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Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA) has reported a net loss for the first quarter of $3.1 million, or -$0.09 per basic and diluted share, on and 8% decline in revenues to $78.5 million. Unfortunately, First Call had estimates pegged at $0.06 EPS on $84.8 million in revenues.
Playboy Chairman & CEO Christie Hefner said: "The quarter’s results reflected the dual challenges of structural transformation in our traditional media business and a difficult U.S. economy…." She might as well have just said, "A soft economy is hurting sales, and people can get enough nude pictures and adult videos for free on the Internet."
While exact guidance was not offered, the company does still expect its licensing business to show high single-digit growth in 2008 over 2007. Elsewhere, the picture was stark. total domestic TV revenues declined 16% to $16.5 million, online revenues declined 3%, and publishing saw revenues drop 14% to $20.1 million. The company also noted that it sees a 5% drop in advertising revenues over Q2 2007. Corporate administration costs rose 7% to $6.1 million.
Unfortunately, this is going to make these 2008 estimates of $0.27 EPS come down for 2008, and it’s hard to imagine that the $0.48 EPS estimate for 2009 won’t be brought down on a dual concern as well. If so, then even at $8.00 this is not a cheap stock.
Playboy closed at $8.26 yesterday, and shares are indicated down 3% at $8.01 in pre-market trading; its 52-week trading range is $7.76 to $12.00. At the start of 2006, this was a $15.00 stock and this was a $20 to $30 stock back in the late 1990’s.
Jon C, Ogg
May 6, 2008


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Starting January 1, 2024, both Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee will increase its sales taxes. Sales taxes in the City of Milwaukee will rise from 5.5% to 7.9%, while sales taxes outside the city, but still within Milwaukee County, will rise from 5.5% to 5.9%.
Rob Henken, president at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, explains that the city and county have been facing longstanding financial challenges. “One of the problems has been a revenue structure for both governments. That simply has not afforded these governments the opportunity to see annual increases in revenues that are going to at minimum mirror inflation, but also certainly are not capable of accounting for some of their unique expenditure needs," he says.
Henken says the sales tax differs from the property tax because it applies to people that purchase items in those jurisdictions, which includes visitors to the area.
And, he adds that some items like groceries and medication are not taxable. “Most retail items that you would purchase are going to have that sales tax applied, even purchases at grocery stores. So, groceries are not subject to the sales tax, but if you are buying a food item at a grocery store, for example that you’re going to eat as a meal, that would be subject to the sales tax.”
Henken says one key exception is vehicle purchases. “In our state, the sales tax that’s applied to an automobile purchase is based on where you reside, not where you made the purchase.”
For those wondering whether to make big purchases before 2024, Henken says every consumer has a decision to make, but it’s important to remember that even with the increase it amounts to an extra $2.40 for a $100 purchase in the City of Milwaukee.
River Run works with our clients to “roadmap” future technology needs and solutions. For technology hardware and projects, we look to save our clients 2.4% or 0.4% by purchasing those items prior to December 31st, 2023, even though installation or project completion may not happen until next year. A River Run Account Executive will work with your team and our technical architects to ensure you have the right network and security solutions for 2024 and beyond while looking to save you as much as possible on your technology investments.
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Hundreds of businessmen in the Gaza Strip have been complaining that the Israeli civil administration has increased the rate at which the transit permits allowing them access to Israel are being revoked, resulting in the collapse of their businesses. Maher Tabbaa, director of public relations and media at the Gaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Al-Monitor that the policy could lead to Gaza's total, systemic economic collapse.
“Ever since last year, and especially since [Avigdor] Liberman entered the Defense Ministry [in May], 1,700 permits to enter Israel have been revoked,” Tabbaa claimed. “It started very slowly, but we noticed the trend over a year ago. When a merchant showed up at the Erez border crossing with a valid permit, the authorities confiscated the permit without warning and ordered him to return to Gaza. Over the last few weeks, this has turned into a flood of confiscations. Every merchant thinks that he is next and that they will revoke his permit and destroy his business, just like they did to other merchants.”
Tabbaa said that permits have been revoked for some of the most important businessmen in Gaza, including those with ties and commercial agreements with Israeli and international companies. The entire economy of Gaza, he asserted, rests on their shoulders.
Exit permits to Israel are essential to Gaza entrepreneurs, because they allow them to meet with their Israeli colleagues, check the quality of the goods they order, and negotiate import and payment agreements. Tabbaa said that without direct contact with the leading Israeli companies, it is practically impossible to run a business in Gaza. Thus revoking transit permits is, effectively, a death sentence for import and commercial enterprises in Gaza. In addition to revoking entry permits, Tabbaa said, Israel is also preventing another 200 merchants and import companies from importing goods from Israel.
Maher Habush and his brother once owned one of Gaza's largest import firms for cleaning and hygiene products. Habush said that his and his brother's transit permits were revoked a few months ago. Soon after that, Israel also revoked their permits to import goods from Israel. “We tried to understand why they put our company on the blacklist, but we couldn’t get an answer,” he told Al-Monitor.
The Habush brothers imported cleaning products from some of the leading Israeli companies and sold them in retail shops selling home supplies as well as to businesses and factories throughout Gaza. Their father had founded the business in the 1970s when he signed a commercial agreement with the Etz HaZayit company for olive oil products. Over the years, they also signed import agreements with HaMashbir (a department store chain), Galilee Chemicals (manufacturers of laundry detergent), Gadot Agro (an agronomics and agricultural biotechnology firm) and others.
When the Habushes’ import and transit permits were revoked, the owners of the Israeli companies with whom they did business tried to have the decision overturned, going so far as to take it to court. So far, their efforts have failed. The result for the Habush brothers has been devastating.
“Our business employed 30 full-time workers, as well as other workers who made their living indirectly from the company’s business,” said Habush. “Unfortunately, we were forced to fire them. The business collapsed, we have no work, and we have no hope. In a single day, it was all erased. Years of work by us and our father crashed into oblivion.”
Habush noted that he was one of the first major entrepreneurs in Gaza to have his permits revoked, and now Israel is revoking the transit and import permits of merchants who import plastic and other raw materials. He said that the import crisis and the difficulties that Israel is imposing on Gaza's largest, most established merchants are fostering another major crisis in the local economy, which is already in its death throes.
The Gaza Chamber of Commerce turned to the Economy Ministry in Ramallah, asking for help in dealing with this decision by the civil administration, but according to Tabbaa, the rate of permit revocations has only increased since then. In August, hundreds of Palestinian merchants participated in a demonstration near the Erez crossing, hoping that their calls for help would reach Israeli ears. Even now, no one in Israel seems to know or express any interest in the crisis and hardship they face.
Tabbaa remarked that even merchants whose import permits have not (yet) been revoked are accumulating steep financial losses. Goods arriving at the Kerem Shalom crossing are often sent back to manufacturing plants in Israel or to the Ashdod port without ever entering Gaza. This represents enormous losses that Gaza merchants cannot bear for much longer.
“Where are you trying to take us?” Tabbaa asked. “The merchants hurt by Israel’s decision constitute the elite of Gaza. They are people with years of seniority and experience. Almost all the owners of Israeli companies know them.”
Habush said, “We were a reliable company. We never had any problems. We always followed the rules and agreements, and we followed Israeli law. We never brought in goods that are banned from import.”
He added, “Even during the  war in Gaza, we made a point of paying all our debts and commitments on time and fulfilling our agreements with Israeli companies to the letter. Do you have any idea what it is like to transfer money in wartime? That’s just the way we are. We’re business people who worry about [our] good name and reputation, but instead, they destroyed our company and the lives of dozens of our employees, who were forced to contend with unemployment.” Habush asked, agonizingly, “Where will they find work? Where?”
“The situation that we now face is the worst ever,” Tabbaa concluded. “Unemployment has reached 42% among laborers, and if we add the number of business owners big and small whose businesses have crashed, we practically reach 60% unemployment. It’s a world record. We’re screaming for help. It’s our SOS.”


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Energy is an essential service, key to every aspect of modern life. We use gas and electricity to heat our homes and offices, power our phones and tablets, the appliances we cannot live or work without and, increasingly, our cars. The pace and scale of changes to generation, networks, retail supply and consumption are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. It’s no surprise that the advancement of technology and IoT are helping innovate the energy and utilities markets in many ways.
In a recent IMC Industrial IoT virtual event, KORE took part in the IIoT in the Supply Chain track, which took a look how IIoT solutions are assuming a bigger and more essential role than ever before in assuring supply chain consistency. Connected devices are allowing for increased visibility, maximisation of assets, improved collaboration, and improved customer service. Identifying bottlenecks earlier and administering assets have never been more important.
Watch this on-demand panel with John Chambers, VP EMEA Sales, with panelists Maarten Hektor, Managing Director – Involtum and Daas Bos, Demand Manager IoT – Stedin discussing the rise of e-mobility with a focus on smart energy management.This panel covers key questions;


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The Cocoa Barometer 2012
The Cocoa Barometer 2012, a joint initiative of the VOICE Network (a coalition of NGOs), has produced a report that aims to provide an overview of current sustainability developments in the cocoa sector.
The authors argue that current efforts to solve challenges in the cocoa sector need to be reinvigorated with a broader, holistic approach that includes such considerations as a living income for farmers and their families, a diversification of income, access to finance, access to agricultural inputs, a focus on social and environmental issues, financial transparency along the supply chain, and an investment in local infrastructure. The report focuses on West Africa’s cocoa sector, due to its dominance in cocoa production and the significant challenges facing this region.
More like this
- 2015 Cocoa Barometer – Cocoa is too cheap to be sustainable
- Report on impacts of climate change on cocoa production in West Africa
- Hershey to Source 100% Certified Cocoa by 2020
- Rainforest Alliance warns for severe effect of climate change on cocoa production – encourages focus on climate smart agriculture
- Topsy turvy: Sustainable cocoa efforts are upside down, says WWF


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Version 2.2 is only a couple weeks old, so it's good to see Pebble keeping the updates coming.
CNET editor Dong Ngo points out how special the AirStation Extreme AC1750 Gigabit Dual Band WZR-1750DHPD router is and reveals that, per his personal experience, it's totally sexy to shorten a name that's just too long.
For Patch Tuesday, Surface 2, Surface Pro, and Surface Pro 2 users get multiple keyboard, Bluetooth, and wireless network firmware updates.
A new firmware update for the Mac Pro fixes USB connectivity and Power Nap issues.
The AirStation AC 1750 DD-WRT Router is an excellent choice for savvy users who want deep levels of customization.
Starting February 19, only servers under warranty or contract will be able to get Hewlett-Packard firmware updates. The news has some customers angry.
There'll also be a big firmware update for the X-T1 in December.
In addition to commanding your home theater, Logitech's updated Harmony Ultimate Home and Home Control remotes can now interface with lots of connected-home devices thanks to a slick software overhaul.
Not only has a new firmware update for the Up24 fitness tracker significantly improved battery life, Jawbone has opened the software to data from rival devices.
Thousands of euros are pouring in for a camera project to give digital-video folks an alternative to the power and control of big names like Sony and Canon. It'll be tough, but the timing couldn't be better.


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Blockchain’s Broken Promises
Boosters of blockchain technology compare its early days to the early days of the Internet. But whereas the Internet quickly gave rise to email, the World Wide Web, and millions of commercial ventures, blockchain's only application – cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin – does not even fulfill its stated purpose.
NEW YORK – The financial-services industry has been undergoing a revolution. But the driving force is not overhyped blockchain applications such as Bitcoin. It is a revolution built on artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things.
Already, thousands of real businesses are using these technologies to disrupt every aspect of financial intermediation. Dozens of online-payment services – PayPal, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Venmo, and so forth – have hundreds of millions of daily users. And financial institutions are making precise lending decisions in seconds rather than weeks, thanks to a wealth of online data on individuals and firms. With time, such data-driven improvements in credit allocation could even eliminate cyclical credit-driven booms and busts.
Similarly, insurance underwriting, claims assessment and management, and fraud monitoring have all become faster and more precise. And actively managed portfolios are increasingly being replaced by passive robo-advisers, which can perform just as well or better than conflicted, high-fee financial advisers.


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Ecouterre is the official media sponsor of the 2012 EcoChic Design Award
If you haven’t heard of upcycled clothing, you will soon. Just last month, the International Herald Tribune’s Suzy Menkes dubbed “upcycling” the buzzword among London’s sartorial circles. When a fashion heavy like Menkes speaks, the entire industry snaps to attention. For the uninitiated, upcycling is a way of recycling textile waste, such as fabric swatches, production off-cuts, and end-of-roll leftovers, to create a product of higher quality. (This is opposed to “recycling” or “downcycling,” where textiles are refashioned into a product of diminished quality.) The undisputed queen of upcycling, From Somewhere designer Orsola de Castro recently meted out advice to a group of emerging Hong Kong designers at an EcoChic Design Academy seminar, part of the EcoChic Design Award organized by Redress to address China’s mounting landfill problem.
De Castro, who’s also the co-curator of the Estethica showcase at London Fashion Week, is a self-proclaimed “rubbish collector extraordinaire” who has upcycled pre-consumer textile waste in both the niche and mass markets for over 15 years.
“Upcycling is a design solution to an environmental problem,” she explains. “It’s an artisanal approach to textile waste that requires creativity without any industrial intervention and it is an innovative, design-led and inherently environmentally friendly solution to textile waste.”
Some of her top tips for designers seeking to reduce their waste footprint:
- Always know what is on offer before you start designing
- Follow your own waste stream
- No scrap is too small!
- Ugly can be beautiful, too
- Finishing is the key to good design
Today’s fashion industry is increasingly overproducing garments and textiles, de Castro says. “What is being thrown away into landfill is often beautiful and usable for designers who can approach such materials in a creative way,” she adds.


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If you order fries from a fast-food establishment during April, don’t be shocked if they tell you they’re out of ketchup.
America is currently facing a ketchup packet crisis — the latest food commodity facing major disruption due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, restaurants nationwide are scrambling to find ketchup packets that have been depleted as more Americans ordered takeout throughout the pandemic.
Meanwhile, many establishments that allowed indoor dining switched from ketchup bottles to packets as a hygienic safety measure.
This, in turn, caused a shortage of the packets that's now felt by retailers both large and small — and forced ketchup manufacturers to raise their prices considerably. The Journal cited data from restaurant-business platform Plate IQ showing that packet prices are up 13% since Jan. 2020, and that their market share has soared compared to bottles of the same product.
Even major fast-food retailers are hunting for the tabletop staple. The Journal noted that Long John Silver’s had to seek secondary suppliers, and that the shortage has cost the company an extra half-million dollars since the pandemic started because single-serve packets are pricier than bulk containers.
Ketchup is the most-consumed table sauce at American eateries, with about 300,000 tons sold to foodservice in 2020, according to Euromonitor. And at home, the pandemic resulted in a 15% jump in retail ketchup sales last year to more than $1 billion.
Kraft Heinz is the biggest name in ketchup, holding almost 70% of the U.S. retail market. But even it is having a hard time keeping up with demand. In response, the company plans to open to new production lines in coming months to boost its ketchup manufacturing by around 25% to more than 12 billion packets annually.
The company told the Journal that it is already running extra shifts at its factories and cut back on other varieties in order to focus on single-serve packet production. On top of that, Kraft Heinz has invented a touchless ketchup dispenser as an alternative to shared bottles.


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Apple is facing accusations that its adverts for the new iPad's 4G capabilities in the UK are misleading. This follows similar accusations in Australia, where the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Apple to the Court for viola...
Tablets & eBook readers
There was plenty of excitement earlier this year over the news that a fully open tablet was in the works, and late last week some new revelations were made about the device that are sure to step up the anticipation even more.
When Apple's third-generation iPad (Macworld rated 4.5 out of 5 mice) was released in March, the company kept the iPad 2 (Macworld rated 4.5 out of 5 mice) as a more affordable option. It turns out, however, that the iPad 2 sold prior to March 16 and...
When Apple CEO Tim Cook dissed the whole idea of hybrid mobile computers, he may have been showing his hand.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook would rather settle lawsuits than fight them in court, but he isn't about to let the world take a free ride on his company's smarts.
A new book reveals a fresh insight into Steve Jobs' mind, and how his obsession with simplicity drove Apple to success.
The iPad isn't just big business--it's also becoming the technological equivalent of a gateway drug into the wider universe of Apple products, helping the company extend its customer base to new audiences.
As your iPad gets more and more business use, be sure to have these apps to get the most office productivity possible
I must have terrible taste in gadgets, because Apple executives keep slamming ideas that I like.
Apple's new iPad model which went on sale last month, providing at least a couple weeks of sales before the quarter drew to a close, is likely to feature in Apple's Financial Results conference call later today.
Corporate finance fans have a lot to look forward to on Wednesday (morning AEST), as Apple plans to unleash its financial results for the company’s second fiscal quarter of 2012.
A company that developed touch-screen technology for video displays in the 1990s has sued Apple, claiming that the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, iPad nano, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air infringe on its patents.
Your tablet is a homebody. And you love it more than any other tech gizmo in the house.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0's low price coupled with its numerous features give it a clear advantage over leading value tablet competitors.
Following accusations that Apple has misled its Australian customers about the new iPad's 4G capabilities, the company has filed a defense with Australia's Federal Court arguing that the country's networks are mislabelled.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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By Oluwaseun Sonde
Toyota Nigeria limited has bagged NewsDirect 2018 Auto Brand of the Year Award.
The award was given to the organisation during the weekend at the Nigerian NewsDirect 8th Anniversary Award of Excellence held in Lagos.
The theme of the anniversary was tagged, “Indigenous Participation/Economic Recovery & Growth Plans: Roles of Corporate Governance, Banks Credit, Oil &Infrastructure.”
The Award ceremony was to celebrate the Auto company for its efficiency and contribution to the growth of the automobile industry in Nigeria.
Receiving the award, Dealer Liaison Manager, Mr Okeowo Sunday on behalf of the Managing Director of the company noted that Toyota Nigeria has made enormously contributions to the growth of automobile industry in Nigeria by offering tailor-made vehicles which cannot be over emphasised..
He noted that the company has built a brand around an epitome of performance and trust in term of products and services delivery.
Okeowo appreciated the organisers and commended NewsDirect for a job well done.
Also, he stressed that Toyota Nigeria would continue to give its best to satisfy its customers on a daily basis.
Toyota is a leading auto brand known worldwide for manufacturing stylish, fuel efficient and good value for money cars.


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This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com.
We’re coming up on a big week for name-brand technology stocks.
On Monday, Oracle (ticker: ORCL) reports quarterly earnings and Zoom Video Communications (ZM) kicks off its annual Zoomtopia trade show, with new products and features ready to debut. Apple (AAPL) gets the spotlight on Tuesday, with the launch of its next- generation iPhone and potentially other products. But for investors, the most important moment could come on Wednesday, when Cisco Systems (CSCO) meets with analysts for the first time in four years. It’s…


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LG was one of the first smartphone makers to launch a product with Microsoft's Windows Phone inside. Now it looks like the company is backing away from its support of the mobile OS. The Korean Herald website (via WPCentral.com) states that, according to an LG spokesperson, the company has no plans to release a new Windows Phone device. The spokesperson is quoted as saying, "The total unit of Windows Phone sold in the global market is not a meaningful figure."
There is the possibility that LG could change its mind. The spokesperson said that the company is continuing its "research and development efforts" on Windows Phone. The article also mentions that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be making a business trip to LG's home country of South Korea in late May. It speculates that Ballmer could meet with LG executives to discuss Windows Phone developments.
The company launched both the LG Quantum and the LG Optimus 7 in the fall of 2010 as part of the first wave of smartphones based on Windows Phone. There were rumors that LG was planning to launch a new Windows Phone device this year under the name the LG Miracle or LG Fantasy. Even though Internet websites posted leaked photos of the product, the phone was never actually launched.


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Kia GT heading to showrooms from 2016 – report
If reports are correct, a slinky four-door vehicle based on the Kia GT concept will be heading into showrooms around the world from the end of 2016.
The key target market for the GT, or whatever it will be called, will be the USA, where the car will be launched first. Europe is apparently also on the agenda, although it's unknown at this stage whether right-hand drive and Australian sales are part of the plan.
The concept car featured a 3.3-litre turbocharged V6 pumping out 290kW of power and 534Nm of torque. Power was sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
While that drivetrain may grace the production version, it's unlikely that the concept's rear-hinged suicide doors will meet the same fate. According to the US publication, Europe-bound GTs will be fitted with a more hip-pocket-friendly turbo-diesel engine.
It's likely that the production version will share its underpinnings with the rear-wheel drive K900/K9/Quoris sedan, which is itself a very close relation to the slightly smaller Hyundai Genesis and the larger Hyundai Equus.
The Genesis will go on sale in Australia later this year, and will be Hyundai's first serious tilt at the luxury market in Australia.


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Adult Industry News
Fri, Aug 05 2011 01:15pm PDT
The Free Speech Coalition through its Adult Production Health and Safety Services unit has appointed its APHSS.org Advisory Committee.
Fri, Aug 05 2011 11:45am PDT
Playboy Enterprises on Friday said it struck an agreement in principle with the Manwin Group relating to its online and TV businesses
Fri, Aug 05 2011 11:00am PDT
Pamela Anderson has signed a global licensing agreement with stocking designer Secrets in Lace for the Pamela Couture Collection of authentic nylon stockings.
Fri, Aug 05 2011 08:00am PDT
Porn took another hit yesterday as satellite provider DirecTV blamed “lower adult buys” for weaker pay-per-view revenues reported in the company’s second quarter earnings.
Fri, Aug 05 2011 06:00am PDT
As the buzz over the new .XXX TLD builds steam, a new report notes that 80 percent of pre-registrations are coming from non-adult companies.
Thu, Aug 04 2011 04:00pm PDT
Lucas Entertainment has launched LucasRaunch.com, a site that features fetishes and kinky fantasies.
Thu, Aug 04 2011 03:30pm PDT
Got Web Host has announced the implementation of its new redundant cloud server infrastructure.
Thu, Aug 04 2011 02:00pm PDT
The creators of Naughty America are launching TonightsGirlfriend, a new offering described as the ultimate in high-end adult entertainment.
Thu, Aug 04 2011 01:00pm PDT
Hot House Entertainment announced the launch of two new membership websites today, HotHouse.com and ClubInfernoDungeon.com along with the merger of the Next Door Buddy Profits affiliate program.
Thu, Aug 04 2011 11:00am PDT
XBIZ is pleased to announce that it has slated a special .XXX debate session at XBIZ EU featuring ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley and Free Speech Coalition's Diane Duke.


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A vendor sells vegetables at a retail market in Kolkata, India. Reuters
With growing food and fuel prices, India’s retail inflation increased in February as the Consumer Price Index rose to 5.03 per cent against 4.06 per cent in January.
Indian shares dropped the most in nearly four weeks on Friday, ending down over 1%, as investors locked in profits following the benchmark indexes hitting multiple record highs this week and as a proposed US stimulus package failed to surprise.
India’s annual rate of inflation based on wholesale prices (WPI) sequentially rose to 2.03 per cent in January from a rise of 1.22 per cent in December.
Heading the periodic meeting of EXPO 2020 Security Committee, Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police,
A leading business solutions provider Transguard Group has revealed that it has secured Dhs102 million in contracts for Expo 2020 Dubai and will deploy more than 3,000 of its employees across 17 pavilions and other common areas at the event site.
The seventh World Green Economy Summit (WGES), being held on 6th and 7th October, 2021, at Expo 2020 Dubai, is set to tackle some of the critical sustainable development pillars,


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The pandemic saw a lot of event cancelations and rescheduling this year, and although it threw off the timing of the annual International Roadcheck in May, the three-day event still took place in September throughout North America, Canada, and Mexico.
Organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), the International Roadcheck highlights the important work of North America’s 13,000 commercial vehicle inspectors keeping our roads safe by removing unsafe vehicles and drivers.
Thank Trucks, Buses, Bucket Trucks, and Waste Management This Holiday Season
The holidays are a good time to take stock of our blessings and all of the things we have to be grateful for. Sharing a rich holiday feast with the people we care in a warm, decorated house with gifts under a bright Christmas tree is the scene most of us have in mind this time of year, and in order to make that a reality, there’s a lot of work that happens behind the scenes.
While it’s important to thank those who cook the food and buy the gifts that we enjoy, it’s also important to remember those who brought these things across the country for us to enjoy — the trucking, public transportation, and waste management industries.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated; travelled and busiest U.S. holidays; and if you are a truck driver delivering packages from Santa, you can expect to work hard even on Christmas Day. While most truckers are used to spending time away from family throughout the year, it is still disheartening to miss out on [yet] another holiday.
Here are a few tips to stay connected to family, friends and Christmas traditions while on the road:
If there’s one thing the trucking industry never predicted this year, it’s the way the Coronavirus pandemic would turn supply chains, demand, and trade on their heads. Amid frontline workers such as nurses, grocery store employees, long-haul and vocational drivers have also been heralded as essential and critical to the country as we all continue to ride this wave of the virus.
We’ve had our finger on the pulse of this pandemic since it first began, and what a ride it’s been for all of us. Let’s take a look at the ups and downs of coronavirus and trucking.
Another sweater.You shouldn’t have. No really, you shouldn’t have. While warm clothes are always appreciated in the winter season, there are plenty of gifts for that special trucker of yours that will bring smiles for miles and not break your bank. Here are some of our favorite holiday gift ideas for truck drivers (prices are estimated retail value):
It is never a good idea to drive your big rig with bad, well, anything; but driving with bad shocks is a definite “no, no.”
Shock absorbers help keep heavy-duty trucks grounded when cruising on uneven surfaces and are especially important in the winter season when traction control is needed for the safety of drivers and nearby vehicles. After all, bad shocks affect tires and traction control. Did you know that? Keep reading to learn more.


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Sales drop as hard-pressed shoppers cut back on food
Price wars and the lack of wage growth finally caught up with Britain’s retailers last month as official figures showed food spending was down year-on-year for the first time on record in July.
The 1.3 per cent fall in spending in food stores in July was the first decline in 25 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, food stores were the only sector to show an increase in prices, of 0.2 per cent.
Overall, retail sales rose by 2.6 per cent in July, up marginally from June, but well below the high of 6.2 per cent seen in April this year.
Experts warned that the figures painted a worrying picture for major food retailers, which have witnessed falling sales and been forced to adapt their offering in a bid to win the consumer pound.
Rob Harbron, senior economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said: “Although year-on-year volume declines in food stores are not unusual, the latest results also showed an annual drop in cash terms as well, falling back by 1.3 per cent.
“This is the first time that this has happened in food stores since comparable data began in 1989.”
Earlier this year, Morrisons issued two profit warnings in just three months – sending shares in all of the major supermarkets plummeting – while Tesco also saw its profits fall for the second year in a row.
Morrisons said it had been forced to slash prices to compete with discount retailers such as Aldi and Lidl.
Analysis group Springboard said this weekend also looked set to be a difficult one for retailers, as the bank holiday south of the Border will fall before most people’s payday.
However, yesterday’s retail sales data revealed that online shopping continued to grow in July, edging upwards by 11.2 per cent compared with the same month last year – but decreased by 1.9 per cent compared with June.
The weaker-than-expected figures will potentially dampen fears that the Bank of England could raise interest rates in the near future.
Harbron said: “A more measured rate of growth is expected for 2015 and the following few years, as households continue to face relatively sluggish real wage growth, the Bank of England starts to tighten monetary policy, and the government is required to make sharp fiscal cuts to bring the deficit under control.”
The ONS also released figures showing that government borrowing finally slowed in July, although it is a month when traditionally the Exchequer does well. Public sector net borrowing excluding bank bail-outs was just £200 million in July, down from £1 billion a year earlier.
But statisticians said the cumulative “year to date” borrowing figures provided a better indication of the progress of the public finances. The government has borrowed £32.4bn since April, compared with £23bn for the same period a year earlier.


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The headquarters of Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago. (Tribune file)
Abbott Laboratories said second-quarter adjusted profit rose 16 percent, better than Wall Street expected, as growth in its nutrition and diagnostics segments more than offset declines in medical devices and generic prescription drugs.
The Lake County-based health care products company, which in January spun off its highly profitable branded drug business, including the $9 billion blockbuster drug Humira, into a new firm called AbbVie Inc., said income from continuing operations was $476 million, or 30 cents a share, up from $411 million, or 26 cents a share, a year earlier.
Earnings adjusted for certain items were 46 cents per share, beating Wall Street estimates by 2 cents.
Overall, Abbott’s second-quarter profits fell 72.4 percent, reflecting the spinoff of AbbVie.
Abbott shares were up 1.7 percent at $36.31 in mid-morning trading. The company’s stock is up more than 14 percent since Jan. 1, the date of the AbbVie spinoff.
Sales in emerging markets, like China, Russia and India, climbed 13 percent, helping to push revenue to $5.45 billion, up 2.5 percent from the year-ago quarter.
Abbott CEO Miles White told analysts in a morning conference call that the company’s prospects in China remain strong despite its government’s recent investigation into the price-fixing of infant formula, which spurred Abbott and other multinational firms earlier in July to cut prices on certain products by up to 12 percent.
“I think we can manage this,” he said. “My sense of the prospects for the Chinese market haven’t changed. Opportunity remains strong; opportunity remains robust.”
He said the move to cut prices in China won’t “disproportionately affect our performance.”
Sales in Abbott’s nutrition segment, which includes baby formula and adult drinks such as Ensure, grew 8.4 percent. Diagnostics sales jumped 7.6 percent.
White also expressed frustration over Abbott’s flagging performance in its branded generic pharmaceutical business, where sales fell 2.3 percent in the quarter to $1.2 billion.
“By any measure … we’re underperforming,” he said. “It pains me to say it, but we are.”
In response, the company has overhauled its Europe-based management team with an eye toward transforming its marketing and branding strategy in its drug business.
White also said Abbott has been less active in the mergers and acquisitions market because of inflated valuations “that are frankly unrealistic.”
“That’s why you don’t see very many deals getting done,” he said. “I don’t think the markets are unattractive at all … but valuations are unattractive.”
firstname.lastname@example.org | Twitter: @peterfrost


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GreenPrint, a worldwide environmental expertise firm, launched Tuesday the outcomes of its 2022 Enterprise of Sustainability Index. The examine discovered that 64% of People are on the lookout for a bank card that mechanically offsets a portion of their buy’s environmental influence. Moreover, 60% of People usually tend to purchase inventory in an organization that’s environmentally acutely aware versus one that’s not.
The 2022 Enterprise of Sustainability Index (which you’ll obtain right here – GreenPrint will plant a tree for each obtain) was fielded in March 2022 from 1,062 US adults 18 years of age and older.
The index additionally discovered that 66% of People – and 80% of People aged 18 to 34 – are keen to pay extra for sustainable merchandise, but 78% of American customers aren’t certain easy methods to determine whether or not or not a product is sustainable.
For customers questioning if their bank card is sustainable, there are a handful of issues to search for.
In line with Experian, the very first thing is the fabric. Some playing cards (together with some Credit cards) are made with recycled plastics, metals, and even wooden. Different issues to search for are if you may make charitable donations to eco-friendly charities or if you happen to can offset your carbon footprint with each buy. Customers also needs to pay attention to the issuing financial institution and if it is doing something to help the atmosphere.
Moreover, in accordance with GreenPrint’s index, solely 38% of People imagine a enterprise when it says it’s environmentally pleasant, down from 47% in final yr’s index. Among the many least-trusted industries are airways, fleet providers, and fuel and vitality suppliers.
“Over the previous yr, public belief within the authenticity and effectiveness of firms’ sustainability efforts has eroded considerably,” Pete Davis, CEO and co-founder of GreenPrint, mentioned in the press launch.
“This places companies making real progress in a bind as a result of their actions are much less more likely to be acknowledged,” Davis added. “To win again belief, the info clearly exhibits People need firms to validate their sustainability claims by way of impartial sources, each on the company degree and for his or her merchandise.”
For manufacturers seeking to reduce the belief hole between customers and their enterprise, GreenPrint mentioned that it comes right down to transparency in messaging, assembly audiences the place they’re – for instance, throughout social media for youthful customers – and making it apparent the enterprise is working to cut back its carbon influence.
The examine additionally discovered that, regardless of record-high fuel costs, 64% of People would pay extra for fuel as long as the fuel supplier offsets their carbon footprint from emissions by way of sustainability efforts. That share jumps to 75% for People aged 18 to 34.
As fuel costs proceed to climb, many customers are on the lookout for a approach to put a reimbursement of their pockets after filling up on the pump. Reward bank cards could possibly be the answer.
Nonetheless, regardless of having net-zero guarantees, giant banks (like Financial institution of America and Wells Fargo) proceed to spend money on environmentally-harmful industries, together with fossil fuels. In line with the 2022 Banking on Local weather Chaos report – which screens how a lot huge banks spend money on fossil fuels – the banking business invested a complete of $ 741.83 billion in fossil fuels in 2021.
JP Morgan Chase is on the high of the record with $ 61.73 billion, adopted by Citi with $ 41.35 billion, and Wells Fargo with $ 46.22 billion. And regardless of Wells Fargo’s net-zero promise, its fossil gas funding almost doubled from $ 26.64 billion in 2020. Financial institution of America additionally invested $ 31.98 billion in fossil fuels in 2021. It’s price noting, nonetheless, that Financial institution of America’s quantity has dropped from $ 42.15 billion in 2020.
So are there really sustainable bank card choices for customers in 2022? There are just a few to think about, however they’re sadly not as rewarding as customary bank cards, particularly for fuel spending.
That mentioned, listed below are two sustainable bank cards that earn money again for fuel whereas nonetheless doing one thing for the atmosphere:
- FutureCard Visa Card: Earn 5% money again for environmentally-friendly spending, and 1% for every thing else. It doesn’t require any charges, or perhaps a credit score test, only a legitimate checking account. Eligible 5% purchases embody EV charging, public transportation, secondhand retailers, new proteins, bikes / scooters, and plant-based meals merchandise. Customers may even observe their carbon footprint utilizing the Future App. You’ll be able to join the cardboard TIMES.
- Aspiration Zero Credit score Card: Earn a vast .5% money again for every thing you purchase. And for each buy you make with the cardboard, Aspiration will plant one tree. You’ll be able to observe your carbon footprint within the Aspiration app; every month you obtain a zero carbon footprint, Aspiration will double the money again you earn for the purchases revamped that billing cycle. There’s even a $ 300 welcome bonus for spending $ 3,000 within the first three months with the cardboard. Nonetheless, it does require good credit score and there’s a $ 60 annual payment. You’ll be able to test it out TIMES.


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BEIJING: Electrical automobile big Tesla will “remember” over 285,000 cars and trucks from the Chinese marketplace following an investigation observed challenges with its assisted driving software package that could trigger street collisions, a governing administration regulator announced late Friday.
Tesla would make contact with afflicted consumers to upgrade their vehicle’s software package remotely for free, a State Administration of Current market Regulation (SAMR) recognize mentioned, introducing that it has an effect on some imported and domestically created Product three and Product Y cars.
“The remember program was submitted with the State Administration of Current market Regulation, and it was made the decision to remember the subsequent cars from right now,” SAMR mentioned.
The order is the most recent blow to the American self-driving automobile pioneer, which has occur under rising regulatory scrutiny in China thanks to quite a few fatal collisions involving Tesla cars in modern months.
“Because of to challenges with the cruise command system… the driver can simply activate the cruise command functionality by blunder,” the Chinese governing administration agency mentioned in the recognize.
“A unexpected boost in vehicle pace will arise, which could… in serious circumstances, trigger a collision, posing basic safety dangers.”
The carmaker has also been specific by quite a few social media complaints from Chinese consumers relating to excellent and service challenges, culminating in a substantial-profile customer protest at the Shanghai Car Demonstrate in April.
The cruise command functionality, which “matches the pace of your automobile to that of the encompassing traffic” is a vital part of Tesla’s Autopilot assisted driving functionality, according to the manufacturer’s web page.
Tesla’s street in China appeared to be paved with gold following founder Elon Musk was granted exceptional authorization to construct a wholly owned factory in Shanghai that has allowed it to speed up to the head of the pack in China’s enormous electric automobile marketplace.
The corporation is vastly popular in China, where it sells 1 out of just about every 4 of its cars and trucks.
The organization announced very last month it would be setting up a information centre in China, subsequent user backlash over fears that their information could be handed over to the US.
Tesla shares fell virtually eight for each cent on the information through US buying and selling hrs Friday.


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Paragould has own reason to fete Wal-Mart's 50th
Thursday, July 5, 2012
PARAGOULD, Ark. (AP) — To commemorate Wal-Mart's 50th anniversary and L.A. Darling's long relationship with the world's largest retailer, the northeast Arkansas company hosted a luncheon for its employees and area Walmart managers.
L.A. Darling human resources director Gary Gossett said L.A. Darling prided itself on being among Walmart's oldest partners as the factory had provided fixtures for the stores since the early beginnings of the retail giant. He said L.A. Darling manufactured nearly all of the shelving on which Walmart displayed its products.
"About the only thing we really don't manufacture are refrigeration units and some of the fixtures in the produce areas," Gossett said. "Walmart is a major customer of ours. They have been a long-standing partner of ours. We started doing business with them in the late 60s."
Gossett said there was some debate over when Darling actually began supplying fixtures to Walmart. He said the Paragould factory opened in 1966 and there had been some records dating back to 1969. But Gossett said there had been pictures of a Darling truck in front of the first Walmart in Rogers. He said both companies had contributed to each other's success for several decades.
"We've pretty much been part of Walmart from the onset," Gossett said. "We're (Walmart's) go-to supplier when it comes to problems in the field. If they're trying to open a store and they find out they're short on something... they'll call us. I think that's why Walmart looks at us as a major partner."
Paragould Walmart manager Terry Melton told the Paragould Daily Press (http://is.gd/LVJTWH) having an L.A. Darling plant in Paragould had proven beneficial to his store several times. He said when the fixtures at his store began to deteriorate, he could get them repaired or replaced quickly and it benefited Darling as well.
"We've got a great partnership with (L.A. Darling)," Melton said. "Whenever they're doing innovation on new products, they come over to our store and try it out to see how it's going to work in the store. It's been a win-win for us."
During the celebration, several L.A. Darling employees shared their appreciation to Walmart for its longtime partnership. Barry Smoker said he and several members of his family had worked for L.A. Darling for more than 200 years combined. He said his parents moved to Paragould with the factory when it moved from Michigan and he had worked for L.A. Darling for more than 30 years.
"I have been privileged to work with Darling engineering department and Walmart sales teams to provide new and innovative design concepts to the Wal-Mart fixture line," Smoker said during the ceremony. "I would like to congratulate Wal-Mart on its 50-year anniversary and look forward to continuing to build our relationship and serving Wal-Mart's fixture needs for a great future."
Information from: Paragould Daily Press, http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/


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Starbucks introduced Mobile Order & Pay in 150 of its company-operated stores in the Portland area last December and then quickly expanded it to the full 650-store Pacific Northwest region in March. The success of the launch prompted Starbucks to accelerate the roll-out of the offering, and the company now offers the mobile capability in more than 4,000 of its U.S. company-operated stores. Starbucks is on track to offer Mobile Order & Pay capability across the entire U.S. company-operated store portfolio in time for the upcoming important holiday season, said Howard Schultz, chairman and chief executive officer.
“Mobile Order & Pay is enabling us to serve more customers more quickly and efficiently and to significantly reduce attrition off the line,” Schultz said during a July 23 conference call to discuss third-quarter results. “We are already seeing positive impact on operating results, but keep in mind that the roll-out to 4,000 stores occurred only in the last couple of weeks of the third quarter. So the real impact for Mobile Order & Pay and increased convenience remains in the quarters and years to come.
“That said, Mobile Order & Pay is fueling both revenue and profit growth in every market in which it has been deployed with customer adoption starting faster and accelerating with each new phase we roll out. By enabling our customers to order ahead and avoid waiting in line, Mobile Order & Pay is enabling us to capture more on-the-go customer occasions, and the data is clear.
“In those stores where Mobile Order & Pay has been deployed, lines are shorter, service is faster and in-store operations are more efficient. The net result is increased traffic, incrementality that is exceeding expectations, improved throughput and an elevated Starbucks experience for our customers. We will add the Mobile Order & Pay feature to our Android app in the U.S., as well as introduce Mobile Order & Pay technology into our international markets in the months ahead. Importantly, key features like suggested menu recommendations that will drive increased ticket have not yet been deployed as we are still in the beta mode.”
While the full benefits of the Mobile Order & Pay platform are still to come, the initiative was a key piece contributing to strong results at Starbucks during the third quarter. Net income in the third quarter ended June 28 was $626.7 million, equal to 41c per share on the common stock, up 22% from $512.6 million, or 34c per share, in the same period a year ago. Revenues jumped 17.5% to $4,881.2 million from $4,153.7 million. Global comparable store sales increased 7% during the quarter, driven by a 4% increase in traffic, while Americas comp sales increased 8%, driven by a 4% increase in traffic.


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RECENT US Equity ETFs RESEARCH
The board overseeing Puerto Rico (PZT) (HYMB) filed for bankruptcy protection in a much-anticipated move in 2017.
Greece and its international creditors recently reached a deal for a bailout in 2017. It will pay off international loans rather than aid economic recovery.
The recovery of oil prices in the second half of 2016 has helped the Russian economy recover from negative growth in 4Q16.
In this series, we’ll take a look at the performances of the US Consumer Confidence Index in April and the US GDP in 1Q17.
The S&P 500 Index (SPY) (QQQ) showed marginal improvement in April 2017 as compared to March 2017.
Mexico recorded a modest trade deficit in March 2017, as compared to its trade surplus in the previous month.
The economic situation in Argentina was in disarray with high inflation, fiscal deficit, and a host of other issues. Then a new president was elected in December 2015.
In an April 21, 2017, interview on Wall Street Week, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink shared his views on US economic growth, tax reform, and job creation.
The recent gubernatorial elections in Jakarta, Indonesia, provided surprising results that appear to fall in line with international populist trends.
The second and final round of the French election will be held on May 7, 2017, among the two remaining candidates. The first round met market expectations.
Economic activity in Brazil (EWZ) has been slow as it tries to emerge from its deep recession in 2016. But consumer and business confidence is improving.
Global investors should monitor economic indicators to identify short-term economic trends and changes in market sentiments.
The stock market in Turkey rose slightly as the people of Turkey voted for new President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by a margin of 2.7% on April 16, 2017.
US stocks have posted low or negative returns this April, though markets had been surging at the start of 2017 on positive macroeconomic data.
The Chinese economy is expected to grow 6.5% in 2017 as it undertakes fiscal stimulus measures and monetary policy changes. China is currently struggling to improve the pace of its economic growth.
Emerging markets are becoming increasing important in the global economy, as they account for about 75% of global output and consumption.
In this series, we’ll take a look at the global final manufacturing PMIs and services PMIs for March 2017. These indicators help us understand the business condition of an economy.
According to Steve Forbes, big and bold tax cuts could boost investment sentiment for 2018.
The US healthcare system is unique in the developed world as it lacks a uniform system and, according to Emanuel, had been largely inefficient before Obamacare.
Consumer confidence levels in India rose to 136 in 4Q16 as compared 133 in 3Q16, according to Nielsen’s global consumer confidence index report.


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Tire Business staff report
Greenville, South Carolina -- Michelin North America Inc. reported sales of $8100 million (Euro 5529 million) last year, a 4.5-percent increase over 2006, based on a combination of higher replacement market sales and an improved product/price mix.
The improvement shows that MNA can â€œsucceed even in a challenging business environment,â€ said president and chairman Jim Micali in a prepared statement.
â€œWe have more work to do to cut costs and improve our productivity so that we can continue to compete against the flood of rising tyre imports, increased raw material and healthcare costs,â€ he said.
In the firm's commentary on its performance in North America's, MNA parent Group Michelin noted a â€œvery satisfactoryâ€ increase in passenger/light truck tyre volume last year after several years of modest growth.
On the commercial side, Michelin said it consolidated its performance in a â€œdramatically decliningâ€ North American market.
Micali noted MNA is the most profitable tyre company in North America, but the firm declined to provide specific numbers. Globally, Michelin posted $2250 million in operating income last year, and North America represented 33 percent of global sales.
If MNA's earnings contribution was on par with its sales contribution, then earnings would be close to $750 million.
For comparison, Goodyear's North American Tire unit reported $139 million in operating income last year on sales of $8860 million (1.6 percent ratio); Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. reported earnings of $437 million on sales of $12 800 million (3.4 percent ratio); and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. reported $74.4 million in North American operating earnings through the first nine months of fiscal 2007 on sales of $1620 million (4.6 percent ratio).
From Tire Business (A Crain publication)


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MTN Rwanda celebrates Yolo 5th Year Anniversary
MTN Rwandacell PLC (MTN Rwanda) will kick off its Yolo 5th year anniversary celebrations with a livestream launch today at 6 pm. This year’s celebration is under the theme “Iremere Wubahwe” with the objective of inspiring and empowering the youth.
MTN Rwanda’s Yolo is a platform dedicated to the Youth of Rwanda, that has evolved over the last five years from a voice and data proposition only, to now offering social media bundles, combo packs, a loyalty program dubbed ‘Yolo Star’, as well as sponsored key events such as Miss Rwanda 2021 and the Kigali Summer Festival in 2019.
“The Youth form most of the Rwandan population and are the future. It is only right that we dedicate a special platform to them as we continue to inspire and encourage them to be great in whichever field, they find themselves in. This year, as the Yolo platform turns 5, we celebrate under the theme #IremereWubahwe, which denotes the need for the youth to create in whatever area they wish to, be it in the arts or sciences.” commented Yaw Ankoma Agyapong, MTN Rwanda Chief Consumer and Digital Officer, during the virtual launch.
Conscious of all COVID19 preventive measures, the celebration kicks off virtually, today 23rd July at 6 pm, through a live stream to be hosted by Magic FM Radio presenter Anita Pendo with an entertainment and creative line-up that includes make-up artist Trendy Shadow, choreographer Yannick, Spoken Word artist and Rapper Kivumbi, Miss Rwanda 1st Runner Up Amanda, Miss Yolo Keeysha and local artist Confy.
“We are delighted to collaborate with so many young inspiring individuals in celebration of Yolo’s 5th anniversary”, added Agyapong.
As part of the celebration for young entrepreneurs, MTN Rwanda has also planned mentorship webinars that will be taking place from August until October 2021, where industry experts will share knowledge in their respective fields. The recently spotlighted entrepreneurs selected through Level Up Your Biz and MTN Rwanda’s Yolo Hackathon will also get a chance to interact and share their experiences with the Youth of Rwanda.
Yolo’s 5th anniversary will consist of giveaways, webinars, and virtual parties (Club Yolo) organized until the end of the year. Various youth talents will also be given a platform to share their stories as means to motivate and encourage their peers.
In his conclusion, Agyapong said, “We urge the youth not to just enjoy the Yolo platform and various offers we have for them, but to ensure they take away some key learnings that they can add to their journey as they venture into various sectors while building a brighter Rwanda.”
About MTN Rwandacell
MTN Rwandacell PLC (MTN Rwanda) is the market leader in mobile telecommunications in Rwanda. Since 1998, we have continuously invested in expanding and modernizing our footprint and are the country’s No 1 network. MTN Rwanda offers various innovative services to consumers and enterprises, including personalized voice, data, home, and fixed connectivity solutions. The company is also the front runner in Mobile Financial Services in Rwanda delivered through its FinTech subsidiary, Mobile Money Rwanda Ltd.
For more information, please contact:


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The serial entrepreneur talks about what it's like to be CEO of two companies at the same time.
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Caterina Fake, the serial entrepreneur who cofounded Flickr and Hunch, launched her newest social app, Findery, on Thursday. The launch comes almost exactly two years after Fake unveiled the project under a different name But the timing is notable for another reason: It comes just one day before SXSWi kicks off in earnest. Show More Summary
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J. Craig Venter says his new company, Human Longevity, will focus on figuring out how people can live longer and healthier lives and will be the world’s largest human DNA sequencing operation.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Was Gateway down to selling just 1,500 PCs a week in the UK?
Do the sums
Gateway's departure form the UK and Ireland doesn't seem to have come as much of a surprise to its UK competitors.
This is probably because it doesn't seem to have been selling more than 1,500 PCs and notebooks a week in the UK.
The US PC vendor arrived in the UK in 1993 and made a big noise with the benefit of some very beneficial Office pricing from Microsoft which the local players couldn't compete with. Complaints were made to Europe, but as is the way with these things, by the time the complaint was getting anywhere the outcome didn't matter.
But since then it hasn't been a mighty stroll to market domination. Basically because Dell has hammered it at every turn and Gateway has been unable to differentiate itself.
In the top 10 UK and Western Europe PC and notebook rankings, compiled by Gartner, Gateway doesn't even figure. This means that in Q2 in the UK it had less than 2.9 per cent of the market - which is less than 34,000 PCs. In Europe it had less than 1.5 per cent - less than 89,000 PCs.
But how much less? Gateway wasn't in the top 10 for either region last year either and the company admitted its European sales collapsed by 46 per cent in Q2. Which was a terrible loss of market share, considering that UK PC shipments fell only 8 per cent in the first half of the year and that European sales to consumers (Gateway's key market) have fallen 15 per cent.
To not be in the UK top 10 in Q2 2000 it must have had less than 3 per cent of the 1.18 million units sold. To be out of the European top 10 it must have had less than 1.8 per cent of the 6.02 million PCs shipped. If we assume it dropped 46 per cent in both regions from Q2 2000 to Q2 2001 it means it had 1.62 per cent of the UK market - which is 20,642 PCs, and 0.97 per cent of Europe - 61,051 PCs.
These figures represent sales of 1,588 PCs a week in the UK and 4,696 across Europe. Which isn't great if you're a big US player. And these figures assume it was neck and neck with the 10th placed vendor. It may well have been doing worse.
To put it in perspective Dell had 19 per cent of the UK market in Q2 and 11.4 per cent of Western Europe.
Gateway's approach to selling PCs was a mix of Dell style off-the-page trading, shops and concessions within BT, Argos and Debenhams stores, and corporate business fulfilled by Computacenter.
Here's what some of the competition thinks about Gateway's departure. Strangely, Dell was too coy to gloat in public but we know they must have been whooping it up in private. ®
Richard Austin, MD Evesham.com "I'm not going to do a whole lot of crying over it
"They made a huge impact when they arrived - they certainly rocked the boat. They came in with a fantastic price/performance offer.
But since we've barely seen them "
Tahir Mohsan, boss of Time Computers "We were not surprised - it had been rumoured for 6-9 months. Their sales infrastructure was very poor
"They were just not a strong enough brand to sell to consumers, and in the corporate market Dell was far too strong a brand for them.
"BT and Debenhams didn't work for them. Argos isn't going to work either, because they're going."
Demetre Cheras, marketing director at HiGrade "They've been quiet for a long time. We could see it failing
Dell in the UK is extremely dominant - nobody can compete. It's a numbers game and if you don't have the numbers you're out. Dell was the cause of their downfall How can you match their prices if you don't have the numbers?"
John Hendrick, marketing manager, Mesh "We kind of expected to see some overall reductions in the market, but it's a little surprising it being Gateway."


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The outlook for savings definitely remains positive with young people really setting the standard.
(PRWeb UK) June 10, 2010
A potential savings revolution is upon us as for the first time younger savers are over taking the older generation when it comes to getting into the savings habit. Younger adults (aged 18 – 34) seem to be leading the way banking 16 per cent more than the national average and 25 per cent more than over 55s each month, according to new research from Santander Savings(1).
Figures from Santander’s quarterly ‘Snap Shot’ barometer reveal that the average Briton makes a monthly saving deposit of £116, but younger people are raising the bar, putting aside £134 each month. Britons aged 35 – 54 put away an average of £112 each month while those over 55 years make average monthly deposits of £107.
Reza Attar-Zadeh, Director of Savings & Investments commented: “The outlook for savings definitely remains positive with young people really setting the standard. These latest statistics prove that the recession has changed people’s attitudes to saving and a new generation of savers not spenders has finally arrived.“
Alliance & Leicester has recently increased the rate on its Online Saver Issue 7 for new and existing customers. The account now pays a competitive 2.81 per cent gross/AER (including a 12 month bonus *) with a minimum opening balance of £1,000 and penalty free instant access available online.
For more information on savings from Santander and Alliance & Leicester, log on to our websites, telephone 0800 234 6065 or visit your local Santander or Alliance & Leicester branch.
The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions.
Notes to Editors
1) Opinium Research amongst 2026 UK adults, May 2010
Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N, BNC.LN) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with presence in 10 main markets. At the end of 2008, Santander was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit.
In the UK, Santander operates two retail businesses – Santander, which was formed out of the Abbey and Bradford & Bingley retail network, and Alliance & Leicester. Together they have over 1300 branches, around 4,500 cash machines and they provide a full range of bank accounts, corporate banking services, loans and savings products to 25 million customers.
Alliance & Leicester will become known as Santander by the end of 2010.
For more information please visit http://www.santander.co.uk
Susan Hannums Tel: 020 7756 4190
Louisa Dreja Tel: 020 7756 4211
The press office operates from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Outside of these hours please call 0800 5877708.


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Online car scam
10.01am 31 May 2023
Customs is aware of an online scam offering people a new car, in exchange for payments and personal details.
Customs discovered the scam following an interaction with an elderly man at a postal service desk.
The man received an email which appeared to be from ‘BMW’, advising that he had been selected as one of 10 people to receive a new car. He was asked to pay for the delivery fee and provide his name and address.
The man was told he would be sent a smart key for the car and an ATM card with USD$1.5 million loaded onto it.
The emails he received were from two different addresses and with unusual monikers. He was repeatedly asked to make payments.
After making payments he was told to pick up the smart key from a postal service desk, but was then told it had been redirected twice.
He was told to email a photo of him receiving the smart key package, and following that he would be sent the car, which would arrive by plane. The smart key package never arrived.
Subsequent checks from Customs did identify two packages addressed to the man, which been seized as they were found to contain two fraudulent credit cards.
If you have received similar emails, please report it to Netsafe. Even if you were not tricked by the scam, reporting it can protect others.
Report a scam to Netsafe on their website.


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Square Enix and Nintendo just dropped a new video explaining a few things regarding the classic combat system in the upcoming Dragon Quest VII: Fragments Of The Forgotten Past. The 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII offers over 30 classes, and brings a “tactical” system to its take-turn battles. The 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII is set to debut on September 16th.
Those who have been keeping track with the latest Dragon Quest games will notice that the battles play out in real time. Real time battles aren’t a bad thing for RPGs, but those who enjoy the classic take-turn battle system found in the original Dragon Quest series will surely enjoy it in Fragments Of The Forgotten Past.
As it stands now, Dragon Quest VII will feature over 30 vocations (or classes). I’m sure each vocation will bring something unique to the battle system, as well as outside when exploring like healing teammates and curing certain status effects.
Aside from the 30 classes that will be evident on release, there will be all new spells and abilities to learn that are only present in the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII.
Speaking of spells and abilities, a new monster named the Metal Slime seeks to add skill and tactics during battles due to its high defenses. Magic won’t damage the Metal Slime, and will always render one percent of damage whether it’s physical or magic-based damage. The only type of damage that works is critical hits that exceed the one percent mark.
I do have to say that I like this method of enemy types, seeing how it doesn’t entirely force players to adjust to enemy types, but rewards those who pay attention to enemy weak points. This adds a complex spectrum that allows any weapon or spell to be used, while at the same time utilizing specific enemy exploits through certain combat maneuvers.
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments Of The Forgotten Past is set to debut on the 3DS in the West on September 16th. With that said, this now brings us to the new trailer dubbed as “Discover Tactics”. You can check out the video thanks to Nintendo‘s YouTube channel.


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Elite passionate vintage car collectors in Pakistan, repairing antique cars is like travelling back in time. resident of the Vintage and Classic Car Club of Pakistan Mohsin Ikraam, says the vintage car collectors help to preserve a portion of history of the past. He says, the rich Pakistani’s desire to own classic vintage automobiles has been rising.
The club sponsors many events where owners roll out their antiques for annual car shows or take them, something that might raise eyebrows among those aware of just how volatile this country can be. To outsiders, Pakistan is known for militant in tribal areas.
But Pakistan’s now fixing up and maintaining vintage cars, more commonly this hobby is associated with Western countries from where popular shows like “Top Gear” or “Fast N’ Loud” have reached Pakistani cable channels.
Raja Mujahid Zafar vice preseident Al-Zafar Pvt Ltd , has nearly 40 classic vintage cars and the oldest among them a 1914 Ford Model T at his palatial Islamabad home. A special section of the house and grounds is dedicated to his hobby, including a big concrete garage and two outdoor shelters.
Zafar’s “first love” was a maroon, six-cylinder Wolseley 1936 model, a “wreck” when he found it in 1988. It took him several years and trips abroad to hunt down parts to repair it to original condition.


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In 2015, the average unit volume of a Clubhouse was $1,450,594 compared to $981,335 for a traditional Round Table
Total revenues were $560.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 as compared to $526.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income and diluted net income per share were $34.6 million and $0.70, respectively, in the third quarter of fiscal 2016.
Brinker's total revenues decreased 0.5 percent to $758.5 million compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2016 and company sales decreased 0.4 percent to $737.4 million compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2016
Newly created role will focus on expanding the Association's show and solutions offerings
Hard Rock Cafe International (USA) announced yesterday that Hamish Dodds, its President and CEO, has decided to step down from his position in early 2017 to pursue new opportunities. The company is wholly owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It has been led by Dodds since 2004
RBI Total Revenues of $1,075.7 million versus $1,019.7 million in prior year period - RBI Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders of $86.3 million versus $49.6 million in prior year period
Revenue decreased 14.8% to $1.0 billion - Comparable restaurant transactions decreased 15.2%
California-based franchise group Cristallo Ventures L.L.C. has signed a 12-unit agreement to develop Blast & Brew locations throughout Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties over the next eight years. The group currently operates a franchised Blast & Brew in San Luis Obispo, which opened in March 2016.
The Cheesecake Factory of Queens is The Cheesecake Factorys first restaurant in New York City and is located at Space #1073, 90-15 Queens Boulevard, Elmhurst, NY 11373.


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TS was somewhat surprised to see the Audit Inspection Unit mention in its most recent report the case of a ‘partner’ in a firm who, after the recommended two-year period, had gone on to become FD of a ‘major listed audit client’. The AIU made nothing significant of it, but the case was pretty clearly that of Chris Lucas, who left PwC to join Barclays.
PwC was surprised too. ‘We were amazed that [the AIU] had it in,’ said TS’s contact at the nation’s biggest firm.
Cowgill Holloway and Warings Business Advisors have merged, with a range of growth plans in the North West put in place
Accountancy Age Jobs is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new look website for finance and accountancy professionals
The UK gender pay gap will not close until 2069 unless action is taken to tackle it now, according to new research by Deloitte
Three former Tesco executives, including the former finance director of Tesco UK, have been charged with fraud by the Serious Fraud Office in relation to a £263m accounting scandal at the retailer.


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Customer Data Integration Efforts Driving ETL Growth
Established ETL purveyors must increasingly compete against database vendors for market share, though no vendor consolidation is forecast.
If research firm META Group is right, there’s both good and bad in store for ETL vendors in 2004. While modest ETL growth is expected to resume this year—driven largely by customer data integration efforts—established ETL purveyors must increasingly compete against database vendors for market share.
Microsoft Corp. first introduced ETL functionality—dubbed SQL Server Data Transformation Services (DTS)—in its SQL Server 7.0 database, which shipped more than six years ago. Since then, Oracle Corp. has followed suit, while IBM Corp. provides data integration software for its DB2 database in its Information Integrator offering.
In a recent ETL marketplace report, META Group analyst Doug Laney projects that the ETL adoption rate will grow by between 10 and 20 percent over the next three to five years, with the market for ETL services posting similar gains. "However, due to price pressure from DBMS vendors offering increasingly competitive offerings at bundled prices, the financial growth of this market will be in the 5%-15% range, annually,” said Laney, in a statement.
Over this period, META Group does not expect the ETL market itself to consolidate; instead, second-tier ETL players will increasingly team up with business intelligence vendors. The first-tier ETL powers, such as Ascential Corp., Informatica Corp., and SAS Institute Inc., will either absorb or build out enterprise application integration technology along with other forms of data integration.
META Group’s ETL Tools report assayed 13 of the largest ETL vendors and found that Ascential and SAS had tied for the top spot. This is important, if only because the research found that ETL buyers have demonstrated a preference for market leaders—to the extent, META Group says, that they’re even willing to make architectural concessions to embrace such leaders.
ETL market leaders typically offer mature products with some degree of parallelization and connectivity into virtually any data source, the research firm says, along with robust development environments. Many ETL market challengers, on the other hand, are largely subsisting on their install bases, while many are searching for a buyer to acquire either them or their technology assets.
Among challengers, META Group says that Business Objects—which introduced a new version 6.5 release of its Data Integrator product earlier this month—is viewed as having the strongest expertise.
Elsewhere, META Group cited Oracle, DataMirror, and Sunopsis for the intelligence features that they’re building into their ETL offerings to accelerate data source mapping and other tasks. The research firm continues to rank Microsoft as a challenger, but noted that because of the software giant’s large installed base and attractive pricing (DTS is a free add-on for SQL Server), Microsoft could become a market force to be reckoned with by 2005 or 2006.
Stephen Swoyer is a Nashville, TN-based freelance journalist who writes about technology.


text: NewBay Media has acquired TVBEurope publisher Intent Media, to create a new European operation. The transaction between NewBay, which was formed in 2006 by the sale of United Business Media’s CMP Entertainment Media division, and Intent, which purchased several brands from United Business Media last year, brings several sister publications back under one roof. These include Pro Sound News and Pro Sound News Europe, Systems Contractor News and Installation, and TV Technology (which now incorporates TV Broadcast) and TVBEurope. The combined portfolio will offer readers, advertisers and partners unparalleled depth, breadth and reach into these vibrant, dynamic and international markets. Intent Media founder and managing director Stuart Dinsey will continue his role under the new ownership, operating from offices in Hertford and London whilst driving further expansion. “Intent has constantly expanded, becoming one of Europe’s biggest specialists in business media for entertainment markets,” said Dinsey. “Our entrepreneurial spirit and on-going ambitions fit perfectly with NewBay. Together, we look forward to exploring further growth opportunities.” Steve Palm, President and CEO at NewBay, added: “Strategically, our plan has always included international expansion, and I am pleased that we were able to do this with a company that so perfectly complements our own portfolio and mission.” Full details of the acquisition can be found here.


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Influencer Yasmin Maya Went From Being In Immigration Limbo To Building A Lashes Brand That Quickly Sold Out
At 18 years old, Yasmin Maya traveled about 225 miles from her home in Carpinteria, the scenic seaside California city she’d called her home most of her life after being born in the Mexican town Amatepec, to Tijuana, where she would stay three years to sort out her residency status before moving back to the United States. “I grew up thinking we were legal, but I guess it turned out we weren’t,” says the currently 29-year-old beauty influencer, whose parents’ deportation preceded her return to Mexico, in a YouTube video sharing her family history and path to social media renown.
Scared and depressed while she was in immigration limbo, Maya hopped on YouTube as a distraction. “I was away from my family, my life, everything that I grew up knowing, and I would just sit down and watch YouTube videos,” she says. She voraciously consumed makeup tutorials and product hauls from beauty personalities the likes of Dulce Candy and Nicole Guerriero. “The OG videos that everybody would upload back in the day,” says Maya. She quickly realized the YouTubers weren’t doing anything she couldn’t. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I do this?’ I have nothing to do,” recounts Maya. “I literally just sit here and cry. So, instead of doing that, I should do something that makes me happy and brings some kind of joy.”
On Nov. 19, 2012, Maya posted her first YouTube video under the handle BeautyyBird. In it, she explained a big reason she decided to post it was to provide her mother and aunt with makeup instruction they could follow since she couldn’t be with them in person to handle their makeup. “They are busy women. They are always working. They never ever put on makeup unless if it’s for an event and, when it’s that time to put on the makeup, I’m the one who does it,” she informed her viewers. “So, yeah, they don’t really know how to apply makeup correctly. So, that’s the purpose of why I’m starting this channel.”
The first video garnered around 155,000 views. Today, Maya has 1.05 million subscribers on YouTube, and her most popular videos on the platform, including those delving into her beauty and fashion hacks, and haircare routine, have received millions of views. “It brought me so much more than joy,” says Maya. Lucrative opportunities are among what social media fame has brought her. Maya has collaborated with several brands such as Impressions Vanity and Sigma Beauty and, in December last year, launched her own brand named Birdy Lashes with two varieties of faux mink lashes—Gemini and Dream—and two varieties of eyeliner-glue hybrids. The products, which sold out in a week, are each $12.
From the beginning of her YouTube career, Maya dreamt of having a brand. “The whole process of taking it from the idea to creating it and, then, finally having it in my hands and seeing how it goes out to everybody, it was a whole process that I was so amazed by,” she says. Maya decided to inaugurate her brand with lashes, a staple of her makeup stash, to ensure that her fans have an approachable option for embellishing their eyes.
“I wanted to come out with something that was innovative and easy for the client.”
“A lot of the times people feel intimidated to apply lashes because they feel like they can’t do it or it’s too hard, so I wanted to come out with something that was innovative and easy for the client,” she says. “I wanted them to be very luxurious, something that they felt like they’re putting their money’s worth into, but, at the same time, have it be accessible.”
Maya describes Dream as the “perfect everyday lash for every eye look.” Gemini is ideal for going out and, so far, has been the strongest seller. Maya says, “I realized that people love to really feel themselves, and they love the wow effect even more…they’re craving that drama in their eyes, especially right now.”
She enlisted three of her fellow influencers for Birdy Lashes’ launch campaign, and Instagram has been the main avenue for the brand’s marketing. Instead of splurging on fancy public relations gifting and outreach, she seeded the products in an unfussy manner and has donated what she would have otherwise spent on elaborate publicity efforts to the ACLU. “Because my brand is self-funded, I feel that we have to be smart about how we spend our marketing money, how much money we’re going to be putting into the packaging and everything,” says Maya.
She admits she’s already learned a number of hard lessons about being a beauty entrepreneur. “For my launch campaign, I requested so many edited images because they were all so beautiful, but I didn’t end up using all of them,” says Maya. “I would also be more mindful about reducing the amount of shipping supplies. Although I did opt for a less wasteful packaging option and used matte black envelopes versus big PR mailer boxes, I bought a lot of tissue paper for the fear that I wouldn’t have enough or would run out.”
“I want my Latino community to know that I am paying tribute to them. In one way or another, I always want them to feel included.”
Birdy Lashes had planned to restock its products last month, but a legal issue interfered. Media company Dotdash, owner of the digital beauty destination Byrdie, sent Birdy Lashes a letter on Jan. 15 demanding it stop selling Birdy Lashes cosmetics due to alleged trademark infringement. To explain the legal matter and restocking delay to Birdy Lashes’ customers, Maya wrote on social media, “I can’t believe I am disappointing you guys like this. We definitely, 100%, don’t believe we are doing anything wrong. But, as you all know, we are a small, Latina-owned brand that has been built from the ground up and we have to protect ourselves in situations like these…We are doing everything we can to get this resolved as soon as possible.”
On her social media accounts, Maya has a total audience of over 3 million that’s predominately female and aged 25 to 34. She’s confident she can build a customer base beyond the digital arena, and aspires to place Birdy Lashes in retailers like Ulta Beauty, Sephora and Target. “I was trying to focus on having my audience be a part of the whole journey, but we definitely want to expand more,” says Maya. She adds, “Target has become a favorite retailer for so many, and I like the idea that, while you’re out shopping for food, home decor or diapers, you can also snag your makeup products at the same time.”
Maya is particularly interested in getting Birdy Lashes’ products in front of Latina shoppers in the stores they frequent. She’s vocal about the pride she has in her culture, the struggles of the immigration system in the U.S., and the challenges she and her family have overcome to reside comfortably in Southern California. In the launch campaign for Birdy Lashes, Maya made a point to don a traditional Mexican charro suit, the kind of suit worn by mariachi and men in weddings. “I want my Latino community to know that I am paying tribute to them,” she says. “In one way or another, I always want them to feel included.”
As of Jan. 15, 2021, Byrdie.com’s owner Dotdash is asking Birdy Lashes to stop using the brand name Birdy Lashes. The interview for this story was coordinated before Jan. 15. Legal counsel for Birdy Lashes and Dotdash are communicating to get the matter resolved.


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The Lumia 635 mysteriously disappeared from the Microsoft Store US site after just a day of preorders, but across the pond in the United Kingdom, there's good news for buyers hoping to get their hands on the low-cost 4G Windows Phone.
Microsoft's UK team just dropped us a line to confirm that the Lumia 635 will be available from July 3, priced from £119.99 off-contract. This will make it one of the most affordable handsets to include 4G LTE support in the United Kingdom, and it will be widely available too.
Three, EE, O2 and Vodafone will all offer the device directly, while retailers Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4u and Tesco will also stock it. It will be sold in orange and green versions, featuring glossy dual-layered polycarbonate shells, or for those with more sombre tastes, a matte black version will also be available.
Apart from offering 4G connectivity, the Lumia 635 is technically identical to its 3G-only sibling, the Lumia 630, which launched in the UK last month priced from £89.95. Both devices feature a 4.5-inch IPS LCD screen with 854x480px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 1830mAh battery and a 5MP rear camera.
Image via Microsoft / Nokia


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President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime announced over Twitter that the Galaxy style new #3DS XL model will be available in stores this week across North America for $200. The post said this:
Go to PlayStation’s YouTube channel and you will see what the community really thinks about PlayStation Plus. Almost every monthly plus video (which shows only two of the plus games that are available but that’s beside the point) reaches up to 90% and as low as 25% on dislikes, because of the community's dislike of the games …
The 13th annual Hokies vs. Hoos Food Drive to benefit the local Feedmore food bank is in full swing and will be ending Monday, February 13th, after an extension given on Friday, February 10th.
With only 132 days till graduation, seniors can’t be more excited to finally graduate to the next step. This guide of information will help seniors walk the stage of the VCU Siegel Center.
With college applications ending and the acceptance process under way, seniors need scholarships to help pay for the rising prices of college.
The first semester is ending and the end of 2016 is coming, but before we celebrate the holidays and the New Year, there is work to be done.
Homecoming is upon us again.
On Monday, October 10th, Cosby High School hosted the James River Regiment marching band at the annual County Band Night, which featured 10 different bands in the Chesterfield County area.


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Aside from other exciting hardware features, such as a bezel-less, wraparound OLED screen with integrated Touch ID and click-less Home button, Apple’s tenth anniversary iPhone could bring out iris scanning capabilities next year, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes said Monday. The technology could be potentially used to replace, or augment, Touch ID verification to boost security.
Some phones, like Samsung’s upcoming Note refresh, are expected to adopt iris scanning later this year. Keep in mind that DigiTimes has a hit-and-miss record so the DigiTimes report should be taken with a grain of salt.
“Samsung is expected to lead all vendors by releasing its new flagship smartphone supporting iris recognition technology in the second half of 2016, while Apple is likely to roll out new iPhone devices with iris sensors in 2018,” reads the report.
Iris is the circular colored muscle of the eye.
Iris scanning may be more accurate than fingerprint-based verification, although both the iris and the fingerprint are unique to each individual. However, the accuracy of iris scanning is not prone to wet, greasy or oily fingers like Touch ID.
That said, it’s unclear how the technology could be beneficial becase iris scanning suffers in low light conditions and recognizing complex patterns in a person’s iris is more taxing than analyzing fingerprints from a hardware point of view.
A January 2014 report from 9to5Mac alleged that Apple was actively investigating iris scanning technology and looking at using other sensors already built into the iPhone, like the accelerometer and compass, to improve facial recognition.
For what it’s worth, revered analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted Apple would be bringing facial or iris recognition to a future iPhone as an additional layer of biometric security.
Would iris scanning make a viable alternative to Touch ID, do you think?


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A messy shot of late winter weather did little to slow the GTA housing market between the end of February and early March, as interested home buyers continued to pour into open houses and offer nights, pointing to a hot spring season to come.
Demand was strong for houses for sale in Toronto, with a total of 129 sold, up 43% from the same time in February, and 54% from last year’s activity. In the 905 markets, a total of 569 sold, up 35% month-over-month and 83% year-over year, signalling buyer purchasing power has recovered enough to really heat up the game for single-family homes. Growth was similarly robust in the smaller semi-detached segment, with a total of 39 sold in Toronto, up 70% m-o-m and 30% y-o-y, while there were 118 transactions in the 905, up 74% m-o-m and 76% y-o-y.
As well, demand continues to sizzle in the most affordable corners of the market – a total of 33 townhouses sold in the 416, up 65% m-o-m and 94% y-o-y, while 75 traded hands in the 905, up 19% m-o-m and 50% y-o-y. Meanwhile, a total of 190 condo units sold in the City of Toronto, up 20% m-o-m and 56% y-o-y, with 282 sold in the 905, up 9% m-o-m and 46% y-o-y.


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At least 35,000 tonnes of Malaysian and Vietnamese billet have been sold to China at $433-435 per tonne cfr since last week.
Billet from Southeast Asia is preferred among Chinese importers due to the shorter shipping period and because it is not subject to a 2% import tax that would be imposed on materials originating from other regions, sources said.
These cargoes are likely to be heading for southern China, where prices remain above levels seen in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, which was previously the major entry point for imported billet, Chinese sources told Fastmarkets.
Sources also said domestic billet prices had plunged over the past week because the delivery of imported billet had weakened demand for material produced locally.
On December 13, the price of billet in Guangzhou, the largest steel market in southern China, was 3,700 yuan ($527) per tonne, while prices in Jiangsu province were...