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Breaking News from Fremont NE
Find the latest Fremont NE News from the most up to date source on all headlines and breaking stories from around the world.
Hormel Foods announces sale of Fremont plant to Wholestone Farms - Austin Daily Herald
SneeHormel Foods Corporation and WholeStone Farms have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Hormel Foods Fremont, Nebraska, processing facility to WholeStone Farms, LLC.The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in D
The Husker fans who waited 12 hours to get 30 seconds with Scott Frost
LINCOLN — Josh Eberhardt had his Husker jersey custom-made. He's No. 16 — his high school number — with his last name sewn in the back. He had a game-worn Orange Bowl patch affixed to it, and, later, snowflakes. To represent new Nebraska coach Scott Frost.
An L.A. County deputy faked evidence. Here’s how his misconduct was kept secret in court for years
Jose Ovalle, one of the deputies who also booked the evidence, had been suspended five years earlier for pouring taco sauce on a shirt to mimic blood in a criminal case. He nearly lost his job.
Train monitoring up and running
The system monitors the railroad crossings at North Somers Avenue, west 23rd Street, west Linden Avenue and west Military Avenue, all on the west side of town.
Cunningham: These kids not 'wasting their time'
Stop me if you’ve heard this before.“Kids today are spoiled.” “There’s a growing disconnect between the older generation and these new upstarts.” “Nobody wants to work anymore.”Coffee shop talk? Laments from the family after a July 4th cook-out?
Local, original hangouts serve up the fun
That got us wondering: What other bars and coffeehouses in the metro area offer something different to attract customers? We found everything from cuddly cats, to yoga, to build-your-own bloody marys. Enjoy!
Committee sending airport plan to council
“We hope that they will concur with our location and then we can get this approved and go into final design on the project,” said Dave Goedeken, director of public works for the City of Fremont.
IA Omaha/Valley NE Zone Forecast
IA Omaha/Valley NE Zone Forecast for Sunday, August 5, 2018—————383 FPUS53 KOAX 051159
Hormel plans to sell Fremont pork plant that employs 1,500 and makes Spam
Buy NowIn 1947, Hormel purchased its Fremont plant, where the company makes its most famous product, Spam, along with Little Sizzlers sausage and other items.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Showers possible today through Monday
Rain is possible today, with the National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska, listing a 70 percent chance of precipitation.
Hormel sells its Nebraska processing plant to hog farmer cooperative
Dive Brief:Hormelannounced in a press release Thursdaythat it will sell one of its pork processing plants in Fremont, Nebraska, to WholeStone Farms, a newly formed cooperative of 220 Midwestern hog farmers. Neither Hormel nor WholeStone Farms disclosed the sale price.The transaction is expected to c
Police investigating shooting find 1 dead in north Omaha
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Who is WholeStone Farms?
The relatively new company, started in 2017, is a consortium of over 220 pork producers from South Dakota and Minnesota who collectively farm about 400,000 acres raising about 12 million pigs a year, according to Luke Minion, chairman of the board of WholeStone Farms, and the interim CEO.
School lunch menus for Aug. 20-24
Thursday: Hamburger pizza, carrot and celery sticks, juice, cookie, milk.
Hormel Foods Corporation And WholeStone Farms Announce The Sale Of Fremont, Neb., Processing Facility To WholeStone Farms, LLC | Markets Insider
AUSTIN, Minn.,Aug. 16, 2018/PRNewswire/ --Â Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a global branded food company, and WholeStone Farms, announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Hormel FoodsFremont, Neb., processing facility to WholeStone Farms, LLC. The transacti
Stolen Vintage Barracuda located, parts stripped
Fremont, Neb. (KMTV) -- - Hard work by investigators and social media persistence help track down a Bellevue man's vintage car, but now it doesn't look the same.
Dad cited for DUI outside of Elkhorn school
“There was a gentleman, who was showing signs of intoxication, who was there to pick up his child,” Capt. Wayne Hudson, of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said.
Fremont Lakes to host fishing program
A park entry permit is required. For more information, call 402-727-2922 or email@example.com.
Police: Motorist jailed in connection with crash that killed Omaha motorcyclist
A 2005 Dodge Durango was northbound on 90th, traveling above the 40 mph speed limit. The Durango sideswiped a northbound 2008 Hyundai Veracruz SUV near 90th and Franklin Streets. The Durango continued northbound, striking a northbound 2010 Honda Civic. The Durango then crossed the raised concrete me
Hormel announcement surprises producers; Welstead recalls plant's early history
Workers pour concrete on the land south of Hormel Foods Thursday. Hormel worked with the city for the closure of Studley Road, which seperates Hormel from the new area. (Chris Bristol, Fremont Tribune)


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New-York based mostly web3 funding agency CoinFund is on the hunt to lift $250 million simply three months after its earlier fund.
CoinFund introduced that it plans to make use of the funding to fund seed-stage startups.
Three separate filings have proven that CoinFund’s Cayman Islands-domiciled funds goal to lift $130 million and $20 million. In the meantime, the corporate’s Delaware-associated department is on the lookout for $100 million.
The experiences counsel that the funding spherical continues to be in its toddler stage, and gross sales haven’t but occurred.
In August, CoinFund introduced a $300 million fund to again early-stage blockchain initiatives.
The fund was backed by institutional buyers, together with the Instructor Retirement System of Texas, Adams Road Companions and StepStone Group.
The enterprise fund, which known as ‘The CoinFund Ventures I fund,’ was opened to spend money on web3 corporations exhibiting industrial traction.
David Pakman, CoinFund managing companion and enterprise investing head, stated the brand new would spend money on crypto initiatives and corporations that target layer-1 blockchains, web3 infrastructure, DeFi, NFTs and gaming, funds, belongings administration, exchanges, marketplaces, and decentralized functions.
Established in 2015, CoinFund has invested in over 100 portfolio corporations since then. The corporate is among the longest-running web3 enterprise capitalists and has invested an estimated $1 billion in seed-stage startups.
CoinFund’s portfolio additionally extends to backing Layer 1 blockchain Solana, web3 indexing protocol The Graph and blockchain infrastructure firm Blockdaemon, amongst different startups.
Moreover, CoinFund was additionally a participant in developer platform Hyperlane’s $18.5 million spherical and crypto funding app Solvo’s $3.5 million spherical.
Prior to now, CoinFund targeted on Bitcoin and seed-stage investments in decentralized finance (DeFi) initiatives. CoinFund beforehand invested in corporations that embody NBA High Shot creator Dapper Labs, blockchain infrastructure platform Blockdaemon, and knowledge indexing protocol The Graph, amongst others.
Picture supply: Shutterstock

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It has been an interesting couple of years for the Xbox, ones in which we've witnessed a shift from a hardcore gaming focus to a world of casual gaming with Kinect, avatars, and cross-platform Xbox games and services. Microsoft's Kinect sensor introduced the concept of controller-less gaming to the masses and Microsoft has started to push its Xbox Live services to devices outside of the console with Windows Phone and SmartGlass for iOS and Android.
"We're no longer just competing with the traditional console companies..."
This emerging trend isn't new, but looking at it broadly it's easy to pick out the future of Xbox as a brand and as an increasingly important tool for Microsoft to win back mindshare and consumers. Microsoft's VP of the Interactive Entertainment Business, Phil Harrison, has admitted that the company's game development teams are now multiformat studios. "We're no longer just competing with the traditional console companies, but our competitive landscape includes the likes of Google, the likes of Amazon, it includes obviously the likes of Apple," said Harrison at the London Games Conference this week.
This competition is pushing Microsoft into increasingly crowded markets to ensure that the Xbox brand is one that consumers look to for entertainment as well as games. "We think that's great. We think it's good for us, we think it's good for the industry and we think it also moves us into this network generation more aggressively and with more determination," says Harrison, who recently joined Microsoft after holding a variety of management and executive positions at Sony for over 15 years."We think of Microsoft as now being a devices and services company."
"There will be times when we build specific devices for specific purposes."
This focus mirrors Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's admission of "a fundamental shift" in Microsoft's business. Ballmer says Microsoft will "build specific devices for specific purposes" and it appears that a recently announced London-based studio will form part of that work. "It will be making products largely based on the Windows 8 platform and technologies," says Harrison. "And it's more about exploring new business models and pioneering new ways to play on devices that we think are going to be powering the future of our industry over the next five or ten years."
The Verge has detailed a variety of future devices that Microsoft is currently preparing under the Xbox brand, including an Xbox set-top box, 7-inch tablet, and a wrist-worn fitness device. These devices are all strategic moves to compliment a focus on multi platform games and entertainment services and will appear to casual and hardcore gamers. Xbox Music recently launched for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, but Microsoft will also release iOS and Android clients in early 2013. Likewise, Xbox SmartGlass is an early look at how Microsoft plans to leverage existing devices to connect to a variety of Xbox services and the company's existing and future consoles.
Increasingly, it's clear that Microsoft is positioning Xbox at the heart of its consumer play with a broad backing from its research teams. Future service integration with Skype will also serve to entice consumers to the ecosystem as a whole. Sources close to Microsoft's Xbox work tell us that the company is focused on building a platform for Xbox that will allow it to scale a hardware and software combination in a similar way to Apple's iOS model. The strategy is taking shape and the core of Windows 8 underpins this approach. Ballmer is focusing on devices and services and has removed Steven Sinofsky from the Windows division, a key adversary to Microsoft's various business units working in harmony.
The strategy is clearly taking shape, but it's not just a matter of creating devices. Microsoft's challenge is to capture a wider audience without alienating hardcore gamers. The risk is real, but the rewards are plenty, and either way, as Ballmer says, "it truly is a new era at Microsoft."


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Tesco staff in Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon are striking this weekend in a row over pay and conditions.
Workers in Sligo are walking off the job for the third time this month.
In the Carrick-on-Shannon store, staff plan to strike tomorrow for the first time.
Mandate Trade Union claims Tesco has not engaged with them in an effort to resolve the dispute.
John Douglas, Mandate General Secretary, said: “It is unfortunate that our members are forced to strike yet again due to Tesco’s continued refusal to engage with their workers’ union and follow collective grievance procedures.
“Our members don’t want to be on strike, but it seems the company is happy to prolong this totally unnecessary strike for their own reasons.
"We hope the public will understand the necessity for our members to defend their interests and put the blame firmly where it belongs, with Tesco management.”
Tesco released a statement saying they are extremely disappointed with the strike action.
They said: "This series of one-day strikes is entirely out of proportion as these are local disputes involving local issues that don’t warrant such disruption in Christmas week. Despite the strikes, our stores will remain open today and Saturday and we thank our colleagues and our customers for their co-operation.
"We regret this action by Mandate and the disruption inflicted on our colleagues, our customers and to other businesses in the two towns by these unjustified strikes. It is particularly disappointing action by Mandate for these close-to-the-Border towns in the run-up to Christmas.
"We reject Mandate’s claims that the union is left with no option but to have strikes in Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon or that it is Tesco’s failure to follow and implement agreed collective procedures. It is in fact the complete opposite, we remain committed to the State’s industrial relations machinery as we were before when we accepted a Labour Court recommendation that continues to remain rejected by Mandate. Unlike the union, we continue to respect the Industrial Relations processes and remain committed to them.
"Tesco remains committed to resolving this dispute. We request that Mandate, even at this late stage, desist from the industrial action and refer these issues back to the WRC where we are willing to engage with the union. Mandate should return to the agreed norms in industrial relations as is provided for in our current agreement and call off this unnecessary and damaging action.
"Mandate should revisit too its decision to refuse to take up the offer from the WRC for a conciliation conference on Sligo which was originally scheduled for October 24th. In Carrick-on-Shannon the local issues have not yet even been referred back to the WRC by Mandate indicating these strikes are pre-emptive.
"It is unfathomable that Mandate is taking this approach when Tesco fully respects our colleagues’ right to choose to be represented by a trade union, unlike many other retail stores and businesses this Christmas who do not recognise or engage with Mandate. "


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NEW markets for Scottish mackerel exports in Asia and west Africa are to be explored in response to Russia's food export ban.
The ban covers imports from countries which have imposed sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. Poultry, pork, fish, dairy and vegetables are among the products banned.
The Scottish mackerel industry is expected to be one of the worst affected with around 20 per cent of the fish processed in Scotland, worth £16 million, formerly exported to Russia.
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The Scottish and UK governments and the European Commission have all pledged their support for the industry.
Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead met with industry bodies earlier this week.


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Hewlett-Packard is closing down its WebOS hardware operations, effectively killing off its TouchPad tablet device and smartphones.
It's part of a more wide-ranging review of the company's business which will also see it looking for a way to spin of its personal computer division, although it will continue to make servers and other products for the business sector.
The move comes only a year after HP bought ailing handheld device maker Palm, with CEO Leo Apotheker saying that 'Our TouchPad has not been gaining enough traction in the marketplace [so] we have made the difficult to shut down the WebOS hardware operations'.
HP's mobile products have been struggling in a market increasingly dominated by Apple's iPhone and iPad, along with Android-toting smartphones and tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy range. HP's purchase of Palm for $1.8bn (around £1.2bn) last year was seen as an attempt to regain market share, Palm having been a pioneer in the handheld computing market.
However, since then sales of iOS and Android products have kept on growing, leading HP to take a decision just six months after it flatly denied such suggestions as 'irresponsible reporting'.
However, the company says it will 'continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward', while at the same time announcing its $10bn takeover of software company Autonomy.
Furthermore, it's exploring 'strategic alternatives' for its Personal Systems Group, which includes its PC operations, 'including the exploration of the separation of its PC business into a separate company through a spin-off or other transaction.'
Although PSG is the world's leading producer of personal computers, with revenues in excess of $41bn last year, it's thought the profits delivered by the division don't match up to its sales position.
Apotheker says that 'In March we outlined a strategy for HP, built on cloud, solutions and software to address the changing requirements of our customers, shaped heavily by secular market trends that are redefining how technology is consumed and deployed.
'Since then, we have observed the acceleration of these market trends, which has led us to evaluate additional steps to transform HP to meet emerging opportunities. We believe the acquisition of Autonom, combined with the exploration of alternatives for PSG, would allow HP to more effectively compete and better execute its focused strategy.'
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Online lending through handmade cards achieved ?step one.5bn during the February, more 3 times more than the average of one’s earlier in the day six months plus the very since Financial away from England information first started for the 1993. Annual growth in credit card lending () is 9.4%, a great four-season large. That it development is decided to carry on as more and payday loans Creston OH more some one fool around with playing cards to spend debts and you can defense essential invest.
Growth in other types of unsecured credit, like personal loans, might have been way more discreet, having an increase out of dos.4% year-on-year in the February this season. This new EY Goods Club claims this might mirror people forgoing large ticket commands so you’re able to verify they’re able to purchase very important factors and also the proceeded exhaustion when you look at the the fresh new vehicle transformation. Private the fresh new vehicles registrations for the 2021 was twenty-eight% beneath the pre-pandemic 2019 height, because the brands scaled right back production because of an insufficient semi-conductors or other supply trouble. It exhaustion has proceeded into 2022, and you will automobile registrations more age period during the 2019.
Financial financing increases to ease straight back as large prices and higher inflation begin working
Homes , and financial lending grew at a consistent level away from cuatro.3%, enhanced from the stamp duty vacation, list low home loan prices additionally the ‘competition getting space’ because working from home increased need for large, out-of-town characteristics. Inside the 2021, step one.49m homes was basically transacted, up from just one.03m for the 2020, having deals the highest because the 2007.
While you are mortgage credit remains prediction to enhance along side 2nd 2 yrs, this new EY Product Pub wants the pace of development so you’re able to slow to 3.8% this year and you will 3.3% next. For the cash conditions, so it means web of financing out of ?59.4bn and you can ?53.5bn when you look at the 2022 and you will 2023 respectively. Reduced increases commonly mirror rising rates, expanding cost-of-living pressures additionally the impression regarding longer cost into houses request. The average domestic price inside Q4 2021 out of almost ?270,100000 try around 8.75 minutes average annual income, in addition to average home loan in the Q4 was equivalent to step three.thirty five moments borrowers’ earnings – the best proportion since ONS show began in 1992.
Providers lending to enhance by 2.8% this present year – a similar speed it averaged from 2015-2019
Regardless of if economic climates is actually swinging back to your pre-pandemic norms, the latest EY Product Pub forecasts the business financing outlook because of it year and then to be somewhat blended.
Headwinds when it comes to large borrowing from the bank costs are requested, with further interest increases forecast. At exactly the same time, organizations deal with a very unclear global environment, highest costs for investment merchandise and you will a rise in this company income tax rate from 2023. Considering EY Product Club research, this may generate companies warier regarding using and trying out financial obligation. Having said that, went on economic increases, brand new revival out of sectors in past times most-impacted by COVID-19 constraints and also the incentive to spend offered by the brand new super-deduction income tax break may help increase interest in loans.
Total, the new EY Product Pub Uk Lender Lending Forecast needs net financial financing to United kingdom organizations to expand of the dos.8% into the 2022 (?thirteen.4bn for the cash terms and conditions) – the same price it averaged regarding the many years before the pandemic anywhere between 2015 and you will 2019 – and you may step three.3% the following year (?sixteen.2bn).
New EY Product Club adds one to 2020 and you will 2021 was unusual decades considering the regulators-backed funds accessible to organizations to assist be certain that monetary survival in the middle of lockdowns. Within the 2020, websites business lending rose 8% (?thirty-five.5bn) but in 2021 the fresh new stock of loans in order to providers decrease 0.3% (bad ?step one.2bn), the initial , as much businesses had quicker need for disaster resources of money and was able to pay off a few of the loans applied for during the early stages of one’s pandemic as a precautionary level.


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The executive director of the Pennsylvania Lottery is leaving his post to work for the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, the state and the company announced Thursday.
Ed Mahlman will be chief marketing officer for Philadelphia Media Holdings, which is trying to prove the notion about daily newspapers being in decline wrong with its recent purchase of the Inquirer, Daily News and related properties.
In a statement, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell lauded the work Mahlman did for the lottery, pointing out that revenue has increased by $1 million — it was a record $3.07 billion in the most recent fiscal year — since he took over in February 2003.
During that tenure, the lottery introduced the Match 6 and Millionaire Raffle games, added about 1,400 sales locations and introduced its Gus, the Second Most Famous Groundhog in Pennsylvania mascot.
Rendell said the lottery is now "one of the most efficient and fastest growing state lotteries in the country and it's a model for other states."
In his new job, Mahlman will report to Philadelphia Media CEO Brian Tierney.
Tierney, founder of the city's Tierney Communications advertising agency now owned by Interpublic Group of Cos., said Mahlman "knows all aspects of marketing and advertising, from the big concept down to the point of sale and will now apply this tremendous experience to our newspapers and online properties."
Tierney led a group of local investors in buying the newspapers, philly.com and other properties from McClatchy Newspapers of Sacramento, Calif., this summer for $562 million.
McClatchy bought the Philadelphia newspapers as part of its larger deal to buy the Knight Ridder Inc. chain and decided that they did not fit the company's strategy of buying in growing markets.
Tierney has insisted his group will be able to turn around circulation declines with better marketing.
Good luck to Mr. Mahlman on his new job.


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The big rumor floating around town is that Sears, which was an original anchor when the Asheville Mall opened in 1971, is closing, and that a new movie theater and restaurant will move in.
The Asheville Mall, which houses about 120 businesses, has seen a few updates in recent years. Last year, clothier H&M opened – the largest store to open in the mall since the Barnes and Noble book store opened there in 2009.
Last December, CNBC noted this in its story about Sears stores closing:
Belus Capital Advisors analyst Brian Sozzi said the retailer likely needs to close another 200-plus locations in 2015. As of Nov. 1, Sears had 1,050 Kmart locations in the U.S., and 781 domestic Sears stores. In its conference call, the retailer said that it owns about 700 of these locations.
Analysts have called out Sears’ strong real estate portfolio as its greatest opportunity. Not only does it have the ability to sell off a number of these locations, but because it’s held many of its leases for so many years, it has the flexibility to close many of its stores at a low cost, Tuhy said.
Last month, Sears said it is considering converting hundreds of its stores into a real estate investment trust (REIT) to boost its finances. If it were to go through with the plan, the retailer would own between 400 and 500 stores, and lease between 1,300 and 1,400 locations. It would continue to operate in the locations sold to the REIT, CFO Rob Schriesheim said.
We’ll see what happens.
A little more history about the Asheville Mall.
If Sears Holdings is to close additional stores, it would close a combination of Kmart and Sears stores. Low performing stores with expiring leases could be the first to close.
I am not aware of Sears at Asheville Mall being a low performer.
Three Kmart stores on South Tunnel Road and Hendersonville Road in Asheville and Blue Ridge Mall in Hendersonville have closed. I do not know how Kmart stores on Patton Avenue and Brevard Road are doing.
I hardly ever go to Asheville Mall, but I go to the movies at least monthly, often weekly, so a movie theatre would be a good move. My fondest memories of malls during my childhood and teen years was making rounds of the mall before or after seeing a show.
Thank you, Baby Jesus.
You’re welcome, Meg. I do what I can.
It does not seem that this article “controlling” any rumors, merely repeating (and thus further spreading) them
That has been pointed out several times in previous ‘rumor control’ posts. It’s tongue in cheek, I guess.
Great. Gotta find a new mower shop. :/


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Author: Denis Gayevsky
As Kiev breaches cooperation ties with Russia, Ukraine plunges into an acute social and economic crisis. Apparently, this was one of the strategic tasks of the Turchynov-Poroshenko regime. Although the post-Maidan authorities have put great efforts towards this, the northern neighbor is still the largest trade and economic partner of Ukraine.
In 2015, exports of goods and services to Russia totaled $7.5billion, imports – $8.7billion. In Q1 2016, exports totaled $1.4billion, imports – $1billion. In Ukraine’s foreign trade in 2016, Russia accounted for 7% of total exports and 10.4% of total imports.
Nevertheless, there is downward trend in the foreign trade turnover between the two countries. In the period from 2013 up to 2015, the given indicator fell threefold from $49.5billion to $16.2billion. In 2016, the decline will continue approximately to $10billion. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, the negative effect for Ukraine’s payment balance from the Russian food embargo (as a protective measure following Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU) and restrictions on the transit via the territory of Russia will total $1.1billion. As usually, labor migrants correct the situation with the payment balance of Ukraine – in 2015, they transferred $1.1billion from Russia. Thanks to Russia “the aggressor”, millions of Ukrainians have means of subsistence.
In the long-term outlook, there are no factors able to reverse the downward trend in the economic relations of the two states. The problem is that it is not clear when the anti-Russian regime of Poroshenko will be overthrown (it is not clear who will come to replace it either – it may be even more radical force). Besides, there are systemic economic reasons.
In 2016, Ukraine has exported to Russia mostly inorganic chemistry (17% of total exports to Russia), machine-building products (17%), ferrous metals (15%), as well as paper and cardboard (8%). Meanwhile, Russia can produce all these goods under its import substitution program.
Second, Moscow is reducing its dependence on Ukraine by building a railway and pipeline passing by Ukraine. In particular, by the latest data, a diverging branch line from Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline to port Taman will be designed. In future, the construction of North Stream-2 will make unprofitable Ukraine’s gas
As for the restoration of the relations after the hypothetical Power Change in Ukraine, the only sector where it is inevitable is the transport one. Fortunately, there are no obstacles except the political ones for the restoration of the air, railway and motor communication between the two countries at full. The second obvious option is the resumption of the natural gas procurement directly from Gazprom instead of the European traders of the same Russian gas who sell it by $10-$15 more expensively per 1,000 cubic meter.
As for the restoration of the industrial cooperation, it is impossible, as among others Ukraine has been rapidly deindustrialized. For instance, machine-building sector has shrunken by 60% within two years, though it employed one-third of the employable population of the Ukrainian SSR. Actually, Ukraine has made its place in the world as a mere supplier of raw materials for the countries of developed capitalism. It will be present in the foreign markets with the law-added value products such as grain, corn, sunflower oil, iron stone, steel, wood, as well as scrap iron, into which the Soviet factories will be disassembled (particularly, the legendary Dnepropetrovsk “Uzhmash” that stopped operating 1.5-year ago).
Losing the Russian sales market, Ukraine has failed to recompense for the losses in other directions too. The widely promoted European market did not live up the expectations of “European integrators,” as after 2% growth in 2014, exports fell by one-third in 2015 and continued to shrink by 2.7% in Q1 (versus Q1 2015). Only three good items saw a growth – nuts, straw items, and cotton.
Asia is a promising market for Ukraine (its share in total foreign trade of Ukraine increased to 32%). Top Five countries to which Ukraine increased export in 2015 are Thailand, Bangladesh, Philippines, Lebanon and Malaysia. Although EU accounts for 41% of Ukraine’s total export, Top Five trade partners are Russia, China, Poland, Egypt and Turkey.
Eurocentrism played a low-down trick with the country. It is necessary to understand that Ukraine is a too big country to live on European subsidies like the East European border states. On the other hand, Ukraine is too small domestic market with an extremely low consumer purchasing power to create a sustainable economy. To correct the situation, Ukraine could join the integration projects with CIS countries, as it was mentioned repeatedly. However, instead of settling the accumulated social and economic problems in the country with accessible tools (at least stemming from the instinct of political self-preservation), Ukraine’s elites keep splitting public consciousness by speaking of the “Russian aggression” at international platforms. Meanwhile, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is developing his business on the territory of the Russian Federation and paying taxes to the budget of the “aggressor.”


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KATHMANDU, Aug 7: The 6th edition of the International Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair will be held in Lalitpur on Aug 18-22. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to open the fair, which the organizers say will bring together female entrepreneurs from various countries, including Nepal.
At a press conference organized in the capital on Sunday, the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN), which organizes the fair, said the event is being organized to identify successful women entrepreneurs working in rural parts of the country live and promote their products to encourage them to continue their entrepreneurship. The fair, which will be organized at the Heritage Garden in Lalitpur, will have a total of 109 stalls.
At the press conference, FWEAN President Niru Rayamajhi Khatri said that women entrepreneurs from all seven provinces of Nepal will attend the fair. “All women entrepreneurs are eagerly waiting to bring and sell various goods, including herbal products, handicrafts and dental products, which they have made by investing their skills, time and investments in the market,” she said.
President Khatri said women entrepreneurs have suffered huge losses over the past two and a half years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. “Some of the women entrepreneurs have even reached the stage of closing down their business. Many others had to lay off their employees. As we turn these challenges into opportunities, we will bring all women entrepreneurs together on a single platform, offering them not only the support for market management but also unique opportunities to learn from each other’s experiences,” she said.
Shova Gyawali, Senior Vice President of FWEAN, said that FWEAN has been working for the development and promotion of women entrepreneurs in Nepal since its inception. She mentioned that FWEAN has also worked to include the issues related to women’s entrepreneurship in the decision-making process at both national and international levels, in addition to strongly advocating for their social and economic empowerment. “FWEAN has been successfully organizing international women’s fairs for five years,” she said.
Senior Vice President Gyawali, who is also the coordinator of the Sixth International Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair, said the fair will showcase handicraft products, natural fiber items, Dhaka and handmade paper products, wood products, organic food, jewelry and decorative products. among other things. The fair will have stands of national and international women entrepreneurs.
Gyawali mentioned that the fair aims to help promote the skills and creations of women entrepreneurs and develop their identities at home and abroad. The fair offers visitors to the stands the opportunity to observe and buy high-quality products from female entrepreneurs from Nepal and various other countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.


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Organised by Questex Hospitality Group, the Annual Hotel Conference Reimagined had a different look and feel from last year’s in-person event. It combined pre-recorded studio sessions with live interactions across two days.
Re-thinking hospitality to shape a new normal was a half hour session chaired by Peter Hancock, chief executive of Pride of Britain Hotels. Hancock was joined by Deirdre Wells OBE, CEO of Visit Kent, and Hubert Viriot, CEO of Yotel.
Opening the conversation with a look at occupancy and rates, Viriot highlighted how there’s “different sides of the story” with a nod to the urban and rural divide. He noted that hotels in London were the most hit, with leisure-oriented, provincial hotels benefitting greatly.
Wells agreed, stating that Kent, as a coastal and rural destination, saw a 50 per cent occupancy in July which improved to two-thirds in August. “We’re heading in the right direction,” she said, despite restricted openings with lower capacities. Wells is however noticing a “revenge spend” in pent up demand with leisure travel providing the opportunity to elevate rates that business travellers are restricted from spending.
Viriot spoke about the impact of government rhetoric on business, claiming that at the beginning of September he saw a positive trend when people were encouraged to return back to work. The threat of a second wave has nevertheless hindered travel plans to London – Viriot describe it as a “short-lived, hopeful moment” for Yotel.
Assessing the capital’s recovery, Viriot delivered a strong message about the fundamental need for “consistent and quick testing” to help restore consumer confidence. “In some of our foreign properties where testing is common, we’ve seen this trend,” he said. “In Istanbul, testing is compulsory and our hotel here has achieved almost pre-Covid levels. We’re in lockdown from rest of world here in the UK which is challenging.”
Looking further ahead at the return of overseas travellers, Wells sees the opportunity for rural and smaller towns to capitalise on business meetings and events. She explained: “We need to make sure that we’re investing in and supporting the development of rebuilds. The world is changing… If we’re serious as a destination and country for increasing international visitors, then those larger scale hotels need to be built and we don’t have enough in Kent.”
Business models were also a focus of the conversation, in particular hotels that sit at both ends of the sector. Prompted by Hancock’s question on the prospects for luxurious hotels, Viriot believes consumers will ultimately be steered in two directions – towards affordability or luxury. “Those who failed to have an identity and connect with the consumer pre-Covid will feel this even more so,” he claimed. “It’s the wide, mid-scale element which is difficult.”
Ending the session on a positive note, Wells spoke highly of the industry as a resilient body: “We’re innovative and entrepreneurial. We need to be flexible and if [local authorities] can support us, we can come back better and stronger.”
Click here for further information about the Annual Hotel Conference.


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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has sold over 3m copies to retailers worldwide, Capcom has announced.
Xbox One launch title Dead Rising 3 has now sold 1.2m copies, Capcom has said.
Reporting its financial year ending 31st March 2014, the Japanese company highlighted its zombie kill 'em up alongside the PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 version of Resident Evil Revelations and Nintendo 3DS game Monster Hunter 4 as million-sellers.
But it was Monster Hunter 4 which was the star of the show. It launched in September 2013 in Japan and has now sold 4.1m units, making it the sixth best-selling Capcom game ever. Capcom said it saw "explosive popularity with long lines forming at major retailers across the nation since the release date". It was a smash hit, Capcom added. The series has now sold over 28m copies. Monster Hunter 4 launches on these shores in expanded form in early 2015.


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HighGeekly Search: Samsung Galaxy A5
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That’s because the new car is expected to ride on a stretched version of the platform underpinning the upcoming rear-wheel drive ‘joint-sports coupe’ from Toyota and Subaru. The guys at Road & Track are reporting that Toyota engineers are working on a four-door version of the FT-86 and a more luxurious version of this car will be sold around the globe as the 2014 Lexus IS.
The Lexus will miss out on the turbocharged 2.0-liter ‘boxer’ engine destined for the Toyota and Subaru versions of the car. Instead, the new IS will reportedly feature a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-banger and a 3.6-liter six-cylinder mill, both engines based on Subaru’s horizontally-opposed boxer designs. The high-performance IS-F variant will retain a V-8 engine but could pick up an optional six-speed manual transmission.
With a sports car derived chassis, more powerful engines and potentially hybrid and wagon variants, the new 2014 Lexus IS will certainly give its German rivals a run for their money. We'll keep you posted on the latest as it breaks.


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Driver data could go public, U.S. and Mexico sign trucking deal, broker regulatory bill reintroduced and other industry news items are featured.
Focus on the business model and the day-to-day operations of your trucking company in three major areas.
FMCSA has cracked down on unsafe carriers through surprise inspections, full compliance reviews and enforcement actions.
Nearly 8,000 CVSA and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors performed 70,712 truck and bus inspections.
Mexican trucks will be required to comply with all U.S. safety standards and have electronic monitoring systems to track hours-of-service compliance.
The agency is seeking increased regulatory authority over drivers via the next highway reauthorization bill, GAO says.
The agency is seeking truckers' opinions of an on-board monitoring system it is evaluating.
Owner-operator pay to rise, researcher trashes hour studies, Shell selects SuperRigs trucks, groups push for safer trucks and many more industry news items are featured.
Sign up to get Overdrive's daily newsletter.


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Local supermarket chain to bring home Filipino Independence day to its customers
(June 10, Dubai, UAE)- This June, food lovers are in for a treat, as Robinson Supermarkets, a family owned chain of supermarkets based in the UAE, hosts a mini Filipino food festival, and extended promotion from 11th June to 22 June offering a range of Filipino delicacies and goodies, along with other items, at great prices.
“A large part of our clientele and our staff are Filipino, and we wanted to hold an event that would celebrate the occasion. We have been serving traditional Filipino
favourites in store for some time now, and the food festival is a great way for all nationalities to explore the tastes behind Filipino foods, and buy some favourites at great prices,” explained Priyanka M. Ramchandani, the young co-owner and Marketing Manager of the supermarket chain.
The Food Festival will be held on Wednesday June 12th from 6pm till 9pm at Robinson branches in Deira and Tecom, bringing together a range of Filipino suppliers. Customers will get a chance to sample an interesting mix of meat and vegetarian Filipino stews and dishes, including favourites such as Chicken Adobo, Pancit Canton, Tilapia Fish, Kare-Kare etc. and mingle with chefs, suppliers and staff to learn more about the cuisine and the culture of the Philippines. Freshly baked goodies in the store like the hot traditional Pandesal bread, Filipino fruit salads, as well as special national deserts like Buko Pandan, will also be served to all, along with the hot foods, for free. Spreading the spirit of Filipino cuisine beyond stores, the supermarket has launched a digital photo contest, inviting customers across the city to submit a recipe and an accompanying image of their favourite home-made Filipino dish. The most appetizing dishes will then be selected and the winner will receive a Free Robinson Supermarket Gift Voucher to spend at any of the supermarket chain's three outlets in Al Barsha, Deira or Tecom.
In addition to the good festival, a range of goods including fruits, vegetables, fish, butchery, canned food, drinks, chocoaltes and many household items will be on promotion and offered for low prices under the Pinoy Independance Day Fiesta, running from J11th June to 22nd June.
During the Robinson Food Festival, the Robinson Bakery and Fish/Pork sections will be offering special festival discounts and great deals!
Robinson Supermarkets invites everyone to explore an exciting week of Filipino cuisine and culture and wishes all its customers a pleasant and unforgettable shopping experience!


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Woolworths has canned its contract to buy SPC’s tomatoes and won’t say whether it will honour a $70 million fruit deal signed in 2014.
The supermarket giant has been labelled “cynical” in trying to renegotiate its fruit deal with Shepparton’s SPC Ardmona just two years into a five-year deal, the area’s local state MP says.
“They really got on board with the Buy Australian campaign at that time and it’s pretty cynical behaviour now two years into a deal to back out,” independent MP for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed told reporters on Wednesday.
The Victoria government contributed $22 million to help modernise SPC’s operations as part of the 2014 deal.
The supermarket giant on Tuesday said it was in discussions about volumes and prices for the coming season – something it does every year.
But the contract to take SPC’s tomatoes, separate to other canned fruit, has ended and won’t be renewed.
Woolworths will buy tomatoes from another provider that sources them from the Murray Valley region in Victoria.
The supermarket giant said it remained committed to the “spirit” of the 2014 deal with SPC.
That deal kept the Shepparton cannery afloat, saving at least 500 jobs and guaranteeing supply from farmers.
Treasurer Tim Pallas says SPC and the state government invested money based on Woolworths’ commitment.
“I’m bitterly disappointed with what I hear coming out of Woolworths (now),” Mr Pallas told reporters on Wednesday.
“They were in the media at the time that these arrangements were unveiled, they told the world, they told Victorians that they had a five-year commitment.”
Woolworths says talks with SPC will conclude this week.


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WASHINGTON — Using their clout in state capitals and in Congress, so-called old economy businesses are pushing for measures that make it harder for consumers to purchase many goods and services online.
For instance, a federal law backed by wine and spirits wholesalers took effect in January that seemed largely aimed at hamstringing direct-to-consumer Internet sales of wine by small vineyards.
Record stores have a pending federal lawsuit to stop Sony Corp. from putting Internet links in compact discs on the various Sony Music labels that would let consumers who play CDs on a computer with Internet access jump to the company's Web site and buy recordings from Sony.
Critics say such blocking tactics by brick-and-mortar businesses threaten to stunt the global network's potential, neutering one of its best features--its ability to connect people more efficiently. The result could eventually be bad news for the economy.
What's at stake is potentially huge. Economists expect the nation's economic activity this year to top $9 trillion. Consumer spending traditionally accounts for two-thirds of that, about $6 trillion. If just 5 percent or 10 percent of overall consumer spending shifted to the Internet, the result would dwarf the $60 billion they spent online last year, according to Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass., which tracks the Internet.
The latest figures from the Commerce Department indicate 50 percent of U.S. households have Internet access. Forrester estimates just under 20 percent of the nation's more than 104 million households shopped online last year.
"The real problem is that middlemen who have enjoyed advantages in the economy are now threatened by e-commerce, and they don't like it," said Rob Atkinson, vice president of the Washington-based Progressive Policy Institute, a think tank founded by Democratic Party centrists.
Growing list of foes
"And rather than either compete fairly or go gracefully into the night, they're using laws, regulations or downright collusion to preserve their position at the expense of consumers," Atkinson said. A briefing paper he recently published on the subject cites numerous other examples of a backlash by traditional industries:
- Texas last year stopped Ford Motor Co. from using the Internet to market used cars to consumers, a ban upheld in federal court. Meanwhile, the auto industry has sued Arizona to overturn a similar new law constraining automakers from online marketing in that state.
- In defending college professors' jobs, the nation's largest teachers union, the American Federation of Teachers, has battled distance-learning over the Internet.
- Colorado retailers who had a tidy side business selling state game licenses opposed Colorado's move to sell them online directly to hunters and fishermen.
- Auctioneers in North Carolina, New Hampshire and Tennessee have had their respective state officials take on eBay, the Web's most popular auction site, by enacting or considering laws to require sellers to pay auctioneer registration fees with the state.
To that mix add travel and real estate agents, optometrists, mortgage companies, and even radiologists--all of whom have challenged inroads by competitors using the Internet--and the trend becomes nearly epic in scope.
Atkinson said Washington should take steps to protect e-commerce. These include national licensing of certain business, such as car dealers and some financial institutions, that are usually state regulated and using federal antitrust law to scrutinize industries that might be colluding to prevent producers from selling directly to consumers.
Atkinson also urged President Bush to name an ombudsman to promote and guard e-commerce.
Many of the industries pushing to clip the Internet's wings historically have had powerful lobbies and have benefited from protected markets.
For instance, the sale of alcohol across state lines and direct shipping to consumers have been tightly regulated for decades. Wholesalers play a dominant role in the chain, a position they are reluctant to yield.
Auto dealers, as well, have long been protected under state franchise laws that codify their special status as middlemen, making it illegal in many states for automakers to sell directly to consumers.
The perceived threat from the Internet, however, has caused alcohol wholesalers and car dealers to step up pressure on lawmakers for policies that ultimately limit or end online sales of their products or increase penalties for violations of the law.
Alcohol on the Web
Industry groups argue they want to protect consumers. Juanita Duggan, chief executive officer of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, said in a letter to reporters that her trade group supported the 21st Amendment Enforcement Act, signed by former President Clinton in November, not to "interfere with lawful online commerce in alcohol or any other consumer product."


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Does the customer always come first, or does agent happiness? Five9's Freedom aims to make both sides happy by providing streamlined technology that promises to boost the customer experience.
Though interactions will now be more quick and seamless, there are some caveats.
Video capabilities not only provide protection from compliance violations, but can further customer relationships.
There were a few surprises on Forrester's 2015 CX Index.
In the age of hyper-connectedness, appliances and smart systems will be able to send auto notifications to representatives. Brace yourselves, the IoT is coming to a contact center near you.
In the second wave of major updates this year, Microsoft furthers its integration of Parature products.
Agents who have mentally checked out of their jobs means dissatisfying customer experiences. But why are they detached? Hint: Look up the corporate ladder.


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April 13, 2016 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received a small number of reports of adverse events that are believed to be associated with computed tomography (CT) imaging of some implantable and wearable electronic devices. These include insulin pumps, cardiac implantable electronic devices and neurostimulators.
The agency’s current understanding is that when a CT scanner directly irradiates the circuitry of certain implantable or wearable electronic medical devices (i.e. when the device is visible in the resulting CT image), it can cause sufficient electronic interference to affect the function and operation of the medical device.
The probability that this interference can cause clinically significant adverse events is extremely low. Furthermore, the probability of X-ray electronic interference is lower when the radiation dose and the radiation dose rate are reduced. Interference is completely avoided when the medical device is outside of the primary X-ray beam of the CT scanner.
FDA said the presence of insulin pumps, cardiac implantable electronic devices and neurostimulators should not preclude the performance of an appropriate, medically indicated CT scan. The probability of an adverse event being caused by exposing these devices to CT irradiation is extremely low, and it is greatly outweighed by the clinical benefit of a medically indicated CT examination.
Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
For more information: www.fda.gov


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Tag Archives: Converting pdf to ebook
Technology has transformed every fabric of our lives – including how we read books. In the bygone era, physical books were the de facto standard, in the digital era, digital books or eBooks as they’re popularly known, have become the … Continue reading
Over the past decade the publishing world has gone through a sea change; thanks to the rise of innovative formats, regulations, and digital platforms. While some of the publishers and authors are riding this new wave of technology, others are … Continue reading
Digital revolution has led to a significant change in the reading habits of readers. By the end of 2018, eBooks sales are expected to account for a quarter of worldwide book sales (source:Statista).


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In 2018, Facebook faced a massive scandal for allowing the personal data of millions of users to be sold to Cambridge Analytica. After threatening to sue
The New York Times and The Guardian over their reporting, Facebook realized it was in trouble. A contrite and apologetic Mark Zuckerberg appeared before Congress a month later.
“It was my mistake, and I’m sorry,“ Zuckerberg said in April 2018
That’s what it looks like when Facebook acknowledges and takes action as a result of wrongdoing.
Not this time. After weeks of damning revelations from whistleblower Frances Haugen and from the thousands of internal documents she shared with the Wall Street Journal
and other outlets
, Facebook and Zuckerberg are unbowed. Defiant, even.
Facebook’s response has included publicly undermining
the work of its own researchers, accusing journalists of misrepresenting
the documents, and calling the documents “stolen.”
During an Oct. 25 earnings call, Zuckerberg characterized the reporting as an unfair attack
on Facebook. Even more striking, he announced the company’s social networking products will shift
to focus on young adult users. It seems the only revelation in the Facebook Files/Papers that resonated with Zuckerberg was internal research showing the company risks losing young people in key markets
Later that week, Zuckerberg starred in a glossy livestream launch of Facebook’s push into the metaverse. Oh, and the company changed its name!
The new product focus on the metaverse, and on young adults, requires billions of dollars in investment and new hiring. It’s akin to when the company did its famous 2012 push to mobile. Or starting in late 2016 when it kicked off a major investment in product development, partnerships, and hiring to tamp down misinformation and violative behavior on its platform.
In spite of what the Facebook Files/Papers revealed, Zuckerberg isn’t making integrity work a priority. Or acknowledging any of the concerns raised by the whistleblower documents.
This validates a core aspect of what the documents show, and what current and former employees have told me for years: at the end of the day, Facebook is focused on growth. Integrity initiatives lose out when they conflict with leadership’s drive for product and market domination, and constant forward motion. This strategy has been tremendous for shareholders — and unleashed tragic consequences.
This time there won’t be any apologies or stepped up investment in integrity. In fact, the push for young users and into the metaverse will arguably suck resources away from integrity, as noted
by my former reporting partner, Ryan Mac.


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WHEN a local developer announced triumphantly that a new Wal-Mart would rise here on a sandy patch of earth along the Mississippi, it was presented as a good thing, a bit of progress that would bring in much-needed tax dollars and jobs and transformation where the rundown St. Thomas public-housing project once stood.
But along the way, someone overestimated the willingness of other New Orleanians to accept the advance of Wal-Mart across their turf. And one result has been a foul gumbo of accusations against everyone from the developer, once considered an urban hero, to the federal government, which made the grant that set off the fireworks in the first place. Themes of jealousy and betrayal have sounded over financing that gives the developer and Wal-Mart Stores -- which wants to put up a 200,000-square-foot store plus a parking lot -- unusual benefits. Lawsuits have been filed to block construction on behalf of the environment, the fabric of the city and the rights of the former residents of St. Thomas.
The back-and-forth, which began two summers ago, has been so intense and, in many ways, so particular to this place -- the stage version could be called ''A Streetcar Named No Thanks'' -- that the store is now more than a year behind schedule.
The struggle here is taking place as many of the country's big retailers, companies like Costco Wholesale and Home Depot as well as Wal-Mart, are reaching beyond their usual locations for growth. After saturating rural areas and edging into the suburbs, they are experimenting with ways to fit large stores into vacant inner-city acreage. It's not an illogical strategy, but as Wal-Mart is finding, the going can be rough.
''Nobody on the side against Wal-Mart is against jobs or against housing or against retail,'' said Neil Alexander, a photographer who has been a vocal opponent of the store. ''What a lot of us are against is poor planning or no planning, and selling the city short to the largest corporation in the world.''Continue reading the main story
Finding dozens of acres of empty land inside any city can be difficult. In New Orleans, close to half the land for the proposed Wal-Mart originally belonged to the housing authority, which received a federal Housing and Urban Development grant through a program known as HOPE VI to replace the aging St. Thomas complex. Its 1,500 apartments, built in the 1930's and 1940's and bulldozed in 2000, once held nearly 2,000 people, most of them African-American and poor.
THE site, near the city's landmark Garden District and a recently revived section of Magazine Street, covers 64 acres, nearly all of which is empty for now.
The original plan was to build a new development in which apartments would be split evenly between the poor and the middle class. The residents of the St. Thomas apartments were moved out and helped to find new housing; many of them expected to move back, their advocates say. Now, a HUD spokeswoman says, there will be 182 public-housing apartments, an additional 272 apartments considered ''affordable'' and 784 more that would be sold or rented at market rates -- making the original residents of St. Thomas a minor element in the project.
''They have been treated like a crop on the plantation,'' said Camille J. Strachan, a tireless opponent of the plan, whose law office is two blocks from the edge of the St. Thomas site and whose house is decorated with a large banner that reads: ''No Sprawl-Mart.''
Wal-Mart became involved at the invitation of the developer, Maurice Pres Kabacoff, whose company, Historic Restoration Inc., is based in New Orleans and has won awards from preservation groups.
He made the store the linchpin of his plan, and to make it work, the St. Thomas project now includes an assortment of public financing arrangements, like $20 million in bonds backed by sales tax collected from Wal-Mart for construction of upscale apartments. The arrangement is known as tax increment financing, or TIF, and New Orleans never had it until this project, said Sidney J. Barthelemy, a former mayor who is now a vice president at Mr. Kabacoff's company.
An additional $28 million in tax-free bonds will be issued by the state Industrial Development Board to cover the costs of building the Wal-Mart, enabling the retailer to borrow money and essentially repay itself, said Trey Langus, another vice president. Finally, a similar bond issue, worth up to $29 million, will finance additional construction of apartments on the site, Ms. Strachan said.
Such largess leaves other business owners in the city irate. ''There are huge concessions being made to Wal-Mart, the richest company in the world, that are not being made to other businesses,'' said Barry Schlaile, who operates a lighting store not far from the site and has tallied the number of stores in the area -- 45 out of 67 -- that he thinks may lose sales to the Wal-Mart.
Michael M. F. Liu, the assistant secretary for public and Indian housing at HUD, said HOPE VI grants -- the acronym stands for Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere -- were intended to combine commercial and residential development. The idea is to bring residents of various incomes together, instead of segregating the poor.
''The commercial aspect is always a key part of the financing,'' he said. ''It is very much a part of the norm.''
The grant for the St. Thomas rebuilding was $25 million, but ''you needed $30 million before you could build a single house,'' Mr. Kabacoff said, citing demolition and other expenses. He sought large retailers for the site, approaching Lowe's, Home Depot and Target before he got to Wal-Mart. When its executives said they would do it, ''as long as you let us put our grocery store and our regular store there,'' he said, ''I got down on my knees and kissed'' the ground on which they stood.
The Wal-Mart does have some local support. The mayor, C. Ray Nagin, has refused to block the plan, and Bart Stapert, a lawyer who represented the St. Thomas tenants during negotiations with the developer, said his clients backed the Wal-Mart as a last resort. ''We struck a deal that there would be 240 units on the site and 100 off site,'' he said. ''In exchange for what we thought was a guarantee, we agreed to support the Wal-Mart. Some residents personally supported it because of the jobs. Others said, 'These are not the greatest jobs in the world.' '' The guarantee evaporated, he said, while the Wal-Mart plan remains.
At Wal-Mart, the urge to conquer the New Orleans interior represents a revision of the strategy -- a kind of commerce oblige -- that has made the 41-year-old discount chain the dominant force in retail. ''The company started in rural areas and the reason was that people in those areas did not have access to goods that other people did,'' said Daphne Moore, a community-affairs liaison for the company, which calculates that the St. Thomas store will do $100 million in sales a year, based on current sales at other Wal-Marts nearby. ''It's also true in these urban areas. The individuals who choose to live in the core of the city don't have the same access to goods and services that their counterparts in the suburbs and small towns have. It's an interesting shift.''
Design changes have been made to accommodate local concerns. Instead of the usual blue and gray exterior, the store will use a brick-colored material, Mr. Langus said. The parking lot, for 850 cars, will be shaded by trees; one street has been widened, although some people in the area say they remain concerned about traffic buildup.
Among them is Don Everard, a soft-spoken former St. Thomas resident who is the director of Hope House, a nonprofit social services agency in the neighborhood. He moved out of St. Thomas several years ago, into a small house nearby. He expects that more traffic will roll past his front porch because of the Wal-Mart, but he says other people in the area are excited about shopping there. ''Most people are viewing the Wal-Mart as inevitable,'' he said. ''My biggest gripe about the whole deal is the use of the $20 million TIF to pay for market-rate housing when the city has such deep trouble finding money for low-income housing. As a political decision, that is so unfair.''
Some opponents criticize HUD as failing to oversee the development. The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, an advocacy group, filed a complaint this month with HUD that accuses the agency of mishandling the relocation of the St. Thomas residents. The agency is reviewing the complaint.
''IN the beginning, the residents had representation,'' said Stacy Seicshnaydre, the center's general counsel. ''But as time went on, their voices became more and more drowned out.'' She said she was concerned about the small number of former St. Thomas residents who would be able to move back, citing the lower-than-expected number of apartments as well as criteria that prospective tenants must meet -- like incomes within certain levels.
Mr. Liu, the HUD official, said the HOPE VI program, which began in 1992, was left out of the current federal budget. The agency will assess the program in response to complaints, including the ones echoing from New Orleans. ''We are sensitive to those who have raised questions about the number of replacement units,'' he said, adding that current projects had higher requirements. ''This program was only authorized for 10 years, and we think it's a reasonable time to look at all these issues.''
Mrs. Moore of Wal-Mart said the company had not built stores as part of any other HOPE VI development. ''We're not really involved in HOPE VI except to the extent that the tax revenue from our store will help fund that project,'' she said. ''We are not the social engineers on this one. We're simply a means to an end.''
But the company has opened stores in other cities, including Baltimore and Philadelphia. A plan to open a store in Dallas was rejected not long ago by the City Council.
Mr. Langus, who oversees the project for Historic Restoration and is Mr. Kabacoff's son-in-law, called the HOPE VI program ''atrocious,'' adding: ''I have no interest in doing another one.''
In the initial HOPE VI plan for St. Thomas, small-scale stores would be built to employ neighborhood residents. Like the initial goals for the apartment mix, those stores are no longer part of the plan. ''Pretty much everything has been flipped over,'' said Mr. Everard at the Hope House social services agency. ''You almost expect developers to behave in a way that lets them make as much money as they can. But you also expect there will be people who will be watchful for the other side.''
Merchants in and around the site are quivering at the prospect of having to battle Wal-Mart. Mrs. Moore, however, says the customers are not the same, and Mr. Kabacoff contends that people who travel to the Wal-Mart will also shop at smaller stores nearby.
The biggest losers are likely to be grocery stores. Already, a carefully negotiated plan -- mediated by Mr. Kabacoff -- to build an Albertson's supermarket in another historic neighborhood fell apart after the Wal-Mart plan became known.
Controversies have arisen in other parts of the country over the perception of favors granted to large retailers. The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit group in Washington, has defended business owners whose property was seized by local governments through what is known as the power of eminent domain, and then turned over for large chain stores. ''It is an all-too-common tactic,'' said Dana Berliner, a senior lawyer for the institute, adding that the practice has escalated in recent years.
At Costco, a shareholder called on the company this year to avoid building on such land. But James D. Sinegal, the chief executive of Costco, said, ''In many instances, when we look for land, these are the only places we can find it in these communities.''
To Mr. Kabacoff, the future -- not to mention the present -- is obvious. ''You've got to pay attention to the real world,'' he said. ''Americans have decided they want discount shopping in volume, and that's the real world.''
Others say that the vitality of New Orleans depends on its various charms, and that large-scale retail isn't one of them. ''I can't imagine someone coming to New Orleans and having to see a Wal-Mart right there,'' said Val Dansereau, the president of the Preservation Resource Center, a nonprofit group that has led the charge against the store. ''New Orleans is known for its old buildings and its quaintness.''
AFTER simmering so long, the situation in New Orleans has begun to attract attention outside the city. John P. Relman, a Washington lawyer who specializes in civil-rights issues, says he has been trying to get detailed information about the size of the apartments that will be available for low-income housing. He said he might sue on behalf of the former St. Thomas residents if the developer did not provide him with that information, adding that he was worried that families with children might be shut out of the new complex..
''It's this, far more than any historic or development concerns, that is likely to shut this down,'' Mr. Relman said. ''It is basically race rearing its ugly head again in a Southern city.''
Others see racial discrimination elsewhere. Mr. Barthelemy, the former mayor, said he thought complaints about the Wal-Mart were merely a subterfuge for derailing the whole development. ''There are some in the area who don't want affordable housing,'' he said, ''because it means minorities coming back into the area, and a lot of minorities do shop at Wal-Mart.''
William E. Borah, a lawyer active in preservation issues, said his concern was what he called the broken promise to the people of the development. ''It is a disgrace,'' he said. ''It's supposed to be about public housing. But now it's about for-profit housing, and they are throwing in a Wal-Mart. It's a scandal of national proportions.''
Mr. Kabacoff says he and his Wal-Mart aren't going anywhere. ''We never quit,'' he declared. ''That's what the preservationists didn't realize.''
''This is going to work,'' he added. ''And it's going to be a wonderful model for the country.''Continue reading the main story


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Motorola Home and Motorola Accessories, owned by Binatone, are ready to launch and show at CES 2017 a whole new range of Motorola products.
Binatone bought Motorola Mobility's Accessories division back in 2015 and since then released many interesting products like the Pulse series, VerveLife and the ConnectCoin smart wearable. At the same time, Binatone owns the brand rights for home and pet monitors, and smart baby products, making Motorola the best selling baby monitor brand in the world. The following products will be announced and shown at CES:
- Motorola ORBIT: this device will be a smart home monitor with the ability to store your recorded material on an SD card. The most interesting thing is its battery life, which will last three months.
- VerveOnes True Wireless: the new VerveLife products will cost almost half the price of 2016's ones, will be splash-proof/water-proof (two variants) and will come in two different color setups: black and green, white and grey.
- Motorola Signature Series: to celebrate the rich Motorola history, new Bluetooth headsets and Wi-Fi speakers will be inspired by iconic Motorola designs.
- ConnectCoin: the Coin will finally be released outside India. In fact, it was recently approved by the FCC so it's coming to the US very soon. This smart tag can send SOS alerts to your family if you are in danger, it's got a GPS inside and its smart button lets you take selfies.


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US rock band OK Go has released a sneak preview video of their 8-mile musical parade through the streets of LA. The parade, which took place in November, launched a global GPS art project »
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South Park: The Stick of Truth is a game that fans of both role-playing games and South Park will love »


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Auto Futures event – Smart Cities, New Solutions discussed the arrival of services that were unthinkable before smart phones and spoke to industry experts about smart mobility.
Moderated by Michael Liebreich, CEO Liebreich Associates, Auto Futures live held a panel discussion that set out to debunk mobility ‘myths’ and question ‘megatrends’.
Natasha Patel, Associate Director KPMG said that the network of professional service firms believes that by 2030 70% of car sales will be electric and that electric vehicles are becoming ‘normal’ to talk about. Patel also spoke about how societal pressure to not pollute could help to speed up the introduction of electric vehicles into society.
Erik Fairbairn, CEO Pod Point, supported Patel’s statement by saying that he was expecting a fairly busy few years and that he thinks it may even be more than 70% of cars that are electric. ‘I think that it’s amazing that we’ve just Natasha say that cars are going to be electrified by 2030 and there wasn’t a sing sharp intake of breathe,’ said Fairbairn.
Chief Operating Officer at shared transportation company Zeelo, Stéphanie Rivet spoke about how they are trying to move people away from single occupancy cars. ‘By using data analysis, surveys, social media and Macrotrends, we are building routes around travellers needs,’ explained Rivet. Smart cities are growing in population and these extra people need to be able to travel efficiently and smartly, Rivet suggested shared transportation can solve this problem, ‘We need to change the way that we see sharing transportation with others,’ concluded Rivet.
A lack of choice in key markets as well as charging points, could be ‘putting people off moving away from traditional forms of transportation, said The Climate Groups Corporate Partnerships Director, Mike Peirce. Pressure from governments and authorities to ensure that we push an environmentally friendly transport agenda is also needed, said Peirce.
Liebreich considered, that with more people to cater for, congestion and the issue of climate change, which solution is best? Experts from Auto Future’s first live event seem to be in agreement that electric vehicles and shared transportation could hold the key to our problems, and when asked for a show of hands, around 70% of the audience also agreed that electric vehicles could and should be fully implemented by 2050.


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New recommendations from the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen), published Friday, advise the use of face masks in the country in certain circumstances, including when travelling home from areas considered high-risk or on the way to being tested for coronavirus.
As of Friday, the authority recommends using face masks in certain special situations, bringing the policy in Denmark closer to that of other European countries such as France and Germany.
According to its new advice to those who have tested positive, those in close contact with someone who has tested positive, and those with symptoms, the authority recommends people use face masks if they are forced to leave self-isolation.
“Use a face mask if you break self-isolation to go out to take a test,” the health authority states, linking to a guide for correctly using masks.
READ ALSO: Danish health agency drops opposition to face masks
Face masks have a relatively rare sight in public areas in Denmark throughout the coronavirus epidemic in the country, although they have been mandatory within the country's airports since June 15th.
But there is evidence that will change as a result of the new recommendations.
“Friday was the single day for which we had the highest face mask sales. We sold around 8,000,” said Klaus Fridorf, head of communications with health and beauty retail chain Matas.
Matas stores have sold around 5,000-7,000 face masks per week since the coronavirus came to Denmark, although sales have begun to increase as the school summer holiday approaches.
The week of June 22nd-28th saw around 25,000 face masks sold by Matas, either in its physical stores or online. That total increased to 41,500 two weeks later, news agency Ritzau reports.
Salling Group, which owns the Netto, Bilka and Føtex supermarket chains in Denmark, told Ritzau that “more and more” face masks had been sold in recent weeks but declined to release sales figures.
Denmark currently has 18 people hospitalised with coronavirus throughout the country, according to the latest figures from national infectious disease institute SSI. Six of the 18 are receiving treatment in an intensive care unit.
A total of 13,037 positive tests for coronavirus have been recorded since the pandemic reached Denmark in February this year. Over 1.2 million tests have been carried out.
In the three days prior to the release of Monday’s updated figures, 91 tests for coronavirus came back positive.
Denmark has recorded 610 deaths with coronavirus at the time of writing.


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The oldest and best known cryptocurrency is currently on the rise. Those in the know give several reasons for this.
Bitcoin is still flying high. On Friday, the oldest and most well-known cryptocurrency on the Bitstamp trading platform rose to over $ 15,700.
This is the highest level since January 2018. A few weeks earlier, in December 2017, Bitcoin had reached its record high of around $ 20,000. Then it crashed drastically.
Good mood on the stock markets
Other internet currencies have also gained in value recently. Experts give several reasons for this, including the announcement by the payment service provider PayPal that it will allow its customers to use digital currencies. The current good mood on the equity markets is also benefiting risky investments like Bitcoin.
Furthermore, the topic of cryptocurrencies is currently being discussed more and more at the level of central banks. For example, the European Central Bank (ECB) is considering the possibility of introducing a “digital euro”. However, monetary authorities are extremely critical of non-state digital currencies such as Bitcoin.


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October 4, 2012
Cartridge World has announced new printing solutions that it will provide to its customers, designed to save SMBs time and money as more companies look for ways to cut expenses.
The company states that its new printer promotion allows businesses to “buy, lease or even qualify for a free printer from us”, and that it has simplified ordering processes for office managers, with business customers being able to access their own Cartridge World accounts using a laptop, computer or web-enable phone, allowing them to order products, change an order or request a quote easily.
In addition, Cartridge World announced its Cartridge World Express service earlier this year after offering the opportunity to develop the franchise to entrepreneurs. The service provides customer with a mobile delivery service, with a specially designed van travelling to business customers to deliver products they have ordered.
William Swanson, CEO, Cartridge World America commented: “Every business needs ink and toner. It’s used to print invoices, menus, proposals and paychecks. We’ve been in the replacement ink and toner business for 20 years, and can help companies save 30-40 percent on their printer cartridges. During the three-year life of a printer, a business can save $3,000 (€2,300) to $5,000 (€3,800) per machine.”
Categories : Products and Technology


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In quarter two of 2020 Mac laptop sales rose 21% compared to quarter two of 2019, according to the Strategy Analytics research group.
Apple sold 4.6 million laptops in Q2 2020 compared to 3.8 million in Q2 2019. The company now has 8.5% of the global laptop market. Note that Strategy Analytics doesn’t count iPads in its laptop tally; if it did, Apple would have the top spot.
That said, Lenovo has 25% of the worldwide notebook market, HP has 24.8%, Dell has 15.6%, and Acer has 6.7%.
Consumers, commercial clients, and schools scrambled to purchase mobile productivity devices once thought to be redundant, driving 27% year-on-year growth for notebook shipments, according to Strategy Analytics. The research group says that now up for debate is whether demand from the back-to-school and holiday seasons were pulled forward due to the pandemic or if this just the beginning of a new growth era for laptops.


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Southwest Gas Holdings (SWX)
The utility business isn’t a particularly exciting one. But for investors who want to earn steady returns through thick and thin, the sector should not be ignored.
No matter what the economy is doing, people still need to heat their homes in the winter. And that’s why Southwest Gas Holdings could be an opportunity.
The company’s subsidiary, Southwest Gas Corp, is a natural gas utility serving more than 2 million customers in Arizona, Nevada and parts of California. Meanwhile, its other segments provide natural gas storage, transportation and other energy infrastructure services.
While the S&P 500 is down about 5% in 2022, Southwest Gas Holdings shares are up 16% year to date.
The company also recently raised its quarterly dividend and offers a decent 3.1% annual yield.
Last week, BofA analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith upgraded Southwest from neutral to buy, and raised the price target to $88. That implies potential upside of roughly 10% from current levels.
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Logitech International (LOGI)
Compared to the solid performance of many utility stocks in 2022, tech is a beaten-down sector at the moment. Year to date, the tech-centric Nasdaq has slipped 10%.
Logitech is one of the out-of-favor tech stocks. Shares of the computer peripherals manufacturer tumbled 16% in 2021 and is down 34% over the past 12 months.
But business isn’t exactly in the dumps. Earlier this month, management updated their outlook full-year outlook, projecting 2% to 5% sales growth in 2022, followed by mid-single-digit growth in 2023.
BofA sees a major rebound in the stock on the horizon. In late March, analyst Adam Angelov initiated coverage on Logitech with a buy rating, citing the company’s “strong track record of execution” and market share expansion.
His price target is set at $107 — about 50% above where the stock currently trades.
FedEx shares had a strong run in the first year of the pandemic. After all, delivery service is an essential part of e-commerce — an industry that flourished in the stay-at-home environment.
But more recently, sentiment has changed towards the delivery giant. FedEx shares have slipped more than 20% over the past year.
The company delivered a solid earnings report last month. During the quarter, revenue rose 9.8% year over year to $23.6 billion. Adjusted earnings jumped 32% to $4.59 per share.
BofA analyst Ken Hoexter reiterated a buy rating on FedEx shares last month noting the company’s “historically low valuation.”
Right now, FedEx stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of 12, substantially below its five-year average P/E of 48.
While Hoexter also lowered his price target on FedEx from $297 to $280, the new target is still roughly 25% above where the stock sits today.
More from Moneywise
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ACCC gives $800 million Optus-NBN Co deal the thumbs up
- 28 May, 2012 10:36
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has proposed to authorise a deal which will see Optus migrate its hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) broadband customers onto the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Optus uses its HFC cable network to deliver high-speed broadband to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. In June 2011, the telco signed an $800 million agreement with NBN Co to migrate its HFC customers to the NBN and decommission parts of the network.
The deal is subject to ACCC approval.
The consumer watchdog has issued a draft determination recommending the deals approval to avoid network duplication with the NBN and delivers a lower cost HFC subscriber migration to the $36 billion network. The ACCC acknowledged this will remove a significant competitor to the NBN in locations covered by the HFC network which could push NBN Co to improve its performance.
“The ACCC has examined these issues carefully and in great detail and a number of unique factors have reduced the detriments below that which would normally be expected,” ACCC chairman, Rod Sims, said in a statement.
Should the deal be authorised, it would mean Optus will not be burdened with maintaining the HFC network in the future.
“ACCC approval will pave the way for a genuine win-win deal, freeing up resources that can be used more effectively to open up retail competition on a single advanced network that covers the country,” Optus CEO, Paul O’Sullivan, said in a statement.
"Locking carriers into smaller-scale wholesale competition with the NBN founded on existing network platforms would never offer such nationwide benefits because existing HFC networks only cover certain regions.”
The ACCC will make its final decision once it receives feedback for the draft determination.


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A few days ago, HSBC Holdings (one of the world’s largest banks and financial services) said in a report that lithium material demand will increase by 88% to 776,000 tons in 2025, demand is increased or will cause in short supply, eventually leading to Battery cost high, or becomes a stumbling block for electric vehicle sales. According to the report, due to the lag, the lithium-ion battery is standing, the global battery has strong demand, which makes the 2025 market demand forecast for lithium materials by 88% to 776,000 tons, demand increases or will cause In short supply. HSBC holding analyst Alexandrefalcao and Augustoensiki said that due to high prices of lithium and cobalt materials, there is an inquiishing situation, this will hinder the rise in electric vehicles in the next few years.
. It is estimated that by 2025, the global market share of pure electric vehicles will be 9.4%, lower than 10.
5% of previous estimated; and global market share of plug-in hybrid vehicles will increase from 2.4% to 5.5%.
. According to the data released by my country’s Multiplier, the battery demand in January-October accumulated 35.93 million kWh, up 110% year-on-year.
. Recently, Ruiyin Group announced the latest battery manufacturer’s cost report, where Tsla and Panasonic cooperative lithium-ion batteries have the lowest cost, only 111 US dollars / kW ¡¤ h (about RMB 771 yuan / kW ¡¤ h), has become current In the industry, the second LG chemistry is about 20%..
CATL (CATL) of domestic well-known battery production company is located in the fourth place, more than $ 150 / kW ¡¤ h (about RMB 1042 / kW ¡¤ h). Therefore, in the event of a global lithium material, how to improve the technology, reduce battery cost, and become a problem that battery manufacturer and car companies have to th.


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After nearly two decades at the helm of Norwegian Air Shuttle, Bjørn Kjos will step down as CEO, but will continue to be a major stakeholder and maintain an advisory role at the company. Under Kjos’s reign, Norwegian rapidly expanded from a little-known regional carrier to a major player on the international stage.
Norwegian Air has announced that current CFO Geir Karlsen will take over as interim CEO as of July 11, following the unexpected departure of 17-year veteran CEO Bjørn Kjos. Kjos will maintain a position with the company as “advisor to the Chairman.” The 72-year-old outgoing Norwegian CEO and co-founder is also a major stakeholder in the company.
Despite the sudden nature of this week’s announcement, the fact that Kjos is maintaining substantial influence within the organization offers some indication that his departure was amicable. Norwegian officials certainly offered a glowing review of his tenure at the company.
“I am very pleased Bjørn will remain at the company as an advisor to the Board and the Chair,” Norwegian Chairman Niels Smedegaard said in a statement announcing the shakeup in leadership. “As Norwegian moves from growth to profitability, it will be an advantage for the company to benefit from Bjørn’s extensive network, in-depth knowledge of and experience with global aviation. We have already started the process of recruiting a permanent new CEO. Bjørn has played an unprecedented role in Norwegian’s success. His vision of offering affordable fares for all, combined with his enthusiasm and innovating spirit, has revolutionized the way people travel for pleasure and for business, not least between the continents. Bjørn is definitely one of the most influential European entrepreneurs of our time.”
Under Kjos’s direction, Norwegian Air rapidly expanded from a small domestic carrier with a handful of aircraft to a major international airline with hundreds of planes, thousands of employees and a presence around the globe. Although the low-cost-carrier has experienced meteoric growth, the business model has struggled to maintain profitability. The company indicated that, “Running a profitable business and boosting company value to the benefit of shareholders, customers and employees will be key for the [new] CEO going forward.” Noting a “demanding period of financial and operational challenges,” Smedegaard also echoed these sentiments.
“We have to ensure that Norwegian is well prepared and positioned to handle volatile markets and unexpected events,” the Norwegian chairman explained. “It is crucial that we continue to deliver on our cost reduction initiatives and that we constantly ensure that we have a route portfolio that yields profit. It is also important that the new CEO develops an organization that embraces continued improvement and operational excellence.”
[Featured Image: Wikimedia/ Jim Anderson]


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NEW YORK–While same-store sales at the major U.S. retail chains were mostly up in December, not all of the stores enjoyed a healthy holiday season.
Some of the retailers admitted that their gains were below expectations. Target’s 1.6 percent increase did not meet the company’s projections for December, according to Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO, who added that sales were soft in gift categories such as electronics, music, movies and books. Kevin Mansell, chairman, president and CEO of Kohl’s, said the department store’s 0.1 percent same-store drop, which he attributed to sluggish sales in cold-weather product categories, was “short of our expectations, although much improved over November’s results (down 6.2 percent).”
On the brighter side, TJX’s retail chains finished December with an 8 percent comp-store gain, “significantly” ahead of its expectations, said CEO Carol Meyrowitz. Macy’s 6.2 percent increase puts the company “solidly on track to exceed our expectations for same-store sales in the fourth quarter,” said Terry Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO.
Looking at the other chains, Pier 1 Imports reported a huge 11.3 percent increase for December, driven by higher traffic and average ticket. Costco’s U.S. comparable-store sales rose 6 percent, factoring out gasoline sales, and 7 percent including gas. Dillard’s December saw a 4 percent gain in same-store sales, while J.C. Penney’s comp-store number edged up 0.3 percent.
In a note focusing on December at U.S. retail, Brad Thomas, analyst with Keybanc Capital Markets, said the home furnishings, furniture, home improvement, rent-to-own and pets categories outperformed other product sectors. There was improvement also in consumers’ willingness and ability to spend as non-farm payrolls increased, Thomas said.


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Report Says iPhone 5S Production Now Underway at Foxconn
Late Tuesday, word emerged from the far east that suggests production on Apple's forthcoming iPhone 5S has begun.
Macotakara, the Japanese Apple blog, reports that both the iPhone 5 and
iPhone 5S are now being produced on the sames assembly lines at Foxconn. Given that the respective designs of both phones are practically the same, Apple is mass-producing both devices simultaneously.
With no major - or even noticeable - hardware changes expected, the selling points of the iPhone 5S will be its internal components. A faster processor, better camera, NFC technology, fingerprint sensor and a host of other attributes have all been rumored.
For more than eight weeks now, an expanding number of analysts across the financial and tech markets have reported their expectation that iPhone 5S production will commence by early March. If tonight's report is accurate, it could mean that predictions for a late spring or early summer iPhone 5S launch may also be correct.