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April 6, 2018
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The expected Rugby World Cup boom has turned to bust for many retailers - but slim hopes remain for a lift in the final two weeks.
Parnell and Ponsonby have struggled enough to prompt a council resolution encouraging visitors their way, and businesses ranging from fashion and books to electronics and furniture are all talking about the dire trade.
An analyst at Goldman Sachs says big listed companies The Warehouse, Pumpkin Patch and Hallensteins would be hurting as spending shifted toward rugby.
Ski Trading Post owner Andrew Farnell said he was down 50 per cent to normal trading.
"Retail just stopped on opening night - just like the trains. We were thinking, 'How did we drop the ball?' But everyone's in the same boat. The core part of the business is just gone."
It was his worst trading in 23 years and no amount of advertising could get a spark, Mr Farnell said.
Ponsonby Civic Video manager Mike Roke said his store had seen business drop 15 per cent, though he said this was to be expected.
Days with All Blacks matches were not even worth opening, Mr Roke said.
PB Technologies branch manager Alex Zhu said he had experienced a significant downturn. "People ... aren't coming in, though there are thousands on Queen St just outside."
Waitemata Local Board chairman Shale Chambers said there was a "marked slowness of trade" in Parnell and Ponsonby. "They're areas that had higher expectations, with proximity to the city centre ... It's not even business as usual - it's down. I understand it's a universal concern."
The Parnell and Ponsonby concerns prompted a council resolution on Tuesday night to encourage more fans into the entertainment areas.
Chambers Home and Living in Ponsonby, Parnell fashion stores and community theatres agreed they had been unusually quiet.
"I don't know where the people are. It's like people are sitting under their little rocks until after the tournament," said a Parnell retailer.
Nike Britomart owner Bryan Eible said he had seen no lift - and the stylish precinct had become "like Bosnia" with its Portaloos and temporary fencing.
But he was hopeful of long-term gains and was convinced the tournament was positive for the country.
Unity Books owner Jo McColl said the talk at a recent book launch had been about the plummeting World Cup trade.
Analysis of spending figures for September show the overall retail momentum took a modest step down, despite a rise from $3.48 billion to $3.6 billion.
This was only a 1.1 per cent rise for the year after adjusting for GST, below both August's 1.9 per cent and and the average momentum through the prior 12 months of 2.1 per cent.
Goldman Sachs analyst Buffy Gill said the figures suggested New Zealand households were not increasing their spending due to the cup, but rather redirecting it towards rugby-related activities and hospitality.
Companies such as The Warehouse, Pumpkin Patch and Hallensteins would be missing out, she said.
"This would suggest that the majority of our listed retailers will instead be suffering as more durable good purchases are delayed."
While a pick-up was expected with an influx of overseas tourists for the final games, Goldman Sachs did not expect that to be enough to "turn the dial" for retail.
Ms Gill said although foreign card spending rose 29 per cent year on year, this made up only 4 per cent of total retail sales.
* Theatres: down
* Video rentals: down
* Ski equipment: down
* Fashion: down
* Furniture: down
* Electronics: down
* Books: down
* Car sales: flat
* Taxis: down
* Parnell: down
* Ponsonby: down
* Newmarket: flat.

domain: news


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100 additional companies each selling over $100m
20 November 2002
ICT taskforce sets growth target
– 100 additional companies
each doing over $100m sales per year by 2012
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Taskforce today released its strategy to more than double ICT’s contribution to the economy over the next 10 years.
Currently ICT constitutes 4.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) – the taskforce wants this to increase 10 percent, recognising that ICT is an essential component of economic growth in a knowledge-based economy.
“To give you an idea of the size of the task,” said taskforce chairman Murray McNae, “to hit the GDP target we need to grow 100 New Zealand ICT companies each generating more than $100 million in sales annually.
“We’ve only got 16 at the moment.”
Mr McNae said the single biggest issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of commercialisation skills and experience in New Zealand ICT companies for them to successfully go global.
One of the taskforce’s recommendations is that the sector set up a leadership team to “spearhead” implementation of the action plan.
The taskforce also
- The ICT sector adopt the target of 100 companies, each generating $100 million in sales in 10 years (100/100/10)
- The ICT sector and government concentrate on expanding the New Zealand-based ICT presence in the global market
- Government ministries and agencies urgently deal with looming skill shortages which the taskforce says is the second biggest constraint on ICT growth
- The ICT sector implement an executive development programme that focuses on commercialisation aspects of fast growing businesses
- ICT awareness programmes to find the next generation of ICT entrepreneurs be run in schools
- Government should consider regulatory issues concerning the sector
Mr McNae said that within the taskforce there was a strong feeling it was time to act.
“While we want to have feedback on the report, we also hope that a strikes a chord with the wider ICT community and provides the basis of an action plan that the whole sector can get behind.”
The taskforce will begin consultations with the ICT sector through discussion and meetings.
Mr McNae said there was much to celebrate in the New Zealand ICT sector with a number of companies already making a mark in the world marketplace with high-value niche products and services. “This is where the greatest potential for growth lies.”
1. The ICT taskforce was appointed in May 2002. It consists of business leaders with strong commercial experience. For more information, and to download a copy of the report, visit www.industrytaskforces.govt.nz
2. The taskforce members are:
Murray McNae, Chair (SolNet)
Hon Paul Swain
Convenor (Minister for Information Technology and Minister
David Bibby (IRL)
John Blackham (XSOL)
Denis Chapman (Spark Ventures)
Jim Donovan (Isambard)
Peter Maire (Navman)
Ian McCrae (Orion Systems)
Jenny Morel (Morel & Co)
Ian Taylor (Animation Research Ltd)


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Nicole Sinclair is research director, Mad Money and Jim Cramer's researcher at TheStreet. Nicole analyzes stocks and develops a strategic macro outlook, which she incorporates into segment ideas for CNBC's "Mad Money" and supports Jim's other endeavors including "Squawk on the Street" and RealMoney.com. Nicole also writes the "Inside the Madness" blog on cnbc.com.
Previously, she worked as an investment banking analyst for the Industrials Group in Goldman Sachs' New York office. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Nicole graduated with honors from Harvard College, where she served as executive editor of The Harvard Crimson.
Follow Nicole Sinclair on Twitter @nicoleusinclair.
It’s not the iPhone, or anything inside, that’s caught "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer’s eye to recommend buying this stock and selling others
The "Mad Money" host helps investors arm their portfolio amid market news such as Ebola
Jim Cramer thinks the US retail economy is about to change, thanks to Apple Pay. He thinks this stock will skyrocket as a result.
Can the bull market continue? In preparation for earnings season to continue next week, Jim Cramer gives his take on what to expect.
Grab the latest CNBC gear from the NBCUniversal Store!
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Cramer formulates his investment advice. "Inside the Madness" is a column, which features e-mails and more with Cramer and his researcher Nicole Urken.
You’ve always wanted to hit the “Hallelujah!” button. Here’s your chance.


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In the first of what is likely to be multiple initiatives for Black History Month, Apple has posted an exceptional feature highlighting Black photographers across the U.S. The title, “Hometown,” points to the simple premise: Photographers telling the story of their hometown. All shot, of course, on the iPhone 12 Pro.
The piece highlights Julien James from Washington, D.C., Lawrence Agyei from Chicago, Gabriella Angotti-Jones from Los Angeles, Brian Day from Detroit, and Lelanie Foster from New York City. Each personal story is accompanied by a few choice photos that highlight the photographer’s view of their city. The range of photographs is impressive, both in the way they contribute to the story and also their fundamental quality.
Together with the photographs, the one-to-three paragraph excerpts describing hometowns — and specifically, the photographer’s neighborhood within the city — are excellent. They’re all worth checking out.
The value of this piece isn’t limited to what made it into the website feature. Apple involved over 30 photographers for this series, and is highlighting even more throughout February on its Instagram as well. I definitely recommend browsing the photos there.
- The Apple Watch Series 8 and SE 2 sound more boring than we thought
- Apple squeezes WWDC keynote into a 180-second highlight video
- 5 simple reasons the Apple Watch Series 7 stays on my wrist
- Celebrate Pride month with these rainbow Apple Watch bands
- 9 podcasts to listen to during Women’s History Month


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Riders love motorized bikes, cities aren’t so sure
by Kerry Fehr-Snyder – Sept. 25, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Baby Boomers are fueling demand for bicycles with gasoline or electric engines, even though some cities aren’t sure whether they should be allowed on the street.
The vehicles, with top speeds of 20 mph, get about 150 miles to the gallon. Kits to retrofit bicycles with engines start at about $200.
Many lifelong riders who started commuting by bike during the last gas crisis in the 1970s say they need the motorized assistance to offset bad backs and aching knees.
I’m healthy and strong . . . and I found that it (a bicycle) was very usable transportation,” said Lenny Henderson, 57, who uses the handle “Lenny Harp” on the online Motorized Bicycle Engine Kit Forum.
“Now I need a little assist because of my back.”
Electric bikes are part of a wide range of light electric vehicles that provide an alternative form of transportation amid record high gas prices, pollution concerns and frustrating commutes by car. Riders start their bicycles by pedaling and then the engines take over.
Unlike motorcycles and scooters, motorized electric or gas-powered bicycles don’t require riders to have a driver’s license, register the vehicle, pay insurance for it or hold a certificate of title.
But because motorized bicycles generally move faster than a traditional bicycle, some cities aren’t sure whether operators should be riding in a bike lane or on a city street.
Tempe, for example, expects motorized bicycles to travel in a bike lane, said Lt. Noah Johnson of Tempe’s traffic-enforcement department.
“There really is no legislation in the city code in reference to them,” Johnson said. “But there comes a point people become a hazard.”
Johnson said the department hasn’t noticed any problems with motorized bicycles and isn’t sure whether laws originally designed to regulate mopeds need to be updated.
“People come up with all these new technologies that don’t necessarily meet the definition of a ‘motorcycle’ even if they’re adding a motor to a bicycle,” he said. “There’s a lot of gray with these vehicles.”
Generally designed for one person and small cargo, electric bikes’ range, speed and cost are moderate. Most of the trips on an electric bike, known as an e-bike, are 10 miles or less.
The advantages of e-bikes are that they are clean, quiet and efficient.
The disadvantages: buying the right electric kit for the right bike without stressing its frame.
That’s what happened to Henderson, who lives in northwest Mesa and commutes 15 miles each way to his job as a security guard. He broke a motor mount on his bike while outfitting it with a gasoline motor.
“I’m not a motor mechanic, but I’m a bicycle mechanic,” he said.
No one tracks the sales of motorized bicycles, but the trend in bicycle sales overall has been relatively flat.
The total bicycle market rose to 16.6 million in 2001 from 15.2 million on 1997, according to the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Throughout the 1990s, sales averaged more than 16 million bikes per year, including more than 11 million adult bicycles.
Throughout the 1990s, sales averaged more than 16 million bikes per year, according to the publication.
For Henderson, the choice is clear.
“Remember in 1973 when the price of gas tripled in price from 33 cents (a gallon) to a dollar overnight? I didn’t know who to blame, but they were saying the Arabs. All I knew was I’m a person who can take care of himself, and I decided I’m going be just a little bit independent.
“Bicycles are the superior form of transportation energy.”


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Families in Swansea are beating the credit crunch by swapping unwanted items online for goods instead of having to pay for them.
The Swap Shop website, set up by Swansea Council has seen the 1,000th item added to the site since it was launched two years ago.
The aim of the site is to provide a service via the web where the public can advertise unwanted items or acquire items that are too good to simply throw away.
Everyday items such as kitchen equipment, televisions and bikes are being offered as well as more unusual items like caravans and dog kennels.
Recycling Officers in Swansea have labelled the site a great success saying that Swansea Swap Shop is not only benefiting the public but also the environment.
Trish Flint, Swansea Council's Recycling Officer, said, "We're delighted with the success of the website. It's giving people the opportunity to pass on their unwanted items to others instead of them ending up in landfill. It also gives users the opportunity of obtaining items they want without handing over any cash. With all the focus on the credit crunch at the moment, the site is a prefect way for people to save money and still get things they want."
"But even if people don't use the website and have to dispose of household items after a sort out, they can take them to any one of the civic amenity sites operating in Swansea."
John Hague, Cabinet Member for the Environment in Swansea Council, said, "This is a wonderful idea. We have a huge task in front of us in terms of reducing landfill and achieving the strict allowances which decrease each year. This scheme is currently helping us to achieve those targets by diverting unwanted items from landfill sites."
If you have anything to swap or just want to get rid of something from the home check out the website and help the environment. www.swansea.gov.uk/swapshop


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The Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology fair – Asia’s leading event for electrical engineering professionals, as well as building and home automation experts, is set to hold its 12th edition from 9 – 12 June 2015. The fair will be primely located in Halls 6.1 and 8.1 of Area A at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. The four-day event will occupy 20,000 sqm, and host 298 exhibitors from Belgium, Mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and the US.
Commenting on the upcoming fair, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, expressed: “Each year, the steadfast support we receive from industry associations contributes to the show’s success. Not only have these associations provided us with invaluable guidance, but they have also enriched the content of the fair by co-organising concurrent events. For 2015, we will once again address prevailing market trends and help industry players discover new business opportunities. With our strong line-up of concurrent events covering intelligent building and smart home standard, intelligent building, smart home and electrical building, I am confident that visitors will receive indispensable market intelligence and achieve their business goals.”
EnOcean Alliance, one of the fair’s key supporters, will attend for the fourth time. Mr Graham Martin, Chairman of the group, commented: “The fair is one of our major events in China as it attracts thousands of international experts from the electrical engineering, building and home automation markets. The variety of exhibitors and innovative solutions are especially fascinating, and mirror the latest and future market trends not only in China, but also worldwide. This makes the fair a highly attractive platform for EnOcean Alliance and its members to present their products and solutions based on the EnOcean energy harvesting wireless technology.”
Sharing the same opinion, Mr Joost Demarest, CTO of the KNX Association, said: “The fair plays an important role in the promotion of new home and building control solutions to the Chinese public. This year, we will again support seminars and the Agora session to introduce KNX technology to the newcomers.”
Leading Exhibitors To Share New Innovations And Market Insights
Driven by new urbanisation construction in China, the country’s government is focused on improving the energy efficiency of buildings. This, coupled with the rapid development of the Internet of Things and cloud computing, makes for a promising market for building electrical engineering and smart home products. Numerous industry leading suppliers recognise this trend and are ready to present their latest innovations to the building community.
Wulian-IoT is a renowned supplier of wireless smart home devices that are based on ZigBee technology. The company is prepared to exhibit a series of solutions during the fair, including wireless multifunctional sensors, curtain detectors, high-definition cameras and sockets.
Also present is DADE which has a long history for research and development in the smart home products. They will demonstrate their core competitive smart home series at the show including a selection of high quality, low maintenance products for a more secure and comfort living.
Other noteworthy brands to attend this year include ABB, ANCI, BERKER, Bittel, CATO, CITYGROW, DNAKE, Control4, DALIPRO, Dooya, Eastsoft, Echelon, EnOcean Alliance, HEE, HeGuang, HDL, HUARUI, IISFREE, Laffey, Lite-Puter, KNX Association, JINLI, MORDIO, Murata, ORVIBO, Rishun, SATION, Schneider Electric, SINGI, SUPCON, Songri, TAICHUAN, T&J,TENDER, Video-star, WAGO,ZF Friedrichshafen and Z-Wave Alliance.
Event themes: “Intelligent Building and Smart Home Standard”, “Intelligent Building”, “Smart Home” and “Electrical Building”
Over 70 concurrent event sessions will be held with the Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology fair. Influential speakers from governments, industry organisations, institutes and corporations will share market insights. To parallel industry development, the events will cover the following four themes:
- Intelligent Building and Smart Home Standard;
- Electrical Building;
- Smart Home;
- Intelligent Building.
In addition, the fair will once again feature the popular Agora platform, and gather key industry players and experts under one roof to exchange market intelligence and expectations on future trends.
Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology is organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd. The fair is a part of Messe Frankfurt’s building and energy shows, headed by the biennial Light + Building event in Frankfurt, Germany, which will take place from 13 – 18 March 2016. The show also follows a series of light and building technology events worldwide.


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AMD prepare Athlon X2 demise: K10 refresh Q2 ’08
AMD will also stop taking orders for Athlon 64 X2 4200+ and 4000+ processors by the end of this year and will launch a 65W Athlon 64 X2 4600+ clocked at 2.3GHz and with 1MB L2 cache in second quarter of 2008. AMD will launch a new series of dual-core products based on its next-generation architecture, Athlon 6000, in the later half of second quarter next year. First to launch will be the Athlon 6250 and 6050, the sources revealed. Although the core frequencies of the two CPUs have not been set yet, they will adopt 1MB L2 cache and 2MB shared L3 cache, the sources added.


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A laid-off lawyer tastes success with his entrepreneurial outing, Votary
While we continue writing stories about Indian entrepreneurs and their startups, we have also been trying to get you startup stories from beyond the country. Recently a New-York based venture that sells scarves, blankets and throws, reached out to us.
Votary, started by Luigi Bianco is a year old venture that sells all American scarves, blankets and throws. Bianco was laid off as a lawyer and had a tough time getting another job, despite applying to countless positions. He knew he had to find a new way to move ahead and therefore moved to Europe to turn entrepreneur. His choice of field was the fashion industry, which had also been his area of interest for a very long time. A year down the line, Votary has been a successful experiment in creating knitwear. Luigi claims to have sold 1 lakh units of his products and made over $200,000 in revenues last year.
When asked about his area of choice in the fashion industry, Luigi says: “I wanted to do something that has never been done before and there is a big market opportunity because we are the first to do reversible blankets and scarves, the designs are unique and the market size is worth $ 10 million.” The startup competes against the biggest names in the fashionosphere like Ralph Lauren, JCrew and Tommy Hilfiger to sell their product. However Luigi says that Votary firmly believes in making a lasting first impression and believes he can do that with the products he sells. Votary scarves, jackets and cardigans are designed and manufactured in U.S.A; made from Acrylic wool; is hypoallergenic and has a reversible design. The products are currently sold on Votaryny.com and through Japanese retailers.
The Votary team currently comprises five employees, who are based in NY and take care of different functions like manufacturing, design and factory. The startup relies on public relations to spread the word about its products and Luigi says he hopes to sell his products across the globe. He is currently working on developing a new line of products that uses lightweight material to develop a new line for the summer. And the biggest challenge he faces is raising capital to expand his line of products.Check out Votary’s oversized scarves and blankets here. And Also read about the other international startups we have covered: Lolabox, Wooz.


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Is Google Too Big?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007; 4:32 AM
From search to e-mail, from calendars to spreadsheets and text documents, more and more of what PC users read and create flows through one firm: Google.
Google's pending purchase of online advertising giant DoubleClick (the deal awaited Federal Trade Commission approval as we went to press) will give it access to yet more information: the Web browsing histories collected by millions of DoubleClick cookies. Combine that data with what Google already knows through its homegrown services--Google Apps, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Desktop, and many others--and the company has the potential to know more about you than any one entity ever has. (See the chart, " What Google Knows About You.")
The question is, can you trust Google with all that information about you? And even if you trust Google, what about other groups that may try to access all that information--government agencies, hackers, and rival businesses, to name a few? Privacy and security experts say that the risk is significant, even if Google sticks to its famous "Don't Be Evil" motto.
According to Harvard Business School assistant professor and researcher Ben Edelman, companies face many risks when they use online software services such as Google's, namely loss of privacy, lack of physical data security, and lack of control over data retention. Who can access your Google-hosted data, and when, and under what circumstances? Google itself has full access to your files, which are unencrypted. In fact, searching and indexing stored data are essential if Google is to continue serving its contextual advertising.
Should Google receive approval for its acquisition of DoubleClick, it could become the single largest custodian of Internet user search and browsing histories, with few legal restrictions on using that data or sharing it with third parties. The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a complaint with the FTC, which must approve the deal, asking it to investigate the ability of Google to record and profile the activities of Internet users, whether they are personally identifiable or not.
The FTC appears to be taking the matter seriously, requesting additional information from both Google and DoubleClick. The European Union's privacy agency and the New York State Consumer Protection Board are also concerned about the purchase's effect on browsing privacy.
A Google FAQ page, however, insists that the acquisition, far from endangering privacy, will improve it, and that the company remains committed to respecting users' privacy preferences.
Another danger in switching to hosted services like Google Docs and Spreadsheets and Google Calendar is that of losing access to your data. What happens when the office DSL connection goes down? And how would you make last-minute changes to, say, a critical spreadsheet while you're flying coast-to-coast? The recent launch of Google Gears, which will let you use online apps from Google and other companies without an Internet connection, promises to overcome this limitation, but the service likely won't become widely available for several months. Until then, your data is off limits when you're offline.
"You're accepting dramatically increased [file management] complexity--maybe for good reason--in order to get the benefit of having Google engineers keep everything running for you," observes Edelman. He says that businesses need to consider not only the benefits of outsourcing server management but also the drawbacks of having to keep local versions of documents synchronized with the Google-hosted versions.
Despite the uncertainty of Google's plans for your personal data, the company itself is probably the least of your worries. Instead, warns Edelman, hackers or your business's competitors could try to infiltrate your Google accounts via forged documents or other illegal methods.


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Deadpool, the Merc with the Mouth sweet talks and blasts his way onto the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles this fall.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare drops its pretense of modern conflict and jumps into full sci-fi futurism, much to the series' benefit. Our review.
The new Transformers game just can't live up to the legacy that High Moon Studios created.
The Transformers have had a bumpy history -- but a solid one nevertheless.
Our review of Deadpool, the Marvel-based game from High Moon Studios.
The Merc with a Mouth has made it quite clear that his new game is coming on June 25, and while Deadpool has acknowledged his appearance on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, he may have forgotten to mention the Wii U.
Deadpool is a competent brawler designed as a love letter for fans.
Deadpool has added two more familiar Marvel faces to its appearances: Mr. Sinister and Psylocke.
Deadpool is coming on June 25 for $49.99 (or $39.99 on PC). High Moon Studios announced the date, price, and pre-order bonuses today.
Deadpool is scheduled to come out this summer and development is winding down at High Moon Studios. Unfortunately for 40 members of the dev team, that not only meant an end to their work on the game, but a pink slip as well.
A new trailer for Deadpool shows off some gameplay, while illustrating that High Moon Studios certainly understands the implications of the character being self-aware that he's in comics, video games, and even trailers.
The High Moon Studios game Deadpool will be coming this summer, according to ads found in recent comic books.
Deadpool will feature Cable, another Rob Liefeld creation, to help offset the lead character's zaniness.
Transformers: Fall for Cybertron has gotten another DLC packs today, with yet another on September 25. Each adds some notable new multiplayer characters, like Dinobots, Insecticons, and more.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron makes some sacrifices in terms of gameplay, but the game is made of even sterner stuff than its predecessor. It's a truly epic tale that's a must-see for every fan of the Transformers franchise.
Would being a robot be super cool or totally wack? Perhaps you'll find the answer when you play the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron demo, which launches today for Xbox 360 on PlayStation 3.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron has released its first multiplayer trailer, showing off customization features, maps, and combat.
Meta comic book star Deadpool will be starring in his own video game, Activision has announced at San Diego Comic-Con. High Moon Studios, developer of the most recent Transformers games, is working on the project.
A teaser site was revealed (and since removed) for a Hit Monkey game, with developer High Moon Studios supposedly working with Marvel to bring the comic series to game form. An announcement is expected at Comic-Con later this week.
The Autobots are being unleashed a week sooner to try to save their home world. Activision has moved the release date of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron up a week to August 21.


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Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf, 2019 Fortnite World Cup champion, teamed up with Five Below to create gamers affordable accessories.
"Let's be honest, gaming can be expensive," they said in the announcement. "It's tough when I see someone in my community tell me they can't do something because It's too expensive."
Five Below will feature the accessories on its website and in more than 1,000 stores.
The items include:
- LED gaming headset with boom mic
- LED gaming headset stand with USB ports
- LED gaming keyboard
- LED gaming microphone
- LED gaming mouse
- LED gaming mousepad
- LED gaming speakers & subwoofer set
Every item costs $10. They won't match the quality of products from high-end companies like Logitech or Alienware but are a great entry point.
Bugha won the World Cup with almost double the amount of points of the second-place finisher and won $3 million.
Here's the announcement from Bugha on Twitter:
Image source: Bugha
The media are already talking it up — at the age of sixteen, Fortnite World Cup winner Bugah appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to talk about his big win.


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Google is already facing antitrust charges from Europe’s competition authorities, and very soon it might also become the target of a series of new civil lawsuits accusing the firm of abusing its dominant market and favoring its services over those of rivals, says a report from the New York Times.
New legal platform to help firms sue Google
An online platform has been created by Hausfeld, which is an international law firm, and European public affairs company Avisa, to help companies that have suffered losses due to Google’s tweaking of search results. The platform will help such firms sue the Internet firm in European courts and claim damages. Both Hausfeld and Avisa can hurt Google as the former has ties with the firms affected by Google’s practices while the latter has loads of experience in antitrust cases.
Hausfeld and Avisa will be providing their clients with information on the EU’s four-year competition investigation into Google. The U.S. firm has been accused of favoring its own online search for shopping, restaurant results and other online services, and the entire investigation is focused on determining whether or not its true. If Google is found guilty of breaching the antitrust law, then it is most likely that Hausfeld and Avisa will use this as evidence in their potential civil cases, says the report.
“So far, the focus has been on public enforcement, but what’s still missing is how this has financially affected the victims,” Laurent Geelhand, managing partner at Hausfeld in Brussels, said. Geelhand made no comment on the size of any potential civil damages.
More problems for Google
This new legal platform will add the problems of Google and few other tech companies facing legal and regulatory problems in Europe. The American tech companies will also be affected by the new copyright and privacy rules to be imposed by European regulators in addition to Google’s antitrust investigation, the report noted.
Last week, Google officially rejected the charges imposed by Europe’s competition authorities. Google’s general counsel Kent Walker claimed that no consumer choices were harmed by the company’s activities across the EU. In case some of the Google’s online practices are found to be uncompetitive, the search giant will be required to pay potential fine of up to 10% of its annual revenue in addition to any civil damages.


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Corning has announced plans to introduce the next generation of its high durability glass for mobile devices and other products at the Consumer Electronics Show next week. Dubbed Gorilla Glass 3, the new gadget glass has been improved at the molecular level, incorporating a proprietary feature called Native Damage Resistance (NDR) to reduce the propagation of flaws and the appearance of scratches.
The company says the result is a three-fold improvement in scratch resistance, 40 percent reduction in the number of visible scratches and 50 percent boost in retained strength after the glass becomes flawed.
No new products will feature Gorilla Glass 3 at the CES 2013 in Las Vegas, but Corning has begun sampling Gorilla Glass 3 with device manufacturers and expects them to announce new products featuring the tougher surface in the next couple of months. The company will nonetheless demonstrate “the toughness of Gorilla Glass 3” at the show, and also showcase the use of Gorilla Glass in larger format, multi-touch displays.
Late last year Corning announced sales of more than 1 billion Gorilla Glass devices on more than 975 different device models--including smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and TVs. Although the technology has been its shot to fame in the tech world, the company is also competing in a few other markets, and has plans to launch optical cables with Thunderbolt connectivity next week.


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Some opportunities are made, others come at you fast.
How well have you positioned your company to adapt and to scale?
David Beitz, Co-founder and Partner of Planned Grocery, joins our July Grow Camp webinar for a conversation on Planned Grocery’s path to building scalability into their business model and how the rise in food delivery services in 2020 has given Planned Grocery a whole new industry sector to track.
Book your spot and bring a notepad for --
⭐ An inside look into the powerful ways groceries stores and food delivery services are shaping real estate development in 2020 and beyond
⭐ Practical advice for building the right team capable of attracting your ideal investors and clients
⭐ Hard-earned advice for thinking about your business, product, or service in terms of growth and scalability
Headquartered in Columbia, SC, Planned Grocery gives a never before seen look at current nationwide grocery expansion in real time through its online data mapping platform and has recently rolled out critical new data sets on grocery delivery and pick up services. You can learn more about Planned Grocery at plannedgrocery.com.
This webinar is hosted by GrowCo and will be moderated by Matt Vaadi, CEO of ERG Payroll. Event wraps up with a virtual happy hour.


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One of the most respected gaming media authority IGN has revealed its top 5 Nintendo Switch games for the month of December. So for those who are still looking for a game to purchase, IGN has got you covered.
Coming in at number 5 is Brawlout which is a game inspired by Nintendo's Super Smash Bros, next is Blossom Tales The Sleeping King is a retro-inspired classic game which is said to take most of its cues from classic games like The Legend Of Zelda. The number 3 on the list is called Enter The Gungeon is a twin-stick gun crawler, followed by Yooka-Laylee at number 2, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 which is a new JRPG game. check out the video below for more information and stay tuned for more gaming news and updates.
"Top 5 Switch Games For December"


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There has been a lot of discussion and anticipation as to the strength of weakness of dairy exports this year. Exports have slowed from the torrid pace it had achieved during the second half of 2013 and the first half of 2014. High U.S. prices last year reduced competitiveness in World markets. Global Dairy Trade auction prices continued to slide while U.S. prices increased. Previously contracted export orders were being filled leaving little supply be build domestic inventory. Prices continued to increase in the effort to slow demand of which it eventually accomplished.
Cooperative Working Together has been instrumental in helping to move dairy products to other countries despite the decline of overall exports. So far this year they have assisted in the exports of 24.843 million pounds of cheese and 24.387 million pounds of butter. Let’s take a look at just how good or bad exports are at the present time. In order to do this, we need to go back not only to last year, but a few years to get an accurate picture of where we are.
February exports of cheese totaled 29,578 metric tons, a decline of 5.4% from the previous year. Even though this is a bit of a disappointment in demand, it is the second highest cheese exports for the month of February in history. This clearly indicates international cheese demand remains good despite a higher U.S. price than world price and despite the high U.S. Dollar. We need to look at this as a real victory.
However, the same cannot be said for butter. February butter exports totaled 2,550.7 metric tons, down 71.7% from last year. These are the lowest butter exports for February since 2010 and the lowest exports since September 2014. This certainly is not good. Comparing the current U.S. butter price of $1.7525 to the latest Global Dairy Trade auction price of $1.48 is not helping to spur international interest.
February whey exports declined 15.7% totaling 33,167.1 metric tons and the lowest February exports since 2012. Nonfat dry milk exports were able to hold fairly well totaling 35,609.8 metric tons, down 1.5% and the lowest February exports since 2013. Nonfat dry milk is competitive on the world market as price is closely aligned with world price. However, domestic price is struggling with Grade A nonfat dry milk price on the daily spot market falling to 93 cents last week and the lowest futures price since early August of 2009.
The bottom line is that the current weakness in GDT auction prices does not provide much hope for high dairy product prices and milk prices. However, if GDT prices find support and would trend higher and remain that way, it will improve the outlook for milk prices immensely. According to some world price forecasts, this may not materialize the rest of this year. So far, U.S. dairy prices have held better than many had expected. If we have already seen the lows for prices this year, we can count our blessings. But who knows, things may change significantly as the year progresses.
-March Milk Production report on April 21
-March Cold Storage report on April 22
-March Livestock Slaughter report on April 23
-Annual Livestock Slaughter report for 2014 on April 27
Robin Schmahl is a commodity broker and owner of AgDairy LLC, a full-service commodity brokerage firm located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. He can be reached at 877-256-3253 or through their website at www.agdairy.com.
The thoughts expressed and the data from which they are drawn are believed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. There is risk of loss in trading and my not be suitable for everyone. Those acting on this information are responsible for their own actions
This material has been prepared by an employee or agent of AgDairy LLC and is in the nature of a solicitation. By accepting this communication, you acknowledge and agree that you are not, and will not rely solely on this communication for making trading decisions.
The thoughts expressed and the basic data from which they are drawn are believed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed. Any opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain inherent limitations. Simulated results do not represent actual trading. Simulated trading programs are subject to the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. There is risk of loss in commodity trading may not be suitable for recipients of this communication.
MPP and LGM for Dairy: Two Different Approaches with Two Different Payouts
5 Things Your Banker Wants from You


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From extreme rarities to those you can find right now on eBay, here are five vintage baseball cards that could see a spike in value.
Modern Sports Card News
A $60,000 reward for one card in the 2018 Bowman baseball release as Topps plans another chase element inside the boxes that hit shelves Wednesday.
It took seven months, but the big prize inside 2017 National Treasures baseball has been pulled–and is getting some media attention.
2018 Bowman hits the market with more Shohei Ohtani cards bringing big bucks and Beckett offering to grade and ship the 1/1 Superfractor gratis.
Sports Memorabilia News
Over four dozen US Olympic men’s hockey jerseys are on the auction block with proceeds supporting the USA Hockey Foundation.
Around the Hobby
Once owned by a well-known entertainer, a Babe Ruth bat attributed to his record-breaking 60th homer in 1927 looks to fetch a big price at auction even though the Hall of Fame is sticking with the story of its own piece of Babe-a-bilia.
A Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani refractor hits eBay; another Ty Cobb back T206 find…and Evan Mathis talks about the sale of his PSA 9 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle.
- Notes: New Milwaukee Shop; Cup Sticker Craze; The “Walking Superstar”; Puck Collector
- New Study Reveals MLB Leaders in Freebies
- Notes: PWCC’s Trading Card Index; Mathis Talks of Selling Mint Mantle; Old Wrigleyville Shop Survives
- Notes: Once Unloved, Ruth Ball Will Fetch Big Bucks; Ex-Bills Coach’s Playbooks on eBay
What’s Hot in the Shop
There’s something going on in everyone’s favorite sport right now and that doesn’t hurt interest in products. Mike takes a break from searching for restocks to give us the top five sellers right now.


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In the five years since Amazon introduced Alexa, the sale of smart speakers in the United States has risen steadily. In fact, according to “The Smart Audio Report” by NPR and Edison Research, more than 118 million had sold by December 2018.
People have marveled that they can ask a small round device to play Broadway show tunes, to close the garage door and to order a pepperoni pizza. Now a growing number of people are asking questions of the makers of these smart devices, such as, “Does anybody listen to my conversations at home?” and “Do they keep recordings of what I say?”
The answer to both questions turns out to be that the creators of voice assistants sometimes do record conversations, and sometimes humans listen to those recordings. Working for a company that offers voice technology for smart home devices, I know there are good reasons for this. The first generation of smart speakers was designed as little more than relays, sending recordings of your voice to a cloud server that recognizes your words and formulates responses. In a very small number of cases, humans review recordings to improve the quality of the speech recognition and the responses their assistants give.
Nonetheless, as some unsettling cases have become public, some commentators are voicing concerns.
Today’s smart devices rely so much on cloud processing for all their functions that there are myriad vulnerabilities that could expose very intimate information of users. This is as true with video doorbells, smart TVs, connected cars and many other intelligent gadgets as it is for smart speakers. If the design of these devices isn’t fundamentally changed to restrict the transmission of private sounds and images, the rapid growth of the internet of things (IoT) could well slow down.
Surveys show that concern about privacy is increasing among people who own smart speakers, and it’s a reason that others are not buying them. The 2019 NPR and Edison Research report cited above found that 58% of speaker owners “worry that hackers could be using their smart speaker to get access to their home or personal information,” and 49% worry that the government could be listing to their private conversations Among those who don’t own smart speakers, 58% said it bothered them that smart speakers are always listening.
One way to reassure consumers is with designs that keep conversations, images and other personal information securely on the local devices, using cloud processing only when necessary. This requires a more advanced security system than is currently commonplace and the processing power to handle the artificial intelligence (AI) needed for speech recognition, image analysis, personalization and the other tasks of smart devices.
For instance, at Synaptics, our new generation of system on a chip (SoC) has the capability to recognize up to 100,000 words on its own without asking for help from the cloud. It offers neural network accelerators to handle advanced personalization and image recognition. And it uses enterprise-grade encryption at the local (edge) hardware level.
Chips powerful enough to handle AI are starting to appear on the most expensive type of connected devices: the smartphone. Apple’s iPhone X, introduced in 2017, incorporated the first mobile processor with dedicated hardware for neural networks, a core AI technique. But now the cost of a chip with neural network capabilities and strong security for local information has fallen dramatically and is now available for less costly smart devices. In fact, Google recently announced the new Nest Mini with integrated AI for edge computing, and it costs only $49.
With technology like this, users will be able to ask their smart speaker for soft romantic light in their bedroom with no record sent outside their home. Similarly, a television won’t need to send viewing habits to the cloud to recommend shows a user might like to watch. Of course, sometimes users want smart devices connected to the cloud — to stream music and the latest podcasts or check email. With powerful local processors, the information sent to the cloud can be restricted to the minimum necessary. Indeed, a lot of information a user may want, such as the current weather, can be stored in a local cache. Whether and when they ask about the weather is not recorded anywhere.
The entire technology industry must come together to use these and other technologies to offer people the convenience and personalization of smart devices with privacy protections they can trust. We must agree that as much information as possible should remain on the users’ devices in their own homes, cars and workplaces. And when personal data must be sent to the cloud, we must ensure it is protected and under the user’s control at every step.
This hybrid approach offers many benefits for consumers, device makers and network service providers beyond the powerful security and privacy. Local voice and image processing dramatically reduce the cost of network bandwidth and the need for building new cloud data centers. At the same time, users will enjoy faster response times and far more personalized services.
Ultimately, I believe many consumers will stop paying attention to new features from smart devices, however advanced, until their concerns about privacy are allayed. It’s up to manufacturers to change their systems so customers no longer have reason to ask if their smart speaker is spying on them.


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LOS ANGELES - About 2,000 fans will be allowed inside to watch the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday, but there will be some big changes for fans when they get inside Staples Center.
To get in, fans will have to show a photo ID and either proof of full vaccination (two weeks since your final dose) or verification of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the game.
Other changes include mandatory masks for guests over the age of two — gaiters, bandanas, and coverings with exhalation vents are strictly prohibited.
Guests will be required to have their tickets on a mobile device and Staples Center has gone completely cashless, so only debit and credit cards will be accepted forms of payment.
No bags or purses of any size, however wallets without chains or straps are allowed. "Only bring necessary items that fit in your pocket," Staples Center officials said.
The other major change is that fans won't be allowed to eat or drink from their seats. You can only chow down in "designated eating and drinking areas." Guests will be able to order food and beverages from their cell phones using a QR code located at the concession stand or at their seats. Staples Center will send you a text when your order is ready for pick up.
"The health and safety of our guests, athletes, performers, and team members is our number one priority," the venue said on its website. "We have worked closely with state and local health officials to responsibly and thoughtfully implement new safety protocols to provide you not only a safe, but enjoyable experience. While it may be a bit a different from the last time you joined us, we look forward to giving you a reason to cheer and creating unforgettable memories with you, once again."
Tickets guests are encouraged to watch this video prior to heading to the Staples Center.
If you didn't get tickets for this one -- don't worry! Most other home games still have tickets available online.


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Morgan Frisch/Recorder staff
Construction has started at the future home of the Dollar General distribution center at the Florida Business Park Extension on Route 5S.
By MORGAN FRISCH
Recorder News Staff
TOWN OF FLORIDA — Dollar General has officially broken ground at the Florida Business Park Extension on Route 5S for its new northeastern distribution center.
“To see the work starting and the dirt moving is certainly really exciting,” Montgomery County Executive Matthew Ossenfort said. “It took a lot to get to this point and I’m proud of the effort that was put forth by the county economic development office. Everybody worked together to get what is a very, very, big project done. It is certainly good to be at the final stage and look forward to the opening and the employment of hundreds of people.”
The facility, which makes for the 16th distribution center, is expected to create 430 new jobs, as well as approximately 200 temporary construction positions.
Dollar General proposed a $91 million, 750,000 square-foot distribution center. The 430 jobs are expected in the first five years of operation and the company expects to invest more than $85 million in the project.
Montgomery County Business Development Center CEO Ken Rose said the groundbreaking is always exciting because it comes after a very long process through local, state and federal permitting. Rose said they are only excited when the shovel hits the ground because they are seeing the projection coming to fruition.
He said he is hopeful there will be a smooth construction process over the next year. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018.
Ossenfort said to his understanding, it’s going to be a very aggressive construction schedule.
“I think you are going to see a lot of activity on that site all the way up until the winter,” he said.
Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO, said in a released statement that Dollar General is looking forward to adding another state-of-the-art and highly efficient distribution center.
“It is exciting to move forward with a project that will create more than 400 jobs in Montgomery County,” he said. “I am grateful for our continued partnership and support on this project from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York’s Empire State Development and local leadership in Montgomery County.”
According to the release, once fully operational the facility is expected to supply products to approximately 800 Dollar General stores throughout New York and the northeastern states it serves. There are about 360 stores with more than 3,000 employees in the state.
According to Dollar Genera, Amsterdam was selected because of its convenient location to Interstate 90 and its proximity to Dollar General stores throughout the northeast, as well as Montgomery County’s business environment, quality workforce and the availability of local and state economic incentives.
Town of Florida Supervisor Eric Mead said he is excited to finally see machines in the ground, and that it’s exciting for the town and another step forward in completing the industrial park.
“This project here is a feather in our cap, not just for the town, but Montgomery County,” Mead said.
Site trailers are already on the location and Mead said he’s looking forward to a continued relationship with Dollar General.
“I think because of the size and the scope of the project it’s certainly going to have an impact on the local economy and that’s the goal,” Ossenfort said.


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Editor’s note: Steve Herrod is managing director at General Catalyst Partners and the former CTO and SVP of R&D of VMware.
As we bear witness to the aftermath of major attacks this year against the likes of Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus and most recently, Sony, it becomes clear that we are entering an entirely new “war” against cyber crime. Those who do not change their approach will lose.
The sophistication and proliferation of advanced malware is greater than it has ever been, and widespread awareness of this problem is being fueled by the near daily headlines touting the latest company to fall victim to a cyber attack. Large enterprises are investing more money into cybersecurity technologies than ever before, and the need for a stronger and more comprehensive security model has become a board-level discussion as the severity of these attacks hits home for businesses and consumers alike.
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Motorola’s forthcoming phones could use electronic tattoos or pills to identify users, it has been announced.
The technology, which aims to remove the need to enter passwords and replace them simply with a phone being close to a user’s body, was one of the suggestions Dennis Woodside, Motorola’s chief executive, California’s D11 conference yesterday.
The tattoos have been developed by Massachusetts-based engineering firm MC10, and contain flexible electronic circuits that are attached to the wearer’s skin using a rubber stamp.
Nokia has previously experimented with integrating tattoos into mobile phones, and Motorola’s senior vice president of advance research, Regina Dugan, a former head of the US Pentagon’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, demonstrated the silicon-based technology that uses bendable electronic circuits. Initially designed for medical purposes, Motorola hopes the ‘Biostamps’ could now be used for consumer authentication purposes.
Motorola is also investigating the Proteus Digital Health pill, which has already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and was given European regulatory approval in 2010. Its computer chip is powered by a battery using the acid in a user’s stomach.
The pill creates a unique signal like an ECG trace that can be picked up by devices outside the body and which could be used to verify a user’s identity. It can be taken daily for up to a month, it has been claimed.
Woodside admitted that such experimental ideas were not going to be on sale soon. But he claimed Motorola had “tested it authenticating a phone, and it works.’
The former Google employee, however, who was parachuted in to Motorola after its $12.5billion acquisition in 2011, said “Having the boldness to think differently about problems that everybody has every day is really important for Motorola now.’”
So, if you’re tired of entering your password and want your computer or smartphone to know when you are nearby and ready to work, keep up with Motorola and its ATAP group.


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Shade Station is bringing in the summer with the unveiling of its new TV campaign.
The official stockists of designer sunglasses, watches, and prescription glasses, has teamed up with Guerillascope to promote the popular Carrera Sunglasses.
With summer roaring into focus the burst will run from the 7th May to end of June, targeting young adults. The campaign will run across a wide selection of channels catered towards this audience, including E4, ITVBe, ITV2 and Sky Max.
This activity will be complimented by Video on Demand placements across All4, the UK’s biggest free streaming service for 16–34-year-old Adults, with 80% of the UK’s 16–34’s signed up within its 25 million total registered viewer base.
The opening scenes of the 20 second ad whisks us away to New York City, showcasing an abundance of inhabitants sporting their Carrera sunglasses to block the summer sun.
Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Alexa Buckler, Associate Director at Guerillascope, says: “We are excited to be working with Shade Station again and look forward to driving great results for the brand as summer heats up.”
Visit shadestation.co.uk to browse through their extensive selection of sunglasses, prescription glasses and watches.


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Profits at Primark, which trades as Penneys in Ireland, fell from £969m (€1.08bn) to £363m (€403.1m) year-on-year as the budget fashion retailer continues to deal with closures as a result fo COVID-19 restrictions internationally.
Revenues at the company, which accounts for the entire retail division of parent firm Associated British Foods, dropped from £7.8bn (€8.7bn) to £5.9bn (€6.6bn) during its full financial year, which ended in mid-September.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Associated British Foods saw its operating profit and profit before tax decline 40% to £810m (€899m) and £686m (€762m), respectively, but revenues fell just 12% to €13.9bn (€15.4bn).
ABF announced on Monday that expects to lose a further £375m (€415m) from temporary store closures in several countries, including Ireland and England, stemming from a second wave of the virus.
ABF chief executive George Weston said the initial three-month period in which Primark stores were closed was mainly responsible for reduced revenues and profitability.
'Following a three-month closure, Primark delivered a robust performance, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response when it safely welcomed customers back to its stores,' ABF chief executive George Weston said.
Mr Weston added that Primark stores had taken in £2bn (€2.2bn) in sales since reopening towards the end of ABF's financial year.
'Uncertainty about temporary store closures in the short-term remains, but sales since reopening to the year end of £2bn demonstrate the relevance and appeal of our value-for-money offering,' he said.
'We have the people and the cash resources to meet the challenges ahead and we are investing for the future.'
Primark's overheads were reduced 50% during the initial wave of coronavirus and the company took advantage of job retention schemes in Ireland and Europe.
Sales in the first half of the year before coronavirus were up 4% year-on-year and the company said its sale performance after reopening were 'reassuring and encouraging'.
Overall, sales in Europe after reopening were down 17% on a like-for-like basis, reflecting increased public health restrictions. The 36 stores in the Republic of Ireland will remain closed until at least December 1.


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Zim gets more mobile money
VALUE ADDED SERVICES| Oct. 23, 2011, 2:08 p.m.
Zimbabwe’s ZimSwitch is reported to be in the early stages of partnering with up to 12 banks on mobile money services.
ZimSwitch is the National Electronic Funds Switch for ATMs and point of sale of Zimbabwe. Its new mobile service not only allows for mobile money transfers, but also allows mobile users to transact across banks. Banks can also use it to take their own mobile banking services to market.
ZimSwitch Mobile, currently only available to Telecel subscribers, is reported to be going live, in testing phase or being considered by 12 banks. ZimSwitch may also partner with mobile operators to roll out mobile money services, the company says.
People’s Own Savings Bank, Interfin Bank and CABS now offer mobile banking services in partnership with ZimSwitch and Telecel. Eight banking institutions are expected to go live with their mobile banking service within the next two months.
Telecel is providing the mobile banking platform while ZimSwitch provides the secure link to banks.
Mobile banking customers will be able to deposit money into and withdraw money from their accounts at any bank or bank agency where a ZimSwitch Ready logo is displayed.
MORE VALUE ADDED SERVICES NEWS
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Africa offers potential for cashless paymentAfrican countries share some of the world’s highest speeds of digital growth with people now constantly in pursuit of faster and more convenient ways of paying for goods and services. With the advances in technology, it is now possible to satisfy this demand at reasonable costs, delegates heard at ... Read More
Safaricom launches M-PESA bill manager serviceSafaricom has launched a new service known as ‘Bill Manager’ that will enable customers to manage and pay bills via M-PESA all in a single transaction. Read More
BankOne empowers 250 Microfinance BanksOne of Africa’s leading Information Technology platforms for micro finance banks, BankOne, has announced the signing up of its 250th client. Read More
Orange Money in France to allow money transfers to three African countriesOrange Money is available in Metropolitan France to enable Orange mobile subscribers in France to transfer money via their mobile to other Orange Money customers in Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal. Read More
Dar es Salaam gets UberDar es Salaam has become the 475th city to join in Uber’s growing global network. Read More
Carrefour signs up for Lipa Na M-PESACarrefour, the world’s second largest hypermarket chain, has today become the first retailer in Kenya to fully integrate Safaricom’s payments service – Lipa Na M-PESA – paving the way for the retailer to fully adopt M-PESA as a payments channel in Kenya. Read More
Tigo Insurance pays 10,000th claimantTigo Ghana says it paid over GHS 6.2 million to policyholders since the inception of Tigo Insurance in 2010. This was revealed during the presentation of a payment to its 10,000th claimant. Read More
Uber signs MoU with Ghana’s Transport MinistryUber, a technology company that connects riders and drivers at the touch of a button, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghana’s Ministry of Transport. Read More
FEATURED STORYGovernment should encourage youths in ICT early
Youths should be given more encouragement to develop their ICT skills, an 11-year-old app developer told Kokumo Goodie.
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On November 28 of this year, the 27th meeting of the Uzbek-British Trade and Industry Council (UBTIC) began its work in London under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Badriddin Abidov and Deputy Secretary of State of the British Parliament, Minister of Export Malcolm Offord.
A meeting was held at the Ministry of Economy and Finance between Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov and representatives of the Japan Association for Trade with Russia and Newly Independent States (ROTOBO) headed by the President of the association Masami Iijima.
The delegation of Uzbekistan, consisting of representatives of the Uztextilprom Association and textile enterprises of Uzbekistan, took part in the annual international textile exhibition "Fast Textile 2023", held at the largest exhibition center "Ptak Warsaw Expo" in Warsaw.
Currently, the government delegation of Uzbekistan is in China, conducting various dialogues and negotiations on further expansion of bilateral cooperation, actively attracting Chinese investments to our country using untapped potential.
On November 14 of this year, during his stay in Baku, the Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov held a meeting with the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikail Jabbarov.


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Save the world by changing your diet
Rather than waiting for a national energy policy or saving to invest in a hybrid car to cut gasoline consumption, Americans can reduce their carbon footprint immediately, without any added cost, by changing their diet.
That's the conclusion of a growing number of people, backed by research, who contend that diet accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than driving.
'Absolutely,' said Todd Karzen, a student at Illinois State University who expects to graduate in December with a degree in renewable energy.
Fossil fuels are used to ship food thousands of miles from farm to plate, and livestock production creates enormous amounts of methane, which is many times more damaging to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, Karzen said.
In addition to methane, conventional livestock production creates enormous demand for corn that is grown with intensive chemical applications and petroleum-based fertilizers, Karzen said.
'I think our national focus has missed this issue because it (diet) is so much a part of our national culture and lifestyle,' he said. 'Rugged tough guys work'n hard and eat'n big . . . steak and potatoes are just downright American.'
However, Karzen said cutting meat consumption from seven times a week to four times a week would be a significant benefit to the environment. Vegetarianism is even more environmentally friendly, he said.
In addition to carbon dioxide and methane, dietary changes can reduce nitrous oxide emissions that are linked with nitrogen-based fertilizers. Nitrous oxide is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Shopping at farmers markets is another way to make an environmental impact with diet. Many advocates of the organic movement are recognizing a higher imperative: local.
Sandra Steingraber, Pekin native, environmental scientist and author, said, 'Rebuilding local and regional food systems in Illinois is part of the solution to climate change, just as much as wind farms are. It's a sad irony that living in the most fertile farmland in the world, the people of Illinois are as dependent on food imports as impoverished Third World nations.'
Steingraber, author of 'Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment,' said shipping lettuce from California to Illinois requires hundreds of gallons of fossil fuels. Buying locally raised produce does not.
The new president and executive director at Seed Savers Exchange, George Devault, said the potential to affect climate change through diet is 'tremendous.'
'Eating more local food means less demand for food that travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to table,' he said.
Garlic from China that is labeled organic is problematic from a number of perspectives, Devault said. Organic standards in China are different than they are in America. Plus, the value of organic production is overshadowed by the environmental damage of shipping food around the world.
'Organic produce from China is actually doing harm. When you buy local, you vote with your food dollars,' he said.
State Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, is working on a resolution to set up a task force on local production that recognizes both the economic and environmental benefits of local versus transported food.
He also is investigating the transfer of organic certification from the federal government to the state. Many farmers don't pursue organic certification because of the bureaucracy and cost. Koehler's plan is to make certification more attainable for small farmers rather than just big producers.
'Food will be a huge issue that we talk about more and more,' he said. 'Our focus will be food and energy.'
Organic production does well in fertile Illinois soils, but federal legislation has hindered progress, virtually excluding small producers from the organic certification process. Shifting to more navigable state regulations could create a whole new industry in Illinois.
'Organic does well here, and we could see a new industry take over, creating new and diverse markets,' Koehler said.
Christopher Weber, Carnegie Mellon University researcher, found that 11 percent of food-associated greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation while 83 percent are linked with food production.
A 'low-carbon diet' recommended by environmentalists and nutritionists is based on foods that create fewer greenhouse gases versus the high greenhouse gas emissions from beef, dairy and transported foods.
Clare Howard can be reached at (309) 686-3250 firstname.lastname@example.org.


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For Release: 09-01-12
Prepared By: Detention Technician Nicole Grivno
Store Robbed by Gunman
Raytown, MO – The Raytown Police were called to a store in the 6600 block of Raytown Road, on 09-01-11, at 11:00 A.M., after someone reported a robbery. It was reported that a black male, armed with a handgun, had entered the store and confronted the employee. After taking an unknown amount of money, the male left the store going south on Raytown Road on foot. The suspect was described a black male, wearing a black shirt and blue jeans
There were no injuries and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the Tips Hotline, at 474-TIPS.


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NEW YORKNew York-based bitcoin sell itBit pronounced on Monday it won 5 blocks of a digital banking during final week’s auction conducted by a U.S. Marshals Service.
The bid by itBit was orderly on interest of a associate of a exchange’s and over-the-counter trade clients, pronounced Bobby Cho, executive of trade during itBit, in an email to Reuters.
The 5 blocks of a practical banking might have combined adult to during slightest 10,000 bitcoins. Cho declined to make serve comments.
Last week’s auction enclosed 21 blocks of 2,000 bitcoins and one retard of over 2,341.
The U.S. supervision on Thursday hold a final auction of bitcoins seized during a charge of a creator of Silk Road, an online black marketplace where a practical banking could be used to buy bootleg drugs and other goods.
It auctioned 44,341 bitcoins final week.
When contacted for comment, a U.S. Marshals Service pronounced it was not expecting serve announcements on Monday.
itBit also won partial of a U.S. government’s auction in March, nabbing 3,000 of a 50,000 bitcoins auctioned.


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Microsoft is rolling out the PR for Office 2010 (formerly Office 14) and Exchange 2010:
We’re announcing that Microsoft will begin releasing new versions of Office-related products this year. Exchange 2010 will be the first product in this lineup, entering beta for customers to download today. Exchange 2010 will become available in the second half of 2009. Office 2010 — including Office Web applications, SharePoint Server 2010, Visio 2010 and Project 2010 — will enter a technical preview in the third quarter of 2009 and will release to manufacturing in the first half of 2010.
So what goodies does Microsoft have for users of Exchange 2010 and Office 2010 (which reportedly will have both 32 and 64-bit versions)? Well, that’s a bit hard to discern amidst the flummery, but beyond the improved Outlook Web Access Webmail client, one other theme seems clear:
IT professionals will have more flexibility and choice to simplify deployment and lower management costs, while maintaining control. For example, Exchange 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010 give users the same value whether deployed on-premises, as a service from Microsoft and industry partners, or a mix of both.
As for the Exchange 2010 beta:
Exchange 2010 is part of the next wave of Microsoft Office-related products and is the first server in a new generation of Microsoft server technology built from the ground up to work on-premises and as an online service. This release of Exchange 2010 introduces a new integrated e-mail archive and features to help reduce costs and improve the user experience. A public beta of the server is available for download starting today at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010.
There is a full laundry list of new Exchange 2010 features at the link, not a few of which are rather obscure.
Microsoft was on the sidelines today as Apple launched their iPhone 3G around the world and the associated iPhone 2.0 software update, but Microsoft’s Adam Glick reminded everyone where the iPhone will be calling for numerous business users:
If you’ve not heard; Apple released iPhone 2.0 today which includes a software update to the existing iPhones in the market (yes, we mentioned it when it was announced as well). We’re thrilled to add them to the family of Exchange ActiveSync licensees that enable all sorts of devices to connect to Exchange Server. For those of you that manage Exchange Servers this means you may see some new devices connecting and we wanted to give you a few notes about what to expect.
Follow the link for details, but it is no surprise as it was announced back in March and it is still good business for both parties.
Reuters’ Daisuke Wakabayashi snagged an interview with Chris Capossela (the Microsoft SVP in charge of Office) who delivers some startling prognostications about the future of Microsoft’s Exchange mail server:
"In five years, 50 percent of our Exchange mailboxes will be Exchange Online," said Capossela, who expects a portion of Exchange Online customers to come from customers switching from International Business Machines’ Lotus Domino system.
In case you aren’t familiar with it, Exchange Online is Microsoft’s not yet generally available offering of hosted Exchange to customers who would prefer to outsource the provisioning, maintenance, and operation of their Exchange servers. As I observed when the Microsoft Online Services nomenclature was announced, "this is just good old fashioned managed hosting," and Microsoft partners have been offering the equivalent of Exchange Online for years and are continuing to offer it despite Microsoft clearly having set their sights on the market. There’s probably room for some partners to survive alongside Microsoft, but not very much.
However, Microsoft’s venture into managed hosting carries with it the financial burden of all the players in the outsourcing game: high costs yielding stable high revenues but with low margins.
In a services business, the customer will pay Microsoft a larger fee, since Microsoft also runs and maintains all the hardware. But Microsoft’s profit margins may not be "as high," Capossela said, even though revenue may be more consistent.
The key for Microsoft will be to run its computers systems as efficiently as possible to reduce hardware costs.
"That’s where we make the business model work," said Capossela, 38, who worked in his earlier years at the company as a speech writing assistant for co-founder Bill Gates.
Spoken like a good outsourcer, but the question remains why Microsoft felt the need to get into this low margin business and squeeze out their partners who were already providing an equivalent service. The answer has to be fear of the Web app vendors like Google with whom they are already in competition and Microsoft’s inclination to do things themselves that they consider important instead of leaving them to partners. The canonical example of this is the tossing of the PlaysForSure partners under the Zune train.
Finally, Capossela refers to Exchange Online as "cloud computing" which was duly echoed by the punditry. While I concede that definitions of cloud computing are befittingly nebulous, most require that the computing resource be dynamically adaptive to changing demands and it is hard to see how outsourcing your Exchange Server to Microsoft really qualifies. On the other hand, if your prefer a big tent definition, then the Microsoft partners who will see their Exchange hosting revenues stagnate or dry up in the face of Exchange Online can extract cold comfort from the thought that they beat Microsoft by years in putting Exchange in the cloud.
Today Apple announced the iPhone 2.0 software beta with a variety of business-use features including support for Microsoft Exchange email users. Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Exchange explains:
We’re happy that Apple is adding the iPhone to the growing number of mobile devices that connect with Exchange Server. As part of a business agreement with Microsoft, Apple will build Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync into the iPhone – making it possible for iPhone owners to access Exchange and take advantage of its secure mobile communications features.
The Apple iPhone is one of those popular devices that now join the long list of smartphones able to connect to Exchange. This is one of those win-win propositions in that it helps us serve iPhone users, and it helps Apple serve the needs of the enterprise.
Myerson takes pains to explain how Apple and Microsoft can both cooperate on Exchange access and compete in other areas simultaneously, but it isn’t a surprise – both are big enough with enough breadth of product that it is inevitable.


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In a recent feature over on EuroGamer, their team had the chance to catch up with EA Bucharest’s Andrei Lăzărescu regarding the future release of FIFA 18 onto the Nintendo Switch. This will be the first of the recent series to be launched on a Nintendo console, and with this, it looks like EA are taking some caution before committing to a fully fledged version of the game on this platform.
Two modes within FUT Squad Battles and FUT Champions will be missing within the Switch version, which Lăzărescu advised that this won’t be included so that players are not overwhelmed.
“If you look at the history of Ultimate Team on the likes of Sony or Microsoft – I think it’s a seven year history if I recall correctly – that player base has also been accustomed to it already, and has been educated about it already, you know, so if you throw everything from the get go to a completely new player base, you might not get the desired result… even this [as it is] might be too much, it’s huge.”
When questioned further on the reasoning for certain features being absent from the Switch version Lăzărescu said, “I see it as being more social,” and added “casual represents different things to different people.” In addition to this, he advised, “I look at them as two different games, two different worlds, that I think we should take for what they are, and keep in mind that we should not try to force people onto certain things just because it works on a certain platform.”
This may be EA’s way of testing the water, with it being the first game in the series to launch to a Nintendo player base. It could be that more features would be included in the next iteration if it is confirmed for release on the Switch in the future.


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Tyson Foods (TSN) Higher Third Quarter Profit Estimates, Sales Up Y / Y – Aug 9, 2021
Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN – Free Report) posted impressive results for the third quarter of fiscal 2021, with both top and bottom results increasing year over year. Both sales and profits exceeded Zacks’ consensus estimate.
The performance of the company in the reported quarter reflects sales growth in all segments. The company continued to experience robust growth in retailing, while its restaurant business rebounded as the restaurant industry began to reopen. The company’s beef sector increased production to meet strong American and international demand for higher quality items.
Quarter in detail
Adjusted earnings came in at $ 2.70 per share, beating Zacks’ consensus estimate of $ 1.77. Net income jumped 93% year-on-year.
Total sales were $ 12,478 million, an increase of 24.5% from the $ 10,022 million reported in the same quarter last year. The top line topped Zacks’ consensus estimate of $ 11,198.8 million. Gains from the average price change were 17.1%, while total volumes increased 9.7%.
Gross profit for the quarter was $ 1,620 million, compared to $ 1,313 million reported in the prior year quarter. Gross margin, as a percentage of sales, was 13%, down from 13.1% reported in the previous year quarter. Tyson Foods adjusted operating income increased 81% to $ 1,372 million. In addition, the adjusted operating margin fell from 7.6% to 10.8% during the quarter.
During the quarter, the company incurred nearly $ 55 million in direct additional expenses associated with COVID-19, which put pressure on results to some extent. These include costs for team members, disinfection of production facilities, coronavirus testing, donations, product downgrades, returned products, and certain professional fees. In addition to these factors, the indirect costs of COVID-19 included expenses associated with raw materials, transportation, underutilization and reconfiguration of the plant, bonuses offered to cattle ranchers and price discounts.
Beef: Segment sales increased to $ 4,954 million from $ 3,653 million reported in the same quarter last year. Volume improved by 24% thanks to strong global demand and lower year-over-year production inefficiencies linked to the pandemic. The average price increased 11.6% on strong demand for beef products.
Pork: Segment sales increased to $ 1,715 million from $ 1,115 million reported in the last year quarter. Sales volume increased 14.5% on strong global demand and lower year-over-year production inefficiencies linked to the pandemic. The average price increased 39.3% due to strong demand.
Chicken: Segment sales increased to $ 3,476 million from $ 3,112 million in the prior year quarter. Sales volume increased 3.3%, mainly due to higher demand in the foodservice channel and lower year-over-year production inefficiencies related to the pandemic. The average price increased 15.6% due to a favorable sales mix and inflationary market conditions.
Prepared Foods: Segment sales increased to $ 2,323 million from $ 2,035 million reported in the prior year quarter. Prepared food sales volume increased 4.5%, primarily due to higher demand in the foodservice channel as well as sustained retail demand. The lower year-over-year production inefficiencies linked to the pandemic have also led to the rise. The average price increased 9.7% due to a favorable product mix and the pass-through of higher raw material costs.
International / Other: Sales in the segment were $ 488 million, compared to $ 402 million reported in the same quarter last year. Sales volume increased 1.8%, while the average selling price jumped 19.6%.
Other financial updates
The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $ 1,613 million, long-term debt of $ 8,786 million and total equity (including non-controlling interests) of 16 $ 693 million. For the first nine months ended July 3, 2021, cash flow from operating activities was $ 2,656 million.
Liquidity was approximately $ 3.4 billion as of July 3, 2021. Management expects liquidity to remain above the company’s minimum target of $ 1 billion. The company is forecasting capital expenditures of nearly $ 1.3 for fiscal 2021.
Management expects sales to be in the $ 46 billion to $ 47 billion range in fiscal 2021. Previously, the company had forecast the metric in the $ 44 billion to $ 46 billion range. For fiscal year 2021, the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) expects domestic production of protein (chicken, beef, pork and turkey) to increase by less than 1% from previous levels. Fiscal 2020 levels. On an adjusted basis, the company expects its prepared food unit to remain stable in Fiscal 2021 year over year. Pork segment is expected to remain below FY2020 levels. Beef segment is expected to perform better in FY2021 compared to FY2020 levels. Chicken unit is expected to perform below FY2021. for fiscal year 2021.
Image source: Zacks Investment Research
Sector orientation for fiscal year 2021
For the beef segment, the USDA predicts that domestic production will increase nearly 3% year-over-year in fiscal 2021. For pork, domestic production is expected to stagnate year-on-year. the other, according to the USDA. In addition, the USDA predicts that domestic production in the chicken segment will decline by less than 1% in fiscal 2021. For the prepared foods segment, the company continues to focus on responding to developments. consumer behavior and rising costs. The company expects better results from its operations in the International / Other segment.
Shares of this company Zacks Rank # 3 (Hold) have gained 10.4% so far this year compared to the industry’s 4.3% rise.
Bets on solid foods
Medifast, Inc. (MEDIUM – Free Report), currently sporting a Zacks Rank # 1 (Strong Buy), has a surprise four-quarter earnings of 16%, on average. You can see The full list of today’s Zacks # 1 Rank stocks here.
Darling Ingredients Inc. (DAR – Free Report), currently carrying a Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy), has a surprise of 29.8% on average over the last four quarters.
Aramark (ARMK – Free Report), currently ranked Zacks Rank # 2, has an average surprise of 9.2% over the last four quarters.


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Renault has shared a teaser image of its upcoming Kadjar crossover that will be unveiled on the 2nd of this February. This is the company’s first crossover in the C-segment. Kadjar is a French word, where Kad stands for quad- representing the go-anywhere four-wheel drive vehicle and jar recalls the French words ‘agile’ and ‘jaillir’ representing agility and suddenly emerging from somewhere. The sound and spelling of the name have an exotic feel, which suggests adventure and discovering new horizons.
The initial letter ‘K’ is indicative of the model’s robustness and the KADJAR fits seamlessly with Renault’s existing B-segment crossover – Captur and even the Koleos. This is a crossover and if the reports are to be believed then it will be based on one of Nissan’s current best-seller in Europe— Qashqai. The second-generation Qashqai and the new X-Trail have gone on sale a while ago and this is likely the same platform that Renault will share for reduction of cost.
The Nissan Qashqai and the X-Trail too are likely to enter the Indian market and it seems that we could also see the Renault Kadjar to be launched in India for more components sharing. Renault hasn’t mentioned anything about this crossover and so far has only released a teaser image of this crossover, which isn’t even the image of the crossover.
The Renault Kadjar’s promotion has commenced from yesterday on social media and it is on the 2nd of February that the crossover will be revealed. The Renault Kadjar will be the company’s next crossover, and with Nissan as its alliance partner, we can expect a tried-and-tested platform as the Qashqai is already on sale.


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Rumor: New Layton game next summer, more talk of Inazuma Eleven for Nintendo platforms, Snack World localization
The latest issue of License! Global contains a feature about Level-5. Apparently, the magazine has some information about what’s to come for the company.
First, License! Global claims that a new Layton game is planned for late summer 2018. Actual details about the title are not provided.
The magazine goes on to talk about what’s next for Inazuma Eleven – specifically Inazuma Eleven. While it was already pointing in this direction, there’s further talk about the new game coming to Nintendo platforms.
Finally, License! Global indicates that The Snack World will be localized. It sounds like the plan is to bring the IP west starting in 2018 and 2019.
Below are the notable excerpts from the article:
… An additional “Layton” title is slated to launch in late summer 2018 to support the series.
Level-5 is also currently planning to reboot its classic video game property ‘Inazuma Eleven.’ The rebooted franchise, which is grounded in soccer (or football, depending on where you hail from in the world), will retell the original story in a slightly altered way and will be available on Nintendo platforms. As a sports-driven video game, Level-5 will aim to secure traditional licensing partners spanning apparel and footwear, as well as publishing. The company is also developing a suite of anime content to coincide with the game and is currently looking at additional digital elements such as digital stickers to tell the brand’s story.
… Additionally, Level-5 recently launched a new video game property in Japan, titled “Snack World.” The new game features physical, collectible pieces that interact with the game by enabling new challenges, adding new powers and more. Looking ahead to 2018 and 2019, Level-5 hopes to introduce the brand to its European partners in order to develop a robust consumer products program similar to its model for “Yo-kai Watch.”
For the time being we’ll take this information with a grain of salt. Level-5 has not officially announced future plans about its various franchises.


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Hackers Set Sights on Over USD 700m Bitcoin Wallet That Might Also Be Empty
Hackers from across the globe have stepped up their efforts to break into a bitcoin (BTC) wallet that is thought to hold more than USD 700 million worth of crypto.
The wallet could be the seventh most valuable in the world and holds BTC 69,370 (USD 714m), per BitInfoCharts data. But its owner may be alarmed to learn that hackers have started to pass around the wallet’s address on forums, as competition hots up for the valuable bounty therein.
Alon Gal, Chief Technology Officer at cyber intelligence company Hudson Rock, told Vice magazine’s Motherboard that he had noticed the wallet, whose address is 1HQ3Go3ggs8pFnXuHVHRytPCq5fGG8Hbhx, had become a hot topic of conversation on popular hacking site RaidForums.
“Stealing bitcoin wallets from victims worldwide is a common goal among cybercriminals. Wallets tend to be protected by strong passwords and in the event that a cybercriminal manages to obtain a wallet and cannot crack the password he might sell it to opportunistic hash crackers who are individuals with a large amount of graphics processing unit (GPU) power.”
And Gal added that “In the case of this bitcoin wallet, it seems that it had been circulating for a while with no luck to those who attempt cracking it.”
This said, it could also be possible that the wallet does not hold millions worth of crypto after all. Instead, experts claim that there is a chance it was altered to make it look as though it has the 1HQ3Go3ggs8pFnXuHVHRytPCq5fGG8Hbhx address.
However, schemers may have ensured that it does not match up with the corresponding private key that is needed to retrieve the precious holdings.
“It’s possible to doctor a bitcoin wallet.dat file to make it seem like it contains a high balance,” said the head of the crypto services firm Wallet Recovery Services.
The firm’s chief noted,
“The wallet file contains pairs of public keys and encrypted private key of the addresses it controls. So one could modify the file in a binary editor and change the public key of one of the address pairs to that of a high-value BTC address.”
In November last year, crypto research and analysis provider Coin Metrics released a study, which alleged that – as of block 600,000 on the Bitcoin blockchain – around BTC 1.5 million was presumed lost.
The 10-year Quest for a Lost Bitcoin Haul Worth Over USD 100 Million
Lost Bitcoin to Skyrocket Unless Investors Start Making Wills
Brute Force Attack Puts Super-fast End to ‘4-Week’ Bitcoin Riddle
How Good Are Bitcoin Recovery Services?


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But a Verizon venture of this sort isn’t as easy as pie. Finding the right programming partners seems to be the key. Reuters mentions the Paramount/Lionsgate/MGM joint venture EPIX as a possible provider — as their contract with Netflix runs out in Sept. 2012. But apparently some content providers may be afraid an alternative internet-based service from Verizon would infringe upon current contracts with cable providers. Customers could essentially “cut the cord” with traditional TV service providers and choose a less expensive internet service. Needless to say, Verizon would have plenty of obstacles to overcome.
In related news, Verizon recently announced the company would sell television services for Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks, while those companies will be able to sell Verizon Wireless services in bundled packages.


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After recent shuffles in the company, Myntra could sack 200 employees at Jabong in the coming three months. The move comes after concluding to lay off 250 employees as a part of merging multiple functions at Jabong and Myntra, a person aware of the process said.
According to sources, a terse townhall in Jabong lasted for nearly 10 minutes on Friday. Two sources further revealed that during the same, Ananth Narayanan, Myntra’s chief executive, told the gathering that 250 people will be relieved from their jobs because Jabong and Myntra are combining functions in numerous sectors including finance, technology, marketing and creative teams. One of the sources mentioned above told that Jabong has around 600 people.
In an email released by the company, a Myntra spokesperson said, “Myntra and Jabong will now fully integrate all the remaining functions including technology, marketing, category, revenue, finance and creative teams. To remain the leader in fashion ecommerce in India, we have to find ways to operate more effectively and innovate more quickly.” However, the spokesperson did not say anything about 200 more jobs being sacked at Jabong.
Myntra acquired Jabong for $70 million in July 2016 from Rocket International, the German investors, after beating competitors like Snapdeal and Future Group. Jabong, as per Myntra is more popular amongst women and has a stronger base especially in the National Capital Region, and will always be operated as a different business entity.
Even after the announcement about the merger of functions with Myntra, Jabong maintains that they will operate as a different entity under the same brand name. Another major happening in Flipkart, the company which owns Myntra, was the exit of Binny Bansal, the co-founder of the brand. Things have not been the same ever since in Flipkart, which was further acquired by Walmart Inc. in May for $16 billion.
The news of Binny Bansal’s exit came after he was accused of “serious personal misconduct.” This led to Myntra’s CEO Narayanan reporting to Flipkart’s CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy. Then, Friday came the news of 250 potential job cuts in the company, which was announced in townhall.