our lives, especially among children and young adults," Mr Chapman added. "Safer Internet Day is in line with the government’s commitment to cybersafety education. It helps raise awareness about the safe and responsible use of online technologies."
To access tools, tips and activities regarding online safety, visit: www.cybersmart.gov.au/.
Safer Internet Day is also for parents, who may not know what advice to give their children when it comes to online safety. A recent survey found many parents are not talking to their children about cyber safety.
Below are just a few tips for young people for staying safe online:
• Keep your login and personal details private. Don’t post your address, phone number or school on any websites.
• Once you have posted something online, you may not be able to remove it, so be careful what you write!
• If you are posting a photo or any information about another person, make sure you ask their permission first.
• People are not always who they say they are, so be careful when talking to other people online. If they say something read or offensive, just ignore them and leave the chat room.
More online safety tips are available from Compare Broadband.


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The Russian authorities are planning to start keeping track on cryptocurrency transactions, in particular those with Bitcoin and the crypto wallets of its citizens.
The Russian service of the BBC refers to an entry in the public procurements platform in which the country’s federal agency for financial monitoring, Rosfinmonitoring, launched a public bidding procedure for the creation of an analytical instrument for tracking operations with cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin in particular) and e-wallets. The new functions are to be included in the package of analytical programs for the tracking of financial transactions and prevention of financial crimes and financing of terrorism.
The new product is expected be ready by the end of 2018. It should be able to track the transactions of a person by adding his bank account number, bank card or phone number and link them to their e-wallet and cryptocurrency transactions. The BBC states that the contract was awarded to SPI – a Moscow-based developer of the analytical program iRule, which is used by the law enforcement agencies, credit organizations and insurance companies in Russia.
Both Rosfinmonitoring and SBI refused to comment to the BBC, saying that the project is classified information.
The government agency has been critical of cryptocurrencies for several years, saying that using them can be a good reason to void a deal. At the same time, the draft bill on digital financial assets, which passed its preliminary reading in Russia’s Duma (the lower chamber of parliament), says that transactions with cryptocurrencies can be made only by legal entities.
Russian crypto experts, however, said that the attempts by Rosfinmonitoring to keep tabs on crypto transactions might have the contrary effect – instead of continuing to provide transaction statistics, the blockchain platforms might become completely opaque.
“If you look at the entire turnover of money laundering, the share of cryptocurrencies is very small,“ Anton Merkurov, an internet expert and editor-in-chief of the site Satoshi.fm told BBC. “If you look at the P2P platform LocalBitcoins, its weekly turnover is one billion rubles ($14.7 million), which is not that much. Instead of looking for the large fish, the authorities are using a microscope to look for microbes in a drop of water. This should not be the priority. And more importantly, there will be an active counteraction and the criminals will come up with more efficient ways for money laundering,” Merkurov added, noting that the bad guys can easily set up a new crypto wallet for each operation.


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Id Software announced that Doom Eternal has been delayed to March 20, 2020.
This is a few months after the game’s initial release date of November 22, 2019.
“Throughout the development of Doom Eternal, our goal has been to deliver a game that exceeds your greatest expectations across the board,” said Developer id Software in a statement. “To make sure we’re delivering the best experience – for Doom Eternal to live up to our standards of speed and polish – we’ve made the decision to extend our launch date by a few months to Mach 20, 2020. We know many fans will be disappointed by this delay, but we are confident that Doom Eternal will deliver a gaming experience that is worth the wait.”
In addition, the Nintendo Switch version will release sometime after the game comes out on other platforms. The Switch version was initially set to release alongside other versions of the game.
Invasion Mode, a Dark Souls-like multiplayer option that lets players invade other players’ campaigns as a demon, will release as a free update shortly after launch.
In addition, the port of Doom 64 will come to the Xbox One, PS4 and PC in addition to the Switch and will come free with all pre-order copies of Doom Eternal. Doom 64 will release on its own on the same day as Doom Eternal.
Doom Eternal will enter a crowded release window when it launches in March 2020. Final Fantasy VII Remake, Watch Dogs: Legion and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are all releasing in the same month.


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Millennial males in the US have earned a reputation as laggards. But that’s not how today’s young men regard themselves, according to a new eMarketer report, “Taking the Measure of Millennial Men: As Sort-of-Grownups, as Digital Users, as Consumers.”
Currently earning more on average than their female counterparts, they are generally happier with their careers than women their age. And amid much talk about struggles with the breakdown of traditional gender roles, plenty of millennial men seem happy to encroach on once-female precincts like cooking and fashion. Moreover, digital knowhow is important to young men. Gluttons for entertainment, young men consume much of it in digital form. And they also deploy digital technologies as shoppers, capitalizing on the convenience they offer. Indeed, digital proficiency is a trait by which many define themselves.
Along with young women, young men are in the vanguard of mobile and social adoption. Young men are far more likely than adults in general to have a smartphone, though a shade less likely than young women. eMarketer estimates that by the end of this year, seven in 10 US men ages 18 to 34 will be smartphone users.
Mere penetration numbers, however, don’t express the degree to which young men (and young women) have integrated smartphone usage into their lives. February 2013 polling by Ipsos MediaCT and TNS Infratest on behalf of Google found that during the seven days before being queried, 67% of 18- to 24-year-old males and 56% of 25- to 34-year-old males accessed a social network; those same age groups also browsed the internet (78% and 68%, respectively) and searched for restaurants and bars (39% and 30%).


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Millions of Americans guzzle diet drinks in order to protect their waistlines and themselves from the health problems caused by extra pounds.
But could this strategy backfire?
In one large new study, people who drank artificially sweetened beverages actually had a higher type 2 diabetes risk than those who drank water or other unsweetened beverages; fruit juice; or even regular sodas or other sugary beverages.
But don't spit out your diet drink just yet–scientific research is usually a work in progress. However, it is an interesting study, because although sugary drinks like soda have long been associated with a higher risk of diabetes, not as much research has been done on the diet versions.
In the new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers analyzed diet diaries kept by 66,118 French women who were followed for 14 years.
They found diet-beverage drinkers consumed about 19 ounces a week, or less than two soda cans, while those who liked the sugary version consumed 11 ounces a week, or about one soda can. Compared to drinkers of unsweetened beverages (say, water), women who consumed sweetened drinks had a 1.3 times higher diabetes risk and diet-beverage drinkers had twice the risk. There was no link between type 2 diabetes and 100% fruit juice.
One take-home message of this study is that the French don't drink much soda, diet or otherwise. (Check out this map of soda consumption around the world; hands down, Americans consume the most.)
A Gallup poll last year found 48% of Americans drink soda every day, and soda drinkers have an average of 2.6 glasses a day. So the study doesn't shed light on the risks of heavy diet-drink consumption, if any.
However, some people have speculated that the sweet taste of aspartame or other artificial sweeteners could actually trigger a craving for more sweets. Although that's one theory, Joel Goldman, MD, chairman of endocrinology at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn says he hasn't seen enough evidence to conclude that's true. People who veer towards artificially sweetened drinks may already have a predisposition towards sweets.
"People have a sweet tooth," says Dr. Goldman, who is also associate professor of clinical medicine at SUNY (State University of New York) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. "They are probably going to be eating cakes and candies."
And it's possible that people who tend to like diet drinks–say, because they are already overweight–may be at greater risk of diabetes for other reasons. (The researchers found that body mass index, a measure of weight, did explain some, but not all of the diabetes risk.)
If that's the case, it would be hard to isolate diet soda or other diet drinks as the culprit. Having the condition known as prediabetes can also make you want sweet things, Dr. Goldman says.
Is drinking diet soda going to give you type 2 diabetes? Probably not.
"There are all kinds of possible explanations," says Dr. Goldman. "If it plays a role, it plays a very minor role compared to other things like eating all kinds of things you shouldn't like sugar and the genetics of diabetes."
On the other hand, Goldman points out, nobody is actually saying that artificially sweetened drinks are good for you either.
"If you ask anybody, they will be happy to tell you that the best thing is water, bottled water, tap water, Seltzer water," he said. "The question is, if you have a patient with diabetes who drinks a glass of diet soda, if that will keep him from eating a candy bar or drinking his coffee with sugar in it, I think that's beneficial in the long run."


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In a perfect world of electric mobility, every Electric Vehicles’ driver should be able to recharge everywhere and at any time. For those drivers that live and commute across Central and Eastern Europe, the ideal e-mobility world is becoming a reality.
Thanks to the NEXT-E project, a cooperation with the participation of E.ON Group, HEP, MOL Group, Petrol Group and two car manufacturers, 222 multistandard fast chargers (50 kilowatts) and 30 ultra-fast chargers (150-350 kW) will be integrated onto the Hubject’s intercharge platform, the world’s largest cross-provider charging network.
By cooperating with Hubject, the NEXT-E project significantly extends the influence of its e-mobility network, providing a long-distance charging infrastructure with a connection to an eRoaming platform.
In other words, EVs’ owners across the region will be glad to hear that all they need is Hubject. With this application, all NEXT-E’s charging points are going to be available through six bordering countries: Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania.
“The NEXT-E project will be instrumental in the transition to reaching the ambitious target of a zero-emission transport sector and a carbon-neutral economy in Europe,” said Richard Ferrer, Head of the Transport Innovation Team at the Innovation & Networks Executive Agency (INEA). “Interoperability and e-roaming are essential features of an efficient Electric Vehicle recharging network and provide for a seamless electric journey along with the European road network.”
As he pointed out, recharging an Electric Vehicle has to be very easy, reliable and affordable for European citizens. The availability of this service on the Hubject platform is a significant step in that direction, thanks to the pioneering spirit of public and private companies representing an entire ecosystem from energy to automotive, mobility and software industries.
“Electromobility is becoming a reality in Europe,” Mr Ferrer added. “The European Commission and INEA will continue to support such projects and economic operators through the various programmes to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal.”
Currently, access to EV-chargers is possible with the application of the participating company that has deployed the charger, leading to barriers in roaming and long-distance cross-border EV. This is going to change. The addition of 222 fast and 30 ultra-fast chargers deployed by the NEXT-E consortium members to Hubject’s intercharge platform will make it possible to comfortably drive an electric vehicle from the Czech border to the Adriatic or the Black Sea, using only one application. As such, users will be able to charge their car in all charging stations of the NEXT-E project through Hubject’s intercharge platform, thus widely expanding the mobility of e-mobility customers in all NEXT-E countries.
As we wrote about it earlier, in Central Europe, not just the NEXT-E is on foot: British-Dutch oil and gas company Shell, collaborating with IONITY, has already launched its first Shell Recharge point, Shell’s EV charging brand. Till the end of 2021, the company would like to deploy 21 charging stations at Shell’s service stations across CEE.


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The National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show is one of the leading trade show events in the U.S., including every product category necessary to open or operate a restaurant. NASDA operates the American Food Fair Pavilion within the NRA Show to highlight small U.S. owned food and beverage businesses seeking to export to new markets. In 2016, the NRA show attracted over 2,300 exhibitors who were visited by more than 45,000 attendees. This include nearly 5,000 international attendees from over 120 countries - the super majority of whom rated “seeing new products” as extremely or very important.
Food and beverage exhibitors in the American Food Fair Pavilion at the NRA Show, sponsored by NASDA and FAS/USDA, reported $19 million in export sales. More than 10% of American Food Fair exhibitors reported a first time export sale to a new market.
Limited space is still available in the 2017 American Food Fair, May 20-23 2017 in Chicago. Contact us today to be a part of this unique event!


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Video shows brawl with Target employee over refusal to wear masks
Two men are facing felony battery charges after police said they assaulted a Target employee who confronted them about refusing to wear masks inside a Van Nuys store.
The fight took place at the store in the 5700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard about 10:20 a.m. May 1, said Officer Drake Madison, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
The men, who were not wearing face coverings, entered the store and were confronted by employees, he said. When the customers refused to put masks on, an employee moved to escort them out, he said.
“As they approached the exit, one of the suspects suddenly and without provocation turned and punched the store employee, causing him and the suspect to fall to the floor,” Madison said.
While they were on the ground, a scuffle took place, and the employee’s left arm was broken, Madison said. The second customer also joined in the brawl, struggling with two other Target employees as they tried to restrain him, surveillance video shows.
The worker was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries.
The two suspects were arrested later that day on suspicion of felony battery, Madison said.
Police identified them as Phillip Hamilton, 31, and Paul Hamilton, 29. Both were initially held in lieu of $50,000 bail but were released from custody May 5, jail records show.
A spokesman for Target called the incident “unfortunate” and said in a statement that the company’s top priority was the safety of its customers and employees.
“We’re grateful for the support of local police and we’ll provide any information that can be helpful to their investigation,” the statement said.
Customers patronizing essential businesses in the city of Los Angeles have been required to wear face coverings while inside stores since April 10, when Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an order requiring their use in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Los Angeles County officials issued a similar order that took effect April 15.
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Today Ubisoft announced that it has signed an exclusive publishing deal with Square Enix to bring Drakengard 2 to North America and Europe. Under the agreement, Ubisoft will distribute the game for the PlayStation 2.
This isn't the first time that Ubisoft has gotten together with Square Enix. Last year Ubisoft published Star Ocean Till the End of Time for PlayStation 2 and distributed Final Fantasy XI for Windows throughout Europe.
"We are very excited to be working with Square Enix to publish this highly anticipated RPG in North America and Europe," said Jay Cohen, vice president of publishing at Ubisoft. Drakengard 2 is a hit in the Japanese market, and we are sure that North American and European gamers will also be thrilled by this fantastic adventure title."
Drakengard 2 is a role-playing action game featuring knights and dragons that builds on the scenario of the original title. Released in Japan last June, the game sold more than 100,000 copies in its first week of release.


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Yesterday, Actavis plc (ACT) announced its acquisition of New York City based specialty pharmaceutical company Forest Laboratories, Inc. (FRX). The acquisition, which is to be paid for in stock and cash, cost Dublin-based Actavis about $25 billion. Not only is this a great addition to Actavis’s – the second-largest in the world by revenues in 2012 – but the deal has financially benefited activist investor Carl Icahn, who invested in Forest Laboratories in 2009.
Actavis PLC (ACT), a generic drug maker, announced earnings results for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2014 (2QFY14) today. For the second quarter ending June, the company reported revenues of $2.7 billion, up 34% year-over-year (YoY), beating analysts’ estimates of $2.5 billion. Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $2.62, up 30% YoY, missing analysts’ estimates of $3.375. Net income reported was $0.55 billion this quarter, compared to analysts’ estimates of $0.59 billion.
LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc is close to buying Swiss-based Actavis for around $7 billion, marking the latest deal between generics companies racing to achieve economies of scale, three sources familiar with the matter said. The deal would see U.S.-based Watson, already among the world's five largest generic drugmakers, paying between 5.0 billion and 5.5 billion euros ($6.6-7.3 billion) for Actavis, a business of comparable size to its own, the sources said. ...
Actavis announced the acquisition of its Dublin-based competitor Warner Chilcott for $5 billion, which will turn it into world’s third biggest generic drug company by market share, reported Financial Times.
The total amount of the deal is $8.5 billion including net debt as well. In the recent months other pharmaceutical giants like Valeant and Mylan made attempts to acquire Actavis as part of the trend of rapid consolidation in the industry.
US drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals said Wednesday it will buy Iceland-based Actavis for 4.25 billion euros ($5.62 billion), creating the world's third-largest generic drugs company.Watson, maker of a generic version of Lipitor, Pfizer's blockbuster anti-cholesterol drug, said the acquisition of the privately held Actavis would greatly expand its global footprint.
(Reuters) - Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Wednesday it agreed to buy Actavis Group for at least 4.25 billion euros ($5.60 billion), in a deal that cements its status as one of the world's biggest suppliers of generic drugs. Reuters first reported on March 21 that U.S.-based Watson was close to buying the Swiss drugmaker to help it compete more effectively against rivals Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and the Novartis unit Sandoz. ($1 = 0.7585 euros) (Reporting By Lewis Krauskopf in New York and Ben Hirschler in London)


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Toyota's ASEAN supply chain
The integration of ASEAN's economies can be seen with how Toyota assembles its vehicles, using parts and labor from across the region, using the best of what each country can offer, and in turn selling them there as well.
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Diving into interactive digital art in Tokyo
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China's steady buildup on Woody Island
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The Trump-Kim summit
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have met in Singapore, where the two talked one-on-one and signed an agreement that included the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
AirAsia aims to fly to U.S. west coast via Japan by 2020
AirAsia Group aims to fly to Los Angeles and San Francisco on the west coast of the U.S. by 2020 from its base in Southeast Asia via Japan, Chief Executive Tony Fernandes told the Nikkei Asian Review on Thursday.
Mercari hits record startup valuation in Tokyo debut
The flea market app Mercari has begun trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market.The stock opened at 5000 yen.


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Bidfood has launched a Christmas gift campaign to recognise those who sacrifice spending Christmas with their families to make the season special for others.
The campaign, which won a PRCA Dare award this year, is open to anyone working in the hospitality industry.
Bidfood is inviting the industry to nominate individuals who are either working Christmas Day or Boxing Day this year, that go the extra mile to make the festive period special.
Winners will be chosen by a panel including UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls, Hospitality Action chief executive Mark Lewis, Pride of Britain chief executive Peter Hancock, and Bidfood's group sales & marketing director Andy Kemp.
Four winners will be revealed on Monday 3rd December across four categories: accommodation, care, foodie outlets and charities (including education). Each will receive Christmas dinner from Bidfood in January, once the busy period is over, as well as a surprise gift.
Bidfood's group sales & marketing director Andy Kemp said: "Following the overwhelming success of last year, we are delighted to announce the return of our award-winning, Bidfood's Christmas Gift campaign.
"The sheer volume of heart-warming stories we received last year is testament to the hard work and importance the hospitality sector has on all of us.
"With thousands giving up family time in the lead up, and often on Christmas Day itself. We want to hear about some of the standout individuals in our industry and thank them for their contribution."
Entries must be made by Monday 12 November, to enter visit www.bidfood.co.uk/bidfood-christmas-gift.


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Even though David Chung had no experience in the fitness industry, when the tenant of a building he owned in Voorhees, N.J., shut down the gym it ran there, he saw a business opportunity he couldn’t resist.
He knew that there would be demand for a quality gym in the area and saw an opportunity to create a business that would be superior to its competitors. “The other gyms there are mostly corporate run gyms, and the owner is not present,” said Chung, who has a background in real estate and the grocery industry. “We differentiate ourselves from others by providing excellent customer service, having quality equipment, and being really clean.”
He also built a team that understood the business, including a general manager and a marketing manager who had worked at gyms for more than 20 years each. The general manager ran the gym that previously occupied the space, so he was familiar with the facility and the clientele. Chung worked with East West Bank to refinance the building and used that money to renovate the building and to build brand new exercise equipment and machines. The 32,000-square-foot facility includes a pool, steam room, and an indoor track as well as a juice bar and a two racquetball courts. There are also private studios for yoga or personal training. The gym offers a variety of classes, from yoga and pilates to jump rope conditioning and spin.
In addition to investing in the quality of the gym, he also invested heavily in marketing, spending about $10,000 per month in marketing, reaching customers via direct mail, email blasts, digital campaigns and television ads. “We wanted everyone in South Jersey to know that Echelon Health & Fitness was opening in April,” Chung says. “We targeted everyone in all age groups, all nationalities, and explained how we had different plans for everyone.
The outreach paid off. Echelon fitness started preselling memberships in September 2015, and by the time it opened in April 2016, it had some 1,500 members. Since then, they’ve continued the marketing program and added an average of 300 new members each month.
The gym gives potential new members a free pass to visit the gym for a week, and 50 percent of those who take advantage of that offer end up joining, Chung says. It also provides childcare to make it easier for parents of young children to work out there. “Customer service is really important to us,” he adds. “You have to really listen to what your customers are saying.”
Members also downloaded the gym’s mobile app, which gives basic info about the gym, lets them check themselves in, and allows them to make appointments with trainers or sign up for classes. Members can also use the app to track their workouts and receive messages from the gym.
Using a proprietary app is a great way for small businesses to connect with their customers to build their brand and inspire loyalty, says Mahmoud Hafez, founder of AppAdvice.com. “You have your icon, your identity on a device they’re using hundreds of times a day,” he says. “Even if they’re just flipping through the screens, your presence is there.”
An app also allows you to communicate with customers via push notifications, which feel less invasive than emails but also inspire increased engagement, Hafez says. Those without a lot of tech know-how can outsource the development for a relatively small investment.
Echelon’s app gives members access to the gym’s “Member Perx” program, which gives members discounts at dozens of local businesses. More than 50 restaurants have signed on to give members a 15 percent discount, and other participants include dry cleaners, car washes and nail salons.
That tie-in with the local community has also been crucial to the gym’s success. “David started Echelon Health & Fitness with a community and health concept,” says Rhonda Lee, Chung’s relationships manager with East West Bank. “He carefully planned the fitness center so that it would provide services to members as a mindful entrepreneur for the community.”
Chung plans to continue growing membership at the gym for the next few years. He’s aiming for a membership of around 13,000, with 1,200 people using the facilities each day. Lee believes that he’ll meet that goal. “Echelon Health & Fitness is a well-equipped, well-renovated, and well-managed fitness center located at a convenient location,” she says.
While he did not have previous experience running a gym, Chung says his work in the real estate and supermarket industries helped him build skills that have helped him in high current venture. “It’s about managing people,” he says. “You are only as good as your employees, you have to hire people that will work hard for you. I do everything I can to get the best out of my employees.
We’ll keep you in the know about the latest US-Asia business news and trends.
Lo mantendremos informado sobre las últimas noticias y tendencias comerciales entre Estados Unidos y China.


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LONDON (Reuters): British holiday company Thomas Cook said bookings were lower than last year due to uncertain geopolitical conditions, but prices were holding up and it was sticking with its annual guidance.
Thomas Cook said summer bookings were 5% lower than last year as customers organised their holidays later, in a continuation of a pattern it highlighted in February.
It blamed the later booking pattern on customer worries over security following a series of attacks in holiday destinations. An attack on tourists in Istanbul in January caused demand for trips to Turkey to plunge, while last year there were also attacks in Paris, Egypt and Tunisia, making some tourists wary of previously popular destinations. The company stuck to the existing outlook for profit growth. Analysts expect Thomas Cook’s core earnings (EBIT) to come in at about 345 million pounds, according to Reuters data, 11% higher than last year’s result. “We maintain our previous guidance for the full year, but as highlighted at our last update, this is dependent on seeing a sustained recovery in customer confidence as we progress through the Summer season,” the company said in its statement on Tuesday.


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The rapid growth of the cannabidiol (CBD) industry in the past years is astronomical. As compared to pure cannabis products, CBD oils are better accepted as they don’t contain traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a substance accounted for cannabis’ psychoactive effects. The product’s rapid growth and wide acceptance have made it easier for people to buy products from countless retailers online and physical stores. However, they should become more discerning as there is such a thing as a “bad CBD oil.”
CBD oil is acquired through various extraction processes that separate the compound from the plant. These are meticulous processes best handled by professionals as poorly executed methods could lead to a low-quality CBD oil, and it can do more harm than good for consumers. One of the major drawbacks of the inferior CBD oil is that it contains traces of THC.
If such product does have THC, then its user could run into major legal complications in the long run as drug tests typically look for THC and not CBD. As such, users of top-tier CBD products rarely have to worry about coming up positive during drug tests.
This is not all CBD enthusiasts have to worry about, though, as recent reports suggest that “fake CBD oils” have caused a few health complications already.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that from October 2017 to January 2018 in Utah, there have been as many as 52 people who have contracted diseases because of using fake CBD oils. The report adds that the products in question are labeled as CBD oils when they are actually synthetic products.
The CDC’s report also says more than half of the 52 possible cases were found to have 4-cyano CUMYL-BUTINACA or 4-CCB, an artificial cannabinoid. Other than that, most of the victims also say that they’ve used a product called Yolo CBD oil, which contained the mentioned substance. As of now, the efforts to find the company that manufactures such products have yet to yield results.
CBS News states that these mislabeled products have already been distributed to smoke shops and health food groceries in the past years. There are also very few prohibitions barring a person from buying said products. Seeing the problem at hand, the CDC suggests that there should be regulations in producing CBD oils and products infused with the said compound.
There are no talks about whether or not CBD should be made illegal, but Utah’s governing body does want to make sure that what people buy are safe and authentic products. The state is in the process of making regulations, and they will be implemented before the year ends.
As of now, 46 states have legalized marijuana-derived CBD. Considering its vast popularity, there should be rules regarding CBD oil production coast to coast. However, these kinds of regulations aren’t easily passed, and it could take months or even years before they could even be implemented.
Despite the lack of laws surrounding CBD oils, there are ways to avoid acquiring poorly made products, and one of them is trusting in established brands in the industry. Though the market is relatively young, there are already a few companies that have positioned themselves into becoming global leaders because of their high-quality products.
Trusting in credible CBD leaders
PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS:POTN) is one of those leaders. The company focuses itself on the research and development of CBD oils, and it distributes its finest products through its Diamond CBD subsidiary.
POTN takes the extraction process of CBD very seriously. It uses supercritical CO2 extraction to easily isolate the miracle compound from unnecessary components inside cannabis strains.
Aside from the said process, POTN’s performance in the past years should be enough proof that its products are top notch. A majority of Diamond CBD sales are made online, and the online revenues for May could surpass more than half a million dollars.
POTN has been on a consistently record-breaking streak in terms of sales, and that alone speaks for how well-received its CBD oil and CBD-infused products are.
The rise of CBD is definitely rocky thanks to a few problems. One of them is that there are companies looking to cash in on its popularity by producing products of poor quality. For consumers, their best bet against these products is by relying on trusted companies like POTN and by being more discerning about the items.


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Rising prices for games, toys, and hobbies unexpectedly pushed the UK inflation rate higher to 0.6% in June, as businesses across the UK emerged from the country’s sweeping coronavirus lockdown.
The year-on-year growth in prices, up from 0.5% in May, came in spite of falling food prices, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The coronavirus pandemic is widely expected to lead to a deep slowdown in the UK economy, and growth in consumer prices had been expected to slow further in the short term as a result.
Analysts had forecast that the rate of inflation would fall to 0.4% in the month.
“The inflation rate has increased for the first time this year, but remains low by historical standards,” said Jonathan Athow, an ONS statistician, who noted that seasonal price patterns had been disrupted by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the usually less volatile measure of core inflation — which excludes energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco prices — climbed to 1.4% in June.
The largest upward contribution to price growth between May and June came from recreation and culture, where prices overall rose by 0.2%.
Within that broad category, prices for games, toys, and hobbies — and particularly computer games and computer games consoles — rose sharply in the month.
There was also a large upward contribution from the clothing and footwear category, with prices falling very slightly between May and June, compared to a larger fall between the same months in 2019.
Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, meanwhile, fell by 0.6% in the month, with vegetables — and particularly premium potato crisps — seeing the biggest decline.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ONS said that there were still 67 unavailable items in the basket of goods it uses to calculate inflation in June, down from 74 in May and 90 in April.
Using an alternative basket of goods, which excludes unavailable items such as a restaurant cup of coffee and a draught pint of lager, inflation would have been 0.4% in June.
Some analysts have suggested that the unprecedented stimulus measures launched in the UK may eventually lead to runaway inflation.
But the country experienced a decade of low inflation following the 2008 financial crisis even after the Bank of England slashed interest rates and launched a sweeping asset-purchasing programme.
Price stability is one of the core mandates of the bank, which has a 2% inflation target.
Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said last month that the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee was being “especially vigilant” in its monitoring of inflation expectations, noting that “strong forces” were acting on consumer prices.
Arguing that the UK economic recovery had come “sooner and faster” than any mainstream forecasters had predicted, Haldane suggested that a rapid rebound could push up inflation and prompt the bank to increase interest rates.
But meagre economic growth in May has since dented optimism about a so-called V-shaped recovery.


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Facebook recently released an updated version of the company’s iOS application. Little did they know at the time that an underlying social login dependency would cause several major applications to fail to load. Spotify, TikTok, Pinterest, Tinder, GrubHub, and others were all affected by the issue.
Datasift has released a new query builder for customers working with social media. It answers a simple question: what do you do as a company, with all that data, all the Tweets, Facebook and blog comments about you? It turns out, that if you can really focus in on the comments about you, about your industry, about what customers are thinking, the answer is a goldmine of connection to your best customers and a key to going viral.
TechCrunch is reporting that TikTok will soon release a new marketing API that is designed to support the company’s creator marketplace. The new API, which is rumored to be launching in late September, could help brands automate marketing campaigns on the platform.