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Spare small online sellers, BIR urged
Several senators are questioning the move by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to press owners of online shops to register their businesses during an economic crisis, saying this would burden and not help small entrepreneurs who are trying to cope with an economy crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 60-2020 issued by the BIR on June 1 gave these businesses until July 31 to register and pay the required taxes.
The BIR’s latest directive spurred complaints from netizens and online sellers, who said they were only trying to find ways to make a living and feed their families despite the lockdown.
Deputy Revenue Commissioner Arnel Guballa on Thursday told the Inquirer that the BIR was targeting “all online sellers to register.”
BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay said these included “not only partner sellers/merchants, but also other stakeholders involved such as the payment gateways, delivery channels, internet service providers and other facilitators.”
Go after Pogos
Instead of cracking the whip on these small businessmen, Sen. Joel Villanueva on Thursday said the government should go after big-time tax evaders like the owners of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).
“We know the government needs to collect taxes. It must first go after those with proven tax liabilities. Up to now, Pogos have yet to pay the P50 billion they owe. They should be the focus of the BIR,” he said in a statement.
Villanueva noted that the government had given Pogos many opportunities to settle their tax obligations.
It even allowed them to operate during the quarantine provided that they settled their unpaid taxes first, he said.
Villanueva said the BIR should also be accommodating to Filipino entrepreneurs.
“Let us be grateful that our fellow countrymen are resourceful. We haven’t even given aid to many, and yet we plan to tax those who want to earn a living decently,” he said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also said the BIR should focus first on the Pogos’ unpaid taxes instead of going after Filipinos who earn little from online selling.
“Why are we lax on Pogos but cruel to Filipinos?” Hontiveros said, pointing out that online gambling operators were allowed to operate during the quarantine period even if they were considered nonessential businesses.
“Can we put Filipinos’ welfare first?” she said.
Sen. Imee Marcos also believes the BIR move was ill-timed.
“Let’s give time for the underground economy to flourish and help jump-start this country’s economy. Else, they will continue to depend on government subsidy. Two or three years, maybe,” Marcos said.
Later on, she said, the BIR could ensure that e-businesses pay the proper taxes by only allowing compliant businesses to sell in the online marketplace.
“They will have to show a third party-vetted compliance trust mark. That’s how other countries do it,” she said.
Relief, not burden
Sen. Francis Pangilinan said this was not the time to tax and place more burden on the people.
“Now is the time to give them relief and support,” he said in a text message.
Sen. Sonny Angara said that while the timing of the BIR order was not the best given the difficulties many people were facing, the taxes that the bureau wanted to collect were nothing new.
The BIR is just seeking to collect taxes that are supposed to be paid under existing laws, Angara noted.
“So if you ask a seller who has a store, he will say it’s only fair to have a level playing field since that seller pays the transaction taxes due,” he said in a text message.
The BIR should have issued the reminder earlier, he said.
Malacañang appealed for the public’s understanding regarding the government’s tax collection effort.
Funding pandemic response
“We are getting our funding for the COVID-19 response from the BIR and the Bureau of Customs. So while our funding requirements go up, we will continue to look for ways to increase our intake of taxes,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
He said that “if our country’s coffers are empty, we have no way of distributing aid while COVID-19 remains a threat.”
Left jobless by the lockdown imposed in March, many Filipinos resorted to e-commerce platforms and social media such as Facebook to sell food products and nonfood items.
The restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for a boom in e-commerce, since people were restricted to their homes and became reliant on delivery services.
Quoting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, Roque noted that tax laws exempted online sellers who make less than P250,000 a year.
“If your online business net income does not exceed P250,000, you won’t have to pay anything. You only need to register your business,” Roque said.
Difficult to collect
While these rules were already put in place seven years ago, BIR officials had admitted that it was difficult to collect online stores’ tax payments since there were no physical marketplaces that revenue officers could audit.
Guballa said the BIR did not have data on these shops’ level of tax compliance.
Estimates on how much more the country’s biggest tax-collection agency could collect from them would be determined once all online stores formalized their operations.
Dulay said the BIR would not slap penalties on updated or late registrations, as long as these were done on or before July 31.
“Likewise, they are encouraged to voluntarily declare their past transactions subject to pertinent taxes and pay the taxes due thereon, without corresponding penalty, when declared and paid on or before the said date,” he said.
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© Reuters. An indication of Alibaba Group is seen at CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai
(Reuters) – Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE:-RRB- Group Holding Ltd said on Tuesday it expects to almost double its transaction volumes by 2020, signalling it still expects widespread growth as Executive Chairman Jack Ma pledged to intensify a crackdown on fake goods. At a financier conference at its head office in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Alibaba said it expects to tape-record 6 trillion yuan ($912 billion) in gross merchandise volume (GMV) in financial 2020, nearly double 3.09 trillion yuan in financial 2016. Echoing that development, Ma said Alibaba expects to have 2 billion customers on its books by 2036, up from 423 million active purchasers in 2016. Resolving issues about the business’s efforts to get rid of counterfeit products from its online platforms, Ma stated Alibaba will do “anything to stop the phony products”. The company has been dogged for years by allegations that its shopping platforms were avenues for counterfeiters. “I guarantee you people that fakes, fake items, and intellectual property theft – we are increasingly more positive than ever that we can solve the problem,” Ma stated. Disclaimer: Blend Media want to remind you that the data contained in this site is not always real-time nor accurate. All CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are not offered by exchanges however rather by market makers, therefore rates might not be accurate and may vary from the real market price, implying prices are a sign and not appropriate for trading purposes. Therefore Combination Media does n`t bear any responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of utilizing this data. Fusion Media or anybody included with Combination Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as an outcome of reliance on the info including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this site. Please be fully notified regarding the risks and costs connected with trading the monetary markets, it is among the riskiest financial investment types possible.

domain: news


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Tata Global Beverages Ltd (TGBL) would focus on scaling up its product lines, company chairman N. Chandrasekaran said on Thursday.
Amid speculation on a restructuring proposal to merge the group’s food and beverages businesses into a single company, he said there was “no concrete proposal” but its board will deliberate if such a plan is placed before it.
“The focus of the company going forward will be to try and scale specific platforms and operations and also capture the growth in the Indian market. Even though in volume term, we continue to be number one in the Indian market, we can’t say the same in value terms,” Chandrasekaran told shareholders at the 55th annual general meeting of the company.
“So there will be focus to bring growth in the India market by a combination of focusing on market share, number of new products that reflect the macro trend.”
Responding to queries on the speculation of merger of food businesses, he said: “Tata Group has presence in multiple different consumers segment. Always the proposals and the ideas get discussed… These proposals sometimes come from investment bankers, sometimes internally. There is no concrete proposal. Whenever there is concrete proposal in front of the board, it will deliberate on it.”
Chandrasekaran also said that the Tata group is committed to West Bengal and looking for a “right opportunity” in terms of investing in the state.
“Tata Group is committed to West Bengal and we just wait for right opportunity. We have good presence of TCS and companies like TGBL and Starbucks. When the opportunity comes, we will definitely invest in the state.”


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Pumpkins, dahlias and seed-heads will be taking centre stage in displays at the Chelsea Flower Show when it takes place in September for the first time.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) world-famous event in London was cancelled last year and postponed from May this year because of the pandemic.
It is expected to have a very different feel this year due to the change in season for the event, which will be for one year only.
The RHS said the show will make the most of the more autumnal time of year, with harvest fruit and vegetables on display, including at the Italian-inspired “great pavilion piazza” which will feature seasonal asters and dahlias as well as pumpkins and squashes.
Trees full of fruit and berries will be making an appearance, while the spring greenery of ferns and hostas will give way to grasses in the show’s great pavilion and in gardens including the Guide Dogs’ 90th anniversary garden, the Yeo Valley Organic Garden and the Boodles Secret Garden.
Foliage in autumn colours will also feature, while seed-heads which add interest to gardens later in the year are being used instead of the blooms that would normally be seen in the show in May.
Late summer flowers such as asters and dahlias will be centre stage at the show, along with penstemon, late-flowering salvias, autumn varieties of camellias and alstroemeria, or Peruvian lilies.
Spring bulbs will be replaced with autumn flowering bulbs, normally a rare sight at RHS Chelsea, with nerines, Colchium, or autumn crocus, and Eucomis – pineapple lilies – on display, while visitors will be able to buy spring bulbs to plant for flowering next year.
The show will also feature tropical plants and topiary which look good in autumn, the RHS said.
Helena Pettit, RHS director of gardens and shows, said: “We know what a challenge the change in season has presented for our exhibitors and their amazing displays are a real testament to the skills and expertise of the growers, designers, contractors and everyone involved.
“This year’s RHS Chelsea promises to be a unique moment in history, with new colour palettes, seasonal produce and later flowering plants that autumn brings, alongside many plants and new exhibitors that we may not usually see at the show in May.”
Tickets are still available for this year’s show, which is taking place over six days from September 21-26. It will revert to its usual five-day late May slot in 2022.


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AWS will offer a 10 percent refund in the next monthly bill of South Korean customers that were affected by last month's network failure in Seoul, the company announced.
The company suffered an hour-long network failure on November 22, which halted the services of major local online shopping malls and cryptocurrency exchanges.
AWS later said the error, which lasted 84 minutes, was caused by a DNS server error in some parts of Seoul.
Those who were affected will automatically get the refund credited into their next monthly bill, AWS Korea said.
It stressed that the security and data of customers were not compromised.
The initial belated response to the network failure and 20-day delay in announcing the refund have angered some customers.
AWS is widely used by South Korean firms due to its price-competitive services. The country's largest conglomerates, Samsung and Hyundai, use AWS services for their overseas operations, and more local firms have also started using the cloud vendor's services for local operations purposes.
Earlier this month, Korea Air announced that it was moving all of its data from datacentres to the cloud that Megazone Cloud -- an AWS Premier Partner -- and LG CNS will provide.


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By Martinne Geller
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue, hurt by declines across all its businesses, and said a weak economy would keep consumers under pressure next year, sending shares down 2.4 percent.
The world's largest soft drink maker echoed comments made earlier this month by rival PepsiCo Inc , which also posted disappointing revenue and cautioned that it did not expect a major revival of spending in 2010.
"We expect the consumer to continue facing economic uncertainties into 2010 and for consumer sentiment to recover slowly," Chief Executive Muhtar Kent said in a statement. He added, however, that the company remains on track to achieve its long-term growth expectations.
Coke's net income rose slightly to $1.90 billion, or 81 cents per share, from $1.89 billion, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding a charge, Coca-Cola earned 82 cents per share. On that basis, analysts on average were expecting 81 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net operating revenue fell 4 percent to $8.04 billion, hurt by foreign currency rates and missing analysts' average estimate of $8.11 billion.
Overall sales by volume rose 2 percent, after rising 4 percent in the second quarter and 2 percent in the first quarter.
Coke's growth in developing markets like India and China -- where quarterly volume soared 37 percent and 15 percent, respectively -- is helping it weather a slowdown in the United States.
Third-quarter volume rose 7 percent in Latin America, 6 percent in the Pacific region and 2 percent in the company's Eurasia and Africa segment. Volume fell 2 percent in Europe and 4 percent in North America.
For the decline in North America, Coke blamed the shift of July 4th holiday sales from the third quarter last year to the second quarter this year, price competition and the weak economy.
Toon Van Beeck, senior industry analyst with research firm IBISWorld, said consumers have been trading down to private label drinks in some categories to try to save money.
Overall volume of carbonated drinks, such as Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite, rose 1 percent in the quarter, while noncarbonated drinks, such as vitaminwater, Powerade and Dasani water, rose 7 percent.
COMPETITION HEATS UP
Coke's rivalry with PepsiCo took a new turn this summer when the No. 2 soft drink maker said it would acquire its two largest bottlers after a decade of operating separately.
The $7.8 billion deal led analysts to wonder if Coke might eventually follow suit to erase a competitive advantage, but CEO Kent has since repeatedly expressed his commitment to the franchise model, by which Coke sells drink concentrate to bottlers that package and sell the drinks.
PepsiCo also announced a procurement deal with brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev that allows the beverage makers to save money by buying certain goods and services together.
Coke said it was on track to achieve $500 million in annualized savings by the end of 2011, with plans to deliver more than half of the savings by the end of 2009.
The company also expects its underlying tax rate for 2009 to be 23 percent, down from the 23.5 percent rate it had earlier expected.
UBS analyst Kaumil Gajrawala praised Coca-Cola for recently reinstating its share repurchase plan, strong performance in emerging markets and improving relationship with Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc , its largest bottler.
"That said, we prefer PepsiCo shares, which are currently trading at a 2 multiple point discount versus Coca-Cola," Gajrawala said.
Coke shares fell 2.5 percent, or $1.36, to $53.43. Pepsi shares were down 48 cents to $61.57.
(Reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Derek Caney)


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Executives 'in denial' about cyber security threat
A new report from BT and KPMG says businesses are in denial or have false confidence about threats
Businesses are in danger of falling into dangerous traps as they deal with the complexity of securing a digital enterprise, says BT in a new report.
These include being stuck in ‘Denial’ and ‘Worry’ phases at one end of the spectrum, and ‘False Confidence’ and ‘Hard Lessons’ at the other end, says BT, in a report that is co-authored with consultancy KPMG.
The report comes in the wake of high-profile global ransomware attacks such as WannaCry and Petya, and it offers practical advice to businesses of all sizes on how best to manage their security journey and turn it into a business opportunity.
“The global scale of the recent ransomware attacks showed the astonishing speed at which even the most unsophisticated of attacks can spread around the world,” said Mark Hughes, CEO of BT Security, who leads 3,000 people in the company looking after the company’s physical and network security and selling its skills to other companies.
“Many organisations could have avoided these attacks by maintaining better standards of cyber hygiene and getting the basics right,” said Hughes. “These global incidents remind us that every business today – from the smallest sole trader through to SMEs and large multinational corporations – needs to get to grips with managing the security of their IT estate, as well as their people and processes. This report aims to help secure the digital enterprise by navigating businesses through their cyber security journey.”
David Ferbrache, technical director in KPMG’s cyber security practice, said: “The business community needs to avoid knee-jerk reactions as cyber security is a journey – not a one size fits all issue – and getting the basics like patching and back-ups right matters. It’s important to build a security culture, raise awareness amongst staff, and remember that security needs to enable business, not prevent it.”
The new report, “The cyber security journey – from denial to opportunity”, is published today.


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Basel III: The effects on bankers and consumers
Think for a second about the global economy — in particular, the financial system — and then ask yourself this question: Does it work? Does the giant network we have of banks and consumers and businesses do what it’s supposed to do, let people get their hands on the money they need to buy and sell and, over the long run, thrive?
David Brancaccio looks how decisions made by the world’s central banks will affect business owners and lenders on Marketplace:
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.


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Global Logistics Development Partners | GLDPartners and GLDPartners Mobility Solutions is working at the very dynamic intersection of supply chain efficiency, logistics hub development and mobility technology, and we are witnessing tremendous opportunity in the development of far more efficient and successful logistics hubs. Increasing acceptance of autonomous vehicles is opening up opportunities to sell additional mobility services, with autonomous logistics one of the big winners
GLDPartners is pleased to announce that Dennis Lombardi has joined the firm as Maritime Logistics Associate. Dennis will lead seaport projects in the GLDPartners Ports and Intermodal Practice in the US and in other markets.
The expanded structure substantially deepens Mobileye’s ability to provide a complete service to the business model that is banking on people not always owning a vehicle. As it stands today, Intel may be alone it an ability to provide a full package including: hardware, sensors, software, integration and large-scale services.
In Stockholm an announcement this week of an increased tie-up between Volvo Cars and Luminar Technologies represents an important evolution between a dynamic young technology supplier company and a fast-evolving and uniquely positioned global automotive company - where a relatively small Silicon Valley tech company is having a heavy influence on the shape of the global industry and the giant companies that represent its new face.
A recently completed analysis by Global Logistics Development Partners | GLDPartners details the potential for developing a large-scale inland port district on the US West Coast in California.
Rational thinking and the most fundamental management theory teachings will tell us that some central management or coordination is vital, therefore the role of the federal government is essential. Without question, in the coming months, through the unfortunate period of COVID-19 and over the next several years there will be an extraordinary level of attention paid to these issues. Supply chain management will be a sexy and hot topic. We need collaborative leadership - from industry and clearly from government. We can all do a lot better.
Coronavirus in Asia: There is a very real worry about manufacturing ramp-up after the Chinese New Year period which is ending today. International travel has been restricted and the cascading impacts on production and logistics are just going to become more evident this week.
The recent article written in American Shipper entitled "US Class I railroads eye intermodal lane opportunities" highlights evolving market changes that are causing new intermodal market interest from the Class 1 railroads. GLDPartners sees this opportunity first-hand from the perspective of our client supply chain work & in our project investment work around several going and proposed inland port projects.
The deal announced this week where BorgWarner is buying Delphi Technologies is an important marker in the rapid evolution of the automotive sector.
China's leading logistics integrator giant SF Express is now emerging as a global force that is reshaping the balance of power in the rapidly evolving logistics sector. Established in Guangdong in 1993, since its establishment, SF has created a diversified express service business unit organization and service networks throughout China and now through the world. The company represents the first private express logistics firm with an operating airline subsidiary in Mainland China. SF Airlines has a fleet of total 55 owned cargo aircraft. SF E-Parcel connects over 225 countries and regions and express delivery support in 62 countries.


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Seattle public relations firms GreenRubino and Wilson PR will merge on Aug. 1.
Wilson PR founder Tamara Wilson and her two account managers, Katie Links and Torie McIntyre, will join GreenRubino, with Wilson becoming client relations director for the combined firm, said Hamilton McCulloh, GreenRubino's public relations director.
In her new role, Wilson will focus on developing new business, said McCulloh. “It’s something she’s good at and enjoys doing," he said.
McCulloh said the deal is not a purchase; rather, the firms are “combining forces to offer a broader range of services.” The firm will operate as GreenRubino. McCulloh declined to give details.
John Rubino remains president and Cam Green remains CEO of GreenRubino, which provides a range of services from branding and advertising to public and media relations to graphic design, events and online strategy.
For its part, Wilson PR provides public relations, online marketing and crisis management services. Clients include Anthony’s Restaurants, Northwest Cherries/ Washington State Fruit Commission and the Metropolitan Market grocery chain.
GreenRubino works with Muckleshoot Casino and Hotel 1000, among others. Other clients include Microsoft, Columbia Bank and Sound Transit, among others.
JEANNE LANG JONES covers commercial real estate for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Phone: 206-876-5426 | Email: firstname.lastname@example.org


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"At Tupperware, we continuously invest in new research and design for innovative, functional and environmentally responsible products that not only meet new consumer trends but build upon the love and trust we have established over our 75-year history," said Bill Wright, Tupperware Brands executive vice president, Product Innovation.
"Our efforts to support the next generation of sustainable materials continues to reflect on our purpose to nurture a better future every day by reducing waste at every step of the product life cycle," Wright said. "I'm honored today to expand our ECO+ line with new product introductions and our new partnership with Eastman, which allows us to use recycled material in our more transparent designs. I know, together, we'll work to reshape what is possible in regard to recycled material."
Tritan Renew is a revolutionary resin made with Eastman's polyester renewal technology that recycles at the molecular level, breaking down plastic waste to its fundamental building blocks to be used to create pristine new material. The material is highly durable, dishwasher safe and free of BPA, BPS and BPF. Tritan Renew uniquely offers Tupperware the ability to design clear products with 50% certified recycled content* without compromising on quality or clarity.
"Tupperware has been at the forefront of sustainability, even before sustainability was top of mind," said Scott Ballard, vice president and general manager of specialty plastics at Eastman. "The brand is synonymous with bringing durable, reusable plastics into the home to keep food fresh. At Eastman, we're pleased to make molecular recycling a reality and deliver products that reduce consumption, advance the circular economy, and create value from waste. Tupperware's choice of Tritan Renew shows what is possible today — not just years in the future."
This strategic partnership and expansion of ECO+ will further Tupperware Brand's No Time to Waste vision, which outlines the company's dedication to innovating and designing to minimize food and single-use plastic waste. The new material development in the ECO+ line diverts waste from landfills while reducing plastic consumption through the production of reusable products.
*The recycled content is achieved by allocating the recycled waste plastic to Tritan Renew using a mass balance process certified by ISCC.
About Tupperware Brands Corporation
Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) is a leading global consumer products company that designs innovative, functional and environmentally responsible products that people love and trust. Founded in 1946, Tupperware's signature container created the modern food storage category that revolutionized the way the world stores, serves and prepares food. Today, this iconic brand has more than 8,500 functional design and utility patents for solution-oriented kitchen and home products. With a purpose to nurture a better future, Tupperware® products are an alternative to single-use items. The Company distributes its products into nearly 80 countries primarily through independent representatives around the world. For more information, visit Tupperwarebrands.com or follow Tupperware on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter.


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CINCINNATI: Febreze, a Procter & Gamble brand, has launched the new Breathe Happy campaign, featuring significant social media outreach and live events nationwide.
The initiative was developed after P&G discovered that consumers think air care is often a category of "broken promises," according to global research.
“Air fresheners don't deliver up to the hype that they claim,” said Jeff Pierce, manager of home care and external relations at P&G, “and we discovered a key consumer insight that came out of our research: consumers can close their eyes, but they can't do that with their nose.”
P&G activated the Breathe Happy campaign to address this issue by having customers experience fresh air firsthand. With the help of MSLGroup, which has been working with P&G for 33 years, and the digital agency Possible Worldwide, the movement kicked off on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
“What's been unique about this approach is that we actually launched in the social space first before traditional broadcasts, and that's new for Febreze and new for P&G,” Pierce explained. “The priority there is that we want to be where our consumers are and where our consumers are most engaging with content.”
Febreze is also interacting with consumers at live events. At the end of July, the company will be at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, CA, where it will be setting up areas for people to have a “breathe happy” moment. The company will also appear at the BlogHer 2011 Conference in San Diego, CA, in August, where it will unveil a teenage boy's room that has been deodorized with Febreze. BlogHer participants will be bale to enter the room with blindfolds and explain what they smell.
The reactions of the volunteers will be filmed so they can post the experience on their blogs and tell their readers about the campaign. P&G will also be giving demo kits to bloggers so they can recreate the experiments and share their thoughts on their blogs.
“We think it's a well-rounded, holistic campaign with a lot of terrific opportunities for engagement,” said Caryn Carmer, MSL's consumer practice director. “Febreze has a very devoted community of loyal fans, and I think that by giving them access to something first it helps the followers feel more in touch with Febreze and feel like a part of this movement.”
P&G has also worked with the advertising agency Grey Group to create social experiments in Los Angeles and New York where voluntary participants are blindfolded and tested on how Febreze air fresheners stand up against harsh odors. During the tests, participants are handed items, such as old sneakers or sweaty gym clothes, and asked what they smell, drawing authentic responses from real people.


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drew_dslr / flickr
Smartphone giants Apple and Samsung are hurtling toward a second patent showdown.
Another trial, covering newer products like the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, is scheduled to start March 31.
In 2012, Apple won a $1 billion patent and trademark verdict against Samsung, although that sum was reduced to less than $900 million after a re-trial on damages.
In the upcoming trial, newly revealed documents indicate that Apple is looking for a patent royalty rate that would allow it to collect billion-dollar sums from Samsung every year—for just five patents. According to patent blogger Florian Mueller, the five patents at issue cover Apple’s phone tapping number feature, unified search, data synchronization, slide-to-unlock, and autocomplete.
Yesterday, Mueller published a hearing transcript from February 10 which featured each side’s lawyers arguing to limit or throw out the other side’s expert report.


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industry leaders from the troubled coffee sector are close to finalising the "Common Code for the Coffee Community', an initiative aimed at promoting sustainability in coffee trade. A draft code was released on September 10, 2004, and finalisations would be made by 2004 end. Although the code doesn't directly address the falling coffee prices, which has wreaked havoc on coffee growers, "reasonable earnings over time, for all in the coffee value chain' is anticipated, according to its project paper.
The Common Code is a voluntary market-based framework that outlines practice norms for the production and distribution of green coffee beans. Participating institutions include the International Coffee Organization, the intergovernmental organisation of coffee producers and consumers, non-governmental organisations such as Oxfam International and the Rainforest Alliance, labour unions and four of the five biggest coffee buyers


text: Libertyville — A Chicago woman was charged Monday after frozen fish and five video movies worth $144 were stolen from the Jewel-Osco supermarket and drug store at 1300 S. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Angalia Bianco, 31, was charged with retail theft and obstructing police after allegedly giving officers a false name. Bianco was seen stuffing the fish in her coat by store employees, police Sgt. Erv Schamal said. After detaining the woman, employees found the five videos hidden beneath the coat, he said.


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Crowdfunding platform Crowdtilt wasn’t looking to raise another round, but when their Series A lead investor Andreessen Horowitz offered to lead their B round, the team decided it would make sense given their plans. Today, the company is announcing $23 million in new funding, which also includes participation from SV Angel, Sean Parker, Matt Mullenweg, Oliver Jung, DCM, Felicis Ventures, Naval Ravikant, Alexis Ohanian, Elad Gil, and others.
Founded in early 2012, Crowdtilt has already raised $14 million through its seed and Series A rounds. The company, to some extent, competes with sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, for example, but found a niche for itself in helping everyday users crowdfund smaller projects, often with a more community-oriented nature.
For example, CEO James Beshara says some of his favorites include the one where Rockridge city residents self-funded their own private security in the wake of police force cuts; or another where people raised money for Boston resident David Henneberry, whose boat was damaged in the manhunt for the Boston Bombing suspects; and then there’s the one where a Dallas resident raised over $50,000 to throw a private Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan party. (Yeah, okay…).
“There’s 85% of the population that won’t have a documentary, an artistic project or a hardware project to crowdfund, but they’re going to have an objective that they do want to send around to their friends and their network,” says Beshara. “That’s where Crowdtilt was born.”
Here at TechCrunch, we’ve used the service amongst ourselves, too, once to raise money when co-editor Alexia Tsotsis’ headphones were stolen, another when medical expenses added up (for me – thanks guys!), and recently I raised money on Crowdtilt for some friends of mine who lost everything in house fire just before the holidays. The Crowdtilt service is really straightforward and simple to use even for first-timers, and when you get stuck or have a question, the company offers personal support.
Beshara says the average successful Crowdtilt campaign raises $1,320, on average. He won’t disclose how many are successful – or “tilt,” in Crowdtilt lingo – but notes that it’s “really high.” Higher, in fact, than the success rate for Indiegogo, which TechCrunch reported this August to be around 34%.
Crowdtilt also offers a mobile app, a developer API that lets you build a full crowdfunding app or integrate a crowdfunding option in an app of your own, and it also recently launched Crowdhoster.com, a white-labeled, enterprise tool which companies can use to run their own campaigns.
On Crowdhoster, which is built with the Crowdtilt API, businesses can completely customize the experience, including adding their own branding, logo, and even modifying the code base, which is open sourced. Beshara sees similarities between it and WordPress, or, as he puts it, Crowdhoster is the “WordPress of crowdfunding.” (Meaning that Crowdhoster is open source and customizable, like WordPress. But it doesn’t hurt that Matt Mullenweg is also an investor.)
“These enterprise tools started to take off and they really need extra investment,” explains Beshara, citing another reason why the company decided to raise the additional round.
Though only two and a half months old, the Crowdhoster service has already run 100 different campaigns, raising over $3 million. Its first customer was the Andreessen Horowitz-backed superfood Soylent, which sold $1.81 million of their project on Crowdhoster, which is more than they’ve raised from VC funding.
Crowdtilt generates revenue by charging fees on the campaigns run through its platform (1% via the API, 2.5% elsewhere), not for using the services itself. The Crowdhoster platform is also free, but in time the plan is to add professional services, including payment support, credit card processing, fraud protection, analytics, customer reporting, and more, which the company could charge for.
To date, the company has run over 100,000 campaigns across all its products, and while Beshara declines to saying how much it has seen in transactions, he says that the average campaign raises 192% of its target.
Going forward, Crowdtilt plans to expand internationally. There’s already been demand for the service in other English-speaking markets like Canada, the U.K. and Australia, but the company won’t confirm which countries it will reach next until Q1 2014.
Already, they’ve grabbed a few notable hires, including Brian Birtwistle, formerly at marketing at Zynga, as head of operations and to lead Crowdtilt’s international push; and former director of product at Yelp, Bryan Byrne, as Crowdtilt head of product. Now the plan is to hire within their forthcoming international markets, as well as bring in additional execs.


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| Sep 27, 2014
| 8:01 AM
Another day at Paris Fashion Week, another new designer debut at an old house. In Friday's case it was the British designer Jonathan Anderson for the Spanish leather goods house Loewe, which is owned by French luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moet...
| Sep 24, 2014
| 8:50 PM
NEW YORK - First lady Michelle Obama urged international leaders to show the courage and commitment of girls who make sacrifices to go to school - like the abducted Nigerian schoolgirls - to provide children around the world the quality education they...
| Sep 24, 2014
| 7:31 AM
CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA — Los imponentes volcanes seducen por su belleza y aparente tranquilidad. Lagos como Atitlán cautivan por su tamaño y por los pintorescos poblados que se encuentran a su alrededor. Y ciudades como Antigua impresionan por su...
| Sep 9, 2014
| 3:01 PM
Carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere reached a record high last year and grew at the fastest rate in 30 years, the United Nations' climate agency reported Tuesday.
The World Meteorological Organization's latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin "injected...
| Sep 5, 2014
| 1:30 PM
With today's information onslaught, smartphone appendages and retail profiling, getting off the grid may seem like a uniquely 21st century desire. But the northern New Mexico town of Taos has been a go-to physical and spiritual oasis for people looking to...
| Sep 16, 2014
| 7:30 AM
If you’re looking for an adventurous way to spend the winter holidays, Vaya Adventures is offering a Dec. 23 departure for a cruise on the Beagle through the Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The eight-day itinerary begins on...
| Sep 12, 2014
| 6:15 PM
I broke my own cardinal rule of travel, which is this: If you're going to visit a country, start in its capital to embrace the cultural customs and nuances of a new destination.
For Laos, that would be Vientiane, which sits on a plain that's northeast...
| Jul 1, 2014
| 8:00 AM
UNESCO's World Heritage list hit a milestone of sorts last week when it proclaimed the Okavango Delta in northwest Botswana as its 1,000th site. The African delta was among 26 new places on the globe singled out for recognition, including a first one in...
| May 4, 2014
Some years ago, in the early days of our getting to know each other, my boyfriend told me about one of his most memorable meals, at a restaurant on a rock ledge overlooking the Croatian Adriatic. He had been covering the Bosnian war and had escaped to the...
| Apr 15, 2014
| 2:41 PM
NEW YORK — Since it was founded 12 years ago, the Tribeca Film Festival has sometimes swerved between identities like a barfly at happy hour, exuberant but hardly always clear.
The festival looks to change that this time around. Tribeca has...
| Jul 9, 2014
| 8:00 AM
A new book on the history of German food arrived in my mailbox the other day. Not exactly the stuff of summer daydreams. Nevertheless, I picked it up, poured a glass of Riesling and started leafing through it. Before long, I was hooked.


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“Fast 50” designation highlights Mountain Point’s work in revolutionizing manufacturing.
Mountain Point, a consulting firm that specializes in helping manufacturers undergo digital transformations, has been recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal as one of the top 50 fastest growing companies in the Charlotte area.
The Journal’s annual “Fast 50” list highlights companies with the highest average annual growth over a three-year period. Mountain Point was founded in 2013 with the goal of revolutionizing the manufacturing sector for the digital world.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past four years,” Andrew Rieser, President of Mountain Point, said. “Our growth stems from our success in helping other companies grow, and that’s incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.”
Mountain Point is nationally recognized for its expertise in helping manufacturing companies modernize their operations to better compete in the high-tech, global economy. Their team of expert consultants helps manufacturers integrate cutting-edge tools and processes by leveraging the Salesforce Platform, predictive analysis and company-wide data integration.
“We believe the U.S. can be a world leader in manufacturing again,” Rieser said. “But we have to innovate in order to compete with other countries where the cost of living is often much lower. Mountain Point helps companies make the transition to Industry 4.0, where creativity, automation and artificial intelligence are the cornerstones of doing more with less. By leveraging four key areas --- people, processes, technology and data --- we can help our customers extend lean principles beyond the shop floor and gain that competitive advantage. Moving from the traditional manufacturing space into a digital, cloud-based ecosystem allows our customers to deliver their products and services faster, better and cheaper.”


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Apple pretty much sticks to numbers, with iOS 5 being the latest, while Google is now at Android 4.0 — which has the much cooler name of Ice Cream Sandwich. It is about that very delicious-sounding Android release we are talking today.
HTC has announced via their Facebook page that an Ice Cream Sandwich update will be available for some of its devices by the end of March. First in line to get the update will reportedly be the Sensation, Sensation 4G and Sensation XE. Then, a little later, the Sensation XL.
The Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, EVO 3D, EVO Design 4G, Incredible S, Desire S and Desire HD will all be updated “later this year.”
So HTC users, how does this make you feel? Are you excited for some Ice Cream Sandwich action?


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The first Aldi store in Pickerington is scheduled to open Thursday. The discount grocer, known for low prices and private-label items, will hold a ribbon cutting at 8:30 a.m. at the store, located at 1400 Hill Rd. N.
The opening will feature golden tickets containing gift cards of various amounts for the first 100 customers. Guests also can enter to win a year’s supply of Aldi produce. Aldi will distribute free reusable shopping bags and offer product samples.
The new store is part of a $3 billion push by Aldi to add almost 1,000 stores across the country by 2022.


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Total revenue rose 12.8% to $38.03 billion.
The Company's Intelligent Cloud business generated a revenue of $13.40 billion, up 17.0% on year. Azure, Microsoft's flagship cloud computing business, reported quarterly sales growth of 47%, lower than +49% widely expected and +59% in the prior quarter.
Meanwhile, the Company's More Personal Computing unit saw revenue increased 14.0% to $12.90 billion. The coronavirus pandemic helped boost the unit's performance, as more people in lockdowns across the world used its products to work and for entertainment.
In after-market hours, the stock lost nearly 3%.
On a Daily Chart, the Stock has managed to trade at levels above the ascending 20-Day Moving Average.
Source: GAIN Capital, TradingView
It has repeatedly refused to close below the $201.40 level, which is now acting as the Key Support.
In case it climbs back to $216.40, around the record intraday high seen on July 9, further resistance will be encountered at $223.50.
On the other hand, losing the key support at $201.40 would open a path toward the next support at $193.55.
Award-winning platforms, competitive spreads, low commissions and dedicated support.
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Today’s connected world is driving a ‘consumer trust divide’ between suspicious minds in developed nations and more accepting attitudes in emerging countries, reveals Kantar TNS’s latest Connected Life research.
- 25% of connected consumers in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) consider the content brands post on social media irrelevant
- Only one in four connected consumers (25%) in Saudi Arabia are concerned about social networks’ control of what users see in their feeds
- 30% of connected consumers in the UAE are concerned about the level of personal data brands have on them
The research, which surveyed 70,000 people across 56 countries and conducted 104 in-depth interviews, explored consumer trust in brands in relation to four themes: technology, content, data, and e-commerce.
The findings show that while European and US consumers’ trust in brands is being undermined by the poor deployment of advertising and content, consumers in countries across Asia, Middle East and Africa, in contrast, appear to be embracing brand content and messaging though concerns on privacy remain.
The findings also show that many consumers are choosing privacy over convenience, preferring a greater say in decisions that impact them even if that means compromising on speed or ease: 35% of consumers in Saudi Arabia and 39% in UAE object to connected devices monitoring their activities even it makes their lives easier.
The research also reveals that mistrust is prevalent in many markets, but that it is not universal. While just 9% of Swedish consumers consider the content they see on social media reliable, half of online users in MEA trust the information they consume on social media.
Trust in large global brands varies significantly between emerging and developed markets: in Saudi Arabia and UAE, half of online population (50% and 47% respectively) trust big global brands, but consumer trust falls significantly in developed markets like the USA and France, where just 21% and 15%, respectively, trust big global brands.
Commenting on the findings, Stephen Hillebrand, CEO, Kantar Insights Middle East & North Africa said:
“In our connected world, the notion of ‘truth’ has come under increasing pressure. Given this, the default for many consumers is suspicion, not acceptance. The level of suspicion differs starkly depending on where you are in the world. In developed countries, the erosion of trust has been much more dramatic – driven by consumer experience with new technology, online content, usage of personal data, and ecommerce. In contrast, overall trust levels in Middle East & Africa are relatively high – giving regional brands an opportunity.”
“Today, all companies are challenged by the key question of how can they build and maintain trust and authenticity in this rapidly-changing world. Trust is one of the most profound consumer beliefs regarding the efficacy and reliability of a brand, and takes significant time to cultivate. Among the most valuable brands in the world, higher trust levels equate with higher brand values, proving that trust is a crucial ingredient in brand success.
“Online users in UAE and Saudi Arabia trust new technologies and brand content on social media. This is reflected in their willingness to embrace new things and express themselves freely. However, when it comes to sharing personal data, they still have concerns and expect to get something in return. In developed countries like the US and Canada, consumers demands are higher still and expect brands to demonstrate that they know them, and to deliver personalised customer experiences.
“Across our region and especially in Saudi Arabia, brands need to respect social and cultural values in order to build trust. Beyond relevance of the offer, brands need to be consistent in their communications and customer experience”.
Connected Life explored consumer trust in brands in four areas:
Trust in technology
The rapid evolution of technology is enabling brands to develop better, smoother customer service experiences, but poor deployment or a failure to meet basic needs can erode consumers’ trust and confidence in brands.
This year’s findings showed connected consumers are polarised in their acceptance of artificial intelligence. 43% of connected consumers in MEA are willing to interact with a machine (such as a chatbot) if their query is dealt with more quickly. This has huge implications for the pace at which companies automate customer functions, as well as the moments at which they do so.
This year’s findings also showed that while advances in technology aim to make consumers’ lives simpler and easier, people feel increasingly distracted and harassed by it: one third (32%) of 16-24 year olds in the region think they use their mobile phones too much.
Trust in content
Many brands rely on social media platforms to reach consumers quickly and easily but this year’s research shows that content on those channels is increasingly discredited and distrusted by consumers, with fake news and self-serving information impacting their confidence in what they’re reading.
Nearly a quarter of consumers in MEA find the content brands post on social media channels irrelevant. Furthermore, there is a high and growing level of distrust in social media platforms, with half (50%) of North American and French consumers expressing concern about social networks’ control of what users see in their feeds.
Yet those findings contrast sharply with developing Asian markets like Indonesia and the Philippines, in which just 8% and 12%, respectively, expressed concern.
Trust in data
When it comes to data, people are becoming increasingly aware of the price they are paying for their connected lifestyles, and many feel on the losing end of an unfair exchange.
35% of MEA consumers respondents expressed concern about the amount of personal data that companies have on them, but it was especially high in some markets: almost three-quarters (72%) of Polish consumers are concerned – more than any other nation – and the majority of consumers in the United States (60%) and South Korea (59%) share that view.
However, concerns are much lower in other markets, including Nigeria (32%), China (30%) and Indonesia (22%), where consumers have more transactional expectations from brands (for example, rewards in exchange for data).
Trust in ecommerce
There has been a large increase in brands offering social commerce options to consumers, whether mobile shopping services and the ability to purchase through social media platforms.
New technologies such as ‘buy buttons’ and mobile payments are making ecommerce more frictionless than ever, but many consumers are failing to see the benefits. While 64% of consumers in China would prefer to pay for everything using their mobile, we see that consumers in the MEA region are much less likely to embrace mobile payments.
For example, 47% of connected consumers in the UAE, don’t want to pay for anything with their mobile. This means that while half of online population in UAE prefers to pay for everything using their mobile, the key will be to break the mobile payment barriers for another half.
“While brands in UAE and KSA currently enjoy higher level of trust than those in the developed countries, we expect this to diminish in the years ahead in a dynamic online world. To build and retain trust while this is still relatively easy, brands need to understand the emotional and behavioural drivers of their consumers. The ways in which this is then conveyed to consumers will vary by country and category, but in all markets integrity and consistency are key.”


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T-Mobile has announced that the new LG V20 smartphone will be available on their network from the 28th of October.
LG have not revealed any details as yet on how much the handset will cost, they have said that this will be released closer to launch.
The LG V20™ is even more irresistible with a sweet Un-carrier deal – everyone who gets a new LG V20™ can get a pair of Bang & Olufsen™ BeoPlay H3 headphones (a $149 value). In traditional fall currency, it’s a savings of, like, 33 Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
“LG’s V20 raises the bar again, and Android fans are gonna flip when they use this phone on our unlimited, blazing-fast network,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “With T-Mobile ONE, your V20 is fully unleashed, so you can binge, jam, scope, snap—and whatever else you love—completely unlimited on America’s fastest 4G LTE network.”
You can find out more information about the new LG V20 on T-Mobile over at LG at the link below.
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


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As the world becomes more and more digitized, many traditional services are being left by the wayside. One such service is balloon blowing, which is often used for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations, and weddings. With the rise of social media, many people are now choosing to have their balloons blown up digitally, using services such as PartyPOP. This is having a major impact on the balloon blowing industry, which is struggling to keep up with the times.
A balloon blow to pop service is a company that will blow up balloons for you and then pop them. This is usually done for parties or other events.
It's official: the days of balloon blowing at birthday parties and other special events are numbered. According to a new report, the number of balloon blowing services has decreased by 30% in the past year. This is bad news for the businesses that provide these services, but it's good news for the environment. Balloon blowing requires helium, which is a non-renewable resource. By reducing the demand for balloon blowing services, we can help conserve this valuable resource.


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“We’re doing pretty well so far just by Twittering,” co-owner Tan Nguyen said, shortly after an all-out assault on the truck by hungry office workers.
She said she got the idea for a Banh Mi truck a decade ago but didn’t decide to actually go for it until last year, when food trucks began enjoying a surge in publicity and commercial success.
Planning began last fall. Today the truck served its first customers.
“Vietnamese is perfect for food trucks… [and] spring is the perfect time to have a food truck,” Nguyen said.
Rebel Heroes lets patrons customize their sandwiches by checking boxes on a small paper order form. Nguyen said the food’s Latin flare, and the ingredient options, make her Banh Mi-style sandwiches more accessible than similar fare from Northern Virginia’s numerous brick-and-mortar Vietnamese restaurants.
Nguyen claims culinary inspiration from her mother, who provided some of the recipes, and from her friend Josie Smith-Malave, a contestant on Top Chef season two. Smith-Malave is not formally affiliated with the truck.
Rebel Heroes will be exclusively serving Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor until this summer, when Nguyen hopes to secure the necessary permits to operate in the District. She says it’s easier to operate a food truck in Arlington due to the District’s heavily bureaucratic permitting process.
Eventually, Nguyen hopes to establish a schedule that will take the truck to points in D.C. and Arlington on a regular basis.
Rebel Heroes will be serving both breakfast (including coffee) and lunch (including chips and Mexican fruit sodas), starting as early as 7:30 a.m.
This week only, they’re offering a coupon for a free sandwich with the purchase of a drink or a bag of chips.
More photos, after the jump.
A new business offering high-end therapeutic and wellness treatments — including cryotherapy — is opening in Pentagon City. Texas-based Restore Hyper Wellness started offering treatments to help people facing pain,…
Protected bike lanes on Fairfax Drive are a project whose time has come. It’s a critical link that would connect commercial areas, parks, and trails to thousands of Arlington residents. It deserves a place in Arlington’s next 10-year Capital Improvement Plan.
Live music, theatrical performances and fair food are all on tap as Arlington County Fair returns two weeks from today. After being canceled due to the pandemic, the event will…
See some of Arlington’s cultural gems in the “Spotlight Series,” part of an extended outdoor concert season at Lubber Run Amphitheater.


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Researcher: `Clunkers' program boosted auto sales
MUNCIE, Ind. A Ball State University researcher who analyzed the federal government's Cash for Clunkers program says it fueled a spike in auto sales over the summer.
Michael Hicks of Ball State's Center for Business and Economic Research analyzed the program, which cost taxpayers nearly $3 billion to provide rebates of up to $4,500 to people who traded in old, inefficient vehicles for gas-thrifty new ones.
His analysis shows that of the 690,000 autos sold under the Cash for Clunkers rebate program, all but 3,000 to 5,000 would not have been exchanged without the rebates.
Hicks says the program created an immediate boost to the auto industry, which is important to Indiana as well as much of the manufacturing-centered Midwest.
The Associated Press


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A number of other brokerages have also recently released reports on GNK. B. Riley raised his price target on Genco Shipping & Trading shares from $27.00 to $31.00 in a Friday, May 6 report. Clarkson Capital reissued a “buy” rating on Genco Shipping & Trading shares in a research report on Tuesday, June 14. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began covering shares of Genco Shipping & Trading in a report on Wednesday, April 27. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. One equity research analyst gave the stock a hold rating and four gave the company a buy rating. According to MarketBeat.com, Genco Shipping & Trading currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $28.25.
NYSE GNK shares opened at $19.05 on Thursday. Genco Shipping & Trading has a fifty-two week minimum of $13.21 and a fifty-two week maximum of $27.15. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $23.13 and a two-hundred-day simple moving average of $19.87. The company has a market capitalization of $802.04 million, a price-earnings ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 2.78.
Often called the “new oil”, lithium is at the heart of the transition to renewable energy. But failing to secure more domestic lithium sources could cripple the nascent energy revolution as China continues to lock in supplies. That’s why investors are looking for new opportunities in Nevada, the epicenter of North American lithium.
Genco Shipping & Trading (NYSE: GNK – Get Rating) last reported results on Wednesday, May 4. The shipping company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.97 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.98 per ($0.01). The company posted revenue of $97.76 million in the quarter, compared to $95.11 million expected by analysts. Genco Shipping & Trading achieved a return on equity of 25.50% and a net margin of 37.21%. On average, analysts expect Genco Shipping & Trading to post earnings per share of 4.73 for the current fiscal year.
In other news, CEO John C. Wobensmith sold 100,000 shares in a trade on Monday, May 23. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.14, for a total value of $2,514,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the CEO now owns 399,099 shares of the company, valued at $10,033,348.86. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available on the SEC’s website. Additionally, CEO John C. Wobensmith sold 45,000 shares in a trade on Friday, May 27. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.15, for a total value of $1,131,750.00. Following the sale, the CEO now owns 399,099 shares of the company, valued at $10,037,339.85. The disclosure of this sale can be found here. In the past three months, insiders have sold 148,500 shares of the company valued at $3,732,515. Insiders hold 2.50% of the shares of the company.
Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new position in Genco Shipping & Trading in Q1 worth $10,469,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Genco Shipping & Trading by 1,177.9% in the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 441,690 shares of the shipping company valued at $9,730,000 after buying an additional 407,125 shares last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new stock position in Genco Shipping & Trading during the fourth quarter worth $5,317,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC increased its stake in shares of Genco Shipping & Trading by 1,275.7% during the fourth quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 244,687 shares of the shipping company valued at $3,915,000 after acquiring an additional 226,901 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Genco Shipping & Trading by 454.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 274,154 shares of the shipping company worth $6,476,000 after purchasing an additional 224,698 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors hold 75.90% of the company’s shares.
Genco Shipping & Trading Company Profile (Get a rating)
Genco Shipping & Trading Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the shipping of dry bulk cargoes worldwide. The Company owns and operates dry bulk carriers to transport iron ore, coal, grain, steel products and other dry bulk cargoes. It charters its vessels mainly to trading houses, including commodity traders; producers; and public entities.
This instant alert was powered by MarketBeat’s narrative science technology and financial data to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reports. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat’s editorial team prior to publication. Please send questions or comments about this story to [email protected]
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Tacha wears a ₦9.2 million dress to the 2023 AMVCA
The price tag on Tacha Akide's dress has caused quite a stir on social media.
Today, Saturday May 20th, 2023 is the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards and the fashion and glamour has been at its peak.
Tacha shared the receipt of the price of her dress with her followers on Twitter. On the receipt was the amount, $20,000 boldly written on it. That’s about 9.2 million at the official CBN rate.
Tacha wore a blue see-through lace gown with a detachable puffy sleeves that extended into a cape made by Nigerian fashion brand, 2207 by T Bally.
While her fans are ecstatic because she looks gorgeous, many others wonder why she spent so much when she isn’t a nominee and why she had to share that information with the public.
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Health and tech stocks dip; Amazon flirts with $1 trillion
U.S. stocks finished lower Tuesday as losses for health care and technology companies canceled out gains for banks. Another gain for Amazon briefly brought its market value to $1 trillion.
Banks rose as interest rates climbed. Nike slumped after it gave a major endorsement deal to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Investors didn’t commit to many big moves as trading resumed after the Labor Day holiday. They are likely to focus on trade this week, as the U.S. is scheduled to resume trade talks with Canada on Wednesday and could announce new tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports later in the week.
Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at financial services firm Nationwide, said investors are paying less attention to trade-related headlines recently because they are fairly certain they know how the talks will end.
“I’m still pretty confident that before midterms or by the end of the year we’re going to have a handshake agreement with the NAFTA region and China,” he said.
The S&P 500 index gave up 4.80 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,896.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 12.34 points to 25,952.48. The Nasdaq composite fell 18.29 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,091.25. The Russell 2000 index lost 7.38 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,733.38.
The S&P 500 has risen in eight of the past nine weeks and closed at an all-time high Wednesday.
Drugmakers and suppliers took some of the sharpest losses Tuesday, and big technology companies including Facebook and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, also slumped.
Nike stock fell 3.2 percent to $79.60 after the company said Kaepernick will be one of the faces of its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Investors feared a possible backlash from customers.
Two seasons ago Kaepernick began a wave of protests by NFL players, kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. He hasn’t played in the NFL since the end of the 2016 season and is suing the league, saying owners conspired to keep him out of the game because of his protests.
Tesla skidded 4.2 percent to $288.95 after a Goldman Sachs analyst said the company will face rising competition from other electric car makers as an important federal tax credit is phased out, while its spending is likely to increase further.
Goldman analyst David Tamberrino expects the stock to fall to $210 in six months.
Amazon briefly traded above $1 trillion in market value, a milestone only Apple has surpassed among publicly traded U.S. companies. Amazon finished with a gain of 1.3 percent to $2,039.51, which gave it a market value of $995 billion.
Apple reached the $1 trillion mark on Aug. 2 and is now valued at $1.1 trillion. According to S&P Dow Jones Indices, Amazon and Apple combined account for 8 percent of the current value of the S&P 500.
Talks to keep Canada in a revised North American trade deal are scheduled to resume Wednesday as Washington and Ottawa try to break a deadlock over issues such as Canada’s dairy market and U.S. efforts to shield drug companies from generic competition.
The U.S. and Mexico announced a preliminary trade deal last week, and while the Trump administration has threatened to leave Canada out of a final deal, investors doubt that will happen.
Hackett, of Nationwide, said talks with China are far more complicated, but investors feel the Chinese government will ultimately make significant concessions. He said that’s reflected in the gains for U.S. stocks in recent months and the losses for indexes in China and other emerging markets.
“Investors are pretty solidly betting that the U.S. is going to quote-unquote win the trade war,” he said.
Chinese e-commerce company JD.com slid 6.1 percent to $29.38 after founder and CEO Richard Liu was arrested in Minneapolis. Liu was arrested late Friday on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct and was released pending charges. JD.com said he has returned to China.
Bond prices dropped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.90 percent from 2.85 percent.
Banks made modest gains as higher long-term interest rates mean they make more money from mortgages and other types of loans. High-dividend companies including real estate and household goods makers fell, as investors sold those stocks and bought bonds instead.
Benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.1 percent to $69.87 a barrel in New York. Brent Crude, used to price international oils, was little changed at $78.17 a barrel in London.
Wholesale gasoline dipped 0.1 percent to $1.99 a gallon. Heating oil rose 0.5 percent to $2.25 a gallon. Natural gas slumped 3.2 percent to $2.82 per 1,000 cubic feet.
The dollar gained strength and metals prices fell. Gold lost 0.6 percent TO $1,199.10 an ounce. Silver dropped 2.6 percent to $14.18 an ounce and Copper sank 2.6 percent to $2.60 a pound.
The dollar rose to 111.48 yen from 111.01 yen. The euro fell to $1.1581 from $1.1597.
France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.3 percent and Germany’s DAX shed 1.1 percent. In Britain, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.6 percent.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.1 percent while the Kospi in South Korea gained 0.4 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.9 percent.


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- The game is finally ready to roll out worldwide
- Apex Legends Mobile built up from the ground and features many aspects of its PC counterpart
- It is hoped the game will surpass PUBG Mobile’s success
The mobile version of Apex Legends is now ready for pre-registration on all Android devices in most parts of the world.
EA Opens Pre-registration
Ever since it was announced at an investor call in 2020, EA has been teasing fans with a potential mobile version of Apex Legends. Following a series of closed regional beta test in May last year, as well as a limited launch in February 2022, it seems that the company is getting ready for Apex Legends to start rolling out worldwide.
EA and Respawn Entertainment announced yesterday that Apex Legends Mobile pre-registration is now available to players worldwide. There are some exceptions, however, notably China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Russia, and Belarus. Currently, the game is live only on Android devices, with iOS expected “soon.”
Apex Legends Mobile is based on the extremely popular 2019 free-to-play battle royale hero shooter for PC. With streamlined controls and optimized content, the mobile version of the game will feature fan-favorite Legends, abilities, and locations alongside new mobile-only maps, gameplay modes, and other unique content
Players wanting to pre-register need to visit the game’s official website. They will be able to collect exclusive cosmetics, including an Epic skin for Bloodhound if at least 10 million players participate. New registers will receive their rewards in-game mailbox in the months ahead after the release of the game.
A New Opponent on the Horizon
Mobile gaming is getting more and more popular. With new mobile leagues being launched left and right, EA seems to try and capitalize on this new trend. The company is pouring its hopes into the success of Apex’s mobile version.
The mobile port is being handled by Lightspeed and Quantum Studios, the same folks that helped Krafton make PUBG Mobile. Speaking of PUBG Mobile, it seems that Apex is will try to surpass PUBG’s success. Interestingly, although differing in setting, gameplay, and other features, both games are produced by the same Tencent-owned studio – Lightspeed & Quantum Studios. Perhaps this is LQS’s way to outdo itself.
Despite already having a score of 4.2 in the Google App Store and over 7.5 million newly registered players, it’s still early to say if Apex Legends Mobile will carry on the torch from PUBG Mobile as Lightspeed & Quantum Studios’ flagship.


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Two years after Vine’s co-founder Dom Hofmann announced he was building a successor to the short-form video app, today Byte makes its debut on iOS and Android. Byte lets you shoot or upload and then share six-second videos. The tiny time limit necessitates no-filler content that’s denser than the maximum 1-minute clips on TikTok.
Byte comes equipped with standard social features like a feed, Explore page, notifications, and profiles. For now, though Byte lacks the remixability, augmented reality filters, transition effects, and other bonus features you’ll find in apps like TikTok .
What Hofmann hopes will differentiate Byte is an early focus on helping content creators make money — something TikTok, and other micro-entertainment apps largely don’t offer. The app plans to soon launch a pilot of its partner program for offering monetization options to people proving popular on Byte. When asked if Byte would offer ad revenue sharing, tipping, or other options to partners, Hofmann told me that “We’re looking at all of those, but we’ll be starting with a revenue share + supplementing with our own funds. We’ll have more details about exactly how the pilot program will work soon.”
Many creators who’ve grown popular on apps like TikTok and Snapchat that lack direct monetization have tried to pull their audiences over to YouTube where they can earn a steady ad-share. By getting started paying early, Byte might lure some of those dancers, comedians, and pranksters over to its app and be able to retain them long-term. Former Vine stars turned TikTok stars like Chris Melberger. Joshdarnit, and Lance Stewart are already on Byte.
very soon, we’ll introduce a pilot version of our partner program which we will use to pay creators. byte celebrates creativity and community, and compensating creators is one important way we can support both. stay tuned for more info.
— byte (@byte_app) January 25, 2020
Staying connected with Byte’s most loyal users is another way Hofmann hopes to set his app apart. He’s been actively running a beta tester forum since the initial Byte announcement in early 2018, and sees it as a way to find out what features to build next. “It’s always a bummer when the people behind online services and the people that actually use them are disconnected from one another, so we’re trying out these forums to see if we can do a better job at that” Hofmann writes.
Byte founder Dom Hofmann
Byte is a long time coming. To rewind all the way, Hofmann co-founded Vine in June 2012 with Colin Kroll and Rus Yusupov, but it was acquired by Twitter before its launch in January 2013. By that fall, Hofmann had left the company. But 2014 and 2015 saw Vine’s popularity grow thanks to rapid-fire comedy skits and the creativity unlocked by its looping effect. Vine reached over 200 million active users. Then the unthinkable happened. Desperate to cut costs, Twitter shut down Vine’s sharing feed in late 2016 so it wouldn’t have to host any more video content. The creative web mourned.
By then, Hofmann had already built the first version of Byte, which offered more free-form creation. You could pull together photos, GIFs, drawings and more into little shareable creations. But this prototype never gained steam. Hofmann gave Vine fans hope when he announced plans to build a successor called V2 in early 2018, but cancelled it a few months later. Hofmann got more serious about the project by then end of 2018, announcing the name Byte and then beginning beta testing in April 2019.
Vine reboot Byte begins beta testing
Now the big question will be whether Byte can take off despite its late start. Between TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and more, do people need another short-form video app? Winning here will require seducing high quality creators who can get bigger view counts elsewhere. Considering there’s already a pile of TikTok competitors like Dubsmash, Triller, Firework, and Facebook’s Lasso available in the US, creators seeking stardom on a less competitive network already have plenty of apps to try. Hofmann may have to rely on the soft spot for Vine in people’s memories to get enough activity on Byte to recreate its predecessor’s magic.


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While we're in the final lap of the pre-Windows Phone 7 launch, it's not too shocking to see WP7 devices start to populate carrier's invoice systems and that's what we have here for our UK brethren.
The "ultras slim" HTC 7 Trophy (seen here), a solid looking device, just showed up in Vodafone's network as a contract handset, as the picture clearly states. Featuring a 1GHz CPU, 8GB internal storage and a 3.8", 16million color screen, looks to be a decent starter phone for many.
No info on pricing or exact availability, though we're sure "in the next few weeks" is a safe bet.
[Thanks, Dave, for the pic!]
Here's everything you need to know about Windows 10X
Microsoft is building a new version of Windows 10 called Windows 10X that will be launching on new foldable PCs starting at the end of this year. Here's everything we know about it.
Baldur's Gate III gameplay to be revealed on February 27
The world will get its first look at Baldur's Gate III gameplay on February 27 via a live stream from PAX East. Baldur's Gate III is being developed and published by Larian Studios.
Would you buy a smartphone with full Windows 10 on ARM?
Earlier today, a company called Emperion unveiled details about a smartphone its building that supposedly runs full Windows 10, on an overclocked Snapdragon 845 processor, that’s also able to run Android apps without emulation or dual-booting with Android. It sounds too good to be true, and it probably is, but let’s assume this is a product that can be executed on. Would you buy it?
Keep your Oculus Rift S controllers powered with these great batteries
The Oculus Rift S controllers don't come with a built-in rechargeable battery like a smartphone, so what are you supposed to use? We've got the definitive list of best batteries for your Oculus Rift S controller!


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Those who have been following the news on Google TV probably know that SONY and Logitech will be officially unveiling their Google TV offerings later this month. We were not expecting any real news on the topic before then, but it looks like Google has jumped the gun a little by launching their official mini site for Google TV. The majority of the information presented is old news, but we now do have confirmation that Netflix will be supported along with Amazon video on demand, HBO Go, and CNBC. Engadget is also reporting that Google has been working very closely with Turner Broadcasting so that the websites for TNT, TBS, CNN, and a few other websites work smoothly in the Chrome browser.
So does Google TV look ready for prime time yet? If you ask us, we’d love to see Google and Hulu work something out before launch. Hulu announced that their Hulu Plus service would be coming to Android and we think the launch of Google TV would be a perfect time for that. What would it take for Google to convince you that Google TV is a must-have tech item for the holiday season?


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An Intel official has announced that the company is currently working with ten Chinese and global vendors as well, to integrate their chip technology into upcoming Windows 8 slates. Although names have yet to be stated, these devices are expected to be released by the end of the year.
The statement comes from Sean Maloney, chairman at Intel China, who also added on Wednesday that the market will "probably see many Intel-based tablets by the end of this year".
One of the company's upcoming chips, which should be featured on these tablets, is code-named Clover Trail and comes with a 1.8 GHz processor, according to some slides shown during Maloney's speech.
When it comes to the mobile segment, Intel has big plans. The company's newest Atom processor, Z2460 codename Medfield, can be used on both phones and tablets. As sources describe, this chip promises high performance with lower power requirements.
Intel is also planning two Atom chips for smartphone-exclusive use in the future. They go by the name of Z2580 and Z2000, the first one being able to deliver twice the performance of Medfield while the last targets a lower-end of the market segment, with a 1.0 GHz processor.
Earlier this week, Maloney said that Intel's strategy in China is to win over the smartphone and tablet segment from other competitors, a plan that they are currently "making progress on".
Source: PCWorld (opens in new tab)


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Annual Report Targets Sustained Tourism Growth In Canada
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and HLT Advisory (HLT) have released the 2016 Annual Report on Canadian Tourism.
The report focuses on the potential opportunity to target American travellers and reviews the parameters powering global industry growth in contrast to the... more ›
Trafalgar Travel Directors Search For That Special Highlight
A Trafalgar travel director says he and his colleagues are committed to ensuring that those who go on Trafalgar itineraries won't simply be seeing more of the same.
“[As] travel directors [we're] always trying to give you something unique,” Dave Neil told a Nov. 29 Toronto... more ›
CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany are projecting that airline ancillary revenue will reach $67.4 billion worldwide in 2016.
The CarTrawler Worldwide Estimate of Ancillary Revenue represents a nearly 200% increase from the 2010 figure of $22.6 billion, which was the first year for the ancillary... more ›
To celebrate #GivingTuesday, Delta Air Lines is donating $1.5 million to select non-profit organizations who align with the company's focus on advancing education, expanding global health and wellness, promoting arts and culture, saluting armed service members and veterans, supporting global... more ›
Happy birthday, Canada!
That's pretty much how the industry should interpret the new partnership between Destination Canada and Air Canada as the two join forces to promote Canada's tourism wonders to the world.
The deal, reached on the eve of Canada's 150th birthday, is an innovative,... more ›
Carnival Cruise Line has awarded $15,000 in cash prizes to three travel agencies – including one from Halifax – as part of the line’s “Ultimate Cruise Night” event.
One grand prize of $5,000 was originally to be awarded with two runners up receiving $2,500. However, Carnival... more ›
Travel for Good Campaign Kicks Off Today
Intrepid Travel launches its groundbreaking Travel for Good campaign today, furthering the positive impact its adventure tours have on travellers and the world.
Starting today, Intrepid will donate 10% of all tour bookings to help four community projects around the world. The campaign runs... more ›
Sunwing is introducing direct flights from Winnipeg to Nassua, The Bahamas this winter.
The new, weekly service begins on Dec. 17, 2016 and continues until April 1, 2017
To coincide with the new route, Sunwing has also introduced new all inclusive packages at several of the island’s... more ›
Lots Of Opportunity For Industry And Consumer Input
A bit of a follow up and clarification from an item in yesterday's Press Today on changes to the Ontario Travel Industry. (Click here to see that story)
TICO president & CEO, Richard Smart told PT that the Dec. 3, 2016 deadline referred to in the story applies to the survey recently... more ›
'12 Days of Christmas Cocktails'
With only a month left until Christmas, “12 Days of Christmas Cocktails” is being offered at all InterContinental Hotels in Canada.
InterContinental Toronto Centre, InterContinental Toronto Yorkville and InterContinental Montreal are spreading holiday joy during December with 12 festive... more ›


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NEW YORK — Trader Joe’s is the lone food retailer to appear on brand consulting firm Landor Associates’ 2009 list of Breakaway Brands.
It ranks brands that have displayed sustained quantifiable growth between 2005 and 2008.
Occupying the top spot is Apple, followed Google and Häagen-Dazs. Special K is the only other food brand on the list. It came in two spots ahead of Trader Joe’s, which took the No. 10 spot.
“Each has taken the initiative to stretch into new m


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There’s a reason why people keep coming back to Orlando’s newest attraction.
It’s an inflatable pool.
Orlando-based company Fluid Fitness and spa owners Lola Bowers and Lacey Larkin decided to try and replicate the feel of real-life pool-based pools.
They decided to build a giant inflatable water slide out of foam and then build an inflatables enclosure for their guests to ride on.
According to the company, the “ultimate pool experience is a magical one.”
The company was able to pull off the feat in a matter of hours, and it was all done in less than $150,000.
Bowers and the other partners had to go through a lot of research and research to get the ball rolling.
Bowers, who has a master’s degree in physics, wanted to design a “perfect” floating pool, and the company decided to spend six months working on the design.
They wanted to create something that was both “a true pool experience” and “perfect for a family,” according to Bowers.
The company has had success in the past with inflatable water slides in other places, including London, Sydney, Shanghai and New York City.
The inflatability concept isn’t entirely new.
The company’s inflatably themed water park, The Fluid Zone, opened in New York in 2013.
“We’ve been making inflatatable water slides for a long time, so we really wanted to do something that’s new, unique, and has a completely different feel,” Bowers told ABC News.
The team spent months designing the inflatablized water slides, which are basically inflatable inflatable boats.
The boats can be built to hold up to five guests, and there’s a “deck” at the top to support the guests.
The inflatation pool design has a lot to offer the public, but the real star of the show is the inflatable ride itself.
Bows and Larkin said that the inflateable water slide “has a great amount of fun, is completely customizable, and is a great way to experience an experience that can’t be found anywhere else.”
The company said that their inflatating pool is now up and running at their other Orlando-area facilities.
It can be found at the Fluid Spa, the Water Park, the Inflaterium, the Splash Pad, the Parkland Resort, and The Flamingo.


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Blood supply: Héma-Québec has the situation under control
Montréal, November 29, 2012—Héma-Québec is able to meet the needs of all Québec hospitals. Its blood collection operations and supply to hospitals are under control. All of the blood products currently available to hospitals are safe.
Tests on quarantined products will continue over the next few days. Based on these results, safe products will be put back into circulation and the others will be destroyed.
Héma-Québec has taken the necessary measures to meet the needs of hospitals. There is therefore no current shortage of blood.
We would also like to stress that patients who recently received transfusions all received products that were deemed safe, and there is no risk to their health.
As a precautionary measure, Héma-Québec asked Québec hospitals to temporarily quarantine certain blood products Wednesday night due to microscopic punctures found on a few blood bags.


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The operators of Telegram Messenger, which has been recording increasing user numbers for a long time, are also thinking about financing models. This will likely culminate in the imminent introduction of the app’s premium features. Some beta testers noticed the innovation in version 8.7.2, which they recently received.
According to this, the premium customers aren’t provided with outstanding features that other users have to do without – it’s more about additional useful content like new sticker sets and reaction emojis. These can be unlocked by subscribing to Telegram Premium – at least that’s what the beta app says, huh AndroidPolice reported. However, Telegram Premium does not yet exist. At least not in the already published app.
However, users who have access to the TestFlight builds of the messenger app, as well as the test server, can already send themselves emojis and similar content that was previously unavailable – and since payment features apparently haven’t been implemented yet, it can still be done. free access to the respective areas.
Payment model required
It is not yet clear how exactly the additional paid content will be integrated. However, based on the current functionality, it seems that the recipient only sees the premium stickers if he is also a premium customer himself. It is not yet possible to say whether this will also be the case in the final version – also because the Telegram operators have not yet responded to questions on the subject.
Pricing plans are still in the dark. However, it has been clear for some time that something needs to be done in the direction of financing. Telegram founder Pavel Durov had already pointed out at the end of 2020 that they were monetizing the app. This is to prevent the platform from having to be sold for a profit at some point, as was the case with WhatsApp.
Brian is the news author at Research Snipers which mainly covers Technology News, Microsoft News, Google News, Facebook, Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, and other tech news.


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This annual award is given to suppliers who demonstrate outstanding commitment to service and performance.
Pucker up! DOLE® Soft Serve is adding Lemon to their flavor repertoire starting this January!
Kent Precision Foods Group has launched an app for your smartphone and tablet to gain on-the-go access to KPFG products.
Restaurants, frozen yogurt shops and other businesses who offer soft serve ice cream are encouraged by Frostline® to participate in the August 19 national holiday.
DOLE® Soft Serve allows operators to satisfy cravings of patrons with dietary restrictions by serving up a treat that’s creamier than sorbet and lacking the tart taste of frozen yogurt.
Foothill Farms® would like to help send more school foodservice professionals to School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference (ANC)!
Distributors, foodservice brokers, directors, managers and school nutritionists can easily find recipes on the website to create monthly menus according to recent government changes.
The formulas, tastes, UPCs, manufacturing codes, quality and the ordering process remain unchanged, only the packaging and brand names’ transitioned.
With 40 years of history in foodservice, operators can continue to depend on the Frostline brand to communicate excellent quality, consistency and flavor.
“At Thick-It, our dysphagia professionals are committed to simplifying the lives of those with swallowing disorders through easy-to-use, life-enhancing nutritional solutions,”
KPFG has been honored for the third consecutive year with the Quality & Service Award from Dot® Foods, Inc., the nation’s largest food redistributor.
“The new website was designed to provide a user-friendly experience that will allow operators to access detailed product information and see the complete range of menuing solutions including our healthier choices line, Flavorwise™.”
Milani® and TUF® brands will be consolidated into the Foothill Farms brand name December 1, 2013.
3 Worlds Café was a concept that began two years ago when DOLE® and award-winning chef Roy Choi of Kogi reached out to a local neighborhood to provide assistance and healthy food training at one of the oldest schools in LA.
The new website is simple to navigate and will feature timely information with menu trends, featured recipes and spotlights on products, and much more.


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Online carpet store, Obeetee, has assigned its media duties to Madison Media.
The agency will be responsible for handling the brand’s entire media mandate, including TV, print, radio, OOH, digital and cinema.
Madison Media Alpha had pitched for the account, and will be handled by it's Mumbai office.
Angelique Dhama, chief executive officer, Obeetee, said, “I feel carpets as a category is not so well established in India. At Obeetee, our aim is to become synonymous with the category itself. With our 100-year-old legacy and top-notch products, we are confident of being an integral part of Indian homes in the days to come. I am very pleased to have Madison Media, backing our aspirations and walking the path to success with us.”
Vishal Chinchankar, CEO, Madison digital and Madison Media Alpha, said, “Carpet/Rugs
category intent has gone up 120% due to the pandemic as people are spending more time at
home. This is the right time for Obeetee to make a consumer buying journey seamless across online/offline touchpoints. We are confident that our digital-first and outcome driven omni-
channel approach will help Obeetee surpass industry growth.”


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San Francisco Old Navy to become latest store to shut down in crime-ridden cityMay 27, 2023 | 1:21am
"Old Navy is always evaluating its real estate portfolio to ensure a healthy fleet of stores that can provide the best possible experience for our customers."
Kanye West sued by Gap for $2M after failed Yeezy collaborationMay 23, 2023 | 8:07pm
Gap ended its partnership with the "Stronger" rapper last fall after his string of anti-Semitic comments.
The Gap to chop 1,800 jobs in corporate shakeup to save $300MApril 27, 2023 | 12:10pm
“We’ve let our operating costs increase at a faster rate than our sales, and in turn our profitability.”
Gap to cut hundreds of jobs in new round of layoffs: reportApril 25, 2023 | 12:23pm
The apparel retailer joins a growing number of American firms, including tech giant Facebook-parent Meta Platforms and consumer companies Clorox and Wayfair, to downsize its workforce.
Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' mom 'almost called' him to talk about his new Gap adJanuary 31, 2023 | 5:57pm
"I almost called you to say son look at you in this ad! Then I remembered 💔," Connie Boss Alexander captioned a snippet of the ad on Tuesday.
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss honored in new Gap campaignJanuary 30, 2023 | 3:20pm
The dancer's widow said in a statement, “When Stephen and I first saw his images from the campaign, it brought tears to our eyes. He was so moved."
Kanye West says he's selling Balenciaga, Adidas, Gap hoodies for $20November 23, 2022 | 11:11am
The rapper showed off the inside of his Los Angeles studio, declaring that he "cut up" his old inventory and emblazoned it with "Ye24."
Kanye West could face financial crisis within monthsOctober 30, 2022 | 11:37am
As Ye is dropped by corporations and condemned by industry figures, sources say that while he has a large stash of cash, he also has vast expenses.
Antonio Brown defends Kanye, plans to remain Donda Sports presidentOctober 26, 2022 | 4:57am
"I remain true to the mission of Donda and our amazing staff and community," Brown, who was appointed president of Kanye's Donda Sports brand this year, said in a statement...
Foot Locker is latest retailer to cut ties with Kanye West amid anti-Semitic outburstsOctober 25, 2022 | 5:45pm
Foot Locker yanked Kanye West’s Yeezy sneakers off its shelves Tuesday, hours after Adidas cut ties with the embattled rapper over his racist remarks.
Gap taking 'immediate steps' to remove Yeezy products from stores, siteOctober 25, 2022 | 2:23pm
After Ye terminated his relationship with the brand last month, Gap says they will remove all of his designs following his anti-Semitic comments.
Gap yanks Kanye West's Yeezy products from stores after anti-Semitic commentsOctober 25, 2022 | 2:14pm
"Antisemitism, racism and hate in any form are inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values," Gap said in a statement.
Balenciaga takes stand on Kanye West after anti-Semitic rantOctober 21, 2022 | 12:42pm
On Friday, Balenciaga’s parent, Kering said in a statement to WWD, “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”
Where Kanye West’s brand deals stand amid anti-Semitism, ‘WLM’ controversiesOctober 18, 2022 | 9:53am
Here's where West stands with partners including Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga following his streak of offensive statements and erratic behavior.
Kanye apologizes to Kardashian — but claims Kim 'discriminated' against himSeptember 22, 2022 | 11:33am
Ye claimed he has "to fight for say-so" in how he and Kim K raise their four children.
How to shop Kanye West's latest Yeezy Gap x Balenciaga collectionSeptember 22, 2022 | 11:27am
The rapper may have terminated his partnership with the retail giant last week, but Gap will continue selling his collections as planned.
Gap axes 500 corporate jobs as apparel chain battles weak salesSeptember 20, 2022 | 1:29pm
Last month, Gap withdrew its annual forecasts due to an inventory glut and weak sales.
Kanye West hires Elon Musk's attorney to battle GapSeptember 19, 2022 | 4:33pm
The rapper known as "Ye" has been locking horns with the apparel company over the pricing and design of his Yeezy collection at Gap stores.
Kanye West reveals why Yeezy partnership with Gap fell apart: 'I'm the king'September 16, 2022 | 10:47am
“Everyone knows that I’m the leader, I’m the king,” West said.
Kanye West is reportedly ending Yeezy partnership with GapSeptember 15, 2022 | 1:13pm
In a letter sent to the retail giant Thursday, West alleges that Gap didn't deliver on promises to release certain styles and open Yeezy Gap stores.


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Eliminating barriers for small businesses to grow and thrive in the City of Detroit
with Pierre Batton of Detroit Means Business
As Detroit’s small business owners continue to face challenging times, there is hope with tools and resources available to help.
Pierre Batton, Executive Vice President of Small Business Services for Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Executive Director of Detroit Means Business joins Laurel Hess to talk about the importance of making Detroit the most inclusive and equitable city for small business development and small business growth in the country.
Dec 13, 2021
Hosted by: Laurel Hess
Produced by: Heartland Newsmakers Team